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’re off the clock?
Fortune’s series, The Good Life, shows how up-and-coming leaders spend their time and money outside of work.
Today, we meet Dr. Megan Rossi, the 36-year-old award-winning gut health scientist, TV regular, and best-selling author better known as The Gut Health Doctor.
Raised in Cairns, Australia by a single mum, Rossi’s career path was shaped early on by family loss: her grandmother’s battle with bowel cancer during her final year of university in 2009.
“I watched her go through chemotherapy and surgery, feeling frustrated with the gut for what it had done to her,” Rossi recalls to Fortune. “Not long after, I sat in a lecture on the early warning signs of bowel cancer and couldn’t help but wonder if we spoke more openly about gut health, could her story have ended differently? That question has stayed with me ever since.”
The experience pushed her to devote her life to gut health. She got a PhD in probiotics, treated health conditions from heart disease to type 2 diabetes as a clinical dietician and became the Australian Olympic Swimming Team’s nutritionist before moving to London.
Since then, she’s built a portfolio career that spans science, publishing, influencing and entrepreneurship: Rossi leads gut health research at the university King’s College London, runs her private practice, “The Gut Health, co-founded the £20 million ($27 million) food brand Bio&Me—which has sold over 35 million portions of “gut-loving goodness” in U.K. supermarkets—and is known as “The Gut Health Doctor,” on ITV’s This Morning show.
Earlier this year, Rossi launched Smart Strains a new range of clinically targeted live bacteria designed to replace one-size-fits-all probiotics. She faced 11 rejections before getting the product off the ground, but within eight weeks of launch, she says the line sold out in major retailers like Boots. It brings the total number of companies and side gigs in her portfolio to five.
And between running two fast-growing food and supplement brands, leading a team of specialist dietitians, publishing research, and raising two young children, a 20-minute Peloton ride has become her reset button when it all gets too much.
The finances
Fortune: What’s been the best investment you’ve ever bought?
The Peloton. I was reluctant to get one as they’re so expensive, and you have to pay the monthly fee on top of the actual bike. But it’s actually been the best investment because even if I’ve only got 15 minutes, I can do something positive for my health. With two young children and a busy work life, it’s helped remove that barrier to exercise for me.
And the worst?
Probably spending thousands on baby products (including a certain pram, as well as a rocker that shakes the pram and an expensive high chair) that we found we really didn’t need, or that we only used once or twice.
If you have children, what does your childcare arrangements look like?
We’re very lucky as we actually have a nanny to support us, and my husband is able to spend half-a-day a week with the kids as well. One of our sons now goes to nursery too, which definitely helps.
What are your living arrangements like: Swanky apartment in the city or suburban sprawling?
We were living in central London in a flat, but have recently moved to a house on the outskirts. We’re still well-connected to the city, but it’s just game-changing for the kids in terms of having the extra space to play. And for me? I now have a designated office space upstairs. This is a far cry from the small shed in my garden where I used to work—that said, I launched three businesses from that little space, so it will always be sentimental to me.
Do you invest in shares?
No, I haven’t managed to delve into that side of things—but never say never! I do have a financial adviser who advises me when it comes to pensions, but no investing yet. If you’re looking to focus on your finances, my tip would be to get the support of someone who knows what they’re doing and has a good track record!
What personal finance advice would you give your 20-year-old self?
I’ve always been a saver, not a spender. I believe if you focus on career growth, the money will follow. Early on, I chose research over higher-paying industry roles, which shaped my career path and opened the door to entrepreneurship. Don’t chase the short-term money—think about the longer-term financial goals.
What’s the one subscription you can’t live without?
That has to be Pact Coffee. The fresh delivery of coffee has been a complete game-changer. I just love the smell of fresh coffee—it’s one of my ‘morning moments’. From a gut health scientist’s perspective, coffee is high in polyphenols, so I like to think it’s a good investment for our microbiomes too.
The necessities
How do you get your daily coffee fix?
We have a Rocket coffee machine at home, which my husband is obsessed with. You have to buy a separate grinder, but it makes the perfect coffee.
