Erin Naterman, Account Director

Who is a woman role model in your life and why?

EN: My grandmother, mother to my mother, Reba Yarborough. She had a high-profile title with a big office in a male-dominated industry (finance) back when it was very uncommon for women to hold those types of positions. She worked 9-5 in her business suit and came home to take care of her family, while her husband worked the graveyard shift at the factory. She always made sure there was a homemade meal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with my grandfather’s lunch pale was adequately filled all while juggling a successful career and staying super positive and balanced. By watching her, I learned the value of hard work, prioritizing while still juggling and that women can do anything – just like men – if they really want it enough.

What is the most empowering thing someone else has done for you?

EN: One of my previous bosses hired me onto her team right as she was heading out for her 4-month maternity leave. I was terrified, but she encouraged me, had faith in me, and trusted me fully to step up in her absence. While it was certainly a sink or swim situation, she empowered me to do the job in her absence and instilled confidence that allowed me to do the job well, even to my own surprise. I learned something about myself in those four months and built my own confidence to mirror what she had already seen in me.

What piece of career advice (or book recommendation) would you share with another woman?

EN: My advice to all leaders (not just women) is to be a servant leader. You can’t manage others or lead well unless the people you lead see you serving along with them.

My advice specifically for women is to create your place and your platform not by speaking loud and often, but by demonstrating your value through your contributions first. Actions speak louder than words and women are often accused of speaking out too much, which can be seen as overcompensation for getting noticed. Quiet wisdom can lead to leadership with a big voice – even if it’s not loud. And, let’s face it, It’s the quiet ones that get underestimated all too often.

Sara Gwin, Sr. Production Manager

Who is a woman role model in your life and why?

SG: My grandmother Rosemary White. She was taken out of school at 13 to work on the family farm while her brother’s served in the military. She got married at 18 and had three children by the time she was 24. The marriage was very abusive and in 1970, she decided to leave and take care of herself and her children alone. She worked three jobs for many years to stay afloat but somehow she never lost her caring spirit. She’s a dedicated woman of faith and anyone would be lucky to have a woman like her in their life! She reminds me that hard work pays off and that strong-willed women make the world go round.

What is the most empowering thing someone else has done for you?
SG: The Vice President of my last agency was my direct supervisor and she helped me shake off some of the misguided career advice I had received previously. She worked to remind me that there is a way to be professional without losing your own personal spark and that work is just that – WORK! “Real-life” matters more. It helped my confidence immensely and I owe a lot of my success to her.

What piece of career advice (or book recommendation) would you share with another woman?
SG: Well-behaved women rarely make history. KIDDING-ish.

Being direct doesn’t make you annoying. Don’t feel the need to apologize for a small misstep. Save the apologies for when you really need it.

Samantha Pacheco, Human Resources Director

Who is a woman role model in your life and why?
SP: One of my role models is my cousin Brittney. Not only is she a very successful hairstylist to the stars, but she is a kind friend and loving mama. Brittany manages to take on every obstacle with grace and dignity, always showing kindness to those around her. She has set some very high goals for herself since she was a child and she has achieved every one of them while raising two great kids. I admire her drive, the confidence she works on daily, and her ability to keep her priorities in check. I’m lucky to call her family.

What piece of career advice (or book recommendation) would you share with another woman?
SP: Perception matters. Your intentions might be solid, but if it’s not being perceived in the way you hoped then you have failed to get your point across. Always make sure that you are representing yourself in a way that reaches your audience/team/boss. I had to learn early on in my career that tone of voice can turn someone towards you for help or make them never return, even if your intentions are always to help.

Kristy Gulsvig, Strategy Director

Who is a woman role model in your life and why?
KG: My grandmother, Maria. Despite having everything taken from her during WWII when she was forcibly relocated to a Japanese internment camp, she was able to pursue her college degree and eventually began a Masters in Social Work. By the time I came along, I knew her as a glamorous working woman: a travel agent arranging worldwide excursions for her clients, and even traveling the globe herself. She was truly a renaissance woman, eternally curious but soulfully kind.

What is the most empowering thing someone else has done for you?
KG: It’s really the little things that have impacted me the most: especially those who were willing to listen. A lot of times in business situations, you have to fight to be heard. But it was the coworkers, bosses, clients, and others who encouraged me by acknowledging me and listening to the things I had to contribute – rather than making me fight my way into a conversation – that really helped build my confidence. I always try to return the favor by avoiding interrupting others – especially when they’re starting out in their careers.

What piece of career advice (or book recommendation) would you share with another woman?
KG: Fight for yourself, but don’t forget to encourage others! Dole out respect and acknowledgment like it’s confetti. Your connections and contacts will remember it and will lift you up in return.

Thank you to all of our Leading Women. We celebrate you today and always.

Yes, I said yoga! Now, before you quit on me here and think that yoga is too hard or you think that you’re just not flexible enough (or any other cliche that comes to mind), I am going to testify that I thought so too. Until a yoga instructor by the name of Kellie Johnston walked into Gigasavvy prepared to show us the ways of yoga.

Kellie has always been on the go. From her 30 years of dance to being a full-time mom, and now taking on the role of becoming a certified yoga instructor, she too has found the need for alone time to distress her day. She has taught the Gigasavvy team that yoga is beyond just the flexibility and the crazy moves, but it’s about honoring yourself and your body. See Kellie share these five yoga poses that you can incorporate into your life to de-stress and revitalize your day.

