The Road Warrior: Work Remote on the Road

/ Adam Smith / 1 Comment

DISCLAIMER: This article represents my personal views and not those of my employer or any affiliated organizations.

Jeep SUV cruising down the road

In this article, I’ll walk you through my own experiences living on the road, moving from vacation rental to vacation rental. Being a digital nomad takes a lot of effort. This is especially true if you’re working while doing it.

If you’re going to travel by vehicle, vs. by air, you need to be prepared.

If you haven’t checked it out, also see my article on how to prepare to be a digital nomad!

Rent or Buy?

The rental market for vehicles tends to fluctuate immensely. A few months into the virus crisis, many rental centers were practically begging customers to lease cars and trucks from their lots. Now post-crisis, rental and used vehicle prices are sky high, with a car computer chip shortage meaning fewer new vehicles are produced.

Buying a vehicle is a big decision to make. It comes with many commitments: Doing your own upkeep, inherited mechanical problems, and having to register in a home state. Rental centers typically will take care of maintenance, repairs, and you can drop your vehicle off in most major cities. This means you’re never worried about where you’re located.

The upside of buying is that (if purchasing with cash), you’ll never have to make a monthly payment again. You can also customize your vehicle however you like. For whatever money you put into buying the vehicle, you can get most of it back when reselling it.

Choosing a Vehicle

It’s important to choose a vehicle that suits your nomad lifestyle. Do you spend most of your time in urban areas? Perhaps something smaller, faster with better miles per gallon is best for you (like a Honda CR-V or RAV4). Do you do lots of off-roading to get to remote trailheads? You’ll need a truck or SUV with 4 Wheel Drive or All Wheel Drive capability and high ground clearance. Do you tend to sleep or camp in your vehicle often? You’ll want an SUV or van with a lot of space. Pickup trucks with a fitted canopy work well for this too.

Choosing Where to Do your Registration and Title

Believe it or not, the state or province that you register your vehicle in matters a lot. You may have to return there once a year to renew your registration, or to do emissions testing. You can only register in a state where you hold residence.

Outfitting your Vehicle for Weather Conditions and Terrain

There are all sorts of conditions that can pop up on the road.

If you’ll be doing any sort of off-roading, you’ll need tires that can take a beating. You’ll also want to carry Bunker Indust traction mats to put under your tires (just in case you get stuck in mud/sand). If you’ll be going through snow/mountain passes, some roads *require* vehicles to carry snow chains.

For comfort, it’s a good idea to buy sun shades, mesh window bug screens, and a Thule roof box (in case you have extra belongings).

Loading your Vehicle for the Road

If you’re traveling on the road, you’re going to need a lot of space. For this reason, it’s best to be a minimalist with your belongings while traveling.

We managed to stuff all of our things into the backseat of a 4-door Ford Ranger pickup, but it was quite a squeeze. Now, with a Honda Pilot, we’ve got a 6 seat SUV, able to fold 2 of those seat rows flat. That makes for a lot of room.

Another great trick for pickup trucks: Make use of that flat bed space. Our solution was a large sports cooler and a Thermos strapped into the back of our truck. We used 4 elastic straps to secure both containers, and not once had an issue, even on interstate highways.

You’ll want to load your vehicle up the night before your rental reservation ends. The reasoning? You’ll be spending checkout day cleaning the place up. You don’t want to be searching around for lost possessions.

Protecting your Vehicle

If you’re going to be taking long-haul road trips, you need to do regular upkeep and maintenance on your vehicle.

Even if you may think you’re in the “middle of nowhere”, you may be surprised. Trailheads and rural areas are some of the most common points of theft and break-ins. They are community gathering points where most people leave their vehicles unattended. This makes it easy for would-be thieves. To prevent this, make sure to buy a vehicle with a car alarm, or have one installed (Banvie car alarms are great and cheap). More importantly, buy a tarp to cover your belongings, so thieves can’t see what you “have to offer”. I recommend a Guard Rhino tarp, they’re only $14, and you can use them for many other purposes like camping and as a rain shield.

In the SUV, we also have a secret compartment under the truck bed, which contains a camp stove, fuel, a first aid kit, and a tire jack. (A Big Red 10 ton bottle jack should handle pretty much any vehicle). These emergency supplies will help us to survive a night in the wilderness with a flat tire, if we really need to.

