“I can’t believe we turned down Mark Cuban.”

That’s what Lindsay McCormick (she/her) said to herself the morning of her stint on Shark Tank. Two of the sharks wanted to invest in Bite, her sustainable toothpaste brand that cuts out harmful ingredients and plastic packaging. But she said no—which paid off, because now she’s running an 8-figure business that’s expanded to skincare, personal hygiene, and even a swap for your Crest strips.

Here, Lindsay shares how she gets ready to don her CEO hat every day.

6:30 A.M. I have to set multiple alarms, but I like waking up early. My favorite part of the morning is cuddling with my dog, Nemo, in bed. Then I make yerba mate tea, which has the perfect amount of caffeine. And what’s awesome about this brand is that there’s no plastic. I also take a bunch of vitamins. I’m a vegan, so I take vitamin B, spirulina, and a whole stack of others.

7 A.M. I meditate for 10 minutes then journal. Some mornings I focus on gratitude and appreciation, and some mornings I write out all my anxieties. I’m trying to get them out of my head onto the paper so I can be done with them.

7:30 A.M. I brush my teeth with our toothpaste and our bamboo toothbrush, then I wash my face. I’m currently using the Drunk Elephant Pekee bar, and I use the ILIA skin tint. I’ll also use vitamin C serum from Common Heir. They come in individual plastic-free [and biodegradable] packs, so you can just twist off the cap and put it on. I’ve tried to keep my routine very simple.

7:45 A.M. I try to do something active every morning, whether that’s pilates or yoga. I live right next to the beach, so sometimes I’ll take Nemo for a walk. Or even sometimes it’s grabbing a coffee with a friend, but there’s always an hour gap where I’m going on a walk or taking a class.

8:45 A.M. I move to my kitchen table to start work. Then in the afternoon, I work on the couch. Those are my transitions throughout the day. I didn’t even notice I did that [till now], but I think it’s really nice because it primes your brain for those [sections] of your day.