Running Allure and three other jobs

Jessica Cruel, 37, is editor in chief of Allure Magazine while teaching at NYU, writing a book called "Single Happy Female," managing three rental properties, and creating social media content.

Wake up and scroll at 5 a.m.

Cruel wakes early and immediately checks Instagram and the New York Times app to see what people are talking about, then often DMs her team with ideas before they're awake.

Strength training three times weekly

On gym days, she's up by 5:30 a.m. for a 6 a.m. class at Rise Fitness, where she does barbell work like squats, deadlifts, and bench press with a community she's built over three years.

Morning side hustle hours

Before heading to the office, Cruel prepares NYU class materials, films social media content, handles landlord duties, and edits her book manuscript.

Eggs are non-negotiable

For breakfast, she eats one whole egg and egg whites with a carb like English muffin or multigrain toast, sometimes adding turkey bacon or avocado. Without eggs, she snacks all day.

“I need eggs in the morning. I find that if I don't have eggs, it turns bad really quickly.”

Commute is work time

She takes the light rail and PATH train from Newark to Manhattan between 8:30 and 9 a.m., using the time to read her book manuscript or organize her day by email.

Post-it lists keep her sane

She limits her daily to-do list to about five items on two Post-its: one for work tasks, one for side projects. At day's end, she throws them away and moves unfinished items to a fresh Post-it.

“I usually have two Post-its on my desk. One is all the work things I need to do, and one is all the side things I need to do.”

Nonstop decisions drain her

Her day is filled with one-on-one meetings and pitches from founders and executives. Every few seconds someone asks for her opinion, which can derail her day but she enjoys hearing ideas.

“All I do is make decisions. Every five seconds, I hear, 'Jessica, we need your opinion on this.'”

Body language matters more than words

She learned that her team reads her facial expressions and body language closely. Once, sitting with her head in her hands gave staff the impression the magazine was closing when she just had a headache.

Protein-focused meals on repeat

She uses Factor meal delivery for lunch and dinner most days, prioritizing protein like pork tenderloin. She cooks about one meal a week and eats at her desk while working.

Testing beauty products constantly

As part of her job, she tests new products and records results, sometimes filming herself applying lipstick in her bathroom for the website. She's currently loving SK-II Facial Treatment Essence and Danessa Myricks Blush.

Evenings split between teaching and landlording

She heads home around 5:30 p.m. and watches Chinese dramas, but Wednesdays she teaches a master's class at NYU called Managing a Digital Brand from 6:20 to 8:50 p.m. Landlording duties include managing mortgages, expenses, and maintenance across three properties.