Why Not Driving Is Good For Business

A Washington DC Metro Station

Want to know what is possible when you leave your car behind? The annual “National Week Without Driving” challenge highlights all the other transportation options available and celebrates the many benefits when cars are only a small part of that equation. If you know me then you know that every week is a week without driving since I do not drive, like at all. And beyond the benefits to the environment, my budget, and my health, I can also confidently say that **NOT DRIVING IS GOOD FOR MY BUSINESS** too.

Surprised? Here’s why:

When I walk, take public transportation, or ride my bike, I am living the values that many of my nonprofit clients are working tirelessly to support. Showing that I embrace these climate-friendly , equitable , and healthy options shows that when you hire me, you get someone who is deeply supportive of your mission, even when I am not working directly for you.

Getting out of the car puts me smack in the middle of the communities I am helping my clients to support, on the street, at eye level where I can see, hear, and feel the impact of the work my clients do – and the needs that are still unmet.

Using the Metro and the sidewalks to get around downtown gives me more opportunities to run into people I haven’t seen in a while, like friends, former colleagues, and even current and past clients. Being able to stop and chat without holding up traffic allows me to really catch up, find a time to get together, and create those opportunities for connection that can often lead to new business.

And perhaps most importantly, walking and riding around gives me time to think and reflect, about the meeting I just attended, the draft I am working on, or a client’s problem I am trying to solve. I find the thinking I do in the fresh air, taking in the changing scenery, and getting some exercise to be so much more productive than just sitting silently in front of a screen trying to conjure brilliance out of thin air.

While totally abandoning driving may not be feasible for you, I encourage you to take advantage of this year's Week Without Driving to experiment with the many different ways that DC or your city can help you get around without a car. The benefits may surprise you.