Everyday habits that make work easier (Exit Five Newsletter)

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• Increase conversions by matching email to landing page

If you’re planning to send more than one email this year, check out the free (and ungated!) guide to the CHEETAH framework here.

🧘 Everyday Habits That Will Help You Do Better Work (With Inspiration From Marketers at Exit Five)

Editor's Note: Hey. Dave again. Everyone wants to talk about productivity hacks and morning routines, but most of it is BS. It’s not real life. It’s productivity porn. Even for myself, I’ve used every tool under the sun and then still find the thing that works best is a post it note and putting something on my calendar. So I wanted to know what's actually working for real marketers – not influencers, not productivity gurus, but the people in our community who are actually managing teams, hitting goals, having a life outside of work and somehow not burning out (it’s possible). So I asked Exit Five members a simple question: what do you do outside of work that sets you up for success at work? This newsletter is all about those answers – the exercise routines, the financial moves, the boundaries people set. Hope you find one thing you’re excited to try.

I was talking to my wife at dinner recently and we were just reflecting on life.

No doubt I’ve been lucky. How many marketing leaders ever work at a company that has had an exit? Somehow, I had two exits happen in the same year. Now, I lost all my hair in the process - but I don’t have to worry about paying for Disney+ and Netflix and HBO and Apple TV and the other 37 subscriptions my kids “need” ever again.

I also understand the position of privilege I’ve come from: to be born in America, with a good family, both parents home (my Mom was a teacher for 40 years, my Dad works in food services at a college). BUT, c'mon. I also will say I did something. Discipline has been my greatest skill - and there’s been years of small things that have added up.

Getting up early (okay, the last 7 years were because of tiny human alarm clocks). Working out before the day starts. Reading even though it doesn't come naturally to me. Keeping a daily journal in an actual notebook where I reflect on my day, stories about my kids, where I’m stuck in life/work. I’ve turned myself into a nerd, and I’m the happiest I’ve been because I feel like I know how to work on myself now.

I'm not trying to turn this into some productivity guru nonsense.

But here's what I know: there are a lot of high achievers reading this. You work at successful companies. You invest in yourself. You have the growth mindset.

So I can feel you nodding along.

Anyway: enough about me. Here’s a recap of some of the best lessons we got from the marketers in our world.

🏃 The Exercise and Health Thing Is Real (And You Already Know It)

Look, I'm not going to lecture you about working out. You've heard it before. But here's what stood out:

People aren't just exercising to look good. They're doing it because it fundamentally changes how they show up at work.

One marketer hits the gym every weekday at 6am. Not because they love it, but because it's usually the hardest thing they'll do that day. Everything after feels easier. They stay calmer when strategies aren't working. They think more rationally when hitting blockers.

Another community member takes their dog on 1.5 hour walks during lunch breaks. They come back to the afternoon like it's a completely new day. More energy. Fresh perspective. Some of my best ideas hit me when I’m on a walk. The mental refresh button is real.

The pattern? Movement builds discipline, increases your tolerance for discomfort, and boosts confidence. All traits that show up at work whether you realize it or not.

💵 Pay Yourself First (This One's Actually About Money)

This came up from a design agency owner and it's so simple: Take the first 5% of your income each month and put it in a high-interest savings account.

After taxes, health insurance, and retirement contributions—take that 5% right off the top and pay yourself first.

Then sit back and let compound interest do its thing.

This is especially important for younger marketers. Future you will be incredibly grateful. Trust me on this one.

☀️ Morning Routines Matter (But They Don't Have to Be Complicated)

When people are close to burnout, you know what brings them back? A morning routine.

It doesn't have to be some 2-hour ritual. Here's what's working for people:

A few minutes of meditation (Headspace keeps coming up). Some gratitude journaling (The 5-Minute Journal is popular). Maybe some breathwork. A little yoga or stretching.

The key isn't perfection. It's having something that resets you when you need it most.

🙅 Boundaries Are Not Negotiable

One marketer shared something that should make us all think: when they're off the clock, they're 100% off the clock.

No work emails. No Slack. The team WhatsApp is for scheduling team activities, sharing local events, and birthday wishes—not work problems at 9pm.

But boundaries aren't just about work hours. It's about protecting time for activities you enjoy every day. Friendships that give you energy instead of drain it. Sticking to your routine even when it would be easier not to.

One CMO does separate 1:1s for operating the business versus skill development. They found it's the only way to ensure consistent, thoughtful coaching in a fast-moving startup. The boundary creates the space.

✍️ The Weekly "No Laptop" Morning

This one's genius: blocking out two hours every Friday morning with just a pen and notebook.

