The Maverick Show: Global Travel Stories & Life Beyond Borders

In this special mixtape episode, I ask today’s most interesting world travelers why they travel and what travel means to them.____________________________________Subscribe to The Maverick Show’s Monday Minute Newsletter where I email you 3 short items of value to start each week that you can consume in 60 seconds (all personal recommendations like the latest travel gear I'm using, my favorite destinations, discounts for special events, etc.).Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram ____________________________________For the past 5 years I have been interviewing digital nomads who, on average, have been to over 50 countries (some have been to over 150 countries), and I have been asking them to share the real reasons why they continue to travel and what it means to them. In this short compilation, I stitch together their answers. FULL SHOW NOTES WITH LINKS TO EVERYTHING DISCUSSED AVAILABLE HERE.____________________________________See my Top 10 Apps For Digital NomadsSee my Top 10 Books For Digital NomadsSee 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 RecommendSee How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use)____________________________________ENJOYING THE SHOW?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! :)

Stef Solfereni starts off describing his recent experience spending New Year’s Eve in Rio and then participating in the Carnival parade in front of 80,000 people in the Sambadromo.____________________________________Subscribe to The Maverick Show’s Monday Minute Newsletter where I email you 3 short items of value to start each week that you can consume in 60 seconds (all personal recommendations like the latest travel gear I'm using, my favorite destinations, discounts for special events, etc.).Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram ____________________________________Next, he describes his background and his deep connection with the continent of Africa. Stef shares his reflections on the key to unlocking joy and happiness after studying positive psychology for years. He describes his commitment to minimalism and shares his journey becoming a full time digital nomad and downsizing to carry-on luggage. Stef then talks about his experience living in China, doing 2,000 scuba dives around the world, and reflects on why he continues to travel and what travel means to him. He then talks about his professional trajectory in the business world and his experience founding the Marco Polo Group to coach Fortune 5000 CEOs. Stef shares the primary obstacles CEOs are facing today, the biggest leverage points that can propel them forward, and the most effective tactics for small business owners to grow quickly . He also offers tips on managing a fully distributed team, building company culture in remote business, and shares the leadership attributes that the best CEOs have. And, finally, Stef explains how he optimizes his productivity and designs his lifestyle. FULL SHOW NOTES WITH LINKS TO EVERYTHING DISCUSSED AVAILABLE HERE.

In this special compilation episode, you’ll hear Maverick Show guests describing their first-hand accounts of accidentally winding up in a sex hotel in Japan during a typhoon, narrowly avoiding a kidnapping in the Sinai, hitching a ride on a private jet in South Africa, walking into the world’s largest food fight in Spain, being imprisoned in Bahrain, getting chased by an elephant in Zambia, hitchhiking to the pyramids in Sudan, bike-riding naked with 800 people in Seattle, free diving with Blue whales in Sri Lanka, taking the world’s longest train ride from Lisbon to Saigon, swimming with caimans in the Amazon jungle, driving a rickshaw across India, and much more. FULL SHOW NOTES WITH LINKS TO EVERYTHING DISCUSSED AVAILABLE HERE.

On this special episode the tables are turned and Chase Warrington interviews Matt Bowles on the About Abroad podcast.____________________________________Subscribe to The Maverick Show’s Monday Minute Newsletter where I email you 3 short items of value to start each week that you can consume in 60 seconds (all personal recommendations like the latest travel gear I'm using, my favorite destinations, discounts for special events, etc.).Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram ____________________________________Matt starts off talking about spending his birthday in the Portuguese wine country and then about delivering the opening keynote at the Bansko Nomad Fest in Bulgaria. He then shares his backstory of losing his job, starting his own business, becoming location independent in 2007, and eventually becoming a full-time digital nomad with no base in 2013. Matt then talks about his experience doing a 12-month “Remote Year” program in 2016—traveling the world with a community of remote professionals and living in a different city each month across 4 continents. He then talks about why he is doing another Remote Year program, this time a 4-month all-Africa itinerary. Matt explains what he loves about West Africa, shares his experiences nomading in Africa, and reflects on the pros and cons of Remote Year. Next, he talks about founding his company, Maverick Investor Group, that helps people buy “turnkey” U.S. rental properties—fully renovated single-family homes with tenants and local property management in place. Matt talks about the best U.S. markets for buying rental properties and the process for how Maverick helps everyone (including foreign nationals) buy them from anywhere in the world.  Chase and Matt then talk about the future of work, the evolution of the digital nomad lifestyle, the value of location independence, and why Matt started The Maverick Show podcast. FULL SHOW NOTES WITH LINKS TO EVERYTHING DISCUSSED AVAILABLE HERE.____________________________________See my Top 10 Apps For Digital NomadsSee my Top 10 Books For Digital NomadsSee 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 RecommendSee How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use)____________________________________ENJOYING THE SHOW?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! :)

