SCHEDULE A CALL

podcast

One Change Every Business Traveler Must Make on the 1st Day of Every Trip

I was on a flight out of town one week from Chicago and once I found my favorite seat, which just happens to be the emergency aisle on the right side, I started chatting with the guy in the window seat.

Once we took off I began to eat my homemade scrambled eggs, sautéed spinach and kale, cut up bell peppers and cucumbers with cherry tomatoes. I do this every flight out of town – BYOM – bring your own meal AKA: MTHC (make the healthiest choice)

On the other hand, I was sitting next to Egg McMuffin Man. Have you seen him? He was inhaling an Egg McMuffin, hash browns, and washing it down with a jumbo Diet Coke. Diet, of course. Hey Ed McMuffin, you’re dripping ketchup all over your shirt, man.

Does that make me better? Well… I’ll let you be the judge. And for the record, his real name was Ed so give me some credit for precise facts.

The point is we were both on the 1st day of a business travel trip and we both made a key decision how we’re starting off our trip. Mere moments later he was in a coma like he hadn’t slept in days while his phone was still playing a movie. Mind you, this is the very first day of the trip, the first MORNING of the trip!

I was choosing to read then work. Again, you be the judge.

Unknowingly, he was making decisions that were setting the tone for the rest of his trip. I see this kind of guy ALL of the time when I travel and I’m using GUY generically – girls, you’re out there too and I’ve caught you in the act, but to your credit, not as often. And not to call out Ed here but there’s a reason he’s overweight, possibly marginally effective, and obviously lacks energy. His habits revealed something about himself.

Now, here’s a question for you to consider right out of the gate and quite possibly even an airplane gate:

Would you consider yourself a Creature of Habit? Meaning, you function primarily out of your routine, aka: your habits.

For me, If I start a habit, I’m all good and will continue the habit for all that it brings. Both the good and the bad.

And if I’m out of my habit, which I call OOTRO (Out of the Routine of), that becomes my new habit. NOT doing something. We live by our habits far more than we realize especially on the road for the good and the bad.

The challenge is getting out of the bad habits we’ve found ourselves in especially after years of travel.

I meet more and more road warriors who are on auto-pilot with their “road routine” and often need to be woken up and rewired to make some necessary changes. They’re so far from elite and don’t even realize it.

I was there and can relate.

I recently picked up a book from a familiar author Daniel Pink of Drive and To Sell is Human.

In his latest book, When, he talks about Beginnings – Starting Right, Starting Again, and Starting Together.

He addresses the need for Fresh Starts.

For example the 1st day of the year, or month, or week are what social scientists often call a “temporal landmark.”

Just as we use landmarks to guide us as a visual marker, we leverage these “Stand Out Days” from what Daniel Pink calls, “the ceaseless and forgettable march of other days, and their prominence helps us find our way.”

It’s easy for our road days to just blend in and become this forgettable march of other days. Just another day, another city, another hotel, another unhealthy meal.

Here’s some research to prove the point:

In 2014, three scholars from the Wharton School of the University of Penn published this breakthrough paper in the science of timing that focused on the use of temporal landmarks and how we can leverage them for new beginnings or fresh starts.

These scholars analyzed 8.5 years of Google searches. They found that certain word searches spiked dramatically on key “fresh start days” and triggered a predictable motivation in people.

Daniel Pink noted in his book that there are two types of Temporal Landmarks: Social and Personal.

  1. Social – those everyone shared: Mondays / New Month / New Quarter / Holidays
  2. Personal – unique to the individual: Birthdays / Anniversaries / Job changes

Interestingly, two things happened whether social or personal temporal landmarks were used:

  1. They allowed people to open “new mental accounts” in the same way a business closes the books at the end of one year and opens new books in the next year. It’s a break from past mistakes and imperfections and leaves us confident about “what could be”. Key Marker: New Years Day or Birthday
  2. They also interrupt attention to the everyday minutiae causing people to take a big picture view of their lives and focus on achieving their goals. As the Wharton scholars concluded, “People can strategically create turning points in their personal histories.”

Here is where this relates to the business traveler. The goal is to find what potential days could be your own Temporal Landmarks on the road.

One Change Every Business Traveler Must Make on the 1st Day of Every Trip

Anchor Days

Here’s my definition of an Anchor Day:  Key behaviors done on a specific date to serve as a kickstart for a period of time.

The power is in the word: ANCHOR.

What does an anchor do? Webster defines anchor:A device used to prevent the craft from drifting (due to wind or current)

We’re the Craft in the analogy and the drift is ANYTHING that takes us where we DON’T want to go!

You think about an Anchor. When it drops and takes hold, you aren’t going anywhere or anywhere soon. We’re notorious for drifting especially if we don’t start out strong. Hence the Power of an Anchor Day.

 

Let’s breakdown the key aspects of an Anchor Day…

There are THREE Key Aspects of an Anchor Day to be effective and be powerful:

  1. Set Date – there must be a CLEAR starting date – This is the WHEN
  2. Catalyst Behavior – Key actions you need to do – This is the WHAT
  3. Specific Triggers – reminders or cues / IF this, THEN that = WHERE

All three aspects are critical for an effective Anchor Day that gives you sustainable energy and incredible results.

Anchor Days require Intention and Discipline. They don’t “just happen.”

You must INTEND to do them. And they cause you to exert effort which requires discipline. But the payoffs are absolutely huge.

Back to the book, When, for a moment. Daniel Pink offers the potential of 80 + days in the year when you can make a fresh start:

  • 1st day of the month (12)
  • Mondays (52)
  • 1st day of Spring / Summer / Fall / Winter (4)
  • 1st day of an important religious holiday (1)
  • Your Birthday! (only 1 thankfully)
  • A loved one’s birthday (1)
  • 1st day of school or semester (2)
  • 1st day of a new job (1)
  • The day after graduation (1)
  • 1st day back after vacations (2)
  • Anniversaries (7)

Here are my own personal on-going anchor days on a consistent basis:
1. Mondays
2. New Month
3. New Quarter
4. 1st day of a business trip

Now, let me drill down on one that makes the biggest impact for me on a consistent basis:

Business Travel

Every single road warrior has this one thing, the same thing in common for absolutely every one of us and on every single business trip.

