10 Unusual Productivity Hacks of Inc. 5000 CEOs

By Brian Contreras, Staff reporter @_B_Contreras_

As a business owner, getting all your ducks in a row can feel like a never-ending struggle. There always seems to be too much work, and too little time to do it.

In Inc.'s annual CEO Survey, leaders of the fastest-growing companies in America offered up the productivity tips, tricks, and hacks they use to keep up with a deluge of demands.

And while many of them reported relying on time-honored classics such as no-meeting days, inbox zero, or the Pomodoro method, a few Inc. 5000 CEOs shared slightly more off-kilter strategies. Some of the more unique ones included:

• Taking a car service to and from the office to fit in a little extra work time during their commute.

• Reading in the sauna.

• Playing the movie "Rudy" in the background for a boost of motivation.

• Going on a motorcycle ride.

• Walking every day, rain or shine.

• Focus time in the morning--the early morning, that is, from 3 a.m. to 6 a.m.

• Racing cars once a month.

Here are three more productivity hacks of Inc. 500 CEOs--and why they seem to work for each one.

Intermittent fasting.

Allison McNamara, chief executive of the algae-infused skincare brand Mara, says intermittent fasting has helped her stay at the top of her game for the last few years. "It keeps me sharp for the beginning of the day when I do my most important tasks," says McNamara, who tries not to eat before noon or after 6 or 7 p.m. 

She cautions, however, that it's not for everyone, and she doesn't stick to it religiously. But not eating a large breakfast in particular keeps her from feeling sluggish and lethargic during the workday. The cyclical fasting has "really helped my performance at work in general," McNamara adds, "because I have more energy."

Black butter tea and meditation.

Christian Drapeau, founder of the plant-based stem cell supplements firm Stemregen, attributes some of his success to a mix of black butter tea and meditation. It's a fitting regime for someone who, early in his career, dropped out of a neurophysiology PhD to go live in an ashram. "If I don't spend time calming things, then it feels like the world out there is just so much more difficult to handle," Drapeau says of his meditation practice, which is most closely aligned with the Dzogchen tradition and involves quieting his inner thoughts.

Every morning, Drapeau sits cross-legged in his home's designated meditation room--sometimes in silence, sometimes while listening to binaural beats--and works on blocking out the world's many distractions. The black butter tea, meanwhile, is a steady, crash-free source of caffeine for Drapeau, who no longer drinks coffee. Originally a Tibetan beverage, Drapeau brews his own with boiled black tea and a sprinkle of salt--but substitutes in store-bought cow butter for the traditional yak variety.

Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

For Andre Pennington, CEO of the estate planning-focused law firm Pennington Law, Brazilian jiu-jitsu has imparted vital lessons about how to be an effective entrepreneur. "When you go on the mat, it's the truth," says Pennington, who's been practicing the martial art for nine years. "I can think whatever I want about myself ... but every day I walk into the gym, I'm going to get my butt kicked by somebody, and I will have no choice but to accept and learn from it. What I love is the humility of it."

Pennington is currently a brown belt, and he thinks leveling up to a black belt will be harder than anything he's attempted in the course of building his company. But the keys to succeeding at BJJ are the same as those in the office, he says, and it doesn't hurt that the physical exertion helps keep his mind clear. "Business is hard," Pennington says, "and so is jiu-jitsu."

Illustration: Alex Eben Meyer.