Katja Janzon, 42
, is the Vice president and co-owner of the Palms Hotel & Spa and Circa 39 Hotel in Miami Beach, FL. She is married to Kent Janzon, and mom to Annika, 10, and Jonas, 5.

My Favorite Things
Time with family, the beach, the mountains, skiing, mountain biking, relaxing with a good book, cooking gourmet meals, eating dinner as a family.

My Job
For 11 years, I’ve run our two family-owned oceanfront hotels. Mainly I oversee the marketing team and brand development. We’re constantly exploring new markets; right now, it’s Latin America. I’m also in charge of design; Circa 39 is under renovation, so I run back and forth between the two hotels. My third hat: overseeing food and beverage, including our lounge, spa and 150-seat restaurant and organic garden. I’m always looking at new dining and cocktail trends. As an owner, along with my sister and our parents, I work on strategy to take our business forward. I love the creativity of my job, trying to come up with new ways to keep our independent hotels ahead of the pack.

How My Work Life Works
As my own boss, I plan my own schedule. I drop the kids at school three mornings a week and usually get to the office by 9 a.m. My office day usually ends at 3 p.m. when I go pick the kids up and take them to activities (or they stay at school for sports). But my workday never ends. I’m responding to email at school and home. I often come back to the hotel for evening events and work on weekends at least once a month. My husband is the CFO and stays at the hotel until at least 6 p.m. We’ll sometimes have a quick lunch together in the staff kitchen, maybe the hotel restaurant. But we don’t cross paths much during the day.

In My Bag

• Sunglasses
• A pouch with Aveda makeup and beauty products (a perk from my hotel’s spa)
• Business cards
• A very uncluttered wallet
• Checkbook to pay on the go for the kids’ activities
• Cell phone

Family Time
On the weekends, we really like to chill and relax at home as much as possible. We love entertaining and almost always have friends or family over. We barbecue, swim in the pool, garden together, take out our boat, bike around the neighborhood—that is, if there are no kids' birthdays parties, swim meets or soccer games to attend. 

Me Time
Kent takes the kids to school twice a week, and I go for a run or exercise at home. We have an Aveda spa at the hotel, a huge plus. I don’t get massages or facials, but I do get my nails and hair done. I also go to dinner with my girlfriends, and we’re always exploring new places. I have a great group of friends!

Staying Connected
My daughter has a cell phone, so she’ll call or text me if she goes home with a friend or wants to stay after school for an activity. We all have “cozy time” together each night before bedtime in our big king-size bed. Sometimes the TV is on and we’ll watch the Miami Heat game or American Idol, or I’ll read to the kids. We chat and laugh and cuddle—my favorite time of the day.

—As told to Cindy K. Goodman