The CEO who loves breakfast so much, she had a brunch wedding

No. I’ll grab toast with peanut butter, and then I very much look forward to my coffee when I get home.

How long is the row?

About an hour, which includes setting things up and packing away. I love it. You feel like you’ve stolen a glimpse of something not many people have seen. Most people are still asleep and you’re watching the sun rise.

How often do you go?

Twice a week. It’s a hard workout, you need time to recover. It’s my second wind at the sport. I rowed competitively at Stanford and took a 20-year break. I rediscovered it last year after I left Clif [Bar & Company, where she was chief commercial officer]. I was looking for things that helped me re-centre myself. I wanted something that was just for me. And that is rowing.

Do you exercise on the other days, then?

I tend not to. I often don’t have full control of how my days end, with work and life, so I try to control how they start. When I wake at 5.30am, I do something for my brain, like The New York Times crossword puzzle. They have a new game called Connections, I play that, too. I read the news on my phone and then I’m up and at ’em.

Coffee?

Absolutely. During COVID, I bought a really nice machine and learned how to make a nice cup on my own. It became a ritual.

What does the rest of the morning look like?

I spend a lot of time with my 11-year-old daughter in the morning. We will make her lunch together. I grew up with a lot of music, so there is always music on in our house. I take her to school and she picks the songs we play on the drive. We are on a Queen kick right now.

What time do you get to the office?

Around 8.30am. And then I hit the ground running.

Speaking of running – I hear you’re a runner. Is that right?

Yes. I try to squeeze it in after work if it’s not too late or warm. I prefer running outdoors; a treadmill run takes away a lot of the joy of it for me.

Do you find Australians get up earlier than Americans? As a relatively new recruit to the country [Mears-Watkins moved here in 2022], you seem to be coping.

Yes. It’s much more common to see people up and about here – surfing, running, just enjoying the outdoors. That suits me; I’m an early bird.

Do you eat breakfast?

Yes! I like breakfast so much that we had a morning wedding with a brunch afterwards.

Really?

Yes! We served mimosas, it was wonderful.

How about a normal day?

Any breakfast with eggs feels like it’s going to set me up well for the day. After rowing, I’ll do avocado toast with an egg. And coffee. At the office I usually have yoghurt with fruit and muesli. Something portable with a good amount of protein.

What are your mornings in the office like?

I do morning touch-bases. I do an executive WIP on Monday, and I try to start every day checking in with the team. Again, it comes down to controlling as much as possible. It gets harder as the week goes on.

How about at the end of the day? How do you unwind?

I like cooking, but it’s the first thing to go when things are busy.

What happens then?

UberEats becomes my friend. But I love cooking when I have the time to focus on it and try new things. I just did a class at the Sydney Seafood School. I learned how to fillet a fish. It was a bit daunting but I got it in the end.