Growing a Company? This is Why Entrepreneurs Should Travel More

You did it! You finally left the corporate world, school or your old job to start out on your own.

You’ve hustled, spent long hours and lots of money and time on learning new things and growing your business. It is all a labor of love (we hope) and worth it to be doing what you love and calling the shots. No more boss to report too, no more unsatisfied or passionless days spent dreaming of your ‘one day’. No, because you are an entrepreneur.

Whether you’ve just started out on your own or have been doing it for decades, you started for a purpose. You started a company for more freedom, autonomy and to do something you truly believe it. So why are so many entrepreneurs burnt out?!

Overworked, too much coffee, too little sleep – entrepreneur life is often seen as less than glamorous. Yet so many people want to become them! In search of the hustle, that high from seeing something you’ve poured your heart into take off. But at the same time, the work and hours you put in are just plain crazy.

Oftentimes, people become entrepreneurs to give themselves more freedom. You seldom do that though, never taking advantage of the flexibility of running a company and determining your own schedule.

We’ve felt it ourselves and learned a thing or two from our teams 20+ years in entrepreneurship. We’ve also learned the incredible importance of travel for entrepreneurs. So we shared why it’s important to prioritize travel, no matter how busy you are, to help you grow and learn.

1) Meet New People

Growing your network is one of the most important thing you can do throughout your career. When you travel you meet incredible people that you otherwise never would have. Our cofounders met while traveling in Southeast Asia and without their individual desires to explore the world, Behere would never exist. We’ve also had a number of our members meet life long friends, business and life partners while traveling.

entrepreneurs should travel2) Learn New Things

Through meeting new people and experiencing new places you will learn incredibly valuable life, and business, skills. Whether you take a new course abroad, end up in a workshop taught by someone super interesting or just ask a question to someone you meet, you will learn something new. Some trips might by about learning to surf, others could be about refining your people skills and others, teach you how to juggle your team from a new time zone.

3) Communicate Better

Travel tests your communication skills, and patience, often. You have to learn to slow down, juggle learning and conversing in new languages and share your language with others. You can also fine tune your negotiation skills by bartering with street vendors. Wherever you go, travel will help with your communication and people skills.

4) Gain a Global Understanding

If scaling your company to new countries is something you want to do, having a better sense of the world is key. By going to new countries, you experience their way of life and customs, learn about their needs and determine if your product/service could help there. Plus, you learn about new problems and might come up with unique solutions for them.

5) Connect with Remote Team Members

In todays day and age, many companies are remote. With that, many teams have never met face to face. If you employ any remote employees, traveling to see them can be a wonderful bonding experience for you and them. Plus, you’ll have a better understanding of the way they work, where they live and more, so you can work together even better.

6) Inspiration, Motivation & Relaxation

There’s a reason companies hold team retreats – they really do help with employee morale. As an entrepreneur, you often put taking care of yourself and your own needs on the back burner while trying to grow your company. However, it’s crucial you take time off to relax, and find new inspiration and motivation. You’ll be amazed what a month in Europe can do for your creativity, your business, and yourself.

Despite this, we know for many entrepreneurs it’s incredibly challenging to leave your business, even just for a few days. For those that can’t get away for long, we recommend taking a more local trip for a long weekend and starting out small. Try unplugging and doing something you love, like hiking or going the spa, to get away from work and technology for a day or two.

For those that have started online businesses, we can’t stress how amazing spending a month or more traveling is for you and your business. Joyce shared the transformational impact spending a month in Spain had on her, after one year of running her startup and Angela shared how it helped her take a leap and grow her business.

Starting a company doesn’t come without sacrifice, much of which is necessary to get it off the ground. But, we believe it’s time you start putting yourself first more and taking advantage of the flexibility it offers. Being an entrepreneur isn’t about all work all the time, it’s about balance, growth and doing what you love. So, it’s time to travel!


Written by Meesen Brown, Cofounder & CEO of Behere.

Now, feeling inspired to do some traveling while running your business? Pick a location below or send us a note [email protected] and we’ll help connect you to the spaces and people that will make your time abroad amazing!

