Jacqueline Claudia
Jacqueline Claudia is founder and CEO of LoveTheWild, which pairs sustainable fish fillets with bold, flavorful sauces to inspire people to love and eat more fish. She currently lives in Boulder, Colorado with her husband and four kids.
What is your morning routine?
Most mornings, I have my alarm set for 5:20am, though I’m usually up on my own by 5:00am and going through my email while I wait for the alarm to go off.
After I get up, I throw on my workout clothes, head downstairs, turn on the espresso machine for my hubby, let the dogs out, and head out for a yoga class a few blocks from my house. The only class offered by CorePower at 6:00am is Yoga Sculpt. I call it jazzercise because the only thing it has in common with yoga is that you bring a yoga mat, but it’s better than nothing!
When I get back, I take a super quick shower and help get the kids ready for school. My hubby makes me a Bulletproof coffee or a mocha with a heart on it. When the weather is nice, we steal a few quiet minutes on the porch in the sunshine while we drink our coffee. During lacrosse season, when our evenings are monopolized by practices, I put something in the crockpot for dinner. Then it’s time to double check that everyone has a snack and water bottle for school, shoes, and a jacket before we’re out the door at 8:10am. I drop the kids off at school and then I head to the office.
How long have you stuck with this routine so far?
Only about two months! I was at “peak unhealthy” because I wasn’t dealing well with stress. I needed to make a change, so I incorporated the morning yoga class. It’s made a big difference in my energy level and outlook. Plus, my hubby loves rolling out of bed and seeing me sweaty and in yoga clothes.
How has your morning routine changed over recent years?
My four kids are getting older and more self sufficient, so my mornings have gotten way easier. I now have time to do stuff for me in the morning, like the morning workout I added two months ago. Before that, I would just lie in bed and waste time on social media.
What time do you go to sleep?
I’m usually asleep by 9:00pm. Lame, I know. I’m just mentally and physically exhausted by that time.
Do you do anything before going to bed to make your morning easier?
I get out my yoga clothes and find my towel and mat so that I don’t have to turn on the light in the morning and wake my husband. If I’m putting dinner in the crockpot in the morning, I’ll probably chop all the veggies and do as much of the prep as I can before I go to bed so that it takes as little time and makes as little mess as possible the next day.
Do you use an alarm to wake you up in the morning, and if so do you ever hit the snooze button?
I set an alarm just in case, but I’m usually up before the alarm. I don’t use snooze at home, but I’m a frequent abuser of it on the road. People in the adjacent hotel rooms probably hate me and my loud buzzing alarm.
How soon after waking up do you have breakfast, and what do you typically have?
A few hours. Unless you count the Bulletproof coffee that my husband makes me, I don’t usually have breakfast until I get to the office. Then it’s a few handfuls of trail mix.
Do you have a morning meditation routine?
No. I really wish I did. I keep buying meditation apps, but for some reason just downloading them to my phone doesn’t have the intended effect…
Do you answer email first thing in the morning or leave it until later in the day?
Definitely first thing in the morning. We have investors and suppliers in Europe and customers on the East Coast, so by the time I wake up at 5:00am my inbox is usually full.
Do you use any apps or products to enhance your sleep or morning routine?
I bought myself a weighted blanket and really love it. I used to find myself waking up frequently and not falling back asleep easily. Now I can sleep soundly all night and wake up feeling almost refreshed. Added bonus: it’s so heavy that it never falls off and I’m always warm and cozy.
How soon do you check your phone in the morning?
Immediately. First to see what time it is, and then I can’t resist looking at email.
What are your most important tasks in the morning?
First priority is probably letting the dogs out so they don’t have an accident in the house, because once everyone is up it’s chaos. Next is turning on the espresso machine for my husband—it takes a while to warm up and I like having it ready for him when he comes downstairs. Then it’s having some quality time with my husband, either by jumping back in bed to relax for a few minutes or by having coffee on the porch. And finally it’s getting everyone dressed, fed, and into the minivan to get to school.
What and when is your first drink in the morning?
I have a tall glass of water first thing when I wake up, and I usually drink a bottle of water during or on the way home from yoga. Then the coffee.
How does your partner fit into your morning routine?
My husband is awesome and encourages me to go get some exercise, and we both pitch in to get the family ready for the day.
Do you also follow this routine on weekends, or do you change some steps?
On the weekends, we usually hang out in bed until the little girls wake up. They always come in and snuggle with us for a while. Together we decide what we want for breakfast, and then the girls help me cook. Anything that involves cracking eggs is a big hit with them. Then my hubby makes coffee for us and “special coffee” (hot chocolate in espresso cups) for the kids. Workouts come later in the morning. For me it’s usually yoga again, but my hubby does weights with our older kids.
On days you’re not settled in your home, are you able to adapt your routine to fit in with a different environment?
Since I’m on the road a lot, I try to plan my trips surgically to minimize my time away from home. Because of that, my morning routine often looks totally different.
I usually get in on a late flight, go to sleep well after midnight, and sleep in until the last possible minute. I tend to push snooze one or two times, then freak out that I don’t have enough time to shower, and do my best to look presentable anyway. Thank goodness my hair goes into a messy bun easily and there is no debating what to wear because I only have the single outfit in my suitcase! I then grab two cups of green tea as I run through the hotel lobby and double fist them on my way to my first meeting. I always miss being at home and having my hubby make me coffee.
What do you do if you fail to follow your morning routine, and how does this influence the rest of your day?
I’m pretty kind to myself, maybe too kind. When I’m too tired, I don’t stress about sleeping in and missing a workout. Given everything that I have going on in my life, the fact that I get up at all in the morning is a win.
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