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One of the most common questions I get from people (when they find out we work/travel full-time in an RV right now) is… how?
How do I work on the road?
What do I use for internet?
How can I stay up with my business?
What kind of gear or gadgets make this possible?
To be honest, it’s really not that complex. Over the years, I’ve refined the minimal amount of stuff that I need to carry around to ensure I can handle just about any work situation that may come up.
Everything I need is stored in my laptop bag at all times – which means within 30 seconds I can be packed up and on-the-go without worrying that I forgot something that I’ll need.
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In the video, I go through every item in my simplified ready-to-go work bag.
For those of you that can’t watch it, here’s a quick list of every item (w/ amazon links) ranked by importance:
- Brenthaven Prostyle II-XF Laptop Case – This is the glue that holds it all together – or at least the bag that holds it all together. I really enjoy it.
- 15″ MacBook Pro – This is my primary weapon of choice. I love this computer. I also carry around the charger of course. 🙂
- (2) Moleskine notebook – All my ideas, concepts, blog posts, or projects start in these notebooks. It’s essentially what I use (in combination with gmail) as my productivity system. Again, I really enjoy these notebooks.
- Pilot G-2 Pen [3] – My favorite “everyday use” pens to jot down those amazing ideas.
- iPhone 4 Black – The amazing Chris Jourdan sent Courtney and I new iPhone 4s earlier in the year! I use the apps Yelp, Mailchimp, WordPress, Paypal, Chase, and Skype for business on the road all the time. The charger comes with me, too.
- Virgin Mobile MiFi – This gives us wireless internet anywhere we can get 3G. It’s $40/month with NO CONTRACT which is why we initially got it! Still works pretty well.
- iPhone headphones – Still stuck with the very basic headphones. Looking for an alternative that is more comfortable for multiple hours of use.
- Jawbone ICON bluetooth headset – I use this to take calls or do interview while driving in the RV. I’m not convinced it’s really that great, but I guess it does help reduce external noise a bit.
- Spare set of business cards – Just in case I meet someone who needs some more information!
- A Deck of Cards – Always need a deck of cards – you just never know. 😉
- BodPod paperwork – I keep the “BodPod” bodyfat measurements paperwork I got at the beginning of my weight loss journey with me (as a reminder to stay focused).
That’s it! As always, I’m more than willing to answer specific questions in the comments below!
*****
I’ve told you *what* I use to work, but nothing about *how* I build my business while on the road. That would simply take too long to do in blog post format!
Which is why early next week, Corbett Barr and I are opening the doors on what we are calling “The Hustle Project”.
It’ll be a series of webinars (twice per month) with insights into the exact step-by-step tactics and strategies we used to build momentum in our online businesses. Along with live Q&A sections, audio downloads, full transcripts, and accountability profiles.
Here is our theory, boiled down into a simple formula: Action + Accountability = Momentum
This project will only be for online entrepreneurs who are serious about building something sustainable, it’s not meant to be for hobbyists, people deep in debt, or casual businesses. Sorry!
If you are interested in the “do what you love” part of my message (and are serious about it), sign up here to be notified early. If you aren’t interested in building an online business, that’s cool too – back to regular programming next Thursday. 🙂
xoxoxo,
-Baker
Great video! What case are you using for your iPhone?
I believe it’s an Otter Box – but actually I’m not sure. Gotta look that up! 🙂
Comprehensive list – I’m looking for a new laptop bag, so I’ll check out Brenthaven’s case. I’m looking at keeping my gear organized a bit better.
Congrats on teaming up with Corbett on The Hustle Project. You’ve done an excellent job on not online creating a profitable brand, but you’ve done a fantastic job keeping it true to you. wish you much success with that!
Thanks, Elle!
The bag may be a little less than what is “needed” – but I do enjoy it – and it has a lot of padding for the laptop section (which is good for me bumping into things). 🙂
“Action + Accountability = Momentum” is definitely true enough.
Having worked it both ways, with accountability and without, I can say that having accountability helps get through the dip.
Yeah, for sure. An accountability group is one of the best things I ever did (in terms of business growth). 🙂
I think related to that is “Habit”. I believe the reason many successful people seam to come success seemingly so easily is they are in the habit of doing whatever they need to do in their line of business. However building those habits often takes someone to hold you accountable.
Man, ditch the iPhone and Mifi and get an android phone you can use Wifi hotspot with! My Nexus One has come through in the clutch for my business countless times.
I think you can do this on the iPhone 4 too in some way – but A) I like the iPhone more the Droid, B) I already have the gear now! 🙂
I don’t think the “mifis” have a good market much longer though. Eventually all smart phones will me mobile points.
I agree with Kurt about the awesome Android phone hotspots. I absolutely love my Droid X.
Just wanted to say that I also have been heavily using a Virgin Mobile Mifi card and I’m not too impressed. The service initially was fantastic before they started adding the fine print — Initially it was truly unlimited for $40 a month. Then it Virgin put a cap on it in terms of how much bandwidth you could use. Then they upped the price to $50 a month. Of course if you’re it at $40 then you’re grandfathered in. Anywho, don’t mean to rant, but since it’s not fulfilling my needs if anyone wants to buy it, I’m selling mine. I actually have a brand new one as I had it replaced because the prior one had a glitch. Thanks!
– Neil
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For headphones, the Audio Technica ath-m50 (make sure you get the coiled cable version) will change your life. They’re half the price ($150) of the Dre Beats headphones, give you more bass, much clearer highs and are more comfy.
I used to have a set of high-end Sennheiser’s ($300+) which were stolen a few weeks ago. When I got the AT’s, I wished my Sennheiser’s were stolen years ago.
Hey Baker, I love behind-the-scenes posts like these. I’d also love to know what web services you use to run your business. I’m paying almost $100/month for email marketing, hosting, memberships, etc and am trying to cut the fat. Thank God WordPress is free 🙂
Hey Baker,
First, congratulations on the second baby 🙂
Second, why a 15 and not 13 inch? You are travelling a lot so space and weight is crucial 🙂
Third, I find the over-the-ear phones get a bit annoying after a while. They tend to flatten your ears which makes it uncomfortable after a few hours. I have had various types of headphones but I always like the inner-ear phones. They come in different sizes for your ears and don’t feel annoying after using them for a few hours.
Cheers,
Ralph
I’ve heard really good things about Moleskine, I’ll have to try them out soon. I agree that at some point all smartphones will act as wireless hotspots, now I just have to upgrade from my original droid…
Thanks for sharing your “business in a bag” with us.
I love these types of posts Baker. It is funny how much your gear mirrors mine. It must be a blogosphere thing. I love my Mac Book Pro and Yeti Mic. What a great pair for videos and podcasts!
work/travel full-time in an RV, now that’s a dream job. I have a small business and I’m lucky if i get a vacation once every 6 years. i usually just get to take off for a few days max 4 if there is a holiday.
A cheaper alternative to your headphone problem is the MOTOROKR S305, they are wireless and use bluetooth so you can use them with pretty much anything but they are so much more comfortable than everything else. Retail is $100 but they are only $32 on Amazon. My husband and I both have a pair. Great post!
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Hey Baker
Great list, thanks for the information, I have a Macbook pro too, and I really love it, nice to work with and good battery time to.
Many regards here from Denmark