Last but not least, protect the exterior of your vehicle. Desert sun can actually melt your paint. Too much water can make it rust. You can sustain scratches from not just rocks, but even tiny branches. So be sure to buy an external ceramic coating (like TriNova Hydrophobic Sealant). By doing this, you’re also insuring the resale value of your vehicle.

Happy Travels!

Okay! You’re ready to hit the road. Just remember: Vehicles that are loved and cared for have better resale value. Have fun in your vehicle, but be careful with it. You want to be able to trade it in for an even better model eventually, or to sell it if you want to “digital nomad” by plane, or “settle down”.

Remote Work Will End the Business Travel Romance

/ Adam Smith / Leave a comment

DISCLAIMER: This article represents my personal views and not those of my employer or any affiliated organizations.

When is the last time you took a business travel trip?

If you’re fresh out of college, that answer may be never.

Business travel has been romanticized in popular culture since the inception of passenger airlines. How many movies have you seen where a suited figure in first class reclines, sipping on a cocktail while reading through a business newspaper? How about a group of industry colleagues rolling up in a private car to an extravagant hotel? If you’ve watched Mad Men, Don Draper sharing a glass of whiskey during a business pitch may have come to mind.

The virus crisis has changed business travel forever. Will business travel exist after the pandemic? Certainly. However, its absence during the crisis has shown numerous companies just how many resources they were expending on business travel.

Copyright © AMC Networks

Brief history of business travel

The first scheduled passenger plane flight departed on January 1st, 1914. Some of the longest standing airlines were KLM, Qantas and Avianca. Since the U.S. entered WWII later than European countries, they had more time to spend developing commercial aircraft. The U.S. industry since 1945 essentially set the standard for international air travel.

During the Golden Age of air travel, flying was a novelty experience defined by fine dining experiences and upscale services. The experience back then was probably similar to today’s first class section. The first “business class” was rolled out in December 1977 by Thai Airlines.

The decades leading up to the pandemic were filled withpractically unlimited expense accounts, luxury hotels, and exorbitant meals out. Business travel has not returned to its pre-virus levels. We’ll likely be videoconferencing for some time to come. I discuss this a bit in my recent article “We’re Never Going Back to the ‘Office‘”.

Business tourism? Yeah, that was a thing.

Pre-crisis, business travel would often be tauted as a perk. You would do the business trip at the end of the week, then stay the weekend to explore on your own time. Some individuals would even bring their spouse/partner who’d fly out separately.

My own dad still displays plaques for the company trips he won on the wall. The U.S. Virgin Islands. The Bahamas. Lake Tahoe. Vancouver, BC. He would take my mother along on each of these trips. In his own words, “I was in the top percentile of the entire country to win those trips.” He says they’re going to mean something, to somebody, and that I should “keep them in the family”. I’ll probably just put them in storage.

Environmental impacts of business travel

For service-based organisations, business travel and aviation are the biggest contributors to their total emissions, often above the collective carbon footprint of their offices. Air travel impacts the local environment through increased nitrogen pollutants, particulates and noise levels.

Companies across the spectrum discovered an unexpected benefit of grounding their employees during the pandemic: a lowering of carbon emissions from business travel.

Many businesses are announcing new promises to reduce (and offset) business travel emissions as a way to reach their sustainability goals. Only one in four organizations consider their “carbon footprint” to be a top priority.

Employee wellbeing

Environmental impact is not the only pitfall of business travel. A World Bank study showed that 75% of staff reported high or very high stress related to business travel. Americans took more than 500 Million business trips in 2016. (Harvard Business Review)

Stress, sleep interruption, unhealthy eating and drinking, and lack of exercise are all common factors of business travel burnout. The odds of being obese are 92% higher for those who traveled 21 or more nights per month, compared to those who traveled only one to six nights per month

Business travel could mean traveling to company HQ abroad

I recently wrote about my personal return to the office experience. With much of the knowledge workforce still remote, and business travel at an indefinite standstill, the show must go on. As such, large annual company offsite meetings may now turn into ONSITE meetings. This entails all of the domestic (or international) staff flying into the company headquarters to “reconnect”. If that would prove too difficult, employee visits to the headquarters could be staggered.

Take advantage of a geographically diverse team

Distributed teams have been the lifeblood of tech businesses since the dawn of the internet. The model was much harder to achieve before global telecommunications. So why is remote work such a hard concept to justify, when your engineering team is already in India, your HR team is in London, and your office is in New York City?

