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, Docusign’s CFO, Blake Grayson, shares his morning routine.
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MORNING ROUTINE
Weekday wake-up time: 6:00 a.m. I still have the same alarm clock I used in college in the early ‘90s.
Morning beverage choice: Double espresso with oat milk, made at home. Every morning. Not much throws me but missing my morning coffee does.
Workday start time: I’m typically in the office by 7:30 a.m.
Non-work-related morning activities: My wife and I have a morning routine where we drink coffee and play a number of New York Times word games together. We also often catch up with our adult daughters who both live on the east coast.
How I usually spend the first hour of my day: Catch up quickly on news from the day before that might potentially be relevant to Docusign. Could be macro events, other software companies, etc. Write down the top three things I want to accomplish that day, prioritizing from a much longer list that I update weekly and carry with me. Forces prioritization, focus and tracking deliverables.
When I send out my first email: 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. I’m pretty good at staying on top of emails and direct messages.
Best advice for writing an effective email: Hit the controversy, insight or decision needed up front. Don’t make the reader hunt for the key message. Shorter is always better when possible.
First dashboard I review: Docusign business metrics. Provides a high-level view of the day/month/quarter for a host of metrics like customer expansion, retention, usage and product views across regions and customer segments. I am particularly interested in our new Intelligent Agreement Management platform we recently launched. I think we have a chance to really help companies improve how they manage their agreements, which can unlock a ton of value for them.
How I structure my morning meetings: Whatever is needed/highest priority. Could be a product roadmap review, IAM platform roll-out progress and usage discussion, FP&A around forecasting or a business case analysis, treasury regarding cash flow management, investor meetings, etc.
Mid-morning snack of choice: Usually nothing, but I am a sucker for the yogurt covered pretzels our workplace services team recently stocked in the Seattle office pantry. I really need to stop that.
What was a recent morning that didn’t go as planned, and how did you adjust? A lot of mornings don’t go as planned, and I’m totally fine with that. In finance, you have to be particularly flexible when it comes to running the business. I like to think part of my job is to help steady the ship when rough sailing occurs and reduce the noise to allow us to do what we can to help customers, our employees and the business.
INSPIRATION AND LEADERSHIP
Favorite quote or mantra: “It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” Our kids grew up on Harry Potter and I’m a fan. This statement by Dumbledore represents (to me) that what we can or could do is not nearly as powerful as what we choose to do. The judgment we use and how we translate that to delivering action is what matters.
Favorite leadership lesson: I worked at Amazon for over a decade. One of the valuable lessons I learned there is that no matter how senior in the organization you become, you should always be an analyst. Know your business, care deeply about the details and take ownership for it.
Something important to know about me that you wouldn’t know from my business bio: I am a big University of Washington college football fan. My wife and I met in college there when we were 19 years old and have been together ever since. Been going to games for over 30 years, have seats together with college friends and family and tailgate for most home games. Go Dawgs!
Favorite number: Call me a curmudgeon, but is it weird that I don’t have a favorite number?
Most noteworthy items in my workspace: When I joined Docusign I asked for one special item in my work office. A printer that could support 11×17 paper. When you see a spreadsheet laid out like that, it’s pretty amazing. I don’t use it as much anymore (we’re a digital company, so I need to act like it), but when you’re on the road with just a laptop and a big spreadsheet to stare at, it comes in handy. My home office (Docusign is a hybrid company where we work both in-office and remotely, which I really enjoy) has two very large monitors in it which I absolutely love. I’m getting older, so that’s probably why.
Do you have a pet, and is it with you right now? We have been a cat family for a long time. We don’t have any now because our oldest daughter stole ours to take with her when she moved. I’m actually quite fine with that.
Favorite app on my phone that is not related to business: Does the Wall Street Journal count? Read it every morning. If that is too related to business, then ESPN is a close second.
The year, make, and model of your first car: My stepmom gave me her 1984 Honda Civic. Baby blue with fake sheepskin seat covers. It was a great car until I totaled it running into a pizza delivery van. To her credit she asked me if I was ok before asking about the car.
Most influential/famous person you’ve ever met: Probably Jeff Bezos. I started working at Amazon in 2009 and had the opportunity to be in a number of meetings with him and learned a lot.
Most inspirational people in your life: My wife and kids. I treasure the time we get to spend together and just being with them is my favorite thing to do. It is so fun to watch our kids grow into amazing adults and begin building their own lives. I’m so fortunate to have them in my life.
