The past 8 years have flown by here at GDX Studios. From the very beginning, I wanted to be part of it all, learn it all and be at every project. The more our company grew, those elements fell into place naturally. The biggest change I was not prepared for was the life on the road and managing it all at once.
The experiences you have while traveling for an activation is the most exciting part of our job. At a young age I loved traveling, experiencing new places, meeting new people and really grasping how the world works. Luckily, I was able to combine this love into my experiential career by working as a Producer here at GDX.
Amanda’s 5 Key Success to Living on the Road
1 – Mental Balance
Staying sane… Traveling can take a toll on each person differently. Me, I thrive in high pressure situations and when 100 things are on my plate. NOT for everyone. So make sure to stay within your limits and not get out of your league. To keep my mental balance, I have to do all the below keys to help me stay sane and ready for anything. But don’t kid yourself, having fun is still in the play book!
2 – Health Balance
Try and stay on track with your eating habits and work out routines. It is easy to skip this on the road. It is easier to get out of these habits than stay in them. One you get home from a long or short trip, getting right back into your routine is important or else you will keep pushing it back and back and then eventually, so far out of routine your emotions can and will get the best of you.
3 – Work Life Balance
Being on the road and traveling is sexy and cool to your friends and family but it can take a toll on your life personally. Remember what is important back at home experiential world and remember to stay in connections with your personal life while succeeding and excelling in work. You are only one person!
4 – Prioritizing Your Days Work
When on the road, it is easy to forget other jobs or tasks that may be going on at the same time. Waking up and writing down your days tasks before leaving the hotel, car or flight, stay accountable. Mental check lists can get easily be forgotten once the day truly starts. Slow down, take that extra 5 minutes to set your day up right.
5 – Your Team
You are one person, you can only do so much. Yes we all want to believe we can do it all (yes, I thought about this for a while) but you need to lean on your team for support. On the road, things can pile up and you never know what may occur while traveling. The unexpected is always expected. Make sure to have someone involved on jobs outside of what you are on site for, even if it is just a checklist. It can only help them, help you! Team work DOES make the dream work.
GDX – Work Hard. Play Hard. Stay Balanced
In 2017 I was in a different city, state and hotel for 121 days (all for active jobs). Friends and family envied my traveling and exciting job! But one thing I learned more than anything while on the road experiential world… is to make sure to try and keep my balance in check. Once you get out a routine, the hardest part is getting back in. And we all know traveling can kick you out of your track real fast!
It is easy to get overly excited and want to go out in a new city. Yes, I suggest you do this but prioritizing when and where is key. I recommend trying to keep as many daily lifestyle elements as possible (ie. working out and meal selections) will be a key factor in your feeling successfully and healthy on the road!
For all the new and young inspired people striving to be an ‘on the road’ experiential producer experiential world… remember to ALWAYS have fun but make sure to stay disciplined.
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