In a world the place some take pleasure in lavish vogue or savor beautiful five-course meals at Michelin-starred eating places, Neiman Marcus CEO Geoffroy van Raemdonck has cultivated a deep affection for his personal epitome of luxurious: wine.
“The one factor I actually love—and my true luxurious—is wine,” van Raemdonck instructed Fortune.
For the 51-year-old CEO, wine is greater than only a beverage—it embodies “a social second.” van Raemdonck by no means indulges alone, sharing the posh along with his husband and buddies. And earlier than uncorking a bottle, van Raemdonck goes into his wine cellar to discover the assorted choices and increase his information.
“We go on learnings in our cellar,” van Raemdonck defined. There, they study sorts of wines primarily based on years and vintages. His all-time favourite wine is a pink referred to as Pontet-Canet from Pauillac.
Past his wine assortment, the CEO embraces different hobbies corresponding to swimming, snowboarding, boating, and horseback driving. van Raemdonck views the outside as two forces—his physique and nature.
However on the times the place van Raemdonck isn’t tasting wines or driving on horses, he’s main the $5 billion-a-year luxurious retailer, Neiman Marcus Group. Previous to becoming a member of Neiman Marcus Group in 2018, van Raemdonck has held a number of different high positions at vogue firms corresponding to Louis Vuitton, St. John Knits, and Ralph Lauren.
He gave Fortune a rundown of his every day routine that kicks off at 6:15 a.m. sharp.
Tea first, espresso later
6:15 a.m.: Residing on Lengthy Island, van Raemdonck begins his day by dedicating the primary hour to non-public well-being. He meditates, stretches, and focuses on mindfulness earlier than diving into plans for his household and his enterprise.
“Beginning the day with a thanks is one of the simplest ways for me to remind me that the day can be nice,” he says.
7:00 a.m.: It’s household time. van Raemdonck, his husband, and their seven-year-old twin boys sit down for breakfast, and the chief government is completely satisfied to eat the identical meal each morning—avocado toast and “just a little little bit of cereal.”
“I drink tea throughout breakfast, and it actually tells me, ‘this can be a second to take pleasure in. Sip your tea,’” van Raemdonck stated. “It’s one thing that’s heat, it’s a very nice option to begin the day.”
After breakfast, van Raemdonck spends 20 minutes outdoors along with his youngsters to do “one thing particular,” like strolling to the seashore or a park.
8:00 a.m.: After his youngsters are at college, van Raemdonck seamlessly transitions to work with a really intense shot of espresso ristretto. The sturdy taste helps him get up and transition into work.
The increase of caffeine is “a faith” for van Raemdonck: “If I don’t have that, and I’ve began a gathering, I say, ‘give me one minute.’”
Neiman Marcus’ firm philosophy encourages workers to work in one of the simplest ways for themselves, “wherever and each time you’ll be able to ship the influence,” van Raemdonck defined.
For van Raemdonck, this implies working from dwelling one or two days per week, with the opposite days spent within the workplace. Generally, he finds himself touring to shops throughout the globe, from California to Europe.
“After I go to the workplace, it’s about collaborating and assembly folks,” van Raemdonck shared. “The times I spend at dwelling…are actually the times the place I attempt to get probably the most carried out and to be extraordinarily productive by way of lots of Zoom or Groups conferences.”
9:00 a.m.: The primary half of van Raemdonck’s day consists of conferences.
“Most of my conferences are about making selections or being on the trail to make selections,” van Raemdonck instructed Fortune.
To remain productive, he splits up his day into 25-or 45- minute increments. For instance, after a 25-minute assembly, van Raemdonck takes a five-minute break to “disconnect and reconnect” earlier than his subsequent engagement to completely put together for a brand new dialog.
“I have a tendency to make use of these 5 minutes or so to ship emails and get all the subsequent steps from a previous dialog carried out in order that the velocity of knowledge goes shortly and I can transfer on to the subsequent subject,” van Raemdonck stated.
12:45 p.m.: van Raemdonck takes a 15-minute lunch break and pairs it with a second shot of espresso, which marks the beginning of the afternoon.
The caffeine break helps van Raemdonck get “actually centered” for the second half of his day, which, in contrast to his morning grind, often doesn’t include conferences. As an alternative, he makes use of his time to arrange for his subsequent large problem: as much as 10 extra conferences the subsequent day.
“I attempt to stability the conferences in a wholesome manner,” van Raemdonck stated. “Conferences are both 25 minutes or 45 minutes on my schedule.
6:30 p.m.: As soon as the clock hits 6:30 p.m., van Raemdonck’s youngsters chat with the CEO about their day. But when their dad can’t appear to drag himself away from work by 7 p.m., “they’re allowed to principally say ‘your day is over.’”
10:00 p.m.: But, van Raemdonck’s day isn’t fairly over; the CEO goes again to work and focuses on duties that “require some considering.”
“On the finish of the day, when the home is de facto quiet, I are inclined to do my finest considering,” van Raemdonck stated. “It’s extra about permitting myself to have concepts sink in and formulate my imaginative and prescient.”
And each time van Raemdonck has time, the CEO makes certain to ship thank-you notes each single day. “I need to be a beneficiant chief,” he stated. “The way in which I remind myself is by recognizing the generosity of others.”