Marty Brickey, a consultant and serial entrepreneur based in Orlando, Florida, has formalized a personal rule: he does not take strategy calls before completing his morning ride. The announcement, made public on October 17, 2026, is not a fitness plan but a sequencing rule that Brickey says has shaped his decision-making for years. By sharing it, he aims to encourage other executives to prioritize a grounding activity before engaging in high-stakes business discussions.
Brickey cycles four to five days a week and has long protected that time before any call involving a decision, negotiation, or hire. Informational calls are permitted, but anything requiring a choice is pushed until after the ride. "A decision made at six in the morning, before I've cleared my head, is not the same decision I'd make at nine," he said. "I've tested this enough times to trust it." The rule matters because it challenges the common practice of letting urgent requests dictate the day's order, a habit that can lead to rushed judgments and, as Brickey notes from his own career, significant losses.
The implications extend beyond personal productivity. Brickey's public pledge signals a shift in how leaders might model sustainable performance. By treating exercise as a fixed block rather than a reward for a clear schedule, he argues that the ride is "the reason the schedule works at all." This reframing could influence corporate culture, where constant availability is often prized. If more executives adopt similar sequencing rules, it may normalize boundaries that protect cognitive freshness and ultimately improve decision quality. Brickey also credits long walks, separate from cycling, as a tool for resolving stuck decisions, suggesting that physical movement can be a practical problem-solving strategy.
Brickey's rule is measured by its durability during busy weeks. "Anyone can protect their morning when nothing is happening," he said. "The test is whether you protect it when three people are waiting on you." He expects occasional failures but insists the default must return to the ride, not the phone. This honesty about imperfection makes the practice more relatable and potentially more adoptable. For other founders and executives, the takeaway is not to take up cycling but to put something before the phone—a non-negotiable activity that happens first and remains unmoved. In an era of relentless connectivity, Brickey's announcement underscores the value of deliberate sequencing as a competitive advantage and a path to sustainable leadership.
