Being in the C-suite is a high-pressure job with long hours, board responsibilities, and intense scrutiny. But what is it like to be a top executive when you’re off the clock?
Fortune’s series, The Good Life, shows how up-and-coming leaders spend their time and money outside of work.
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Today, we meet Toby Brittan, the 32-year-old CEO and co-founder of Whites Beaconsfield, the TikTok-famous teeth whitening brand he started in his early 20s from the floor of a small one-bed flat.
Raised in Britain’s rural Buckinghamshire, he started working at 16 years old—first on a fruit and veg stall, then at the retailer Argos and camera chain Jessops—before he went on to get a business management and economics degree, followed by a master’s in real estate.
That path led him into an East London estate agency and new-build homes, but the pull of entrepreneurship never quite went away. In 2019, Brittan and his brother Ollie launched Whites Beaconsfield as a side hustle after getting fed up with the cost and hassle of in-chair whitening and the lack of high-quality, at-home alternatives.
Brittan built a website with a £19 ($25.40) monthly Shopify subscription, while working from his flat, and scraped together a £300 ($400) budget to get the brand off the ground.
And what began as boxes of strips sold to friends and family quickly snowballed.
Soon they were running £10-a-day Facebook ads ($13.40), and by 2020, the side hustle was pulling in thousands of pounds a day. That’s when Brittan, then just 28, made the leap and quit his 9-to-5—swapping a healthy salary for £1,800 ($2,400) of monthly overheads and a lot of 24/7 graft.
A boom in at-home beauty during the pandemic helped turn Whites Beaconsfield into one of TikTok Shop’s biggest whitening brands, now serving more than 2 million customers in the U.K., with over 890,000 units sold on the app since 2023 and annual revenues hitting £10 million ($13.4 million) in 2024.
There were some hiccups along the way: post-pandemic demand cooled, competition intensified, and Brittan spent years effectively running the company solo after his brother stepped back from the business.
But now, Whites Beaconsfield has landed shelf space at Superdrug—the U.K.’s answer to CVS, with nearly 830 high street stores—and is gearing up for expansion across Europe and Dubai in 2026.
Brittan is now working around 60 hours a week and says true work-life balance at the top is a near-impossible ask. But don’t expect the trappings of a typical millionaire founder: he’s moved back home to live with his mum in Buckinghamshire, and when there’s a big win to celebrate, he’ll take a “cheeky Shish Kebab sat on the sofa with footie on the telly” over a bottle of champagne any day.
The Finances
What’s been the best investment you’ve ever bought?
My first pair of running trainers. Getting into running has positively shaped my personal and professional life in many ways. It’s taught me discipline, focus, alignment, and mental resilience, all of which have been invaluable in building Whites Beaconsfield. When things get tough, running has reinforced one simple rule for me: keep going!
And the worst?
A crypto coin that completely bombed and I lost around £15k on the coin. A very expensive lesson, never again… But at least I learnt that I need to be more cautious in business, only leap if you truly believe in it!
What are your living arrangements like: Swanky apartment in the city or suburban sprawling?
I currently live at home with my mum after spending 10 years away from home, leaving at the age of 18. Coming back has been really grounding. Having that support around me means a lot, especially while running a business.
What’s in your wallet?
Just the essentials: all my cards. My favorite card easily is my AMEX, because we are still fairly start-up, we put our ad spend through but it means I can get the air miles and hopefully then means I can go on a few more holidays this year!
What’s the cheapest purchase that’s had the biggest impact on your life?
My very first investment was a £19 Shopify subscription, which I invested whilst I was building the Whites Beaconsfield website, sat on the floor of my small one-bed flat back in the day! That moment marked the real beginning of the business—a no-frills start, fuelled by belief, grit, and long hours.
Do you invest in shares?
I’ve invested in a handful of other SMEs. It’s great to be able to support other business start-ups, just as we were supported in the early days.
What personal finance advice would you give your 20-year-old self?
Think twice before taking on £40k of student debt—it’s a big commitment, and looking back, I’m not sure I’d make the same decision again.
What’s the one subscription you can’t live without?
ChatGPT—AI has completely changed the way I work. I pay for the premium which is £100 a month and it’s well worth it for the efficiency and time it frees up for me. If you can utilize new tech to help alleviate some of your time to focus on other aspects of the business (such as liaising with our shipping facility), it’s definitely worth looking into!
What’s your most ridiculous ongoing expense?
Probably £250 a month on haircuts. I know, it’s ridiculous, but it makes me feel sharp and ready for the world.
The Necessities
How do you get your daily coffee fix?
We’ve got a coffee machine in the office that I use more times than I’d like to admit, especially mid-afternoon. My usual is an oat flat white, with vanilla if I’m feeling adventurous.
What about eating on the go?
I am guilty of eating al desko quite often though, as I don’t like to be away from my computer. My favorite place to grab some lunch when I’m in the office is Nando’s but I’m conscious of the calories so I make sure it’s just once a week maximum!
Where do you buy groceries?
I just go wherever is closest, I like convenience! And as it’s just my mum and me, I like to go daily rather than weekly so I can shop for whatever I want on that day.
How often in a week do you dine out versus cook at home?
It’s normally more half and half depending on how the week is going. I always go out on a Friday night for dinner and my go-to is a local restaurant called Lavvin in Marlow that has the best Turkish food.
What’s a typical work outfit for you?
Definitely casual. I like my team to feel comfortable in the office, as I think it creates a better working environment. After spending many years in a suit as an estate agent, I’m now all about comfort at work. Most days it’s just jeans and a hoodie.
The Treats
How do you unwind from the top job?
Running is my main method of unwinding, with a bit of training thrown in there for good measure. I always go first thing in the morning to get my head set and ready for the day.
What’s your take on work-life balance at the top?
I think it’s extremely difficult to maintain a true work-life balance when you’re running a business. It’s constantly on your mind and can easily consume your life. I usually finish work around 6 p.m. and I’m back up again at 5 a.m. I usually check my emails, then go for a run, and jump back into work around 7 a.m., meaning I average around 60 hours of work a week.
How do you treat yourself when you get a promotion?
I always treat myself to my favorite Turkish takeaway, nothing can beat a cheeky Shish Kebab sat on the sofa with footie on the telly.
What’s the most expensive bonus treat you’ve bought yourself?
I always dreamed of having an Audi RS5 since I was young, so when I realized I could buy it, I went for it. I was so grateful in that moment and it still gives me goosebumps to think that I finally got my dream childhood car.
How many days annual leave do you take in a year?
Honestly, not many—far less than average. There are so many places I would love to visit including Dubai, Bali and Thailand, but I love work so much I don’t really long for annual leave like I used to.
Take us on holiday with you, where did you go this year?
Ibiza, Cannes and even China this year. Ibiza was a nice family holiday. I went to Cannes for a wedding and China was actually for business, so not quite a holiday. I visit Ibiza every year, it’s somewhere nostalgic for me as we’d go there a lot when I was younger.
Fortune wants to hear from leaders on what their “Good Life” looks like. Get in touch: orianna.royle@fortune.com