Pose #1: 90 Second Meditation in Tailor’s Pose (Sukhasana)

How To Do Tailor’s Pose (Sukhasana) 

• Find a calm area and take a comfortable seated position that honors the natural curve of your spine while allowing your thighs, hips, feet, and knees to soften.
• Ground yourself through your tailbone and lift tall through the crown of your head, with your navel gently pressing back towards your spine.
• Set positive intentions and affirmations for yourself and your day. For example, “I am patient,” “ I will make myself and others feel good,” or  “I am strong and confident,” are all good morning affirmations to set the tone for the day.
• Focus on your intention (a.k.a. mantra) while taking slow deep breaths through your nose.

Benefits of Sukhasana

• Meditation sets a peaceful tone to your day, calms your mind, and centers your thoughts.
• Deep breaths provide circulation and blood flow throughout your body. In addition, this pose helps stretch your hips and align your spine.

Modifications for those with injuries or who need additional support

• Sit on blankets or blocks to provide a softer place for your hips, legs, and back.
• Sit with back against the wall if you need more stability for your spine.
• Sit in a chair if you are unable to sit on the floor.

Pose #2: Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana)

How To Do Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana)

• Lie on back with your knees bent and feet firmly on the earth.
• Press down into your feet as you peel your spine off the floor.
• Imagine a diagonal line from your knees to your shoulders.
• Engage your core to support your lower back while your tailbone reaches toward your heels.
• Soften your shoulders and neck.
• Breathe! (Hold for 5-10 breaths)

Benefits of Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana)

• Strengthens buttocks and back muscles
• Opens heart and lungs
• Stretches chest muscles

Modifications for those with injuries or who need additional support

• Place block or blankets under lower back for support
• Only lift hips a couple inches off ground if needed 

Pose #3:  Standing Forward Fold (Uttanasana)

How to Do Standing Forward Fold (Uttanasana)

• Start standing with feet hip-width apart.
• Slowly roll down bone by bone letting all the tension in your neck and shoulders go until your entire spine is folded over. 
• You can stay still or place hands on opposite elbows while swaying slowly side to side (Ragdoll pose).
• This can be done with legs bent or straight.
• Focus on reaching the crown of your head toward the earth while your tailbone rotates to the sky.
• Hold for 10 slow deep breaths.
• When finished, slowly roll up with your head last to lift. 

Benefits of Standing Forward Fold (Uttanasana)

• Relieves tension in back/neck/shoulders
• Opens hamstring muscles
• Promotes gentle blood flow/circulation to head
• Calms nervous system, angst, and stress in body and mind

Modifications for those with injuries or who need additional support

• Keep legs bent
• Do this sitting on a chair or resting your upper body on chair
• For additional support, place blocks on outside of each foot on height setting that is most comfortable 

Pose #4:  Pigeon/Sleeping Swan Pose (Kapotasana)

How to do Pigeon/Sleeping Swan Pose (Kapotasana)

• Bring one leg bent in between your hands while stretching through your back leg.
• Square hips so they are in one line across. 
• Stay upright or walk hands forward, folding over your front leg. 
• Focus on softening hips, chest, shoulders, and neck.
• Hold for a few minutes focusing on your breath (10-15 inhales/exhales through nose).
• Slowly place hands by your shoulders and press yourself up, shake out legs and repeat on the other side.

Benefits of Pigeon/Sleeping Swan Pose (Kapotasana)

• Hip opener releases tension in knees, back, and hips
• Stretches hip and glute muscles in front leg, and hip flexor in back leg
• Calms the mind/body as you focus on slow inhales and exhales 

Modifications for those with injuries or who need additional support

• Use a blanket under either both hips (perpendicular to body) to soften pose
• Place blanket or block under hip of bent front leg

Pose #5: Child’s Pose (Balasana)

How to do Child’s Pose (Balasana)

• Come down to your knees and sit back on your feet. 
• Roll down, bone by bone until your forehead meets the earth.
• Everybody is different, so find a position that works for you. Legs and feet can be together or your knees can be in wide “V” with big toes touching.
• Hands can be down by sides or in front of your body. Find position where your forehead, chest, and belly are able to soften.
• Breathe! (Hold as long as you need) 

Benefits of Child’s Pose (Balasana)

• Calms nervous system
• Releases tension in back and hips
• Promotes circulation to kidneys and adrenal glands

Modifications for those with injuries or who need additional support

• Place blanket under any part of body that is sensitive (forehead, knees, feet, etc)
• Place blanket between hips/heels for more support and cushion

Wow! Wasn’t that just relaxing? Don’t you just feel revitalized? Now that you have taken the time to honor yourself and your body, get back out into the world and radiate life with nothing but positive energy.

From our hearts here at Gigasavvy to yours, namaste.

Sources

Yoga Journal – Yoga Poses, Classes, Meditation, and Life – On and Off the Mat -Namaste. (n.d.). Retrieved 2016, from http://www.yogajournal.com/

Farhi, D. (2000). Yoga mind, body & spirit: A return to wholeness. New York: Henry Holt.

Special thank you to Cloud 9 Yoga Studio  

At Gigasavvy, we are one with The Force—so we know how to use it to our advantage at the office. Here are six ways you can also use The Force to help you at work. 

