The Road Coach Podcast

Rob Crate

Welcome to The Road Coach Podcast, where I share what I've learned from years on the road through research and experimentation so that you can thrive, even when you're out of your element! New episodes every Tuesday and Friday.

  1. 02/15/2025

    Ep 43 Brad Klyn Why Nutrition is Key on the Road

    Our guest today is Brad Klyn, who has worked in medical device sales since 2002 (23 years!), and currently at Intuitive Surgical where he sells and educates clinicians the DaVinci Surgical Robot for half of Canada. Before that, he spent over 20 years at Pentax Medical selling flexible endoscopy solutions for the gastroenterology market. Brad spends 100+ nights on the road each year, and he shares his tactics for staying in balance. Key takeaways include the following: 1. Bring your activities with you. Brad has an inflatable paddle board, and often brings his hockey gear of golf clubs on trips with him. When you get to the point where you have status on an airline, most oversize baggage is free to check into a flight. 2. Move more. Brad doesn't do gyms on the road, but he ensures he's always doing a bodyweight workout to start the day. Air squats, jump squats, pushup variations, and shadow boxing can be done anywhere, including your hotel room before you start work for the day. 3. Nutrition is the key to his balance and longevity. Like me, Brad packs his powdered nutrition and shaker cup with enough supplies for breakfast each day, although he often won't eat 3 meals per day. Brad explains that evolution didn't have humans eating nearly as much society dictates we do today, so why overfeed yourself when you're on the road? Brad takes nutrition to the next level by now packing a compact blender in his carry-on to ensure he can blend a good smoothie every day no matter where his travels take us. 4. Take advantage of the locals and find out what's the best thing to do in each location, because you may never be back to explore. Even better, do activities with the local community to level-up your experience. Brad reminds us that in 20 years, we'll never remember the work we did on these trips, but we will remember the community and the exploration, which is what humans thrive on. This interview was engaging and insightful, and we can all learn a lot from Brad's travel protocol. Keep it simple, have high standards for nutrition and movement, and remember that loneliness doesn't have to be a prerequisite for work travel. As always, if you spend a lot of your life on the road, we're here to help you not only survive, but thrive, even when you're out of your element! #travel #nutrition #smoothie #explore #community #local #movement #fitness #worklifebalance #roadtrip #coach

    44 min
  2. 09/13/2024

    41 All About Balance with Matt Van de Ven

    In this episode, I talk to Matt Van de Ven, Canada head at a surgical medical device manufacturer who spends 80-100 nights on the road each year. His travel has evolved from longer trips to what he calls 'business critical', meaning he's only away when it's critical to accomplish a business objective that he must be present for. This evolution in travel for only what he considers essential has allowed him to create more balance at home for his marriage and family life, and it's made him focus on what's truly important for professionals who want to advance their career but also have a thriving home life with fruitful relationships. To Matt, it's all about balance. Location selection for his residence being only 14 minutes via taxi was paramount to achieving balance in his latest professional role. Being so close to Pearson International Airport allows him to leave his house as late as possible for every trip and arrive home as soon as 20 minutes after his plane hits the runway. This, in his opinion, has enabled him to be a better father and husband despite the demands on his time from all over Canada. As for advice, he drove home the fact that balance is key, and being thoughtful about what you want out of your career and life outside your career is imperative to achieving fulfillment. He periodically reevaluates his 'why', both personally and with his wife, to ensure they are still working towards the ultimate goal for their families while juggling busy careers and extensive travel. This was both educational and entertaining, and I learned a lot about how creating boundaries can help maintain balance for those of us who travel a lot for work. As always, if you're like us and spend a lot of time away from home, we hope you are not only surviving, but thriving, even when you are out of your element!

    36 min

About

Welcome to The Road Coach Podcast, where I share what I've learned from years on the road through research and experimentation so that you can thrive, even when you're out of your element! New episodes every Tuesday and Friday.