Based in Cincinnati, Ohio, Gladys Fischer is the owner and operator of planetpetsupply.com, an online pet store she started to meet a range of pet owner needs. A lifelong animal lover, Gladys Fischer has developed the online portal to provide pet owners with access to a variety of toys, pet accessories, and clothing.
Ms. Fischer balances her leadership responsibilities at planetpetsupply.com with her role as an account assistant at Industrias Quimicas Fischer SRL in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Her duties at the laundry bar soap manufacturer include inventory management, creating reports for raw material purchases and sales, and monitoring the registries.
Gladys Fischer holds a criminal justice degree from Northern Kentucky University. She also studied political science at the university. She has worked for several Cincinnati law firms as a legal assistant and paralegal, drafting legal documents, requesting medical and police reports, and delivering important documents to the courthouse. She also used her fluency in Spanish to provide attorneys with translation services.
What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?
A typical day in my life begins with getting up, making celery juice, followed by a smoothie and maybe some yogurt, then going to the gym or yoga, and then beginning to work. I wake up early, around 5-6 am to maximize the amount of hours I have and to ensure productivity.
How do you bring ideas to life?
Usually ideas just come to me, and then I will put them into action little by little and see where it goes.
What’s one trend that excites you?
A trend that excites me is juicing. It is a great way to cleanse the body.
What is one habit that helps you be productive?
Waking up early to get as many hours as I can out of the day.
What advice would you give your younger self?
To focus more on work instead of having fun.
Tell us something you believe almost nobody agrees with you on?
I believe a plant-based diet is the healthiest option.
What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?
Juicing in the morning.
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?
I go to the gym or do yoga and hope I can work it off.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?
Following advice from people who are older than me. They are wiser and can give me advice from their experience and failures.
What is one failure in your career, how did you overcome it, and what lessons did you take away from it?
Not using time as efficiently as I could have and missing out on opportunities because of it. I overcame it by accepting the losses that I had. I learned to wake up early and to make the most of my time every day.
What is one piece of software that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
I continuously use Excel to document sales and information about merchandise being made or received for the company I work for.
Do you have a favorite book or podcast you’ve gotten a ton of value from and why?
My favorite author and podcast host is the Anthony Williams (the Medical Medium). He talks about healthy eating and healing. I follow a lot of his recommendations. I have rosacea, and his recipes help me with it. I also feel better after eating the foods he recommends, plus it helps me to loose weight.
What’s a movie or series you recently enjoyed and why?
Ginny & Georgia is a series I recently enjoyed. It has an interesting plot and is an easy watch.
Key learnings
- Juicing and healthy eating—particularly plant-based diets—support health and well-being.
- In order to ensure productivity, it is essential to use your time efficiently and wake early enough to get everything done.
- Incorporating yoga and gym visits into your routine can help you start the day, recover focus, and manage overwhelm.