#1: Never Give Up Faith

Some of the best Jedi in the galaxy have overcome the most difficult missions in the universe. So can you, if you focus on what lies ahead. Clear your mind; the answers are right in front of you. If not—well, you may have to deal with the consequences.

#2: Appearances Are Everything

Appearances and first impressions are everything. Make sure you pick the right look for your everyday presentation in the office and know when to step it up for a client meeting. After all, you would never catch Queen Amidala at her worst, not even during a Sith takeover.

#3: Use the Force Push to Say Back Off

For the moments when you are just arriving at the office, and you have everybody attacking you with questions before your morning coffee, The Force push is here to help. Asking people nicely to give you a minute is always a possibility, but nothing says, “but first, coffee” like being thrown out of the way by The Force.

#4: Balance Your Time With the Force

Time management is probably the most important thing in the life of a professional. Luckily, Yoda is by your side to balance four website launches, three client meetings, and preheating the oven to make that one casserole for the holiday party that you’re oh so happy to go to–said no padawan ever.

#5: There Is No “I” in Team

Your co-workers are your friends, not your enemies (unless they decide to go all Anakin Skywalker and take down the whole Jedi Force, then you’re on your own). Rely on your marketing team to tell you the odds of conversion on that new landing page.

#6: When All Else Fails…Cue the Tears

It’s Friday, and you are about to walk out the door at 5:05 and the project manager asks you for just “one more thing.” There’s just nothing quite like the old-fashioned waterworks to melt even the hardest of hearts of your enemy.

Disclaimer: The tears may or may not work, depending on the recipient. Use at your own risk. 

So now that you have an exclusive insight into how we use The Force as an agency, you can overcome any obstacle you encounter (no matter how tall or out of breath Darth Vader may seem). From all of us here at Gigasavvy we say—may The Force be with you.

To get tickets to this special event, click here.

We Are Gigasavvy

Gigasavvy was founded in 2008 on the principles of creativity, experience, passion, and integrity. In a time when businesses downsized or closed altogether due to the rough recession, the primordial soup of Gigasavvy came together. Born out of a merger of equals, our founding partners knew they wanted to create something different. But to be different you must do things differently. Our agency founders knew that creativity would be the key to a truly different way of thinking and working. But how do you cultivate creativity? Knowing Gigasavvy has that formula down to a science, the Harvard Business School Association of Orange County asked our agency founders to answer this important question in a very special event.

Creativity is at our core and drives everything we do. So what is it that nurtures our creativity? Our culture. Our team is a tight-knit group of 30+ marketers who live and breathe what we do with an unrivaled passion that shines through in the work we create for our clients. Gigasavvy’s growing list of clients includes Knott’s Berry Farm, Toshiba Latin America, Johnny Rockets, Custom Comfort Mattress, Molina Healthcare, and many more across a wide variety of industries.

Event Panel Speakers

For our panel event, hear from agency founders Joel Tanner, Corey Mangold, Kyle Johnston, and Sven Johnston.

Joel Tanner is one of Gigasavvy’s Principals and Co-Founders. He has been a technology tinkerer and entrepreneur since the age of 12. With over 20 years of industry experience, he continues to develop, test, and prove techniques to help the team and our clients succeed, keeping his hands in most everything that goes on at the agency. See more about Joel Tanner.

Corey Mangold also brings over 20 years of experience to the Gigasavvy team. As a Principal and Co-Founder, Corey leads the creative, branding, web development, and app development at Gigasavvy. His expertise includes traditional and online marketing, color theory, Web usability, eCommerce, search engine marketing, and application development. He also plays a mean game of foosball.  See more about Corey Mangold.

Kyle Johnston was Gigasavvy’s first employee in 2009. As Vice President of Marketing, Kyle leads marketing strategy. He also plays an integral part of maintaining communication between our team and our clients. With his expert leadership, we can ensure all clients receive the best possible outcomes. See more about Kyle Johnston.

Sven Johnston is Gigasavvy’s Senior Vice President and employee number 2. Sven has 20 years of extensive business development experience all over the globe in the U.S., South Africa, Germany, and Australia. He is the man responsible for attracting many Gigasavvy clients, such as Knott’s Berry Farm, Molina Healthcare, Johnny Rockets, and Jim Carrey’s Better U Foundation. See more about Sven Johnston.

Join Us for the Panel

Find out what makes the Gigasavvy team culture tick. What is it that makes our culture so special? Hear straight from our agency founders. Beyond throwing fun parties (although that doesn’t hurt) we produce the kind of results we are proud to create. Join us at Gigasavvy’s office in Irvine on Thursday, November 19th at 7:00 am for this unique event.

Tickets to this event are available, click here.

Good thing there are people in the world who can help you figure out how to be more productive, even though sometimes it’s a case of the pot calling the kettle black. Here are some very easy-to-follow tips to manage time.

Multitasking: It’s Okay to Stop Trying

When you are asked to wrangle the moon and stars, and get it all done by 5PM, you will likely feel the need to try and get everything done at once. Believe me, we get it. But stop your paltry attempts at multitasking. You’ve heard the studies, and they aren’t wrong. While we all think we can shift between tasks seamlessly, we’re actually being incredibly inefficient and lowering the quality of our work.

Moving rapidly between tasks causes the state of our brains to transition from the rule sets of one task to the requirements of another so quickly that it simply cannot store all of it in the short-term memory. To put it simply: When you bounce around from task to task your brain has no idea what the hell is really going on or where to focus.

