How I start my day
Science tells us that starting your day on the right foot sets you up for success. We know that a solid morning routine can lead to a sense of calm and a boost to your productivity, but just how attainable is it? We talk with three businesswomen to understand their rituals and if they believe a morning routine is essential or not as critical as we’re made to believe.
Kodie Axelsen, Director, Co. Finance, QLD
What’s one morning practice you can’t live without? I’m lucky to live five minutes from the beach so I make sure I get down there, put my feet in the sand, and jump in the water most days too. It’s a ritual me and my three children love, and it’s a great opportunity to get out of the house, into nature, and practice gratitude that this is the life I lead.
Do you do the same thing every day? Not as consistently as I’d like because I have a busy professional life running my finance company plus looking after my kids. I’d say that 90% of my mornings are spent at the beach though.
What happens to you if you don’t do that ritual? If for any reason I am away from the beach for too long I absolutely feel it and my life feels a little thrown up in the air. It definitely affects my energy for the day.
Apart from going to the beach each morning, is there any other one thing you do religiously each day before 10am? A practice I’ve really cultivated over the past few years is to ask a question and pull a tarot card to help with the answer. I regularly do this for my friends and family too – if I think they might need it, I’ll pull a card for them and message them with what came up. I find this, and getting to the beach, to be such a great way to start my day and get in the right mindset.
Emma Isaacs, Founder, Business Chicks, NSW
What’s your morning ritual? I’ve given up trying to make my mornings less chaotic and have accepted that this is the way it is for the next decade or so (welp!). With six kids and an overwhelming work schedule, I’m happy if I can get to 9am without having a nervous breakdown. That said, my wife is a tremendous support to me and our mornings usually start with her making me crack up about something, and both of us trying to remember which Netflix doco we fell asleep to the night before. I also live for the first time I see each kid in the morning and am usually up early enough to catch one or two of them still snoozing peacefully. That’s always a beautiful reminder of what’s important.
What’s a non-negotiable before 10am each day? I mean, apart from getting kids fed, dressed and to school, I’d say it’d be my one coffee. I don’t know if it’s psychosomatic, but I can’t quite face the day without that coffee. I never have more than one but I enjoy it and it gives me a moment to catch my breath and kick my mind into gear.
What do you do differently if you have something important on that day? If I have to give a speech or head to an event, I ALWAYS make sure I calm myself with a bit of meditation. It’s so important to me to go within and block out the world, even if only for three minutes. I’ve been particularly committed to this since becoming an Ambassador for Sony – I use their headphones religiously to meditate. They block out all background noise, have great sound, and if I close my eyes, I can imagine I’m somewhere else entirely. This has been a huge boost to my calmness, and my focus too.
Sheron Sultan, Founder, Yatimba! NSW
What’s the best part of your morning?
My business is called Yatimba! and it’s all about student well-being and rhythmic movement. My purpose is to empower young people to thrive—mentally, emotionally, and physically. The best part of my morning is stepping into schools, creating spaces where students can explore real-life topics, engage in meaningful discussions, and build confidence through movement. Helping them unlock their fullest potential is what drives me every day.
What’s the one non-negotiable thing you do each morning?
I centre myself by giving thanks to my ancestors and to the divine; I read and listen to words of wisdom (Stoics, Mel Robbins, The Resilience Project, Dale C. Bronner and many more) and I lift weights too.
Do you get up at the same time every morning? Yes, I wake up at 4am each day. Watching the day unfold is blissful, and I cherish the uninterrupted time I have to myself.
Yatimba!’s Sheron Sultan leading an early morning session at our Movers + Breakers conference in Port Douglas last year.