A Day within the Lifetime of Her First $100K CEO Tori Dunlap

This as-told-to essay relies on a dialog with Tori Dunlap, the 31-year-old founder and CEO of Her First $100K, a monetary training firm geared towards Gen Z and millennial girls. She’s additionally an creator and podcast host primarily based in Seattle.

Dunlap saved and invested $100,000 by the point she was 25 years previous, which turned the origin story of her firm. She credited her means to avoid wasting such a big sum at a younger age to a mix of privilege and onerous work, and graduating debt-free because of her school fund from her mother and father and the three jobs she labored whereas in class.

In June 2025, she spoke with Enterprise Insider about why she selected to lease, quite than purchase, her residence, regardless of being a millionaire. On the time, renting match her season of life resulting from its flexibility, comfort, and decrease prices, however she mentioned she did not assume she’d do it without end. She has since bought her own residence.

Dunlap additionally beforehand shared about how she and her companion navigate funds of their relationship, given their distinction in earnings. Dunlap’s companion earned $60,000 in 2024, working a number of jobs inside the athletics and training house, in addition to facet gigs corresponding to dog-sitting and personal coaching.

The next has been edited for size and readability.

I based Her First $100K once I was 25 to struggle monetary inequality by giving girls actionable assets to raised their cash.

I did not construct a enterprise to work so onerous that I burn myself out. That is why I left a 9-to-5 job. I constructed an organization tradition the place we do actually essential work, however we are saying on a regular basis, “We’re not curing most cancers.”

Here is what a workday in my life is like.

My day normally begins round 7:30 a.m.

I am not up at 5 a.m. ingesting my lemon water as a result of I like my sleep. I am not a espresso drinker, so if I do not get at the least eight hours of sleep, I am a bit grumpy.

If I’ve to be up early for a flight, a podcast, or a press interview, that is going to impression my wakeup time, but when I’ve management of my schedule that day, I am normally up about 7:30 a.m.

As quickly as I get off the bed, I test my cellphone. I do know I should not be doing so, and I do not love that I do, however I do. I test emails and Slack, our social content material’s efficiency, and my texts from pals.

Then I do what my good friend Liz Moody talks about as a “circ stroll” — a circadian stroll. The concept is that if you may get daylight in your eyes as quickly as doable after waking up, your digestion improves, you’re feeling extra awake all through the day, and your metabolism’s higher. Truthfully, it simply makes me really feel actually good.

I purchased a house near the water, so I stroll to the seashore. Typically, the stroll is barely 10 minutes. Different occasions, it is a half hour.

For breakfast, I normally break up a berry chocolate protein smoothie with my companion. I have been ingesting a model of that since 2016. He normally makes that whereas I am doing chores round the home or getting ready for calls.

I normally begin work round 9 a.m.

I all the time discover mornings to be most efficient for me. I might need conferences with my group, be getting on a flight to talk someplace, or simply be answering emails.

Thursdays sometimes are our recording days. I file my very own podcast, after which I could go on another person’s present.

My firm is absolutely distant. These of us who stay in Seattle attempt to see one another and work collectively a few times a month. It is good to assemble in particular person, however since now we have individuals throughout, we additionally supply digital coworking on Zoom. That is a method we sustain our firm tradition, though we’re distant.

Lunch is a pleasant break for me

I normally prepare dinner lunch myself, or I’ve leftovers from the evening earlier than. Typically my COO comes over to cowork with me, and we would order lunch.

I actually attempt to not eat whereas working. It is a good break, and I attempt to take at the least half an hour.

I am going to normally watch a TV present, corresponding to on Meals Community or the Strive Guys. I dream of being a visitor choose on the Meals Community, so I am learning up. I’ve labored with the Strive Guys earlier than; I politely bullied them till they let me in, which is how I’ve gotten each alternative in my enterprise — simply politely asking till they are saying sure.

I do issues round the home throughout breaks

Within the afternoons, I typically have extra conferences and interviews. I additionally attempt to sneak in my precise work in between these — creating content material, being the general public face of the corporate, engaged on my subsequent ebook proposal, and CEO work of huge imaginative and prescient planning, desirous about our technique, and testing sure issues.

If I’ve breaks between duties, I normally attempt to get one thing completed round the home. I am going to throw in a load of laundry or tidy up. I’ve a home cleansing service come twice a month, and actually, I am going to most likely transfer to as soon as per week as a result of it is very nice and frees up my time.

Taking time in the course of the workday is one thing that we have constructed into our work and absolutely approve of and help via our firm insurance policies. We’re a group of all girls — six full-time staff and 9 contractors. Folks have lives outdoors work.

Our full-time staff have already got limitless PTO, but when somebody must take the afternoon or a half hour off, they’ll accomplish that while not having approval.

We even have menstruation depart at Her First $100K. As a menstruating founder, I lose at the least 5 days a month to feeling gross, plus one other few days in the course of the luteal part, throughout which I really feel like an insane particular person. Males do not should take care of these items.

We even have quarterly weeks off for our staff throughout which they’re paid, however all the firm pauses.

My workday sometimes ends round 5 p.m.

If it is a typical day, I am off at 5 p.m. and I will not contact my laptop computer once more. If I get an concept or a spark, I am going to typically open my laptop computer after dinner or at 10 p.m., as a result of I genuinely take pleasure in engaged on my enterprise, however I do not anticipate this of any of my different group members.

After work, I am going to sometimes both prepare dinner dinner, meet pals, or exit for date evening. If I am having dinner at residence with my companion, our go-to possibility is splitting a salad equipment and including hen as a result of it is wholesome and fast.

Often, after dinner — and I am going to typically do it within the morning, too — I do barre. It is my exercise of alternative, and I attempt to do it 3 times per week.

I used to assume that understanding was about getting as skinny as doable. One of many issues I like about barre is that you just present up, make modifications, do the workout routines which are best for you, and get as robust as you possibly can. It actually positively affected my relationship with health and with my physique, and I feel it has 100% affected the best way I present up as a enterprise proprietor.

I learn and journal earlier than mattress

My companion and I would watch an episode or two of our present — proper now, we’re watching Cash Heist — or do some studying. I am a giant reader, and so is he. Once I do not learn, I do not really feel nearly as good. At the moment, I am studying “Wild Darkish Shore,” a novel. I observe each ebook that I learn.

I learn a wide range of genres, together with fairy smut fantasy, homicide thriller thrillers, and normal literary fiction. I learn little or no nonfiction as a result of my whole life is a nonfiction ebook, and books are my escape.

I attempt to journal each single evening, and I’ve completed so nearly each evening for the final 5 – 6 years. The journal has been an enormous a part of serving to me develop into one of the best particular person I may be and course of my ideas.

I attempt to be in mattress with the lights out at 10:30 p.m., however normally that finally ends up being 11.