Being in the C-suite is a high-pressure job with long hours, board responsibilities, and intense scrutiny. But what is it like to be a top executive when you\u2019re off the clock?<\/p>\n
Fortune\u2019s series, The Good Life<\/a>, shows how up-and-coming leaders spend their time and money outside of work.<\/p>\n Today, we meet Joey Gonzalez the executive chairman and \u201ccofounder\u201d of Barry\u2019s.<\/p>\n \u201cAlthough Barry\u2019s was originally founded by Barry Jay, with help from John Mumford and Rachel Coxton, I am often referred to as a co-founder as I helped scale the business from 2 to 94 units across 16 countries over the past 21 years,\u201d the 47-year-old tells Fortune.<\/p>\n And it all started when, at 26, Gonzalez attended his first Barry\u2019s Bootcamp exercise class in West Hollywood. He recalls quickly falling in love with the brand and becoming \u201cone of its greatest evangelists.\u201d<\/p>\n So much so, that he swiftly quit his pursuit of breaking into the world of entertainment\u2014having performed from the age of 13\u2014to pivot into the fitness world, going from a Barry\u2019s client to one of its instructors.\u00a0<\/p>\n But he wanted more. Gonzalez knew the business had potential to scale, and it took him five years to convince the investors to let him buy in: \u201cI invested every dollar I had and dedicated every minute of my life to scaling the business across multiple markets in an effort to prove its portability,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n At the same time, Gonzalez worked his way up the ranks, from instructor, to manager, to director of operations, to COO. In 2015, 11 years after taking that first class, Gonzalez became Barry\u2019s CEO. In that time, Gonzalez turned Barry\u2019s into a global phenomenon with 94 studios from Wall Street all the way to Dublin and Madrid, with new studios coming to Switzerland, Kuwait, and Greece next.<\/p>\n Now, he\u2019s recently transitioned to executive chairman. But he still does a Barry\u2019s workout when he needs to unwind. And even then, Gonzalez says that striking a good work-life balance can be hit or miss: \u201cMany days I feel like I just have to wake up and choose who I\u2019m going to disappoint.\u201d<\/p>\n The finances<\/p>\n Fortune: <\/strong>What\u2019s been the best investment you\u2019ve ever bought?<\/strong><\/p>\n I started to invest in real estate at 22 years old. I was able to leverage that income-producing property at around 30 to invest my proportionate share in the first few Barry\u2019s studios. Since then, I\u2019ve made several real estate investments, almost all of which have been very successful.<\/p>\n And the worst?<\/strong><\/p>\n I once invested in a restaurant concept of which I was very passionate. (A family-friendly Hollywood hotspot with Jessica Biel, called Au Fudge in 2016.) I believed in the brand and the partnership, but think we were a bit ahead of our time conceptually.\u00a0<\/p>\n If you have children, what does your childcare arrangements look like? And how much does it cost each month?<\/strong><\/p>\n My kids are 8 and 9. We haven\u2019t had a nanny for around 3 years. School is in from 8 a.m. until between 4 and 5 p.m. and one of us always manages to do pick up or drop off. I am surrounded by so many people who help: my partner, my mom, my best friend, and more.<\/p>\n What are your living arrangements like: Swanky apartment in the city or suburban sprawling<\/strong>?<\/p>\n I live in Miami on a west-facing house on the water. No matter how crazy a day may be, watching the sunset over the bay seems to bring the blood pressure down and make everything okay. This home is truly what I have dreamed of all my life.<\/p>\n What\u2019s in your wallet?<\/strong><\/p>\n I never carry cash. Only cards as I use a phone wallet.<\/p>\n What\u2019s the cheapest purchase that\u2019s had the biggest impact on your life?<\/strong><\/p>\n My food scale, which has been a game changer nutrtionally and helps me get in all the grams of protein!<\/p>\n Do you invest in shares?<\/strong><\/p>\n I have a diverse portfolio which is managed by a trusted advisor. But the most exciting opportunities for me are finding entrepreneurs and new brands that are looking for investors\u2014most notably ones where I might be able to lend value.<\/p>\n Most often it\u2019s someone I\u2019m introduced to through my network. I put myself out there often, take a lot of meetings, say yes to as many networking engagements as possible, and proactively ask for introductions. One recent investment is YALA, an incredible Greek yoghurt ice cream concept that is the best ice cream I\u2019ve ever had (and cleaner ingredients).<\/p>\n What personal finance advice would you give your 20-year-old self?<\/strong><\/p>\n Take the big risks.<\/p>\n What\u2019s the one subscription you can\u2019t live without?<\/strong><\/p>\n Eight Sleep changed my life. Although the cost of the system isn\u2019t cheap (they run at around $2-4k), it\u2019s hard to imagine where you could better spend that money if you have it. I broke it down one day and if you have the mattress for 5 years, it\u2019s like spending $2.70\/night for the best sleep of your life. Worth every penny. I\u2019ve finally gotten to a place where I\u2019m able to sleep for 7.5\/8 hours, which improves every other part of my life.<\/p>\n The Necessities\u00a0<\/p>\n How do you get your daily coffee fix?<\/strong><\/p>\n I am not a fancy coffee drinker as I\u2019m perfectly happy with my Starbucks<\/a> Pike Place which I drink both out and brew at home.<\/p>\n What about eating on the go?<\/strong><\/p>\n I mostly make my own lunch and do meal prep each week. People joke that I eat the same thing every day, but I try and switch it up a bit. I\u2019m honestly not a foodie, so being disciplined around what I eat and when isn\u2019t very challenging.<\/p>\n