In many businesses, regions are divided up by time zones. For example, The Americas, EMEA and APAC.

What we forget, however, is that these also represent shared time zones. For instance, someone in Bogota, Columbia could work the same hours as a colleague in New York. The same with Lagos, Nigeria for London, or Tokyo for Sydney. Location bias doesn’t have to be a concept anymore.

Distributed workforce could be opportunity for businesses to extend their reach

The other benefit of a distributed workforce is the ability to meet customers where they are, and *when* they are. The pre-crisis world had executives flying all over the world for “face time”. As a requirement of the role, this lifestyle was popular for some, but not for all. For instance, working parents were often strained to find child care or juggle their home life while on the road.

Instead of this, why not embrace decentralized command by briefing the representatives located closest to customers to meet them on their terms? This tactic has been used by regional sales teams for decades, and can be extended to any aspect of business.

To be an effective leader, regular check-ins and ensuring decentralized command is important

Remote work calls for a different kind of management style. Gone are the “hall monitor” management days of the “Bill Lumberg” character looking over the shoulders of staff. We live in an age with a broad amount of productivity platforms that can be accessed anywhere in the world.

Instead of a checklist, an idea for status meetings is to set milestones beyond “next steps”. It’s important to teach core concepts, set an agenda, and train “microleaders” to act as an extension of command. A robust project management tool can show visibility into tasks without constant Slack check-ins.

Mother remote working with son embracing Photo by Ivan Samkov on Pexels.com

Temporary rental platforms are assigning importance to customers that are now permanently remote

You may have heard that “the office is not a place, it’s a concept”. This is more true than ever. We are at the point where opening a satellite office doesn’t require a multi-year lease. Even the most stalwart of commercial real estate companies are looking into an office-as-you-need model, mirroring companies like WeWork, Convene and Regus.

Finally, vacation rental platforms like AirBnB and VRBO realize the classic business model of working out of an expensive (or no-frills) hotel room isn’t that comfortable. Business travelers can book a vacation rental instead, and stay in a private house without neighbors who frequent the hotel bar keeping them up. Even better news? It’s cost-effective, too.

Traveling while working remotely is true freedom

With remote work, there’s no more “caboose trips” after a business conference. There’s no more sweating a flight delay because you have to be back in the office the next day. No more late nights figuring out your personal expenses vs. company expenses.

You can travel over a weekend, work or meet business contacts during the week, go to a different attraction each night, and fly out the next weekend. All on your own schedule. How cool is that?

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woman in black t shirt using macbook pro

I’m Back in the Office! What Happens Now?

/ Adam Smith / 1 Comment

DISCLAIMER: This article represents my personal views and not those of my employer or any affiliated organizations.

This past month, I did the unthinkable…

I made my return to office.

However, it was on my own terms, and of my own choice. After all, I was returning to NYC to see some friends and check on my belongings after far too long away.

How was the experience?

I prepared the night before, laid out my clothes, shaved, made sure all my belongings were in my backpack.

The next morning, I walked onto a subway which was about half the capacity it normally is. Felt kind of lonely, but thankfully there were no crazy happenings which come from mass crowds. Well, aside from the few people who refused to wear masks…

Read more about my commuting experience in “Do You REALLY Miss Your Commute?“

I peacefully walked off the subway, with a swing in my step as I proceeded to my first office visit. The receptionist checked me in, and I went upstairs. 

Wow, what a beautiful space. It had feelings of WeWork in its heyday.

I greeted and met some coworkers for my first time. Set up my laptop as I had done in previous  workspaces.

What was different?

There were far less people. This gave it a different feel than the office I “knew”.

However I actually appreciated the diminished capacity. There was very little “white noise” to distract from deep focus, even without earbuds in.

There was no in-person meetings to rush or be late to. Everything was on Zoom. My in-person interactions were on my terms. The office space even held a “hybrid” trivia happy hour, where some of us joined virtually, and others in real life.

What can a successful hybrid model look like?

There’s been a lot of talk of how we need a “hybrid model” to move forward with the return to office.

What does that even mean?

For many companies, that means making all staff return to the office 2-3 days a week. That’s not truly hybrid work. That’s flexible work-from-home. 

A true hybrid model would give the choice for some of the staff to come in-person, and some to work remotely (permanently). This model most benefits our post-pandemic transition, as it limits office capacity to only what’s necessary.