Moral of the story here is to let your brain concentrate on one thing at a time. You’ll be more efficient with your time since you won’t have to try to figure out where you left off and what you were thinking on a previous task. You’ll feel better. The end result will be better. Just embrace it.

The Power of Now: Just Send That Email

“The Power of Now” (as we call it) is an incredibly useful mindset for us here at Gigasavvy. While this small tip to manage time may seem obvious, we often get caught up in the moment.

Here’s a common scenario: You’re on a conference call, and you’ve taken notes on the project and next steps. You owe the internal team a summary email and the client an email on what you’re going to do next, seemingly easy tasks considering you’ve just discussed all of this. Instead of taking a moment after the call ends to send the two emails, you make a mental note to send them later.

5PM rolls around, and you remember you’ve promised to send those emails today. We’ve all been there.

“The Power of Now” prevents you from frantically reading through notes and remembering what you promised. If you had just taken five minutes when the call ended to send those emails, you wouldn’t be sitting here, feeling stupid, trying to get it done at the last minute.

When you get things done in the moment, you don’t waste additional time later trying to get back to the mindset you were in – send that email when the topic is fresh in your mind! Knocking out smaller tasks as they arise also helps you keep your to-do list cleaner. Which leads me to the next step to help manage your time.

Write It Out and Talk About It: Seriously, Make a List and Talk to Someone

When my colleagues ask for assistance sorting through their workload, my first step is always to draft a list. Putting everything on paper helps you visualize the actual size of your task list. Keeping everything in your head can be overwhelming and often make you feel as though there’s more to get done.

At Gigasavvy, we’ve implemented a practice of placing cards on the wall to list out our responsibilities. There’s something about physically writing things down that helps you truly grasp what needs to get done. Every day, we meet and discuss the items we’ve listed on the board. Running down our to-do lists together, even though we do it quickly, helps us feel that we’re ready to conquer the day.

Most of us remember things more sufficiently if there’s a discussion about the items we’re tasked to accomplish. Talking about what needs to get done helps you wrap your head around the big picture. Try it, it helps.

Get Comfortable: You Really Do Need a Spot of Tea and a Pillow

At my desk, I have the following (what I consider) essentials: Tea, honey, fancy straws, a plant, framed typography, and a candle—the whole shebang. It’s “me.” I’m comfortable at my desk. I even put a pillow behind my back to make sure I’m as cozy as can be. If my desk gets a bit messy, I take two minutes to organize it.

Having a personalized, clean space can help you get in the mood for whatever it is you’re about to tackle. Feeling satisfied with your workspace can drastically improve your ability to get shit done!

Being comfortable leads to a positive attitude, which in turn leads to kick-ass work. So make a cup of tea and get to it.

Being Productive and Maximizing Your Time: A Brief Closing Note from a Chaos Manager

It can be very hard to think clearly when there’s chaos around you. Finding time to even do what I’ve listed above can seem to take “too long.” But, believe me, these are simple steps that I’ve seen work for others and personally practice myself.

These tips aren’t hard to incorporate into your everyday work-life. And once you do, you’ll feel so much better. You’re welcome.

If images of horror films and apocalyptic doom just came to mind, you are not alone. For many people, listening to music at work is a mainstay. It is often the rock that holds our day together. The security blanket that maintains our semblance of sanity. It is the thing by which all other things are secondary. Lost your favorite coffee mug? No biggie. Forgot the music? End of the world.

Turns out, we are not nuts. There are scientific reasons for our dependence on music to make our jobs, and life, more enjoyable. Luckily, the enjoyment is not the only benefit. As it turns out, this dependence on the finer tunes in life actually helps your career, raises your smarts, and makes you an overall better person to be around. In fact, nine out of 10 people perform better while listening to music (scientifically speaking of course). So never forget your headphones. Your boss will thank you for a job well done, your coworkers will like working with you, and you will (more often than not), leave the day with a smile on your face.

Take a look at many ways music can help your job performance and what type of music is best for the type of task at hand.

Benefits of Listening to Music on the Job

Music Makes You Better Able to Work in a Group  

As it turns out, listening to music helps you work in a group more cohesively and be a cooler person to hang out with at the office. From an evolutionary perspective, creative domains like music allow humans to connect in a synchronized way, which enables people’s ability to work together to solve problems. This shows that the power of music is deeply rooted in our brains, and developed along the lines of human evolution out of a need to empathize, harmonize, create connections, and survive.

Various studies and neuroscientists solidify the idea that music not only fosters a group identity, but makes people more cooperative and productive in a group. Now think about how this can help you. On any given day at your job, you are working with multiple types of groups. You may have a cross functional team for a specific project, with designers, strategists, and marketing specialists all working on one campaign. You also have your everyday work group, an entire department full of people with different personalities and at various levels of ability.

Music’s benefits, and its proven abilities in cultivating cohesiveness and creating a sense of community, will only enhance what you bring to the table for any of these groups and strengthen your place on a team. So you want to play nice? Be happy together? Listen to music.

Music Makes You More Productive and Efficient 

Listening to music while you work helps your productivity. You will get things done faster (yes even boring tasks like Excel spreadsheet data entry) and with far fewer errors than working without the pleasantries of your heavy rotation in the background.

In a study published in the Journal of Neuroscience of Behavior and Physiology, it was found that a person’s ability to recognize images, letters, and numbers was faster when music was playing in the background compared to when there was no music. A similar effect was noted when workers on an assembly line listened to music. The workers who listened to music were more happy, efficient, and made fewer errors than workers who didn’t indulge their ears with good music.

