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MBA2701 Everything I Pack to Work While Traveling
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Trying to keep your business running while you’re on the move? Wondering what gear actually makes travel easier and what’s just extra weight? If you’ve ever stressed over what to pack for a work trip, this episode is your go-to guide.
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Working while traveling is one of the greatest perks of running your own business. And today I want to walk you through everything I pack in my carry on bag when I travel. I've been traveling for years and running this podcast, this show with Nicole for 11 years. At one point we were publishing this show seven days a week and still were traveling quite extensively. So I'm going to share with you what's in my bag, how I keep my business running on the go, what are my essentials. And this is an episode I've been wanting to do because it's quite fun and I like to kind of compare notes. So let me know either in the comments on YouTube or send me an email over at Omarz MBA net and let me know what you put in your bag. Welcome back to the Hundred Dollar MBA show. I'm your host, Omar Zenholm where I deliver practical business lessons three times a week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday to help you start, grow and scale your business real quick. If these episodes help you in any way, hit the follow button on this podcast app. It helps us to keep bringing you practical business insights three times a week for free. Thanks. So I want to start with this, with the actual bag itself, right? This is my bag that I take with me on the plane. This is my travel bag and basically what I'm going to put in this bag, which is a manal carry on. I bought this bag in 2017 and it still is in incredible condition. The quality is incredible. I absolutely love it. It's one of the best purchases ever made in my life. Probably going to be due for another one in a couple of years, but still going strong. I absolutely love it and I love this bag because it's carry on size and it fits all my essentials and everything I'm going to show you today is what I put in this bag when I travel and I like to have it on me because these things are quite important to me and I need to be able to access them at any time, whether on a plane, I'm at a gate, I'm at a train station, whatever it might be. I want to be able to pack it perfectly and access it easily through this bag. So let's dive in. I'm going to share every item I put in this bag before I travel. I'm actually going to embark on about a four week trip in Europe for work and a little bit of pleasure. So I want to make sure that I pack along with you to make sure I don't forget anything before I go on my Trip, let's start with the absolute essential thing that you need. Your laptop. Okay, this is my laptop. This is my MacBook Air. I used to be a MacBook Pro, hardcore person. This used to be my main computer. But then I built the studio here at home and I have a desktop computer, my Mac Ultra. And I now prefer to go with the MacBook Air. The MacBook Air is like half the weight of a MacBook Pro in my just my guessing opinion here. I'm sure it's not exactly that, but. But it's thin, it's light, it's great to carry on. But the best thing about this thing is the battery life is incredible. Like it lasts literally all day. And when you travel from Sydney to Europe, that trip is like 26, 27, 28 hours sometimes depending on layovers. So I want to be able to access my laptop and be able to, you know, get some work done or work on something that maybe I fancy at the, at the moment or some inspiration hits me and I want to just open up my laptop and work on it. It's great to just make, to feel like you can do that at any time with this kind of battery life. I'll also quickly mention this is not originally in my list, but I pack along with me these types of little carrying boxes, I guess for cables and chargers for all these devices. And a lot of things I'm going to be mentioning today are electronic devices. But I have these things right here that kind of organize my, my cables and all that kind of stuff. And these are pretty cheap on Amazon, but allows me to easily access something like, for example, I need to charge my phone or I need to charge my watch or get my laptop charger out. And it just makes it easy for me to go for that thing and pull it out. The next item I pack is an Insta360 camera. This is the Insta360. It has this little cover that you can take off. But if you've never used this camera or this type of camera, 360 camera, it's a little bit mind bogg how it works. It is great for vlogging if you're documenting a journey, documenting, you know, doing a travel vlog, or maybe you just want to shoot and capture some memories. What's awesome about this is you don't have to worry about framing because it literally shoots everything around you. It has like a ball like camera in the front and the back and you just hold it like