The FIRST DAY of the trip.

  • No matter what we do.
  • No matter where we go.
  • No matter if it’s our 1st month on the road or our 2nd decade.

We all have the first day of a business trip.

As a result, having an Anchor Day is absolutely critical to becoming an Elite Road Warrior (ERW).

We are on the road to PERFORM which is the 4th of the 6th energy habits.

Why? Because how the 1st day goes, the rest of my trip usually goes.

A creature of habit.

If I can establish an “anchor” of certain behaviors on my 1st day, they will be my anchor keeping me grounded for the rest of the trip. On the flip side, I witness business travelers with shallow or no anchors and their 1st day of the business trip is inconsistent and all over the place.

I’ve watched it play out so many times as each day of the business trip continues. Their energy, and as a result, their effectiveness and productivity dramatically decrease. Simply put, They’re “getting by” NOT “getter better”

Let me stop and get personal. Is that the case with you? – Are you getting by or getting better on your trip and specifically on the 1st day of your business trip?

And I’ve learned, once the train leaves the station, or in my case, the plane leaves the runway, I need to work my Anchor Day Plan.

Not going to be THAT guy anymore. Sorry, Ed McMuffin Guy, you’re on your own on this one, man.

So, let’s work through the three aspects of an Anchor Day in my example of a Road Warrior:

Set Date – 1st day of my business travel – this is my WHEN

Catalyst Behaviors – these are pre-determined actions I need to do – This is the WHAT

And here are some examples for me personally:

1. Taking my Breakfast with me – don’t leave to chance (AND if I have a healthy breakfast I’m FAR more likely to have a healthy lunch/dinner)

2. Move – moving at the airport / standing and walking on the flight / stretching

2. Snacks – bringing / buying (stopping somewhere to get fresh snacks) – finding a Whole Foods / Trader Joe’s, etc.

3. Hotel Room – I found this to be a big one for me because it’s my Home Away From Home on a trip.

4. Connect – Check in with those at home – this is done by early morning videos / audio / text messages so my family has received them from me before they even wake up

5. Rest – Early Bed Time – this is SO key the 1st day because most of the time I have an early flight and changing time zones AND if I start out sleep deprived on day one, I rarely if ever make up that sleep and we all know where that leads – affecting our performance, then coming home absolutely blitzed and exhausted, useless to anyone back home and our 1st day back from a business trip.

Now, remember, after the Set Date and Catalyst Behavior, is the 3rd aspect of the Anchor Day which is…

Specific Triggers reminders or cues / IF this, THAN that = WHERE

  •  Water bottle / tupperware / snack bag out the night before
  • Apple Watch alarms – stand / drink water
  • Hotel Key hitting the room door – trigger for the H.O.M.E. acronym to kick in

 

So, I challenge you to think about your very next business trip and what you could do to create an anchor day. Start small and build on it!

Five Reasons Why Personal Development Is A Challenge on the Road

Kevin is always reading. When he’s not working on emails, he’s got his phone out, absorbing content.
The problem is, nothing Kevin is reading is really sharpening his mind. It’s more of an escape. There’s nothing wrong with that except Kevin has become an escape artist. He’s consuming content, but it is not the right content that will actually help him develop.
He wonders why he’s stuck in his career. Imagine that. He has simply stopped developing in a way that sets him apart. Kevin is missing a huge element, which is the fifth energy habit: develop. I’m amazed at how little most business travelers actually read. What? Doesn’t scrolling social media count as reading? C’mon, man. I’m talking about a good old-fashioned book. I’ll even count an educational article or blog post.
The key here is to LEARN.
I can already hear the pushback. When do I have time to read, especially on the road? Let me remind you of the quote from the Elite Road Warrior book:
If you want to do something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.
You make time for things that are important to you. I sit by guys on the plane every single flight who waste hours and miss opportunities to develop, even small amounts of time like 30 minutes. Dude, you can get back to binge- watching Game of Thrones or Ballers or ladies, back to This Is Us or Love It or List It.

Five Reasons Why Personal Development is a Challenge

  1. Desire

Most people I’ve found simply don’t see the value. They’ve learned what they’ve learned and are okay with where they’re at in their life. If they don’t care, personal development is simply not going to happen.

  2. Time

This is usually the number one reason I hear. “When could I possibly fit this luxury into my life?” I argue if you desire personal development and value it, you will MAKE the time. If our attitude is “when I find the time” it will never happen. By the way, I’ve never ever “found time.”

  3. Inconsistency

If we have the desire to personally develop and find the time, being inconsistent can be a huge challenge. We start and stop then start again and never gain momentum because we’re just not consistent enough.

  4. Random

 I have found this one is ultimately the downfall to someone who values personal development. We have SO many interests so we bounce around from one thing to another. Nothing gets completed and although we’re developing personally and growing, it’s limited because we don’t have a plan.
If you leave your growth to randomness you’ll always live in the land of mediocrity – Brendon Burchard

  5. All-Consuming

 Someone who is “too much” into personal development which can consume all of your time and overwhelm everyone else. Instead of encouraging it becomes over-dominating.
If learning is a priority for you, then you will make, not find, the time. (Seriously, when has anyone FOUND time and if they did, can you let me know where?) Most people don’t like to read because they were scarred in school being forced to read content they did NOT want to read and didn’t see the relevancy. I’ll give you that, but they’ve kept that mindset decades later.

