To wear or not to wear, that is the question

To wear or not to wear, that is the question

I received a question on the Diamond Arrow Group Facebook page from a follower last week. The woman had an upcoming work trip and wondered if wearing company logo wear or personal clothes while on the trip would make her less of a target. As with 99% of situational questions I get, it depends. Here’s the conversation we had. Let me know what you think!

Follower: Do you think you make yourself less of a target if you are wearing work logo (traveling for work) compared to if you are dressed for leisure/personal…. If I’m traveling for work, someone else knows about my wear abouts vs leisure/personal where no one might even realize I am traveling…. penny for a thought??

Kelly: Great question. How I think about it is, if I’m evaluating you as a potential target, I could google your company and see where it’s based. That tells me if you’re traveling for work vs. daily commute. If I spend a few seconds on the company website understanding what it’s about, I may use that info to strike up a conversation pretending mutual interests. If I can get you to open up and have a conversation, I may ask questions that tell me why you’re in town, where you’re staying, how long you’ll be in town, and how many people you’re traveling with.

If you’re in personal clothes, I will not know if this is your hometown or not. Which raises the risk that you are familiar with the area and the people around you. This also presents more of a risk that you carry tools that won’t pass TSA inspection (traveling tends to minimize tool choices).

It’s not so much about do this, don’t do that-it’s about being conscious of the information you broadcast (verbal & non-verbal, logo wear-whether work or personal) and recognizing behaviors that seem off (too curious, too intrusive) from normal stranger behavior.

Follower: I’m heading out Sunday night for business and I’ll be traveling with my boss, we’ve usually gone together, but we have a co-worker that is joining us a few days later on her own and made me think about the situation if I was traveling by myself. And great info!! Made me think about things I wouldn’t have.

Answering questions about personal safety and helping people see things from different perspectives, in order to increase their personal safety, is one of my favorite things to do. If you have a question for me, send me an email, DM, or post on the social channels and I’m happy to help!

Travel Safety Tips

Travel Safety Tips

I know a lot of successful women who travel not only for work, but also for their own enjoyment. With the release of the Travel Safety Awareness video, a friend suggested I ask other women to share their number one safety tip on video (brilliant idea Jim!). So, with a little help from my friends, here is the video with 7 great travel tips to keep in mind.

1. Nicole Leinbach Reyhle is the founder of Retail Minded, author of “Retail 101: The Guide to Managing and Marketing Your Retail Business” and travels the world to speak on topics facing small business retailers. Her tip helps you avoid the unsolicited hotel employee knocking on your door.

2. The next tip relates not only to your hotel stay, but also anytime you get in an Uber or meet a stranger in a coffee shop. Laura Doonin is a Digital Commerce Strategist, Keynote speaker, Yoga guru and hosts a fabulous podcast called “Whiskey & Commerce”.

3. If you’ve ever dreamed of working from a beautiful co-working space in a foreign country and bringing your family along, Maria Surma Manka is the woman to help you make it happen. Author of “Next-level Digital Nomad: Traveling and Working from Anywhere (even with Kids and a Day Job)” and the blog “Workation Woman”, Maria, her husband, and their two kids have lived like locals in the UK, New Zealand, and Spain. Her travel safety tip comes from seeing this happen in real life.

4. Debbie Hauss is the Executive Director at Retail Touch Points and puts together the Retail Innovation Conference in New York City. She also happens to be my favorite running buddy while taking in the beauty of Central Park or seeing our national monuments in Washington D.C.. With the increased safety concerns for women using ride share apps, her tip is one we can all use.

5. Kelly Radi is the award-winning author of “Out to Sea: A Parents’ Survival Guide to the Freshman Voyage“, motivational speaker and travel enthusiast (she recorded her tip from the airport in Prague!). When you’re visiting a new destination, you will want to keep her travel safety tip in mind while you’re taking in all the sights.

6. The next contributor has lived in Mallorca, Spain and travels to Switzerland and other European countries on a regular basis. Sarah Bader is the Director of Talent Engagement for Roth Staffing Companies and shares her best practices regarding choosing your travel lodging.

7. Since this travel safety tips video started with a Nicole, I thought it would be fitting to bookend it with another Nicole. As the Executive Director of Congregations For Kids, Nicole Taylor is a passionate advocate for Foster Children all over the world. From Africa to Australia to Haiti to one of our favorite places to meet up, New York City- her tip is all about giving the impression you’re a local.

Whether you’re traveling for work or simply exploring a new destination for some well-earned R&R, remember-your safety is paramount. Keep these tips in mind and use what applies to you to have a safe and enjoyable trip.

 Checkout the video below!

“Don’t ever accept anyone else’s preconceived limitations. If there’s something you want to do, there isn’t any reason you can’t do it.” -Amy Dodson