Few people are likely to appreciate just how much work goes on behind the scenes when running trainings on an international basis. There are endless “spinning plates” and a real need to make best use of time to ensure that everything runs smoothly.
When booking flights, it’s smart to book at least two months ahead to get the best value. This means that all events need to be properly in place of course and that means having reliable hosts for all workshops! Fortunately, I have many longstanding hosts around the world who book trainings on an annual basis. We usually work 12 months ahead and generally run events at the same historic time of year. I have learned over the years that people are mostly creatures of habit, so having an annual slot works best. To date I have run my own trainings in 12 different countries and the trend is that two new countries are coming on board each year. My philosophy when booking flights is to get the shortest time from A to B. It’s easy to think that you will save money by getting a particular apparently cheaper flight to then spend more on food and drink waiting for hours in stopover airports. Airports and flights can vary massively in quality of service and price. My favorites are Etihad and Emirates for long haul flights and my favorite airport is Tokyo, where the service is typically Japanese and second to none.
It’s important to plan evenly throughout the year, as travelling and working can be pretty tiring at times. It’s also crucial to cash flow all of this activity in a sensible fashion as costs can really crank if you are not careful. When travelling size and weight are critical and I have a policy of recording all trainings on video and audio, so that means taking equipment on every trip. This also means ensuring that I have universal chargers, mains leads, batteries and storage. Even a stripped down set up is around 20 kilos and that’s without taking any products. Make no mistake working internationally is equally inspiring and truly hard work. Like any business it requires constant attention and focus. One of the great things about presenting the PCW model is that it translates across all cultures and demographics.
It’s an absolute privilege to be able to teach in so many countries around the world. My absolute favorites to date are Japan and the USA. Japan in particular is a fascinating country quite unlike anywhere else. This year I’ll be back in Osaka running a three-day training on addictions, compulsions and bad habits.
