Michael Joseloff

Michael is a media industry veteran with extensive experience launching and marketing new businesses for ad-supported and subscription brands. Currently, he serves as the CMO at Fortune where he oversees both consumer and sales marketing.

On his morning routine.

I’m usually up between 5:30 and 6:30 am. 

I’ve always been a morning exercise person, so I’ll usually hit a quick run morning in Park Slope. I’ll occasionally add in some virtual classes and weight training boot camps.

Additionally, I try to fit meditation into my morning routine. It’s a great way to practice centering and helps set me up for the rest of the day’s responsibilities and obligations.

On prepping for the day.

I prepare my days and the week ahead in advance, and I always keep an eye out for what’s coming up next on the calendar.

It gives me time to prepare and get organized before launching into meetings. 

Being prepared is important because it helps frame the conversation, and it lends perspective to what we talk about.

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of going into a meeting blind and unaware of what needs to be addressed. If someone is showing up to a meeting, I want to make the time together as productive as possible.

On content consumption.

The start of my day is the best time for me to mentally get inspired.

I usually start each morning by skimming through 3 to 5 newsletters I find to be really thought-provoking and interesting. CEO Daily and a few of our Fortune newsletters, plus Axios AM...and a few media-focused weekly newsletters (Rex Woodbury, Brian Morrisey, Jacob Donnelly are a few musts).

Additionally, on my morning runs, I listen to a series of podcasts like Pivot, Leadership Next, Recode Media. It helps me further develop my perspective, and it can trigger some great creative ideas.

On blocking time for deep work.

There are times throughout the day that I try to block off for meaningful and deep thinking work, especially when I have big presentations I need to prepare for. 

Where my mornings are when I get the most inspired, nighttime is when I get most of my thoughtful work done, after all of my daily tasks are crossed off the list. 

I’ll also take time on the weekends to clean up my inbox, digest longer emails, catch up, reset, and prepare some ideas for the week.

On reconnecting with friends.

One thing I want to improve on is staying in touch with people. 

For me, it’s something that has to be scheduled and coordinated. As things are starting to open back up again, I’m looking forward to finding those pockets of time to reconnect with people in person.

During the pandemic, I digitally reconnected with friends I hadn’t talked to in a while through Zoom, which I found to be incredibly meaningful. Friends from high school and college created some impromptu reunions. 

Your day can really lighten up when you’re hanging out with people you love.

It helps makes life’s stresses a bit more manageable.

On avoiding overscheduling.

There’s definitely a line between work and personal friendships. 

Pandemic aside, with kids, it becomes harder to hang out with colleagues after work, so even though I love working with them, I feel there’s a fine separation between them and my personal friends who I can hang out with on weekends. 

I try to schedule time to be with friends, since it really lifts my mood and has a positive impact on my day, while also being careful not to overschedule the weekend which is filled with family time, catching up on work, and personal “to-dos.”

On building a team.

It’s extremely important for everyone on the team to feel like they are contributing and providing something valuable to the group. 

For me, that breaks down into what people can own and what people can run with while remaining accountable for the results. 

If they can own the initiative, it gives them the chance to contribute and deliver on something they’re proud of. 

It’s also important to not micromanage. Being mindful, listening to others, and encouraging people to speak up are so important.

You never know what someone’s voice could contribute to an opportunity or ideation.

On disconnecting from work.

I wish it were easy for me to wrap everything with a nice tidy bow at the end of the day. That would be ideal. But not possible. 

I’m on a schedule where I go home at a certain time for dinner, so on the commute back I try and take a few minutes to reconnect and adjust my mindset so I can be fully present for my family. 

After my wife and kids go to bed, I have some time when I work for about 30 minutes to an hour before heading into my own evening wind down.

On his evening routine.

I love the evening hours because everything starts to quiet down and I can get some personal time in the day.  

Before I go to bed, I’ll try to put the news on just to see what’s going on in the world. I’m also currently catching up on a few shows I really like that my wife doesn’t want to watch with me like Mosquito Coast, Money Heist, and Mythic Quest! 

I’ve gotten back into reading, so I might also try to get through a good number of pages before going to sleep. 

To wrap up my day, I’m in bed between 11 and 11:30 pm.