Today I started another around-the-world business trip to visit the teams in some of our global network of offices.  Just for fun, this time I thought I’d blog it as I go.  It’ll give, I hope, anyone who’s interested a feel for running a worldwide business a flavour of what it’s like.

I’ve just left Thailand and my first stop is Kuala Lumpur. The trip takes me from Kuala Lumpur to Macau, Hong Kong, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Budapest, Milan, Malta, London, New York and then Vegas.
Four weeks of working hard in each place, seeing 80 per cent of deVere’s 1,500 people worldwide, and making sure that everyone within the company is consistently going the extra mile for our clients in order to have an incredible year-end.

I travel light – always hand luggage only. I carry key supplements that I need to stay healthy and fit plus keep my brain operating at its peak. It’s fun and it’s a way of life. I don’t feel I live anywhere in particular and I’m sure people find that a bit strange.  People may think of me as a crazy guy, perhaps a bit of a nomad, and I don’t mind that.  I think of myself as an ordinary guy who works hard and loves living.

I get a buzz out of the financial industry; I like the challenge of the markets and trying to help clients reach – and hopefully surpass – their financial goals. Of course, understanding the markets helps me invest as well – and I’m pleased to say I take my own advice.  During the trip I will talk to the advisers about the markets, which are extremely volatile at the moment, and this in itself creates some great opportunities.

As I travel, I’ll give you my thoughts on the markets, travel tips and advice, my motivation, and looking after my body.

Let’s start by introducing some supplements I use for sleep. I’ll expand on these in another blog.  Sleep is essential and I’m going to cover the globe so I have to deal with jet lag. I prefer to travel east so this trip is harder for me and I know I have to be prepared.

Two supplements are essential for me on the trip: GABA and melatonin. Both of these are natural substances found in the body but I need supplements to help my body produce more of these at the right times to ensure reasonable sleep. GABA relaxes the brain. After a busy day my brain is too fast and won’t slow down! I need something to help it. GABA works for me but it’s hard to get it into your system. GABA is difficult to get past the blood brain barrier and you have to take the right GABA on an empty stomach. I take pharma GABA, chewable tablets. It was recommended to me by Charles Poliquin, one of the world’s leading fitness coaches. I met him via Mike Coady who runs deVere United Kingdom.

I also take melatonin, which is only available in some countries, such as the U.S. It’s what the body naturally produces to sleep. The downside is if you take it all the time the body produces less. That’s obviously not good, but then again so is not sleeping! I’ll blog more about these supplements.  For now let’s get landed in KL and ready for our ASEAN conference. Kuala Lumpur is a fantastic city and I’m excited to be here with our terrific team.

Until next time…