The Traveling Series Post #1: Location: 34,000 Feet Above the Rocky Mountains

Embarking on a journey from Newark, NJ, to Honolulu, HI, I'm seizing this opportunity to kick off "The Traveling Series."

This collection of road-inspired musings is my way of sprinkling encouragement into your STR journey, one flight at a time. Today, I'm sharing a straightforward strategy to turbocharge productivity while traversing time zones and oceans. As someone whose schedule frequently includes 6-14 hour flights, I quickly realized the 30-hour journey to a destination could either be a productivity black hole or a treasure trove of opportunity. While many passengers dive into a marathon of in-flight movies or 9 AM booze, I chose a different path.

‍

Here are six game-changing strategies for turning travel time into a productivity powerhouse for your STR business:

1. Embrace the Laptop Lifestyle

It might seem basic, but a dependable laptop is my business lifeline. I opt for a mid-range, travel-friendly 14” model that allows me to work from anywhere. This size has proven optimal for working on tiny airplane tray tables when flying economy. Back home, a docking station transforms it into a dual-monitor desktop setup. A backlit keyboard is a minor detail that makes a major difference on dimly lit flights.

‍

2. Upgrade to YouTube Premium

Oftentimes my work requires me to go off-grid for a few days at a time. YouTube Premium lets me download a wealth of educational content for these off-the-grid spells. Whether it's enhancing my skills as a co-host, mastering QuickBooks, or refining pricing strategies, this resource is invaluable for continuous learning. I’ve accelerated my education in all things real estate and business by downloading hours of content for offline viewing. When my brain is too spent to write, calculate, or analyze, I’ll put on some downloaded content for a mental change of scenery.

‍

3. Secure Your Connection with a VPN

Given the prevalence of free Wi-Fi, the security of your online activities can't be overlooked. A VPN offers peace of mind for a minimal monthly fee, ensuring secure access to sensitive accounts and data.

‍

4. Invest in Lounge Access

Accessing airport lounges can be expensive, often requiring a pass or a credit card with high annual fees. While the fees are high, I consider access to good quality airport lounges an essential investment in my business. For example, the $525 annual fee on a United Club Card may seem outrageous at first glance. But if you spend hours of your life in various airports on layovers, access to the lounge becomes indispensable. Most lounges include free food—often better and healthier than what you’ll find in the main terminal—speedy Wi-Fi, clean bathrooms, comfortable seating, and room to spread out and charge devices. Putting all these things under one roof allows for maximum productivity with the time available. I’ve put countless hours of focused work into my businesses from airport lounges over the past couple of years, and that $525 has paid for itself many times over.

‍

5. Set Micro Goals

Early on in my travels, I found myself arriving at the lounge or sitting on the airplane, racking my brain trying to figure out what to do next. Sometimes there are so many things I want or need to do that I can’t pick just one, so I end up paralyzed with indecision or hopping from task to task without actually finishing any of them. Finally, I began setting micro goals for each leg of travel, which has helped tremendously. These are often simple notes in my phone that look like this:

• Flight 1: Write 2 blog posts
• Lounge: Review and send out monthly invoices, email triage
• Flight 2: Finalize Q2 goals, review and adjust dynamic pricing (if Wi-Fi is good), develop a framework and plan of attack for long-term scaling of the flipping business (if Wi-Fi is bad)

‍

6. Invest in a Portable Monitor

For the longest time, I used my disdain for working on small screens as an excuse to avoid certain tasks. Working in complex spreadsheets to comp properties and flipping between tabs or apps is tedious, so I would often put off these tasks until I arrived back home at my desk setup. Finally, though, I discovered portable monitors. For a mere $75, you can purchase an HD quality 15.6” ultra-slim monitor that weighs next to nothing. Hook that bad boy up to your laptop, and suddenly you can work on two screens, making many online tasks a breeze. I typically save this setup for hotel rooms rather than airport lounges, but for a particularly long layover, I’ll get it out in the lounge too. This one thing has been a game-changer for my business productivity.

For those balancing travel with the demands of running an STR business and striving for productivity on the move, these strategies can transform travel time into an asset. And rest assured, amidst the hustle, I carve out plenty of time for relaxation and rejuvenation. Here's to mastering the art of productivity, wherever your travels may take you!

‍

Until next time, Godspeed!

‍