Coffee is still one of the most common beverages in the US. And it makes a great gift that you can share with friends and family at home. It's a little piece of heaven in my opinion. It is warm, invigorating, and inviting. It wakes you up and tastes delicious. And whether you like it with sugar (would you like some coffee with your Starbucks Frappuccino?) or straight, coffee is awesome while you travel AND a great thing to savor afterwards.


  1. Easy to transport
    • It isn't breakable or a liquid so whether a checked bag or carry on, it can get crammed, bumped, and compacted without any damage to the product itself. With the internet and delivery businesses, if you find something you really like you can usually order it again online.
  2. It doesn't perish
    • I buy coffee beans that we grind at home and the nice thing about beans is that the shelf life is really long. It doesn't go bad like other foods like chocolate that might melt. So whether your family and friends enjoy it the next day or it stays in a cupboard until you visit again, it doesn't matter. Coffee can be used in all types of cooking so you don't have to even own a coffee pot (or French press or otherwise). Think chili, coffee-rubbed steak, or mocha chocolate cake. Some people just enjoy the smell and use it as decor!
  3. Support local businesses
    • If I travel to another city for business, I like to do more than just work. I don't always get the luxury of free time to explore (especially in the winter right now when it's dark before 5:00 pm) but I can still seek out some of the local flavors and people. There is almost always a locally owned coffee house that's not Starbucks and you can go in, see the architecture and decor styling, talk to the barista, and enjoy their specialty roasts. You get to support small businesses and entrepreneurs and you get to learn about the city and what makes it like no where else in the world.
I travel for business. A lot. I go through the motions of checking in, driving to the airport, parking, going through security, finding my gate, and boarding the plane all the time. I would like to think I've got it down to a tried and true method these days that allow me to zoom from the parking lot to the gate at DIA in 15 minutes. Now if you aren't as experienced as me with as many miles, it may take you longer, but here are some tips to shave off a few minutes and a lot of extra hassle.
  1. Parking
    • Many times you are in such a hurried worry to make your plane that finding a parking space is just added stress. So once you find one, you take it and run off. It leaves a lot of regret for when you return and can't remember where you parked! My tip: take a picture of your car and/or the nearest location sign. Then you won't have to remember it, your camera remembers for you! This saved me more than once, especially when I came back from a sunny CA to a snowy zero degree CO.
  2. Security
    • The added security at airports these days is pretty time consuming. They check your bags, your electronics, your shoes, your pockets, your ticket, everything. One of the most frustrating things I run into is taking out my ID for security guards and airline attendants. Your hands are full I know, but I will roll my eyes at you if your ahead of me in line and struggling with your ID. My tip is to add a Post-it sticky note flag tab to your ID card. It makes pulling it out of the plastic sleeve super easy!
  3. Gate check
    • If you check a bag, you have to be there at least 45 minutes before boarding for the airline to guarantee your luggage will make it on the plane with you. If you don't (and you pack accordingly) then you can save a buck. But if you've got a transfer it is a pain to haul it around. It is a pain worrying about if there will be space in the overhead bins. Just gate check your bag! IMO at larger airports it take you that long to walk through the terminals anyways and it is in the same place as transportation so you don't lose much time.
It's a trick question. There is no one that should stay past 5 o'clock in my opinion. Not small business owners, not "omg it broke and I'll get fired if I don't fix it" and not you. If you can't seem to leave on time, it means you have a problem and the solution is not staying later. Guess what, no matter when you leave, when you come back the next morning, you are going to pick up EXACTLY where you left off!


  1. The people that can't delegate or say "no"
    • Whether you're a manager or a team member, you're taking on too much work. You need to learn how to say no, I can't take on more and admit your limits. Even if it's a client, there are things like process documentation or change management communication that you can ask them to help with. People usually are team players and will do what they can.
  2. The people that can't manage their time
    • Who do you ask when you get stuck if you're the only one in the office? If you wait to ask key questions, test critical components, or . If you're on step 5 at 3:30pm and get all this work done until you need the password from the IT guy at step 20 at 7:00pm, guess what, you're stuck. S/he went home and if you had just looked ahead to see the bottlenecks, then you wouldn't have wasted your time.
  3. The people that can't set realistic expectations
    • If you work too much you're probably afraid of under delivering but the culprit may be over promising. I know I struggle with this one when something is needed you want to jump on it right away and give a deadline. At first it sounds realistic, but after a couple hours you find out just how difficult it is. Try saying "Let me get back to you in x hour/days on that" after you've done a real analysis. Then you and all parties involved won't be holding their breath.
Oh meeting minutes, how you are the bane of existence. And yet every time I need you, there you are backing me up. Thank goodness for computers these days with the ability to copy paste, organize incessantly, and search every word. Yet there still must be a few tips to make the weekly annoying but necessary project status notes easier. Well, here are a few!

  1. Code word for No Change
    • Good meeting minutes are consistent and have old and new business. That means every week the same topics and word combinations are on every copy. Whether the first time it was mentioned or weeks after resolved, how can a quick search tell you if it's the one to open with the answers or not? If you have a code word, symbol, or other tell (try all caps) whether it is new or old news, the preview of the search results that match will tell you which one you're looking for.
  2. Use links and embedded documents
    • Everything is online these days, so if you need to reference an email, an external url, or a full spreadsheet, make it easy to find by adding it in. In Microsoft Office, go to Insert > Object and you can even put in full excel spreadsheets. Drag and drop works too from a saved file.Then you don't have to worry about saving it in 3 different places because all will reference a single document location.
  3. Use track changes
    • If you use Microsoft Word for your meeting minutes, there is a great feature called "Track Changes" under the Review tab. You could turn it on from meeting to meeting to know what updates happened at that meeting, rather than just the notes from before. Then, before your meeting, click "Accept all changes" so that your new meeting only tracks changes for the single meeting. Great idea!

About Me



So if you want to be happy at work like I am, then thanks for being a reader! I am a consultant that travels constantly and is always working with new people. I love what I do! I'm formally trained with an MBA and BS Engineering. At home and in my free time, I like to drink beer, travel, garden, read, hike with my dog, and play board games.

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