22 MensHealth.com | December 2016
Styling: Lauren Knudsen; Grooming: Lydia F. Sellers using Baxter of California/Exclusive Artists Management; ERIC B. MORTENSEN(illustration)Men at Work
Reward Passion
When entrepreneurs approach
Cooper for funding, he asks
them where they want to be in
five years. “It gets straight to how
passionate they are about their
business,” he says. He also looks
at the competition. “The idea
can’t just be slightly better...it
has to be exponentially better
than what’s already out there.”
He never forgets to ask why
they want him to invest. “If they
come in saying, ‘I’m passionate
about this and I want a strategic
part ner and advisor,’ they’ll likely
have a great result with me.”
Bookend Your Days
Cooper sets aside a few minutes
at the beginning and end of each
day to use a notebook called
the Five Minute Journal. He’ll
reflect on the past day and set
goals for the future. “It’s a very
simple, powerful grounding and
gratitude practice,” he says. He
always keeps a pen and paper at
his bedside in case he happens
to wake up with an idea. “You
don’t want the stress of having
to remember it.” He also has a
meditation mat next to his bed
to use for 10 minutes before bed
and 20 minutes after waking up.Train for Total Recall
As he crossed the threshold into
his 40s, Cooper worried more
about maintaining his memory.
So he decided to exercise his
brain like a muscle. At night,
he’ll practice a total-recall drill
by going over the day’s details,
being as specific as possible.
He’ll ask himself the name of the
barista that morn ing or the words
on a bill board he passed. He also
uses the app Wunderlist, which
lets users create and share to-do
lists. “I’m crazy about lists, to the
point where my office is covered
with whiteboard paint,” he says.Beat Your Chest
Tony Robbins, the motivational
speaker and entrepreneur and
an old friend of Cooper’s, has
talked about the effect of pos-
ture on confidence and pride.
Cooper has put this philosophy
to use. “I’m especially conscious
of my posture and physical state
when I’m going into a big meet-
ing or presentation,” he says.
“I’ll jump up and down like I’m
on a mini trampoline, do some
air squats, raise my arms above
my head, or just stand there
with my chest out. You can’t go
into a hot situation cold.”
Make Mini-Goals
To hit his targets, Cooper adopts
a tactic called a goal ladder from
an athletic performance special-
ist at Stanford. Basically, you list
one big, audacious goal at the
top of the page. Below that, list
two intermediate goals that lead
toward the big one. Then, write
daily, weekly, or monthly activi-
ties you can do that lead to those.
“It’s a great way to focus your
efforts on where you’re headed,”
Cooper says. He’s using the strat-
egy to launch a health website
targeted to men 40 and older and
to train for a Spartan race.Embrace Adrenaline
Long-term stress—that ongoing
feeling of not having control of
your life—can be debilitating.
But short bursts of stress around
deadlines can be empowering,
Cooper says. You just have to
think of them that way, like a
quarterback who needs to lead
a last-minute drive. It’s not that
he feels no stress; it’s that he
accepts his pounding heart as a
symptom of a high-performance
state. Just remember that we’re
talking about short bursts. If you
have a few hours to meet a big
deadline, take breaks to breathe.Power Up
Craig Cooper
launches his day
with superfoods.Matcha Smoothie
Mix 1 teaspoon
eac h of A i ya M atc ha
Ceremonial Grade
green tea, organic
coconut oil, red palm
oil, and medium-chain
triglyceride (MCT)
oil; 1 serving of Vega
Sport Performance
Protein (chocolate);
1 tablespoon organic
avocado; a handful
of organic blueberries;
a sprinkle each of
turmeric and cayenne;
¼ cup rice milk; and
3 cups filtered water.Avo and Sardines
“My grandmother
used to fix sardines
for me,” Cooper says.
“Their nutrients are
a powerhouse of
men’s health, loaded
with protein, omega-3s
and vitamin B 12 .” He
eats them with Cholula
hot sauce, parsley,
onion, and avocado
on a slice of Dave’s
Killer Bread.STAY ON THE MOVE
“My office is designed
around keeping
me mobile all day.”