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Eight Questions I Ask Every Morning on the Road

Do you know what most business travelers do when they wake up in the morning on the road in their hotel room?

First guess would be to hit snooze on the alarm and many do.

But Elite Road Warrior Group Research has shown that most business travelers…

Reach for their phone.

Why? Well, there’s a handful of reasons but no matter the reason there is always one thing in common:

It hijacks their morning.

Why? Because it’s a time sucker especially if we jump into checking the news or social media.

It’s also filled with OPAs – other people’s agenda.

  • What they want or need from you
  • What they want to tell you
  • What they want you to buy

Many lose a half hour or more and haven’t even climbed out of bed yet!

No condemnation here, road warrior.

I believed and justified in my head that if I could “just get ahead” by looking at my email, calendar, Slack or WeChat, etc. it would help me.

Lies nothing but lies!

I used to be so unintentional and reactive to whatever caught my attention or the path of least resistance in the morning on the road.

So I get it.

But here’s what I missed.

I missed the gift of the morning.

I missed the silence.
I missed the solitude.
I missed the chance to invest in me, the one thing nobody else can do for me.

And nobody else will guard unless I seize it.

And the morning is the perfect place for it especially if I’ve had a good night of rest.

Let me state upfront – right now, my 1st hour in the morning on the road is filled only with energy habits.

The two largest of my morning energy habits are:

  1. MOVE – Increase M4X – stand more / walk more / run more / lift more
  2. DEVELOP – Sharpen the Mind / Process the Thoughts / Monitor the Heart

And my motto is two phrases which you may have heard me say over and over:

  • Consistency Over Length
  • Something, Anything, is Better Than Nothing

Many ask how I spend my mornings on the road and that’s the crux of this episode.

But before we get to that, let me tell you two things I do immediately.

  1. Hydrate – (Fuel – Continually Hydrate) with 16 oz water, lemon, sea salt, and greens powder
  2. Read – (Sharpen the Mind and Process the Thoughts) – Bible/something inspirational (if it’s the day of a flight, I save this reading for the 1st 20-30 minutes of the flight which you’ll learn in the podcast episode Seven Things I Do on Every Single Flight)

Once those two habits are done, I move on to my Elite Road Warrior Journal. It has two portions:

  1. Think Space (Process the Thoughts) dotted page Notebook
  2. Eight Questions Journal (Monitory the Heart) blank page Notebook

Here are some initial questions people ask about my personal process:

1.How long do you take to journal your questions?

    • 5-15 minutes

2. Where do you journal?

    • Most of the time in my hotel room at a desk but sometimes if my hotel is near a park, forest, a body of water, etc., I’ll choose there.

One time I climbed Mount Spokane and journaled there – talk about silent/solitude / and inspiring!

3. What do you write with?

I use different colors for different reasons when I write for both my Monitor the Heart journal and Think Space journal

4. What do you write in?

    • Elite Road Warrior Branded Journal

5. What does your layout look like?

    • Top Left – location
    • Top Right – date (for example: M.10.10.19)

I use two pages of my journal so there’s a lot of free space.

 

Before we get into the Eight Questions I Answer Every Morning on the Road, let’s talk about WHY I do it. The road has the ability to suck out any empathy, compassion, generosity, etc. within a person and especially men.

I found that too often I was coming home jaded and it was affecting my wife and kids. I was bringing home the stress of the road from the long hours to the draining people I encountered and my family and friends didn’t really care for “that Bry” or “that guy” if you will.

I didn’t grow up journaling. I didn’t have examples of people around me journaling. Notetakers, yes, but not journalers and there’s a difference.

I viewed journaling as a girly diary-thing, and therefore not for me.

And when I eventually tried it after prompting from a mentor, I sucked at it. I was SO inconsistent. Huge entry one day then days and weeks would pass with radio silence and major gaps.

Then my perfectionism would come out because if I journal, I wanted to do it “just right.”

Way…Too…Much…Pressure.

And I quit.

A few years ago Scott Mawdesley, our lead SME for Develop, really challenged me that it’s more important THAT I write, not what I write and I should try journaling “just one line” per entry.

I could write more but Write One Line became my mantra.

And you know what? It worked.

