This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with 39-year-old Kristin Cavallari, a reality TV star and entrepreneur based in Franklin, Tennessee. It has been edited for length and clarity.
I live and die by my schedule.
My three kids, who are 10, 12, and 14, are my first priority. Next comes Uncommon James, the jewelry, skincare, and homeware company brand I launched in 2017. I can already tell you what the next year looks like.
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Then I layer in Fizzen, my sparkling protein drink, along with my podcast, “Let’s Be Honest with Kristin Cavallari,” and everything else I do in the entertainment world.
Here’s what a typical day in my hectic life looks like.
I wake up at 6.15 a.m. to make breakfast and lunch for my kids
I’m usually up by 6:15 a.m. When I became a mom at 25, I had to learn how to be an early bird, but now I actually love waking up and going to sleep early.
Most mornings, I don’t have time to check my phone. It’s straight to packing lunches and making breakfast for my kids. We all eat the same thing: scrambled eggs, bacon, and cheese, wrapped in a tortilla. It’s delicious.
I take a lot of supplements. Every six months, I get my vitamin levels, hormones, and food sensitivities checked, so I’m usually following some sort of protocol my doctor has created for me. It ranges from probiotics and prebiotics to DHEA for hormones.
After breakfast, I make myself a cup of coffee. I’m a one-coffee-a-day kind of girl. I usually sip it while I’m taking my kids to school.
We’re usually out the door around 7:30 a.m., and it’s a 15-minute drive to my kids’ school.
I check emails before working out at my home gym at 9 a.m.
Once I’m back home, I spend 30 minutes to an hour working through emails. About 70% are related to Uncommon James. The rest is related to my podcast and everything else I have going on under the entertainment umbrella. Earlier this year, I was busy promoting the “Laguna Beach” reunion.
Around 9 a.m., I work out for an hour. I feel very fortunate to have a gym at my house.
I usually work out alone, except on Thursdays when I train with someone. I love working out to house music, Dua Lipa, or Post Malone.
I spend 20 minutes meditating in my infrared sauna whenever I can
If my schedule isn’t too crazy, I’ll spend 20 minutes in my infrared sauna after my workout.
I’m really into health and wellness, and I use an infrared sauna for detoxing and longevity. I try to spend about 10 minutes meditating in the sauna. My life is so hectic that I need those moments to stay sane.
If I don’t have time for the sauna, I’ll just shower and get ready for the day.
Most of my workday happens from my kitchen counter
I’m a skincare junkie, but I try to keep my routine efficient. I use products from my skincare line, Uncommon Beauty, including Koji pads, Pineapple Peptide Nectar, and our Daily Water and Glutathione Serum.
On a normal day, I’ll only wear some mascara and put my hair in a ponytail. If I’m filming a podcast, which I do on Mondays, I’ll go all out.
Courtesy of Kristin Cavallari
I have a podcast studio at home, so I’m usually ready to record by around 11:30 a.m. I’ll also record podcast advertisements that day.
Every Tuesday, I go into the Uncommon James office, which is about a 40-minute drive from my home in Franklin. I’ve been living in Tennessee full-time since 2017. In the office, I’m in back-to-back meetings until 3:30 p.m.
For the rest of the week, I’m usually working on my laptop at my kitchen counter. It’s a mix of editing podcasts, prepping for guest interviews, and pitching projects over Zoom. I don’t use AI every day, but periodically I use it to look over smaller contracts to save on legal fees.
I always stop for leftovers at around noon
I eat lunch around noon. I’m not someone who can keep working without stopping to eat something. I can’t function if I’m hungry.
I’m a leftovers girl. I’ll always make more for dinner, so I have something to eat the next day.
After lunch, I’m working on my laptop again. I prefer to be a ‘big picture’ founder. I get really excited about marketing and big, brand moments throughout the year. Still, I find myself getting involved in the smaller details, like overseeing outgoing text messages and interviewing for a store manager in Austin.
I wrap up work before my kids get home at 3:20 p.m.
I really try to wrap up work before my kids get home around 3:20 p.m. I want to be completely present when they’re home. Occasionally, I’ll answer an email or jump on a phone call, but I really try not to.
The babysitter picks them up from school, which saves me an hour every day. As many parents will know, waiting in a carpool line is such a time-suck.
My babysitter is a lifesaver, who also runs the occasional errand for me. Otherwise, I don’t have much help around the house. Once the kids are home, I’m putting laundry away, walking the dogs, or running to the grocery store if needed. There are definitely times when it all feels overwhelming.
I make dinner every night so we can eat together at 5 p.m.
I usually start preparing dinner once the kids get home because we eat around 5 p.m. before everyone heads off to sports practice. I make a weekly menu and try to go to the grocery store only once a week because it’s 25 minutes away.
I cook almost every night: burrito bowls, salmon bowls, Greek salads, bang bang chicken, and my BLT pasta salad. My daughter, who is 10, loves cooking with me.
After practices and everything else, I love winding down around 8 p.m. Before bed, I do my skincare routine and use a gua sha or microcurrent device. To relax, I’m much more likely to read or do a puzzle than watch TV. I love Colleen Hoover and trashy beach reads, but I like nonfiction, too.
It’s usually lights out between 9:15 and 10 p.m. I find it pretty easy to switch off.
Courtesy of Kristin Cavallari
Success for me looks like slow mornings and a peaceful mind
When I was on “Laguna Beach,” I didn’t have business aspirations. To be honest, I don’t think I had any aspirations at 17. Once I was on TV, however, doors opened, and I ran with the opportunities.
I wanted to prove to everyone, and to myself, that I could make it in the branding world. That’s why I launched Uncommon James.
At this point in my career, success looks a little different. I’ve done the hustle, and although I’m still grinding, success for me would look like slower mornings, a peaceful mind, and having time in my day to do what I want.
