Like Gen Z, the CEO of GoTo Foods starts his 12-hour workdays ‘meme-hunting’—and he has to hit inbox-zero every night, or else he can’t sleep

Success·chief executive officer (CEO) Gen Z, the CEO of GoTo Foods starts his 12-hour workdays ‘meme-hunting’—and he has to hit inbox-zero every night, or else he can’t sleepBy Emma BurleighBy Emma BurleighReporter, SuccessEmma BurleighReporter, SuccessEmma Burleigh is a reporter at Fortune, covering success, careers, entrepreneurship, and personal finance

Before joining the Success desk, she co-authored Fortune’s CHRO Daily , extensively covering the workplace and the future of jobs

Emma has also written for publications including the Observer and The China ject, publishing long-form stories on culture, entertainment, and geo

Courtesy of GoTo FoodsGen Z often gets flak for starting their days glued to their phones—but GoTo Foods CEO Jim Holthouser similarly begin his 12-hour workdays “meme-hunting” before lifting weights

Many CEOs may swear by morning cold plunges or green juice shots to jump-start their days

But GoTo Foods CEO Jim Holthouser begins his 12-hour workdays with black coffee and reading the news—but also, scouring the internet for jokes to send to his friends, much Gen Z and millennials might. “I do something a little ridiculous but very fun: I go meme-hunting

To get a handle on all his iconic brands, he starts work at 8:30 a.m.—a bit later than the typical Silicon Valley executives, including Apple CEO Tim Cook, setting 5 a.m. alarms

But most leaders, his days are often long, extending into the late hours of the night

To get the energy he needs to lead GoTo Foods, he swears by his morning workouts set to the tune of classic oldies. “I’m pretty religious my daily workouts

Three days a week are cardio, and three are weights,” Holthouser said. “I’m on the Peloton at least once a week

If I’m not listening to coach Leanne Hainsby to get me through an intense session, I’m listening to 70s music.” From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m: Meetings, mentorship and beers Once he gets to the office, Holthouser does a sweep of the floor of his Atlanta headquarters

He explains he tries to remember his employees’ names and hobbies to try and nurture a caring work environment

Then, the meetings come—he checks in with his 10 direct reports each week for an hour each

Holthouser is also keen on making time for those outside of his direct circle, even those who are vying to be mentored by the food mogul. “I also do regular skip-level meetings with brand heads who don’t report to me directly

We’ll grab a beer, lunch, have a casual chat in my office,” Holthouser said. “It’s not metrics; it’s getting to know each other.” “A lot of people here have asked me to mentor them

If someone has the guts to reach out, I’ll almost always say yes

Most of the time, it’s just a monthly lunch

But it’s meaningful for both of us.” Fortune reached out to GoTo Foods for

Holthouser’s day doesn’t end at 5 p.m.—and he can’t sleep until his inbox is Holthouser’s five-to-nine after the “typical workday” ends doesn’t look TV binge-watching or bar hopping with friends

He works late everyday in an effort to “mentor, check in, give recognition, and stay connected”—but also to maintain the right connections to help GoTo Foods succeed. “My day doesn’t end until 8 or 9 at night, often because I have a lot of entertaining and after-hours meetings and activities to do,” Holthouser continued. “We try to stay dialed into the local political scene to develop those kinds of s—you never know when you’re going to need them.” When he finally gets a minute to himself, he catches up with his wife over a glass of wine, and pursues his childhood passion: playing the piano

The CEO said that he started practicing at the age of 6, and was later invited to study at Julliard when he was just 11

His talent helped him pay his way through undergraduate and graduate school, playing at piano bars and nice restaurants

Now, he sits down for 30 minutes each night to play and “decompress”—it’s a daily habit that helps him not think work

But there’s one last thing Holthouser has to check off his agenda to be able to sleep. ex-Shark Tank investor Mark Cuban and Squarespace CEO Anthony Casalena, Holthouser reads all his unread s by his 11 p.m. bedtime

If he doesn’t hit inbox-zero, it’s harder for him to completely relax

The CEO said that answering messages from his more than 2,000 franchises is always his top priority, as “they’re the lifeblood of our company.” “I’m one of those inbox-zero people

If I don’t my before bed, I won’t sleep well,” Holthouser said. “I bably get around 100 s a day, but only 30% of them are truly important.”Introducing the 2025 Fortune 500, the definitive ranking of the biggest companies in America

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