Then another mentor of mine, Jonathan Milligan, encouraged me with key questions he asked himself every morning to give structure to his journaling and encouraged me to do the same – hence the Eight Questions I Answer Every Morning on the Road.

But WHY do I journal these questions and what comes as a result?

1. Clarity – What do I want out of my life
2. Themes – What’s happening on a consistent basis in my life – what are the patterns I wouldn’t normally see without reflecting
3. Focus – where should I spend my time

Eight Questions I Answer Every Morning on the Road

I have three simple categories for my questions:

  • Review Yesterday – 3 questions
  • Reflect Now – 2 questions
  • Rehearse Today – 3 questions

 

REVIEW YESTERDAY

1.  What Happened Yesterday?

I want to be able to track my time so I know what my day looked like. I want to be able to remember that specific day at a glance.

I want to know:

  • Was I productive?
  • Was there margin in my day and where?
  • Did the six energy habits exist?

This is GREAT intel at the end of my month and the end of my quarter when I review my journal to see how I spent my time

2. What Were My Biggest Wins?

These are some answers of what I actually accomplished.

Some days my response is “busy but not productive” – I detest these days on the road.

I want to see forward motion on my goals for the week and the day to day big wins give me that intel.

3. What Were My Lessons Learned?

This may come from what I read or listened to the past day. It may be from my big wins or lack thereof.

It’s how I’m doing and what I’m learning in regards to the three focus areas of Elite Road Warrior: Work/Health/Home Life.

This is feedback on if and how I’m growing on a DAILY basis – is there a theme?

This 3rd question challenges me and sometimes it takes me a minute or two to think of something if the answer is not top of mind.

Note: sometimes I may need to move on to another question and come back to it but I always want to answer this key question.

REFLECT NOW

4. Who/What Am I Thankful For RIGHT NOW?

This is the GRATITUDE CHECK
Learn to ask: “Who or what am I grateful for right now?”

I have to be honest, some days it’s easy to mail it in and put something generic but that’s not the goal.

It’s The Who and/or the What but also the WHY – why am I thankful for that person or situation?

I’ve learned through the years people I’m grateful for actually don’t know I’m grateful for them UNLESS I TELL THEM!

This is a GREAT chance to prompt you to take action RIGHT THEN to let them know – send them a text/email, or leave a voicemail.

Sometimes I actually take a picture of that answer in my journal and send it to them.

You’d be shocked how much this little gesture means to people especially people who you care about and are thankful for.

If I’m struggling to answer this question on a consistent basis, this is a heart issue on my part that needs attention.

5. How Am I Feeling Right Now?

This is the PULSE CHECK
Learn to ask: “How am I REALLY doing?”
I know what you guys are thinking: here’s the diary “touchy/feely” part of the program.

And you’re right – suck it up and try it.

I’m not asking for you to write paragraphs and have a Kleenex available.

Mine are short bullets.

For example:

  • Exhausted from…
  • Better rested because…
  • Proud of…
  • Disappointed in…
  • Frustrated by…
  • Missing home right now…
  • Motivated to…

Nothing earth-shattering but I want a pulse on how I’m really doing.

Am I seeing patterns of day-after-day-after-day of being frustrated or tired?

This question is not nearly as hard as you think especially if you do it bullet style and lead with a key emotion word: proud, disappointed, tired, motivated, etc.

Three “Rehearse the Day” questions. Why rehearse the day? It’s like an athlete playing their game in their mind.

Too often we just let the Road Day happen to us.

We’re not intentional and then we wonder why our road day gets hijacked and we’re ALWAYS up until midnight working.

REHEARSE TODAY

6. What Are My Big 3 Today?

This is a concept from Michael Hyatt in his Full Focus Planner.

The Daily Big 3 are designed to come from the Weekly Big 3 which come from your Quarterly Big 3.

I set quarterly goals in business but also in life so my weekly Big 3 should influence your daily big 3.

If I have a heavy travel day, these are key.

What do I want to get done on my 4-hour flight?

If I have a heavy meeting or event day, maybe my Big 3 need to happen 1st thing in the morning.

Pro Tip: almost every single business travel day one of my Big 3 is energy habit six: CONNECT – I want to make my family a high priority within my day which means I need to schedule it.

7. What is Today’s Highlight?

I learned this one from the book, Make Time.

