LinkedIn asked its Influencers to come up with their own “Summer Guide” and Richard Branson, Chef Marcus Samuelsson, Deepak Chopra, and over 60 others have stepped in to show you how to spend your summer like a boss. These recommendations on gadgets, cocktail recipes, vacation destinations, unplugging, and career advancement will help every professional feel funemployed.
SUMMER CAREER TIPS:
Put business at the back of your mind, but not out of your head – Richard Branson, Virgin Founder
– “Summer is a great time to take a break, but also when inspiration is most likely to strike… put business at the back of your mind – but not out of your head. I have been on many holidays where I have heard an exciting idea that has turned into a Virgin business. Keep your eyes peeled for a creative idea.”
Institute Summer Office Policies – Neil Blumenthal, Warby Parker Co-Founder
– “At Warby Parker, we’ve created a flexible vacation policy called My Time. Employees can take up to twenty vacation days—and at a minimum, they are required to take at least ten days…Counter-intuitively, employees at companies that provide unlimited vacation actually take fewer days off. We want to counter this impulse by insisting that team members take sufficient time to unwind and recharge. A relaxed mindset is a more creative mindset.”
Change Your Job – Glenn Kelman, Redfin CEO
– “My summer career advice is simple: change your job. This is different than changing jobs, though that may later have to happen. First, I recommend changing the job you already have, so you get to do what you like more often.”
FITNESS ROUTINES:
Yoga – Steven Sinofsky, the former head of Windows at Microsoft
– “You do the best you can with the body you have that day, and you commit to practicing the next day. Product development is like this as well—we often say the enemy of the good is the perfect. No product is perfect, but the least perfect product is one that doesn’t ship. Shipping gives you the right to come back with improvements and a better product based on what you learned as a team.”
Tennis – Neil Weinberg , American Banker editor-in-chief
– “We tennis players are gladiators. We scorn the culture of the third-grade soccer tournament, where everyone gets a trophy. Tennis is about recognizing weaknesses and attacking it. To do less is to insult your foe.”
Climb Mt. Kilimanjaro (or a similar challenge) – Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation CEO
– I’m not saying that everyone should climb a mountain this summer… But we should all take on a challenge once in a while, especially when life seems all that it can be. That’s as good a time as any to get out of your comfort zone, look at the world from a different perspective, re-examine your goals, and your path. Such a challenge can be done in many ways and places, not just at the top of a mountain.”
Reinvent the body – Deepak Chopra
– “Create a daily program that (a) focuses on restful sleep, (b) restful awareness through meditation, (c) daily exercise, (d) healthy food with the highest concentration of phytochemicals, (e) social engagement and healthy relationships.”
BEST COCKTAILS:
– A recipe from his beloved restaurant, Red Rooster, “The Uptown Sour” is a different take on the New York Sour.
11 Cocktails Inspired by Tech Visionaries — Shane Atchison, CEO at Possible
– From the Marissa Mayer “Mayerita” to the “Mark Cuban Libre,” there is a CEO-inspired cocktail to fit every Silicon Valley summer occasion or tech happy hour.
The Inexhale – Linda Descano, Managing Director at Citi
– This gin cocktail is light, refreshing, and low in sugar and calories—perfect for those conscious about their beach bodies.
The Derby – Michael Fertik, Reputation.com CEO
– A bourbon-based cocktail for the Mad Men in all of us.
BEST VACATION:
A Nap – Jon Steinberg, Buzzfeed
– I’d suggest a two to three hour nap and then wake up and perhaps tackle a little weekend work if you have some. This can be your most refreshed and thoughtful time. Just an hour or two of work after a weekend nap can harvest a set of ideas locked away by the stresses, pressures, and speed of the work week.
Outer Hebrides, Scotland – Rafat Ali, Skift CEO/Founder
– “Emptiness. That’s why I went in the first place, and why I went again this year. You could go to the beaches on a summer evening when the light is still out, run around for miles, and not run into anyone.
GADGET:
A good bag, duct tape, and a luggage tracker – Peter Greenberg, CBSNews Travel Editor
– “Of all the gadgets you could pack for summer travel, sometimes you need to go back to the low-tech basics: a good bag and a roll of duct tape and a gadget that gives you a little peace of mind. An industrial-strength roll of duct tape can fix just about anything….except for lost luggage. Now that’s when gadgets can help. There’s a new tool called the Trakdot Luggage tracker that goes inside your checked suitcase. It tells you exactly where your bag is in real time. Another option is LugLoc, which tracks your bag from inside using GSM technology—like what cell phones use. And the battery lasts up to 40 days. Of course, all these products come at a price…and a monthly fee.”
BEST BOOKS:
“Setting the Table: The Transformative Power of Hospitality in Business” – Chef Marcus Samuelsson
– “Even though I read it when it first came out, I still think often about its lessons and advice about navigating the restaurant world. For anyone in hospitality, thinking about opening a restaurant, or even just in business in general, this book is my summer must-read.”
SOURCE: LINKEDIN
You can check out the full package of 60+ posts HERE.
Now for your top picks: Tell the world what books, movies, gadgets games and more they’re missing this summer.