this basically and it captures everything around you literally. And then later in post, using their software that they give you, you can then focus on what area or what angle you want to shoot, or it's already shot, but what you want to capture in the edit. That way. It makes it so simple to just, you know, hold this camera out with the selfie stick that comes with it that you just kind of screw it on right here. And what's great about this, the selfie stick, is that it gets cut out in the edit. You don't see the selfie stick or the camera for that matter, and it just looks like you're being followed with a drone. It's awesome for documenting any kind of walking trips, hikes, snowboarding. I've used it for snowboarding all the time, just wandering a city. It makes a great kind of capture of content while you're moving around effortlessly. And it also links up to any kind of wireless mic that you have, so you can have great quality audio as well. But this is one hell of a camera and well worth its price because it captures high quality video no matter where you point it. The next is my DJI mics. I absolutely love these mics. This mic is a lapel mic that basically plugs into your phone. This receiver part plugs into your phone, and from there you just put on this lapel mic right on your, your shirt or your jacket or whatever it might be. And it captures the audio perfectly. First of all, it captures the audio and syncs it with your video on the phone. Or the Insta360, you can do that through Bluetooth. Or it actually captures the audio on board as well, so you have a backup just in case something happens. My only tip is that when you're using these mics, whatever model you get, there's this little adapter that you use to plug it into your phone. Sorry, I just dropped it. So tiny. But I'll just put it here in the camera. So this little adapter here, you basically take this and you slide it into this thing and then from there you plug it into your phone just like this. This part of the phone, just make sure you push it all the way into the phone. If it's halfway or even not completely in, it won't capture the audio. It's a big mistake a lot of people make. They don't really make sure it snicks like clicks through. So just be aware of that. But it's an amazing mic. The quality sounds incredible. It's around $300 or something like that. But it's well worth it if you do any Kind of video on the go. Honestly, this and your phone is all you need to capture amazing video anywhere you go. It's incredible what technology has come to now, but your phone and your and this mic is a great combo for great audio and video staying on mics. This mic, The Audio Technica 2100X, this is my travel mic. And this is the mic I use if I need to do any kind of inserts or any kind of ads that are last minute for the podcast. This is one of the best quality mics for your dollar. And it travels really well. And it's usb. You can just plug it into USB and it comes with this little tripod too, that you can hold and as well as like set up on a table if you're doing like a call or maybe a webinar or whatever it might be. But this is like a must have. I do not travel without this mic because it's a way for me to be able to quickly do anything I need to do for the podcast. I've podcasted full episodes using this mic when I was traveling. So now that we do videos as well, you know, we record the the podcast on video. I do all my podcasting in the studio. But just in case I need to do an insert or a pickup or some sort of ad that gets released last minute, I can always grab my mic, plug it into my laptop, record, and I'm ready to go. No worries, no headaches. And what I love about it is that it's nothing super fancy, it's just usb. Plug it in, Done deal. Now I am a Mac user and I'm an Apple user. That means I use the iPhone and I love the iPhone because it's great. Camera, but battery's horrible. The battery is absolutely horrible on iPhones. I think the latest one, now the iPhone 17 has gotten better. We'll see. We've heard this a million times. But I have two battery packs that I take with me. This is a MagSafe battery pack. I've talked about this before, where basically it just snaps right onto your phone like this. And this is great for just charging your phone on the go. And you want to still use your phone. So, for example, you're mapping or you're catching an Uber or whatever it might be. This allows you to continue your phone while it's charging. Okay. Now it doesn't allow you to charge a lot. This battery pack, I think it basically is the size of the battery inside of the phone. So basically a full recharge. But once this Dies. That's it, it's over. And that's why I have this second one for like a long day. If I'm out all day for 12 hours, I have this battery bank charged and I can charge all kinds of devices because it has like usb, C and A. And so I can charge, you know, AirPods phone, anything I have that might need charging, even my laptop if I need to. So this is a great little backup power bank for long days because