Two Keys to Sharpen the Mind by Reading

1. FIND SOMETHING YOU ENJOY
This is entry-level reading. This could be absolutely anything. It could be an autobiography. It could be a book that’s been made into a movie.
Let me give you an example. I’m a Chicago sports fanatic, so when the Cubs won the World Series in 2016, this city became absolutely unglued. The celebration parade in downtown Chicago was the fifth- largest recorded gathering of mankind in history. So, I wanted to know more about the back-story of the complete rebuild of the team. I found a book called The Plan by David Kaplan, and I was absolutely lost in the book. It was a blast to read because I enjoyed the subject.
If you’re just starting out, find something you enjoy to get you INTO the habit of reading. Even when you become an avid reader, finding a book like I found on sports is a good escape, especially before bed. But don’t stop there. There’s a ton of money left on the table if you don’t do the second key…
2. FIND SOMETHING YOU WANT TO LEARN
This is next level, kiddos. It could be for your job/career or to develop a new skill. The topics are endless, and this is where most business professionals wonder why they’re still stuck in their job, like Kevin. Most only read what is required of them instead of reading to get ahead.
Here’s the Key: They Learn for Survival Not Success.
If and when you change your mindset to reading for success, everything changes. You’re automatically ahead of almost everyone since almost no one reads. So, find a subject you want to learn and crack open that book!
How do you pull this off while on the road? You need to answer these four questions:
1. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO READ?
You need a plan. Find what you enjoy and what you want to learn, as mentioned above, and then dive into the book. Consider it part of your road thing.
2. WHERE CAN YOU FIND WHAT TO READ?
I love this question! There are a few ways to acquire this intel:
Online Research – go to Amazon, Barnes and Noble site or iBooks. Find a genre and start doing some simple research. With the Amazon tracking intelligence, in a matter of moments, you’ll be fed “You May Also Like” recommendations. Due to the vastness of the online market, you can find a number of book possibilities without having to go anywhere.
Traditional Bookstore – Go old school. I absolutely enjoy going to an actual Barnes and Noble on the road as a downtime activity in the evening. I’ll take an hour, find my genre favorites (business/psychology/health/nutrition/sports), buy a hot tea (de-caffeinated), find a chair, and flip through the pages. I could easily lose an hour and it creates SO much energy for me. Another low- hanging fruit option is an airport bookstore. The selection is limited but you’d be surprised how many new books will catch your interest. I’ll often go into these stores for 5-10 minutes during my walk time before a flight or on my way to the gate. It’s another way to find additional book options. Don’t limit yourself.
3. IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN LISTEN TO AUDIBLY?
I’m a HUGE fan of audio, mostly because of the convenience. I’m usually on the move more than I am sitting down, so why not make the movement an advantage for me?
As a result, I’ll find whatever book version I can and listen to the audiobook. Often, I’ll get both the book and the audio. Sounds redundantly redundant, but hang with me. If I’m traveling, I can often crank through a ton of audio, but I’ll want to go back and grab key concepts. This is where the printed version comes into the picture. I can go back and do a quick review of what I’ve listened to because it’s fresh in my mind, and I can easily find the key concepts I want to record for my notes. Make sense? As the saying goes, “Don’t knock it till you try it!”
There are also some great podcasts that can serve as a learning platform. They work great because of the shorter length, and you can find specific topics that interest you so you can dive right in and learn. If you’re not listening to the Elite Road Warrior Podcast, this is a great place to start! Episodes average around 30 minutes so you can get in and out.
PRO TIP:
Audible (owned by Amazon) is an audiobook library that is absolutely amazing. For a monthly subscription, you can get credits and choose books. They’ll send you a free credit for an audiobook from time to time and they will offer discounts for 3 credits if you’re an Amazon Prime member. This is definitely worth the investment to develop both personally AND professionally on the road.
In fact, the Elite Road Warrior book is available on Audible and has been the #1 way business travelers are reading the book due to the convenience.
4. WHEN CAN YOU MAKE TIME TO READ?
Did you catch that? MAKE time to read.  Create time blocks to schedule your day so you can tackle reading.
Let me give you an example. I have at least two reading times each day: first thing in the morning during my energy hour; then, if I’m flying that day, I use the flight time, usually the first 30 minutes, as my second reading time. If it’s not a flight day, I’ll carve a second reading time block in my day where I know I need to conserve energy and a reading block will be a good break for me to develop.
Another reading time was referenced in the last point with audiobooks. As road warriors, usually, our schedules are rather predictable. Let me give you my predictable audio times to develop:
  • In my car driving to the airport.
  • Walking to security and to my gate.
  • Walking around before I board since I prefer NOT to sit down but to a MOVE action item.
  • If I rent a car, I’ll choose something audio to learn rather than getting lost in sports or talk radio, which is SO easy for me to do.
  • Many road warriors have a territory and do a ton of driving. They often drive between to cities (I often fly into Cincinnati, then drive to Columbus, then to Cleveland). This is a perfect time to knock out an entire audiobook. This type of road warrior can seriously leverage their windshield time with a mobile classroom.
  • Standing in line is a short but great opportunity to catch a few paragraphs. I’ve knocked out chapters of a book just waiting. I have the Kindle app and sometimes will choose certain books JUST for such times. I can quickly pull up the book on an app and be reading in seconds. Note: this also dramatically helps my impatience during these times when I sadly analyze the inefficiency that is causing the wait!
James Clear has a perfect article called “Seven Ways to Retain More of Every Book You Read,” which I highly suggest checking.
BABY STEP TO SHARPEN THE MIND
I realize you’re more likely to go to bed early or eat brussel sprouts than you are to pick up a book. So, if that’s the case, simply find something you like to read and start there. The fact that you are reading this article is huge, so you’re on your way. Now, keep the momentum going and create a plan.
THREE-POINTERS
1. Find something to read that you enjoy and want to learn.
2. Determine when you will make time to read and what you can listen to audibly.
3. Download the free Personal Development Plan (PDP) when you request it.

