Traveling Entrepreneurs

Travel opens up a world of new experiences, cultures, skills and languages, that can have a powerful effect on how you conduct your business practises.

With this in mind, we’ve asked a few successful business people to share some of their inspiring stories about how they started traveling for work, what it’s like to be a traveling entrepreneur and some tools and tips they’ve picked up throughout their journeys.

John Lee Dumas, founder & host of top ranked business Podcast EOFire

How did your entrepreneurial career begin?

It was 2012 and I was working in commercial real estate, which involved a ton of driving to and from appointments and showings. My time in the car was actually some of my favorite though: I had podcasts to listen to where the host would interview inspiring individuals who had created their own business and who were loving life.

I started listening to several different podcasts, but I kept running out of content; none of the shows I listened to were producing a 7-day a week podcast. That's when I had my ah-ha moment to create my own podcast that did just that.

How often do you travel for business?

Roughly 8-10 times per year, so a little less than once per month.

What has been your greatest challenge of business travel?

The time spent away from my business. I love traveling and attending and speaking at conferences, but it's a trade off. Every time I'm spending a day flying somewhere, or attending sessions, or preparing a speech, that's time I'm not working on generating new ideas and strategies to help my business grow.

Which tools or gadgets can you not live without, which enables the smoother running of your business, whether you’re at home or travelling for business?

I'm a minimalist when it comes to actual equipment necessary to run my business; all I really need is my computer, my microphone, and my headphones!

When I'm traveling, I love having my iPod, my Kindle, and my noise-canceling headphones, all of which allow me to continue consuming really helpful and educational content regardless of whether I have an internet connection.

Do you have any advice for travelling entrepreneurs on overcoming challenges while travelling?

Do everything you can to prepare ahead of time and be realistic about your schedule and timing. The added stress of being on a tight time schedule can exhaust you before you even arrive at your destination.

Also, be sure to hydrate, eat right and try to get as much sleep as possible. This will make all the difference when you're traveling. Lastly, don't be afraid to take a timeout!

Which business travel experience has been the most important or had a pivotal impact on your career and why?

The 4 months I spent traveling in India. It really opened my eyes up to the diversity in the world.

Mike Michalowicz, author, entrepreneur, and lecturer at Mike Michalowicz

How did your entrepreneurial career begin?

Let me put it this way. It is amazing what you think you can do after you bitch and moan about your job over 5 or 6 beers with a buddy. Liquid courage got me started... I quit my job that night and started a biz the next morning.

How often do you travel for business?

I travel about once every 2 weeks. Less in the summer and a lot in the fall, winter and spring for conference season.

What has been your greatest challenges of business travel?

My biggest challenge is delays. It causes a daisy chain of problems. If a flight is delayed, I may have to delay or move a speech, which may cause problems with the next flight and the next speech.

Which tools or gadgets can you not live without, which enables the smoother running of your business, whether you’re at home or travelling for business?

I have a cheapo laptop that is awesome. Light, mobile and powerful enough and cost around $250 new. But I also have a portable ergonomic keyboard, a mandatory add for authors who write all the time.

Do you have any advice for travelling entrepreneurs on overcoming challenges while travelling?

To overcome fatigue, I suggest working out consistently. I even carry resistance bands in my suitcase in case I can't find a gym. I also avoid alcohol and coffee when I travel as it is dehydrates you, water is king!

Which business travel experience has been the most important or had a pivotal impact on your career and why?

The biggest trip I had was a flight to LAX from Newark. When I took off I was finalizing a deal to sell my company. When I landed a check was waiting at my destination. It was a good day.

Colin Wright, author, international speaker, and full-time traveler at Exile Lifestyle

How did your entrepreneurial career begin?

I started my first business while I was at university. I was working for a magazine as a graphic designer and had some ideas about how we could expand the publication online, and when I brought those ideas to the boss, he told me to 'know my place.' I quit and started up my own magazine, and was hooked by the entrepreneurial process (despite all the important mistakes I made, and continue to make, along the way).

How often do you travel for business?

I travel full-time, and because I'm a writer, podcaster, and video producer, I'm always working from the road. So you could say I travel for business 100% of the time.

What has been your greatest challenges of business travel?

It can be tricky doing things consistently when you aren't sure what kind of infrastructure you'll have access to. It's easy enough to produce a regular amount of content each week, but it's another thing altogether trying to publish that content when you don't have reliable access to the internet, or even electricity. You have to become very comfortable scrambling and making things work, sometimes at the very last minute.

Which tools or gadgets can you not live without, which enables the smoother running of your business, whether you’re at home or travelling for business?

The only necessities are a laptop and a smartphone — both of which allow me to do the work I love doing, and communicate with friends and family from the road.

It's also nice having a little notebook and pen to keep track of ideas and scribble out concept sketches, a portable tripod for video and photography shoots, and a bag that can survive my lifestyle.

Do you have any advice for travelling entrepreneurs on overcoming challenges while travelling?

Get plenty of sleep. Work out at least a little bit every day. Allow yourself some down time to read or listen to podcasts or just to sit and think. Have a few little rituals or routines that you can perform anywhere, which will help you feel at home in a new place, where everything is otherwise unfamiliar. Eat well whenever possible, so that when the option isn't available, your body can take it.

Which business travel experience has been the most important or had a pivotal impact on your career, and why?

I was recently in a wonderful little rice-terrace town in the middle of nowhere in the Philippines, and where the electricity regularly went out for days at a time. Finding that there was still plenty I could do — in terms of ideation and outlining — even when my devices were useless, and my connection to the outside world was gone, was a very helpful moment. It made me realize that a lot of the crutches I felt like I needed were actually just nice bonuses.