BREAKING THE RULES

Steven Bartlett, entrepreneur, investor and host of the world's fastest-growing podcast Diary of a CEO, is coming to Asia. Tatler wakes him up to discuss the pivotal lessons, daily rituals and counterintuitive decisions that have cemented his status as an inspirational founder and global digital leader— and why his next bet is offline

- Rachel Duffell

It's 9am for Steven Bartlett, and the serial entrepreneur, investor and podcaster is already breaking his own rules. His team knows not to organise any meetings before Ilam, as Bartlett likes to wake up naturally without an alarm. Not today. With an unforgiving time difference relative to Asia—Bartlett moved to Los Angeles in January after signing with a US talent agency—he has made an exception to speak to Tatler.

The importance of sleep is one of the many things that Bartlett has learnt from the impressive roster of individuals who have featured on his hugely successful podcast, Diary of a CEO. “The single biggest impact on my life [has been] being really intentional about sleep and wake-up times. Sleep is upstream from what you decide to eat, your ability to be creative, how you manage your relationships,” he says.

The founder stresses the importance of being at your best each day—particularly to make the major decisions required of someone in his position with clarity: “Do we launch in New York? Do we hire this chairman? Do we sign this new creator to launch a podcast with them? Do I invest US$5 million into SpaceX or MrBeast or this AI company or health product?” Sleep is fundamental to the clear-mindedness necessary for such decision-making and, as such, something he—usually—won't compromise on.

There are other daily habits and rituals too. Bartlett walks in the sunshine every morning, goes to the gym daily, takes electrolytes, Omega-3s and creatine, and is trying to meditate but “struggling with it”. Mental and physical well-being are part of his “first foundation”—the core elements that support everything else in life—as he wrote in his 2023 bestselling book, The Diary of a CEO: The 33 Laws of Business & Life.