How to Immediately Take Control of Your Home Away From Home

Did you know the average business traveler spends between 48-74 nights away from home?
For someone who doesn’t travel much, they seemed surprised, even shocked by this number.

Those that travel in this range, completely agree. And those of us who travel that amount by Memorial Day, know what it’s like to try and live in a home away from home. Most do it very poorly and just survive.

Or as I often say, “getting by, not getting better”.

But does it have to be that way? Just getting by on the road?

I remember before I started traveling for a living, how much I looked forward to staying in a hotel. The criteria and expectations were so different back in those simple, naive days.
When I travel with my family and the kids, often times it’s as simple as throw the luggage down, grab the swimsuits, and head to the pool. But now it’s a whole different ball game with business travel especially traveling the amount I’ve done year after year now.

Here’s the reality: A hotel room can make or break a trip especially that first night.

My normal routine before I became focused, okay, obsessed with maximizing my energy on the road, was one of the following after I opened my hotel room door:

1. Chuck my carry-on wherever to deal with whenever, turn on the tv, and crash by relaxing on the bed

2. Kind of unpack and leave the room immediately for bigger and better things (never found out what exactly was bigger and better other than my gut and my next big meal or drink)

But I realized these two approaches always back-fired on me.

Later in the evening when I eventually came back to my hotel room, aka “home away from home” since I had been negligent to set up this temporary home environment, I always had negative consequences:

  • My room was a blast furnace
  • My clothes were a wrinkled mess
  • I couldn’t find anything in my carry-on because it was late and dark and I was impatient and I felt unorganized and frustrated

It came down to a lack of preparation on my part to set up my home away from home to work best for me. I was viewing my hotel room as a place to CRASH not a place of ENERGY. And the irony is it would only take a simple plan and a few minutes of my time to solve this disorganization and frustration.

I wanted and needed my hotel room to create energy not consume energy for me and a few seemingly simple tweaks could actually give me a quick boost of energy. This is what I came up with and I now live by the acronym HOME. The reality is where I’m staying 1-5 nights per week (before Covid-19) is my home while I’m away from “real home.”

Before we get into “the details” on how to make the most of your hotel room we have to discuss how I make sure this HOME habit is going to happen.
The Trigger.

I had to have a trigger so I can change my old habits of chucking my carry-on wherever and crashing on the bed. The trigger is when the key opens my door. Once my key opens my hotel room after check-in, I go through a four-step process found in an acronym: HOME

How to Immediately Take Control of Your Home Away From Home on Business Travel

1. Home – Hang up and unpack

Okay, my hotel room is open and I have a choice what to do next. The easy thing is to chuck the carry-on in the corner, grab the remote, and jump on the bed. Or maybe the only thing you get out is your laptop to start cranking out some work.

I want to encourage you to do the “H – hang up and unpack. The very 1st thing I do is find the luggage holder, find the ideal spot in the room and immediately hang up my dress clothes. I always have nice clothes that need to be hung up so here’s my chance.

I then unpack my entire carry-on. Huh? Why?  It’s simple and psychological: I don’t want to feel like I’m living out of a suitcase.  And the reality is it only takes a couple of minutes. I’ve done it so many times, I can knock it out quickly.

I have my non-hanging clothes in packing cubes so they’re easy to pull out of my carry-on, open up a drawer, and either unload the contents or if the drawer is large enough, I simply set the packing cube in the drawer wide open for easy access.

Lastly, I take my toiletry bag into the bathroom and unpack it. All of it. I HATE scrounging through that small bag for what seems like hours to find “that one thing” I need.

I take a washcloth or small towel and set everything out. (I’m a little OCD in this way so you don’t have to take it as far as I do). I can literally do this H Step in under 2 minutes.

2. hOme – Optimize the space

Next, I begin to tailor the room to fit me. It is MY room until I leave. Now, I’m not moving walls or taking down pictures but I am making tweaks that make me feel more comfortable. The 1st thing I do is remove the clutter. I don’t need or even want all the magazines, advertisements, etc. laying all around the room. In one swoop, I grab everything out and put it in a drawer.  The next thing I do is adjust the furniture. I know, crazy, right? I’m not moving the bed or redecorating but often I’m making two potential moves:

The Desk – if I’m going to be spending any amount of time in a workspace, I want to tweak it to fit me and this usually means changing the location to face a window if I can move it. I also see if there’s a way I can adjust the height to make it more of a stand-up desk (a personal thing with me).
The Chair – I’m a voracious reader (Energy Habit Four – Develop) so if I can put the chair in a more optimal location, again, by a window, all the better. I start my morning with reading so I like to have the location all set and ready for me.

Optimizing the space is a “feel thing”.  If it’s a value to you, you just need to act on it. You’ll be surprised what this can do for you. If you’re not sure, just try it. A fellow business traveler on a plane told me about this idea. Now, it’s part of my routine.

How can you maximize the room layout to create energy for you? This O Step takes me only 2 or 3 minutes.

3. hoMe – Manage the room temperature and scent

Ah, the temperature. It’s never right.  I’ve lost track how many times I walked into the hotel room and began to sweat. Not cool. Literally. I sweat enough in air conditioning, I don’t need any help in a warm room!

My HOME routine means I MUST change the temperature of the room to what is comfortable to me. Not my wife or my kids, so it’s what I like and prefer.  Often, I set it for my ideal sleeping temperature which is usually around 66 degrees. I know, one cool cat.

Another tweak I do with the room temperature has more to do with the room scent. Here’s my Scent Hack: I bring cotton balls and put a few drops of essential oils to change the scent of the room.

This is great when you come back into the room and have a comforting scent that is calming and familiar. I love the scent of eucalyptus so I put some on a cotton ball, and then put it into the vent in the wall. Voila.