The authors have three ways to determine your day’s highlight:

  • Something URGENT that must get done today and will be a huge relief if and when it is done
  • Something SATISFYING that will make you feel pleased and proud it’s completed
  • Something that brings you JOY – what you look forward to = mine is usually my downtime activity

And the last of the 8 questions and final of the Rehearse Today questions

8. How/What Would Make Today Great?

I credit this question to Jonathan Milligan, my mentor and friend, who challenged me to answer this question each day.

And it was a challenge but now I depend on this last question.

Alan Stein, Jr. in his book, Raise Your Game, states there are only two things in life you have control over:

  • Your attitude
  • Your effort

And oftentimes my response is one of those that deal with the six energy habits

I want and I need to make each day on the road GREAT.

I want to be at my best and no longer just get by but leverage each day on the road to get better.

 

I answer these eight questions on the road every morning but also at home.

Did you catch that? Both on the road but also at home now. This is not ONLY a Road Thing.

Action Items

1. Just start – write one line for each question, and maybe you have your own questions.

2. Order the Elite Road Warrior Branded Journal – enjoy what you journal in. For me, I love the leather – the look and the feel. I love the paper in the journal. I love the pens I write with and the leather case they’re kept in. This makes a HUGE difference when it comes time to write. I’m also proud to carry it around.

 

 

 

100th episode – Podcast Celebration

This week’s article is a little different. That’s because the articles you read weekly on EliteRoadWarrior.com come from my podcast notes. My podcast is celebrating the fact that we’ve reached episode 100! We’re celebrating by bringing out some of the best features of the podcast and we’ll share them for you here!

I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing over 25 subject matter experts in my interview episodes where we’ve heard advice from such a variety of people – from a past executive at Disney to a hypnotist. The common thread we’ve kept through these interviews is how to succeed in business, and ultimately how to exceed in life. You can watch their actual videos are HERE.

Years after interviewing the good Jerome Wade, I was able to get him back to discuss the Elite Road Warrior Podcast.

