Janelle Monáe: Daily Routine

From running Wondaland to dancing through 90-minute shows, Janelle’s days are equal parts CEO and superstar.

As an artist and record executive, Janelle Monáe often has to balance out the creative side and the business side of her life.

On one hand, she’s a successful singer-songwriter, actress and record producer, focused on the artistic side, and on the other hand, she’s the CEO of Wondaland Arts Society, a collective of creative talent that she launched in a joint venture with Epic Records.

I like how my work reveals itself over time. It’s like a letter you wrote yourself ten years ago, but when you open it in the future, things start to make sense.

On a typical day, Monáe wakes up at 9.30am, and the first thing she does is avoid her phone and take 10 deep breaths to calm herself down and prepare for the day. After that, she works out for 30 minutes — “I do Shaun T’s Pure Cardio: Insanity,” she told Fast Company. “It cures my anxiety or any depression I’m dealing with.”