Welcome to our monthly editorial series A Day in the Life where we ask successful women we admire to share the daily minutiae of their professional lives, from the rituals that set them up for success to their evening wind-down routines. This month, we sat down with Trinity Mouzon Wofford, co-founder and CEO of the wellness brand Golde. Read below to learn how she manages her overflowing inbox, stays focused, and finds the time to take daily walks around her neighborhood.

Tell us a bit about Golde and what inspired you to launch your business. What whitespace did you see in the market? What need did you want to fill? 

Golde was inspired by my own experiences as a consumer in wellness. I was feeling caught between the crunchy granola stuff I’d grown up with and this next wave of offerings that felt really prestige. I was centered on this idea of making superfoods easier and more accessible for the next generation. 

Are you a night owl or a morning person? When do you do your most important work and why? 

I’m a total morning person. I definitely prioritize anything important before noon because that’s when I’m at my sharpest. That being said, I also always make time for something non-work-related in the mornings, too, like going for a walk around the neighborhood or reading for 30 minutes. I think it’s important to bring your “best self” to work and play.

What time do you get up? What’s the first thing you do upon waking? 

I usually get up with the sun. Now that we’re edging up on springtime that’s usually around 5-6 am. First things first, I drink a tall glass of water to rehydrate!

Mark Twain said, “Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” What’s the first thing you do when you get to your desk and start your workday? 

Check my inbox, which sometimes feels like eating a live frog! Usually, I just start by triaging to see if there’s anything urgent and get a good sense of anything else I need to work my way through for the rest of the day.

What are you working on this week? 

We have a new product launching at the end of this month (!!), so a big chunk of my focus has been making sure that everything is good to go there. I’m putting together fact sheets for the team, building the marketing strategy for the launch, and taste testing a couple of fun recipes. 

What’s been the most rewarding part of running Golde? The most challenging? 

The most rewarding part of running a business is the relationships—with my team, our community, and my partner and co-founder. It’s been so cool to see this business really blossom into an ecosystem. The most challenging part is continually reevaluating how to get everything done without blowing through a sense of work-life balance. I’m constantly reminding myself that it’s okay to not be able to get to absolutely everything.

Do you ever reach inbox zero? How do you handle the constant influx of inquiries and communication CEOs are so familiar with? 

I aspire to, but no. My inbox is flooded daily with everything under the sun. I accept that I am human, not perfect. 

What is your go-to work lunch? 

My partner, Issey, puts something together for us every day. We usually batch cook a bunch of veggies and then throw that together at lunchtime. 

What advice do you have for balancing the minutiae of day-to-day tasks with big-picture planning? 

I allocate Mondays to be meeting-free so that I have time to do focused, quiet work. I try for Wednesdays to also be meeting-free, but that’s a harder one to pull off! 

What are some work habits that help you stay healthy, productive, and on track to reach your goals? 

I just took my work email off my iPhone, which has been fun. I think it’s important to have clearly delineated working hours and to do something else outside of that time frame. From 8:30 to 6:30 I’m all in, but outside of that, I make time for the rest of my life.

Any favorite apps you use regularly? 

I live by Superhuman for keeping my inbox in good shape. Asana is our team’s productivity tool.

What are you reading, watching, or listening to right now to help you wind down at the end of the day? 

Right now I’m educating myself a ton on gardening. While we’re upstate we’re going to be planting a bunch, so I’ve been reading books and even watching a couple of shows to learn all of the tricks of the trade.

When do you go to bed? What’s your optimal number of sleep hours? 

I’m usually in bed by 9:30 pm and asleep by 10:30 pm, so I think that ends up being around 8 hours!

What’s the most rewarding part of your day? 

I really love the time I have to myself in the early morning before anyone else is awake. It doesn’t last long, but in quarantine, that’s about all the serenity you can ask for!

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