Welcome to The 6 a.m. CFO, where finance chiefs share how they jump-start their days and engage with the tasks that are in front of them.
Today, Brex’s CFO, Erica Dorfman, shares her morning routine.
Be sure to check out the entire 6 a.m. CFO series, and if you’d like to be featured in a future post, please email us here.
Brex
- Intelligent finance platform firm that is a wholly owned subsidiary of Capital One
- Year founded: 2017
- Number of employees: 1,300
MORNING ROUTINE
Weekday wake-up time: 5:30 a.m.
Morning beverage choice: Drip coffee
Any non-work-related morning activities? A dog walk to get the day going and a trip to the gym.
Workday start time: 7:30 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.
How I usually spend the first hour of my day: Typically catching up on East Coast emails and Claude’s overnight work.
Time I send out my first email: 6:00 a.m.
Best advice for writing an effective email: Be direct and have a clear deliverable or goal in the communication. If you’re asking for a meeting, suggest a time.
First dashboard I review: Our financial key performance indicators.
How I structure my morning meetings: I try to minimize morning meetings for thinking and working time, and use the afternoon for more cross-functional meetings. Much like Sisyphus, I am constantly in the process of removing meetings from my calendar.
Mid-morning snack of choice: Whatever is in front of me, but if I can find it, an apple and a second coffee.
What was a recent morning that didn’t go as planned, and how did you adjust? Most mornings are not as synchronized as my calendar would like them to be, but if things really move around, my afternoon meetings bear the brunt of a long morning.
INSPIRATION AND LEADERSHIP
Favorite quote or mantra: “There is no such thing as luck, only good preparation.”
Favorite leadership lesson: Bringing people along with you will yield significantly better results, regardless of the project, goal or workstream. Build shared conviction and buy-in.
Something important to know about me that you wouldn’t know from my business bio: As a proud Clevelander, I am an avid fan of all things Ohio and Lebron James.
Favorite number/why: 1. I am a highly competitive person.
Most noteworthy items in my workspace: A small commemorative block from a long-time inside joke at Brex.
Do you have a pet, and is it with you right now? I have a Portuguese Water Dog mix who is happily on her daily Presidio hike.
Favorite app on my phone that is not related to business: Duolingo is taking the lead right now, although I’m not sure my Spanish would serve as strong evidence.
The year, make and model of your first car: The first and only car I’ve gotten myself was a 2021 Tesla Model 3 — great car.
Most influential or famous person you’ve ever met: I’ve been fortunate to meet a number of incredible people in my career thus far, but the most notable experience was being “shushed” for cheering too loudly by LeBron James.
Most inspirational person in your life: I am very lucky to have a mother who I am consistently inspired by. She had a long and varied career in the field of medicine, is an accomplished artist and now, in retirement, is doing volunteer research in the Amazon.