At night I’ll often change the essential oil to lavender to help me sleep (I also put some on my body). Don’t knock it until you try it.

Think about your ideal room temperature and scent. Chances are you’re put little to no thought into this question especially when you enter the room and part of your routine.
This takes me a “cool and stinkin” 1 minute.

4. homE – Exercise

After I complete the 1st three parts of the H.O.M.E. acronym, it’s time to move the body especially on a travel day and quite possibly a busy day depending on what time I make it to the hotel.

And I always have a plan. If I have a short amount of time, I can drop to the floor and do a few minutes of an ab workout or pushups or burpees that include pushups and work my abs.

If I’ve had little activity, I may do just 10 minutes of a High-Intensity Interval Workout (HIIT). You’d be surprised how much you can get your heart rate up and how much better you’ll feel in just 10 minutes.

Many times I want to find the hotel fitness center and just do dumbbell workouts. If I have more time, I may want to visit a local gym to workout and leverage the sauna or steam room or plunge pool. I do this by a unique pass provided by Localfit.

But you need to have a plan. Once I open that hotel room door, I need to know how much time I have, what I feel like doing, and what I’m going to do. Don’t believe the lie that you don’t have enough time for exercise.

If you’ve read my book, I say often: Something, anything, is better than nothing. This is my BIGGEST boost of energy for wherever my evening will lead me. This takes me anywhere between 5-30 minutes. And worth literally every minute.

Takeaways

  • Start with one of the four above that would make the biggest impact on your energy if you were to implement it.  For example, the 1st one for me was simply changing the room temperature. Sounds silly but I HATED coming back to a warm room after a long day and it felt like forever for it to cool down especially if I had to be out late that day.
  • Hanging up my clothes and fully unpacking was more of a mental thing at first but led to not consuming needless energy looking for things and feeling like a visitor in my own room.
  • What I enjoy the most through my stay is Optimizing the Space. Changing the room to fit my flow has made working (Perform Energy Habit) and reading/thinking (Develop Energy Habit) so much more enjoyable to me.
  • Look for something that will be a simple and impactful change and you should see immediate feedback on its effectiveness. Remember, the goal is taking ownership of your hotel room to create not consume your energy.

It only requires a short amount of time but can have quick and tangible results.
So, wherever you are on the road, do something, anything, just not nothing to master the business travel life. Leverage that road to becoming an elite road warrior today.

What Every Elite Road Warrior Does the 1st Hour on the Road

I’ve been humbled and honored by all the feedback, support, and positive takeaways from so many people who’ve read my book, ERW – Six Energy Habits to Master the Business Travel Life.

This book would NOT have hit #1 best seller in two categories (business travel reference and work-related health) without your incredible support so know how much I really do appreciate it.

I try to bring you tangible and practical strategies based on the six energy habits, the premise of the Elite Road Warrior book, that make a difference on your business travel day.

My challenge is two-fold:

1. Don’t think “this will never work” and never even try it
2. Don’t say “I’ve already tried it” and discount the content

The goal of this blog and the ERW podcast is to leverage the road and what it CAN give to you not let it limit you and what it can’t give to you. That’s old school and why most people on the road are just existing road warriors simply getting by.

We’re here to get better not get by.

I’ve seen MORE than my share of existing, sloppy road warriors and it breaks my heart. They can leverage the road to transform their work, health and home life! It’s possible and I’m living proof.

So here’s a question for you right out of the gate (and quite possibly an airplane gate for you):

Do you consider yourself a morning person?

Just hearing the word “morning” can often cause a mixed reaction of joy, excitement, anticipation.

Some people are HUGE morning people. They wake up with the sun and the morning is their best friend. “Give me that early morning sunlight and let me attack this new day!”

Then, there are the others…

I would say they’re described in this famous quote, “I’d like mornings better if they started later say, after lunch” by the great philosopher, Garfield.

Regardless if you’re a morning person or not, every single one of us on the road from executive to regional manager have one specific thing in common:

We ALL have the FIRST hour of the day. But here’s where it changes: how we spend the 1st hour is dramatically different.

I’ve found most people’s mornings are one of the following:
1. Lazy (do whatever I feel like doing) – meander
2. Reactive – check email, text messages, phone calls

Do either of these sound like your morning routine?

You roll over and immediately check your phone. In Bed. You check your email and start reacting to everyone else’s false emergencies and needs.

You eventually stand up and stumble over to the tiny coffee maker in your hotel room and gulp down as much coffee as possible, rush to get ready for the day and then start working based on what’s in your inbox.

By checking your email upon waking you have just hijacked your day. You are now reacting to what everyone else wants from you versus proactively setting the direction for your day.

I love this quote by productivity specialist, Carson Tate: “The first 60-90 minutes of the day is your opportunity to lay the foundation to achieve your goals and dreams. Yet, for many of us, our morning routine is undermining our achievement. Instead of setting up the day for purpose, success and enjoyment, we become reactive slaves.”

Jeff Sanders of the 5AM Miracle says, “the norm for most people is starting off each morning with the decision to procrastinate by smacking their alarm clock and delaying the decision to bounce off to bed and dominate their day. Snoozing inadvertently becomes a reactive choice, which leads to further reactivity.”

I love this Hal Elrod quote: “Most people just focus on getting through the day, taking the path of least resistance, and pursue short term, short-lived pleasures along the way, while avoiding any pain or discomfort that might cause them to grow.”

I can hear the pushback already: Alright Mr. Self-Proclaimed Elite Road Warrior, you don’t know my travel schedule or how long my evenings are or….

You’re right… and wrong.

You’re right, I don’t know your exact schedule.

