How to Stay Productive on Business Trips

In the past 3 years, I’ve clocked 200+ flights and over 100,000 kilometers by road- all part of the hustle to grow our entertainment empire. At first, this on-the-go lifestyle nearly broke my routine. My work and health suffered, and I missed key family events while rushing to endless meetings. After months of struggle, I realized I needed to stop treating travel as an exception and start seeing it as my new normal. Here are the simple habits that now keep me grounded across cities, flights, and constant movement: → Protected deep-work hours: Whether it's from a hotel lobby or the backseat of a car, I carve out 3-4 uninterrupted hours of deep work to focus, because scaling parks and launching a global brand in India needs clarity, not constant motion. → Familiar habits in unfamiliar places: No matter the city, I anchor my day with small rituals, a go-to playlist, morning coffee, or a fixed hour to check performance numbers. These constants help me stay sharp even in shifting environments. → My approach to meals: I don't try to eat perfectly while traveling. I choose simple, energy-giving foods that help me stay sharp during long days of meetings. → My recovery strategy: After days of back-to-back travel, I take a full day to rest to prepare for what's next. → My digital boundaries: I've learned when to put my phone away between cities, making room to think clearly about new ideas for our parks. By following this approach in the last 3 years, our entertainment business has expanded to new cities. And personally, I now finish important work while traveling that once took me days at my desk. Most importantly, the constant change of scenery has sparked many of our best park concepts and marketing strategies over the years. The travel I once fought against has become my office, my school, and my edge in business. How often do you travel for your work? #Worklifebalance #Productivity #Entrepreneurship

Balancing work and travel is not easy. Let me paint a picture: You wake up in a new city, new country, unsure where you’ll work that day. Will it be a coffee shop or the dining room table amid kids running around? I faced this exact challenge early in my journey. For over a decade, I struggled to find a balance between working and traveling…until I started doing these 6 things: 1. Manage expectations ↳ Align with everyone involved about your work schedule and flexibility. ↳ Clear communication prevents misunderstandings and stress. 2. Create structure ↳ Set fixed work hours and plan meetings around them. ↳ Organize your day for deep work and avoid scattered scheduling. 3. Plan ahead ↳ Prepare the night before: choose your workspace and set up your tools. ↳ Use a portable setup to maintain your work routine on the go. 4. Make achievable Goals ↳ Aim for daily accomplishments, even if it’s a small step. ↳ Ensure progress to keep motivation high and downtime enjoyable. 5. Be realistic ↳ Accept that traveling affects your routine and productivity. ↳ Adjust expectations and prioritize tasks effectively. 6. Take time to rest ↳ Create space to unwind and re-establish your home routine post-trip. ↳ A slower pace helps you return to work refreshed and ready. These strategies will make your work/travel balance smoother and more effective. How do you manage working while traveling?

I used to travel +50% of each month for work. Here's what I learned... I'm currently on my way to facilitate a full day off-site for one of my clients. After +15 years in training, speaking, and success enablement I have my travel routine down, and know how to make the most of each trip. ✨ Tip 1: Minimize time & maximize impact There was one week I was in 6 cities in 5 states in 3 days (!). Aside from the obvious scheduling to make the most out of time on the road, consider: - Working in flight to have downtime post-flight. - Batch meetings whenever possible. - Add on to the itinerary! ✨ Tip 2: Be prepared I've had countless travel disruptions, gotten sick while traveling, and forgotten my laptop charger on more than one occasion. While travel can be unpredictable, I always have a plan - Consider on time performance and weather when planning (for example, I avoid late afternoon flights due to frequent thunderstorms in the East Coast this time of year). - Have equipment checklists. - Pack with intention; I have a full wardrobe plan (and backup) for each trip. ✨ Tip 3: Make the most of it While my travels have brought me to incredible places all over the world like Tokyo, Sydney, and London, some places have been less exciting (looking at you, Yardley, PA). While work and time with customers takes most of my time I always block time to enjoy it. - Wander the city center, even if it's just to grab your morning coffee. - Extend your stay for a weekend. (Note your company probably won't reimburse the personal portion of your trip.) - I always hit the gym and plot a self care ritual, especially the night before a big event like the one I'm facilitating tomorrow. And most importantly! ✨ Tip 4: Collect points & be loyal My road warrior days earned me status, upgrades, and lots of points! These all made traveling more comfortable and enjoyable. I always vibe with a free first class upgrade! What tips would you add to the list?

