As a touring musician, I’ve performed in many cities throughout the US and Europe. I toured heavily throughout the nineties and into the early 2000s. In fact, in 2007, I performed in a new city every month of the year. After years of gigging, I settled down a bit to concentrate on my health, my wife, and my software startup. It wasn’t until recently that I began to realize I wasn’t enjoying travel as much as I used to. I was visiting places that were compelling, but something wasn’t the same.

Six months after founding Voltage Control, I decided that it was time to think about markets outside of Austin. My network felt strong and growing, yet I didn’t have many connections outside of the city. I started to prepare a plan that would build my network in other places and eventually lead to a healthy pipeline of clients.

I decided to take the same approach that has worked for me here in Austin, starting with referrals and introductions to interesting people and seeing where those conversations lead. My ask to my network was simple, “Who is someone you think I should know?” Sometimes the response would be: “I can’t think of any potential clients for you.” To which I’d reply: “I’m not looking for clients. I’m looking for interesting people doing interesting things.”

Once I had my approach identified, I needed to start implementing it. To actually follow through on my plan, I had to pick a city. I started by making a list of potential destinations. After weeks of refining and reordering the list and mostly just being indecisive, an opportunity to visit San Francisco presented itself.

Capital One was hosting a Change Catalyst Diversity and Inclusion workshop at the Capital One office in San Francisco. It was immediately clear that this was the signal I’d been waiting for: San Fransisco would be my first destination. I signed up and booked my flights. I booked the trip for the entire week even though the workshop was only Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning. The extra days would give me time to work on building my network.

I setup up coffees, lunches, and dinners with old friends and new contacts. In short order, I had filled up the entire week with meetings. It looked like my plan just might work. Upon arriving in San Francisco on Monday morning, I headed out to Downtown Oakland to meet with Robbie Bhathal, CEO of Suiteness, to whom my friend John Turpin had introduced to me. After a lovely chat with Robbie, I caught a quick bite with Guy Taylor, an old friend who is now running a synthesizer shop. Then I headed back to the city to meet Jake Knapp, author of Sprint, for a pleasant stroll through Golden Gate Park.

For the rest of the week, I followed a similar circuitous path through the Noe Valley, Soma, South Park, College Hill, The Castro, and The Financial District. I met with lots of fascinating people in new and unique places. I even hiked the Berkley hills with a brilliant gentleman who had recently obtained his Ph.D. in Organizational Theory. We had a grand time exercising while he swapped his theoretical knowledge for my stories from the trenches.

After what on all accounts should have been an exhausting week, I returned delighted and electrified. In the following days, as I reflected on the trip and what it meant to me, I began to realize it was one of my favorite trips in a long time. After thinking a bit more, I realized that this trip resembled my early days of touring.

After thinking a bit more, I realized that this trip resembled my early days of touring.

When touring as a band or solo musician, I worked with promoters, sponsors, fans, booking agents, club owners, and other professionals associated with the event. The first thing you typically did when arriving in a new city is connect with your local contact, which is usually a music professional, close friend or fan. This person showed you around their favorite places and introduced you friends. It was a fantastic way to see a city—through a local’s eyes.

My San Francisco trip followed a similar format. Each day I had a mission and one or more people that were hosting me. My approach was to meet wherever it was convenient for the other. Going to their preferred location created a scenario where I was always discovering places I might not have otherwise.

Since my trip to San Francisco, I’ve also visited San Diego and New York where I followed the same protocol. The San Diego trip centered around the 0111 CTO conference and the New York trip was for the Nasdaq CTO Summit. They were both booked on short notice and due to scheduling issues I wasn’t able to schedule as much time. They felt a bit rushed, so I hope to do entire weeks like my San Francisco trip in the future.

Connecting with like-minded humans in new places.

It is clear to me that this is the beginning of a new way of travel for me. Or perhaps it is more appropriate to consider this a return to the way I fell in love with travel. Connecting with like-minded humans in new places.

Thanks for reading! Share with my your latest travel adventures or how you explore new cities when you travel.

Voltage Control specializes in Design Sprints, and we facilitate Sprints in Austin, Dallas, New York, San Francisco, and wherever you are! Please email Douglas at douglas@voltagecontrol.co if you are interested in having him facilitate your Sprint, coach your team on how to run an efficient Sprint, or are curious to learn more about how a Sprint might help your company or product.

If you are in or near Austin, visit us at the Austin Design Sprint Meetup. Each month we have a guest speaker share their experience participating in a Design Sprint. If you would like to be a future speaker, please email me.

