Travel with an Athlete’s Mindset

Sport, at any level, is almost the perfect launchpad for future leaders. In fact, research from EY shows that 94% of women in C-Suite positions have an athletic background of some kind. The discipline, resilience and passion that sport cultivates are among the exact traits that make executives successful – to the point that it’s become entirely commonplace to meet fellow business travellers who are trying to maintain their training regime on the road, whether they’re pursuing an Ironman, a marathon or pushing for a Hyrox pb.

Travel is a big part of the executive experience, and the mindset of a business traveller is surprisingly close to that of a successful athlete. The Émigré approach to business travel is heavily inspired by sport and performance, both in terms of the athlete’s mindset and the technical apparel that can help an athlete perform. After all, whether we’re travelling for work or training for sports, we’re always looking for an advantage, and always thinking about how our decisions today will impact our performance tomorrow.

Control the controllables 

The boxer Mike Tyson once said, “everyone has a plan – until they get punched in the mouth.” It’s the same with business travel – flights get delayed, gates change, overhead bins fill up before the plane is a third full. Elite travellers don’t waste time trying to control the uncontrollables – when things go wrong, they pivot, regroup and get back to work. Because you can’t control every element of your day, but you can control your reaction.

Time is of the essence 

Like business travel, most of the days spent training for sport are boring, repeating the same exercises day after day in the hope that when you reach your destination, whether that’s an Olympic final or a local 10k, the stars will align and the performance you’ve trained for will appear. Athletes and business travellers alike make these days run smoother by making the boring bits as efficient as possible – hand luggage only, booking an exit seat, paying for lounge access – and injecting some low-key competition where possible – what’s your personal best from landing at LCY to jumping into a taxi outside?

Practice makes perfect

Sport makes you resilient – in a game like tennis, learning to lose without taking it personally is as big a skill as learning to win. It’s the same in business: we learn as much from our mistakes as we do from the advice of others. Whether that's packing too many shirts and too few changes of underwear, or following the herd down the wrong escalator rather than following the signs, mistakes happen – it's all part of the process.

Layer for performance

Business attire has evolved. A shirt and tie are not always essential, and they're nearly always sub-optimal on travel days, even if you're travelling business class. Athletes in outdoor sports know the value of layering, adding and subtracting garments to stay comfortable through the day: Émigré takes the same approach to our business apparel, focusing on layers that can be easily added or removed to keep you cool, calm and collected through the most chaotic situations.

Pack light 

A capsule wardrobe of carefully chosen, versatile clothing, packed into your hand luggage, is almost always preferable to checking luggage that covers more than you'll ever possibly need. As in sport, less is nearly always more – and the Émigré Garment Organiser helps make sense of your packing. A disorganised carry-on is like showing up to a bike race with no air in your tyres – when you know exactly which pocket holds your passport and which holds your liquids, you move through security with zero hesitation and eliminate decision fatigue.

Marginal gains compound

British Cycling famously has a philosophy of pursuing marginal gains to maximise performance. For a pro cyclist, that might mean taking your own pillow to the Tour de France to help ensure you sleep well every night, but for a seasoned traveller, perfecting your in-flight gear reduces physiological friction. High-quality noise-cancelling headphones actively lower cortisol and auditory fatigue, while a perfectly optimised, always-packed tech pouch means you’re never scrambling for a cable. Those small tweaks leave you significantly sharper for the actual meeting.

Hydration matters 

Business travellers know that staying hydrated doesn’t just make life more comfortable, it can massively impact your performance in the following days. Experienced airport travellers know exactly where the water fountains are after security so that they can refill their reusable water bottles pre-flight – real experts carry electrolytes to add some extra zing to their water. Add a sachet to your Émigré water bottle next time you fly.

The hotel transition 

Upon arrival, taking a slow jog or hitting the hotel gym is about more than training your muscles, it's an active reset for your nervous system, shifting your circadian rhythm before game day. It’s also a signal to your body that the hard part is over – you’re back in the driver's seat. Need the perfect, versatile gym kit for travelling? The Émigré Sports Kit has you covered for any activity.