Jerome Segment:
JW: You made it my man!
BB: Well I appreciate it, Jerome, as usual, no one else was available so I appreciate you being willing to jump on. I’m just kidding.
JW: At least I’m a choice, Bryan, and that’s all that matters. Did you think you would make it to 100?
BB: To be honest, that was never the goal. 100 years old definitely. It was always putting out relevant content to a business traveler every single week. If I wouldn’t listen to it, I wouldn’t expect anyone else to listen either. I interviewed you way back in Episode 002 to give your backstory.
JW: Man, that seems like years ago.
BB: Actually it was almost two years ago. Hard to believe.  And you also did my 50th episode which ironically was my 50th bday. Incredible planning on my part. Not at all. I was honored to have you as part of that big episode as well.
JW: Just curious, how long have you been planning for this episode?
BB: I started thinking about it around episode 090.
JW: How did you decide on what to do for the epic 100th episode?
BB: I put a lot of pressure on myself since it’s a big milestone especially in the podcast world. As a result, I did an overwhelming amount of research to hear what others had done for this milestone. Then, I talked with a handful of trusted advisors, yourself included, for ideas, and this episode is the combination of all the above.
Since interviews are half of the format of the ERW Podcast, I felt compelled to have them as an integral part of this 100th episode. You can watch their actual videos are HERE.
JW: Again, so proud of your accomplishment.
BB: Honored by your involvement, mentorship, and friendship, Jerome.
FAM SEGMENT
We did it Buck Fam, the ERW podcast has officially made it to 100 episodes.
One of my favorite things about having my own podcast has been getting my family involved. My family had been involved in many different ways through the first 100 episodes:
  • The kids were the season 2 promo
  • Two of my kids were used to promote the Flat Kiddos (CALEB: play Flat Kiddos promo here)
  • My wife was even interviewed on an episode.
Now Buck Fam, what is something that Dad has done on the road that helps you stay connected to me while I’m on the road?
  • Trey / Kole –  postcards from Dad
  • Kaitlyn – cards  you would leave for us before you left for a trip  (sometimes you would  put a letter on them for which day of the week we could open them) Dad: and this started  the idea of the Connect Cards too of which you were the artist
  • KH  – the map of your trip so we knew what city you were in (KG: and on what day along with the route)
  • Austin – I like when you would make funny videos for me
I asked Susan (my wife) about the Podcast episode 029 that she was interviewed in:
  • How did you like being interviewed by your husband?
    Sus: I wanted more control! (that doesn’t sound like her at all! – sarcasm)
  • Relive for a moment receiving the Not forgotten journal (NFJ): What was it like to receive the NFJ? / Any suggestions for road warriors who don’t have an NFJ yet? Susan: it was really special to me. It’s something I can read over again whenever you’re gone.
Treva Yaccino Segment
TT: Congrats on the Big 100!
BB: Thanks, Treva.  This feels oddly familiar.
TT: For those of you who don’t know, Bryan and I had a podcast before this one called The Energy Edge Podcast.
BB: And we knocked out over 600 episodes!
TT: Bryan was too chicken to do the podcast on his own so he reached out to me and in a moment of weakness and complete ignorance, I agreed.
BB: It was fun though, right? The Energy Edge Podcast is where the concept of the odd-numbered episodes were content and the even-numbered episodes were interviews.
TT:  So, basically I’m the one who made you and your mad podcasting skills who you are today?
BB: All credit my friend. I would be nothing without your guidance and mentorship. But seriously, those were the growing days for us to learn and that time allowed me to launch the Elite Road Warrior (ERW) podcast with direction and confidence.
TT: One really cool idea you had did not only have those interviewed join the 100th episode celebration but also do something else. What was it?
BB: I asked each interviewee to also record a video so every listener can see a visual of the suspect. I was truly humbled and honored by the response.
TT: Where can we see the videos?
BB: Go to www.EliteRoadWarrior.com/100 and you’ll find how to access all of the videos.
TT: Again, Bryan Paul Buckley, congrats on this huge milestone.
BB: Thank you. It’s been a ride and I’m excited to see where Season 3 of the ERW Podcast takes us.
I have so many people to thank that have made the ERW podcast:
  1. My Team – Caleb, my tireless podcast editor, who also edited the Energy Edge Podcast AND the Elite Road Warrior audiobook / Christa, my executive assistant who does all the show notes, transcripts, etc.
  2. The ERW Subject Matter Expert team:
  • Jeff McMahon
  • Treva Thompson
  • Terry Cralle
  • Mridu Parikh
  • Scott Mawdesley
  • Dr. Nick Howard
  1. All those interviewed in the 1st 100 episodes who you’ve heard from on this episode – if you’ve missed any of those episodes, go back and listen!
  2. And you, the incredible Elite Road Warrior listening nation.
So, wherever you are on the road, do something, anything, just not nothing to master the business travel life.
You Got This!

099 – How to Leverage and Maximize Your Transportation on Business Travel

 

According to research there are the following five factors when choosing transportation while on the road:

1 ) The Cost Factor

Is ride sharing really less expensive? That depends on where you’re going and what you have planned. Check Uber’s rates or Lyft’s rates for your destination to get a sense of how much a ride may cost. Consider parking and gas costs, too, and don’t underestimate how many trips you’ll take.
Forbes contributor Laura Shin did an exhaustive cost analysis of ride sharing vs. renting a car for her 10-day trip to Los Angeles.

2 ) The Hassle Factor

There are ways to reduce the annoyance of renting a car, of course. Firmly decline any extras. Document the car’s condition. And before you travel, purchase the Rental Car Damage Protector from Allianz Global Assistance. It protects you from paying for rental car damage or theft — even overseas — by providing collision loss/damage insurance coverage up to $40,000 for just $9 per calendar day. You’ll have to figure out the stick shift yourself, however.

3) The Destination Factor

Before you leave for your trip, do a little research on transportation options and challenges at your destination.
How’s the traffic?  Is public transit widely available? Is Uber even operating?

4) The Danger Factor

Are you safer with your hands on the wheel, or someone else’s? In the United States, you probably feel confident doing it yourself. Overseas, where the rules of the road are different, it may be smarter to trust a local driver. Did you know that in Germany, running out of gas is illegal?
What if you get in an accident? The U.S. Uber insurance policy is pretty hefty, including up to $1 million in liability in case you’re hurt in a crash. Overseas, however, coverage varies. If you rent a car, the Rental Car Damage Protector may cover car damage or theft, but you’ll want to make sure you have liability coverage too.

