How the Founder of Ban.do Starts Her Day in the Desert

What's the first thing you do when you get out of bed in the morning? A well-rounded morning routine sets the tone for the day and gets you prepped—both mentally and physically—before diving into a packed schedule filled with emails, chores, happy hours, workouts, and more. Our series Morning Person profiles those who have mastered the art of the morning routine. Tune in every Monday morning here and on our Instagram to learn exactly how the pros get it all done before the sun comes up, from their go-to breakfasts to their a.m. workouts.

At THE/THIRTY, we are big fans of Jen Gotch and her fun, feel-good, and sunshiny brand Ban.do. She considers herself a lifelong optimist, and honestly, don't we all need a little optimism in our lives, especially now? We love her realness and humor on Instagram, and now, we can get more of that from her new memoir, The Upside of Being Down, in which she shares some of the things she's learned about mental health and how she built her company. It's definitely an inspirational read.

Gotch recently gave us a peek into her morning routine. Check it out below.

I have always been a morning person, which has driven quite a few people to want to murder me. They say, "You shouldn't wake up singing, Jen. It's borderline rude." I actually didn't realize that was not how everyone woke up until I got married, and that's why I have an ex-husband and not a husband.

So my mornings do tend to change a bit depending on where I am or what I am doing. This week, I'm spending some time alone in the desert. I brought some of my regular routine here with me, but then the desert offers up some additional morning magic that I don't get in LA.

6:45 a.m.

Wake up. I go to bed early, so I rarely need an alarm and prefer to just wake up naturally. In the desert house, there are no curtains yet, so sleeping in is tough—and that's a good thing. The first thing I do is make the bed. It gives me a real sense of accomplishment right out of the gate. I highly recommend you give it a shot if bed-making isn't your thing.

7 a.m.

I head to the bathroom to shower, brush my teeth (I use a Quip, and I love it), wash my face, and all that good stuff. The morning shower is a desert thing because we just put in a new shower, and it's wonderful, so I get excited to get in there because the shower at my place in L.A. sucks, so I shower a lot more out here, and now I've said too much. Sorry. Skin products, since you asked… I use Cetaphil as a face wash, Thayers Facial Toner, and I have been really fond of Annie Tevelin's skincare line, SkinOwl. I use the Beauty Drops and the Beauty Whip combined as a moisturizer. Oh, and I slather my body in Palmer's Coconut Oil. It makes me feel like I'm on vacation even when I'm not.

7:30 a.m.

Then I make my way out to the kitchen and take all of my vitamins, supplements, and medications. I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in my early 30s, so being consistent with my medication is important, and it gives me a good opportunity to take other things to keep me mentally and physically healthy. I’m grateful to be able to do that.

I quit coffee at the beginning of the year, which was tough because I LOVE COFFEE—like the actual flavor. I love it. Have since I was a kid who was definitely too young to be drinking coffee, but it was the '70s, and the rules were different. I have switched to matcha and steamed coconut milk, which gives me an opportunity to still have a morning ritual.

And then my favorite part of the morning that I only get in the desert. I sit at the kitchen table, sip my matcha, and stare out the window and watch for bunnies to hop by. And they do because they are pretty reliable bunnies, but it still is a cause for delight, and although I am almost always alone out here, I still shout (well, like a whisper-shout), "Hey little bunny. Hi hi. Bunny. Oh no, don’t go bunny. Okay. Bye, bunny." Man, I love those bunnies.

8 a.m.

Start my day in the desert!

Next up: How This Yogi Takes Care of Her Mind, Body, and Spirit Each Morning