12 Motivational Quotes from Female Entrepreneurs to Inspire You

Where did 2018 go?! The holiday season and Q4 just zipped by us. We hope you all had time to refocus and reenergize over the break. If not, remember it’s essential to take time for yourself, to focus on your goals and mission, in order to start this year feeling your best.
That’s why we put together these motivational quotes from 12 amazing female entrepreneurs who’ve given it their all, and persevered, to build the businesses of their dreams. Sound like what you want to do? Or perhaps you just need a little extra push? Then find out how Oprah Winfrey, Arianna Huffington and many more, do what they do.

ARIANNA HUFFINGTON: Founder of Thrive Global, Co-Founder of The Huffington Post


“We need to accept that we won’t always make the right decisions, that we’ll screw up royally sometimes – understanding that failure is not the opposite of success, it’s part of success.”

Everybody makes mistakes, some larger than others, but it’s part of being human. How you react to and learn from those mistakes is what’s important though. Use them as a way to grow and improve, that’s how you will succeed.

OPRAH WINFREY: Talk Show Hostess, Producer, Philanthropist


“On my own I will just create, and if it works, it works, and if it doesn’t, I’ll create something else. I don’t have any limitations on what I think I could do or be.”

Oprah worked very hard to get to where she is and she does everything with passion and perseverance. Keep creating and dreaming, you can do it.

ANNE SWEENEY: Co-Chair of Disney Media Networks


“Define success on your own terms, achieve it by your own rules, and build a life you’re proud to live.”

Yes, yes and more yes. We’re all working towards different goals, we all move at different speeds. Stop comparing yourself to others and focus on building a life you are proud of.

ELLEN DEGENERES: Comedian, Talk Show Hostess, Actress, Writer, Producer


“I work really hard at trying to see the big picture and not getting stuck in ego. I believe we’re all put on this planet for a purpose, and we all have a different purpose… When you connect with that love and that compassion, that’s when everything unfolds.”

When you’re feeling a little lost this is something great to reflect on. Look at the big picture, put away your ego and focus on why you’re doing what you do.

KATIA BEAUCHAMP: Cofounder and CEO, Birchbox


“Whatever it is that you think you want to do, and whatever it is that you think stands between you and that, stop making excuses. You can do anything.

Believe in yourself, dream bigger and stop making excuses. You can do whatever you’re willing to work hard enough at.

ESTÉE LAUDER: Cofounder, Estee Lauder Companies


“I never dreamed about success. I worked for it.”

Have big dreams but don’t let them just be dreams, work at them – hard.

SARA BLAKELY: Founder, Spanx


“Don’t be intimidated by what you don’t know. That can be your greatest strength and ensure that you do things differently from everyone else.”

Nobody knows everything. Treat your inexperience and the unknown as a learning opportunity, then you will never stop growing.

ANITA RODDICK: Founder of The Body Shop


“Whatever you do, be different – that was the advice my mother gave me, and I can’t think of better advice for an entrepreneur. If you’re different, you will stand out.” 

You are unique, there is no one out there like you. Use this to your advantage and be true to who you are.

MICHELLE OBAMA: Former First Lady of the United States


“Success isn’t about how much money you make, it’s about the difference you make in people’s lives.” 

This is important to think about as you try to grow your business. How do you define success? And what is your mission? Come back to these.

ANGELINA JOLIE: Award-Winning Actress and Philanthropist


“If you don’t get out of the box you’ve been raised in, you won’t understand how much bigger the world is.” 

This is one of our favorite quotes at Behere. We know firsthand how much you learn from experiencing other places and people, so get out of that box!

CHER: Recording Artist, Television Personality, Actress, Director, Record Producer and Philanthropist


“Until you’re ready to look foolish, you’ll never have the possibility of being great.” 

Take risks, put yourself out there, and constantly be learning and growing. You have to be comfortable with looking foolish or failing in order to get where you want to be.

MARY KAY ASH: Founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics


“Don’t limit yourself. Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do. You can go as far as your mind lets you. What you believe, remember, you can achieve.” 

Expand your mind and stop holding yourself back. You will hear it a million times, but you have to believe in yourself.


Ready to make 2019 your best year yet? Live abroad, connect with an amazing community of likeminded women and start living the way you want, we can’t wait to meet you out there!