The post Liberating Travel appeared first on Voltage Control.

“In positive psychology, flow, also known as the zone, is the mental state of operation in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity. In essence, flow is characterized by complete absorption in what one does, and a resulting loss in one’s sense of space and time.” — Wikipedia

I first experienced flow as a musician and I always used to call it getting into the “zone.” I would often lose sense of time and space and become completely engulfed in the music. At one of my concerts in the late 90s I was in such an intense flow state that I began to observe myself performing as if I was not in control of what I was doing.

Jam Flow
One of my fondest memories of my old band Buckle is one particular rehearsal. Our practice was especially great that afternoon and we got lost in several long improvised pieces. After, we hung out for a bit and were all about to head out to a party. But, one of my bandmates, Gary, and I were still so energized from the music that we thought we would play a bit more and maybe write some new material. Within moments of picking up my guitar again, everything vanished into the “zone.” We played until 6AM that morning. It was a blur. I vaguely remember our bandmate Heath coming back and then leaving again. He had been the party and then stopped by on his way home. We have recordings to prove it happened.

It was few years later when I started to hear this state referred to as “flow” and I bought a copy of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s book on the topic. Csikszentmihalyi explains that truly enjoyable activities require effort, which initially creates slowness and frustration, but that over time, through repeated effort and increased skill, the activity becomes intrinsically rewarding.

“The flow experience, like everything else, is not “good” in an absolute sense. It is good only in that it has the potential to make life more rich, intense, and meaningful; it is good because it increases the strength and complexity of the self.” ― Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Flow

Flow is a complex cocktail of nuerochemicals including dopamine, norepinephrine, endorphins, anandamide, and serotonin. The most commonly produced endorphin is 100 times more powerful than medical morphine. Anandamide is an endogenous cannabinoid, and feels similar to the psychoactive effect of marijuana. Finally, when leaving flow the brain releases serotonin. With so many powerful chemicals it is easy to understand the addictive nature of flow.

“These five chemicals are flow’s mighty cocktail. Alone, each packs a punch, together a wallop.” — Steven Kotler, The Rise of Superman: Decoding the Science of Ultimate Human Performance

Code Flow
From the first day I ever wrote code, I found it to be a magical experience. I could create a set of instructions and quickly see my creation come to life. Unlike hardware or other physical tasks, software presents very few obstacles to obtaining results once you meet the basic requirements. This means that you can pull on a thread and keep creating or debugging for hours.

True flow requires mastery. However, I definitely experienced flow states in my first few months writing software. In the early days I would more easily find flow while debugging or problem solving. I would start poking and testing things and would fall down a rabbit hole. As I became more experienced I found that I could flow easily on almost any coding task.

Cynthia Maxwell, Director of iOS Engineering at Slack, uses flow to better manage her engineers. She believes that flow is a must-have and not a nice-to-have if your goal is to scale 5x. Cynthia simply asks the engineers at Slack to rate their activities on the flow diagram at the end of every one-on-one. She uses this metric to understand how to adapt the work for that engineer. How I can get you more into your work, not get more work out of you? This first round article describes her process in detail.

Losing Flow
I find it disorienting and frustrating when someone or something yanks me from flow. I am in such deep concentration that the cognitive dissonance of disruption is almost painful. Ideally, flow ends naturally and I can transition gently back to the “real world.” (Just ask my wife what it is like to interrupt me when I’m in the groove.)

As I began to take on leadership roles, I was responsible for a team, product strategy, and customer experience, but I was also still coding. With all of these responsibilities, I often had to catch up on coding responsibilities in the evening. I would start around dinner time, quickly falling into a flow state and not coming out until hours later. If I was lucky, I had taken the time to drive home before starting to code. I was almost always running on 2–4 hours of sleep. It was challenging, especially the next day when I needed to meet with clients, partners, or venders on little sleep.

Less Flow
In an effort to protect my sanity and health, I began to code less and less. In my flow states, I simply won’t stop to sleep or eat. Today, I still code, but I limit my coding to personal projects or tasks that are either time constrained or are not mission critical for the company. One of my favorite areas to contribute code, when I still can, is for Developer Experience and DevOps. I love to find ways to make the team more efficient and the work more enjoyable.

