I’m writing this from New York City!
I’m here for a panel I’m speaking at for AdWeek, feeling extremely energized and excited for this talk. I just hopped off my 16th flight to be here… let me give you some context on the last month:
Five states. Sixteen flights. Ten to twelve production days. Two conferences (between the US and France). Weekly meetings with our BDX teams. And I genuinely do not feel burnt out.
I know people who do a fraction of that and they’re completely exhausted or overwhelmed.
The answer isn’t that I work less. It’s that I stopped thinking about work and life as things that need to be balanced against each other. I’ve been doing this for 15 years now, and I have a mindset shift that will help you!
WORK LIFE HARMONY
There’s a quote that I heard from Jeff Bezos that put so much in perspective for me. "I prefer the word ‘harmony’ to the word ‘balance’ because balance tends to imply a strict tradeoff. If I’m happy at work, I’m better at home. If I’m happy at home, I come into work more energised."
I’ve read a lot about Bezos over the years, a couple of books, countless interviews. And this idea stuck with me. Because it’s exactly how I try to live. When work feels good, life feels good. When life feels good, work gets better. It’s not a trade-off… it’s a loop.
KNOW HOW YOU WORK
Here’s what I know about myself: I generate energy when I travel. The moment I leave my house and get on a plane, something turns on. I get ideas. I get inspired. I meet people, and meeting people in person is what fills me up and gets me excited.
That’s my energy pattern. Not everyone shares it. Some people need routine: the same desk every morning, big breakfast or a morning workout, long stretches of deep work.
Neither is wrong. But you have to know which one you are. Because if you’re building your life around someone else’s pattern, you will always feel like you’re falling behind. Work-life harmony means designing your life around how YOU actually operate. Not the productivity framework you read about.
MY NON-NEGOTIABLES
- Enough sleep. I can’t stress this enough. This is a MUST.
- At least three workouts a week. I run. It clears my head like nothing else.
- No alcohol, or close to it. I’ll decide according to the week and the work I have.
Without these three things, you will be a wreck after five days on the road. But with them, you can go for weeks and still feel like yourself. When I get back from long weeks or months on the road, I’m not exhausted. My heart is full. And I genuinely believe that’s only possible because I’ve built an environment for myself.
OUT OF OFFICE
One more thing I want to share, because I think it changes how you think about relationships in business. 100 years ago, work was farming. 50 years ago it was an office or a factory. Now, increasingly, the currency of business is relationships. And relationships are built in person, on the road, at events… not in a boardroom.
If you want real time with someone, make it interesting. Some of my best business conversations happened on a bike ride, a run, or over coffee. You pick the format. You match it to what both people actually enjoy. The conversation goes deeper, the trust builds faster, and nobody is watching the clock. The point is that an experience creates a memory.
FIND YOUR ENERGY PATTERN
Most people have never stopped to ask themselves a simple question: when do I feel most alive? That’s where your energy lives. There’s no right method, everyone is different. Copying someone else’s routine or method will not feel the same for you.
- When do you feel energised after work? Is it after a day of meetings and conversations, or after a day of deep, solo focus? One of those will consistently feel better. That’s your signal.
- What environment brings out your best ideas? A packed coffee shop, a quiet home office, a long walk, a library? Most people have a place or a situation where their thinking sharpens.
- What do you always skip when life gets busy? For most it will be workouts or sleep. These are your non-negotiables. It’s the first thing you pay attention to. This list is crucial for growth and will often push you out of your comfort zone.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
I’ve been navigating business this way for 15 years. And I genuinely love what I do. It doesn’t feel like a grind… most of the time. But I want to be honest: it’s not because I work 24/7 and never stop. I also have days where I do absolutely nothing. I’ll watch YouTube for 12 hours and stay in my home. And those days are not a failure. They’re part of the system.
Rest isn’t the opposite of productivity. It’s what makes success sustainable. The goal is to build a life where the work and rest both feel like choices you made. And that’s harmony.
What’s Hot
- Adidas has officially overtaken Nike: Both teams in the WC final will be wearing Adidas!
- Watch Jeff Bezos talking about work like balance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfGbyW6fs5w
- What do you think of this philosophy?
- Superfans are the new reach: https://www.instagram.com/p/Daw5kiqjjjj/?hl=en&img_index=1 The followers you already have are worth more than you think.
- Streamer University is more popular than Harvard? https://www.instagram.com/p/Das6f7WvKul/?hl=en Only the second year of Streamer U and it’s breaking records.
Thanks so much for reading this week’s letter, hope you enjoyed the insights!
-Benni
