Trick for staying focused : “ I don ’ t watch commercial news ,” says Broome , meaning no CNN , FOX or local news . He primarily stays abreast of local and business trends through his team ’ s research and analysis — not from typical news outlets . |
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Meetings Commute Family Sleep Eat Exercise Downtime Work
Errands - 0 hours
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To-do list system : “ I still , tragically , use a binder with paper and a pen ,” he says , as “ my digital skills are laughable by modern standards .” |
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6-6.5 hours |
The one activity that ’ s vital to his day : “ Making sure my team feels supported , motivated and inspired .” |
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one-hour presentations every week ( he targets 750 per year ) on why Sacramento is a good home for business . Part of his pitch : “ California is the most productive and profitable economy in the U . S . It ’ s a difficult market to get into because of the regulations … but you ’ re still going to be in the most powerful economy in America , and pound for pound , the most powerful economy in the world .”
10AM - More meetings ! When Amazon searched for a second headquarters in 2017 , Amazon hired “ site selection consultants .” That firm had 200 other clients , so Broome targeted those consultants . Sacramento didn ’ t get Amazon , but Broome and his team lured HCL Technologies ( and its 663 new jobs over four years ) to Sacramento .
12PM - Normally lunch at his desk , but today he breaks bread with a business owner who ’ s considering Sacramento as its headquarters . GSEC is actively speaking with 290 companies who are mulling a move , and Broome prioritizes a shortlist of 15-20 “ ready to close ” firms that are finalizing their decision . They get extra attention .
1PM - More meetings , and they ’ re usually “ back-to-back-to-back .” Some of these are what Broome calls “ front door presentations ” and introductions to the Capital Region . “ We do presentations on gut technology at UC Davis . We do presentations on milk technology at UC Davis . We do presentations on the engineering programs at Sac State .”
3PM - More meetings , more pitches . “ Monday through Thursday is a blur ,” but on Friday , Broome does the actual work and analysis of pulling these presentations together .
6PM - Leaves the office , and most nights heads to a networking social activity ( like a dinner or reception ), as “ personal relationships are really important in Sacramento .” The pandemic slowed this down . “ It was depressing ,” he says . “ I didn ’ t realize that that was an important part of my psychological energy .”
8PM - Broome ’ s wind-down routine includes “ mindfulness training ,” which can be as simple as sitting on the porch of his Midtown home for 30 minutes while breathing deeply , glass of wine in hand .
8:30PM - Relaxes with his wife , Beth , and their dog . ( His three children are grown and no longer live at home .) Maybe some reading . He devours at least one book a week , often with an economic or regulation bent , such as Jan van Dijk ’ s textbook “ The Digital Divide ” about how to address inequal access to internet technology . Or he ’ ll watch some TV , like documentaries or “ Ted Lasso ” and “ 30 Rock .”
11:30PM - Sleep . “ I ’ m not a big sleeper ,” says Broome , who targets six hours of shut-eye each night .
Jeff Wilser is the author of seven books , most recently “ Becoming a Firefighter ,” from Simon & Schuster ’ s Masters at Work series . On Twitter @ jeffwilser .
Each issue , we dig into the working habits of a top executive in the Capital Region , providing insight into how they get things done .
January 2022 | comstocksmag . com 31