Bizleisure isn’t just a buzzword. It’s a way of life - combining leisure with work, and it’s a lifestyle Josh Vignona lives with intention.
Josh emphasizes the benefits of living an active lifestyle that combines both personal and business travel. It’s a practice, he says, of weaving in leisure wherever you go. That could mean choosing memorable activities around your work schedule, enjoying local culture, or extending business trips to explore the destination.
Being intentional about where to stay and picking the right activities rather than defaulting to the usual business travel routine, is key to making the most of the bizleisure lifestyle, says Josh, adding, “balance is not about equal time for each interest but making time for what truly fulfills you.”
His roles in business consulting and project management have involved corporate travel, giving him opportunities to visit different cities and countries. Among his favorite countries to visit are India, South Korea, Ireland and Switzerland.
An accomplished medical technology and life sciences leader, Josh has more than 20 years of experience in sales and marketing, technology, and consulting. He has coached developing talent to help build high-performance teams and has provided resource management and strategic planning services.
An expert in Salesforce, Oracle CRM on Demand, and Siebel, Joshua Vignona holds various certifications with the Project Management Institute and Scrum Alliance. He also holds an Agile Project Management certification. The Agile method helps guide the execution of large scale tech implementations, according to Josh.
Turning Travel into Part of His Routine
Instead of separating business from pleasure, Josh chooses to extend stays, explore destinations around work trips, and share those experiences online. He launched personal blogs and social accounts where he writes about travel tips, hotels vs hostels, productivity, and managing work on the go.
The acceptance of hybrid working situations in many organizations, which peaked during the COVID pandemic, brought a surge in business leisure, commonly referred to as the bizleisure trend, giving rise to the work from anywhere idea to travel to new destinations.
Josh points out that employees benefit because they can opt to work from any destination of their choice, as long as they get the work done while also being a tourist. It breaks the monotony of the office, and the change can boost mental health and increase morale and productivity, he adds.
In addition, with the rise of smartphones and other ways of seamlessly booking stays and tours, millennials tend to feel confident in travel that involves minimal planning. Whether it’s online reviews or GPS-enabled phone navigation to local sightseeing, a host of information is always at one’s fingertips.
Companies Encourage Combining Business and Leisure
Many companies now encourage combining business with leisure, leading to happier and more productive workers. Carrying culturally enriching experiences back to the workplace, employees also gain a more rounded view of the world around them.
“All things considered, it’s a lifestyle that I decide to live by. Being a business explorer doesn’t need to mean letting your life pass you by out the window of a plane or at the lodging bar. For me, business travel life is tied in with living at the time and place you are in and getting a charge out of the entirety of the encounters that encompass my day,” Josh explains.
Even with a busy schedule, Josh stresses the importance of carving out moments to explore destinations - that’s the heart of the bizleisure lifestyle, he emphasizes. He leverages travel time for personal growth - whether it’s learning how to dive, exploring new cities, or making time for relaxation between meetings. “Don’t let life pass you by,” he advises. Those words could well be Josh Vignona’s mantra.
Rather than treating business travel as a chore, he focuses on enjoying new and novel experiences in each location. He maintains several personal #bizleisure blogs where he shares insights about topics such as comparing hotels and hostels and maintaining an efficient work-from-home routine.
Josh’s Tips for Working Remotely
As a seasoned remote worker - whether working from home or while traveling the globe, Josh shares his advice for those embarking on remote work for the first time - or those who are ready to embrace the bizleisure life.
“Designate a space for work - a reliable location from which to shut out distractions and get things done,” he suggests. As important, is structuring a schedule and sticking to it. That, says Josh, requires self-discipline.
Speaking of distraction, social media and your phone can be the biggest culprits, Josh says. He advises setting strict limits on social media.
Taking breaks and getting exercise help with screen time burnout, Josh advises, “Set reminders to step away from your desk, stretch your legs, and clear your head so you can return to work with a fresh perspective.”
To avoid isolation, Josh recommends scheduling regular phone calls, video chats or texts with friends, family, and coworkers.
Personal Life
A native of New York City, Josh graduated from the State University of New York, Albany with a bachelor of arts in economics.
When he is not in front of the computer working or blogging, he enjoys spending time outdoors as well as museums, landmarks (Niagara Falls, Alaska, Grand Canyon, National Parks etc) and sporting events. “I regularly go to boxing matches, baseball games, football (college and pro) games, basketball (college and pro) games, hockey games and soccer matches,” he says, noting he roots for both Tampa and New York sports teams.
Josh is also a fan of live music and tries to attend as many concerts as he can.
It all comes back to combining the best of both worlds - business and travel. As Josh likes to say, “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.
Josh Vignona will continue to share his bizleisure experiences, reporting on travel trends for business and for pleasure. It’s a lifestyle choice that is rich with rewards. He sums up how the bizleisure lifestyle can grow your career as well as enhance your life with this quote, “Adventure is about exploring both the world and your own potential.”
