IT’S SAID THAT WHAT WE DO BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 6:00-9:00AM DEFINES WHO WE ARE. A MORNING ROUTINE IS ESSENTIAL FOR THE WORLD’S MOST EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE. WHETHER IT’S HAVING THEIR COFFEE OR TAKING A COLD SHOWER, EACH OF THEIR MORNINGS ARE FILLED WITH TASKS THAT NEED TO BE ACCOMPLISH IN ORDER FOR THEM TO BE SUCCESSFUL THAT DAY. WE SIT DOWN WITH SOME OF TODAY’S MOST INTERESTING AND INSPIRING PEOPLE TO SEE HOW THEIR DAYS STARTS.NO MATTER THEIR INDUSTRY…
An entrepreneur with his finger on the pulse of business, Quinton van der Burgh is one of South Africa’s ultimate success stories. A true maverick with extensive knowledge of marketing, mergers and business development in the car, telecom, property development, and a wide range of other industries.
While he’s started several successful businesses in his career and helped a ton of others grow exponentially, he saw the opportunity to leave London and return back to South Africa where he started Quinton Van Der Burgh Investments and was later appointed as CEO of Burgh Group Holdings. Along with his ongoing success, grew a deep passion to give back those in need. His work to develop, Generosity Water, a non-profit with a clear and simple mission: give clean water to the 750 million people in a world who don’t have it. We sat down with Quinton and asked him what he’s doing each day in his morning routine and why it’s important to have one.
I WAKE UP AT…
I usually wake up at about 5:30am, spend the next hour and a half auctioning(setting up) my day and respond to some messages. I then head off to gym.
HOW MANY HOURS SLEEP DO YOU TYPICALLY GET?
Honestly, I am happy if I manage to get 4 hours of sleep in an evening. My my mind is the biggest problem here as it just never manages to shut off so as soon as I get a few minutes, my brain just goes into 5th gear and runs through every possible scenario from the previous day, with 10 different solutions to the problem.
TYPICALLY, MY GROOMING REGIME CONSISTS OF…
I try and look after my self as best as possible with the crazy schedule that I have but usually my grooming regime consisting of weekly facials (at a spa), and occasional chemical peel, a sports massage and a weekly hair cut. Appearances matter in any big industry and you’d be misled to think otherwise.
WHAT DOES THE EVERYDAY UNIFORM LOOK LIKE?
My everyday uniform consists of a black Dolce & Gabbana suit, white dress shirt, black tie, and a platinum tie clip which I find manages to pull the look together nicely. I think the best thing a man can do is have a uniform they both feel comfortable and confident and wear it the rest of their lives.
D&G Slim-Fit Virgin Wool Suit // Hackett Slim-Fit Cotton-Poplin Shirt // Turnbull & Asser Ribbed Silk Tie
COFFEE? TEA? WATER? OTHER?
Obviously water haha.
Not only because I own a charity water (Generosity Water) whereby a percentage of every bottle sold goes towards building wells across the world for people who do not have access to clean drinking water. But because of my training, I consume roughly 4 liters of water a day to support my body and help me achieve my goals. Truth be told, water really is the best!
WHAT DOES A BREAKFAST LOOK LIKE?
Well, actually, I have more than one breakfast every day.
My 1st breakfast consists of rolled oats, honey and almonds which I have before going to the gym in the morning (about 6am). My 2nd breakfast I have shortly after my training, which is a bowl of fresh fruit accompanied by a 4-egg white omelette with feta cheese, ham and mushrooms. I know it may seem like a lot of food but I need to able to fuel my body sufficiently for the onslaught of the day. In my line of work, no one likes the guy that falls asleep while at the boardroom table.
WHAT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT YOU MUST DO EVERY MORNING?
I cannot start my day without going to gym. I need to able to get my blood flowing and start my day. I find that it mentally it sets me up and adds clarity to what the most important topics to tackle for the day.
Fitnessery Ab Wheel // Nike Men’s Pro Cool Compression Shirt // CAP Barbell Vinyl Coated Cement Kettlebell
WHAT PRODUCT OR ITEM COULD YOU NOT LIVE WITHOUT WHEN YOU WAKE UP?
My cell phone. I’m a fairly busy guy and 99% of my life is directed in someway or another, through my phone. From talking to family and friends to closing business deals. I’ve got to be able to connect with those people at all times.
HAS YOUR MORNING ROUTINE CHANGED OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS OR IF YOU TRAVEL?
Actually, No not at all. The only thing that changes is where I get my breakfast, ha. Wherever I am, it’s the same routine day in and day out. Travel should by no way deflect you from your personal priorities. Look at some of the brightest minds in the world today, you’ll see that they are creatures of habit. They stick to routines and find success because of them.
IF YOU DON’T FOLLOW THIS ROUTINE, HOW DOES THAT AFFECT THE REST OF THE DAY?
As I mentioned earlier, training in the morning sets me up for my day, without that, things just don’t seem to flow as nicely. If If I wasn’t able to follow my routine It wouldn’t be a productive day for me
DO YOU FEEL LIKE HAVING A ROUTINE HAS BEEN ESSENTIAL TO YOUR SUCCESS IN YOUR LIFE OR NO?
ABSOLUTELY. Having a routine has been instrumental to my success. Even as a young man, it helped me to manage my time and effectively prioritize what was most important in life. As I said before, if you look at the most successful people in the world, routines play a part in everyone of their lives. Wether its what they wear, what they eat, what products they use. They’ve all found what works and helps them be successful.
WHAT IS ONE WORD OF ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE THE AVERAGE GUY LOOKING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THEIR LIVES…
My one word would be: Perseverance. You’ve got to have perseverance to be successful in whatever you do. Perseverance is failing 19 times and hitting out of the park on your 20th attempt. Success is no accident.
Extreme Ownership By Jocko Willink // The Morning Miracle by Hal Elrod // Grit to Great by Linda Kaplan Thaler
Header Photo courtesy of ©2018 QUINTON VAN DER BURGH