I’m quite strict with my coffee—I just have one a day, and then I switch to decaf, and maybe have two or three of those a day. This is because I’m quite caffeine sensitive, so it stops me from getting those afternoon jitters.
And because I’m treated to such amazing coffee at home, I find it really difficult to get a delicious coffee when I’m out and about. My go-to order would be an Americano with hot oat milk in a takeaway cup so it keeps nice and hot, especially important in the winter months!
Bio&Me
What about eating on the go?
I don’t typically buy breakfast on the go. I’ll usually bring a Bio&Me flapjack oat bar or porridge pot from home, or grab a piece of fruit as I’m running out the door to keep me fuelled.
For lunch, I generally avoid pre-packed sandwiches as I find they contain too much mayonnaise, butter, and additives, so I’ll usually make my own! For example, from Pret, I usually buy a Nicoise salad and a bread roll so I can cram the salad into the roll to get those complex carbs that keep me satiated for longer.
For added diversity, I’ll always try to nip into a supermarket and get some fresh fruit as well. I usually spend around £15 ($20). If you’re trying to feed your microbiome on the go, my advice is, mixing and matching is the way to go!
Where do you buy groceries?
My go-to is Ocado for convenience. I do miss spending hours in the grocery store as that’s one of my favourite pastimes, especially looking at all the new products. But I think when you have young kids and you’re working a lot, it’s not an option, so I go for Ocado.
How often in a week do you dine out versus cook at home?
Again, with having young kids, we maybe go out once a month in London just the two of us, and try to go somewhere new. When it comes to takeaway, though, we do always tend to go for a tried and tested favourite, which is usually a Thai from Busaba. We get that on Deliveroo maybe once a week.
What would be a typical work outfit for you?
I’m terrible at clothes shopping. When I need to look good then I have a stylist who puts outfits together for me. My favourite brands range from Mint Velvet and Reiss, through to LK Bennett and Cos. I’m happy when it gets to summer and I can stop wearing trousers as I prefer dresses. But as I’m an Australian living in the U.K., I often find it too cold!
As my career has progressed, I’m just a little more aware that if I’m on TV then I need to look slightly more professional. Hence the stylist.
Are you the proud owner of any futuristic gadgets?
I’ve tried some of the fitness tracking watches, but I’ve never really got on with them, or found they’ve made my life particularly better in any way. I do think you can over-track. For example, it can make you more stressed if you find you’ve had less sleep (or poorer quality sleep) than you thought. It can make you overanalyse and put extra pressure on yourself.
The treats
How do you unwind from the top job?
The Peloton. When I’m stressed in the evenings, I like to unwind with a 20-minute Peloton session. When you’ve got young kids, you don’t really have much alone time. I haven’t been able to work things like a weekly gym class back into my routine since having kids. Hopefully, when they grow a little older, I’ll go back again, but for now, this has been a game-changer for me.
What’s the best bonus treat you’ve bought yourself?
As a rule of thumb, when I get a bonus, I don’t splurge—I save. I’m future-focused, maybe to a fault. Like many entrepreneurs, I’m always thinking about the next challenge, sometimes worried that pausing to celebrate might make it all unravel!
Take us on holiday with you, what’s next on your vacation list?
We’ve just been to Crete, which we love. We haven’t always been good at taking holidays—my husband’s an NHS doctor and we’ve both been very career-focused to date. But now that the kids are a little bit older, we’re consciously prioritising family time and making those memories. We do one child-free week each year, usually skiing while the grandparents step in, and we visit Australia annually to see my mum. While we used to aim for new destinations with each trip, we now find ourselves returning to favourites like Italy and Crete, drawn back by the amazing food and how family-friendly they are.
How many days annual leave do you take a year?
This is tricky to say, because I do mostly work when I’m away–I’m always on my phone, still joining meetings, so everything keeps ticking over. True annual leave days are very hard when you’re a business owner.
Fortune wants to hear from leaders on what their “Good Life” looks like. Get in touch: orianna.royle@fortune.com