Music Can Help Improve Your Confidence 

Have an important pitch to give that can make or break your revenue goals? Heading into an interview that makes you nervous? Listening to some fist-pumping, bass-heavy tunes will make you more confident and more likely to handle important or nerve-racking meetings with ease. In one study, it was noted that specific types of music can improve confidence. High-powered anthemic rock and base-pumping pop music to be exact. This music boosts confidence, eases stress, and can even make you enjoy situations that may otherwise freak you out, such as speaking in front of a large crowd. Confidence directly correlates to how well you handle those big-deal interviews and make-or-break meetings.

So you know what this means. Before your big pitch—get your Rocky on.

Listening to Music You Like Sparks Creativity and Improves Overall Performance

Nothing affects the brain more than music. Rightfully so, nothing is said to ignite creativity more than listening to and participating in music. Think of music as a full body workout for your brain. It is one of the most valuable tools available for creating an efficient, creative, and happy workforce.

Whether your career requires a strategic mind or is more geared toward the creative space does not matter. Music will help improve any skill and any job— as long as you are listening to music you like while you are doing whatever it is that you do. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that surgeons worked more accurately when music they liked was playing in the background. Music that they didn’t like was second best, and no music was least helpful of all.

So What Music Should You Listen To?

Well, the foolproof thing to listen to is whatever you want to listen to on any particular day or in any given moment. Listening to what you like, regardless of your job or current project, will make you better. Period.

So no need to apologize for jamming out to some Brit Brit if that floats your boat. Start the day with some Bon Jovi and end on the other side near Daft Punk. You go right on ahead…you rock star.

If you don’t enjoy listening to a type of music, it won’t help your job regardless of what research says. With that in mind, there are certain types of genres that studies, like ones conducted by Mindlab International, have shown to have more of a positive impact on certain types of work than others. So if you are up for some experimenting, here are some genres that are best for various tasks and job requirements.

Classical Music

Best For: Work that requires creativity or extreme attention to detail.

Classical and baroque music stimulates the most amount of brain activity and creativity in people.  Listening to classical music can actually create new neuropathways in your brain, so it smartens you up. Some Beethoven and Bach can also push your brainwaves into a Theta state, the state responsible for creativity and inspiration. Essentially, classical music is the golden cat’s pajamas when it comes to how much you can kick butt at your job.

Pop Music

Best For: Work when you are on a tight deadline.

Pop music, alongside dance music, has shown to result in the fastest overall performance for getting work done. When you are on a tight deadline, music with higher beats per minute (BPM) will speed you up without hindering your quality. However, if your deadline requires a lot of focus and strategic thinking, you may want to switch to some dance or electronic music without lyrics. Lyrics can take your thoughts away from you if you tend to be the type who sings along (shower singers that means you).

Ambient Music

Best For: Work that requires solving equations.

Ambient music results in the highest level of performance for people working with numbers and equations. So, when it comes time to calculate revenue or dive deep into analytics, tune into the soothing sounds of waves, babbling brooks, or the soft arrangements credited to your local elevator muzak.

Dance Music

Best For: Overall job performance. Writing, web development, and copyediting. Work that requires a lot of accuracy.

In tests, dance music produced the highest overall accuracy and fastest performance amongst the widest variety of tasks. Jobs that require pristine accuracy, such as copyediting and web development, can benefit from dance music. Dance music also combines the best of many genres. Some trance can affect you similarly to classical music. Big room house can give you confidence like your favorite power tunes. Downtempo can even substitute ambient music when you need it. Really, dance music works for anything if you like it—so go ahead and queue up that Armin Van Buuren marathon.

Music is not the only form of entertainment that can help your career. Take a look at the many ways traveling can also benefit you at the office.

While I’ve collected a few do’s, don’ts and many lessons learned, the list below can work for both domestic and international business trips. Whether it’s packing tips to advice on feeling good while you’re away, these tips will make you feel better about travel and help you focus on the purpose of why you’re away.

Essential Tips For Business Travelers

Create a Checklist

Before you even open your suitcase, make a checklist. Starting with your travel calendar, make a list of events that you’re attending along with weather forecasts for each event. This will make your packing arrangements easier and faster. You don’t want to pack an umbrella if you know it’s going to be 90’ degrees all week long or a bulky jacket if you don’t need it.

Keep Essentials Packed

If you know you’re job requires you to travel a lot, I would recommend you keep all your travel-size toiletries pre-packed, always. It reduces time and stress from worrying if you forgot to pack that extra toothbrush or face wash. Sure you can always buy extra items at the hotel gift store, but you’ll save money if you’re always prepared. I use a small travel case to store all my key essentials and keep it in my carry on, ready to go!

Pack Only What You Need

This part can be tricky and stressful. For the most part, men have it pretty easy and tend to have their system down. However, us ladies, well…we can sometimes overpack. I usually pack a neutral color wardrobe. Yes, I know, not very stylish. But with the right accessories, it can be very chic. Neutral colors can help you mix and match everything so you’ll feel flexible on the road. Once again, no stress. You can also pack lightweight, colorful scarfs and a colorful jacket to brighten up your outfit. As for shoes, since you have neutral outfits packed, you only really need to pack two pairs of shoes. One pair of comfortable flats for the conference and one pair of pumps (dress shoes for men) for evening events.

