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Mindset

What’s in My Tech Go Bag? The Art of Working From the Road

I thought I’d let you know what’s in my tech go bag because my husband Murray and I recently sold our house. And I gotta be honest; I was freaked out about how I could run two successful online companies from the road and maintain my productivity.

So, after a few iterations, I’ve finally found all the essentials that allow me to work from anywhere without skipping a beat! So if you want to maintain peak productivity no matter where in the world you happen to be… keep reading or watch the video above.

A Gator Case

I have to travel with a large screen monitor because my productivity doubles by having the real estate to work and create slide decks and do Zoom webinars and engage with audiences. And I’ve found that everything I need fits securely in this Gator Case… and it can go through the punches of travel and keep everything in perfect condition.

But the first time I tried to travel with a large screen monitor, I made this critical mistake…

So I recommend ponying up for one of these! Not only will you rest assured that everything inside will make it in one piece, but you’ll feel a bit like a rock and roll roadie musician.

28-Inch Second Monitor

This is probably the #1 item I can’t work without! As a busy entrepreneur, having a large second monitor enables me to create at the rate I need to get everything done. So if you’ve been stuck squinting at your laptop, I definitely recommend investing in a 28-inch second monitor.

Roost V3 Laptop Stand

I put my laptop on this riser so I can work and sit down ergonomically and everything lines up perfectly. This is a Roost V3 Laptop Stand that I learned about from Tim Ferriss, who also likes all of his different travel hacks.

Sony Alpha 7C Camera

If you host webinars or lead groups, make sure you have a camera that looks super professional! That’s why I invested in a Sony Alpha 7C Camera. Of course, the background is variable wherever I go (hotels, lobbies, AirBnbs, coffee shops… etc.) but at least the camera looks really good 🙂

Lightweight Tripod

And I mount my camera on a super lightweight, no-name tripod that I can just throw in my tech go bag to have at the ready.

USB Cam Link

And, of course, I plug it in with a USB cam link which allows for this kind of excellent video quality.

Apple Wireless Keyboard

I always travel with a wireless Apple keyboard, but any external keyboard will do.

Vertical Mouse

I’m a little bit ambidextrous, so I work with two vertical mice. I can drink with one hand and use a vertical mouse with the other… it just gives me that flexibility.

Wrist Rest & Non-Slip Desk Pad

I sometimes spend 14 hours a day on the computer… so having a wrist rest is a life-saver! And a non-slip desk pad just holds everything so the mice don’t have any problems with a slick service.

Selfie Ring Light

And then, finally, the last piece of my kit is a little selfie light. It’s just a no-name selfie light… one of those USBs with a little dimmer that can go up and down (brighter to darker depending on what you’re filming).

Now here’s a fun little trick! I actually jerry-rig my selfie ring light on whatever I have handy in my room. For example, when I was in a hotel in Bangkok, I put it on two bottles of Singh Ha water and a tissue box and then moved it to wherever I happened to be.

I’ve even done this before with dental floss on top of a multi-gallon bottle of water. So often, when working while traveling, you have to get a little (or a lot) creative which is fun!

Where Do You Want to Work From?

So this is what’s in my tech go bag and this setup allows me to do some of the highest productivity work that I do. So regardless of where I am in the world, all I have to do is pay for one extra bag. And if you’re flying business class, you get two bags checked for free. And if you’re not, I know it takes a little bit of time to be able to afford to fly business class, then, you know, an extra $50 and you have your setup.

And the way I look at it is based on the value of your time — If your time is worth $100 an hour, just one hour of your time is going to pay for that. And if your time is worth more than $1,000 an hour or more, then this is a great investment in your productivity.

And I gotta say I wasn’t sure whether I could do it. I wasn’t sure whether I could be here in Bangkok or Australia or London and be able to run my webinars, run my workshops, create marketing campaigns… all from just this portable setup.

And the first couple of years, when I was traveling, I wasn’t able to get things done because I didn’t have all of my gear. And now I won’t leave the house without bringing the whole setup if I’m going somewhere for more than five days. Because even one day of just high productivity and writing and working will pay for bringing the setup wherever I happen to be. And that was my biggest concern because, as online entrepreneurs, part of the promise is to be able to travel and work from everywhere.

But the honest truth is that there’s an art to working on the road. There’s an art to working from around the world. And having all of the gear that you need to be as productive as possible is super duper key because otherwise, you’re not going to have all the time that you want to spend exploring wherever you happen to be. Instead, you’re going to be like trying to work in a half-distracted state.

So this is how I travel. And I don’t leave home without all of this gear. And I highly, highly recommend that if you want to work from the road, you get your very own tech go bag… that one bag that’s ready to go… that you can just grab and head out the door to anywhere you want to go in the world.

Because being able to travel is one of the biggest benefits of being an entrepreneur! And any of these items would also make a great gift for the entrepreneur in your life (and if you want more great gift ideas, check out my carefully curated list).

So let me know below what you do and where you want to work from. Now go out there and live your message!

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  1. Richard Zultner Avatar
    Richard Zultner

    Great list! You can go to Wirecutter for recent recommendations and upgrades to these items… Such as:

    1. As an alternative to a separate camera, you can use your current smartphone with the Camo app and a laptop cable (and the Camo Studio app for your laptop) instead of a separate camera.

    2. And for audio? Try a Lavalier mic (Rode makes a good one) and earphones (I like Final) — just like professionals on TV use. A Rode TRRS splitter allows you to use any mic, and any earphones.

    3. And for lighting, Elgato makes a whole range of wirelessly controllable lights that you can adjust the brightness and color temperature of (to match the room you’re in). Check out the rechargeable Key Light Mini! Just bring a desktop tripod for it…

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