But you’re wrong in that when you pushback you already are in a defensive mode and the more road warriors I talk to, the more I learn this is Pandora’s Box where there’s a lot more involved:

  • working too late with your laptop lover over dinner then in your room and it’s taking you twice as long and your work is half as good
  • hanging out too long at the hotel bar
  • catching one more inning or quarter of the game or mindless binging on streaming services

Shall I go on?

But the most successful are both of the following in the morning:
1. Intentional – They have a plan
2. Focused – They execute the plan 

And THIS is regardless if they’re a “self-proclaimed” morning person or not.

They use the 1st Hour to do one specific thing: take care of me first (it’s all about me, baby!) – but in THIS instance, it’s a GOOD thing!

How do you use the FIRST hour of your morning on the road?

Lazy and Reactive
or
Intentional and Focused

My goal is for you to be willing to experiment with your first hour of your morning on the road and ask how you can maximize it to be a catalyst for the day ahead.

Spoiler Alert: the KEY to a successful 1st hour of the day begins the night before: getting a good night of sleep

Most people struggle in the 1st hour of the morning simply because they’re just too tired, maybe even exhausted. They’re just not getting enough sleep.

George Lorimer had a challenging quote: “You’ve got to wake up each morning with determination if you’re going to go to bed with satisfaction.”

And how do you do that? By leveraging the power of the first hour of your day. What can you do each morning that will create energy for you for the day ahead?

That question is intentional and focused and what gives the high achiever an energy edge.

So, Why the 1st Hour of the Day?

1. Blank Slate – the day has not taken over just yet
2. Your Mind is Clear
3. Nobody else’s agenda yet
4. What you choose to do will give direction to the rest of your day

But this is assuming you’ve not had only a few hours of sleep, and waking up a little hungover or feeling like you swallowed a half dozen cotton balls.

Here are some Definite Don’ts right from the start:

  • Don’t email
  • Don’t check my phone
  • Don’t turn on the TV
  • Don’t waste time

Now, everything is viewed through the Six Energy Habits on the Road, so the ideas are to encourage you to implement as many of the six energy habits when you leverage your first hour of the day.

2nd Spoiler Alert: You can hit 4 of the 6 Energy Habits in the 1st hour of your awake time.

So What does every Elite Road Warrior do the 1st hour on the road?

Here are 8 Practices to Creating An Energy Hour Before Your 1st Minute of Work:

Two quick details:
1. You don’t have to do every single one – they’re practices, ideas for you to pick and choose what works for you
2. The 8 are in no particular order except the 1st one:

1) Drink

I don’t mean alcohol or even coffee.

Chances are you don’t drink enough water during the day and/or have an adult beverage or 3 close to bed and you have that feeling when you wake up that someone stuffed a cotton ball in your mouth multiplying every hour!

  • Water is absolutely critical to get your high performance vehicle, aka: your body, the fluids it needs to run at an optimal level.
  • You need to add water into your body immediately to wake your system up and ready for the day ahead and this means before Coffee (which is morning booze to most road warriors)
  • But what does an ERW do? – My morning drink – room temp water / lemon essential oil / hymalayan pink sea salt / greens powder

Two Quick Tips:

  • Set a goal of how much water you’ll consume within the 1st hour – if your only water absorption is from water hitting your body in the the shower or rinsing your mouth after brushing your teeth, set a goal of 8 oz. If you’re taking the Morning Drink then set a goal of 16 oz.
  • Think Convenience – have it set out or made the night before – ease will help set the habit

Drink falls under FUEL Energy Habit #3

2) Learn

Read or listen to something for personal/professional growth. The 1st hour of your morning on the road is a perfect time to “get your read on.”

What if you reserved time (30 min / 20 min / even 10 min) to learn – activate your brain and put something good / challenging in the 1st hour of the day? You could read, I don’t know, maybe a book called Elite Road Warrior. There’s an audio version too, so no complaints, man.

Learn falls under DEVELOP – Energy Habit #5

3) Meditate / Pray

This is time to be mindful. This could be a spiritual practice or just a stress release, centering practice.

Meditation can be simply clearing the mind and finding a place of peace. Prayer is well, prayer. Talking to God. I’m not trying to sell either concept but a reminding you of their value especially the 1st hour of the day to give you energy.

Many do breathing exercises as they meditate. Others use Guided Meditation.

I recommend the 10% Happier App –  but there a number of other apps.

Prayer reminds me life is not all about me. Just think through which one would serve you during the 1st hour of your road morning. Just 5 minutes will make a big difference.

Meditate/Pray falls under DEVELOP – Energy Habit #5

4) Write 

Journal / think space

I realize this is a big step for most road warriors and definitely higher up in the Elite Road Warrior levels.

But it needs to be on your radar and hence one of the options.

This could be as simple as writing one line, the concept from Scott Mawdesley which says it doesn’t matter what you write but that you write. It could be something reflective, a way to process your past day, something you’re learning, etc. Here are Scott’s Write One Line Journals: www.WriteOneLine.com

Or consider the ERW Branded Journal

THINK SPACE – this is putting your thoughts on paper. I’ll take even 5 minutes with my Think Space Journal (TSJ) to “get things out” (it could be work-related, ideas for connecting with my family, writing ideas, anything)

I love looking back at the end of the quarter for trends and where my list has gone the past few months in both my quarterly journal and my think space journal.

The point is trying something that works for you and give it a real shot

Write falls under DEVELOP – Energy Habit #5

5) Move

We simply don’t move enough when traveling. The road does the moving for us but we’re usually sitting down. On a plane, in a rental car or RideShare, in a conference room or restaurant.

We need to be intentional about adding movement into our day and we do that by Increasing movement in 4 ways.

  1. Stand – up on my feet not down on my butt
  2. Walk – take that stand and move forward
  3. Run – think cardio
  4. Lift – think strength training

And the morning is a perfect time to “get your MOVE on” You can even combine energy habits with MOVE and DEVELOP – listen to this podcast or an audiobook as you go for a walk or run or workout

Moving creates energy in your morning and gets you ready to perform.

