I'm the CEO of Pressed Juicery. I don't prioritize work-life balance or eat bread if I'm not in Paris — here's a day in my life.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Justin Nedelman, the 48-year-old CEO of Pressed Juicery based in Los Angeles. It's been edited for length and clarity.

I began my career as a retail real-estate developer, building shopping centers and hotels.

I then started a restaurant group out of the ashes of my real-estate company in the 2008 recession. I was the CEO of Eureka! Restaurant Group from 2009 to 2021.

Pressed Juicery was doing a formal CEO search, and I knew a board member, so I decided to put my hat in the ring. My wellness background, experience, and consumer-oriented mindset made it a perfect match.

I continued in real estate and hospitality until June 2023, when I became the CEO of Pressed Juicery. Here's what a typical day looks like.

Monday to Friday, I wake up naturally around 4:15 a.m.

From 4:15 to 4:25 a.m., I drink a 10-oz glass of water followed by a 5-oz Americano or Pressed cold brew. This is my only dose of caffeine per day. I drink while having quiet time to think and prepare for the day.

From 4:25 to 4:35 a.m., I have five minutes of meditation and breathwork to relax and energize. I check my heart rate variability and resting heart rate from the previous night on my Whoop. I then catch up on business and world news, stock market information, and social media.

I work out from 4:45 to 5:45 a.m., and it takes me 10 minutes to drive to one of the three gyms I belong to. I have multiple memberships because I choose where to work out based on my time and mindset, and I don't want to have an excuse that the gym is closed.

I'll do a CrossFit-style workout with a weighted vest or use a jump rope intermittently between sets. I do weights and quasi-cardio. My workouts are more intense and diverse on the weekends.

I let myself rest every seven to 10 days, when I sleep in until 5:30 a.m., even on the weekends.

After working out, I help my wife make breakfast and lunch for our children

I drive back home to shower. From 6:15 to 7 a.m., I drink a 20-oz water and a decaf Americano with my wife and help her make breakfast and lunch for the children. My children are in high school now. Mornings with my wife and kids are important.

I skip breakfast every three days after a hard workout to do intermittent fasting. For the days I eat, I have a Pressed Greens juice, an avocado, or grilled cold fish with salad, and nonfat Greek yogurt with fruit and seeds.

I always start with fat and protein over carbs, as this energizes me. Once a week, I do a 24-hour fast to reset my metabolism. I also regularly do cleanses.

I drop my son off at school and head to the office by 8:30 a.m.

It takes me 30 minutes to drive to the office. When I joined Pressed, the office had a flexible policy of two days a week. I'm a big believer in bringing people together for collaboration, so I'm in the office at least four days a week.

When I'm not in the office, I'm in the field, either looking at stores or competitors and learning what's happening in CPG or traveling to our manufacturing facility.

I don't have spontaneous calls with anyone. My style is more structured and planned, and I have one-on-ones with folks reporting to me. I even plan time to not have anything planned.

I probably don't take enough time for lunch, but I eat with our team

We cater lunch for the Pressed team, and it's usually a plant-forward, healthy meal. It's an incentive and a perk of coming into the office.

It's helpful to sit with folks from different departments, and it's efficient. I'll eat with the team when I can, a meal with high protein, some greens, a thoughtful carb intake, and no bread unless I'm in Paris.

If I visit stores, it's usually planned weeks in advance with our operations leader, and we're not there to audit them. We meet with the regional operations and store management teams to analyze how good our marketing is and look at opportunities.

My wife will say I leave the office too late, but I try to leave by 6 p.m.

I get home between 6:30 and 6:45 p.m. and try to have dinner with the family — there are days I'm later. My wife cooks, but occasionally, we'll order in.

Our dinners center on protein, vegetables, and a sensible carb. We'll also go to Pressed stores sometimes. The kids like that, and it's fun to get their perspective. They have good insight into what's relevant for their age group.

I don't believe in the separation of work and life. For me, it's about work-life integration, not work-life balance.

On Thursday evenings, I play tennis with my wife or daughter, followed by time in the sauna. On Fridays, I swim or surf with my son in the ocean. Fitness through swimming, surfing, mountain biking, tennis, or hiking keeps life exciting.

After dinner, I'll watch a show or read a book with my wife

I'm reading Elon Musk's biography, and I'm having my son read it, too — I try to connect with him that way.

My wife and I will also catch up on the day without the kids and watch our favorite show, The White Lotus. I also like the BBC and will watch some news to catch up on what the world is saying about America.

I'm a fan of social media, but I limit my consumption. I enjoy scrolling through Instagram. I study how brands present themselves, and I'm always fascinated.

I'll also take a Pressed calm shot before bed. I aim to go to sleep at 10 p.m.

I try not to do intense work on the weekends

I try not to do work that requires multiple hours of concentration because if I do, it's hard to pivot back into family and personal time. I do light work that requires 30 minutes of focus or less.

My weekends are committed to hanging out with family and integrating fitness. I came to Pressed because I love wellness and fitness, and Pressed is an extension of those.

It's easy to come to work every day and talk about this seven days a week because it doesn't feel like work — it feels like I'm just living my life.

Everything is intentional. Self-prioritization as a leader is important.