Margaret Moraskie, chief marketing officer at Levenger Company, is a Women in Retail Leadership Circle board member and experienced leader within the retail industry! The below is a first-person account of a day in her life at Levenger, giving us a glimpse into her world and the opportunity to get to know her better!

6:30 am: Wake up, drink a glass of water and go get my coffee. I don’t succeed every day, but for the majority, I take my coffee to a comfy spot and I take out my journal. I recently started using Brendon Burchard’s High Performance Planner to help me journal. Here, I can key in on my goals and priorities for the day, the kind of person I want to be, tasks that must get done, someone I’d like to surprise and delight, what would make my day a success, and more. Essentially, I start my day focused on me and my goals as a professional and a human being.

7:00 am: Technology check. I finish my coffee, look at the business update, review emails and social media — both personal and professional. At this time of day, my time is finite. I want to get going, so there’s not much time to go down the ever-scrolling rabbit hole. I also don’t get distracted from my goals for the day. See above.

7:30 am: Shower and prep for the day. I always have Audible playing when I’m dressing and getting ready. Sometimes it’s fiction, sometimes motivation, sometimes business. I love Audible. Right now, I’m “reading” The Alice Network and Girl, Stop Apologizing. My prep time also includes taking care of our furry family. We have a dog and three cats that need food, water and outside time, so this is usually a jam-packed hour!

8:30 am: Head to the office on a very long 10- minute commute, where I continue listening to my book or I use the time to catch up with a friend or family member by phone.

9:00 am: I’m at my desk with tea, and reviewing my calendar and to-do list for the day. I read any and all customer feedback via surveys, reviews and responses. Our customers love to write, and I’m grateful. It’s the best way to set the tone for the day and remember our purpose. This first hour is also my time to walk around and see how the team is doing, if they need anything and simply say hello. We’re a small company. Everyone rolls up their sleeves and wears a lot of hats, and everyone is willing to pitch in.

10:00 am: [We have our] weekly marketing meeting. We review the business quickly, and ensure what we have on the calendar is on target. [We evaluate] What’s working, what isn’t and what we need to adjust. Then we work ahead. Along with our cross-functional partners, we continue to plan tactically for the weeks ahead. This covers all of our touchpoints: email, social, print and digital. As a small team, we can be very agile. There’s incredible opportunity to try new things, share ideas, solve roadblocks and get back to work.

11:00 am: Today I’m working on our B-to-B initiatives, including some traditional outreach, follow-up, and focusing on the creative deliverables to get a new strategy off the ground.

12:30 pm: [Now it’s time for] Creative review, feedback and set up for upcoming email campaigns. It’s so much fun to have a hands-on role with the team for this, our site creative and photography. We’re planning concepts for the season and getting into the studio.

1:30 pm: I eat and respond to emails. I take care of making some personal appointments. I’ll be honest, there are days that I use this time to do a little shopping, research or run an errand. Today, I’m planning a trip to Portland for my daughter’s 21st birthday in May. On my aspirational days, I go outside and walk around the building a couple times, but that’s another day. (As an aside: There’s this cool thing that happens at Levenger every day. A group of folks from all departments come together to make a huge salad which is available for anyone. It’s a simple yet wonderful little perk whenever you want to join.)

2:30 pm: I’m consolidating and reviewing all the merchandise, inventory, customer, and sales for Graduation and Father’s Day in 2019. Merchandising has turned over the new product for this year, and I’m starting the catalog layouts and site presentations for this year’s campaigns. We will review as a team in two weeks before we go into photography and design. This is one of my favorite times as I get to use the data and really work with our incredible product. The art and the science come together. Most days, I enjoy the easy flow and conversation of my co-workers in and out of my office as we tackle the little details and move forward.

5:00 pm: At the end of each day, the executive team gathers informally. The time is used to review and update anything that needs to be discussed, resolved or decided. It’s informal and effective.

6:30 pm: I usually get home and cook while we catch up on the day. A lovely glass of wine and “Wheel of Fortune/Jeopardy” hour. A simple way to unwind.

8:00 pm: I wrap up the chores, and chat/text my daughter. She’s nearly 21 and at school, so even just a little exchange brightens the day. I catch up with some friends and family by phone or text, sitting outside. The beauty of Florida evenings cannot be understated at this time of year, so I spend extra time out here listening to my book.

10:30 pm: I write the evening portion of the High Performance Planner. I re-read what I wrote this morning, and round out the day. I have added one piece to the blank section that I learned from a friend: I fill out my GLADS. These can be so simple:

G: What I am grateful for today.

L: Something I learned today.

A: Something I accomplished today.

D: Something that delighted me.

S: Something I did for myself.

It’s a beautiful exercise to end the day.