Eva Yazhari is the Co-Founder and CEO of Beyond Capital Fund, an impact investment fund that invests in seed-stage, for-profit social enterprises serving impoverished communities throughout India and East Africa. These are her morning and evening routines.Â
a.m.
I wake at 7 a.m. to an alarm on my iPhone. I rarely snooze as I target nine hours of sleep to fuel my high-performance lifestyle and I am typically not tired when I wake up. Upon waking, I often sneak a peek at my texts and emails to see if anything is urgent or has changed because I work with a team based in Kenya and India that is often ahead of me in their days. I then reflect on what my morning will look like, as every day is different, especially while traveling, which I do about 40 percent of the year.
I jump out of bed and bounce on my rebounder trampoline for two minutes to activate my body and get energized. I typically do not look at my phone until 8 a.m. and go straight into calls, emails and responding to texts. I stopped reading The New York Times first thing in the morning to avoid starting my day with negative news, but I have news alerts on to not miss the big stuff as I am active in politics in my spare time.
After bouncing on my trampoline, I shower and spend 20-25 minutes getting ready right away. My beauty routine is like clockwork where I reach for the same moisturizer or serum in succession morning after morning, always incorporating an SPF lotion. I brush/floss my teeth before eating breakfast and then get dressed (typically in athleisure) and put my jewelry on along with lip gloss and highlighter.
I have always aimed to be “ready†first thing because the morning can move very fast and I think it helps my mood to feel refreshed. All of the products I use are all natural. I love products like Tata Harper and de Mamiel that have strong floral essences and can awaken my senses first thing. I also use a reiki-infused natural deodorant that actually works called Simply Divine Botanicals.
Then I go into the kitchen to have breakfast with my husband and 3.5-year-old son, who is often at the table already. For me, breakfast is very important for a couple reasons: socializing with my family and nourishing my body. My son goes off to school at 7:45 a.m. If I am not driving him, I typically have my first conference call at 8 a.m. which I try to do walking when I can for mental clarity, focus, and exercise. If I am taking my son to school, I drive 10 minutes to drop him off and head to the outdoor track at my gym rain or shine, which is adjacent to my son’s school. I typically do a conference call or meditation while walking. Being outside is important, given that the majority of the rest of my day is spent at a desk and computer.
At 9 a.m. I typically take a barre or yoga class, or I train with my husband and our trainer at our gym for an hour. I then go home, get ready for the day and am back online by 10:00 a.m in my home office.
I try hard to replicate my morning routine when I am traveling, but sometimes exercise in the afternoon or skip a day if I have meetings.
Because I travel so much, I basically have two wardrobes, one for traveling, which includes labels like Victoria Beckham, Theory, Cuyana, and Rag & Bone. My other wardrobe is for home, and it’s a more relaxed look for Dallas. Regardless of where I am, I wear the same jewelry.
I am a doer by nature but don’t feel guilty asking for help or using technology, like Instacart, Fancy Hands, Amazon or Zirtual to help with daily tasks. I also have a strong 50:50 partnership with my husband so we share equally and divide and conquer where needed.
I scan email around 10:00 a.m. and then get down to work on any projects that need my attention immediately. Afternoons are typically spent on strategy, creativity, and medium-term projects.
p.m.
When in Dallas, I stop work around 6 p.m. for dinner, I put my son to bed by 7:30 p.m. and then often finish up last-minute emails until 8 p.m or 8:30 p.m. I try to start shutting down around 8:30 p.m. because my goal is to have lights out at 10 p.m.
I love to travel but also know the value of recuperating when I am back at home base. We have an infrared sauna that we bought on Amazon in our garage and we take saunas at night or take an Epsom bath to calm our bodies and get ready to sleep. I use an oil cleanser to remove makeup and various retinol creams, as well as the Fascia Blaster on my face and body a few times per week. Once per week I also use the May Lindstrom Problem Solver Mask followed by the Tata Harper Honey Mask.
For sleep, I recently upped the ante with sets of Cosabella and Skin pajamas. On my bedside table is my gratitude journal, a large glass of water, chamomile tea and silk night mask. I also sleep on a silk Slip pillowcase. I’m in bed at 9 p.m. often watching a show like The Crown or Grace and Frankie that gets my brain to relax and enjoy some entertainment. My goal for 2018 has been to integrate 15 minutes of reading into my nightly routine. I use the Kindle app on my iPad or read a physical book.
Lights are out at 10 p.m. on an average night. I cuddle with my husband before we go to sleep and we listen to a podcast together while we fall asleep and put it on the sleep timer. Typically we listen to the BBC, Here’s The Thing, the Axe Files or Oprah. On my own, I listen to Slate podcasts, The East Africa Business Podcast and Good Food, a local L.A. food radio show.
You can learn more about Beyond Captial Fund here, and follow Eva on Instagram. Here’s how another investor and a skincare entrepreneur start and end their days.
