The truly experienced business travelers are always the first to board the plane. When they find their seat, usually 2A, they remove their blazer and fold it atop their carry-on in the overhead compartment with effortless efficiency.

Brian Kelly has been that guy sitting in the front of the plane since before TSA pre-check was the benchmark of entry level status. As a Wall Street road warrior, he found himself constantly traveling and with the years of hotels and airlines, he started noticing patterns to make the most of his time away for home (not to mention those lucrative air miles and credit card points).

In 2010, Kelly launched his blog, "The Points Guy," which quickly grew into a global travel empire, helping travelers like himself maximize their credit card rewards, redeem airline points and essentially "hack" traveling. What started as insider tips has grown to serve a dedicated fan base in search of curated travel guides, hotel reviews and news stories affecting everyone—not just the guy in 2A. So, we decided to chat up one of our favorite travel experts to find how he starts his day, no matter where he might be waking up.

I usually get up at the same time everyday,

so my alarm is always set to 7:30 am.

I aim for at least seven hours of sleep.

But I know I really need eight.

The first thing I do when I wake up is grab my phone and check my email.

Then I go over the site stats from the day prior and current trends to see if we have any viral stories. Then I check the TPG slack newsroom for any trending events that might've happened while I was asleep. Then, like anyone, I scroll through Instagram and Twitter to see news.

I start on work the minute I wake up.

I'm working right from bed for the first 30 to 45 minutes of the day, which adds a quick sense of accomplishment before breakfast.