Few voices in business are as unfiltered—or as deliberately provocative—as Scott Galloway’s. The New York University marketing professor, tech startup veteran, and co-host of several podcasts, including the wildly popular Pivot, has built an enthusiastic following by saying what others won’t: that capitalism is broken, that Big Tech is out of control, that American masculinity is in crisis, and that dick jokes are underrated. In his new book, Notes on Being a Man, Galloway brings that same blunt force to the plight of young men today. It’s part manifesto, part self-help manual, part memoir—and entirely unapologetic about challenging outdated stereotypes while also urging men to get their shit together. Galloway opens up about his approach to health, vices, and why staying relevant means being uncomfortable.
WAKE-UP TIME: Between 9 and 10 a.m.
BREAKFAST: If no one is making it, I eat nothing. If someone is making it, it’s oatmeal or a toasted bagel with cream cheese. My only consistent breakfast is a latte.
VITAMINS and SUPPLEMENTS: I didn’t take a pill until I was 40, and now, I’m a fucking pill hag. I have one of those embarrassing containers with tons of vitamins sorted by the day. I used to get NAD+ infusions, but it became a hassle, so now I take the pills. Quite frankly, I’m not sure they have any impact. The IVs did something, but the pills, I’m not so sure.
SNACK: My nutrition falls apart when I’m on the road. It’s constant caviar and Uber Eats from Chipotle, Balthazar Boulangerie, and Joe and the Juice.
FOOD THOUGHTS: I don’t have an exceptionally healthy relationship with food. I grew up with a single, working mother who was British, so food felt more like punishment than nutrition. If I’m being an even bigger asshole than usual, I’ll realize I haven’t eaten. Eating for me isn’t a passion or something I enjoy a great deal, so unless someone is following me around putting food in front of my face, then I don’t eat.
COCKTAIL: Maker’s and ginger ale with a lime.
WORKOUT: I try to work out almost every day and have for 40 years. It’s my antidepressant and makes me feel better about myself. At home, I have a set of dumbbells, kettlebells, and a yoga mat. In NYC, I sometimes go to Equinox so I can stare at hot people. In London, I have a Tonal, which is kind of built for old people because it tells you exactly what to do and is easy on the joints.
TRACKER: I used to wear one, but it made me more anxious because I was constantly obsessed with my sleep and counting my steps. For me, it makes my health worse.
ENERGY BOOST: It sounds pathetic, but I probably just drink a latte.
PRODUCTIVITY HACK: My superpower is attracting and retaining really talented people. I’m not doing all this shit on my own. I have 25 people working at Prof G Media [Galloway’s media company]. I am personally not that productive, but I have outstanding people around me who make me look exceptionally productive. My productivity hack is other people!
JET-LAG HACK: All the basics like drinking water instead of alcohol on the plane, exercise, and getting outside in the sun, but beyond that, I take edibles to help me sleep. When I get where I’m going, I take a 5mg THC edible to sleep. The key to jet lag is getting reasonable sleep when you’re on the road.
FAVORITE PODCAST BESIDES YOUR OWN: The sad truth is I had never heard of podcasts until I was on one, and I don’t listen to a lot of them. I like The Daily and Sam Harris’s Making Sense.
MENTAL HEALTH: My kids don’t lift my mood, but they take me out of my own head. They can be so demanding and such assholes that it stops me from thinking about myself all the fucking time, which is the key to my mental health.
WORST VICE: I’m addicted to money and making more of it, and that can get in the way of my life. I got very lucky and am economically secure, but I grew up with a lack of money and have had trouble getting off the hamster wheel. When I finish this interview, the first thing I’ll do is check my stocks. I’m also addicted to the affirmation of strangers. I spend too much time thinking and worrying about what people I’ll never meet think of me. Reading comments from strangers takes me away from people who do matter to me.
GUILTY PLEASURE: I love to drink alcohol, and I’m really good at it. I think I’m a better version of me when I’m a little bit fucked up. I like edibles, too. Is that enough?
FAVORITE SPA TREATMENT: I’m a total spa monkey. If I’m in a hotel, I’ll get a facial or a massage. My favorite is a Thai massage.
SKIN CARE: My entire beauty routine is this: Twice a week, I wake up and splash water on my face.
SCENT: I’m not a scent guy.
HOW DO YOU OPTIMIZE YOUR HEALTH? The three legs of the stool are nutrition, sleep, and exercise. I think sleep is non-negotiable. I generally sleep from about 2 a.m. to 9 a.m. every day, but if I’m up at 4 a.m. with insomnia, I cancel my meetings the next morning. My understanding is that if you don’t have good sleep, it doesn’t really matter what you do with nutrition and fitness.
IF YOU COULD CHANGE ANYTHING ABOUT YOUR APPEARANCE, WHAT WOULD IT BE? I like my height, but other than that, I’d change everything.
WHEN DO YOU FEEL THE MOST HANDSOME? When I’m having sex.
ANY PAST STYLE REGRETS: I had a ponytail in grad school. Someone should have stopped that.
LIFE MOTTO: Nothing is ever as good or as bad as it seems.
PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE TO YOUR YOUNGER SELF: Forgive yourself. You’re not going to regret bad things happening to you; you’re going to regret how upset you got and how hard on yourself you were.
WHO INSPIRES OR UPLIFTS YOU? Being around young people makes me hate my life and the world a little less. I work with and teach a lot of young, super-talented people, and get to see how smart, hardworking, and socially conscious they are. It’s inspiring and motivating.
THE BEST THING ABOUT GROWING OLDER: The biggest shift in getting older is that death becomes a real possibility. I’m an atheist, so I believe that at some point I’ll look into my sons’ eyes and know our relationship is coming to an end. It gives me tremendous comfort and courage to be more emotive, to tell people I care about them, to be nicer, to not sweat the little things, and to try and pause, enjoy, and register my blessings. Age has given me a definitive recognition of the finite nature of life.
WHEN ARE YOU HAPPIEST? I struggle with anger and depression, so “happy” isn’t the right word to describe me. I am content when I’m up late, my kids are asleep and know they are loved, my partner knows that she’s noticed, and I’m alone with the dogs. I am content when I feel like a protector and a provider.
Holly Parmelee, formerly an associate publisher at Little, Brown and Company, is an editor and writer at Serendipity magazine