Flora Mendoza joins Matt over a bottle of wine in Dakar, Senegal. ____________________________________Subscribe to The Maverick Show’s Monday Minute Newsletter where I email you 3 short items of value to start each week that you can consume in 60 seconds (all personal recommendations like the latest travel gear I'm using, my favorite destinations, discounts for special events, etc.).Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram ____________________________________She reflects on what she loves most about Senegal after spending a month in Dakar and also shares her experiences traveling through Tunisia, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Next, Flora talks about being half Mexican and half Basque, shares her experience growing up in Queens, NY, and reflects on her study abroad experience in Salvador de Bahia in Brazil. She then talks about her journey with music and acting which included studying opera in Italy, being a recurring extra on Saturday Night Live, and spending time with Michael K Williams. Next, Flora talks about her path to becoming a professional political consultant and pollster and explains how she turned that into a fully remote position and started traveling the world full-time. She explains why she prioritizes an understanding of the history and politics of her travel destinations and then talks about her trip to Palestine. Flora and Matt then reflect on the general importance of making distinctions between government policy vs. the individual citizens of a country, and how dominant groups in all societies have the option to side with oppressed groups. Flora then talks about moonlighting as a Jazz singer in Puerto Rico, attending Fidel Castro’s funeral in Cuba, and traveling through Colombia in two different decades. She offers tips on traveling with a relationship partner, solo female travel, and balancing work and travel in different time zones. Matt and Flora then reflect on the beauty of the Basque country. Finally, Flora shares what travel means to her and opens up about the real reason why she continues to nomad and live her life to the fullest. FULL SHOW NOTES WITH LINKS TO EVERYTHING DISCUSSED AVAILABLE HERE.____________________________________See my Top 10 Apps For Digital NomadsSee my Top 10 Books For Digital NomadsSee 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 RecommendSee How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use)____________________________________ENJOYING THE SHOW?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! :)

On this episode, Matt passes the mic and, instead of interviewing the guest himself, he publishes an episode of the “Flourish in the Foreign” podcast, where Christine Job interviews Jackie Omotalde. ____________________________________Subscribe to The Maverick Show’s Monday Minute Newsletter where I email you 3 short items of value to start each week that you can consume in 60 seconds (all personal recommendations like the latest travel gear I'm using, my favorite destinations, discounts for special events, etc.).Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram ____________________________________Jackie begins by reflecting on her first study abroad experience in Germany at age 16, and then talks about attending Spellman College and explains the impact of HBCUs. Next, she discusses her professional trajectory that led her to live and work in Ethiopia. Jackie then shares her experience living in Indonesia on a Fulbright scholarship, as well as lessons from her time working in Silicon Valley. She also reflects on nomading as a Black woman, dating abroad, and traveling the world with her daughter. Jackie then discusses Black American vs. African identity dynamics, especially when living on the continent of Africa. She also talks about learning and speaking foreign languages, and how living abroad fits into her overall financial plan. Jackie then shares advice specifically for Black women that aspire to live abroad or who are already traveling the world. And, finally, she reflects on how her “slow-mad” travel style contributes to her wellness. FULL SHOW NOTES WITH LINKS TO EVERYTHING DISCUSSED AVAILABLE HERE.____________________________________See my Top 10 Apps For Digital NomadsSee my Top 10 Books For Digital NomadsSee 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 RecommendSee How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use)____________________________________ENJOYING THE SHOW?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! :)

Digital nomad influencer Kristin Wilson returns to the Maverick Show for the fourth time.____________________________________Subscribe to The Maverick Show’s Monday Minute Newsletter where I email you 3 short items of value to start each week that you can consume in 60 seconds (all personal recommendations like the latest travel gear I'm using, my favorite destinations, discounts for special events, etc.).Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram ____________________________________Kristin starts off by sharing her reflections on the digital nomad life after 15 years of world travel. She then talks about her newest passion and professional endeavor of becoming a DJ, and explains how she has integrated it into her nomad life by booking gigs around the world and playing at nomad conferences and parties. Kristin then reflects on her years of hosting the “Bad Ass Digital Nomads” podcast and growing the “Traveling with Kristin” YouTube channel to over 150,000 subscribers, with many viral videos getting well over a million views. She discusses strategies for growing your audience and shares different ways to monetize your content. Kristin then talks about her experience writing and publishing the “Digital Nomads for Dummies” book, and Matt reflects on how unique and valuable the book is for any nomad. Next, Kristin talks about her “Ready to Relocate” business and shares the various pivots and iterations of her relocation business over the years. She then reflects on “burnout”. Kristin shares stories of the multiple times she has burned out over the years, as well as the lessons and awareness she now uses to structure her lifestyle and create a healthy balance between stability and new experiences. And, finally, after 15 years of traveling, she reflects on what travel means to her today. FULL SHOW NOTES WITH LINKS TO EVERYTHING DISCUSSED AVAILABLE HERE.____________________________________See my Top 10 Apps For Digital NomadsSee my Top 10 Books For Digital NomadsSee 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 RecommendSee How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use)____________________________________ENJOYING THE SHOW?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! :)

