How Travel Impacted Our Family and My Career

Killer Innovations with Phil McKinney - A Show About Ideas Creativity And Innovation

Travel has always played a pivotal role in shaping my career and family life. During a recent podcast episode, I shared how travel influenced us unexpectedly. Here's a deeper dive into how embracing travel transformed our experiences and led to numerous opportunities.

Travel and Family: Creating Lifelong Memories

Our journey with travel began with a desire to combine work with family time. My wife and I decided to homeschool our children starting in 1987, which allowed us the flexibility to take them on my business trips. This decision wasn't just about education but about enriching our kids' lives with experiences beyond textbooks.

• New York: During a six-month consulting gig, my children explored the city and learned about its rich history and diverse culture.
• London: We spent significant time in the UK, teaching our kids to navigate the London Underground and appreciate British heritage.
• Paris and Milan: These cities offered unique cultural experiences, from Paris's art to Milan's fashion.

This approach gave our children a worldly perspective, preparing them to navigate and appreciate diverse environments. It wasn't just about the destinations; it was about the journey and the invaluable life lessons learned along the way.

The Role of Travel in My Career

Travel has significantly impacted my career trajectory. Early on, I realized the importance of prioritizing experiences over immediate financial gains. This shift in mindset came from a profound piece of advice: focus on the value and experience you bring to your roles, and financial rewards will follow.

Key Career Insights from Travel

1. Adaptability: Traveling for work, whether for consulting or speaking engagements, taught me to adapt quickly to new environments and cultures. This adaptability proved invaluable in various professional settings, from high-stakes negotiations to collaborative projects with international teams.
2. Networking: Attending global conferences and events expanded my professional network, connecting me with experts and innovators worldwide. These relationships often led to unexpected opportunities and collaborations.
3. Work-Life Balance: I maintained a healthy work-life balance by incorporating travel into our family life. This approach ensured that I remained productive without sacrificing precious family moments.

Travel and Content Creation

In this episode, I shared insights on creating content, personal growth, and balancing positive and negative feedback. Our mobile studio, the Prevost bus, has been a game-changer. It allows us to travel and produce content simultaneously, ensuring we never miss an episode. The bus has impacted my career and our family priorities, enabling us to explore and learn together.

Prioritize Your Values in Career Choices

As has been the topic of recent episodes, listeners must prioritize their values and make career choices that align with them. The choice my wife and I made in homeschooling our kids back in 1987 allowed the family to travel extensively and gain valuable experiences. While my early career was as a consultant, my family benefited by traveling with me to major cities like New York, London, Paris, and Milan, providing our kids with a global perspective and their role.

Travel: A Lifelong Learning Experience

Travel is more than just a career tool; it's a lifelong learning experience. It's about gaining insights, building resilience, and understanding the world from different viewpoints. Travel has been a way to stay connected, learn continuously, and grow personally and professionally for my family and me.

Conclusion: Balancing Career and Family Goals

If we boil down my advice, it is vital to prioritize career and family goals, take breaks to recharge, and return from time away ready to change the world. Embrace travel, prioritize your values, and watch how it transforms your life and career.

Feel free to reach out if you have questions or topics you'd like me to address in future episodes. Here's to more adventures and continued growth, both on the road and in our careers.

To learn more about how travel impacts career and family, listen to this week's show: How Travel Impacted Our Family and My Career.

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