The Maverick Show: Global Travel Stories & Life Beyond Borders

Matt Bowles: Full-Time World Traveler Since 2013
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Oct 25, 2023 • 55min

255: Neo-Colonialism in Africa, the Power of Stories, and Developing Cultural Fluency with Tayo Rockson

Learn how to develop cultural fluency, make thoughtful travel decisions, and seek out spaces where you are a minority. ============================ Get the Monday Minute my weekly email with 3 personal recs for travel, culture, and living beyond borders you can read in 60 seconds. ============================ ON THIS EPISODE Tayo Rockson takes us on his journey growing up as the son of a diplomat and shares the lessons he learned living in Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Sweden, Vietnam and the U.S. all by the age of 18. He describes the role of basketball in building cross-cultural relationships, and shares lessons from attending a very conservative Christian university. Tayo then reflects on the different manifestations of anti-Blackness around the world, and why he recommends people intentionally put themselves in spaces where they are the minority. Matt and Tayo discuss the difference between being a numerical minority vs. a power minority and describe the global pervasiveness of white privilege. Tayo then shares techniques for developing cultural fluency and also shares some tips on making thoughtful travel decisions. He shares his analysis of digital nomad gentrification and neo-colonial dynamics in the travel and tourism industry. Tayo then discusses the importance of writing and the power of stories, especially stories from pre-colonial history. And, finally, he explains the neo-colonial relationships in present-day Africa and provides some important context and analysis for travelers. → Full show notes with direct links to everything discussed are available here. ============================ FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU: See my Top 10 Apps For Digital Nomads See my Top 10 Books For Digital Nomads See my 7 Keys For Building A Remote Business (Even in a space that’s not traditionally virtual) Watch my Video Training on Stylish Minimalist Packing so you can join #TeamCarryOn See the Travel Gear I Use and Recommend See How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use) ============================ ENJOYING THE SHOW? Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram and DM Matt to continue the conversation Please leave a rating and review — it really helps the show and I read each one personally You can buy me a coffee — espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes! :)
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Oct 16, 2023 • 51min

254: Wandering Across Iraq, Yemen, Syria and Lessons from 23 Years of World Travel with Derek Baron

Learn what it’s like in Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Central Asia & how you can participate in one of Derek’s sustainable tours. ============================ Get the Monday Minute my weekly email with 3 personal recs for travel, culture, and living beyond borders you can read in 60 seconds. ============================ ON THIS EPISODE In this episode Derek Baron talks about his experience traveling through Iraq, Syria and Yemen, including the incredibly unique island of Socotra. He explains why he loves the Middle East and talks about the small group tours he runs to Iraq, based on his personal local contacts on the ground. Derek also talks about his love for Central Asia, and the tours he runs to Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. He explains how he designs all of his tours sustainably to have a maximum positive impact on the local people and places. Derek reflects on the trends of over-tourism, digital nomad gentrification, and offers some suggestions for how we can make thoughtful travel decisions. He also talks about stability anchors in an itinerant lifestyle, and pillars for sustaining the lifestyle longterm. Derek opens up about dating as a digital nomad, how his lifestyle design choices have changed in different seasons of life, and why he does not have a goal of visiting every country. Finally, Derek reflects on the biggest impact 23 years of world travel has had on him, why he continues to travel, and what travel means to him today. → Full show notes with direct links to everything discussed are available here. ============================ FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU: See my Top 10 Apps For Digital Nomads See my Top 10 Books For Digital Nomads See my 7 Keys For Building A Remote Business (Even in a space that’s not traditionally virtual) Watch my Video Training on Stylish Minimalist Packing so you can join #TeamCarryOn See the Travel Gear I Use and Recommend See How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use) ============================ ENJOYING THE SHOW? Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram and DM Matt to continue the conversation Please leave a rating and review — it really helps the show and I read each one personally You can buy me a coffee — espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes! :)
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Oct 9, 2023 • 52min

253: Smoking Hash with the Taliban, Getting Kidnapped in Bangladesh, and Acting in a Bollywood TV Show with Derek Baron

