Elite Road Warrior Book Introduction

I CAN SO RELATE.

So, there I stood in a suit, in the pouring rain, in the turn lane, one mile from the airport, with my rental car out of gas on a Friday afternoon, just wanting to get home after a long week.

Can you feel my pain? Let me explain how I got into this position.

It was the last day of a five-day trip to the Pacific Northwest and it had been a long week. One of those weeks that Murphy (you know the dude from Murphy’s Law) jumped in my carry-on out the door of my house to hijack my trip.

You know what I mean.

My last meeting before flying home was a lunch training. Of course, the meeting was delayed. And the food was late. But the training went great! Nailed it. Love those moments, man. Normally, I enjoy staying after a presentation for questions, but today, I had to hit the road quickly to catch my flight. I lost my margin to eat and was hoping I could catch something at the airport. Always risky.

As I headed out of the Portland suburb to the airport, I tried to get gas but the only gas station around was having “pump issues.” Huh? All of them? Of course today and right now. So, I jumped on the expressway flying around the exit ramp to slam on my brakes to absolutely no cars moving. At all. Nor anytime soon. There was a massive accident that had shut the interstate down.

Murphy!

I was getting a little anxious. The clock was going forward, the gas tank was going backward and my frustration was going up.

I was on fumes sitting in my brand new Chrysler 300 rental and paralyzed to do absolutely anything. I called the airlines and every flight out of Portland to Chicago was booked the rest of the day AND tomorrow (mind you, this was Friday!).

Just lovely.

Slowly, traffic began to crawl at a pace my two-year-old could’ve lapped, but it was movement. I eked my way to the airport and could even see it when my car started to kick. No! I was a mile away.

You guessed it. Murphy sucked out the last parting fumes in my rental car. (He’s like that, you know.) I was stalled and became “that guy.” I immediately called for roadside assistance, but it was a 90-minute wait.

As if things couldn’t seemingly get worse (but you know they always can!), I was stuck in a turn lane up over a hill and cars were flying over the hill Dukes of Hazard style (Bo and Luke sold separately). So, I get out of the car, since the LAST thing I need is to get hit!

As I’m directing traffic in a suit, of course, Murphy thought I should see some rain while I was in Portland. And the heavens opened up right on cue. Not cool, man.

I called for roadside assistance again, letting them know this car was causing MAJOR traffic issues and WOULD get hit if someone didn’t show up soon.

I then called home to let my wife know of the predicament I had found myself in. I rarely travel on Fridays, especially Friday afternoons. I always get gas way before the needed time, and we had a family reunion that weekend.

Then Murphy’s twin brother Michael shows up (you didn’t know Murphy had a twin, did you? He’s the good one no one talks about because Murphy is a publicity hog!). Michael is looking a lot like roadside assistance, barring his look at me that said, “Really, man?” But hope went into me like the fuel in the gas tank.

I was temporarily saved! I drove NASCAR style the remaining mile, knowing my plane was boarding very soon. I literally ran through the airport, still wet from the downpour, and now mixing it with sweat from my outright sprint.

I was the LAST one on the plane right as they were about to shut the door, and I had to sit in a middle seat for the four-plus-hour flight back to Chicago. I honestly don’t think I stopped sweating until we flew over the Illinois border. I didn’t care because I was on my way home.

No doubt you have your stories as well. Here are the numbers to prove just how large the road warrior population is at the time of this writing:

MAD BUSINESS TRAVEL STATS

• 1.3 million business trips every day
• 488 million business travelers each year
• 162 million business travelers by air
• The average business traveler spends
• 48-74 nights a year on the road
• A staggering $320 billion is spent on
• business travel each year

Those simple stats paint a picture that business travel is serious business.

FACT: BUSINESS TRAVEL IS HARDER THAN MOST COULD EVER IMAGINE.

I told the opening story because only a road warrior would truly understand those moments. Whether you’ve had them, fear them, or just plain try to avoid them, business travel is like none other.

Most people simply cannot relate. They just see the flashy new city, new rental cars, hotels, and dinners out. They don’t see the dark side as represented in my story. They also don’t see the wear and tear business travel takes on our health and especially on our home life.

Sadly, too many road warriors are in travel comas, completely unaware of what they do but more importantly why they do it. And that’s where this book comes into play.

HOW THIS BOOK IS ORGANIZED

There are Six Energy Habits that if used properly are the catalyst from where you are right now to becoming an elite road warrior.

THE BOOK IS DIVIDED INTO TWO HALVES:

Physical Energy Habits Mental Energy Habits

Each section chapter will give a brief description of the three energy habits per section. This is important so you get a roadmap to know where we’re headed together so you can maximize the content.

THE KEY THREE

This book offers a promise in the sub-title:

SIX ENERGY HABITS THAT TRANSFORM YOUR WORK, HEALTH, AND HOME LIFE WHILE ON BUSINESS TRAVEL

There are three key focus areas for an elite road warrior that encompass the six energy habits:

1. Work - Perform/Develop
2. Health - Fuel/Move/Rest
3. Home Life - Connect

All three key areas are critical and must be focused on as you grow into an Elite road warrior. I don’t know you personally but I do know that if you have this book in your hands, you have a desire in you to become more in your life as a road warrior. And to do that, we need to transform our work, health, and home life while we’re on the road.