this will give me maybe three full charges of my phone. So it's, it's great. And then I could just, you know, basically take my charging cable with me, put it in my jacket pocket and just let the phone charge and not use it for a bit and then go ahead and take it off the charger when I'm ready to use it. What else do I take with me? Well, tripods. Okay, the first one is a small one. This is basically a very basic tripod slash selfie stick. So this is great for vlogging, for just maybe just setting it up. As you could see, you could just open up right here and it looks really cool with the stand and all that kind of stuff. And you can just kind of set this up and it goes pretty big, you know, actually. So as you can see, if I back up a little bit here, this is just great to have because it's quite compact and you can put this in your day bag when you're traveling or you're out and about in a sinew city. And it's a great way for you to have framed shots and, you know, not have the selfie arm in the picture and use the timer of the camera and all that kind of stuff. But it's also great for videoing if you. We do like an on site podcast interview and we need to set up a second camera, which we usually do. This works as a great little second tripod. The main tripod that I bring with me is this big mama. This big mama right here is the second tripod. And if you're listening to this podcast and you're watching it, I highly recommend you just maybe rewatch it on YouTube so you can see these, these, these tripods. But basically, you know, there's so many different kinds of these tripods that you can find on Amazon or whatever. So, like, there's no point in me telling you with a brand and thing like that, you can just search them and find them because there's new brands coming out every day. But basically this tripod allows me to set up my phone Take some great shots. Has this little attachment that I can just pop this on and create this and this. This goes up to about six and a half feet, which is quite large. So you can really take some stable shots with this tripod. And I usually pack this in my big suitcase that I check in because it's quite big and heavy. But sometimes I take it with me in my carry on. And I cannot forget my favorite device of all time, the Kindle. Okay, this Kindle is amazing. Travel is my best reading time. I load up this Kindle with books. You can literally put like 5,000 books in this Kindle every trip. I actually finished lots of books because I have enough space and focus and time on long journeys, long flights, train rides. It gives me a chance to really get into this book. It's also great just to read when you're traveling and you're at the Laundromat getting your clothes cleaned or whatever it might be and you have about 30 minutes or so to fill in and you can get through a couple chapters. So I love the Kindle. It travels great. I get to read all my favorite books on the go. Can't express to you how much I love Kindle. So that was kind of like my tech essentials. Let's move into a little bit more when it comes to comfort and lifestyle. What do I put in the bag for that? Well, my AirPods Max. I love these earphones. These are amazing. I remember trying them on in the Apple store for the first time and I listened to some of my favorite songs that they had on the laptop that you could test it out on. But what I love about these the most is that they are so comfortable. Like most over ear headphones hurt me. Right? But these just kind of float on my ears and I can wear them for a very long time and I feel they're just perfect. And the noise canceling is absolutely insane. Super comfortable. I don't hear any of the airplane noise when I'm wearing them. All I have to say in terms of a negative or a complaint is that they're quite bulky, they're quite big. And then with the carrying case and everything, they're not exactly, you know, as compact as like AirPods, the normal ones. But I absolutely love this when I'm traveling because it just feels great and it really just shuts the world out and you get to enjoy great music or watch movies. And a lot of these new airlines now are new airplanes on. Airlines allow you to sync your earphones with the in flight entertainment on the sea in front of you and through Bluetooth, and so that you can use some really high quality sound or noise canceling headphones. It's a kind of huge upgrade to your trip. You feel like you're living a little bit of luxury. My next thing, I pack a light jacket. I love this little light jacket that I got from Zara. You know Zara, sometimes it's kind of hit and miss. They have, like, for every 10 items, there's one item that's like, amazing quality for some reason. And I absolutely love this jacket because it's light, but it actually keeps you pretty warm. And sometimes a plane gets cold. You land in an airport with the acs blasting, and it's just nice to have something to wear that's easy to pack, that goes with everything that's good for the rain. So this is like a little kind of rainy bomber jacket I