She’s strong-arming the system. Cassey Ho is the brain (and biceps) behind Blogilates, one of YouTube’s top female fitness channels. When she’s not making us feel the 1,000-degree burn, she’s running her apparel brand PopFlex Active, writing Disney princesses as Mean Girls in Blogicomics, or overseeing her many other businesses.

Here, the LA local shares how a notebook revolutionized her mornings, how she survived a toxic team, and what magic she uses to smile through plié pulses.

6:45 A.M. I’m working as I’m waking up. We have teams all over the world, so I’m answering messages as I’m brushing my teeth. I know it’s not “healthy,” but I’m obsessed with my work and have a lot of fun. Although, I’m trying to figure out a better work-life balance… Then, I fill my 64-ounce bottle with water, and I’ll squeeze some lemon inside or add frozen strawberries and ice.

7 A.M. I wash my face, put on sunscreen, then go for a run. It sets the tone for the day because if I can get something hard out of the way, the rest should feel easy-peasy. I find the time right before my run calming because it’s 5-8 minutes where I can sit, look up at the trees, and be like, “Okay, let’s go.” Then I’ll end with either a weightlifting routine or pilates so there’s a mix of cardio and strength training. If I’m being good, I’ll stretch. If I have a [spare] moment, I’ll squeeze in a TikTok like, “What moves are going to help people in 15 seconds or less?”

8 A.M. I write down everything I need to do so I can cross it off throughout the day. My journal is sectioned off into my different brands with separate to-do lists. It sounds so simple, but this was actually a game-changer. Separating it out helped me realize, like, “We’re working on Blogilates for the next 2 hours, then we’re going to move to Popflex.” If I do something and forget to write it, I’ll [add it], then cross it off 2 seconds later so I feel that [sense of] accomplishment.

8:30 A.M. I’m in meetings, and 90% of my work is Popflex. There are so many different steps to manufacturing that if we miss one thing, it can be really bad. For designs, I’m inspired by what I’m seeing, whether it’s where I’m traveling or what’s on Instagram. If there’s something that makes my heart happy, I’ll add an element of that. For example, our cottagecore drop was really fun because we got to lean into skirts, mini florals, and the feeling of a storybook.

9 A.M. Depending on the day, I’m either in a writer’s room writing comics, or we’re talking about [issues] with shipping right now. I run like 5 different brands, so it’s a whole set of different challenges every single day.

10 A.M. We’re in a high growth stage, and building the right team around you is the hardest thing about being an entrepreneur. I had a team previously that was extremely toxic, so [much] that when I stepped into the office, I felt like I couldn’t breathe. My heart would beat irregularly—it was really bad. I’m grateful that the team we have today is full of passion. You should surround yourself with people smarter than yourself so you can accomplish more.

12 P.M. With filming workout routines, I could just put a song on, turn on the camera, and go. When I started on YouTube in 2009, I didn’t know how to edit, so I trained myself to not mess up during videos.