At 4:30 a.m., the plane's landing — a sudden, heavy roar as it hit the runway — jolted me fully awake. As a mergers and acquisitions consultant for an investment bank, such an early morning has become a common occurrence for me. Outside, the airport lights pierced the pre-dawn gloom, and my neatly arranged suits and shirts lay on the luggage rack — a quiet reminder that the day would offer no rest.
I carried my carry-on suitcase out of the terminal building and was driven directly to a business hotel in the financial district. Opening the door and placing the suitcase on the floor, I sighed - the shirts I'd folded in New York were now creased and rumpled. And this morning there was a merger and acquisition launch meeting for a client, with dozens of pairs of eyes staring at me. I couldn't afford a single mistake.
That's why, in my luggage list, there is always one thing: an iron steamer.
Morning: The First Battle in the Hotel Room
After washing my face, I immediately took out the small iron steamer. It sat in the side pocket, compact and always ready — a small ritual before I stepped out. I turned on the water tap and poured the hotel's bottled water into it. Fifteen seconds later, the familiar "sizzle" sound rang out, and white steam began to spray evenly.
I hung the crumpled white shirt on the closet door and slowly brushed it from the collar downwards. The steam relaxed the fabric's fibers. In under ten minutes the shirt looked almost freshly pressed. I buttoned the collar in the mirror and felt steadier.
Tip: don't hold the nozzle in one spot. Once, rushed, I paused over one area and left an ugly water mark on the front of my shirt. Since then I always sweep the nozzle downward in even passes.
Morning: The outward appearance of the merger and acquisition meeting
There was hardly any time for breakfast. I grabbed my computer bag filled with documents and headed straight for the meeting room. Today's client was a leading manufacturer. They planned to sell one of their subsidiaries, and my task was to assist the buyer team in the negotiations.
The conference table was filled with thick financial reports, legal due diligence lists and laptops. The air was filled with the bitter aroma of coffee, and everyone was staring at the screens, their expressions focused.
Appearance matters in those moments. M&A sessions are less academic and more about nerves and judgment — counterparts notice small cues: eye contact, posture, a crooked collar. A creased shirt can erode your credibility, and the iron steamer kept me looking sharp.
As the CEO of the client was speaking, he suddenly looked at me and invited me to share my thoughts on the valuation model. I stood up, my suit shoulders still straight, without any marks from the backpack. At that moment, I knew that both my appearance and my expression were conveying a sense of professionalism and confidence.
Midday: An Incident on the Way to the Market
After the meeting, my legal team and I rushed to another client site. During the journey in the car, I noticed a distinct crease on the back of my suit jacket. It was probably left by me leaning against the chair when we were having the meeting in the morning.
I found that unacceptable. The lunch break was shortened to just twenty minutes. I simply pulled the shade curtain in the car, plugged the iron steamer into the car's power supply, and quickly made up for it. I steamed the jacket from shoulders to hem, and the wrinkles smoothed out almost immediately. The lawyer gave a wry smile and said, "No wonder you always look so sharp—you're packing secret weapons."
In fact, wool fabric is particularly suitable for using steam. Unlike cotton fabric which easily gets soaked through, as long as the distance is properly controlled, the steam will naturally cause the fibers to relax and return to their original shape.
Tip: Never repeatedly steam the stitching lines. The steam will cause the fabric near the stitches to become loose, and over time, the shape will change.
Afternoon: The protracted battle of trade negotiations
The afternoon was a drawn-out tussle over deal terms—lawyers, accountants and investors packed the room and tension was high.
After hours poring over contract clauses, fatigue sets in. But whenever I look down and see my still smooth cuffs, I can always regain a bit of focus. Don't underestimate the power of routine—it helps me stay composed through relentless questioning.
The founder of the client was a man in his seventies. He looked at me and said, "Young man, you always seem so energetic." I smiled and just kept the iron steamer's role to myself.
Evening: Unexpected Curtain Task
In the evening, we returned to the hotel and were preparing for an informal dinner with the buyer's representatives. In the lobby, the hotel staff were busy setting up the stage, but they were troubled by the fact that the curtains were full of creases. Someone casually joked, "Why don't we ask this consultant for help? He always looks so refreshed."
I was stunned for a few seconds, then I took out the iron steamer. Five minutes later, the thick curtain was smoothed out by the steam, and the stage immediately became neat and elegant. The staff raised their thumbs and said, "It's even more useful than the equipment we hired." I couldn't help but laughing either. The tool that was originally used in the financial field actually found use in the hotel decoration as well.
Dinner Party: The Psychological Battle Behind Dress Code
At the dinner party, the representatives of the buyer and the seller were drinking and chatting. The atmosphere seemed relaxed, but in fact, it was full of hidden tensions. At this stage, image is still very important. You never know which casual conversation might become an additional clause in the contract the next day.
Under the soft lights, my suit looked sharp and the straight collar helped me steer the conversation with confidence. The representative of the other side looked at me and said, "Having a conversation with you gives a sense of trust." I secretly felt relieved in my heart: If it weren't for that iron steamer, I would probably be sitting here with a whole mess of wrinkles, and the outcome would be quite different.
In the deep night: The sense of ritual in the journey
When I returned to the room, it was nearly midnight. The draft contract, due diligence documents, and client memos were piled up together. I sat on the edge of the bed, emptied the water tank of the iron steamer, dried the body with a towel, then left the lid half-open to air it out for a while. Finally, I carefully placed it back into the carry-on bag.
I treat it like a ritual—stowing my gear as if readying for the next mission. The battle the next day has not yet begun, but I am already ready.
Why can't we do without it?
Some see the iron steamer as a luxury; to me it's as essential as my laptop or passport. In the world of merger negotiations, details determine success or failure. You might argue for hours over a few percentage points in valuation, but in the minds of the clients, the first impression often forms before you even open your mouth.
A neatly pressed shirt and a well-fitted coat can help you gain trust unconsciously. The other party is willing to hand over transactions worth billions or even tens of billions of dollars to you. They must believe that you are rigorous at every step.
I think of colleagues waiting in airports, eyes glazed from travel. Their bags are as heavy as mine, but without an iron steamer they often walk into meetings in wrinkled shirts—little things that quietly cost them credibility.
Nesugar and My Choice
Over the years, I have tried many brands, but in the end, the one that stuck with me was Nesugar's travel model. The reason is simple: it's lightweight and doesn't take up much space; it produces steam in just 15 seconds; and the flow is stable, without sudden fluctuations.
Specs matter, but what sold me was that it still gives neat results even when I'm exhausted and in a rush. Whether in New York, London, Tokyo, or Singapore, the iron steamer helped me avoid embarrassment time and again.
People joke that a dealmaker's tools are Excel and PowerPoint; for me, that little iron steamer is part of my kit.
Epilogue
Put away the iron steamer, I turned off the light and lay down on the bed. Outside the window were the neon lights of a strange city, and my mind was still replaying today's negotiations. My life seemed to keep repeating itself: flights, meetings, negotiations, signing... And every new battle began with that shirt that was smoothed out by the steam.
This is my job—and my quiet secret. On the surface, it's just an iron steamer; but to me, it's my low-key shield in the global mergers and acquisitions battlefield, and it's the key that keeps me sharp and confident all the time.
The piece is done, but the routine goes on. Tomorrow I'll be on another flight, and that iron steamer will be waiting in my bag, ready for the next round.