Stay Healthy and Keep Germs Away

Obviously eating right and getting enough sleep before a flight can make travel much more tolerable. But you also want to stay healthy throughout the conference and return home without germs. As we know, airplanes are filled with bacteria and viruses, and conferences are no different. Keep a small bottle of hand sanitizer around at all times. I also like to pack my personal health essentials every time I travel and store it in a little bag without the packaging box. Some items to pack in your health essential kit are:

• Disinfecting wipes
• Emergen-C Vitamin Drink mix
• Imodium and Tums
• Aspirin and Zicam
• Protein bars
• Band-aids (for feet)

Bring Your Best Travel Gadgets

Being that you’re traveling for business, know that it’s not as easy or cheap to replace business essentials and gear if you forget it at home. This is why I always create a checklist specifically for my gadgets. Obviously you have your laptop and smartphone ready, but what about the rest of your geeky necessities to keep you connected during your business trip or at the conference? Here are some travel essentials for all your gadgets that are good to pack:

• Portable battery pack
• Portable USB hard drive
• Extra memory card for your digital camera
• Smartphone battery charger
• Mini power-strip
• Noise canceling headphones
• Portable mini music speaker
• Personal WiFi Hotspot
• Extra ethernet cable

Stay Connected

Now that you remembered to bring all your favorite gadgets with you for your business trip, make sure you don’t forget to charge everything the night before you travel. It never fails, as soon as you arrive the airport and have a few hours to kill, you will get an urge to send out a few last minute emails and your laptop is at 7% battery. Ugh!  Another thing to remember if you’re traveling overseas, make sure you reach out to your mobile carrier and let them know you’ll be traveling. Some carriers offer free data and text in some countries and may offer low fees for calls. The service came in handy when I was trying to use Google Maps to find an address during a Mexico City business trip. Connection is very slow, but it’s free. You can always upgrade to different packages depending on your carrier. The important thing is to have everything figured out with your phone and connectivity before you go on your trip.

Pick the Right Security Line

There’s no guarantee in this, but I have a few theories of what may be the fastest line.  First, when you show your ID and boarding pass to the agent, ask them which line they think may be going the quickest. Second, get in the line with most solo male travelers. Most men have fewer accessories to remove, which means they tend to move faster. Third, avoid any line with couples traveling alone on vacation, families with small children, and elders. You may not make it to your gate on time. George Clooney in Up in the Air also gave this great advice in the movie. Smart Man. True story.

Prevent Jet Lag

I’ve learned this trick over time, but you have to trick your body into thinking you’re in the right time zone as soon as possible. For long destination trips, I try to book red eye flights so I can sleep overnight on the plane. I recommend you drink plenty of water the day before so you can keep hydrated—travel can cause dehydration and make it difficult to sleep. Once you land, change your watch to the destination time zone. Even if you’re super tired when you land, stay awake until it gets dark. Skip the afternoon nap! This will help trick your body with the new time zone. Trust me, you will sleep well and be well-rested for your full day at the conference.

Get Deals for the Best Travel Rates

Now that you have the bare necessities for your next business travel experience, you want to make sure you’re getting the best airfare and hotel rates, especially if it’s coming from your budget. Yes, you have the standard travel sites like Expedia and Travelocity, but I have a few other travel apps that I always turn to for great rates and help during my travels:

HotelTonight – Great for last minute hotel bookings for unexpected extended business trips.

Skyscanner – Last minute low-cost flights. Perfect for when you either miss a flight or need to reschedule a meeting.

Hipmunk – Compares the top travel sites to find the best hotel and flight deals.

Uber – Don’t wait for a Taxi when you can get a better experience with Uber. Also, Uber is expanding their service internationally and is already available in a few countries outside the US.

My Currency Converter – Perfect for international business travelers, this app is simple and supports over 150 different currencies from around the world. It even supports Bitcoin.

Sign up for Frequent Traveler and Frequent Flyer Programs

Whether you travel a lot or very little, sign up for every frequent flier program out there. Some airline point programs, like JetBlue, never expire. It pays to be a member—trust me your points are worth cash. In just one year, I earned enough points to take a free flight with JetBlue, and I wasn’t even keeping track. In fact, there’s an app that will help you track your miles called Award Wallet. The app not only tracks frequent miles, but also tracks hotel points and credit card points. It even notifies you when your balance changes or when your points are about to expire.

For international travelers that travel outside the US frequently, I recommend you register for services like Global Entry or other pre-check programs. Global Entry is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection program that allows pre-approved travelers to bypass traditional security checks. You’ll save a lot of time!

Hope these business travel tips were helpful. In fact, if you have other tips you would like to share, please comment below. It is always helpful to hear other recommendations and share travel tips

Unbeknownst to many, is the fact that wanderlust junkies can use their addiction to further their career with the expanded skills and business acumen that traveling can develop. The adventurous spirit can learn quite a bit about life and career success while out in the jungle getting eaten by bugs.

Here are some valuable lessons traveling teaches us that can help your career and improve your work and home life.

Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone Makes Uncomfortable Situations Decidedly More Comfortable

The comfort zone is both a necessary good and unavoidable evil. We survive in it on instinct—but we also fail to thrive in it. Camping in Sinai desert, coming face-to-face with a giant moray eel at the Great Barrier Reef, or trekking through hidden caverns filled with bats, are experiences far removed from the creature comforts of Western life. But it’s these experiences that build our tolerance to risk and allow us to get comfortable with the idea of being uncomfortable.

