Creative direction is one of those jobs that can be difficult to define but instantly recognizable when it's done well. It's all about shaping how a brand looks, feels and connects with people. Josef Adamu has spent his career doing exactly that. After founding the multidisciplinary creative agency Sunday School, the stylish Toronto-born, New York-based storyteller has collaborated with everyone from Nike and Converse to Spotify. Today, as creative director of BEVEL, he's helping guide one of men's grooming's most influential brands into its next chapter through thoughtful design, sharp visuals and authentic storytelling.

“It's been incredibly rewarding to help shape a brand that champions Black men's grooming with intention, and authenticity,” he tells me. “I've had the privilege of leading our brand identity while creating work that resonates deeply because I'm part of the community we're serving.” And his impeccable eye for detail doesn't clock out when the cameras do. Adamu has built his reputation on noticing things—how a room feels, who's missing from a narrative, what a haircut can mean to the person getting it—and that same attentiveness shapes the hours before he ever walks into a shoot. We wanted to know how a man who spends his days directing other people's best angles gets his own morning in order, and he agreed to share his routine.

I’ve always been a morning person.

I grew up playing sports and many of my practices in school started early in the morning. I think that discipline has stayed with me, which is why I rarely sleep past 8:30 or 9:00 a.m. Most days, I'm up by 6:30 or 7 a.m., and I find that's the best time to get ahead, be productive, before the rest of the day begins.

I try to be consistent with sleep.

But, it really varies as some days I have a heavy workload and find myself exhausted by 10 p.m., while other nights I'm up late watching basketball, or a TV show that has my attention, which can keep me awake until like two in the morning.

Personally, I’ve never really depended on alarms.

Unless I have to wake up abnormally early for a flight, which can be common in my line of work. Thankfully, my body does a fairly good job keeping up with my sleeping pattern on a daily basis.

There’s not much on my night stand.

It's really basic—no creative direction there. Currently, it's just some jewelry, my prescription glasses, a remote and my phone.

I wish I made my bed everyday.

It really depends on my energy in the morning. When I'm feeling optimistic and I've got some time before heading out, I definitely do. But, there are also instances where I roll out of bed and regret it later in the day. Unfortunately, this happens often.

When I pick up my phone ...

I check my texts first. I often wake up to a few missed messages from friends or family because I didn't finish conversations before unexpectedly falling asleep. On especially demanding days, I slip straight into exhaustion mode the moment I close my laptop.