Learn how Derek got kidnapped for 3 nights and escaped & what it’s like to spend an evening talking with the Taliban. ============================ Get the Monday Minute my weekly email with 3 personal recs for travel, culture, and living beyond borders you can read in 60 seconds. ============================ ON THIS EPISODE Derek Baron takes us on his journey growing up in Boston, studying abroad in Australia, and then taking a life-changing trip to Angkor Wat in Cambodia for the Millennium that inspired him to travel full-time, forever. 23 years later, he reflects on his travels to 133 countries, how he financed it all, and shares some of his highlights. After 40 trips to India, Derek makes some recommendations on where to go, and how to approach the country, and shares the story of how he acted in a Bollywood TV series. He then explains why Romania and Mauritius are some of his top recommendations for digital nomads looking for medium to long-term stays. Derek also reflects on his trip to East Timor two decades after the genocide. Next, he shares his 6-week experience in Pakistan, which included unexpectedly spending a hash-and-opium-filled evening with the Taliban, traveling through the Tribal Regions, and crossing the Khyber Pass into Afghanistan. Derek then shares the story of trying to return through U.S. customs after that experience and what happened when they found a bullet in his pocket. Next, he talks about his experience being kidnapped in Dhaka, Bangladesh for 3 nights, how he eventually escaped, and what overall safety lessons he learned. And, finally, Derek reflects on processing negative travel experiences and how it impacts his overall impression of the place and of travel safety more broadly. → Full show notes with direct links to everything discussed are available here. ============================ FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU: See my Top 10 Apps For Digital Nomads See my Top 10 Books For Digital Nomads See my 7 Keys For Building A Remote Business (Even in a space that’s not traditionally virtual) Watch my Video Training on Stylish Minimalist Packing so you can join #TeamCarryOn See the Travel Gear I Use and Recommend See How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use) ============================ ENJOYING THE SHOW? Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram and DM Matt to continue the conversation Please leave a rating and review — it really helps the show and I read each one personally You can buy me a coffee — espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes! :)
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Oct 2, 2023 • 1h 24min

252: Phallus Worship in Bhutan, Ice Climbing in New Zealand, and Using SEO to Skyrocket Your Website Traffic with Isabel Leong

Learn how to skyrocket your website traffic with SEO & hear travel stories from Bhutan, Bolivia, Colombia & New Zealand. ============================ Get the Monday Minute my weekly email with 3 personal recs for travel, culture, and living beyond borders you can read in 60 seconds. ============================ ON THIS EPISODE Isabel Leong takes us on her journey growing up in Singapore, studying abroad in France, and then transitioning out of the corporate world to become a full time travel blogger and digital nomad. She shares her experiences ice-climbing in New Zealand, rock climbing in Colombia, going through the salt flats in Bolivia, seeing the Tigers Nest and learning about the practice of phallus worship in Bhutan. Isabel explains how she designs her lifestyle, and reflects on traveling as an introvert, local cultural immersion, and dating as a digital nomad. She then shares how she grew her blog traffic using SEO, how she monetizes it, and the best tools for doing SEO Keyword Research. Isabel also shares best practices for post length and frequence, developing quality backlinks, and the biggest leverage points for improving your SEO Rankings. → Full show notes with direct links to everything discussed are available here. ============================ FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU: See my Top 10 Apps For Digital Nomads See my Top 10 Books For Digital Nomads See my 7 Keys For Building A Remote Business (Even in a space that’s not traditionally virtual) Watch my Video Training on Stylish Minimalist Packing so you can join #TeamCarryOn See the Travel Gear I Use and Recommend See How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use) ============================ ENJOYING THE SHOW? Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram and DM Matt to continue the conversation Please leave a rating and review — it really helps the show and I read each one personally You can buy me a coffee — espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes! :)
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Sep 26, 2023 • 1h 4min

251: Nomad Cruises, Community Building, and Reflecting on 13 Years of World Travel with Johannes Voelkner

Learn how to join Matt and Johannes on the next Nomad Cruise and become part of a global community of digital nomads. ============================ Get the Monday Minute my weekly email with 3 personal recs for travel, culture, and living beyond borders you can read in 60 seconds. ============================ ON THIS EPISODE Johannes Voelkner joins Matt from Bangkok and starts off talking about what he loves about Bangkok and how it has changed since he started going there 20 years ago. He also shares what he loves about the Continent of Africa and the role it has played in his digital nomad journey. Johannes then gives his recommendations for digital nomads who want to spend time in his home country of Germany. Next, he talks about how he has built a global community of digital nomads through organizing 12 Nomad Cruises, as well as meetups at various cities around the world in between. Johannes then explains the itinerary for the upcoming Nomad Cruise, including pre-embarkation plans in the Canary Islands, programming on the boat, and post-cruise plans in Brazil for the group, including the legendary white party on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro for New Year’s Eve. He also offers Maverick Show listeners a $100 Discount! Johannes then reflects on his life of long-term world travel, including how he maintains relationships with friends and family back home, and what travel means to him today. He also offers his thoughts on over-tourism, digital nomad gentrification, and making responsible travel decisions. → Full show notes with direct links to everything discussed are available here. ============================ FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU: See my Top 10 Apps For Digital Nomads See my Top 10 Books For Digital Nomads See my 7 Keys For Building A Remote Business (Even in a space that’s not traditionally virtual) Watch my Video Training on Stylish Minimalist Packing so you can join #TeamCarryOn See the Travel Gear I Use and Recommend See How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use) ============================ ENJOYING THE SHOW? Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram and DM Matt to continue the conversation Please leave a rating and review — it really helps the show and I read each one personally You can buy me a coffee — espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes! :)
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Sep 18, 2023 • 26min

