Jeet Ghose is the co-founder and CEO of Mountbase, an on-demand streaming service for entrepreneurs, innovators, and people looking to up-skill in their careers.
Learn how the most successful people in the world structure and manage their days. Sign up to our newsletter today and receive a free gift that will help you achieve your goals!
1) To kick things off, could you tell us a little about your career background and current role?
I am the co-founder and CEO of Mountbase. Mountbase is launching a streaming service, where industry experts and entrepreneurs share their stories and help inspire the next generation of leaders.
Before Mountbase, I worked in sales at a real estate company and a tech company. I have a passion for storytelling, and I wanted to bring that into the business world – that’s why I founded Mountbase.
2) What does a day in your life look like for you? Can you take us through a recent workday?
Working at a start-up can be super hectic. Everyday is completely different, however I generally have two types of days. On a normal day I get up around 6 in the morning. I get my dog ready for her day-care and watch the news or TV before heading off to the office around 8am.
Once I’m in the office I catch up on my emails before having our daily stand-up meeting at 10am. The rest of the day is usually tied up with meetings, calls and project work. I usually try to go to the gym for an hour around lunch time and always have a tea break with our team around 4pm.
On a shoot day, we get to the studio 2-3 hours before the guests arrive. I help set up our space and work with our media production team. Shoot days are the most fun, and it’s always great collaborating with our creative partners. Our shoots take around 5 hours and then we have a pack down and debrief with our team.
3) Does your current role allow for flexible or remote working? If so, how does that fit into your life and routine?
Mountbase does allow for flexible and remote working. However, we’re a small team and enjoy being in our offices. It helps us collaborate and build on our company culture. As most of our team are young, it helps to be out to the house and socialise at work as well. We are a modern company that believes that there is more to life than the 9 to 5:30.
4) What does work-life balance mean to you and how do you work to achieve that goal?
When you are a founder there is no work-life balance. I love what I do so I don’t really look at it as work. However, I always try to ensure that Mountbase, our team and I are balanced in what we do.
We have summer holidays at our company and when employees are on annual leave, we do not let them interact with work whatsoever. I believe it is super important to take time out to recharge batteries to avoid burning out.
We also have breaks in place at work to socialise and break up the monotony of working at a desk. Mountbase believes in work-life balance, as a fulfilled personal life leads to a fulfilling work life.
5) In the past 12 months, have you started or stopped any routines or habits to change your life?
Something I realised being a CEO of a start-up is that every day can be super hectic and having some structure is super helpful. I always try to get up early and get some personal time before work.
This helps give perspective to your day, so commuting or rushing to work isn’t the first thing I do when I get up. I don’t check my emails until I get to work, they can dramatically alter your mood and it is best to have a set time to give them the attention that they need.
I have also reduced going on work emails and work-related research 2-3 hours before I go to bed. This helps us wind down and switch off. I find that going on walks or playing sports on the weekends also really helps me relax and it’s something I look forward to every week.
6) Do you have any favourite books, podcasts or newsletters that you’d like to recommend?
I’m always reading or listening to business podcasts. The Diary of a CEO and the Mountbase podcasts are my favourite, however I always love reading business books as well. When I started out, I found the 25 management models super helpful.
7) Are there any products, gadgets or apps that you can’t live without?
I always try to avoid unnecessary apps and complications. However, Slack has been super helpful and so has some of the apps of the partners we work with.
8) If you could read an interview about work-life balance by anyone, who would that be?
Ryan Reynolds. It would be great to hear how someone can manage an acting career, multiple businesses and a family.
9) Do you have any last thoughts on work, life or balance that you’d like to share with our readers?
Doing something you love or are passionate about makes a huge difference. When you do something you love, going to work doesn’t feel like work. At Mountbase I feel proud and appreciative that I can go to work and I get to do what I enjoy the most!
Before you go…
If you’d like to sponsor or advertise with Balance the Grind, let’s talk here.
Join our community and never miss a conversation about work, life & balance – subscribe to our newsletter.