When you are ok with discomfort, you not only adapt to new and unknown projects, people, and ideas, you also have room to push boundaries and innovate—traits that are invaluable to any career or industry.

Imagination and Innovation Grow Exponentially Based on the Frequency of Travel   

Having the ability to “imagine” is part of the human experience. This ability is within everyone, even though some have more active and vivid imaginations naturally.

False assumptions about imagination defined as a skill set often put the thought process into a have or have not category amongst adults. Rather than a muscle that can be stretched and expanded, it is seen as a label that one is born possessing. This one has an active imagination, and this one is… good at math? This is bull of course. You want to have an active imagination? You want to stretch your creativity to new heights? You can.

Travel. It is that simple.

Traveling is something that pushes us, and the experience of doing and seeing things outside of our normal day-to-day niche causes us to expand upon our normal way of thinking and reach a mental state that creates new neurotransmitters and pathways. The experience of doing so expands everything in our mind far beyond a reach we were previously capable. This expansion not only helps any chosen career path, but also every other area of life, whether it be relationships, hobbies, or overall wellbeing.

Planning is Necessary, but Planning for the Unexpected is Just as Necessary

Being able to think on your feet and adapt to change is probably one of the most crucial abilities in our modern, constantly on-the-go world. If you work at an agency, or any company that involves a lot of moving parts attempting to work together cohesively at rapid speed, then you have to be organized to function efficiently. But what happens when the things you plan for don’t work out? Or unexpected hurdles, twists, and forks wreck havoc on your plans? Going into a tailspin of anxiety is not an option when you have clients, coworkers, and projects that you are accountable for making successful.

Two things humans are not very good at: 1) accepting things we cannot change and 2) adapting to unexpected change. A static mind that has fallen into a routine will find it hard to overcome new challenges, handle stressful situations, and envision new goals. A person who adapts well to different situations and can react accordingly already has the qualities of a leader. Traveling helps us surpass these shortcomings and develop these leadership skills.

When you travel, no doubt you make plans. You make plans in the confines of what you can do, what is appropriate for the destination, your budget, and desires. From experience, it is safe to say that about 50-70% of these plans will not go according to plan. It can be stressful, but you will find it only adds to the adventure. It may be chaotic, but when your survival is at stake, you manage to find order within the chaos. Navigating unplanned roads and twists in your landscape will help you in life, in your job, and in your overall career path. Besides, once you have successfully backpacked through Europe after running out of money, taken a mystery detour with new friends, and found your way after getting stranded and robbed on a train, you can handle anything.

Building Positive Relationships With Others Requires More Than Friendliness

A friendly disposition is a valuable personality trait. But friendliness alone does not a people-person make. Valuable communication skills such as collaboration, linguistic convergence, and effective dialog tailored to the desires of individuals and groups—these are skills needed to build effective relationships with people in the workplace.

When you travel, if you do so with others, you are likely contribute ideas, collaborate on trip-planning, and forego some desires to cater to common goals. When you travel as a pair or by yourself, you must still adapt and develop new communication skills to respect and build rapport with people in other cultures—often behind a language barrier and amidst conflicting cultural norms.

Knowing how to communicate with a wide variety of people, and the ability to collaborate and meet goals shared by a group, are “people” skills that travel teaches at an accelerated pace.  Interacting with people from different corners of the world will make you a better listener, more compassionate, more willing to understand others, and better at communicating. Out there in the wild, you learn quickly to communicate and adapt to others in order to ensure your survival. At the office? Well, let’s be honest, isn’t it often a jungle in there as well?

Fear Only Lasts For a Split Second After Doing That Which You Fear

One of my first mentors told me at a young age, that the one thing that would ever hold me back from doing something (or saying something or being something) is the fear behind it.

What adventures teach us is that the feeling of fear and dread only lasts about a split second after starting to act on whatever it is that you fear. What follows is either a deep feeling of satisfaction or adrenaline, hence why so many extreme sports become addictive.

When traveling through Australia, there was an opportunity to bungee jump at the highest point—atop the canopy of the Daintree Rainforest. This was not a first bungee jump, but it serves as an example of a process for moving through fear rather than away from it, with the feelings comfortably alongside you like an old friend. When you do this, fear is not the paralyzer but the catalyst that wakes you up and propels you forward. When you jump off a platform into a rainforest canopy, instinctually, for a very split second, you have the same physiological response as a fall to your death. Your stomach drops, your breath stops, and the world freezes in time. Then, just like that, it is over. Any fear transcends into the biggest adrenaline rush imaginable and the most alive you can possible feel.

Back on solid ground, and in the business world, one thing becomes very clear. Being fearful of proposing a new idea, of falling, or even failing, is nothing compared to that jump. Being afraid becomes something you carry with you—you notice it, but it does not paralyze you. You welcome it, and it no longer controls you. As a result, the very act of taking risks, speaking up with new ideas, and trying new strategies becomes easier.

Bloggers Respond to Emails

This sounds so simple, doesn’t it? But it’s so nice to get a response to an email even if it’s a quick “no thanks.” It’s a common courtesy that is, unfortunately, not so common anymore. Writing back even when you can’t make it to an event or participate in a campaign tells us, “Hi, I see you, and I want to have a working relationship with you.” Also, you totally get bonus points for fast responses.