Youmie Jean Francois joins Matt in-person for this conversation in Dakar, Senegal.____________________________________Subscribe to The Maverick Show’s Monday Minute Newsletter where I email you 3 short items of value to start each week that you can consume in 60 seconds (all personal recommendations like the latest travel gear I'm using, my favorite destinations, discounts for special events, etc.).Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram ____________________________________They start talking about their time together in Dakar and what they love about Senegal. Then, they discuss the “Stylish Minimalist Packing” workshop that they co-facilitated for other world travelers on the Remote Year program and give tips on how to travel the world with carry-on luggage only. Next, Youmie talks about her experience growing up in Haiti and moving to New York City at age 6. She reflects on coming up in the Bronx during the golden era of hip hop, becoming a professional dancer, and then eventually leaving the industry, becoming a location-independent entrepreneur, and starting to travel the world. Youmie tells the story of her first solo trip to Montreal, reflects on how she fell in love with world travel, and explains why she now loves Colombia so much. She then opens up about her own journey with mental health and wellness, and explains why it is such a central part of her life, her business, and her personal values. She shares advice on travel wellness for nomads, gives specific tips for entrepreneurs, and talks about the overall importance of prioritizing Black mental health and wellness. Youmie then shares her entrepreneurial journey founding Flex-n-Fly to bridge the gap between travel and wellness, talks about her products, The Flex|Bag and The Flex|Mat, and also shares resources on how to patronize more Black-owned businesses. Finally, she reflects on what travel means to her. FULL SHOW NOTES WITH LINKS TO EVERYTHING DISCUSSED AVAILABLE HERE.____________________________________See my Top 10 Apps For Digital NomadsSee my Top 10 Books For Digital NomadsSee 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 RecommendSee How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use)____________________________________ENJOYING THE SHOW?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! :)

In Part 2 of this interview, Sharon and Matt talk about their love for Chile.____________________________________Subscribe to The Maverick Show’s Monday Minute Newsletter where I email you 3 short items of value to start each week that you can consume in 60 seconds (all personal recommendations like the latest travel gear I'm using, my favorite destinations, discounts for special events, etc.).Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram ____________________________________They discuss the Chilean poet and activist Pablo Neruda, the film Il Postino, the incredible street art in Valparaiso, and the unbelievable stargazing in the Atacoma Desert. Sharon then shares 3 separate experiences attending the “Day of the Dead” festivities in Mexico. Next, she discusses wine appreciation and traveling the world for world class wine tasting experiences. Sharon tells a story about a wine tasting experience that got interrupted during the 2019 uprising in Chile while she was there. She then reflects on the different work-travel programs she has patronized as well as the co-living spaces and hostel networks she has tried over the years, and gives recommendations and tips on which ones might be right for you. Next, Sharon tells the story of founding the “Overlap” App for digital nomads, explains its functionality and utility, and offers her future vision for the app. And, finally, she reflects on what travel means to her. FULL SHOW NOTES WITH LINKS TO EVERYTHING DISCUSSED AVAILABLE HERE.____________________________________See my Top 10 Apps For Digital NomadsSee my Top 10 Books For Digital NomadsSee 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 RecommendSee How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use)____________________________________ENJOYING THE SHOW?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! :)

Sharon Rosenberg joins Matt over a bottle of wine in Dakar, Senegal as they reflect on their four months together in Africa.____________________________________Subscribe to The Maverick Show’s Monday Minute Newsletter where I email you 3 short items of value to start each week that you can consume in 60 seconds (all personal recommendations like the latest travel gear I'm using, my favorite destinations, discounts for special events, etc.).Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram ____________________________________Sharon then talks about growing up in northern California, studying abroad in Cape Town, and eventually becoming a full time digital nomad. She reflects on the cultural lessons learned from attending her first wedding in India and her first wedding in Vietnam. Sharon also shares a story about doing a stopover in China and nearly winding up in immigration prison. She then talks about her career setbacks, pivots, and experience negotiating remote work arrangements with her employers. Next, Sharon talks about her first Remote Year trip that ended in Sofia, Bulgaria, and explains why Bulgaria is now her favorite European country. And, finally, Matt and Sharon talk about Italy and why they both love the gritty, authentic beauty of Palermo and Napoli. FULL SHOW NOTES WITH LINKS TO EVERYTHING DISCUSSED AVAILABLE HERE.____________________________________See my Top 10 Apps For Digital NomadsSee my Top 10 Books For Digital NomadsSee 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 RecommendSee How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use)____________________________________ENJOYING THE SHOW?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! :)