5) The Freedom Factor

If you enjoy the spontaneity of seeing where the road will take you, renting a car makes more sense than ride sharing. Travel happy!

Is it better to rent a car or use a RideShare?

Depending on the situation, a RideShare like Uber or Lyft can save you some money. A lot depends on where you travel and how you plan to get around while you’re there.
  • Hint: Consider how often you’ll need to use a vehicle
When you travel somewhere remote or in the wilderness, like a national park, a rental is your only choice. Another reason to choose a rental over a rideshare is you have control over your own driving situation.
Note: RideShare companies charge higher prices when there’s high demand, so during busier hours of the day, you’ll pay between one and half  to two times more than the base fee.
So, if you decide on RideShare, do you choose Uber or Lyft?
A 2019 survey of 1,000 Uber and Lyft drivers from The Rideshare Guy found that nearly 84% of drivers said they work for more than one service.

Which RideShare Company is best?

Recent research indicated that customers are particularly sensitive about pickup times. When the process takes 15 minutes or less, their satisfaction scores are 33 points higher. That happens about 64% of the time.
Here’s how the major rental car companies ranked in the survey of nearly 10,000 travelers who rented a car from August 2018 through August 2019:
  1. Hertz: 856
  2. Enterprise: 855
  3.  Alamo: 848
  4.  National: 843
  5. Avis: 833
  6. Thrifty: 831
  7. Dollar: 826
  8. Budget: 825
More research broke down each rental car company by the “best” for certain categories:
  • Best for Avoiding Additional Fees: Enterprise
  • Best for Customer Service: National
  • Best for Unlimited Mileage & Second Drivers: Alamo
  • Best Airport Locations: Hertz
  • Best Aggregator: Rentalcars.com
  • Best Discounts: Avis
  • Best for Paying Upfront: Budget
  • Best for Rewards Programs: Dollar
  • Best Online Check-In System: Thrifty

1. Enterprise: Best car rental site overall

  • Most locations of any rental company
  • Carshare offers hourly rentals
  • Upgrades and priority service among rewards
  • Rental upgrades not included in basic rewards tier
  • Can sometimes be beaten on price
Enterprise has more car rental locations in the US than anyone else and, from what we’ve found, a lot more to offer than other car rental companies in the US. With over 4,600 locations across America (and almost double that around the world), if you need to rent a car, there’s a good chance an Enterprise office won’t ever be far.
The choice of vehicles on offer is hard to beat too, with upwards of 20 standard cars available along with 12 different types of SUV, and a host of luxury cars if you prefer to travel in style. Importantly, the hire cost that Enterprise charges are reasonable as well, with lower single-day rentals usually much cheaper than average.
The rewards program – Enterprise Plus – which awards points for each dollar you spend, offers excellent benefits to regular customers too, including car upgrades and a priority checkout line for faster pick ups.

2. Thrifty: Best value car rental site

  • Low daily rental costs
  • Free rewards program
  • Points accrue for each dollar spent
  • Fewer locations than other rental companies
  • Black out days in rewards program
  • Points can expire
Thrifty by name, Thrifty by nature – offering the best daily rates and better than average weekly rates too, Thrifty is our choice for the best value car rental service. By joining its free Blue Chip rewards program, spouses can drive for free too, so you’ll save money there as well.
Signing up as a Blue Chip member will allow you to earn points for each dollar you spend on car rentals too, which you build up to qualify for free rentals. Then there’s the “skip the counter” perk, allowing you to go straight to the lot to pick up your car, and a priority counter service too. That said, the notice of black out days when you can’t use your free rental, and the loss of points after two years of inactivity, means the program is certainly not as rewarding as some.
That there’s only around 300 Thrifty offices across the US might pose a problem too, but if one is nearby, and you need to rent a car, they’re sure to offer you a terrific price.

