I'm the founder of Taskrabbit and now run a VC firm. I have 4 kids, 6 calendars, and live my life with 'JOMO.'

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Leah Solivan, the 46-year-old founder of Taskrabbit and an investor and entrepreneur from the San Francisco Bay Area. It's been edited for length and clarity.

I run a venture firm called Precedent.vc, I'm finishing a book, and I have four kids. Balance isn't a word I'd use — I prefer logistics. I have a rhythm that helps me stay sharp and mostly sane. I've been told that my superpower is controlling chaos.

I started my career as a software engineer at IBM and worked there for eight years before I founded Taskrabbit in 2008. I left in 2017 when we sold the company to Ikea.

After Taskrabbit, I started my VC firm because I knew I could offer founders the operational support and empathy to scale their companies. I have three people on my team. I still use Taskrabbit myself and have my favorite taskers I've been using for over a decade.

There's always a lot going on, and I have a podcast, so I'm constantly interviewing founders, entrepreneurs, and investors. Here's a day in my life.

I start my morning with a coffee in the largest mug I can find

I blend in a scoop of creatine, collagen, and colostrum powder — it's my version of protein coffee. It looks weird, but I'd literally never skip it.

I check overnight WhatsApp threads and get a jump-start on the day before my house explodes into motion. I can get through WhatsApp, iMessage, Instagram, and email before the kids get up.

I work from home every day, and I have a specific routine. I get the kids up every morning and get them ready for school, take them to school, and I'm back at my desk by 8:30 a.m.

We have backyard chickens, and their eggs are my breakfast obsession

I love eggs over easy, with a scoop of cottage cheese, wrapped in a tortilla. It's fast, filling, and feels vaguely gourmet — especially when I remember I collected those eggs myself.

We're lucky to live in a place that's still a city, but we have some space outdoors. With that came the idea to get backyard chickens and, more recently, two garden cats.

I enjoy going out in the morning, checking on the chickens, feeding the cats, and grabbing some eggs for breakfast. It's a nice contrast to the speed and intensity of my day to start outdoors with some cute farm animals.

I try to get in 8,000 steps a day

I try to multitask by taking a lot of walking meetings to get my steps in. There's a loop around my house that's exactly one mile, and I aim to get in three laps. I reflect on meetings I've had, turn over ideas for my book, and mentally prep for the next big move. It's my best strategy time.

As I finish writing my book, it's been a great place for me to flesh out ideas I'm thinking about. I'll turn on Otter AI and start talking. It helps me get out of the normal day-to-day mode and think more creatively.

I have a meditation practice, too. When I'm severely overwhelmed or flustered, I hit pause and take 10 minutes to meditate. I use it as a failsafe way to reset.

I don't usually stop for lunch

Because I power up at breakfast, I don't typically get very hungry for lunch.

I'll grab a high-protein snack around 2 p.m., which usually bridges the gap to dinner.

I live my life with JOMO — the joy of missing out

I'm completely comfortable saying no to 99% of everything in my work life and personal life because I like to focus on what's actually going to drive value and fulfillment in my life and business in that moment.

I see about 100 deals a month and might invest in a single company. I triage my time ruthlessly, especially as I'm finishing my book — so even on the weekends, I don't have a lot of time to say yes to time with friends.

The 10 different colors of my six different calendars are all aggregated into one feed, and it's like my Bible. Every task has a different color: green for family, purple for the fund, red for the podcast, and yellow for the book.

Instead of looking at every day and saying, "Oh, wow, I really didn't prioritize the kids," or "I didn't work hard enough on my business," I give myself a lot of grace and look at my calendar over the course of a month. If over two to four weeks, I've found a good balance between the things that are important to me, then I can feel good about how I've spent my time.

I have a lot of night events, but I try to be home at least a couple of nights a week to put the kids to bed

If I'm not at a dinner event, I'll sometimes cook dinner at home. Usually on Sundays, I'll cook a big family dinner. During the week, I may order in or throw something quick together.

Bedtime is a domino effect of four children, which my husband and I divide and conquer. It starts with the baby, who goes to bed at 7 pm., and then it finishes at 9 p.m. with my daughter, who's 12.

For my 5-year-old, I stay in bed with him for an extra 30 minutes and read a fun, light book that has nothing to do with startups or funding. I'm really into ballet, so I'm reading about Balanchine's life and his influence on the history of ballet.

I read graphic novels with my 9-year-old. It's one of my favorite parts of the day, winding down with the kids and hearing about their day.

After the last toothbrush, I put my phone away and give myself the grace to wind down.

A couple of things can derail my day

I'm human, and if things don't go the way I want in a meeting or call, it can be disappointing, and I have to regroup. Also, when the school calls and a kid needs to be picked up because they're sick, that's also a major derailment.

Administrative, back-office work is what drains me the most. I like to prioritize sleep and getting in my steps — but to be honest, those are probably the two things that go first in a day packed with meetings, stress, and all kinds of other priorities.

If I feel like I'm going to have an extra-packed day, I might get up earlier, maybe I won't exercise, and I'll skip meditating, even though I know I shouldn't.

I'm under a deadline to complete my first book, so I block off writing time on weekends. I do like to get out for a hike or a walk, and the kids often join me on my walking loops on weekends.

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