Published
July 4, 2025
Do you prefer Zoom meetings or in-person ones?
I once flew to Chicago and back in under 48 hours for a three-hour meeting. It felt important at the time, but looking back now, probably a bit crazy.
This week, though, I had a proper in-person meeting. They’re rare these days and take a good chunk out of the day, but sometimes you just can’t beat a proper handshake and a real conversation across the table.
I prepped my deck, sorted my notes, and asked the client which station was closest. He told me to head for Shoreham, so I checked the trains, just an hour from home. Perfect. The train was on time, and I arrived feeling organised, confident, and a little bit smug.
Then I opened the Uber app and added the destination postcode: 60 miles away. Oh dear.
I should have been at Shoreham-by-Sea, not Shoreham. An easy slip, but a big one.
I found myself in a quiet village with no taxis, no signal, and a small road side café serving sausage sandwiches and builder’s tea, a spot with enough signal to call the client, who calmly offered to send a driver, a 120-mile round trip (they have a vehicle fleet, thankfully).
The café owner laughed. “You’re not the first, but they must really want to meet you if they’re driving all that way to pick you up.”
I eventually arrived 2.5 hours late, rattled, grateful, and slightly embarrassed. But the meeting went well, and there’s a good chance of a new client.
It reminded me that Zoom does save you time and the worst that can happen is someone yelling, “You’re still on mute.” But getting out and meeting people can lead to better connections, and sometimes better stories, and you might even get a decent sausage sandwich out of it.
So get out and about. Meet people. Shake hands. Just check your travel plans.
