We’ve often heard from founders that running a business could be a 24-hour experience. Still, recently, lots of us are denouncing hustle culture for a balance of our own. As women who wear multiple hats, how we spend each moment of the day matters.

For Black women, time is precious, but often we forget that the time we spend outside of constructing our empires is just as necessary. On this ESSENCE.com series, we’ll get the news on how a few of your favorite entrepreneurs and executives are spending day without work the clock to refuel, recenter and to recollect their north stars.

Meet KJ Miller, Co-Founder and CEO, Mented Cosmetics, Philadelphia, 35

In 2017, KJ Miller and her graduate school classmate Amanda E. Johnson created Mented Cosmetics. What began as a project that the ladies pursued on the weekend is now a preferred beauty brand that celebrates individuals of all hues with its inclusive shade range. 

Miller, a graduate of Harvard Business School, created Mented Cosmetics products by watching YouTube videos and hand-mixed formulas in her kitchen. Today the products are sold in stores including Goal and Ulta. The multi-million-dollar beauty brand recently closed a $5M Series A round in funding. When Miller is just not growing her beauty brand, this wife and mother find ways to mentor the following generation of entrepreneurs. She shares with ESSENCE.com why it is crucial to spend time doing the things that make us whole. 

Figuring out is her personal time.

Miller admits that she doesn’t like being alone. Nonetheless, should you catch her alone, it’s most probably figuring out. “I do attempt to work out three to 4 times per week; that’s my true me time,” she said. What makes figuring out easy for this busy entrepreneur is owning a Peloton. “Peloton workouts are where I feel I’m going to have essentially the most fun, and I at all times sing along to the songs as I ride. It’s great,” she added.

Vacations are a love language.

Miller and her husband enjoy spending time with one another, and the 2 honor that through vacations. “We were in Cancun in March and are probably going to go back to the Caribbean this fall,” she shared. When choosing what form of vacation this CEO desires to have, Miller admits she prefers a calming experience. “The one thing I don’t let myself feel pressured to do is to go on adventure vacations,” she said. “My workdays are so hectic that after I finally take a while for myself, I are not looking for to be traipsing all over.” You may catch her poolside with a cocktail in hand.

Her beauty looks to match her mood.

Miller likes to mess around together with her beauty looks during her off time. “Certainly one of my favorite things about beauty is that you simply don’t must have a set-in-stone routine to enjoy it,” she explained. Sometimes she goes full glam, and a few days she does the bare minimum. “I’ve been putting on lashes every single day these days and really loving it. Other times all I’ll wish to do is throw on a little bit of primer and a few lip balm,” she said. The important thing thing for her is to have a good time with makeup. Miller lets go of the pressure to feel like she must be full glam because she owns a beauty brand. In her content on social media, you’ll see her versatility in her makeup looks. “I attempt to keep in mind that makeup is fun, not fundamental,” she added. 

She prioritizes mentorship.

When she’s not working on Mented Cosmetics, Miller is prepping for next semester as a lecturer at Yale School of Management. She teaches and holds office hours with students about their ventures and networks with other faculty. Miller knew teaching was in the longer term as a student at Harvard Business School. “I at all times wished I had a course just like the one I’m teaching,” she said. “I’m an entrepreneur at heart, so when something doesn’t exist that I feel should, I’m pretty more likely to create it.”

Teaching on this capability is a way Miller gives back. “It’s energizing to me as a founder to seek advice from other upcoming founders. They ask great questions and take into consideration things in latest lights,” she said. Her advice for other entrepreneurs who wish to mentor her suggests starting with a small to see what number of founders you may manage and grow. 

Why is being off the clock necessary?

“Ultimately, we’re all greater than our jobs; we’re our interests, our desires, our passions, our experiences,” Miller said. That’s why she must set boundaries, create a tough 4:30 PM stop for the day and be intentional about spending time together with her family. “I can’t be a complete person at work if I’m not a complete person outside of labor, and at Mented, we deeply imagine in being your whole self,” she added. Miller is intentional about doing what fuels her and makes her whole.