Damian Soong

Damian is the CEO & Co-Founder at Form, a plant-based nutrition company for the body and mind. Outside of work you'll find him at the gym, on Peloton, or out on a real bike.

On his morning routine.

I wake up early but without an alarm. For me, no alarm is one of life’s luxuries.

Before I get out of bed I try to settle and notice a few breaths, then I’ll go make some coffee and stretch a bit. I’m a daily journaler so I’ll sit and write, normally it’s just things that are on my mind, what’s gone well or I could have done better, what I’m grateful for.

I love this practice for creating space for reflection and building self-awareness. Doing this before phone or tech is important to create headspace for me.

Next up is movement; either a walk or run in Hyde Park. I have a 6k loop I do every day. Then I might go to the gym or go out on my road bike if I have time.

Having the time in the morning to reflect and work out is one of the greatest investments in myself and my productivity throughout the day.

On supplement protocols.

I’ve experimented with most diets from fasting to keto when I was focused on aesthetics, now my focus is longevity. This change happens with age!

I’m around 80% plant-based, and I can make a mean chili non-carne. I also rarely eat dairy, I’ll also choose an organic option if that’s available. None of these choices were conscious decisions, rather, I just naturally moved in that direction.

Supplements-wise I use our Performance vegan protein powder and Multivitamin. If my sleep needs a helping hand I’ll use our sleep supplement ZZZZs. I also take a sublingual Vitamin D — I have my blood tested regularly and always seem low on this.

On exercise and recovery.

I try to move every day. Currently, I’m in the gym every other day. I tend to do a full-body workout, but when I get bored or plateau I’ll switch to a push/pull/legs type routine.

On non-gym days I’ll run, ride, or take a long walk. I also run and ride very slowly.

I’ve run myself into knee operations in the past so I focus on not getting injured rather than speed. Recovery is critical for that goal, so I’ll have periods of much lower intensity. My favorite recovery treats are a massage, infrared sauna, and magnesium baths.

To put it bluntly, rest days are more important than training days.

On self-awareness and Stoicism.

There’s no one size fits all — finding what works for you means self-awareness is key.

I’ve practiced meditation for nearly 10 years now, and it’s been instrumental for me in remaining centered with the stress and anxiety that can swirl around being a founder and with life in general. I read a lot, which itself is an exercise in focused attention.

I feel an affinity with a lot of stoic and Buddhist philosophy.

Those strands of thinking always come back to the idea of focusing on what you can control, your reaction to events, and being present.

The breath is one thing we all have that can help enable that.

On energy pendulums.

I think work-life integration is possible and, for me, is the goal.

But it’s tough and it’s something I’m always trying to work on. It’s certainly harder when it’s your own business to separate the two, and in many ways, that’s both a blessing and a curse. I try really hard to remain present with my friends and family.

I think of it like a pendulum, you can spend a bit of time at either extreme but it takes a lot of energy, and eventually, you have to come back to the center.

This is the idea of the middle way.

On his ideal workflow.

My days are always different, though I do always try to set my days up by task type or energy. That means Tuesdays and Thursdays are meetings and calls. Mondays and Fridays are always clear for me to work on bigger deeper tasks.

Wednesday is for tackling whatever arises between those days. I’ll carve days out for pure number and analysis work, and other days for writing.

I find not having to task switch is very beneficial, and longer periods focused on one type of activity allow me to really get in the groove. 

I’m also trying to focus on energy rather than time: what gives me energy versus what takes it away. I build out my day based on my energy with specific things, and I look closely at my activities if I find myself lacking energy or focus.

This will always be a work in progress.

On managing your inner voice.

At the moment, I’m trying to be fully present and get outside of the voice in my head.

We all have this voice in our head that narrates the world to us.

On some level, this means our experience is our own mental presentation of reality, and part of us is constantly expending energy and processing things in the background.

Realizing that you aren’t that voice, rather, the one that hears it, and that most of the world will unfold without care for what your mind says, is the real work.

On his nightly ritual.

I go to bed quite early for a grown-up!

I don’t think I do anything particularly special here other than the usual sleep hygiene.

I try not to eat or drink for at least 2 hours prior to bed, and I get off screens early to read. If I’ve been exercising a lot, I’ll have a magnesium bath.

I always sleep with an eye mask and earplugs because I’ve gotten more sensitive to noise and light as I’ve got older. I’ll just tuck myself into bed with my weighted blanket, and call it a night!