A former celebrity personal trainer and elementary school teacher, Jess Glazer turned her once “cute side hustle” into a million-dollar business in 18 months.
Since leaving her teaching job in 2017, she has hired a team of incredible heart-centered leaders, served hundreds of coaching clients, helped create over 3 million dollars in revenue for those clients (in under 2 years), and as a result of donation/awareness she and her husband are building a school in Ghana with Pencils of Promise.
She’s been featured in Forbes, Yahoo Finance, The Today Show, Good Day New York, The New York Post, Shape Magazine, Well + Good.
Her mission is to cause a ripple effect and inspire change for generations to come; making a massive impact and leaving a lasting legacy beyond her singular actions.
What time do you wake up in the morning and how do you wake up?
I typically wake up between 6 & 6:30 am to the slow tropical house version of “Wicked Games” by Parra for Cuva, Anna Naklab. On weekends, I wake up with the sun, so around 6:30/7 am.
What’s on your bedside table?
A lamp and one book that I’m reading (I typically have an AM book in my living room and a PM book on my nightstand). I like to keep my space clutter-free, especially in the bedroom because I find it helps keep me feeling calm and grounded.
Do you prepare for your mornings the night before? If so, how?
Yes. I take out my workout clothing and set up my book, journal, candle, and meditation area.
What are your skincare/body care rituals?
In the morning, I shower post-workout and either use a facial oil (usually MadHippie or Cocokind) with a Gua She stone or give myself a face massage with ice before moisturizing with MadHippie Face cream. At night, I use Cocokind Chia Facial Oil, and a few times per week I’ll use the MadHippie Vitamin A/Vitamin C Serums.
What does your morning routine flow look like?
I have a pretty consistent non-negotiable morning routine that I have been doing (and adding on to) for years.
Every day looks the same with these 6 steps:
1. Tongue scrape
2. Drink 32 oz of room temperature water (occasionally with lemon and/of ACV)
3. Spend 20 minutes of guided meditation (in recent years I have been enjoying Dr. Joe Dispenza, Tony Robbins, Gabby Bernstein, and the Headspace app)
4. Writing out 5 journaling prompts with no time limit (this typically lasts about 20 minutes)
- Whatever is causing me stress/anxiety
- All the things/people I’m grateful for
- The things I’m most excited about
- What I’m most proud of
- Then I spend time “future casting” and writing out my future visions as if they’ve already happened
5. Reading 15 pages of a business, learning, or personal development style book (Here is a categorized list of some of my favorite books, as well as a speed reading training.)
6. Movement – this varies from yoga, to a Peloton ride, heavy lifting session or just going for a walk (I just get my body moving.)
When do you kick off your workday? And do you have any starting-work rituals?
I’m typically in my office between 9-10 am; however, I will not take calls until after 11 am. Before starting my workday I make sure my desk is clean, a candle is lit, water is full, coffee is hot, and I flip through my “The Self Reliant Entrepreneur” book for a quick prompt before diving in.
Depending on the day, I’ll usually brain dump out my “to do’s” and priorities onto a whiteboard.
How does your morning routine change on the weekends?
Aside from waking up a little later, not much changes. The best and most special part of my weekend morning routine is that my husband Mike joins in. We both meditate and read on the couch next to one another, we’ll often do our workout or at least go to the gym together and then we have our very special weekly coffee dates. We sit on the couch, legs extended, foot to hip with a double cup of coffee and talk for usually 2-3 hours. It’s our time each week where we reflect on the week, celebrate one another, problem-solve, and plan for our upcoming week/quarter/etc. It’s hands down my favorite few hours of every single week!
What does your mindset look like at the beginning of the day? Do you have any tips or tools for getting in a good mindset?
Thanks to over a decade of daily practice, I typically wake up with a very strong mindset. I have a zest for life, I live in extreme gratitude because I practice it every day, I love my job because I’ve created it, and I’m generally a very positive person. It also helps that I’m a morning person and just pop out of bed ready to go every day.
But, there are always those days that sneak in and I’m just not feeling 100% because I’m human. So, my best advice would be to simply start recognizing your emotions and patterns. Without judgment, guilt, or shame, just start to recognize the way that you’re speaking to yourself. Your thoughts become your feelings and your feelings become your reality, so what you think is the most crucial component to a happy, successful, and fulfilled life.
Here’s a quick trick to help you “snap out of it” when you’re spiraling into negative thoughts, complaining, comparing, or just overall stressed. Place a rubber band (colored hair tie) on your wrist and anytime you recognize negative thoughts, gossip, comparison, etc simply SNAP the rubber band on your wrist to inflict a small burst of physical pain. Over time, you should be able to just look at the band and realize the thought spiral happening and course-correct before having to snap yourself out of it.
Remember, these new habits and brain re-wiring takes TIME, so be patient.
What’s non-negotiable vs. what does an extra-luxurious morning look like?
As mentioned above, my entire morning routine is non-negotiable for me. I need to have my alone time. I need to ensure I’m taking care of myself and my mindset so that I’m not pouring from an empty cup. The biggest difference between the things I just do and having some extra-luxury would be things like sitting outside with my morning coffee (we live in an NYC apartment with no outdoor space), taking my walk barefoot on the beach and truly grounding into nature, or just being able to read my book snuggled in front of a burning fireplace. Extra luxury for me is simply about elevating my environment.
What would you like to improve with your mornings?
I love my mornings and there isn’t much I would change. I would love to extend my 2ish hours to 3+ hours over time and when we have a house with more space I would love to add infrared sauna/hot tub/cold tub time.
What’s your #1 recommendation to others who struggle with mornings?
Like anything, just start. Start with ONE thing. One small thing, like waking up 10 minutes earlier and not even filling that time with anything yet; simply getting into the habit of having a little more time. Then over time, “habit stack” small things with small increments of time. My morning routine started as 10 minutes and now runs over 2 hours. It’s taken years for this to happen.
Reframe the way you think about your morning routine. Rather than “taking away” from your workday or sleep, you’re “adding” into your tank. Just like when I used to teach fitness/nutrition; don’t take away the “treats”, simply add more of the “good”, healthy foods onto your place and there will be less room for the “bad” treats. Add small habits and over time, there is less room for the old patterns.
Lastly, don’t judge or compare. What may work for me, may not work for you and that’s more than ok. We’re all different and you need to find what works best for you!