Welcome to The 6 a.m. CFO, where finance chiefs share how they jump-start their days and engage with the tasks that are in front of them.
Today, ZenLedger's Jonté Harrell shares the mental model he uses for time management, how his West Point education shaped his leadership principles, and which podcasts he follows for lifelong learning.
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ZenLedger
- ZenLedger's software simplifies digital asset tax and compliance for individuals, enterprises, and governments, including the IRS.
- Founded: 2017
- Growth: 100% YoY
MORNING ROUTINE
Weekday wake up time and first thing I like to do: I tend to wake up between 6-6:15 a.m. unless I've been up later than usual.
The first thing I do is work out, either yoga or a run. I'm blessed to be jogging distance from the North Miami boardwalk, which keeps me grateful and healthy.
Coffee, tea, or other morning beverage choice: After my workout, I typically have Daily Harvest's Mango Coconut + Spinach smoothie.
At my desk, I prefer tea. My favorite is Rishi's Japanese genmaicha green tea.
Living and working in London and Hong Kong for five years left an impression on me, and I'm still fascinated with tea culture around the world.
Workday start time: Around 7:45-8:00 a.m., although I've mentally checked in before then. But a bit later if I push myself for distance and time on a run.
How I usually spend the first hour of my day: Anything pressing comes first.
Routinely, I use the Eisenhower-Covey Matrix as my mental model for time management and prioritization.
Screenwise, I typically check our KPI dashboard and accounts receivable / payables.
Time I send out my first email: The time depends, as I often auto-schedule emails with Google or Hubspot. Also, we also use Slack for internal communication and sharing.
Best advice for writing an effective email: Be concise. I remember the military acronym BLUF (bottom line up front) and limit most emails to 3 sentences, max.
First dashboard I review: Cash is king for startups, and the first tab of our dashboard shows our balances, sales funnel, revenue by marketing channel, actuals to budget, and our marketing spend to conversion.
How I structure my morning meetings: On schedule, with a specific agenda, with a short Amazon-style written summary if detail is needed for discussion, and with assigned follow-ups afterwards.
Walt Disney once said, “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” I take that approach and do my best to limit unnecessary meetings, especially during peak productive times in the morning.
Mid-morning snack of choice: Formerly, I was the FP&A guy for Whole Foods Online, and so I love snacking on their fruit salads. Hydration keeps me away from junk food, but I need a splash of lemon or lime juice.
INSPIRATION AND LEADERSHIP
Favorite quotes or mantra: There are two quotes I live by:
"Duty, Honor, Country," is a motto and set of three values all cadets learn at West Point. In summary, I strive to help where I have the ability, live truthfully doing what I say I will do, and support/respect those who volunteer to protect our freedoms.
The second quote is a bit lighter and humorous, but has stayed with me:
"Do or do not, there is no try," Yoda (Star Wars).
Favorite leadership lesson: I was a platoon leader in the invasion of Iraq, and I learned in life-or-death circumstances that true leaders inspire and motivate by building relationships and exchanging value.
War or intense conflict should always be the very last, carefully considered option. More broadly in business, a mutual win-win is always more sustainable than one winner taking all.
Something important to know about me that you wouldn’t know from my business bio: Aside from being a CFO, I love the intersection of culture (nearly 100 countries traveled) and art (as a collector & photographer).
My partner is a fashion designer, so our home is a mixed-media, mini-museum of sorts. As a board member of The Gantt Center in my hometown, Charlotte, North Carolina, it brings me joy to support a museum that highlights excellence and contributions to our globally emulated American culture.
What was the last job you did at your company that fell outside your traditional scope of work? As we're a growing startup, I also wear the Chief Revenue Officer hat. I've found that owned and earned media from conferences, webinars, and speaking engagements have driven awareness of ZenLedger and are effective for business development and partnerships.
Can you share one way in which you have learned to manage work-induced stress: I practice Ray Dalio's principle of transparency (being constructively open and honest to address issues before they grow or fester), combined with Jeff Bezos' leadership principle Invent and Simplify (leaders remove roadblocks and find solutions to problems vs. just highlighting the problem).
I've found these principles help me and my team eliminate the compounding stress of avoiding an elephant in the room or carrying a problem that ultimately affects relationships or performance.
Favorite number: 34, which is my Dad's jersey number, as well as mine, when I played basketball.
Interestingly, many of the most iconic NBA jersey numbers contain the number 3. To name a few:
- 23 - Michael Jordan and Lebron James
- 3 - Allen Iverson and Dwyane Wade
- 30 - Stephen Curry
- 32 - Magic Johnson and Karl Malone
- 33 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Scottie Pippen, Larry Bird
- 34 - Shaquille O'Neal, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Hakeem Olajuwon
I could go on...
Most noteworthy items in my workspace: Civil rights icon and fellow Carolinian Rev. Jesse Jackson gave me a personally signed keepsake with his famous quote, "Keep Hope Alive."
Do you have a pet sitting in your office right now: Yes, my quiet pets are plants — I keep an orchid and a sago palm in my office, which keeps the air fresh.
I'm fond of animals, but would be completely distracted at work.
Favorite app on my phone that is not related to business: I swear by the Calm app. I learned as an athlete and in the military that your mental state is absolutely essential to performance and well-being.
Disclaimer: I invested in Calm, so I'm also biased!
When do you take time for learning/reading: Always! I listen, read, and learn all day, every day.
In the morning I read Bloomberg and The WSJ.
Midday is best for research, headline industry news on Blockworks, and thought pieces.
I tend to read books or watch documentaries mostly in the evenings before bed and weekends.
While traveling, I listen to podcasts such as Freakonomics, Earn Your Leisure, and Planet Money.