I'm the CEO of The Ironman Group. I start my days training to climb mountains and end them with 'Schitt's Creek' episodes

• Scott DeRue is the CEO of The Ironman Group.
• The Ironman Group is the largest operator of participation sports, including the Ironman race.
• DeRue shared his daily routine, which includes fitness training and binging "Schitt's Creek."

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Scott DeRue, CEO of The Ironman Group. The Ironman Group is the largest operator of global participation sports events, including the Ironman Triathlon Series, City2Surf, and the Epic Series mountain bike races. This story has been edited for length and clarity.

I've had a pretty eclectic path, but there's a singular throughline of purpose that runs through it. I love creating experiences that transform people's lives for the better.

I went into private equity, investment banking, and consulting after college. I developed a passion for the role business can play in society. Education, though, changed my life, so I took a big step back and said, "If I want to live a life of purpose, how might I do that?"

A business school professor sounded like a pretty big gig. I joined the University of Michigan's faculty in 2007. Ultimately, I was on faculty for 14 years and served as dean of the business school at Michigan.

During that time, I joined the Equinox board as one of three independent directors. I fell in love with the brand, the team, the community, and really saw a sense of purpose behind it. It's really about unlocking and maximizing people's potential in life through health and fitness.

When the pandemic happened, the board asked if I would join full-time and serve as president. We did a lot of great work, and I'm really proud of the team and what we built there. Then, Ironman called and asked if I would serve as CEO. We get to make people's dreams come true, so it's the same purpose, just a different vehicle.

We're headquartered in Tampa, Florida, but my wife and I also have a place in Park City, Utah.

I wake up between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m.

I care deeply about my sleep, so I aim for about 8 hours a night and wake up between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. We're a global business, so some mornings I need to start early because we have teams in different time zones.

Depending on the day, I'll either train in the morning or in the evening.

For the last 17 years — usually once a year — I would climb a really big mountain. If I'm training for a mountain, it's a lot of running and lifting weights. I typically live in flat areas except for Utah, so I spend a lot of time on the StairMaster with my weighted pack. Last year, I finally finished the Seven Summits Quest, which is climbing the tallest mountain on each continent.

If I'm training for a trail run in the mountains, I try to get out there as much as possible. If I'm in Florida, I just run long distances. If I'm training for a triathlon, then it's swim, bike, and run.

I usually sit down every weekend and map out when I want to train vis-à-vis my work schedule that week.

I usually have a Kashi cereal, a yogurt, and some fruit for breakfast. I'm not a big caffeine guy. I love the smell, don't like the taste.

I arrive at work around 7:30 a.m. and take time to map out my day

I'm usually at the office by 7:30 in the morning. I tend to drive when I'm in Tampa since it's more of a commuter city. In Park City, I keep a small office I can either drive to or walk to.

Sometimes an early morning meeting is inevitable, but I like to sit down for about an hour to map out the two or three things I need to achieve to make it a great day. There's going to be a lot that happens during the day, but for me, I try to be very intentional.

If you jump into every urgent matter, you'll never actually focus on what's important, and your team will come to expect you to engage in every matter.

That's not healthy for me in my role or for them. In many, if not most, cases, they're better equipped to handle that matter than I am because I don't have the experience in the specific domain. My job is to create an environment and empower them to be successful.

I sometimes have untraditional morning meetings

I have a lot of meetings during the day.

It really depends on the day, and the stakeholders are varied, but they're not always your traditional meetings. This week, we're at the Iron Man World Championship in Hawaii.

We organized a run for some of the partners, spouses, and coaches of some of our professional athletes this morning. Basically, a group of friends got together and went for a run. That's not a traditional meeting, but I learned a lot and gathered some good feedback on what we're doing well, so we can keep doing more of that and identify where we can continue to improve.

My favorite lunch spot is in Utah

Typically, I have a sandwich for lunch — nothing too fancy. My favorite sandwich in the world is the Crazy Chicken at the Clockwork Cafe in Park City, Utah.

If I'm training for something specific, I'll supplement my diet with a smoothie and other supplements to get additional nutrients.

Surprises can happen throughout the day

We're in the live events business. There's always a surprise, and that surprise can come in many different forms. You come to expect the unexpected.

But we have an incredible team with tremendous experience.

I have a lot of trust in our team because they're the best in the business and can adapt to address issues that come up. Frankly, I don't get thrown off balance that much because our team is so talented, committed, and capable of handling matters as they come up.

I typically go home around 7 p.m.

Usually, I'll leave around 7 p.m. if it's a day in the office. If it's an event day, we can start at 4 a.m. and go to bed around 2 a.m. the next day.

For dinner, my wife and I love to cook out, and fortunately, we live in places where we can do so for most of the year. Typically, some good chicken, rice, and vegetables on the grill is always a good one for us.

If I'm training that evening, I'll run, and my wife will ride her bike next to me. That's our quality time. We also have two chocolate labs, so we'll play with them in the backyard or take them for a walk.

Later, we'll watch television. We've got a few shows that we like together, typically in the realm of comedy. One of our favorite shows we binged together was "Schitt's Creek." I had never actually watched "Friends," which mortified my wife, so we binged that for a while. We like shows that bring a smile to our faces and give us a little bit of humor to end the day.

We're usually in bed by 9:30 p.m. or so. I'm asleep by 10.