It gives working moms the choice to get employer-provided childcare, and join in-office if they wish. Or, for those same moms to work from home (or wherever they wish), being home for sick kids or taking care of time-draining errands.

What are the challenges of return to office?

As with any crisis, a snappy shift from one extreme to the other can cause a lot of trouble. We might think “back to normal” for a return to office will be easy.

Let’s also think about all the workers who’ve left their given careers for lack of work, voluntarily or involuntarily.

We have one of the worst worker “shortages” in decades due to this.

The MTA subway staff in New York used to run at least 6 trains per hour. Now they only have the capacity to run 2-3. What is that going to look like when there’s a mass return of people to NYC?

How about lunch? While restaurants are running with 1/3 of their normal staff, how long will getting food take?

Will traffic administration be able to deal with a new influx of single-person commuter cars?

Does that seem like a lot of questions?

It should. There’s a lot to ask.

Since you’ve made it this far –

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Nomad to Entrepreneur with Omar Mo

/ Adam Smith / 2 Comments

This session, we interview Omar Mo of NomadsCast, a former earth science professional, turned globetrotting nomad, turned digital marketer. We touch on topics like growing up with religious parents (and discovering your own meaning), living the nomad van life, financial independence, and bringing remote work to Middle America.

A few good books:

– The Slight Edge: Turning Simple Disciplines into Massive Success & Happiness by Jeff Olson

– The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

– Dotcom Secrets, Expert Secrets & Traffic Secrets by Russell Brunson

WATCH TO LEARN MORE BELOW!

Check out NomadsCast’s services and get in touch with Omar on the channels below:
– NomadsCast Marketing Services
– The Nomadic Executive Podcast
– LinkedIn

Read more about my experience remote working across the U.S. on the road.

While you’re at it –

Sign up to the Origin Story mailing list or more helpful professional tips!

New Graduates: How to Get a Job Post-Crisis

/ Adam Smith / 5 Comments

DISCLAIMER: This article represents my personal views and not those of my employer or any affiliated organizations.

The World After COVID is WEIRD for New Graduates.

I graduated around the Great Recession. It was a very strange era. Everything our parents had told us: “Reach for the stars!”, “Just work hard and you’ll get ahead!” all appeared to be a massive fallacy. Later on, their generation told us we couldn’t afford to buy a house, because we bought too much avocado toast. This is irrespective of the fact that mortgage companies were the catalyst for the entire Recession.

We made up our own phrases instead. “Be your own star” or “Work smarter, not harder”. Our university career advisors would talk up the job prospects in our fields. They were so institutionalized, or out of touch with the career world. That, or they didn’t even believe themselves. New graduates had to pave our own path.

Some were lucky to find work right before the Recession hit. A fraction of those kept their jobs throughout, stuck in a role for several years. Others lost their first job to a layoff. Does this sound familiar?

You might be wondering how you’ll pay off your student debt, or even how you’ll pay your rent. It’s time to get creative.

Avocado Toast. Jane D. on Pexels.com

Network First

The first thing many did was to throw “Pink Slip Parties“during the Recession. These networking events are held by groups of recently laid-off people (often from the same company) and new graduates who have a shared interest in getting hired. While doing this in-person is a no-no right now: You can do it virtually, within a LinkedIn or Facebook group.

Peers are your best way to get a job. Ask friends for introductions. Volunteer at industry events.

LinkedIn is a great example of an exponential network. You may have 400 connections. However, your public posts actually reach 800+ 2nd or 3rd degree connections. Posting on relevant topics can be a great way to generate interest.

Keep in mind that virtual networking is now the norm. If there’s a way to meet in-person, do it. Summer is coming into full-swing. Sharing a coffee or snack outside is safe and socially distanced.

Remember to pay it forward. How can you help this person first? Don’t be afraid to ask. Even if you’re junior in your career, everyone needs something. You may know of new graduates for other roles. You may be hip to newer software or events than your (likely older) networking contact.

Get personal. Ask about your contact’s interests outside of work. What do they like to eat/drink? What’s the latest movie they saw? Have they seen anything funny on the internet recently?

