I'm a philanthropist and the founder of a Mexican spirit company. I start my day with my biggest 'rocks' — here's my routine.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Claudia Romo Edelman, a 55-year-old philanthropist and the founder of Sotol Romo, based in New York City, about her daily routine. It's been edited for length and clarity.

I was raised in northern Mexico. I'm a marketer for social causes and a global mobilization expert. I've spent more than three decades working with organizations like the United Nations, UNICEF, and the World Economic Forum, helping to create campaigns and movements.

I moved to the US about a decade ago, and I run a nonprofit called We Are All Human, dedicated to elevating the Latino narrative.

A few years ago, I stopped drinking because I didn't like the hangover or the calories, but at the same time, I began reading about the trend of people drinking less but better.

I remembered sotol, a spirit similar to tequila, harvested from the wild desert spoon plant native to northern Mexico. After conducting my own market research, I started my own brand, Sotol Romo, which harkens back to my childhood spent in the Mexican desert with my mother.

Here's what a day in my life is like, running my nonprofit and building my new company.

6 a.m. — wake up and listen to podcasts

I wake up at the same time every day. I spent a lot of my working life in Switzerland, so in many ways I'm like a Swiss robot: Monday through Friday, my rhythm is automatic. My body just goes into motion.

The first thing I do is put on my makeup while listening to podcasts. I treat that time as a way to catch up with the world before the day begins.

I listen religiously to three things: What's News from The Wall Street Journal, Up First from NPR, and a Mexican podcast called La Brújula. Living abroad means I have to make an effort to stay connected to what's happening in Mexico, even when the news can be difficult to hear.

6:30 a.m. — exercise

Movement is non-negotiable for me. Twice a week I do yoga, twice a week I do pilates, once a week I lift weights. Sometimes I do other workouts depending on the week.

Afterward, I shower and have a coffee. I never eat breakfast.

7:55 a.m. — work begins

By five minutes to eight, I'm at my desk and ready to start the day. I split my week between working from my office and working from my home.

Before I dive into emails or meetings, I check my "big rocks." It comes from the big rock theory: imagine your day as a jar. If you fill it with sand first (the little tasks), the big things will never fit.

If you put the big rocks in first, everything else can fall around them. I identify the day's top priorities and start there.

9 a.m. — juggling my calendar

I live and lead my working life through my calendar. I'm obsessive about checking my calendar and seeing what I have on.

I also block time for myself so it doesn't get too crowded. I'm an activist, so people want to meet with me about what they're doing. I have to be approachable.

Working for the UN was great training about decision-making under stress. When I was in a conflict zone, we were taught not to act but to collect data and get three different perspectives before making a decision.

12.00 p.m. — lunch break

I try to do business lunches at least three times a week. An incredible benefit of living in the middle of New York City is the abundance of fantastic restaurants.

I like to try variations on a regular basis, including Vietnamese, Thai, and Mexican cuisine.

2:30 p.m. — low energy time

I know my energy patterns well. Every day around 2:30 p.m., I hit a low point. Anything I do during that window probably needs revision later, so I don't schedule critical decisions then.

Instead, I take a break and focus on movement. I go for a walk with my dog around the neighborhood, or find a reason to talk to someone. It gives me my energy back, and I encourage the people who work with me to do the same.

3:30 p.m. — meetings

The rest of my day is filled with meetings. I'm launching Sotol Romo, so I have a lot of regular weekly meetings where I get updated about all of the touch points.

I really hate long, unstructured meetings — those make me itchy — so I like to be organized.

Lately, I've also been doing a lot of interviews and podcasts. I get a lot of joy from educating and persuading one person at a time.

6:30 p.m. — finish work

I try to keep my evenings intentional. Once a week, I do something cultural — a show, art, or something creative. Once a week, I do something romantic with my husband, Richard Edelman, the CEO and president of Edelman, the world's largest independent communications firm. Once a week, I do something with friends.

This balance helps ensure that, across the week, I'm exposed to ideas and people beyond work.

Most nights, though, are simple. My husband and I love having an easy dinner — though I have to admit I don't often cook — and then sitting down to watch a series together with popcorn. Recently, we've been watching Narcos: Mexico.

9:30 p.m. — tidying up the day

My husband is a natural sleeper, so he usually goes to bed around 9:30 p.m. I don't have that kind of routine, so once he goes to bed, I tend to catch up on emails and other things I couldn't get done during the day.

I'm trying to improve my sleep. I'm working on stopping at a set time each day, then putting down my phone half an hour before bedtime.

10:30 p.m — intentional bedtime

I have an alarm for waking up but not for going to bed, so I'm trying to implement one for both.

I don't function well on less than six hours of sleep. I try to set a strict bedtime around 10:30 p.m.

Every Sunday, we have a routine of ordering Chinese food for 10 people, and our loved ones — our kids, Richard's sisters, my niece, friends — have an open invitation to join us.

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