A Week-In-The-Life of Andy Hayes: Sharing Travel Experiences

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I met Andy Hayes in Edinburgh, having known him online for a while. Andy is a location independent entrepreneur with an interesting approach to working and travelling. First of all, he maintains a home base somewhere in the world (it changes from time to time). Next, he works on a “7×7” schedule: seven weeks of solid work at home, and seven weeks of travel. So I asked him to give me a week-in-the-life that incorporates both aspects of his 7×7 lifestyle. Please enjoy (an abridged) week-in-the-life of Andy Hayes!

This post was originally published in 2010. It has since been updated for accuracy of links and content.

I’ve had a lot of people say that I have a dream travel job – and, well, they might be right.  But my dream job comes with strings attached, so before those visions of castles and beaches start dancing in your head, let’s walk through my typical week.  It’s not as typical as you might think.

Day One – Monday

At Home

8:30AM:  When I’m at home, my schedule is much more flexible, and since I’m not a morning person, I start my day when I want.  But I’m a busy guy, so usually I am up at the coffee pot by 8:30.  My life revolves around coffee.  It’s not the caffeine, really, it’s just that I enjoy it.

9:00AM:  After a quick check-in on social media and email, it is time to do my most creative work.  My day is structured around when my energy levels are at their peak, so this means I usually write in the morning (when do you think I wrote this?).  When my energy levels are low I work on easier admin tasks.

Noon:  Exercise and fresh air are the perfect remedy to keep my entrepreneurial brain cells fired up, so midday I hit the gym, followed by lunch.  It’s a nice way to break up the day – I also tend to run errands or other chores after lunch so when I sit back down to work again, my productivity is uninterrupted.

2:00PM:  Creative levels are again high so strategic, planning projects come about this time of the day.  Also any writing projects that were started in the morning I wrap up mid afternoon.

5:00PM:  Tea break, then I start to work on more admin tasks, including email, which I tend to not actively check until later in the day.

8:00PM:  It’s dinner time, but then back to work for me – no rest for the wicked!  During the evening I work on very low-energy tasks like SEO and work prioritisation.

1:00AM:  Yes, I tend to wrap up my work days around 1AM, which makes on average for a 10+ hour work day.  At the end of the day, I update my whiteboard so it is clear what work I have to do for the next day.

Day Two – Tuesday

At Home

9:00AM: Ok, I got up about 8:15 to get coffee, but I’ve spent the morning in bed reading a marketing book.  It just felt like the right way to start the day – and when you’re the boss, you do as you are told.

11:00AM:  It’s not raining so time for a jog around Arthur’s Seat, the highest hill here in town.  Exercise releases endorphins that improve both your physical and mental state.

1:00PM:  Coffee and catchup with a fellow entrepreneur at one of my regular cafes.  It’s important when you work at home to actually see human beings now and then – and many of my friends are also entrepreneurs, so we can share advice, tips, and just chat.  Sometimes these chats turn into joint ventures, but mostly they’re just about enjoying ourselves and our city.  When’s the last time you played tourist in your hometown?

3:00PM:  Home to blaze through some productivity while enjoying the caffeine buzz.

7:00PM:  I work with most clients via email but today I have a quick Skype call catch up with a coaching client.   I’m very selective so I have great clients and am usually very energised after coming off a call with any of them!

9:00PM:  Food, and then packing – as I’m leaving tomorrow for another 7 weeks on the road!

Literary License:  In the interest of time, pretend that I’ve been magically transported to my new locale for the next seven weeks.  Rest assured, I have the same flight delays, lost luggage, and disconcerting neighbours on the flight that you do when you travel.

Day Three – Wednesday

Travelling

These towers took Simon Rodia his entire lifetime to build.  Are you working on something worth a lifetime to build?

7:00AMLife on the road means very long days, and for me that usually means a blistering 7AM start.  This is when I check for urgent emails as well as get in some fitness/exercise, which is even more important when travelling and even harder to find the time to squeeze it in.

8:30AM:  Hotel breakfast.  YUM.

9:30AM:  Sometimes when I travel I’m hosted by a tourism board, and other times I’m just on my own.  Either way, I like to get a good start so I don’t feel rushed.  Plus museums and attractions aren’t typically as busy first thing in the morning, and I hate crowds.

11:00AM:  Checking out the local cafes.  Coffee, anyone?

1:00PM:  I love scoping out the weird and wonderful foods of a foreign country.  Scotland has haggis, Australia has meat pies, Canada has maple-everything… sample something local, even if you’re scared!

3:00PM: As an outdoorsy person I gravitate to outdoor attractions:  walking trails, public parks, scenic viewpoints.

7:00PM:  I tend to have an early dinner and retreat to my accommodation, just to relax and also to work!  As a solo traveler, dinnertime is the only time I find kind of awkward, so something quick and easy suits me just fine.

Midnight: When I travel I work on average of 3 hours per day, which means with a 7AM start I don’t finish until midnight.  This can be hard especially when I’m tired and there are important tasks to be finished!

Day Four – Thursday

Travelling

7:00AM:  Yup, another early wake up call.  It’s a beautiful day, so great time to go for a run and see some new sights (and thankfully, my iPhone is both music and map, in case I get lost).

8:30AM:  Hotel Breakfast.  Yum.

9:30AM:  Daytrips are a great way to see lots of places while basing yourself in one hotel, making life a lot simpler.  I’m a fan of daytrips and often plan trips where I can stay in one place and see lots of different things.

4:00PM:  Back from day-tripping and back to the hotel to chill out briefly and check in with work for a couple hours.

7:00PM:  Time for a meetup!  Travel for me is not only about the destinations but it is also about the people.  I love meeting up over a drink or a meal with readers of my travel magazine, or connecting with other travel writers and folk in the tourism industry.  It is rare that I go somewhere and not know someone.  This is also a great way to get the inside scoop on things to do locally!

Midnight:  The end of another great day on the road.  I might have long days, and I work a lot harder than I did when I had a corporate job, but I am living life.   I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t enjoy it, and to be honest, I have never had so much fun.  Ever.

Andy has 16 project launches (of varying sizes) scheduled for the next 6 months. He’s most excited about his newest eBook, Why Your Website Sucks and How to Fix It: a simple, straightforward, humorous guide to website usability.   Otherwise Andy has his hands full rolling out several new features and functions for his travel magazine, Sharing Travel Experiences, where he helps teach travellers the concept of travel more.

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5 thoughts on “A Week-In-The-Life of Andy Hayes: Sharing Travel Experiences”

  1. I must admit, I’ve become something of a coffee-snob myself. I mean, I’ll drink it if it’s there (we world travelers can’t be too picky…the coffee is often only as good as where we get it from), but a good cup….aah. Please enjoy a nice drop for me!

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