Move shockingly falls under MOVE Energy Habit 1

6) Connect with Family/Friends

Connect focuses on not being a check-in guy or girl but a connect-in guy or girl and this is done in a Block & Tackle time like now.

This may be a text banter with a spouse, child, or friend.

But the purpose here is to have real purpose that moves the relational needle

Connect: Intentionally / Thoughtfully / Creatively

In the ERW book in the Connect chapter, I dive deep into each one of Connect: Intentionally / Thoughtfully / Creatively so that may be your best reference.

Ideas:

The point is taking time to connect with those back home in an intentional, thoughtful, and creative way.

Connect with Fam/Friends falls under CONNECT – Energy Habit #6

7) Eat

This is an absolute MUST to get something healthy to refuel your body especially if you don’t know when you’ll eat next or exactly what.

Control every meal you can on the road with CLEAN & GREEN. Clean and Green is a process.

Remember: Add first then reverse. Get the good stuff in then begin eliminating the bad stuff.

Too many people have a coffee and donut/bagel breakfast and wonder why their energy tanks mid morning or make a bad lunch decision.

Not the ERW.

Remember, food is fuel and fuel is energy. Most mid to high level hotels have a good breakfast selection but you need to “select” the right food.

We must make smart choices that increase and almost guarantee our success for the day ahead and that 1st hour means fueling the Ferrari!

Drink falls under FUEL – Energy Habit #3

8) Plan / Review

Sadly, most of us go into reactive mode for the day ahead. We put it little to no thought of where our day is headed and then we wonder why didn’t get much of anything done especially of any importance.

But what if we took even a few minutes to plan our day and really think through the Top 3 tasks that need to get done?

We know the value of planning but how about making it part of your energy hour that affects the rest of your day? If you don’t plan the night before, this could be your time so you know where your day is heading before it officially begins.

I choose my Big 3 – Must Do No Matter What most important tasks. I ;ist my appointments for the day which include appointments to myself to Block and Tackle (discussed in detail in the ERW book).

Review is looking at who you’re meeting with today, do some research on LinkedIn, review your presentation, pitch, etc. I want to be sharp and on my game by not only knowing people’s names but a little about them, the agenda, and what I want out of the meeting. This all comes out of a quick review.

Take a few minutes to plan your day and to review. It’s a must to becoming an ERW.

Plan / Review falls under PERFORM – Energy Habit #4

 

So let’s make some changes!

1. Choose which of the eight options we just discussed that you want to begin to implement
2. Create two versions. Why? Because some mornings you’ll have more time than other days and you want to be able to do something, anything, just not nothing! (heard THAT line from me before?!?)

Long Version (ideal)
Short Version (bare minimum)

Here’s a Personal Examples of My Normal Routine:

1. Drink – 1 min (make and drink)
2. Read – 20 min
3. Pray and Meditate – 15 min
4. Write – Journal – 15 min
5. Move / Listen – 30 min
6. Connect – 10 min
7. Fuel – 15 min
8. Plan (my day / names and research of the people I’m meeting) / Review – presentations, etc. – 15 min

My long version is 2 Hr
My short version can be 30 min or preferably 1 Hr

Leverage that for road for YOU to become an ERW today.

You Got This!

How to do more than survive a trade show on the road

One of the aspects of business travel for many road warriors is trade shows, events, conferences, etc.

Whether you’re working them or just attending them, they can be an absolute grind that becomes even more of a challenge.

Those very long days and sometimes even longer nights expose many of our already bad road habits on the first day let alone an entire event!

I remember my very 1st large trade show that I was “working the booth” as we often say.

It was in Orlando in the early spring so I was thrilled by the weather coming from Chicago. Silly me to think I would get to enjoy ANY of that Florida sunshine. The show hours were ridiculous, then the customer dinners and corporate events/parties at night.

I was young, ambitious, foolish, and did NOT know how to pace myself in those early days.

For someone who’s never worked or attended these type of events, they somehow seem more glamorous than the true reality.

I rarely saw the sun, ate whatever and whenever I could. I was unable able to enjoy the hotel except crash on the bed in a complete coma which seemed like a nap then wash-rinse-repeat.

My voice was shot, my feet hurt, I was tired of giving the same elevator pitch to people who too often could care less, and I had my fill.

And the more my role changed and my title increased, the more responsibilities I had on any given day of an event.

At one point, I was working the booth, in meeting rooms, hosting dinners, attending 2-3 corporate events into the wee hours of the morning, then having to get up early for key breakfast meetings.

Day after day after day after day.

I did NOT know what I didn’t know and just grinded myself through the trade show / conference season not knowing there was any other way.

Here are three of the Most Common Challenges I Faced

1. Food-Related = how do I find a decent place to eat on a trade show floor or conference? And it’s a challenge with going right to an event after the show to a corporate event that only serves appetizers.

2. Sleep-Related = I get more sleep at home with an infant than I do during the week of a trade show event or conference!

3. Health-Related = all I do is stand and I’m wiped out. No time to workout and even if i did, I wouldn’t have the energy.

But…

 

 What can you do to not only survive a trade show or event on the road but really thrive?

I mean the kind of thrive where you stand out as the show goes on while others are tanking big time?

Three Event Realities:

Reality Number One – Only you can take care of you – most barely do on a normal travel week but all the more the week of a trade show and/or conference

Reality Number Two – You don’t have to attend every event or be there every moment

Reality Number Three – Winging it is a horrible plan – too many business people just “go with the flow”

So, how do you do more than survive a trade show on the road…?

CREATE A PLAN…

Four Thrive Plan Essentials at an Event

1. Sleep Schedule

I start with this because on these grueling weeks, this is the 1st priority to go. You look at the average person on day two not to mention day three and they’re a walking coma.