Working while going on a safari? Here are 9 1/2 essentials to make it work. These are my hacks that allow me to get tons of work done AND travel up to 6 months every year: 1️⃣ I follow an "all-or-nothing" rule during travels. This means that on any given day, I work at least 12 hours (sometimes 16 hours) or not at all. I rarely mix travel and work during the day. 2️⃣ My workdays are planned meticulously in advance. I keep workdays consistent across the week and I have a Google Calendar that reflects my availabilities on these days and my unavailability on travel days. 3️⃣ I make sure to be in locations with stable internet connections on workdays. I also have multiple backup plans for bad internet connections such as local SIM cards, e-SIMs (such as Airalo or Nomad) and I know at least one cafe close by as a last resort. 4️⃣ I only use co-working spaces or cafes in emergencies. I choose accommodation with a good working area for workdays. Every minute counts on workdays and I don’t want to waste those minutes with commuting or getting distracted in a cafe. 5️⃣ Whether I'm 7 hours ahead or 2 hours behind my clients - I keep the core window of overlap consistent. Usually, people don’t even notice that I’m traveling. 6️⃣ It's easy to get distracted while traveling. I set weekly and daily goals to stay on track. I use Trello for that. 7️⃣ The all-or-nothing rule plus stable-internet-rule make sure that I’m never late for meetings. It’s very important to respect co-workers' and clients' time, especially while traveling or on workations. 8️⃣ The all-or-nothing rule also means that I never move from one hotel to another on a workday. It happened to me once that I mis-planned this and had to move places on a workday. The new place turned out to be a nightmare Airbnb and I had to change location again the next day. 9️⃣ I am very minimalistic when it comes to software and hardware. I don't need 3 screens. ✅ Bonus Point: I try to enjoy life. I only have one. This lifestyle is tougher than it looks. It requires lots of planning, discipline, and long hours. But it's also extremely rewarding! Do you like to combine work and travel? What are your secrets? P.S.: Follow me Sebastian Hewing 🚀 for strategies on creating business impact with data & AI and stories on entrepreneurship and solopreneurship.

By the end of this week, I’ll have been on six flights. So, I thought I’d share a few of my go-to strategies for making work travel a bit smoother (or at least how I try to do it). As a keynote speaker, travel is a big part of my job. Now that in-person events are back in full swing, so are my days on planes. (Side note: if you’re after a keynote speaker for your next event, DM me, and let’s chat!). So, here are my top tips for staying sane and productive while on the move: Prioritise good sleep. Hotel rooms never quite live up to the comfort of home, but I do everything I can to avoid a terrible night’s sleep. My non-negotiables? A pillow (yes, I travel light just to fit in my trusty compressed foam pillow that has its own travel bag), a sleep mask, and earplugs – because you never know when a noisy neighbour will strike. Duplicate your toiletries bag. Let’s be real, packing toiletries (especially as a woman) is a bit of a pain. There are cleansers, moisturisers, serums, makeup, and hair products – and it’s a lot of mental effort for a small bag. So, I’ve hacked it by creating a duplicate toiletries kit. Everything’s decanted into labelled travel containers, and for the items that don’t pour well, I’ve bought duplicates. It’s a bit of an upfront cost, but the time and mental load it saves me every time I pack? Absolutely worth it. Turn travel time into learning time. I bet you’ve got a backlog of podcasts, online courses, and bookmarked articles, just waiting for attention. Travel time is perfect for ticking those off. Think of all the “dead time” spent in Ubers, security lines, and departure lounges – turn that into learning time, and suddenly, travel feels a whole lot more productive (and dare I say, fun). Bring a parka for posture. As someone who’s 5’4, airplane seats are not my friends. The seat design puts me in a permanently hunched position, and my back pays the price. A tip from the amazing woman I see for remedial massage changed the game. She said: pack lower back support. I use a scrunched-up Uniqlo parka, and now, every flight is a bit less painful for my spine. Don’t forget snacks. There’s one emotion I cannot stand: hanger. And it strikes often when I’m travelling, especially with unpredictable meal times. My solution? Always overpack snacks. Right now, I’m obsessed with tuna pouches – they’re lightweight, healthy, FODMAP-friendly, and surprisingly not too smelly for tuna. Mask up. Here’s my unpopular opinion: I think masking up when travelling is the only way to travel. Yes, it’s annoying. But so is getting sick. Wearing a mask at the airport and on planes has, I’m convinced, saved me from days (or weeks) of illness. And honestly, that’s a trade I’m more than happy to make. Pack a portable charger. This one’s a no-brainer. Running out of battery when you need your device the most is a special kind of travel anxiety. So, there you have it – my top tips for travelling like a pro. I’d love to hear yours!

