“You’ve just got to keep going and leave no stone unturned.”
Mark Wahlberg went from a jailed street thug to a respected, legitimate CEO, movie star and fashion designer in less than a decade. His movies have grossed over $5.3 billion worldwide.
His father was of Swedish and Irish descent and worked as a delivery driver. His mother is Irish and French-Canadian.
Entrepreneurs and highly skilled immigrants can learn great lessons from Mark about – your life, your body, and your business. Here are modified excerpts from his interview with WSJ. about what makes him feel most productive and some unusual keys to success:
What time do you get up on Mondays, and what’s the first thing you do after waking up?
On average, it’s about 3.30 am, if I’m home and in my routine. I always start with a little bit of prayer time. And then take my vitamins. I used to eat breakfast. Now I’m all about intermittent fasting. I don’t eat; I just go work out.
What time do you usually break the fast?
The perfect window for me is between noon and 6 p.m. On a harder workout day, that might be a smaller window. It might be 12 or 14 hours. Those days I can eat more. But five days a week, I’m doing that 18-hour fast.
What time do you usually go to bed at night?
I go to bed at 7:30—I always make sure I get eight hours of sleep. I’ll come home and I’ll be like, “Hey, I think I’m going to go to bed early,” and [my wife] will be like, “You don’t have to tell me that. The one night you decide to stay up late, tell me that.”
What vitamins do you take?
Turmeric and stuff like that for inflammation. Vitamin C, D. Normal supplements. And then of course with my sports nutrition, protein powder and all that stuff. I’ll have a shake pre-workout.
At what time of the day or week are you most creative or productive?
In the morning. Getting up early, there’s no one around. I’m going through all my emails, reaching out to everybody I work with in various respects. I can make a lot of those calls in the morning, if I’m going back and forth to the golf course, or when I’m in the car.
What details do you fixate on when it comes to designing clothing?
The cool factor. You want to put on something that’s really cool and comfortable. Our golf tee has a collar on it, but it’s a flexible and super stretchy T-shirt. You can wear it to play golf, work out, to work. We just wanted to create something really cool and special.
What makes something feel “special” to you?
Everything to me is about the fit and the feel. Oh my God, certain brands that make super high-end quality, even their T-shirts and stuff like that—I wanted it to feel like that, but at a price point that guys who work hard could afford, or if their gals are shopping for them.
What’s the most important thing you learned from being a CEO and TV star?
That being in the public market and being in business in general, it’s only for the adults. You have to have tough skin. If you’re not afraid to show the failures and losses.
Most people really pride themselves on sharing how they’re No. 1 at everything. But we closed all of our restaurants, all of our gyms. We showed that in real time, and people appreciated the honesty. All the losses and the tough stuff that we went to made us stronger.
What makes you feel the most productive?
Being consistent with my routine. Getting the right amount of rest, really staying focused. My spirituality, my faith has got to be the center of it all.
What do you do for self-care and to relax?
I go in the lake. I’ll go for a swim. Because I’ve got some back issues, I’ve got a physiotherapist who works with me. Just kind of continue getting adjusted and worked on.
What’s one piece of advice you’ve gotten that’s guided you?
You’ve just gotta keep going, you’ve gotta keep working. Leave no stone unturned. Don’t expect somebody else to figure it out. You’ve just got to be in it for the long haul.
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