What would you do if you had a six-figure salary? Perhaps you’d never cook another meal again or indulge in a monthly Thai massage and a Soho House membership to unwind from the stress that comes with being at your A-game.
Here at The Good Life you don’t have to imagine what life at the top looks like anymore: Get real-life inspiration for how the most successful live their lives.
Today Fortune meets the 39-year-old founder and CEO of Grind, David Abrahamovitch.
For those who are London-based, Grind needs no introduction. The coffee chain has exploded across Britain’s capital in recent years, with the company estimating that a Grind coffee is enjoyed every 2.8 seconds.
It’s an impressive feat, considering Abrahamovitch has no hospitality experience. A few years after graduating, he opened the doors to his first coffee shop in Shoreditch in 2011 because he inherited the space (a mobile phone shop at the time) from his late father.
At the time, he thought of it as a little side hustle that wouldn’t be scalable—but he was so wrong. In 2020, when office workers were stuck at home, Grind took its business online and came out with millennial pink compostable coffee pods—the first of its kind in the U.K.
A Grind coffee is enjoyed every 2.8 seconds.
Within 10 months of pivoting towards an at-home offering, Grind was turning over £10 million. This year, the company predicts it will sell over 40 million of its compostable coffee pods alone and clear £40 million in revenue.
Now a mini coffee empire, Grind has 14 stores across London, its brews are served in Soho House, meanwhile, its pods, beans, and ready-to-drink cans can be found in Harvey Nichols, Waitrose, and most major U.K. grocers.
40 million
The number of compostable coffee pods Grind predicts it’ll sell this year.
It most recently teamed up with the iconic American rock band Green Day and their new coffee company, Punk Bunny Coffee to launch an iced, ready-to-drink matcha latte.
The finances
Fortune: What’s been the best investment you’ve ever bought?
My best investment by a long run has been the initial funding I put into the first Grind store. Outside of that, it’s probably a one-bedroom apartment I bought in Shoreditch in 2013 and still rent out.
The worst?
I’ve learned that buying and selling individual stocks is very hard and you’re much better off buying and holding index funds. I’ve had some wins along the way, but also some big losses—the worst was probably a chunk of Peloton stock I bought during the pandemic, which is now down about 90%!
What do your childcare arrangements look like?
We have two little girls who are 2 and 3. My wife is a freelance makeup artist and she works with some big names like Victoria Beckham and Rosie Huntingdon-Whiteley, so her schedule is also crazy and like me, she travels for work fairly regularly. Both of the girls are at nursery a few days per week, and we also have a nanny and very supportive grandparents! So we juggle things between us all but luckily we’re both able to control our schedules to an extent, so we still get to spend lots of time together as a family.
“The power of compounding and starting very young is very real!”
How do you commute to work?
It’s a real mix. I spend at least one day a week in our Roastery in South London, which I’ll usually drive to, and then the rest of the time in central London either at our HQ in Shoreditch or in our locations around London, so that will usually be on the tube, or in taxis if I’m doing calls whilst on the move and when I can and the weather permits, I also use Lime bikes.
What personal finance advice would you give your 20-year-old self?
Bet on yourself (which I’m glad I did).
Get set up so that you have money flowing automatically into low-cost index funds as soon as you can, even if it’s in small amounts. I think the key is to automate this. I use an app called Freedtrade to automatically collect money from my current account and invest it every week, with no effort required.
The power of compounding and starting at a very young age is very real!
Where’s your go-to wristwatch from?
I love watches and have a few, but mostly I wear a simple vintage Rolex from the 60s which used to be my Dad’s or an Apple Watch.
Where do you shop for your work wardrobe?
Most of my clothes come from ‘Mr P,’ the basics range on Mr Porter. I prefer to avoid visible brands, slogans, or logos. The quality is outstanding, and I appreciate not having to spend time shopping. I also love Son of a Tailor, where everything is made to measure, ensuring a perfect fit every time.
I’m a big fan of Rimowa for their luggage and accessories, Cubitts for eyewear, Aesop for skincare, and Porsche cars.
The necessities
How do you get your daily coffee fix?
This is a big one for me! At home, I have a Grind pod machine, a Sage Espresso machine, and a La Marzocco Linea mini, which is a slimmed-down version of the professional machines we use in-store. I think the list price on it is about £5000, but they kindly gifted me one! I use all of these machines, as they are very different in terms of speed and simplicity. I also drink a lot of coffee in our locations around London. I have about three a day, usually a flat white in the morning and then piccolos or espressos after that.
Where do you buy groceries?
We have a regular weekly order from Ocado.
How often in a week do you dine out versus cook at home?
For dinner, not much at all, maybe once or max twice a week. If I’m not traveling, I try really hard to be home for bedtime and bathtime for the kids.
The treats
How do you unwind from the top job?
It’s really hard, I feel ‘always on’ in London, so really it’s about travelling. My favorite thing is skiing, and nothing helps you switch off like flying down a mountain on a pair of skis—there is not really time to think about other things.
To unwind after work, I love spending time with my little girls, who are 2 and 4 years old. No matter how hectic the day has been, coming home to them puts everything into perspective. I’m also enjoying our home infrared sauna, which we got for my wife’s birthday this year. It’s perfect for decompressing and helps ensure an amazing night’s sleep if you go late at night.
Are you the proud owner of Meta’s smart glasses or anything other futuristic gadgets?
I’m not, but I’m totally and utterly reliant on my phone, laptop, iPad, Airpods, etc that all go everywhere with me, and that really means that my office can be wherever it needs to be.
What’s the best bonus treat you’ve bought yourself?
In 2021, 10 years after founding the business I sold a small amount of my Grind shares for the first time. While the majority of it went to sensible things like my house, pension, and investments, I also treated myself to my dream car, a 1970s Porsche 911. I’d wanted the same car for 20 years, and it was great to be able to reward myself. Best of all it should keep going up in value, so I’ve told myself that it’s also an investment.
How do you record your notes in a meeting?
I’m not a big note taker as I think it really distracts from listening, but I’ll put a few bullet points into notes on my phone when necessary.
Take us on holiday with you, what’s next on your vacation list?
The one time my wife and I can both have a big holiday and really switch off is Christmas and New Years. We’ve spent the last few years in the Maldives, and we’ll be returning again this year. It’s a real splurge, but it’s an incredible place to really switch off and forget about the rest of the world.
Here at The Good Life you don’t have to imagine what life at the top looks like anymore: Get real-life inspiration for how the most successful live life. Dive into our other The Good Life profiles.