absolutely love from Zara. I also make sure I pack a current international driver's license. This one's a little bit beat up because I've been using it so much, but I like renting a car because I love driving. I love cars and I love to drive, especially if I'm in a city that is conducive to driving. It's not like a major, you know, dense city like Tokyo or Rome, or, you know, really, the public transport is easier, or taking Ubers is easier. You know, for example, we went to Puglia, which is an incredible region in southern Italy that is perfect for renting a car. I know people complain about Italian drivers, but they're not that bad. They're fine. And on my next trip, I'm going to Crete in Greece. And that's a beautiful island. It's a great place to just pick up a car from the airport. I always like using the rental car company called 6th. It's S I X T. They're pretty popular in Europe and even now in other parts of the world. They're not the cheapest car rental company, but their cars are serviced, they're top notch. You can rent a BMW or a Mercedes and enjoy that rental experience. Because they also have, like, no shady insurance. I believe that they're worth every penny. And when it comes to car rental services or car rental companies, it's usually you get what you pay for. I just love having my international driver's license current all the time so that I can be able to easily rent a car when I'm in particular cities. Next, a notebook and a pen. All right. Old school, right? I usually just have, like, a Moleskin here. And I just pack this in my bag because I'm still somebody who likes to use pen and paper, right? I like to be able to jot my ideas quickly, write to do lists, journal about my journeys. Maybe I'm reminded, oh man, I gotta call this person or do something like that. And I just like to write it down so that for me it's just easier than to open up my phone and put it in a no app. So it's like a little mini travel journal as well. So any ideas that come my way, I can just jot it down. I love paper and pen. There's something about that experience of idea, write it down that makes me feel human. Next, a travel size cologne. I love cologne and I believe a cologne is very personal. And I won't say exactly what's the brand and the scent of this cologne because it's my thing and I want to have my own signature scent. But I always carry a small bottle of whatever cologne I'm using at the moment. It's great to freshen up mid flight or before you're going to a meeting or a big conference or whatever it might be. It makes a big difference. You start to feel better about yourself when you smell good. And when you're traveling from Sydney, for example, you're going to be traveling for, you know, 25, 26, 27 hours. It's nice to kind of freshen up a little bit mid flight or mid journey with a couple spritz of your favorite scent. Speaking of refreshment, I've talked about this item before, but my CamelBak, my CamelBak water bottle. I love this water bottle because it's light, it's easy to travel with, and the manal bag has like a little water bottle carrier on the side. It has this great magnetic kind of feature where it has a screw top, but it actually stays on through magnetic kind of force. That way it doesn't kind of leak the water. Just in case by mistake you didn't screw it 100% and it's easy and easy to carry. I also like to carry with me some of these electrolyte packets. This is my favorite flavor. Lemon, mint and lime or lemon, lime and mint. And these are just electrolytes, keep you hydrated and you can just pop them into there, add some water, done deal. I like to carry some of those as well when I'm traveling so that maybe you're having a tough day or a long day, kind of gives you a boost. Now I actually like carrying this on the plane because I can get it filled by the cabin crew with water so I don't have to ask for water every 30 minutes. But I purposely try to drink as much water as possible, not only for hydration, but by drinking a lot of water, it forces me to get up and move to go to the bathroom and allows me to circulate my. My muscles, my legs, my body. And it just allows me to stay fresh and recovered before I get to my destination. Speaking of refreshed, I like to take with me a quick change of clothes, not like a whole outfit. I usually, you know, just keep the pants I'm wearing, and I have a fresh t shirt, a fresh pair of socks, and a pair of underwear that allows me to jump into a shower in a lounge or at the airport. When you're flying from Sydney to anywhere in the world, whether it's Asia or, you know, Europe or wherever it might be, there's often a couple legs to this journey. There's a couple layovers. So you're gonna really benefit from just refreshing yourself with a shower after, you know, being on a plane for 10 hours or sometimes 14 hours, and just feel like a new person again. And it just makes a big difference just to have this as a backup. Just even if for some reason you don't have time because of the connection, it's good to have just in case there's