No laptop. No phone. Just writing.

Sometimes it's journaling. Sometimes it's mapping out big-picture ideas. Sometimes it's tackling personal stuff that's been avoided.

Getting away from the screen resets your brain in a way nothing else does.

☕️ Wednesdays Off (Yes, Really)

One fractional CMO fights to take Wednesdays off. And when they do, they physically leave their house because they work from home.

Coffee shops. Thrift stores. Pickleball court. The gym. Anywhere but where they normally grind.

That physical separation does wonders.

The point isn't that everyone should take Wednesdays off. It's that creating real separation from work – whether it's a full day, a few hours, or just a different physical space – matters more than we think.

👊 The Stuff That's Not Sexy But Really Works

Some of the best advice was the most straightforward:

• Make and keep appointments. To wake up. To exercise. To spend time with family. Treat them like client meetings.
• Be curious. Try to understand before being understood. (This one applies to work too, obviously.)
• Prioritize sleep. One marketer said the more consistently they hit 8 hours, the better they do at life. It's the common denominator.
• Avoid bad habits and bad crowds. You're the average of the five people you spend the most time with. Choose wisely.
• Develop systems that work for you. Steal other people's models. Test them. Keep what works.

💡 What This Means for You

You don't need to do all of this. You probably shouldn't try to do all of this.

But pick one or two things that resonate:

Start moving your body regularly. Set real boundaries. Create a simple morning routine. Pay yourself first. Take a little time off each week that's actually off. Even if it’s just an hour.

The compounding effect of these small habits? That's what sets people up for success. Not just at work, but everywhere.

The marketers crushing it aren't just better at their jobs. They've figured out how to show up as better versions of themselves. And that starts outside of work.

– Dave

P.S. Are you reading this? Hello? Reply back to me. I want to get 50 replies today. I told the team this topic would hit - even if it doesn’t have anything to do with marketing.

📺 UPCOMING EVENTS

[NOVEMBER 18TH] Attention and the Inbox: How Great Marketers Are Rethinking Email and SMS in the World of AI

“Email is dead.” “Messaging is dead.” “Nobody reads anymore.”

That can’t be true.

Because every week, marketers are still driving millions in revenue and pipeline through these channels. So maybe it’s not that email or SMS are dead. Maybe the playbook just has to change.

In this live Exit Five session, we’re talking about how to capture (and keep) attention when inboxes, feeds, and brains are flooded with AI-generated noise.

Jess Lytle (Head of Marketing, Exit Five) will host a conversation with group of email marketing experts on how they're using email, SMS, and in-app messaging to drive growth. They’ll share what’s actually working today and how to make your messages stand out in a world flooded with AI content.

You’ll learn:

• The right (and wrong) ways to personalize messages today
• Real campaigns that cut through crowded inboxes
• How to build trust when attention is harder than ever to earn
• How top teams are using AI to stay human in their communication

Bring your questions. This will be an open, live conversation with hundreds of B2B marketers in the chat.

Save your spot

🏢 Open Roles

Who's hiring right now?

Spark Advisors is hiring a Director of Demand Generation to own and scale their growth engine. You’ll lead integrated campaigns across digital, field, and partner channels, driving pipeline, optimizing ROI, and aligning closely with sales and marketing leadership. This role blends strategy and execution for a data-driven marketer who can balance creative storytelling with operational precision.

Other open roles on the Exit Five job board this week:

• Swivel is hiring a Demand Gen Strategist
• Customer.io is hiring a Senior Demand Generation Manager, Partners
• Animalz is hiring a LinkedIn Content Marketer
• Doist is hiring a Growth Marketing Lead
• Affinity is hiring an Organic Growth Specialist
• Affinity is hiring a Paid Media Manager
• Affinity is hiring a Social Media Manager
• Affinity is hiring a Sr. Product Marketing Manager
• Affinity is hiring a Director, Brand Marketing
• Steno is hiring an Art Director
• Steno is hiring an Events Marketing Manager
• TLDR is hiring a Senior Growth Marketer - Paid Acquisition
• TLDR is hiring a Senior Growth Marketer - Lifecycle & Automation
• Dragon360 is hiring a Demand Gen Strategist
• Vapi is hiring a Head of Marketing
• Tatari is hiring a Senior Manager, Customer Marketing
• Paramark is hiring a Marketing Manager

See all open roles

Have an open role and want to make sure the best B2B marketing talent sees it? Just reply to this email and we'll send over more info on how you can post it on our job board + get it in front of 42k+ marketers.

✍️ NEW CONTENT FROM EXIT FIVE

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Click here to subscribe to The Prompt and we can help you get an A in AI. 🍎

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