250: Celebrating 250 Episodes, Special Offers, and Meeting Up with Matt Bowles

Learn how to meet up with Matt, get discounts on upcoming nomad conferences, and schedule a free video call with Matt. ============================ Get the Monday Minute my weekly email with 3 personal recs for travel, culture, and living beyond borders you can read in 60 seconds. ============================ ON THIS EPISODE Matt reflects on doing podcast for 5 years and now having listeners in 185 countries. He shares an update on the Maverick Show’s “Monday Minute” email newsletter and the Maverick Show’s social media content. Matt then shares some highlights from his last year of travel, including participating in Remote Year’s 4-month all-Africa itinerary, and offers the listeners a $100 discount on their first Remote Year program (which enables you to travel the world with a community of other location-independent professionals for 1, 4 or 12 months). He then talks about his upcoming travel and how to link up with him around the world at some nomad events (with special discounts). Next, Matt talks about the increasing number of Maverick Show guests and listeners who are now buying rental properties through his company, Maverick Investor Group. Matt explains how Maverick helps you buy turnkey rental properties (with tenants and local property management in place) in the most investor-advantaged U.S. markets from anywhere, and offers listeners a free video consultation with Maverick about that. He also offers his white paper on Real Estate Investing for Digital Nomads. Matt then offers listeners his Top 10 Essential Apps for Digital Nomads, his Top 10 Essential Books for Digital Nomads, and his 7 Keys for Building a Location Independent Business (Even in spaces that are not traditionally virtual). He also offers his video training on Stylish Minimalist Packing where he teaches you how to travel the world full time with carry-on luggage only…without sacrificing fashion and style. And, finally, Matt asks listeners to fill out a survey to give their opinions and feedback on The Maverick Show, and offers a 25-minute one-on-one video call with the first 25 people who complete the survey and DM him on Instagram @mattbowlesmaverick. → Full show notes with direct links to everything discussed are available here. ============================ FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU: See my Top 10 Apps For Digital Nomads See my Top 10 Books For Digital Nomads See my 7 Keys For Building A Remote Business (Even in a space that’s not traditionally virtual) Watch my Video Training on Stylish Minimalist Packing so you can join #TeamCarryOn See the Travel Gear I Use and Recommend See How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use) ============================ ENJOYING THE SHOW? Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram and DM Matt to continue the conversation Please leave a rating and review — it really helps the show and I read each one personally You can buy me a coffee — espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes! :)
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Sep 11, 2023 • 51min

249: Business Networking Hacks, Stability Anchors While Traveling, and Changing Priorities in Different Seasons of Life with Simone Vincenzi

Learn Simone’s #1 business networking technique, his stress-management tips, and his key stability anchor when traveling. ============================ Get the Monday Minute my weekly email with 3 personal recs for travel, culture, and living beyond borders you can read in 60 seconds. ============================ ON THIS EPISODE In part 2 of this interview, Simone Vincenzi talks about why his podcast is his greatest business networking tool. He then opens up about some of his toughest moments as an entrepreneur, how he made it through depression and anxiety, and what his greatest stress management tools are. Simone then shares how he started traveling and talks about an over-the-top trip to the South of France. After traveling to 18 countries in the last year alone, he explains why travel is now one of the top priorities of his life. Matt and Simone then have a wide-ranging conversation where they both reflect on relationships, work-life balance, changing priorities across different seasons of life, and stability anchors while traveling. → Full show notes with direct links to everything discussed are available here. ============================ FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU: See my Top 10 Apps For Digital Nomads See my Top 10 Books For Digital Nomads See my 7 Keys For Building A Remote Business (Even in a space that’s not traditionally virtual) Watch my Video Training on Stylish Minimalist Packing so you can join #TeamCarryOn See the Travel Gear I Use and Recommend See How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use) ============================ ENJOYING THE SHOW? Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram and DM Matt to continue the conversation Please leave a rating and review — it really helps the show and I read each one personally You can buy me a coffee — espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes! :)
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Sep 5, 2023 • 60min

248: Cultural Immersion Through Pickup Basketball and the 4 Steps to Transforming Your Expertise into a Thriving Business with Simone Vincenzi

