A day in the life of Birchbox CEO Katia Beauchamp, who swaps coffee for meditation and refuses to let her inbox 'be the boss'

Beauchamp typically rises around 5 a.m. to take care of her newborn baby. "I hang out with him for a little while," she told Business Insider. "Sometimes I get to sleep a little more, if he's nice to me."

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The whole family is up around 6:30 a.m. "I try to have breakfast with the boys," she said. Beauchamp's husband Greg and a nanny are on hand to help get her two older sons ready for school.

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"I walk the boys to school every day," she said. She's typically in the office by nine o'clock. "I try to use the morning time to make sure that I'm prepared for what I need to get done."

Much of the CEO's day revolves around meetings with her operating team, as well as Birchbox's board and investors. For Beauchamp, treating email with caution is key.

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"My big thing is I really try not to let my inbox be my boss," she said. "You can get totally lost in just getting through your inbox and answering people."

"I think the most valuable thing that I've learned is how to prioritize and recognize you can't get everything done," Beauchamp said. "Try and pace yourself. It's like running a fast marathon."

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When it comes to the team at Birchbox, Beauchamp said, "We all try to take a moment to recognize that we want to do something that we really enjoy, and we want to do it with people we enjoy."

She added the company has a distinct, energetic vibe: "It doesn't feel like nervous energy. It's very ambitious."

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To keep up her own energy, Beauchamp doesn't reach for the coffee — instead, an afternoon meditation session helps her stay energized. She said the daily practice helps her form "a thoughtful approach to work. It's not just about how much output can I do, but how much quality can I bring."

Typically, Beauchamp heads home around 6 p.m. She and her husband spend time with their sons, reading books and playing games. "The boys like to help us start our dinner," she said.

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"Dinner time is when my husband and I can catch up," Beauchamp said. After the meal, and after putting their sons to bed, the couple typically spends some time working before bed. The CEO said she strives for seven hours of sleep, but that's not always possible with the newborn.

When it comes to balancing parenthood and work, the CEO said, "There's a learning curve. Then you get over that learning curve, and then it's totally doable." She said that Birchbox is "a company that has been thoughtful both about you leaving and about you coming back to work after having a baby."

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And when it comes to balancing life in general, she said you need to be "generous and kind to yourself." And remember, living a balanced life is rarely an easy task. "It sounds idyllic and easy, but it's challenging," she said.