Cathy Engelbert has never had a cup of coffee.
The 59-year-old commissioner of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) doesn’t rely on caffeine to get her through an often action-packed day–like the WNBA playoffs happening right now. But long days and packed schedules aren’t new to Engelbert, who served as the U.S. CEO of Deloitte for four years of her 33-year career at the firm, where she held the title of the first-ever female CEO of a Big Four consulting firm.
“I was blessed to have had a long career there, which actually has really benefited me coming into the WNBA and the transformation that we're affecting,” Engelbert said in an interview with Fortune.
Engelbert’s father, Kurt, was drafted into the NBA in 1957— and now, Engelbert oversees a league taking off with fans in part thanks to star rookies like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese.
Throughout her time at Deloitte—and the WNBA since 2019—Engelbert has held a firm opinion about the concept of work-life balance, which she refers to as “work-life integration.”
“I think one reason I’ve positioned myself for the leadership roles I’ve gotten is because people have observed that I’ve been able to strike a pretty good balance,” she said.
Engelbert encourages business leaders to raise their hands and advocate for the kind of balance they need.
“I try to counsel young people who sometimes feel shy about asking for that balance,” she said. “But I always tell them, no one's thinking about your career as much as you are.”
In an interview with Fortune, Engelbert described her daily routine, which kicks off with a commute into the heart of New York City.
No phone, family first, and a quick breakfast
7 a.m.: Engelbert typically wakes up around this time, but insists “no one day is the same.” Notably, she says she doesn’t like her first moments of the day to be occupied by looking at a screen.
“A lot of people say look at their phone. I try to have that not be the first thing I do in the morning,” she says.
Engelbert prioritizes spending time with her two children before beginning her commute from northern New Jersey into New York City. More recently, she’s been accompanied by her son, who joined the workforce last year.
Engelbert says she used to be a “breakfast person,” but now enjoys a protein bar instead.
“I just have a protein bar and a banana in the morning, then have a big lunch. I have a lot of lunches and dinners in this role,” she says.
8:30 a.m.: Engelbert arrives at the office, often a bit earlier than her colleagues. After spending the majority of her career in the corporate world, Engelbert says she had to adjust when she entered the sports industry.
“You got in really early when you were in the corporate world, you were trying to beat the traffic that commute and you had meetings, sports, because there's so many games and so many things that night and weekends,” Engelbert said.
“My first day, I got in at 7:30, but no one else arrived until about nine,” she said. “Now I aim to get in around 8:30 or 9.”
12 p.m.: Engelbert adheres to a time-saving regime she refers to as “SMORE,” an acronym for "small moments of recovery." She adds these to her calendar, seeing lunch as a networking opportunity or a chance to take a break and get outside.
“Usually over the lunch hour, I need to get out. If I’m working from home, I go for a walk and then have lunch when I get back,” she said.
Engelbert believes in always having a “good lunch.”
“After lunch, my afternoons are usually filled with meetings with my team on emerging issues, planning for tentpole events like our All-Star Game or Commissioner’s Cup Championship.”
6 p.m.: The WNBA season runs from May through October, meaning that one of Engelbert’s main duties includes watching the games.
“The interesting thing about sports, after 30-plus years in the corporate world, is you work nights and weekends because all your games are nights and weekends,” she said.
11 p.m.: Even after a long game day, Englebert doesn’t forget to unwind before bed.
The commissioner prefers to disconnect from devices and watch a comfort show.
“I'm usually watching some business show when I first get home, then sports,” Englebert said.
“At the very end of the night, I turn on Friends. It's just one of these fun things that I watch on Nickelodeon at 11 o'clock at night …And then I set the sleep timer on my TV, and whether I'm on the road in a hotel or at home, that's what I do.”
