Month: February 2026

Waking up early is not just a trend—for many millionaire CEOs, it’s a deliberate strategy that allows them to start the day with clarity, energy, and focus. From Jeff Bezos to Tim Cook, these leaders use the early morning hours to plan, take care of their bodies, and prepare their minds before facing the intensity of the business world.

In this article, we analyze what CEOs do before 6 a.m., why it works, and how you can apply these practices in your professional and personal life.

Waking Up Before Dawn

A common trait among many successful individuals is waking up at dawn. According to an article by Preferred CFO, around 80% of surveyed CEOs reported waking up at 5:30 a.m. or earlier; none started their day after 6:00 a.m.

Notable examples include:

• Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, wakes up at 3:45 a.m. to answer emails and work out.
• Richard Branson starts his day at 5:30 a.m., combining exercise and planning.
• Howard Schultz, former CEO of Starbucks, wakes up at 4:30 a.m. to enjoy personal time before work.

This early start is no coincidence: it provides calm, silence, and uninterrupted time, allowing leaders to think clearly and begin the day with a competitive advantage over those still asleep.

Different Ways to Start the Day

Before 6 a.m., many CEOs prioritize activating both body and mind:

• Physical exercise: running, yoga, stretching, or gym sessions to clear the mind and boost energy.
• Meditation and breathing exercises: help reduce stress and maintain focus throughout the day.
• Journaling or reading: moments to reflect, plan goals, and maintain mental clarity.
• Hydration and a healthy breakfast: taking care of the body early supports performance and productivity.

The Benefits of Waking Up Early

Getting up early isn’t just about feeling productive—it has proven benefits for both body and mind:

• Competitive advantage: while others sleep, you can make progress on key tasks or plan your day.
• Mental clarity: the combination of exercise and meditation improves concentration and reduces stress.
• Emotional well-being: morning exercise increases the release of hormones such as oxytocin, creating a sense of happiness and positivity from the start of the day.
• Organization and discipline: following a morning routine helps structure time and prioritize important tasks.

Not All CEOs Wake Up Early

Although waking up early is a trend, not all CEOs follow this routine:

• Jeff Bezos wakes up around 6:30 a.m., spending time having breakfast with his family and preparing for the day.
• Mark Zuckerberg starts his day later, first checking his digital platforms: Facebook, Messenger, and WhatsApp.

This shows that success doesn’t depend solely on wake-up time, but on finding a rhythm that works for each person while prioritizing energy, mental clarity, and strategic planning.

And in Spain?

In Spain, there are fewer studies on CEOs’ morning routines, but the trend of waking up early has become popular through books, podcasts, and articles on productivity and leadership. The key is time management: maintaining focus, energy, and organization from early hours requires discipline—especially when working long days or dealing with constant change.

The Philosophy Behind Waking Up Early: Leadership and Self-Management

Waking up before 6 a.m. is not just about discipline—it’s a philosophy of self-management. It means:

• Prioritizing physical and mental well-being.
• Creating space to think clearly before the chaos of the day.
• Planning strategies, goals, and important decisions without distractions.
• Making time for yourself, your family, or activities that enhance well-being and creativity.

At ENEB, we teach how these habits can be incorporated into professional and personal life to improve productivity, leadership, and strategic decision-making.

Conclusion

The secret of many millionaire CEOs is not just talent or experience—it’s how they manage their time and energy from the very start of the day. Waking up before 6 a.m. provides a unique opportunity to plan, care for your health, and start the day with focus and clarity.

Although not all leaders follow the same routine, the lesson is clear: prioritizing personal time and structuring your day strategically makes the difference between reacting to the day and leading it.

If you want to learn more about leadership and productivity habits, our training programs at ENEB provide the tools to implement these strategies and boost your professional career.

Polaroid is a name that evokes nostalgia, innovation, and instant photography. For decades, the brand was synonymous with instant images and creativity. However, when the digital world and new generations emerged, Polaroid failed to adapt or monetize its technological advantage, leaving room for platforms like Instagram to revolutionize the way we share photos.

In this article, we analyze how Polaroid missed its opportunity, the mistakes it made, and the lessons that any marketing and branding professional can learn to avoid falling into the same trap.

The Rise of Polaroid and Its Competitive Advantage

During the second half of the 20th century, Polaroid was synonymous with instant innovation. Invented by Edwin Land, its instant camera allowed users to take and develop photos in a matter of seconds—something revolutionary at the time. The brand managed to:

• Create a unique and memorable product that combined technology with emotional experience.
• Build a loyal community: users loved the ease and fun of printing their memories instantly.
• Strengthen its branding: the brand didn’t just sell cameras; it sold experiences and emotions.

For a time, it seemed that Polaroid had a natural monopoly on instant photography, with a competitive advantage that placed it far ahead of any competitor.

The Critical Mistake: Not Understanding Millennials

With the arrival of digital photography and the rise of social media, Polaroid made a key mistake: it failed to adapt to generational changes and new consumption habits.

• Resistance to technological change: the company relied too heavily on its classic business model and the sale of instant film.
• Lack of a digital strategy: while Instagram and other platforms offered shareable experiences, Polaroid did not develop a digital ecosystem that connected with millennials.
• Disconnection from new consumers: nostalgia was not enough; young people were looking for immediacy, creativity, and digital socialization.

As a result, Polaroid lost relevance and market share, while more agile companies took advantage of the gap the brand left open.

Reinvention Attempts and Lessons Learned

In recent years, Polaroid has tried to reinvent itself by launching hybrid cameras and collaborations with modern brands. However, these efforts came too late and in a fragmented way, limiting their impact.

Lessons for Branding and Business Strategy

1. Never underestimate generational changes: what worked for one generation does not guarantee success with the next.
2. Innovate before the market forces you to: Polaroid had the technological advantage but failed to capitalize on it in the digital era.
3. A culture of constant adaptation: iconic brands must maintain strategic flexibility to evolve without losing their essence.
4. User experience and community: Polaroid did this well at the beginning, but Instagram understood how to turn interaction into virality and monetization.

For professionals who want to learn how to reinvent brands and apply effective branding strategies, ENEB programs teach how to combine innovation, marketing, and brand management to avoid repeating historical mistakes.

A Practical Approach: How Not to Repeat Polaroid’s Story

If you want your brand to survive and grow:

• Observe changes in customer behavior and society as a whole.
• Integrate technology and creativity to generate memorable experiences.
• Plan monetization from a digital perspective: nostalgia alone is not enough; value must be converted into revenue.
• Maintain a constant innovation plan, reviewing products, marketing, and communication channels.

Polaroid proves that even iconic brands can lose relevance if they fail to adapt to their environment.

Conclusion

The Polaroid case is a historical lesson in branding, innovation, and generational adaptation. The brand had every advantage to dominate the digital market, but a lack of vision and modern strategy allowed others, such as Instagram, to take advantage of the void it left behind. If you want to learn about more companies that were once successful but later failed, we encourage you to explore the BlackBerry case.

At ENEB, our training programs teach how to analyze markets, lead innovation, and reinvent brands so that professionals can apply these lessons to their own projects or businesses.Learning from past mistakes can be the difference between disappearing and becoming a benchmark of the future.