Richard Romanowski is the Co-Founder & Executive Director at eleXsys Energy, the developer of eleXsys, a unique, advanced power electronics device integrating a suite of artificial intelligence (AI) proprietary software applications enabling next-generation two-way smart energy grids.

Discover the daily routines of top performers like Whitney Wolfe Herd, Lewis Hamilton, Sara Blakely, and Gary Vaynerchuk by subscribing to our weekly newsletter!

1) To kick things off, could you tell us a little about your career background and current role?

I was born in Canada, attained a business degree in Canada. My Wife is Australian and brought me back to Australia over 34 years ago. I am now 62.

I was a business consultant in Australia, after 20 years in the field, helping companies and government improve profitability, new products, change management, etc 

On a trip back to Canada to see my family I sat beside a philanthropist who changed my world.  I say he infected me with the cleantech and social enterprise bug. He had committed his family’s huge property related wealth to social enterprises focused projects around decarbonising the world and social equity

I became a believer (or you can say I saw the 1.5 Degree light) and started helping cleantech companies and NGOs in Australia as a mentor and advisor 

2) What does a day in your life look like for you? Can you take us through a recent workday?

Ouch, do you really want to know?

I rise at 4 or 5 AM – some days I have a call to our USA or Canada staff or contacts around 5 or 6 AM

Many days I finish my day with calls to investors and our Board Chair in London at 6 or 7 PM 

In between

Onsite at the office which is 5 minutes from home or C Call meetings helping guide projects and activities (we have a staff of 70, so its guidance not me doing the doing in most cases)

A big part of every day is cash flow, making sure we have enough $ to stay alive, pay wages and the bills 

3) What does work-life balance mean to you and how do you work to achieve that goal?

Instead of working 7 days 14 hours per day each week now on the weekends quit at 12 noon and each evening quit at 6:30 PM.  One day per week to have a late meeting with London that maybe 7 or 8 PM

One weekend per every 6 to 8 weeks take-off – go away with no internet sites and just chill – enjoy the moment.

Elon Musk, Kobe Bryant, Naomi Osaka, Simone Biles, receive a new daily routine each week about some of the most successful people in the world.

4) In the past 12 months, have you started or stopped any routines or habits to change your life?

Stopped working 7 days and 14 hours per day.

5) Do you have any favourite books, podcasts or newsletters that you’d like to recommend?

I go out of my way to read historical fiction each night to shut my brain off and be able to sleep (at least 4 to 6 hours of sleep is the target)

From Wilbur Smith to Leon Uris is what I read. 

6) If you could read an interview about work-life balance by anyone, who would that be?

Ya right, you’re asking me? 

Most interviews are worthless, as they are after they have succeeded and done the deal, so they get to slow down and then download.

But we keep saying to our Executive team, it is a marathon not a sprint. We encourage each other to take time off and recharge.

7) Do you have any last thoughts on work, life or balance that you’d like to share with our readers?

Work life balance is so different when you have all the family assets on the line, and you can lose everything in $ millions.  

In theory it’s nice to have time off, etc but it’s hard to do when your brain never stops, and the pressure is all on your shoulders for the employment of 75 staff, etc. 

Plus, we are crazed with our vision of speeding up global decarbonisation.

Before you go…

If you’d like to sponsor or advertise with Balance the Grind, let’s talk here