Routines aren’t something Steven Schinhofen is too fond of. So after, lunch, his schedule can look a lot different from one day to the next.
“Outside of my daily meeting or client meeting, I keep my schedule open and pivotable based on my goals for that day,” says the CEO of Harvest Landscape Enterprises. “I typically have lunch near our jobsites. I love to visit jobsites. I love to walk our properties and use our apps and technology to create work order proposals and do surprise QC checks.”
Here’s Schinhofen average day
Every morning I wake up, drink water, and then coffee. I quickly hop on my laptop to go through my schedule and emails. I read through the morning futures for stocks and investments. If I need to, I will trade or buy stock. Then I go to my home gym to work out. I do a check-in “phone call” with the VP of operations, then I leave to either go to a dispatch at one of the yards or meet someone in our leadership team for breakfast.
I usually have breakfast at a local spot with someone on my leadership team. I love to do surprise visits during dispatch. I will randomly show up at one of our maintenance yards and evaluate dispatch. Then, I will have to debrief with the leadership team of that yard. Then I have breakfast with them local to that spot. I eat something, four eggs, nothing else.
I like to listen to leadership podcasts. Seth Godin is one of my favorites. Currently, I’m listening to “No Bullshit Leadership.” It depends on what I have planned for the day. My corporate office is 10 minutes from my home and I spend 99% of the time on the phone in the car. It’s my favorite place to take calls.
I do a daily debrief meeting with VP of Operations where we discussed operational challenges and any potential client issues. I meet with the HR team to debrief on employee issues, and then I meet with the CFO, who provides cash balances, AR balances and financial information. I usually get in at 7 a.m.
One important thing I do every day is download all my “to-do” lists and print them out before leaving the office. When I download, I have the confidence that I won’t forget about those things and do not have to worry about them until tomorrow when I come back to my office. This habit is crucial to me. With all the technology we use, I am still writing things on a notepad and leaving it on my desk.
If I do not work out in the morning, I will go home and work out around 3 p.m. This time is essential because working out keeps my mind sharp and moving. Then I will work in my home office until 5–6 p.m.
I rarely eat at home. I like to be on the go constantly. I spend my weekdays attending client meetings. I also find it essential to continually build up my team and will regularly host dinners with my leadership team and their significant others. I have grown adult kids, so I try to have dinner with one of them once a week, and I also have a date with my partner, Cinthya, once a week.
I usually go to bed at about 9:30 or 10 p.m. My mind is fatigued by this time because I go non-stop then I pass out. I’m not too fond of TV. I think it’s not the best use of my time, and I refuse to have one in our room. I do not read because I can’t absorb any more information. If I open my mind to more information, I can’t sleep. My mind never stops. It can be a curse.
My weekends are dedicated to my family and me. But my mind never stops working. I get up at 5 a.m. seven days a week. It can be Sunday, and I can be on vacation, and I will get on my laptop and start working. I do not consider that work. Work for me is when I have a meeting with clients or something I “have” to work on.
My weekends always start on Friday at noon. My weekends are usually filled with activities or traveling. I do not stop, and I rarely have downtime. I do not feel stressed if I am always going. If I slow down, that is when I feel stressed. Every weekend is something different, and it can be skiing in Park City, surfing in Dana Point, then dirt bike riding in the desert, or boating at the river. We go hiking, travel, enjoy concerts, sporting events, etc. But doing all these activities, my mind is always thinking and coming up with new ideas.
