Courtesy of Avaline
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Jennifer Purcell, the 46-year-old CEO of Avaline Wines, based in New York City. It has been edited for length and clarity.
I started my career in investment banking, then moved into distressed debt and private equity. After working in transactional finance for a while, I jumped into the startup world.
I became the VP of finance and corporate strategy at Thrive Market and was introduced through networking to Katherine Power and Cameron Diaz, who were forming a yet-to-be-launched wine brand called Avaline. Wine and wellness are both things I’m passionate about, and I respect them both so much. I joined them as CFO a few months before we launched.
About two years in, the board elevated me to run the company. That was in 2022, and I’ve been CEO ever since.
Here’s what a day in my life is like.
6:15 a.m. — check my phone
My routine has changed a bit because I recently moved from LA to NYC. I wake up around 6:15 or 6:30 a.m., and the first thing I do is look at my phone.
We have an employee in Europe, so I often wake up to a lot of messages from them. I also check my email and my calendar to see what my day looks like.
7 a.m. — dog walk and podcasts
My dog is a lazy Shih Tzu mix, but he loves going out in the early morning when he’s feeling active. I live in the Financial District, so I take him down to where the Tin Building used to be, and he has some off-leash time, visits with other dogs, and runs around for 30-45 minutes.
While we walk, I listen to podcasts to get my news. I listen to The New York Times’ The Daily and NPR’s Up First.
Given world events such as tariff announcements, dollar-to-euro volatility, and changes in global shipping routes and pricing, I need to understand what’s happening and how it will affect our business.
8 a.m. — gym and matcha
After the walk, I go to the gym. I’ll either do a private Pilates session with my trainer or take an Equinox HIIT or treadmill running class.
Next, I usually stop by Earthbar at Equinox for a Muscle Up smoothie with spinach. It’s quick, filling, and keeps me energized through a packed morning. I’m also hooked on matcha. I make at least two per day — it’s the only caffeine I drink.
9 a.m. — focused and creative work
I mostly work from home, though we have a coworking space in Flatiron where I try to hold in-person meetings with people in the city.
Most of the Avaline employees and the executive team are on the West Coast, so after I get ready, I get to enjoy a few hours before anyone starts pinging me. It’s also the time when my brain is most active and creative.
I go through documents, decks, or financials I need to review and think about strategy, what we need to be doing, what the team is focused on now, and what we could be doing better.
12 p.m. — Zoom meetings begin
Most of my working day is spent in Zoom meetings. I have one-on-ones at least quarterly with every person at the company, so most days I have at least a couple. I love these, especially when I get to speak with the people I don’t normally interact with daily.
I also meet daily with at least one member of the exec team to talk about what’s going on, what they need my help with, and what blocks they’re facing. And then there are external meetings with new production, new products, new markets, and distributors.
I work closely with both Katherine Power and Cameron Diaz on everything from long-term strategy to new product launches. They are incredibly hands-on. This includes tasting potential new wines, weighing in on packaging and label design, or meeting with distributors and retail partners.
For the past 18 months or so, we’ve had at least one empty seat on our executive team, which means I’ve often been running another department alongside my own job. Those early morning hours are when I make sure I’m across whatever the team needs.
It’s a lot of screen time, so I try to take breaks during the day to play fetch with my dog.
2 p.m. — late lunch and self-care
Because I’m working more West Coast hours, I eat lunch late, between two and four. It’s usually something grab-and-go: a salad from the fridge, a protein bar, or a smoothie.
To manage stress, I use a lot of breathing techniques. Exhales longer than inhales — everyone says it, but it’s really underrated.
If I’m really stressed, I go outside and walk with the dog. Even just a 15-minute walk in the sun helps you come back with a completely different mindset: we can figure this out and make it work.
4 p.m. — doing the less fun things
My assistant books time at the end of the day for me to concentrate on the parts of my job I least enjoy, such as reviewing and signing documents and working on alcohol regulation compliance.
When they’re the last things left to do at the end of the day, and I’m not feeling as creative, I find it easier to work through them.
7 p.m. — wrapping up, dinner, and wine
I try to end all meetings by 7 p.m. and make dinner most nights. I order groceries on Instacart for myself because I never know when I’ll be around to cook. While I’m cooking, I’ll have a glass or two of wine. My favorite Avaline wine is our Sauvignon Blanc from Bordeaux.
My boyfriend and I always make a point of sitting down properly at the dining table, without phones, and talking about our days. After that, we like to watch something on the couch with the dog that doesn’t require a lot of brainpower.
At night, because of the nature of our global team, I usually end up going back to my computer a few times.
9:30 p.m. — winding down and preparing for the next day
I love reading, usually nonfiction. I’m reading Gisèle Pelicot’s book “A Hymn to Life: Shame Has to Change Sides” — I think she’s an extraordinary woman.
The last thing I do every night is check my schedule for the next day and make sure I’m prepared. If I need to do any reading or data digging for a specific meeting, I’ll either do it that evening or set myself up to do it first thing in the morning.
I go to sleep around 10 or 10:30 p.m.
I’m often on the road, which changes everything
I travel up to three weeks every month. It could be anywhere: in one month, recently, I went to Miami, Las Vegas, San Diego, Los Angeles, Sonoma County, San Francisco, and Chicago.
We go to retailers, distributors, events, activations, and planning sessions with other team members. Our distributor is in Miami, and all of our grapes are grown in Europe, so I go there too.
I only pack a carry-on, and I refuse to get to the airport early. I want to get there and walk straight onto the plane. This means that I do miss flights from time to time.
I’ve learned not to stress over things I can’t control
If I miss a flight, I immediately rebook through the airline app and figure out the next best option. I travel frequently, so having airline status gives me a bit more flexibility when plans change.
For managing jet lag, I’ve been asking ChatGPT to create a schedule for me: when to drink caffeine, when to try to nap, when to stay up, and when to get sunlight. I try to follow it as closely as I can.
I also practice good sleep hygiene: a very dark room, a cold environment, and no screens right before bed. I listen to a sleep story on the Calm app and put on white noise afterward. If I wake up in the middle of the night and can’t go back to sleep, I’ll get up and read until I’m tired again.
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