I'm the CEO of a multimillion-dollar cookie company. As a mom of 3, I rely on one key strategy to make my workday as efficient as possible.

Loren Castle.

Sweet Loren's

I'm the CEO of a multimillion-dollar cookie company. As a mom of 3, I rely on one key strategy to make my workday as efficient as possible.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Loren Castle, the 41-year-old CEO of Sweet Loren's cookies, based in Los Angeles. The following has been edited for clarity.I started Sweet Loren's cookies in 2011, five years after I was diagnosed with Stage 2 Hodgkin's lymphoma. The diagnosis came shortly after graduating from college at the age of 22. After overcoming cancer, health and happiness became my top priority.I wanted a career that could help turn this negative experience into a positive one and to start my own business focused on better-for-you indulgence and making joy more accessible. I spent some time working in restaurants and discovered a passion for baking while working at Levain Bakery in New York City.My official idea for Sweet Loren's came about in 2010, and the first product debuted in 2011 at a Whole Foods in NYC. The company became a national brand in 2016, when Kroger and Publix began selling Sweet Loren's products.My team has grown to 35 employees. Here's a day in my life in LA.

I start my day at 6:30 a.m. with my familyBefore I open my email or take work calls, I start each day with my daughters and my son. We usually start the day at 6:30 a.m. so I can be fully present for them.This morning send-off is the most important part of my day. Being there for them before school helps them and me thrive.