Tyler Deeb isn’t afraid of hard work. He sweats the details. You have to in his line of work. He's a designer and creative director, but he's also a business owner and dedicated family man. That is to say, the guy wears a lot of hats. Thankfully, he's really into hats these days. You likely know Deeb's brand, Misc. Goods Co., from a deck of handsome playing cards which launched the company with a wildly successful Kickstarter campaign. Since then, Misc. Goods has grown into a lifestyle collection of personal products—from ceramic flasks and leather wallets to fragrances and deodorants. What they all have in common is that they're made with integrity and are all incredibly good looking.

Now, with a solid set of products, they're focusing on growing the business to get those products into the hands of more people. But it's not easy. “I built this business from an interest to design,” he says. “Revenue was never a primary interest. I was just focused on building products and a company culture—but now I get to design in different ways.” And he's never been one to shy away from a challenge. A few years ago, when giving a talk at CreativeMornings, he came up with what's now become a personal mantra: “Don't chase the glory, work hard and be satisfied.” I wanted to learn more from this hardworking creative, so I caught up with him one morning recently to find out how he starts his day.

I’m not the most disciplined morning-person right now.

I wish I was. Between having five kids and running a business I find it difficult to add any additional challengers to my plate ... like an early morning. So I usually take what comes to me, and lately that's been extra sleep. But I do have a desire to get back to long, quiet mornings.

On the upside, that means I get more sleep.

I'm usually averaging a solid eight to nine hours. And that makes a big difference in my overall day.

I very rarely use an alarm.

Honestly, I don't need one because surely, one of my children will be up too early. If I do have to set an alarm, I get up when it buzzes—I won't hit snooze.

My kids make the morning more interesting.

My nine year old son Win is usually the first person I talk to. There aren't many sure things in this world, but him being awake before me is a sure thing.

I have been making the bed more lately.

I've found that it really does affect my mood. But I usually don't do it until I get back from work.

I try to mentally prepare for the day.

Again, I'm currently not very disciplined in the morning. But I will be again someday and when I am, I've always enjoyed getting up early, making a cup of coffee and sitting down with a book or two.

Reading in the morning is a great way for me to disconnect.

I'll start with my Bible, followed up with reading another book of theology. The text really pulls me away from myself and my tasks and re-orients me towards a more holistic living.