Two Successful Entrepreneurs Talk Travel: Away luggage’s Steph Korey and Jen Rubio
Steph Korey and Jen Rubio know something about life in transit. Not only has Away, their direct-to-consumer luggage brand, enjoyed a rock star launch (literally – Jay-Z is a recent investor) but these travelers at heart and successful entrepreneurs spend enough time in out-of-office (for work and for pleasure) to have their travel favorites sorted.
STEPH
BEAUTY PRODUCTS: Airplanes can be really drying. I use Glossier’s rosewater spray and moisturizer together. You feel like you’re in a spa even though you’re in Row 47J. I sometimes put on sheet masks on the plane. You look like the grim reaper but it’s so moisturizing and feels so good that I do it anyway. I use Dr. Jart’s. I also pack travel-size versions of my usual shower products by Fekkai and Aesop.
TRAVEL UNIFORM: I love Outdoor Voices clothes for long flights. Everything is soft and comfortable but still chic so you don’t look like a slob. If you’re getting cozy for that 15-hour flight to Asia you can’t beat it.
APPS: Uber has totally saved my life in some situations. I was at the train station in Guangzhou, China, and it was acid raining and there was a 300-person taxi line. I fired up my Uber app and there was an SUV waiting just around the corner.
INSTAGRAM: Other than Away’s, I love any kind of travel inspiration account. “Less infinity pool accounts and more real travel experiences, like Alice Gao and Local Milk.
SNACKS: I always pack an assortment of healthy snacks like almonds, dried mango, Lara Bars, and wasabi peas. There’s nothing worse than boarding a 14-hour flight empty handed in the snack department.
JET-LAG REMEDY: If you’re flying across time zones, as soon as you arrive at your departure airport, mentally shift to the time at your destination. If it’s daytime there make sure you have energizing activities for your flight; if it’s nighttime there, begin the rituals that will help you relax and sleep on the flight.
ON HER LIST: Australia and New Zealand. Jen and our creative team did a photo shoot in Tokyo and they’re still telling stories about how rich the cultural experience is so Tokyo is really high up on my list.
JEN
BEAUTY PRODUCT: The CAP Beauty CAPtivator is my go-to. It’s a mist infused with essential oils and is sublime to use in the middle of a long-haul flight or after a day of hustling around a city.
APPS: Slack keeps me connected to my team even when my travel schedule is crazy. It sounds contradictory, but the more I feel like I’m not missing out by staying connected, the more I’m actually able to enjoy my travels. I use Sattva daily for meditation, Uber to get around, the Google Translate app to translate photos of signs, and VSCO to edit my photos.
JET-LAG REMEDY: The cure for jet lag is to not care! And lots of water.
TOP DUTY-FREE SHOPPING: Charles de Gaulle (Paris), Dubai International, Narita International (Tokyo).
ON HER LIST: Lately, I’ve been intrigued by fairy tales of destinations like the little treasure box that is Bhutan, or Edward James’ Las Pozas – 80 acres of surrealist structures seven hours north of Mexico City, or Mago National Park in Ethiopia. So much of the brand (and, luckily, so much of my work travel) is based on city destinations: a mix of work and play, meetings and dinners, from New York to LA to London to Berlin. While I’m so inspired by every city I spend time in, it’s important to keep exploration and discovery in mind – and these hard-to-get-to, little-known places keep me enthralled with and inspired by travel.
More Packing Tips from Virtuoso:
How To: Pack Like a Stylist – We interview Christina Burns, who travels the world as stylist for Travel Channel star Samantha Brown.
What I Pack: Virtuoso Advisor Barbara Sackheim King – From nail polish and underwear to the best shoes for walking, King shares her best tips.
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