Maggie Adhami-Boynton studied psychology before pivoting into tech and business.ANNA/Supplied
Maggie Adhami-Boynton used to arrive at the airport hours early in fear of missing her flight; but her fast life as a CEO has transformed her into a highly efficient traveller. She’s learned to make it from cab to gate in barely 15 minutes.
“When you’re flying five times a month, you have no choice but to streamline everything,” she says. “I don’t check a bag unless I’m gone for more than 10 days. I’ve learned the hard way – once I lost my suitcase on the way to a partner meeting in Dublin.”
Born in Iran and raised in Toronto from the age of 3, Adhami-Boynton studied psychology before pivoting into tech and business. After working in digital advertising and branding, she co-founded a mobile services company that was acquired in 2017, with clients including RBC, TD and Pizza Pizza. In 2018, she launched ShopThing, a platform that combines tech and fashion by offering live, real-time video shopping – a model popular in Asia but previously untapped in North America.
As CEO, Adhami-Boynton travels constantly. She’s often in cities such as Tokyo, Dubai, Beijing, Milan and Stockholm, with a team spread across New York, Miami and Los Angeles.
Despite loving shoes and outfit changes, she’s become a packing expert. “I’ve found ways to keep it minimal but stylish,” she says. “I spend too much time in airports to waste hours sitting around in terminals.”
Her biggest travel pet peeve? Inefficient security lines. “It’s so frustrating being stuck behind people who don’t know the drill – take out your electronics, empty your water bottles. You knew you were coming!”
Her best tip: Pack efficiently, come prepared and you will save loads of time.
The carrying case: Away The Bigger Carry-on
“I’ve had this for close to three years. I take it with me every week and it’s still in great shape. It has a built-in portable charger, looks sleek and fits in the overhead bins of every airline I’ve flown. Pro tip: Use a magic eraser to take any scuffs from the outside.”
Buying options
$390, buy at Away
The power ranger: VRURC Portable Charger in pink
“I use social media a lot at work, and also sometimes outside of work, and you don’t realize how quickly your battery runs out. A magnetized portable charger comes in handy when there are no outlets available. Then, of course, I carry my cord charger, which is finally compatible with both my Mac and iPhone.”
Buying options
$39, buy on Amazon
The reading partner: Kobo Clara Colour
“I need entertainment on planes and I don’t like to watch movies while flying. Earlier in life I would only read business books. Now, I like to read two books at a time: one fiction and one non-fiction, to balance guilty pleasures and education. Recently I read Careless People, the fascinating story of one of the first public policy workers at Facebook.”
Buying options
$189, buy at Kobo
The catch-all: Dior medium book tote
“I always travel with a specific tote: the Christian Dior book tote. Not only is it extremely fashionable, it’s large enough to store all of my main valuables. It doesn’t have any pockets or zippers, but the main compartment is so spacious that I can pull off short trips without a carry-on.”
Buying options
$4,200, buy at Sephora
The craving: Twigs pretzel sticks, 4-pack variety pack
“For a while it was whatever the Air Canada attendants gave me. I really liked Twigs, these little flavoured pretzel sticks that the airline carries. So, I took matters into my own hands and now I just buy Twigs at the store and pack them for trips.”
Buying options
$19, buy at Twigz
The makeup routine: Basma Beauty foundation stick and cream blush
“I can’t really live without them. They’re easy to pack, don’t take much space, and I feel like something is missing when I don’t have them.”
Buying options
$54 and $38, buy at Sephora
The sole pleasures: Adidas Samba OG shoes
“I pack several kinds of shoes. I wear sneakers to the airport, and usually it’s the Adidas Sambas. Then I bring a few pairs of heels for meetings and then flats for when I get tired: but heels and flats rotate depending on the season. If you saw my shoe collection, you’d understand.”
Buying options
$130, buy at Adidas