Today’s CEOs are facing innumerable challenges: a global pandemic and a sea change in how and where employees want to show up for work, just to name a few. For leaders, the pressure has never been higher. How do they mitigate it? In our new series, we ask executives about their day-to-day wellness habits to gain insight into the tactics they use to minimize stress and maintain their well-being.
Brenda Demers is the CEO of SmartyPants Vitamins, where she most recently led SmartyPants’ integration into Unilever’s Health & Wellbeing collective. Prior to joining SmartyPants, Demers spent more than 23 years leading businesses across the beauty, personal care, food, OTC pharmaceuticals, and vitamins, minerals and supplements categories globally. Demers, her husband, and their two children currently live in Los Angeles, where they are avid sports fans and enjoy spending weekends exploring the beauty of their new home.
Coffee or tea? And what do you put in it?
I drink black coffee in the morning for a pick-me-up, and peppermint tea before bed at night to relax.
What is your go-to breakfast?
I typically have a light breakfast—a hard-boiled egg alongside my SmartyPants vitamins.
Tell us about your workout routine.
I love a ride on my Peloton bike. Kendall Toole is my personal favorite instructor and kicks my butt!
How many hours do you sleep on a typical night?
My Oura ring tells me I average seven hours a night. I love sleep and believe it is critical to high performance, so I prioritize it each night.
How do you de-stress?
Spending family time with my kids and husband—my favorite people on the planet.
According to your phone, what’s your daily average screen time from last week?
Six hours, six minutes. Not far off from what I expected, given I do a lot of work on my phone.
What app do you use the most?
My phone says the calendar app! This was a surprise to me and is pretty boring, but I guess it makes sense due to managing my work life and my personal life with two kids.
When’s the last time you took a day off? What did you do?
I took Monday, Aug. 8 off, and went to the beach with my kids. We are lucky to live in sunny SoCal!
What’s one thing your company is doing to prioritize employee wellness?
I’m proud that we offer expanded parental leave and self-care days among our other benefits.
What’s your favorite treat?
Wine and cheese are the best reward at the end of the day.
Show us a photo of your happy place.
