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, UserTesting’s CFO, Mark Chamberlain, shares his 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.
UserTesting
- Company description: A customer insight company that helps enterprises make decisions by delivering customer perspectives at scale.
- Year founded: 2007
- Number of employees: Approximately 800
- Revenue: Around $300 million
MORNING ROUTINE
Weekday wake-up time: 4:30 a.m.
Morning beverage choice: I’m a big water drinker. I start early and go all day.
Non-work-related morning activities: Weights from 5 a.m. to 6 a.m. and sauna from 6 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. Walk the dog, scan the news (WSJ, BBC, local paper).
Workday start time: 7:30 a.m. to 8 a.m.
How I usually spend the first hour of my day: Checking sales bookings, priority email and Slack messages.
Time I send out my first email: 8:30 a.m.
Best advice for writing an effective email: Assuming it’s not a routine email or simple response, I will typically write the email and let it sit. Return to the email and remove any words that are unnecessary. Read it like the receiver would and see if it is clear and makes sense. Edit as needed. Use bullet points to simplify. If the email is particularly wordy or complex, I will ask ChatGPT to do a quick review.
First dashboard I review: Gong forecast, followed by Tableau pipeline review.
How I structure my morning meetings: The first hour or two after catching up on email, I try to spend time with key people on my team, especially those in other time zones who already have several hours on the clock and are reaching the end of their day. It saves me a lot of time trying to figure out what the hot issues are when they can give me a debrief of their day.
Mid-morning snack of choice: Almonds.
What was a recent morning that didn’t go as planned, and how did you adjust? My laptop had some system issues with an update that didn’t go as planned over the weekend. I work remotely, so I can’t just walk down the hall and hand it to the IT department. While IT remotely logged into my machine for an hour that morning, I used the time to make phone calls and listen to our Monday morning sales debrief on how the quarter is coming together.
INSPIRATION AND LEADERSHIP
Favorite quote or mantra: “Life is like an old-time rail journey…delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride.” A good reminder to keep grinding even when it’s hard.
Favorite leadership lesson: Actively recruit others into your orbit and leadership team who are far more talented than you.
Something important to know about me that you wouldn’t know from my business bio: My work background is equal parts operations and finance. A little unusual for a finance leader, but I have run sales operations teams twice and global operations for a large software company. On a personal level, I take every opportunity I can to spend time outside and enjoy quality time with my family. I also love to read and my current bedside book is 1776 by David McCullough.
Favorite number: 7. I can’t figure it out. No idea why. However, I like it and have always done so!
Most noteworthy items in my workspace: Golf clubs. Not because I am good. In fact, I am terrible. It’s a reminder not to get stuck doing the same things every day. Try something new, even if it’s uncomfortable. My kids golf, so I go with them as often as I can. They love watching me chase balls all over the course.
Do you have a pet, and is it with you right now? A golden doodle named Zion — after the National Park in southern Utah. He lounges in my home office all day.
Favorite app on my phone that is not related to business: Spotify. Luke Combs, Nirvana, Willie Nelson, Post Malone, Greta Van Fleet, AC/DC. I like them all.
The year, make, and model of your first car: 1980 Dodge Ramcharger.
Most influential/famous person you’ve ever met: Lou Ferrigno. Randomly in the local gym one day.
Most inspirational person in your life: My wife is amazing. One of the most talented people I know, and is able to focus completely on whoever it is that she’s talking with. She’s a great listener and full of wisdom. She excels at everything she does, and for this chapter of her life, has chosen to invest her talents and focus on our family.
