By Author, Lisa Messenger
What does a typical Monday look like for you?
Honestly, there’s no such thing as a typical Monday in my world. It really depends on what projects are in motion at the time. For the first 17 years of my business I had a large team and a physical office, and for nearly 25 years I’ve never had fewer than three staff.
These days that has completely shifted. I now operate as what I call an autonomous founder, meaning I run a highly streamlined business supported by AI tools rather than a big team.
That change has allowed me to move much faster and focus my energy on the parts of the business that I love most: ideas, strategy, writing and creating.
Mondays can therefore look very different. Some are spent writing novels or working on the relaunch of Collective Hub. Others are filled with media interviews, travel, or preparing for one of the retreats I host each month, which often begin on a Monday afternoon.
One thing that has changed since becoming a mum is that I now build far more breathing space into my weeks. Mornings in our house are like the wild west. And then it might include a beach walk with the dogs, feeding the animals on our little property, or simply spending time with my toddler before the day begins.
How do you usually plan and organise your week?
I plan my week every Sunday night. I look at the projects I’m currently focused on and then carve my time into blocks dedicated to each one.
I tend to work in focused sprints rather than trying to juggle lots of things at once. For example, one day might be entirely devoted to writing, another to content creation, another to strategy or partnerships.
Recently I spent an entire day writing FAQs, legal pages, homepage copy and launch content for something new we’re building. That kind of deep focus allows me to move quickly without constant context switching.
Planning is important, but I also leave space for flexibility because my work can change quickly depending on opportunities, travel or media requests.
What are the main tasks you focus on during a busy week?
My weeks tend to revolve around a few core areas:
Writing and creating content — whether that’s novels, articles, podcasts or thought leadership pieces.
Building and relaunching platforms — right now a big focus is the next evolution of Collective Hub.
Hosting retreats and live events — I run retreats every month where I work closely with entrepreneurs on business strategy and AI.
Media and speaking — interviews, podcasts, articles and occasional speaking engagements.
Strategic thinking — designing new products, programs or collaborations.
Even after all these years in business, a huge part of my role is still being the architect of ideas.
What part of your week do you enjoy the most and why?
The creative parts of my week are always my favourite. And definitely time with my son, Hugo is the absolute highlight always.
Writing, developing ideas, designing new projects and helping people unlock possibilities in their own lives is what energises me the most. That’s the work that never feels like “work”.
I also love the retreat days because I get to spend time with incredible founders who are building bold things in the world. Being surrounded by curious, ambitious people is always incredibly inspiring.
When do you feel most productive during the day?
Mornings are usually my most productive window.
Once Hugo is settled and the animals are taken care of, I try to protect the first few hours of the day for deep work. That’s when I do my writing, strategy or anything that requires clear thinking.
Afternoons tend to be better for calls, meetings, interviews or collaborative work.
How do you stay motivated when your schedule gets very busy?
I stay motivated by focusing on the bigger mission behind what I’m doing.
My work has always been about helping people step into their potential and build lives and businesses they love. When things get busy, reconnecting with that purpose keeps everything in perspective.
I also try to protect simple things that keep me grounded: moving my body, walking on the beach, spending time with animals and being present with my toddler, Hugo.
Those moments reset my energy and creativity.
What challenges do you usually face during the week?
Like most entrepreneurs, the biggest challenge is balancing multiple roles.
One minute I might be writing a book, the next building a business platform, the next mentoring founders or recording a podcast. It requires constant shifting between creative and strategic thinking.
Motherhood has also introduced a completely new layer of responsibility and joy. Learning to blend those two worlds — business and family — is an ongoing evolution.
How do you balance work with personal time during your week?
I don’t really believe in the traditional concept of “balance”. I prefer the idea of blend.
When you build a life you love, work and life naturally weave together. Some days are heavily focused on business, others are slower and more family-oriented.
What matters most is being intentional about where my energy goes and remembering that success isn’t just measured by productivity — it’s also measured by presence.
How do you make time during the week to spend with your son Hugo, and what do you enjoy doing together?
Hugo is my absolute joy, so spending time with him is a non-negotiable part of my week. Even the days he is at daycare, I’m with him from 6am until about 9 or 9.30am. And then from about 4pm til 7.30pm. We also co sleep as a family so we’re always pretty close.
We love being outdoors together. That might be walking on the beach, playing with the animals at home, swimming, dancing around the kitchen or just being silly together.
Watching the world through a toddler’s eyes has been one of the most beautiful reminders to slow down and rediscover play, curiosity and wonder.
At the end of the week, how do you reflect on what you have achieved?
I usually take a moment on Friday afternoon or Sunday evening to reflect on the week.
Rather than just looking at productivity, I ask myself a few simple questions:
Did I move the important projects forward?
Did I create something meaningful?
Did I show up fully for the people I care about?
If the answer to those is yes, then it’s been a good week.
Entrepreneurship is a long game, so I try to measure progress in momentum rather than perfection.
