How to Stay Productive on Business Trips

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?

Your environment will change you. But you choose how it changes you. The airport can stress you out. The airport can waste your time. The airport can be your office. I always get to my flight 2-3 hours early. I have no stress about traveling. I waste no time when I’m on the move. I get a full day of work done in that time. Yesterday we flew back from LA to NY. My airport shift: → Began a client’s plan centered around a private market investment. → Helped a client secure a 0% CC to help finance his new house as a buffer for big expenses. → Assisted a client with the ownership of shares of a business stock he owns from a formerly private company that has now gone public. → Coordinated 2 clients with a realtor connection of mine for 2 pieces of international real estate they are viewing in late July. → Helped a few clients secure life, health & disability insurances with the proper professionals and our team. And some other small things in between. My clients count on me every week. Yes, I take vacations like this one. But the reality is that some things CAN’T wait. Don’t fall victim to your environment. Here are some tips to stay productive when traveling: 1. Plan ahead: Create a list of tasks you can accomplish while on the move. Prioritize them based on urgency and importance. I use the Eisenhower Matrix to help filter these. 2. Leverage technology: Use apps and tools that allow you to work efficiently from anywhere. Notion, Asana, and iPhone notes are my best friends. 3. Invest in a good bag:   I got my bag from Bopai. It has tons of space so I can take everything I need with me. (Better yet it looks great) Use the airport to make the most out of your travel time. Don’t let your environment dictate your productivity. Stay on top of your game, no matter where you are. P.S. Do you work in the airport?

How to WWT (Work While Traveling) like a Pro Working remotely while traveling is pretty cool I must admit, but for many, it can be challenging to stay motivated & productive in a new environment. Here are my tips from my many years of WWT: 1️⃣ Set a Routine: Establish a work schedule and stick to it for structure and consistency wherever you are. I like to wake up early check my slack since our team is spread out in different time zones and clear the log. Then I make my breakfast and eat it. If there is morning Yoga with the nomads here in Bansko I do that and then go to a co-working space to focus for a few hours. Make lunch at home, return to work some more and in the evening go to the cold plunge on the mountain and enjoy the beautiful nature here 😃 2️⃣ Minimize Distractions: Keep your phone in focus mode to avoid pointless scrolling and app distractions. 3️⃣ Take Breaks: Regularly get up and move around. It’s incredible how many ideas or more to-dos come to me as I get up and walk. 4️⃣ Prioritize Tasks: Identify and schedule the most important tasks at the start of the day, block the time in your calendar & only check Slack 2x per day. Midday and end of it. 5️⃣ Explore Your Surroundings: Working from anywhere is a creativity hack that must be used. Take the opportunity to discover the location you are in, its culture, food, and beautiful nature. This can inspire and motivate you. What are some of your tips on staying productive while working remotely? Picture: My happy place here in Bansko where I go to take a break during the day😍 #remotework #productivity #workfromanywhere #RWWCommunity

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

12 different “offices” in 30 days. Amsterdam, Brugge, Ghent, Muenster, Puglia and Sicily. I just came back home to Taipei from a month-long work and play trip to Europe. My two big passions are data and traveling. Here are my hacks that allow me to combine both of these passions 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 trips are planned meticulously in advance. I keep workdays consistent across the week and I have a Calendly 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 in advance 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 co-workers on consulting projects - 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. 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-worker’s time, especially while traveling or on workations. 8️⃣ The all-or-nothing rule also means that there can’t be any accommodation changes on workdays. 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. I use Trello to stay organized and Miro for collaboration. They are free to use. 👉 Bonus Point: I try to enjoy life. I only have one. This lifestyle is tougher than it looks from the outside. 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?

The hardest part of business travel? It’s not the time zones, it’s keeping your head in the game while hopping from one city (or country) to the next. Staying productive and balanced on the road isn’t easy, but that’s where routine becomes your secret weapon. Everyone has their own approach, but here’s how I travel without losing my mind or my rhythm: • Stick to familiar habits: Whether it’s finding the same type of meals or keeping my morning routine consistent, those little rituals anchor me in unfamiliar places. • First thing after landing? I get outside and take a walk. It doesn’t matter how tired I am—it resets my body clock and clears my head way faster than any double espresso. • Choose hotels that work: Strong Wi-Fi, quiet spaces, and a decent desk are non-negotiable. A bad setup can derail an entire day’s productivity. • Stay connected without the stress: Backup chargers, offline access to important docs, and—most importantly—noise-canceling headphones. I never leave home without them. At the end of the day, it’s not about being rigid, it’s about having the right systems, tools, and routines in place to keep you sharp—no matter where you are in the world. I would love to hear how others approach business travel. What’s your travel ritual?