a delay. Okay, let me use this time to, like, freshen up and have a meal and have a shower and feel human again. So that's my setup, my tech, my comfort. A few personal touches that make working while traveling not just possible, but actually really enjoyable. Now a couple of insights that I've learned over the years of traveling and working and packing for that purpose. Number one, invest in quality. I mentioned my manal backpack is almost eight years old, okay. And it still looks brand new. Good gear really lasts. Good stuff really lasts. Buy quality and you won't have to buy over and over. So highly recommend you invest in good quality products. Number two, focus on versatility. Every item has multiple uses. So, for example, you know, my AirPods, yes, they're big and bulky, but I can use them to take calls as well as listen to music as well as watch movies, as well as just to block out noise and get some rest. So try to look at how can I maximize as many uses like my notebook, right? I use this to journal. I use this to do to do list. I do this to remind myself. I do this to doodle, whatever it might be. So I Don't have a separate notebook for separate things. Next, travel light. If it doesn't fit on, carry on. It doesn't come right. And all the stuff I just mentioned fits easily in my manal. And it's actually quite light. You know, that's why I moved to the MacBook Air. But that's the heaviest item I have, and it's not that heavy. When you're traveling, you want to move quickly. You don't want to wrestle with your luggage. You don't want to say, I need another break because my back is killing me. You know, whether you're in an airport or you're out and about in the city, that of your destination, you want to make sure that you're comfortable. And by traveling light, you really invest in your comfort. I've never seen anybody complain that they underpacked, right? Most people complain they overpack. And here's the most important part. Even when you're working, try to enjoy the journey. Ah, it's a privilege, guys. It's a real privilege. And I'm exhaling because I'm reflecting on my own journey. We get to do what we love for a living. Work doesn't have to stop when you travel, but it also doesn't have to ruin the trip. You get to work on things that light you up, that give you excitement. I mean, if you are a few years into your journey, you are living the dream right now, the dream that you had when you first started, right? You are where you wish you could be. At some point, your past self would be jealous, right? So enjoy the journey. Enjoy it. Smile, laugh, enjoy every meal, enjoy even the delays, and figure out some fun games to play or use your time wisely. Read a book, Just go. Roll with the punches. Because one of the things about travel is that it will test you sometimes and there's always going to be surprises. But the right setup makes the experience pretty seamless and makes you feel confident that you have everything you need, just in case there's a bump on the road or there's some delays or something that doesn't go to plan. So it doesn't feel like it's a heavy task. It feels light when you have all the tools you need. So that's everything I pack to work while traveling. If you enjoyed today's episode and you're listening to it on the podcast, you would really love it in video form because you get to see all the things I was talking about. Just go to our YouTube channel. You can go to100mba.net YouTube it will you to our YouTube channel and you can check out our latest videos and watch this one. And before I go, I want to leave you with this. I love to travel because you are constantly learning when you travel, especially when you go to new cultures, new countries, new places, everything's new. You have to think on your feet. It's like, you know, an adventure, a game in some ways. And at the same time, you build new memories. It feels like you're a child again because when, when you're a child, everything's new and time goes slower and all that kind of stuff. So just embrace that challenge, enjoy it, and know that, hey, enjoy it while you can, because there's going to be a time in your life when you're not able to travel as frequently because of health or because of obligations or whatever it might be. So if you can do this, and you are doing this right now, and traveling while you're working and all that kind of stuff, then just know that this is, this is really cool. You're lucky. Enjoy it. If you found today's episode helpful and you want more practical business lessons to help you start, grow and scale your business, the best thing you could do is subscribe to this podcast. Hit subscribe or follow on your favorite podcast app, the one that you're using right now. Whether it's Apple or Spotify or ever, you listen to podcasts by hitting subscribe, you get our next episode automatically and it's the best way to support the show. It's absolutely free and it's a way for you to commit to growing your business. And now that you've subscribed, I'll check you in the next episode.