I just got back from a 17 day trip to India and Dubai. Packed schedule, limited service, a 12 hour time difference, and 48 hours spent in bed with food poisoning. As an entrepreneur running a 2-person business it was incredibly difficult to get anything done. But we still had our biggest growth month EVER. Here's how I managed it ⬇ 1. No meetings This is probably the most difficult rule to break when taking time off, but with the time zone challenges it was a must. When you're taking a vacation, the whole point is to *take a vacation*, not let your work schedule dictate when you can and can't do things. I've seen CEOs take calls at odd hours of vacation— whether it's while boarding a plane, after dinner and drinks out, or while on the beach. Not for me. The stress of having calls scheduled and being able to show up in the "right way" for them would detract from time off too much, so I have a strict no-meeting rule. Back in the day when I worked for someone else, I couldn't get away with this. I had to be available if needed. But running my own business? I call the shots. Plus, I'd probably be 2 Negroni's deep while boarding a plane anyway. 2. Wake up early and crank out the "must dos" Responding to emails & Slacks, reaching out to new members, following up with leads, and making sure my Ops Associate has everything he needs to operate at a high level. I wake up around 5am and crank out 2-3 uninterrupted hours of work in the hotel lobby over a few double espressos. I'm laser-focused, my blood is pumping with caffeine, and I have absolutely no distractions. I can get done pretty much everything I need to get done during this time. 3. Afternoon social post writing + engaging (if time allows) Posting and engaging on social every day is critical to our growth, but I don't always have time for it. I don't pre-write my posts or use a ghostwriter, so it's up to me to dedicate 1-2 hours a day to write, revise, post, and engage. When I'm on vacation, I don't always get time to do this, but I try at least every other day. Yes our business may take a bit of a hit with me not being as consistent here, but again, I'm prioritizing enjoying some time off over working at 100% capacity. 4. Giving my partners autonomy I have 1 full-time employee and several freelance / agency partners. Part of moving the business forward while I'm out is getting myself out of the "critical path" to getting things done. That means less reviews, formal sign offs, and feedback turns and more autonomy for all the partners I work with to keep The Starters humming. This trip, we launched 2 big platform updates without me even reviewing them once. As someone whose built this platform from scratch, this was really hard for me to do, but necessary if I want to grow the business past just myself. *** Vacations are never easy as an entrepreneur with a small team. Other entrepreneurs out there— how do you maintain balance between time off and work?

For all the founders who suddenly find themselves living out of suitcases, here's what hundreds of flights this year have taught me: The secret to sustainable travel is about turning chaos into routine. My non-negotiable travel habits: 🧳 Consistency is king. Pack at the same time (night or morning) every trip. Having a standard routine eliminates decision fatigue. 🧴 Semi-packed bags. Keep a second travel set of toiletries and essentials. No more wasting time packing and unpacking the same items. ☕️ Pre-order everything. Your Starbucks app order should be submitted before you're through TSA. Those 5-minute savings add up. 📺 Download entertainment. When you’re in motion, you may not always have reliable WIFI, so download your books, podcasts, shows, movies! 👚 Unpack immediately on arrival. Even if you're exhausted, those five minutes spent hanging clothes and organizing will save you endless frustration digging through a suitcase later. 💨Fresh air ritual. No matter how late you arrive, take 5 minutes outside to acclimate to your new location. Touch the grass! It resets your system. 🥗 Pack snacks and supplements! Always bring your own food and supplements when traveling! The food options at many airports and hotels can be terrible, and maintaining your nutrition routine is essential for staying sharp during business travel. These might seem like small things, but when travel becomes a constant rather than an exception, these habits create the foundation that keeps you grounded when everything else is in motion. What are your travel efficiency hacks? What keeps you sane on the road? #lifehacks #travel #entrepreneurlife

