Anyone who travels a bit knows how much it teaches you, from strategies about upgrades and how to handle jet lag and where to eat. One of my longstanding top tips is to put away your phone, forget Google maps and walk two blocks back from the main drag in any city or town. It’s where you start to see the real heart of the place, not just the window dressing.
So while my seven day Puerto Rico business trip in May was officially to speak at an invitation-only conference, my unofficial mission was to learn something new every day about travel. Here’s what I found:
One: US and Australian businesses face the same problems. They struggle with marketing choices and knowing the best ways to grow their business. After talking to conference attendees from those two countries plus Canada, New Zealand and Japan, I’m starting to believe they’re universal challenges.
I learned we need to invest in our professional development, even if you have to travel across the world to do so. I got some great learnings from keynote speakers and panel discussions but also in incidental conversations and dinners with other people there for the conference. We need to prioritise our learning in order to establish what are the best ways forward for our businesses.
Two: There’s never been a more important time for small businesses to undertake research to better understand their customer. In the children’s activity space this is now critical because many businesses are unaware that their current Millennial strategy is not going to work with new Gen Z families which we are starting to experience. Yes, it involves investing time and money in commissioning an expert to do the research, but it’s the most effective, efficient way to find out who your customer really is and what they want.
Three: Creativity has to be nurtured. I listened to a fabulous presentation about creativity from business owner Steve, who weaved his journey over decades owning gymnastics clubs in the US into a timeless message about how play informs so much good stuff. We know that play stimulates our imagination, fosters innovative thinking, gives us the impetus to explore possibilities, experiment with ideas and develop problem-solving skills in a low-stakes environment.
When was the last time you did something to nurture your creativity? I’m reflecting on this and will lean into play a bit more than I have recently while I get ready for the new financial year.
Four: If you want to know where to eat, ask a local where they would go out with their own family. Someone passing by on the street will give you a more honest answer than the concierge at your hotel, who will want to keep things ‘nice’ and will direct you towards a tourist place even if you say you want an authentic experience. I loved Raices for the real deal Puerto Rican food (and very cute waiters).
Five: You can pick up so many new ideas by visiting lots of local businesses overseas. I had a fascinating visit at The Cigar House, where Tito, the son of the owner, took me on a tour of the store and educated me about what to look for in a cigar (a subject in which I previously had zero interest.) Tito was busy reorganising all the Davidoff cigars after a day off, but found time to walk me through how the store offers an immersive experience with a cigar lounge and bar serving rare Puerto Rican rums, bourbon whiskies and red wines.
He might not have converted me into a cigar lover but wow, did Tito share some great strategies and inspire me anew about the importance of experiential marketing.
Six: Hand luggage is the only way to fly. A friend told me this last year before I went to Europe and I ignored her advice and ended up lugging around a check-in bag filled with clothes I didn’t wear. Now I’m a hand luggage convert – specifically, Melbourne brand JULY, the official supplier of luggage to the Australian Olympic team for Paris – and love how easy boarding and changing flights during stopovers is, plus the glide of the wheels and the ability to charge my phone or laptop.
For the week of work plus three days visiting a friend in Texas, I packed one suit, two pants, a jumpsuit, three dresses, six tops, one pair of shoes, smalls, something to sleep in, bathers, make up, toiletries and a denim jacket in my carry on. I still had room for a few bits and pieces I bought on the trip.
Seven: Take a jumper! While this is tropical paradise outside—it stays warm even when it rains—it can be really cold indoors as most places run their air conditioning at a very high level. Have a fine knit that you can whip on and off as required.
The one thing I didn’t learn was how to master jet lag when travelling east (I’m fine going west.) For Puerto Rico, I used an app called Timeshifter. Did it work? Well. It wasn’t always easy to follow the times they wanted me in full sun or darkness but I think it made it marginally better.
Overall though I felt as though the pay-off for all that effort wasn’t really worth it. I still didn’t sleep past four or five in the morning. I’m open to any tips to make flying east easier. Hit me!