“The purpose of the flow is to keep on flowing, not looking for a peak or utopia but staying in the flow. It is not a moving up but a continuous flowing; you move up to keep the flow going. There is no possible reason for climbing except the climbing itself; it is a self-communication.”
― Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Flow

In conclusion, I love to flow. But, I had to decide which flow states I would allow myself to get sucked into. I consider myself lucky to have found multiple sources of flow. I’m afraid that there are many people out there who have never experienced flow in any task and that is something that would be incredible to change. I’ve personally taken on the challenge of writing more and after writing every week for over 6 months, I’m starting to find flow while writing, which excites me. I would love to hear about your experience with flow states. Please share your stories in the comments below.

Voltage Control specializes in Design Sprints, and we facilitate Sprints in Austin, Dallas, New York, San Francisco, and wherever you are! Please email Douglas at douglas@voltagecontrol.co if you are interested in having him facilitate your Sprint, coach your team on how to run an efficient Sprint, or are curious to learn more about how a Sprint might help your company or product.

If you are in or near Austin, visit us at the Austin Design Sprint Meetup. Each month we have a guest speaker share their experience participating in a Design Sprint. If you would like to be a future speaker, please email me.

The post Exiting Flow. Regaining Control. appeared first on Voltage Control.

Like many entrepreneurs, I’m constantly on the hunt for ways to improve my effectiveness. I’m always happy when I hear a new tip that might make me a better consultant, collaborator or teammate. And, who is better to learn from than successful CEOs in my own backyard? I interviewed ten, Austin-based CEOs and top executives about their daily routines in order to glean which habits and rituals have supported their success.

While there was a lot of diversity in my conversations, one thing was crystal clear: building a high-performing company is the result of consistent habits. In particular, I identified seven distinct habits that I would like to share. These CEOs, representing industries ranging from tech to higher education, offer actionable advice that you can use to improve your career (or life), regardless of your role or seniority.

Habit #1: Be Early to Rise

Unsurprisingly, I found that it all starts in the morning. The most consistent thing I heard from the CEOs is that they start their days early. Jen Grogono, President and CEO of uStudio, sets her alarm for 5:30 am and spends time relaxing and reading before the rest of her family wakes up. Suzi Sosa, CEO of Verb, works out at 5:30 am in her home gym, gets her kids off to school and then enjoys an hour to herself before work. A normal morning for Jean Anne Booth, CEO of UnaliWear, starts in the dark, usually around 4:30 am! What struck me about these stories is that getting up early isn’t about diving headfirst into work. Instead, the morning hours offer these hyper-busy execs a moment to wake-up, breathe and set the tone for the day.

“It’s easy to get caught up in the barrage of emails, Slack messages, texts and calls, so a couple mornings a week, I start offsite at a coffee shop. I catch up on bigger things, important reading or action items that require attention.” — Autumn Manning, CEO of YouEarnedIt

Habit #2: Don’t Be Afraid to Unplug

“Every day, I try to find time to pray and be still, even for just a few minutes. The secret was relocating my cellphone charger.” — Jan Ryan, Director of Entrepreneurship & Innovation at UT Austin

Whether through structured meditation or not, every CEO also expressed the need to unplug and disconnect from work. Jean Anne Booth meditates briefly everyday using the Unity Church’s Daily Word publication. Eva Bunker, a former CEO who is currently on sabbatical, sees her meditation practice as an antidote to the barrage of chats, texts, emails and calls that can fracture her attention. The CEO of Bold Metrics, Daina Linton, finds her meditation through exercise and says that, “Ballet is my meditation.” Karyl Fowler, CEO of Transmute Industries, is also a big fan of moving meditation and uses yoga, CrossFit, and frequent camping trips, to reflect and recharge.

“I think it’s important for founders to find a way to pull themselves out of the intensity of their daily lives. Finding something you’re truly passionate about and doing it regularly is a great way to stay grounded. “— Daina Linton, CEO of BoldMetrics

Habit #3: Stay Charged with the Right Fuel

“Eating this way keeps my energy very balanced and my body feeling good.” —Suzi Sosa, CEO of Verb

Through these interviews, I realized that being a CEO is a bit like being an elite athlete. A healthy diet is critical when you need to sustain the high function and elevated cognition required to manage a business. Michele Chambers, Executive Director at JP Morgan Chase, talked about how she keeps her office stocked with the foods— fruits, raw nuts, low sugar protein bars—that keep her energy steady. Similarly, Suzi Sosa told me that she strives to eat a diet of 33% fat, 33% carbs and 33% protein. (No easy feat!) She sees her eating habits, particularly watching her carb intake, as essential to combatting the high cortisol levels that can come from a high stress job. Jen Grogono shared that a gluten free diet has treated her allergies and improved her concentration.