Learn the 4-step method to turn your expertise into a business & how to best utilize webinars, PR and public speaking. ============================ Get the Monday Minute my weekly email with 3 personal recs for travel, culture, and living beyond borders you can read in 60 seconds. ============================ ON THIS EPISODE Simone Vincenzi joins Matt over a bottle of wine and starts off by talking about his experience growing up in Italy, getting married in Puglia, and then makes recommendations for visiting Italy. Next, he talks about falling in love with basketball, playing in a professional league in the UK, and then playing pickup basketball around the world as a way to meet local people and immerse in local cultures outside of the tourism and digital nomad bubbles. Simone then talks about how his values and worldview developed, and reflects on the racism and social injustices he has observed in his travels. He then shares his entrepreneurial journey and explains the 4 Step “GTex Method” for turning your expertise into a thriving business. Simone gives specific tips on how to host an effective webinar, how to create an effective sales funnel, and how to incorporate public speaking and earned media into your business model. → Full show notes with direct links to everything discussed are available here. ============================ FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU: See my Top 10 Apps For Digital Nomads See my Top 10 Books For Digital Nomads See my 7 Keys For Building A Remote Business (Even in a space that’s not traditionally virtual) Watch my Video Training on Stylish Minimalist Packing so you can join #TeamCarryOn See the Travel Gear I Use and Recommend See How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use) ============================ ENJOYING THE SHOW? Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram and DM Matt to continue the conversation Please leave a rating and review — it really helps the show and I read each one personally You can buy me a coffee — espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes! :)
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Aug 29, 2023 • 1h 17min

247: Empowering Adventure Travelers to Collaborate with Global Communities on Meaningful Service Projects with Candice Young

Learn how to support community-led initiatives around climate resilience, ecological regeneration, and education. ============================ Get the Monday Minute my weekly email with 3 personal recs for travel, culture, and living beyond borders you can read in 60 seconds. ============================ ON THIS EPISODE Candice Young talks about growing up in LA in a Chinese immigrant home, majoring in Marine Biology, studying abroad in Costa Rica, and discovering fire spinning. She then talks about returning to China for the first time before going to live in Thailand to pursue both fire spinning and scuba diving. Candice tells her story of becoming a dive master, teaching scuba diving, and then going to work on commercial fishing boats for 3 years. She reflects on the lessons and observations from her experience in commercial fishing and how that inspired her passion for free diving and spear fishing. Candice then talks about her experience doing disaster relief work in Nepal and how that led her to found Trek Relief as a nonprofit which empowers adventure travelers to collaborate with global communities on meaningful service projects. She talks about the Trek Relief projects in in Nepal, Mongolia, Chile and Peru that support community-led initiatives around climate resilience, ecological regeneration, economic autonomy and education. She reflects on some of the common problems with voluntourism, shares Trek Relief’s conscious travel principles, and explains how you can support, get involved, and join an upcoming Trek Relief trip. → Full show notes with direct links to everything discussed are available here. ============================ FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU: See my Top 10 Apps For Digital Nomads See my Top 10 Books For Digital Nomads See my 7 Keys For Building A Remote Business (Even in a space that’s not traditionally virtual) Watch my Video Training on Stylish Minimalist Packing so you can join #TeamCarryOn See the Travel Gear I Use and Recommend See How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use) ============================ ENJOYING THE SHOW? Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram and DM Matt to continue the conversation Please leave a rating and review — it really helps the show and I read each one personally You can buy me a coffee — espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes! :)
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Aug 22, 2023 • 1h 30min

246: How World Travel Impacts Your Brain with Robin Who

Learn how world travel impacts your brain, boosts creativity, improves problem solving, and opens pathways to empathy. ============================ Get the Monday Minute my weekly email with 3 personal recs for travel, culture, and living beyond borders you can read in 60 seconds. ============================ ON THIS EPISODE Robin Who joins Matt for an aperitivo. She starts off sharing her experience growing up in multiple places around Italy before moving to Germany at age 12. She talks about developing her passion for language learning and foreign cultures that would eventually lead her to a life of travel. Robin reflects on her experiences in Ireland, India, and gives tips on how to have more immersive experiences in foreign countries where you don’t speak the language. She then explains the psychological impact that travel and language learning have on our brain, and how it can boost creativity, improve problem-solving, expand our world view, and open up pathways to both empathy and self-discovery. Next, Robin talks about founding “Our Connected World” to support people learning languages and learning more about our planet and themselves through travel. Matt and Robin then reflect on the struggles of marginalized groups they have encountered around the world from First Nations in Canada to immigrants in South Africa. And, finally, Robin reflects on how travel has impacted her and what travel means to her today. → Full show notes with direct links to everything discussed are available here. ============================ FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU: See my Top 10 Apps For Digital Nomads See my Top 10 Books For Digital Nomads See my 7 Keys For Building A Remote Business (Even in a space that’s not traditionally virtual) Watch my Video Training on Stylish Minimalist Packing so you can join #TeamCarryOn See the Travel Gear I Use and Recommend See How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use) ============================ ENJOYING THE SHOW? Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram and DM Matt to continue the conversation Please leave a rating and review — it really helps the show and I read each one personally You can buy me a coffee — espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes! :)

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