New graduate having a Video Call

Use Platforms

Networking platforms can actually be very valuable. Particularly if you’re outside a city or not yet vaccinated. During the crisis, there are several platforms with massive attention:

  • LunchClub – This is an invite-only platform that matches you to those with similar interests. Select your calendar availability for the next week, and they’ll set you on a “blind date” with a new networking contact. It’s surprisingly effective. You can sign up using my link here.
  • Clubhouse – Are you a member of Clubhouse, the audio-first chat platform? If so, there are tons of groups on the topic. Search for “Careers”, “Jobs”, “Recruit”, and join the conversation. If you strike up a meaningful chat – Don’t stop there! Ask that person for their email or LinkedIn info! If you need an invite to Clubhouse – Please reach out to me and I’ll get you taken care of!
Photo of young man interviewing on mobile phone Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

Job Searching

Networking is golden. Let’s not forget about the more conventional job search.

You’re selling you. You need to think about your job search like running your own business. Build a good “client” prospect list. Do your research. Make diligent and regular follow-ups.

LinkedIn Search is one of the best ways to find open jobs. You can use Advanced Filters to look up Job Titles and People.

You can set up “Job Alerts” on LinkedIn for companies or titles you’re looking for. Even if that company’s not hiring right now. See how here. You can also set up Google alerts for specific search terms.

 

 

Do NOT Bother with Applicant Tracking Systems

You may perceive a job search as sending out resumes left and right. Throw that idea out the door. This is probably the least efficient job search tactic.

How many hours have you already spent filling out applications?

Applicant Tracking Systems are a waste of time. Just like an automated phone system, your mantra should be “Speak to a person!”

Before the internet, the most successful new graduates found creative ways to get to the hiring manager. There’s stories about showing up to the office reception, and finding their way to the hiring manager’s desk. There’s others about working through phone systems to get to speak to the right person.

Am I suggesting you do this? No. It’s much easier these days. Reach out to recruiters and HR directly on LinkedIn. It’s not as aggressive as a phone call, and not as easily ignored as an email.

LinkedIn connection requests are a very non-intrusive outreach method. It’s not as aggressive as a phone call, or easily ignored as an email. You need only fit a relevant message into -300 words.

With resumes, filling out job applications Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels.com

Interview Process

I have faith that you know how to interview. In an era where competition is fierce – it matters how new graduates constructively use rejections.

During the interview itself – Are you asking questions that will prepare you for your next one?

  • “Are there any other candidates in the process currently?” (You may not get a straight answer)
  • What made you choose to interview me vs. other candidates?
  • Always end the interview asking “Are there any hesitations on your mind that I can clarify?”

Did you get the job? If you’re rejected, always politely ask if any constructive feedback can be provided. This applies if the rejection reasons seem to be vague.

You can always write a graceful “rejection thank you” for jobs that you really wanted. You’d be surprised at how a touch of grace and gratitude can help. Anything can change with other candidates. You might be rejected, and later get an offer letter when the other candidate doesn’t work out (competing offer, commitment conflicts).

Recommended Reading:

 

Interviewer and job seeker going through job interview Photo by Alex Green on Pexels.com

Take a Bridge Job

The recovery could take a while. (See my previous article) If your dream job isn’t shaking out, do something. Take a job that will pay the bills for now. Even if not perfect, is it close or transferrable to what you want to do?

Remote or online jobs can give you time for a side hustle (whether that be your independent work or career job search). There’s plenty available.

You could also apply for AmeriCorps, which, while a year’s commitment, will get you out of your hometown, allow you to see the country, and build your network. The Peace Corps could be an option after reopening.

New graduates change jobs a lot in their 20’s. Many don’t make it to their resumes. Don’t let anyone shame you for it. There’s plenty of professionals (in hiring) that probably left off a transition job from their experience.

Think long term – What opportunities can a bridge job open up for you?

 

Man using a laptop at a wood workshop Photo by Ivan Samkov on Pexels.com

Pursue a Non-Traditional Career

Let’s say you’ve been searching, and not finding anything suitable to your track. Maybe it’s time to create work for yourself. This was common during the Recession. Oftentimes during downturns, there are less people on full-time payroll, and more on freelance or contract roles.

You have the option to create a personal practice or sole proprietorship. This would mean that you work for yourself and contract directly with clients.

Lastly, perhaps starting a business is not too far fetched. There are free Small Business Grant programs available around the country. Many online businesses have low overhead. E-commerce is one of the simplest business models. You just have to find a niche to sell within.

 

What’s Next?

I wish you the very best of luck in the post-pandemic world. The advice does not stop here. If you have any questions, comments on the article, or requests on what I should publish next –

Connect with me on LinkedIn and mention it in the subject line!

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