Mark Cuban On His Hatred Of Meetings and Love Of Family Time
In 7 Hours With, we explore the routines of leading professionals in their space to learn the when, why, where and how they work. In each diary, we will look at what they’re doing at seven different check-ins throughout their day.
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Mark Cuban is the owner of the Dallas Mavericks, a Shark Tank Investor, a dad, and the founder of Mark Cuban Companies, which includes businesses like Magnolia Pictures, Rise Nation, and the Mavs Foundation. This is how he spends his 7 Hours.
7:30 AM
This is around the time I usually wake up. Between 7 and 7:30 AM. I’m currently in Dallas.
9:00 AM
My schedule in the morning (and throughout the day) is usually always the same. All email. I do everything possible not to have any type of meetings or calls, Zoom or otherwise. Doing things via email gives me a searchable database of all my interactions. This email is an example. I can search your name and look to see your questions and responses forever.
If we did this via phone I may remember it for a bit then it’s forgotten. And I’m sure you would forget it too. With email it’s also easy for me to prioritize. I can go right to the important interactions and not be limited by my schedule.
Other things aside from meetings that I feel are overrated in business as a whole are business plan contests and accelerator contests. Start ups get a false sense or confidence when they win or place highly in contests. Oftentimes it pays to do things the old fashioned way and go back to basics.
12:00 PM
I usually make something to eat around this time, and work on emails while eating unless my kids are around. Then I’ll try to hang out with them (and maybe make TikToks).
2:00 PM
Like I said before, my day is all email all the time. It allows me to easily prioritize, keep track of everything and have effectively my entire business life searchable. This type of insight is invaluable. I’ll take breaks when I need them and I get to work on my schedule.
4:00 PM
If I get stressed throughout the day, this is oftentimes when I’ll go out back and shoot baskets to clear my head. Or I can work out in the afternoon at some point. But like I said, it’s all on my schedule.
But one thing I don’t do is just sit and email 12 hours a day. Because I work to my rhythm I get to pick and choose what I do and when.
In the afternoon, I’ll also take time to read up on current events, business topics, and technology topics. I get a ton of tech specific newsletters. There is always something unique and informative that I want to follow up on, so I will take some time to do that. I usually will spend 3 hours or more a day just chasing knowledge.
7:00 PM
My family always tries to eat dinner together. The kids don’t always stick to the plan but we are usually at the dinner table, or at worst case, in close proximity.
After dinner, my wife and I always try to force some family fun or have family movie night, but with three teenagers it’s getting harder and harder. They are doing their own things more. I will say that the silver lining of quarantine has been spending a lot more time with family. They may get sick of me, but I love every moment I can spend with them. It’s the highlight of my day, every day.
9:00 PM
My day never really “ends.” I’m lucky. I get to set my own schedule and approach life the way I want. So I don’t really feel the need to turn off. I’m able to go work out. Or take time to myself. Or go shoot baskets. Things that let me clear my head.
I truly don’t feel the need to turn off. I have enough breaks that I don’t feel overwhelmed, and that’s the beauty of it all.