“In startup mode, and then later in growth mode, it’s easy to go for convenience and start eating junk food that’s quick and easy. But to sustain your peak performance, your body and mind need heathy foods.” — Michele Chambers, Executive Director at JP Morgan Chase

Habit #4: Never Slack on Exercise

It’s impossible to talk diet without mentioning exercise. Not only do these CEOs exercise, but they make it a priority in their packed schedules. The CEO of StoryFit, Monica Landers, regularly does weights, pilates and yoga. (In fact I met her in a Pilates class at Castle Hill Fitness.) Jen Grogono does Bikram yoga four times a week and says that it’s one of the most valuable times in her week. Jan Ryan, the Director of Entrepreneurship & Innovation at UT Austin, craves intense, long distance bike rides and finds that they allow her to think more creatively and solve complex problems. Eva Bunker shared how she has practiced Aikido and, now Systema, and appreciates how the philosophical and spiritual elements of martial arts impact the rest of her life. A common thing I heard from the CEOS is that their exercise routine not only has body benefits, but brings mental benefits that extend into the office.

“I’ve found that doing half-Ironman triathlons is pretty much the perfect exercise to keep my body as tired as my mind — and thus, everything balanced.”- Jean Anne Booth, CEO of UnaliWear

Habit #5: Reflect through Writing

When I find time to write in my journal, I find it grounding. It helps me focus my thoughts, and the CEOs I interviewed described similar experiences. Jan Ryan told me that she always keeps a pad and pen beside her bed. To calm her busy mind, she writes down those nagging thoughts that pop up when it’s time to sleep, like undone tasks or exciting new ideas. Autumn Manning also journals regularly, usually in the mornings and on weekends. Jen Grogono shared that writing helps organize her thoughts, better understand herself and provides a productive way to process important emotions.

“You’ll rarely catch me in a meeting without a notebook. I write things mostly because I learned at a young age that writing helped me organize my thoughts and remember important things I had to do.” -Jen Grogono, President and CEO of uStudio

Habit #6: Make a List, Set a Goal

“Even though the title of CEO implies that I’m the boss, I do, in fact, submit to a higher authority — my calendar.” — Monica Landers, CEO of StoryFit

As a lifelong list maker, I was not surprised when many of the CEOs told me that they heavily rely on lists. Even those who didn’t mention literal lists talked about the importance of goal-setting or following a strict schedule to accomplish tasks. One of my favorite anecdotes came from Eva Bunker, who told me that she uses a modified version of the Agile development methodology in both her private and business life. She creates long-term “epics” and weeklong “sprints” to reach goals and optimize how much she can do while maintaining a sustainable pace. Jan Ryan talked about how she plans on Sunday evenings, when she creates a list of what needs to be done in the week ahead. She even makes sure to leave white space to allow for creativity and spontaneity. Likewise, Suzi Sosa talked about her ever-present to-do list, which is synched between all her devices. She writes down every single thing she must do — work and personal — and constantly reorganizes the list based on her shifting priorities.

“In both my private life and in business, I use a modified version of the Agile development methodology.” — Eva Bunker, former CEO of Critical Watch

Habit #7: Always Be Leveling Up

“I practice, read or research something entirely left field. This can be anything from a documentary to learning about a new artist. This ritual ensures I take a break but am still learning.” —Karyl Fowler, CEO of Transmute Industries

Lastly, the CEOs gave me good insights into how to keep growing year after year. Their answers revealed that these executives are committed to lifelong learning, self-improvement and expanding their knowledge base. Jan Ryan says, “I’m always learning, that’s my happy zone. My curiosity about the world has only grown throughout the years.” Karyl Fowler describes how she feels like time is wasted when she’s not learning or engaged, so she creates “learning distractions” that allow her to take a break, but that still keep her engaged and growing.

“Ever so often I find I’ve walked right up to the edge of my comfort zone, and I’ve taken on something I know nothing about. But it makes my life fuller...” — Jan Ryan, Director of Entrepreneurship & Innovation at UT Austin

Final Thoughts

As I reflected on the various conversations I had, I kept coming back to this Peter Drucker quote: “Time is the scarcest resource and unless it is managed nothing else can be managed.” I believe the seven habits I just described all connect back to time management in some fashion. If you are a founder or part of an early stage team, the success of your company really depends on your habits and effectiveness. Start applying a few of these habits into your daily routine (but maybe don’t try them all at once…) and, hopefully, you’ll find some of the same rewards that these CEOs talk about.

The post The 7 Super-Effective Habits of Austin CEOs appeared first on Voltage Control.