3. Hertz: Best car rental site rewards program

  • Has rental locations across US
  • Huge range of car choice
  • Outstanding rewards program
  • More expensive than other services
  • Black out days, unless you use 2x points
Joining a car rental rewards program costs nothing, so you might as well sign up and see what you can earn – in this respect, Hertz’s Gold Plus Rewards program is one of the best. In addition to basic benefits like points and expedited checkout, this rewards program includes options like free vehicle upgrades and expedited drop-offs.
As is standard for rewards programs, you earn one point for each dollar spent at Hertz. These rewards are also earned for add-ons like car seats, insurance and other optional services, and if you regularly hire cars, you’ve got the chance to climb the reward ranks and become a Five Star or President’s Circle member too. Here you’ll get more points on your rental spend, and the chance of upgrades and even more lavish rewards on which to spend your points.
Hertz has around 3,000 locations in the US, and a huge presence across the world too – this is worth remembering as rewards apply outside of the US as well. And as the choice of vehicles that Hertz has to offer is wide ranging too, you should have little problem finding a car that suits you.

4. Dollar: Best for weekly car rentals

  • Low weekly rates
  • No blackout dates on rewards
  • Only has 230 locations
  • Smaller choice of vehicles than elsewhere
If your car rental requirements are likely to span a week or longer, Dollar is a good place to start your search. While setting the standard for weekly rates, the Dollar website usually has a number of offers that you can take advantage of as well, in particular the saving of 25% if you’re happy to prepay for your car.
There’s an excellent rewards program on offer too, with achievable points targets and no blackout dates to confuse matters when you want to cash in what you’ve earned for a free rental. The one thing that might hold Dollar back is its relatively small presence of just 230 US locations. However, if you find one nearby, and are looking to rent for the longer term rather than just a day, Dollar is a great car rental choice.

5. Avis: Best for international car rentals

  • Locations in 165 countries
  • Competitive weekly rates
  • Rewards program not as generous as others
  • Cheaper rentals are often available
With more than 5,500 locations in over 160 countries worldwide, Avis is the familiar name that provides car rental solutions for international travelers everywhere. Even if you’re still at home, and looking to hire in the US, there’s getting on for 2,000 offices from which you can rent, enough to make Avis one of the largest car rental companies in America.
The vehicle choice is exceptional as well, with all bases covered from economy through to luxury cars, along with vans, SUVs and much more. If you want to go green, hybrid vehicles can be rented too.
While you’ll probably be able to find better prices elsewhere, charges are no worse than average and the weekly rates are sometimes better than what you’d find at other rental companies. There’s a rewards program to inspire your loyalty too, although with points thresholds slightly higher than what you’d find elsewhere, you’ll need to be a frequent traveler to take proper advantage.

6. National Car – best for customer service and car selection

National Car is known for skipping the line  and going directly to the car lot.
You can join Emerald Club to take advantage of this perk and start getting your rewards.
The ability to choose your own car on the lot is liberating. Just pick the car, load up, and check out at the gate.
They offer Executive Isle as the next tier which is another level of cars which is great.
The highest tier is Executive Elite which gives you free rental cars sooner,  guarantees a car within 24 hours of your rental, and, but wait there’s more, amazing car upgrades if you simply ask.

My Personal Take…

I choose RideShare in these examples:
  • Going to the airport from home and on my way home – I love not having to park, wait on the bus but being dropped off and going straight to security. If you listened to episode 095 on packing like a pro on business travel (create link), you’ll know I rarely check a bag so RideShare in this example is ideal.
  • RideShare when I’m only downtown a big city such as NYC, LA, etc.
  • Uber or Lyft for me? All depends on who’s closest especially if the price is close. Every once in awhile, Uber is just outrageous to and from the airport for me and I’ll wait a little longer for this reason if it’s extreme otherwise, I really don’t have a preference.
I choose Rental Cars in these examples:
  • When I need to have the convenience of a car for my schedule – If I’m driving to multiple cities, RideShare is just not an option. (example: Flying into San Diego, going to Orange County and flying out of LA or flying into Dallas, driving to Austin then flying home from San Antonio)
  • When I’m hauling others around – dinners, coworkers, etc.
  • When I don’t want to be hauling my carry-on all day on my last day of my trip – tried it and not a fan
  • Which is my rental car company of choice? I’m a National Car guy. Love me some Executive Elite (there’s my word elite again;). I not only pick any car on the lot,  I even get access to the “private stash”
It all comes down to the following details:
  1. Company policy – budget for cars / corporate rates with certain companies
  2. Personal preference – what works best for you in your quest to becoming an elite road warrior so you can perform at the highest level

You’ve got this!