Sleep is our biggest performance enhancer on the road but it seems to become even less of a priority with a brutal morning-to-night event schedule.

We MUST prioritize sleep and remember reality #1 – only you can take care of you I know the amount of sleep I need to be sharp – not just coherent – so I need to do whatever I can to guard that sleep time.

When you’re tired you make tired choices that are the path of least resistance and are only convenient, rarely healthy or the smartest choice.

Michael Hyatt often says, “the more tired I am, the dumber I get.”

I’m starting with the biggest ask in guarding your sleep, but it’s the biggest difference maker to your energy especially at a trade show or an event.

You need even more sleep at trade shows, conferences, events because you’re consuming far more of your energy so make sure you guard your sleep ESPECIALLY your 1st and last night.

Why those nights? Get your event off to a good start and the last night you want to start removing the sleep debt you put yourself in and you don’t want to be a complete train wreck and useless to those back home.

Event Tip – if you’re at an event, don’t make a HUGE DEAL when you decide to leave. No one ever really knows unless you make a huge deal that you’re taking off. I’ve found when I used to make this BIG ANNOUNCEMENT, this is when the peer-pressure came in full force – and… I often caved. But if you just slip out to go to the bathroom then head out the door instead of back into the madness, you’ve just pulled off a masterful escape.

An ERW (Elite Road Warrior) knows when it’s time to go and is shameless about it. They know who they need to see at a corporate event or party, they know the end goal of that conversation and when they’re just hanging around just to hang out. Look at the bigger picture and what an extra hour at a late night event will do for you in the long run compared to an hour of quality sleep.

2. Water

We normally don’t consume enough water on an average day, but Continually Hydrate is a key focus area.

You need to be responsible for your own water which starts with carrying your own water bottle. I don’t know, maybe an ERW branded water bottle with a slick handle? Just sayin.

You need to stay hydrated if you’re up on your feet and talking to people all day. There are often places to “fill up” water but rarely anything to put water in more than a toddler dixie cup so BYOWB (bring your own water bottle)

Also, for you “adult beverage drinkers”… you absolutely must join the free 1:1 Match Program – create a rule that you won’t have a 2nd drink until you finish your glass or bottle of water.

This alone is a game changer for those who decide to get the happy hour drink and I don’t know, 4pm when they start serving it, hit 1-3 corporate events/parties and a customer dinner!

And shockingly, you don’t have to drink everything offered to you. Often, I save it for the “better stuff” later – you can take a pass just don’t try and make it all up later.

Another tip, know when you’ve had enough and just switch to water. Nobody there knows and to be honest, nobody really cares. They may actually like you better if you stopped a beverage or three ago!

The point? Get watered down, man.

Have water be your companion all throughout the day but especially the last hour before bed.

3. Meal Planning

I used to consume the worst food that was so overpriced and did absolutely NOTHING for my energy.

I inhaled it and felt like I ate nothing, but was reminded a couple hours later when my body’s trying to process it. I’m stinking up the joint looking around like it was someone else.

Remember, Food is FUEL and FUEL is ENERGY.

When you don’t eat or you eat poorly, it’s a direct correlation to our energy and that’s exactly what we need to not just survive but thrive at an event.

As a result, control what you can control and that starts with breakfast. Make sure you’re taking time for a Clean and Green breakfast to at a bare minimum set up your day guaranteeing you have a strong base if you don’t know what will happen the rest of the day.

Do whatever you can to guard your lunch break. If you’re working a booth, you’ll get a lunch break. Maximize it.

I always and I mean always do intel on my options, how long it will take to get there and what food will be available for me.

If I’m not working a trade show floor, I have even more control and less excuses. Many conferences offer a lunch so MTHC (Make the Healthiest Choice).

Remember, food is fuel and fuel is energy. Where most people crash is in the mid-to-late afternoon depending on what they had for lunch.

Don’t be THAT guy or THAT girl.

Take control of your food because Food is Fuel and Fuel is Energy

4. Maximize Your Breaks

You have breaks at an event beyond your lunch break. Ask for them. Guard them.

Make the most of them – find or do something that brings you energy not consumes more energy

1. Snack
2. Go Outside
3. Watch or Read Something
4. Meditate

These sound crazy and require effort but remember, you’re NOT everyone else. You’re an Elite Road Warrior and your behavior is different as a result.

Here’s a Tip that combines #3 Meal Planning and this one, #4 Maximize Your Breaks:

Create a Snack Bag – I have a certain small lunch bag I carry with me to “Carry a Controlled Substance” and not be caught off guard. Normally I use these on the road but especially for the Trade Show / Conference / Event Week.

And even more so if I’m working a trade show. I’m a captive audience and that mid to late afternoon crash can be avoided and this is one of the biggest ways – having a healthy snack that is easily accessible.

You need to take control of your day. Let me give you a recent example.

I was in Vegas at a trade show after walking the show floor and had an event to attend in the early evening before a client dinner.

In the past, I talk myself out of going back to my hotel room due to all the effort and choose the path of least resistance and just stay at the event and drink cheap beer or wine and eat unhealthy appetizers.

This time, though, I choose to make the effort to go back to my room, workout for just 10 minutes in my room for some energy, FaceTimed with the fam, had a healthy snack (since I had a kitchen in my room and that was done on purpose!).

At that point I was more than ready for my evening with two corporate events and a dinner.

It can be done.

Let’s Land This Plane

There is a way to do more than survive a trade show and/or event whether your working or just attending it.

I want to challenge you. You have more choices than you realize when you’re at or working an event such as a trade show, conference, etc. Most “go with the flow and react” but not an ERW.

We have a THRIVE PLAN then execute it no matter what those around us are doing or not doing. If you can learn to take control in the toughies like an event, you’ve got this for the normal business travel trip.

Leverage that for road for YOU to become an ERW today.

You Got This!