Arianna Huffington, Founder of Thrive Global
“At the end of the day, I make a ‘gratitude list’ by writing down a few things I’m thankful for. It lowers my stress levels and gives you a greater sense of calm at night.”
Ellen Pompeo, Star of Grey’s Anatomy
“My go-to birthday gift is a donation to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. I don’t have to run out to buy wrapping paper, and no one ever gives the same thing.”
Candace Nelson, Co-founder and Executive Pastry Chef of Sprinkles and Pizzana
“I ‘decant’ my baking essentials (flour, sugar, brown sugar) into airtight containers with large mouths, so that when I’m baking I can scoop my measuring cups right into the container. It saves time and extra bowls.”
Camilla Belle, Star of The Mad Whale
“I always pack well in advance, and take pictures of my outfits ahead of time, so I don’t have to worry about how they’ll look when I’m on the go. On a trip I like to take advantage of every moment.”
Madison Utendahl, Head of Content & Social at Museum of Ice Cream
“I put my phone on airplane mode 30 minutes before bed. It lets me disconnect, and when I wake up, I see only the time, not an anxiety-provoking barrage of messages.”
Tracee Ellis Ross, Star of Black-Ish
“I keep a teeny Maldon salt in my purse because table salt is not the deal. My salt even has its own little velvet pouch. Everything is a life of luxury with me!”
Abigail Spencer, Star of Timeless
“My biggest trick is that I was my hair once every seven to ten days. I use a lot of dry shampoo, or I wear a hat. There are a lot of hats in my life.”
Garance Doré, Illustrator, Author, and Founder of Atelier Doré
“I regularly check my anxiety level during the day and literally take notes. If I feel my heart pounding when I am responding to emails, not only do I take a second to get away from my computer (I have a jump rope on my desk, I do three minutes of it and feel immediately better), but I try to find the trigger and to fix it.”
Katharine McPhee, Star of Scorpion
“I keep a lipstick in each of my bags. It may not necessarily be a specific color, but at least I always know I have one when I’m on the go.”
Nahema Mehta, Cofounder and CEO, Absolut Art
“I love sending (and receiving!) handwritten thank you notes— they always leave an impression. You never know when you might need a last minute card, so I always make sure to have a box set on hand.”
Rachel Zoe, Celebrity Stylist and Designer
“Because I’m a germophobe, OCD person with two young children, I keep hand sanitizing wipes and baby wipes in every single evening bag, day bag, car, and pocket. I have every form of sanitizer and sanitizing wipe everywhere I am.”
Lauren Bush Lauren, Founder and CEO of FEED
“I make it a point to work from my store at least one day a week. We’ve paid a lot of money for brand audits and surveys of our customers over the years, which have all been helpful, but there is nothing more illuminating that actually seeing and hearing how customers interact with and respond to our brand in real time. I’d recommend this for any founder no matter the size of the company—you learn so much from just silently observing.”
Sicily Bennett, Professional Organizer
“I go through my purse every few days to toss any garbage. It takes no time, and it feels so good to find my keys without having a heart attack.”
Sophia Bush, Star of Acts of Violence
“I use Amazon subscriptions, so my paper towels, detergent, or shampoo just show up! Game changer. And, you can have refills that come every six weeks, eight weeks, however often you want.”
Taryn Toomey, Founder of “The Class”
“I love to think outside the box and wear non-traditional workout gear. I shop for leotards or wear a one piece bathing suit with workout pants over it. Just throw a cape on top, slip on a pair of wedges and wah-la, no one knows I am going to or from a workout.”
Babba Canales, Founder of Brand Marketing Agency BY BABBA
“I’m obsessed with the app, Blinkist, which summarizes entire books into twenty-five minute audio episodes. I have meeting-packed days, so this has become my way to actually get through books during the workweek.”
Lisa Bubbers, VP of Homepolish
“If you want to make your living space look more refined but don’t want to redecorate, change the knobs and pulls on your cabinets and dressers. It makes all the difference.”
Athena Calderone, Author of Cook Beautiful
“To avoid limp roasted vegetables, make sure they’re completely dry before cooking, and put your sheet pan in the oven as it preheats so when you add veggies, they’ll start browning.”