Brad Smith knows karate.
Not business karate or any overwrought metaphor about teamwork; he literally teaches karate.
Or at least he used to before he became chairman and CEO of Intuit.
(I speak from personal experience, as Im definitely bad with money and taxes.
Using TurboTax feels like playing a soothing video game.)
They also own the popular personal finance appMint, and were the original developers of Quicken.
Nothing is without controversy, though;Intuit has been criticized for lobbying against making filing your taxes easier.
But lets get back to the karate.
Brad Smith has been with the company since 2003 and has served as CEO since 2008.
Heres how he works.
I was born and raised in Kenova, West Virginia, population 3,500 if you round up!
From an early age, the community played a key role in my life.
After graduating college my dad advised me to always pursue what makes your heart beat the fastest.
This led me into people management and my first job at Pepsi.
I went on to work at ADVO and ADP before joining Intuit in 2003.
I held various roles within the company before becoming CEO in 2008, and chairman in 2016.
What apps, software, or tools cant you live without?
Time is our most precious and limited resource, therefore managing my time is my most important priority.
Whats your workspace setup like?
Coffee shop with laptop and headphones?
Home office with a standing desk?
Family and fighting for causes greater than oneself have always inspired me!
Whats your best time-saving shortcut or life hack?
The tip is simply-stated, but requires real commitment: never touch something more than once.
For example, my email inbox is cleared every day, despite receiving several hundred emails that require action.
It is not managed or sorted by an assistant.
Instead, I practice the principle of read, act, file, or delete.
Whats your favorite to-do list manager?
Call me old school, but Im a pen and paper kind of guy!
If I write something down I wont forget it.
Besides your phone and computer, what gadget cant you live without and why?
Google Home, because it has the power of Google search at voice command.
What everyday thing are you better at than everyone else?
Im not sure I am better than everyone else at anything, but I do write poetry.
My wife and my two daughters each have poems that Ive written for them framed on their walls.
Each of my daughters poems were written the night of their birth.
What do you listen to while you work?
Got a favorite playlist?
Or do you prefer silence?
Lyrics matter most to me, so good songwriters are a plus!
What are you currently reading?
Or whats something youd recommend?
Id highly recommend a book I recently read calledGrit: The Power of Passion and Perseveranceby Angela Duckworth.
This book makes all of us underdogs feel like were just as capable as anybody else.
How do you recharge?
What do you do when you want to forget about work?
Spending time with my wife and daughters is my favorite way to recharge.
I also love to go to the movie theater.
Whats your sleep routine like?
Are you a night owl or early-riser?
I work out every morning, I do P90X and I watch[CNBCs] Opening Bell.
Im in bed about 9 p.m. Thats the program!
Whats the best advice youve ever received?
With this in mind, I have always been drawn to work in organizations where the bar is high.
As for paying my bills, Dad was always someone who fulfilled the promises he made.
For him, bills were a promise of payment.
So he closed by saying but always attempt to make enough to pay your bills!
This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.
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