Dawn Kelley truly believes that you are what you eat. In her role as President and CEO of Barney Butter, she oversees the brand’s day-to-day business operations while seamlessly merging her passion for both food and health.
“I am a big believer in leaving things better than you found them,” Kelley told ForceBrands. “So when I was given the chance to act on my dream of producing something positive for the world, I set out to take Barney Butter to new heights.”
Read on to discover how Kelley stays ‘in the moment’ on Sundays and how she supercharges her Mondays so that the rest of the week’s accomplishments feel like the “icing on the cake.”
Q: What does your Sunday routine look like? How do you prepare for the week ahead?
Dawn Kelly: I love a Sunday that is not followed by an early morning flight on Monday. On those days, I tend to sleep in until 7 am or so (if the dogs let me) and then chill under the covers with coffee in hand and watch the news for a while. I like to workout earlier in the day so I usually do a Peloton ride or catch a yoga class in the morning and then focus on catching up on laundry and whatever errands or house project I have going on at the time. We typically have family dinner on Sundays and I love the leisurely approach to cooking on Sundays versus throwing stuff together on a busy weeknight. We live in coastal Maine, so we’ll also sometimes just go for a ride and catch some views or visit some favorite antique/flea-markets. Overall, I’d say we’re pretty “in the moment” on Sunday.
Q: How do you approach the start of each work week?
DK: Mornings are an essential part of my workweek. For me, there are two kinds of mornings: Routine mornings and shotgun mornings. Travel days are typically shotgun days, where I’m up at 3:30 am or 4 am to take an early morning flight and then all routine goes out the window… Those days always feel a bit more reactive and frenetic. However, my routine morning has been the same since college. In fact, my college roommates used to make fun of me for it! I’ve always woken up long before I actually have to be anywhere and just ease into my day. I’m at my most creative in the morning and that’s also when most of my problem-solving occurs. Sitting quietly with a few cups of coffee in the morning can be really productive and centering — an active meditation of sorts. Some people make lists (which I do, too) but just mentally playing through what I have going on in the week ahead just gets me into the right mindset, which is important to me. I also never skip breakfast, and my go-to is always high-protein with some good carbs mixed in. My favorite is poached eggs on avocado and some Barney Butter on a banana or slice of Ezekiel toast. If pressed for time, I will just put a couple of eggs on top of last night’s leftovers such as roasted vegetables, salmon, or whatever I have on hand.
Above all else though, a good night’s sleep is essential for kicking off my week. Having a super energetic Monday, where you feel like you accomplish a ton, just makes the rest of the week “icing on the cake!”
Q: What are some tips for motivating on Monday?
DK: I try to attack the thing I am dreading the most (that week) right out of the gate — how good does that feel??! Done and done — and usually, it’s not as bad or laborious as I had it out in my mind to be. Then the rest of the week is free from those feelings of procrastination or dread. I also try to focus on what I’m looking forward to that week and make sure each day has something built into it.
I love this quote by Ashton Kutcher, ‘Be polite, on time, and work really *#@*#!* hard until you are talented enough to be blunt, a little late, and take vacations, and even then… be polite.’ I wanted to share this quote because I believe the people who work the hardest happen to be the luckiest; they have grit. And we all need grit on Mondays!
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