Sep 9, 2024 - Culture

How Raygun owner Mike Draper starts his day

Linh Ta

Mike draper and his dog on the chair — Mike Draper and his dog, Ronan Boat Draper. Photo: Courtesy of Mike Draper

Raygun owner Mike Draper starts his days with a 4:30am jog. But don't confuse him with those types of early-morning athletes.

"I just go like three miles," Draper tells Axios. "Which is kind of demoralizing, because then you hear Chuck Grassley runs three miles. So I'm doing like an octogenarian Senator training routine."

Driving the news: Since 2005, the Des Moines-based print shop has grown into an iconic Midwest business with stores in Kansas City, Lincoln, Chicago and Omaha.

What they're saying: Even though Draper could move just about anywhere else, the Van Meter native says he plans on staying in Des Moines "'till the bitter end," even when there's prettier pastures and the state's politics shift more red. (His business is known for its "progressive humor.")

"I'm project-driven among all else," Draper says. "And so, the store as a project is infinitely interesting to me more than like, location, travel, activities, hobbies."

Here's how Draper starts his day:

⏰ Wake up: 4:30am at beginning of the week and 6am by the end of it.

🍳 Breakfast: White tea from his miniature Gong Fu Tea setup at home and then black iced coffee from Daisy Chain. No food.

📚 What he's reading: The Onion, the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Axios, Vox, Jezebel, SB Nation, Des Moines Register, Iowa Starting Line, The Gazette. Little Village, Kansas City Star, Omaha World-Herald, Chicago, Tribune, Block Club and Flatwater Free Press.

💡 His advice to budding entrepreneurs: If you're just in it to make money — don't.

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How Raygun owner Mike Draper starts his day

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