STRAIGHT SHOT OR BOUNCE AROUND?

You can bounce around the book, if that is your preference. Often times, I do this when I’m looking at the table of contents page or thumbing through the book for one of the two following reasons:

1. A chapter peaks my interest and I’m curious
2. A chapter is an area of need or a pain point right now

So, do what is best for you. The book is meant to be read in sequential order because each chapter concludes with a What’s Next paragraph introducing the next chapter. But in the end, I care more about your transformation than about following the order of the book rules!

ESTIMATED READING TIME

I don’t know how you read a book, but I always, and I mean always, look to see how long the chapter is and if anything sticks out to me with a quick page turn through the chapter. But recently, I read a book that let me know the estimated reading time the chapter would be for me - that was cool! Since I read a ton and I’m competitive, I knew I could read it quickly, and it motivated me to get through the next chapter and then the next chapter. As a result, you’ll see this estimated reading time feature at the beginning of each chapter. It’s up to you and your mad reading skills to decide how spot on the estimated time is for you!

BABY STEPS CHAPTER ENDING

One of my favorite older movies is What About Bob? where Bill Murray plays Bob Wiley. Bob sees a psychiatrist (Richard Dreyfuss) who lets him know the way to succeed is to simply think about the first step and then the next step in the process, like tiny little baby steps. Bob then responds: “All I have to do is take one baby step at a time and I can do anything! Baby step to the door, baby step to the elevator...” Bob is mesmerized by the simplicity of this philosophical, life-changing concept because it removes his paralysis of becoming overwhelmed by all that has to be done.

I realize that each chapter may have a lot to take in, and you may wonder where you should start first. Follow the Baby Steps suggestion you’ll find at the end of each chapter to get you up and running to implement each part of the Energy Habits. Master that baby step then move on to the rest of the suggestions in the chapter. There is nothing like getting a quick win to get you going and building momentum.

THREE-POINTERS

When a team hits a three-point shot at a key place in the game, it’s a game changer. So it is with taking away key points at the end of each chapter. As a result (and at no additional charge), you’ll get three key summary points to end each chapter called Three-Pointers to wrap up the key content.

HALFTIME REVIEW

In many sports, there’s a halftime that allows the team to not only rest but to make key adjustments. If you’re ahead, the goal is to make adjustments that keep you ahead. If you’re behind, you want to see what you’re doing wrong and make the necessary adjustments to catch up to take the lead.

I’ve found in books, many times about halfway through, I’ve often forgotten the key elements that are important, especially if the content builds on itself. As a result, there will be Halftime Reviews included within this book to offer key takeaways (aka the Three-Pointers) from each of the chapters in the first half of the book. Since The Elite Road Warrior book is divided into two halves, Physical Energy Habits and Mental Energy Habits, you’ll have the key points to remember as a refresher before moving to the second half of the book.

MY LENSES AND ANGLE

I’m a husband to one and a father to five so my lenses and angle will naturally come through those eyes. I realize this is only one of five types of road warriors.

1. Men who travel (wife/significant other back home)
2. Women who travel (husband/significant other back home)
3. Both husband and wife/significant other who travel
4. Single parents who travel
5. You are single and travel

Each type brings its own challenges, and I hope to encourage and inspire each type no matter where you are right now.

HERE’S A CAUTION!

Many road warriors are lying to themselves about how bad things really are for them and about how stuck in a rut they really are on the road. Maybe you’re not failing but you’re definitely not succeeding in a way that resembles “elite” in any way.

Don’t assume you already know or are “already doing it” good enough. I’ve been guilty of this before and my arrogance made me miss some valuable information. Read and absorb with an open mind and heart so you can become an elite road warrior. The goal is not to just read the book (although appreciated) but to resonate and apply the content to make you the best you can be in the areas that matter most on the road.

The challenge is this: the six energy habits often do not have immediate consequences. They’re important, even vital, but not urgent. Rarely are the most important things in life urgent. As Andy Stanley so accurately puts it, “Your current template is perfectly designed to produce the results you are currently getting.” He also goes on to say, “Your direction, not your intention, determines your destination.”

So, how are you doing? What’s your direction, not your intention? Answer these questions with brutal honesty:

• Are you making decisions by default or by design?
• Is your work improving on the road?
• How about your health? Are you in better shape and feel better about yourself because of the road?
• Are your relationships back home stronger since you’ve been on the road? Is your marriage stronger? Do you have a deeper connection with your kids?
• Is anything on the road bringing you any sort of transformation?

I want you to question your current template and your direction to confirm you’re heading in the right direction—one that brings you the results with your work, your health, and your home life while you’re on the road during this season of your career.

As Greg McKeown, author of Essentialism, says, “If you don’t prioritize your life, someone else will.” The road has a way of dictating your direction and priorities. Let’s make sure you’re heading where YOU want to go and making the most of the road!

HERE’S MY STORY AND I’M STICKING TO IT

Let me tell you my story, which was the motivation to write this very book you have in your hands right now. It’s a journey of success, health collapse, recovery, and recharge. If you’re ready for the back- story, just continue reading... 

This is an excerpt from my new book, Elite Road Warrior: Six Energy Habits to Master the Business Travel Life