Just wrapped up another work trip. Here are three simple, effective practices I rely on to stay productive on the road: 1. The "Go-Bag" Mentality: Keep your tech essentials in one place. For me, this includes noise-canceling headphones, a portable battery pack, and a hotspot. Avoiding the hassle of searching for a charger or Wi-Fi saves valuable time and mental energy. 2. The 10-Minute Evening Review: Before closing your laptop for the night, take 10 minutes to plan for the next day. Review your schedule, set your top three priorities, and identify any potential conflicts, such as checkout times versus meeting times. Waking up with a plan makes a significant difference. 3. The "Human" Connection: It’s easy to become a "laptop zombie" in a hotel. I prioritize having real conversations—with a client, a colleague, or even the hotel barista. These moments of human connection make travel and work feel much more worthwhile. What’s your go-to "work from the road" hack? #Productivity #BusinessTravel #WorkLifeBalance #Management #TravelTips #RemoteWork

Busy travel schedule? Productivity doesn’t have to take a back seat! I’ve been on the road a lot lately, and staying productive while traveling comes down to discipline, clarity, and a few habits I keep coming back to. Here are my top 3 productivity tips: 1) Decide faster. I lean on the SBAR framework (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation). It cuts noise and speeds up decisions in high-stakes environments. Learned this from my time in healthcare and now my team uses it too. 2) Timebox your day. Treat your calendar like sprints. Put start/end times on your tasks to protect focus—especially when you’re in and out of meetings or airports. 3) Apply the 5-minute rule. If it takes less than five minutes, do it NOW. Do not put it on your list. Momentum compounds. These habits keep me grounded and effective—even when my office is a departure gate. What would you add to this list? https://lnkd.in/gaiQQ8-T #productivityhack #projectmanagement

I’m a startup founder, and I’ve been traveling like crazy for the past two years. How do I stay sane and productive? 10 tips: 1. Sleep on planes A 6-hour flight from the West Coast to the East Coast is where I catch up on a meaningful chunk of my sleep debt. Keep a sleep mask in your backpack for it. 2. Hydrate aggressively At the beginning, I kept falling sick when I traveled too much. Electrolytes fixed more of that than I expected. 3. Don’t check luggage - save time A good carry-on suitcase matters - and wear your suit while traveling to get some bonus points in security lines. 4. Rent a car, don’t Uber Our team use Uber everywhere. In smaller cities, the wait times kill you, and a rental car is often cheaper anyway. 5. Protect Mondays If possible, travel on Sunday. Losing Monday to transit is a brutal way to start the week. 6. Come back Thursday night When I am on the East Coast, I like returning Thursday evening. Fridays are lower-energy days for many customers, and being back at HQ gives me time for interviews and internal work. 7. Stay in an Airbnb with the team when you can Solo hotel nights get depressing. Airbnbs with the team feel much closer to the fun version of intense building – somewhere between an MBA trip and a hackathon. 8. Make every city slightly more human Do something social wherever you are. In Wilmington, for example, we have our standard gym where we go for evening workouts (usually during our engineering standups). 9. Build a system around the chaos Travel gets much easier once you stop treating it like a disruption and start treating it like part of the job. 10. Embrace it as a phase There will be a phase of life with kids and a garden. This is definitely not that phase. This is the hyperscale phase – the one where I earn the right to run this business 5 years from now. Share your travel hacks! #businesstrip #travellifehacks #founderjourney