References

Register for the 100th episode giveaways HERE.

098 – Interview Mash Up

This week on the podcast, a mashup of the latest interviews with ERW content experts! Hear bite-size pieces from interviews from the following episodes:

These mashup episodes only happen every once in a while, but it is a great opportunity to hear sample size of the content from each expert. You can then utilize the links above to access the full episode, transcript, and show notes for each episode to dive deeper into the content from each expert.

 

References

Register for the 100th episode giveaways HERE.

 

097 – Seven Key Factors When Choosing a Hotel for Business Travel

 

Three primary drivers that factor into your hotel selection:

  1. You’re budget-driven – Just like me on my 1st trip, you make your decision on how much you’re allotted to spend on a hotel or a trip. Your loyalty is to the best deal that keeps you in budget for your trip. This method is solely for the benefit of the company and often can wear a business traveler down and even out of business travel.
    • Budget Tip for Budget-Driven – Do your homework. Every part of the country and depending on key cities are just flat out more expensive. Leverage booking sites to compare.
  2. You’re chain-driven – You’re a “Marriott guy” or a “Hilton girl” and the only variation is which hotel within your mothership chain. You’ll drive further just to stay at your favorite hotel chain. This is the largest category with seasoned road warriors. For example, you may find a preferred chain during your budget-driven days and now you can finally commit to the chain.
    • Chain Tip for Chain-Driven. – If and when you change companies, let them know your preferred chain and even preferred hotels within that chain.
  3. You’re rewards-driven – You just want the benefits as quickly as you can that you can use for you, significant other, and/or family.  If you have your family travel with you or you take a lot of trips, you may convert to this option over time. How is rewards-driven different than chain-driven? Well, you may be loyal to a chain, but the difference is in the loyalty is not to a chain but to a credit card or site that you actually see the rewards and doesn’t limit you.
    • Loyalty Tip for Rewards-Driven – www.Hotels.com honors you with a free night with every 10 nights, not hotel stays.

Register for the 100th episode giveaways HERE.

The other key factors in choosing business travel hotels:

  1. Hotel Location – This is all about convenience. Maybe this limits your drive time and/or gives you more access to attendees.
  2. Hotel Amenities – what’s at the actual hotel matters more to you and there are four amenities that enhance your hotel stay:
    • Restaurant- Often, it’s just nice to have a restaurant right on site that is part of the hotel whether they serve a hot breakfast or offer lunch and dinner, the convenience cannot be beat especially if you’re tired or short on time.
      • Restaurant Pro Tip -Check out the menu for the restaurant right away to not only save you time but also help you avoid making a reactive poor food choice.
    • Bar- Sometimes if you’re with a co-worker or team, this is very convenient to meet before dinner or a nightcap but… it’s also often just TOO convenient and can be an enabler and sleep-stealer. Know thyself.
      • Bar Pro Tip -Always apply the 1:1 drink to water ratio and end one drink earlier than planned and have your last drink be a glass of water to limit the alcohol effecting your sleep. Also, put a glass of water or water bottle on your bed stand to have available in the middle of the night.
    • Fitness Center- Having a good workout option while on the road is an absolute must especially if you implement energy habit one: MOVE. It’s amazing what even 20 focused and intense minutes of movement can do for your body and even your mind.
      • Fitness Center Pro Tip –  Visit your fitness center before you even go to your room or right after you check in to your room to know exactly what options you have available to you for your workouts during your stay.
    • Kitchen- If you travel a ton for work, having the option to prepare your own meal and relax in your own room or even in the commonplace patio, is a rare gift.
      • Kitchen Pro Tip -If you’re focusing in energy habit two: FUEL, stay at as many hotels with kitchens to control your food options. I did this for a month and lost over ten pounds. Heavy decision for me!

Challenges:

  • You’re limited by your company and it’s not your preference. This is especially true for companies who are cost-focused. The key is making the best of your options and when it starts to wear on you, it may be time to move on.
  • You start with a certain hotel chain and feel committed or stuck.  This is the “sunken costs fallacy” where you invest so much in something, it becomes a point of no return.

 

You’ve got this!

References

Register for the 100th episode giveaways HERE.