Bloggers Follow Directions

Nobody likes nagging people. When a blog post is done on time with a disclosure, when a tweet includes the correct hashtag (whatever it is we asked) we are so delighted. So delighted that we blow kisses at the screen and talk baby talk like we just saw a puppy. Probably shouldn’t have even told you that. But that is how happy it makes us. Yeah, we’re nerds like that.

Bloggers Communicate

Being a blogger that everyone loves to work with isn’t about being perfect all the time. It’s about those times when things don’t go perfectly, and you handle it with professionalism. If something comes up and you can’t meet your deadline, please just let us know! Otherwise, we are left to make our own assumptions, and that’s rarely a good thing. We’re very creative people with crazy-vivid imaginations. We might think you got kidnapped by pirates, eaten by sharks, ooh– kidnapped by pirate sharks..!

Bloggers Let Us Know When Their Posts Are Live

Yes, this could fall under the communication category, but it’s so important it deserves its own mention. Bloggers, we LIKE reading your blog posts! We love sharing them with clients, and we like promoting them on social media. It’s not some existential quandary when we tell you we can’t promote what we don’t know exists. It makes things so easy when you email to tell us that the post is live and include a link.

Bloggers Are Consistent As All Get-Out

If there’s a blogger we know we can count on, you bet your boots we will work with them on a repeat basis whenever possible. It’s the same as how we keep going back to our favorite Starbucks because we know they get our orders right. When putting our campaigns together, a known quantity is a huge bonus. Heading into a new project knowing what to expect of one another takes the stress out of it. Consistency makes this possible.

If you do these things, we will love you forever. No promises on naming a kid after you or anything, but we will be forging a fabulous relationship and making beautiful media together.

As an entrepreneur for 15 years, I always struggled to obtain the right amount of energy for growing my businesses, and also the right amount of energy for being a great father.

It took me a while, but I have finally come to a point in my life where I truly feel I have a bit of balance between work and home. This was no easy feat as I have grown Gigasavvy, along with the other co-founders, into a thriving and successful agency over the past six years, while simultaneously becoming a husband and raising kids.

There are several key things I worked on to master it and it can’t be put into some “5 Steps” or guaranteed solution. It’s different for everyone. However, I did find that focusing on these key areas were essential to finding the balance that worked.

Get Rid of Wasted Relationships

The first thing to do is get rid of wasted relationships and relationships that are not a positive influence in your life. Once I did this, I freed up a lot of lost time and energy. Getting myself into a healthy relationship and getting married also helped bring me an inner peace that allowed me to be more focused at work (rather than thinking about what kind of drama I was going to come home to that night). Getting rid of toxic relationships and welcoming healthy relationships is the number one life changer you can do.

Make Vacation a Priority

Vacation. Yep, this is number two. Make it an absolute priority. I make it a goal to take the family out of town every 6 weeks. This may seem like a lot but this could be a simple weekend trip to the desert for some motorcycle riding, a camping trip to Yosemite, or a weeklong adventure. It doesn’t have to be something elaborate, but I strongly recommend some sort of activity where your family is going to have your undivided attention without iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks. Give your family at least 48 hours of your time and you will be amazed with the results.

Prioritize Family First

Always make sure that your family and the people you love are the number one priority in your life. If your 3 year old has a preschool performance, put it on your calendar. If your husband or wife has an important event, schedule time to attend. No client is worth the joy and memories you get from being a part of the little things in your kids’ or loved ones’ lives. Be a little league coach like I was, or soccer, or team mom or dad. Show your children that you are the boss of your life, and if you need to take time away from work to support them, that you will.

Have a Hobby

Join a running club or fun sports league. Take up knitting or DIY crafting. Learn photography. Surf and snowboard. Whatever floats your boat — don’t just do it or say you will do it, actually commit to having a certain amount of hobby time each month. Not only does this help your brainpower, it also boosts your mood, gets you living in the present moment, and makes you an all-around better person to hang out with.

Sleep Well and Eat Right

Try your best to get eight hours of sleep per night. If you do this consistently, you will be more efficient and productive during waking hours, you will be healthier, feel better, and have a ton more energy. While you’re at it, kick the junk food habit and stick to a healthy diet as much as possible. While no one is perfect with his or her diet (and no one should be so strict), I find it is best to stick to the 80/20 rule with food. That means 80% of the time you are eating right and the other 20% of the time is kept for fancy dinners out, cheat days, and that bucket of wings while watching football.

Master the Art of Scheduling

For years I struggled to maintain a daily schedule that would allow me time to research, study, and continue my never-ending quest for knowledge, while also being efficient at work and available at home. Make sure to schedule in time to improve and grow (personally and professionally), time to work, time for your friends and family, and finally time to yourself. Master your schedule and you can master anything.

Separate Work from Home

Don’t bring work home with you. When you leave the office, leave work there as well. While there will always be occasional instances where you have to work late, if you are constantly working late nights, you may want rethink your work load. On the same note, try not to work from home unless it is an emergency. It is difficult to separate the two if they are both done in the same physical space. If you work for yourself, then create a separate area that is designated for work only, find a co-working place near you, or simply work at a local coffee shop.

I continue to try and find new ways to improve my life and maintain a successful company and happy home. This is a learning process through life that one never truly masters. If you have any life hacks or tips for conquering the work/life battlefield that you swear by, share them in the comments below!