The Maverick Show: Global Travel Stories & Life Beyond Borders

Koen Blanquart starts off talking about growing up in Belgium and giving some travel tips for people that want to spend time in Belgium. ____________________________________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 ____________________________________He then talks about his entrepreneurial trajectory and his transition into the digital nomad lifestyle. Koen then reflects on his world travels, including his love for New York City, the time he took the train from London to Singapore, and his most epic travel memory of all time: Sailing to Antarctica in a 54-foot sailboat. He then talks about his travel photography journey, including multiple trips to Alaska to photograph Grizzly Bears and Bald Eagles in the wild. Koen shares his tips on how to take better travel photos. He also talks about his love for coffee and shares his most memorable travel experiences involving coffee. Next, Koen discusses his new book “The Suitcase Office: What Digital Nomads Can Teach Us About Location Independent Work”. He shares his vision for the future of work and then gives his tips on managing a fully distributed team, building company culture in a fully remote company, attending to the mental health challenges of a remote work environment, and sustaining the digital nomad lifestyle over the long term. Koen then talks about his love for scuba diving, his journey to becoming a scuba instructor, and his most memorable dive of all time. And finally, he shares what travel means to him and talks about his upcoming trip to sail around the world. FULL SHOW NOTES AND DIRECT LINKS TO EVERYTHING DISCUSSED IS 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! :)

Remote Year’s CEO, Tue Le, joins Matt in Cape Town on the opening month of Remote Year’s first all-Africa itinerary. ____________________________________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 begins by talking about her parents background—leaving Vietnam, coming to U.S. as refugees, and settling in the San Francisco Bay Area. Tue talks about growing up in a culturally diverse neighborhood, getting into hip hop, and developing her political consciousness as well as her interest in international travel, and explains how she made enough money to take her first international trip to Madrid at age 17. Tue then talks about the evolution of her Vietnamese-American identity, her close connection with the Black community, and her love for HBCU homecoming parties. She also talks about her college experience at Yale, the further development of her politics and identity, and shares some reflections on her studies of genocide. Tue talks about spending over 5 years on the continent of Africa, reflects on her first trips to Rwanda and Sudan, and explains how Remote Year selected the countries for their first all-Africa itinerary. She then tells the story of going back to Vietnam for the first time, going to her dad’s village for the first time, and why she prioritizes connecting with the Vietnamese diaspora around the world. Tue then talks about her transition into the digital nomad lifestyle and discusses the importance of amplifying marginalized and underrepresented stories while traveling. She then talks about joining the Remote Year staff and spearheading their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) journey over the last 6 years. Tue then explains how Remote Year introduces participants to marginalized communities without participating in poverty tourism, how Remote Year selects positive-impact initiatives without falling into the pitfalls of “voluntourism”, and how Remote Year intends to scale its business without contributing to nomad-gentrification of local communities. She also talks about Remote Year’s partnership with Venture Noire to launch a global accelerator program for Black entrepreneurs. And, finally, Tue shares her vision for the future of Remote Year and offers Maverick Show listeners a credit towards their first Remote Year program by using the link in the Show Notes. FULL SHOW NOTES AND DIRECT LINKS TO EVERYTHING DISCUSSED IS 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 the third and final installment of this interview, Zein El-Amine discusses what makes a great piece of writing for him, as a reader. He then talks about his process for writing great stories, explains the difference between poetry and prose, and shares how he chooses the medium through which to tell his stories. Zein then gives advice on how to turn your travel and life experiences into great stories. Next, he reflects on the impact of teaching Ulysses in Ireland on his students. Zein also reflects on the impact of teaching about Orientalism, anti-Arab racism, and the Palestinian struggle. Then, he talks about winning the Megaphone Prize and having his latest collection of short stories published by Radix Media. Zein describes the 7-story collection and then reads from the title story “Is this how you eat a Watermelon?”. He explains how to pre-order a copy of the book and where to attend the book launch events. FULL SHOW NOTES AND DIRECT LINKS TO EVERYTHING DISCUSSED IS AVAILABLE HERE.

Zein El-Amine starts off talking about the study abroad program he designed to take his students to Egypt for a range of immersive experiences, including meeting Egyptian author Nawal el Saadawi at her home. ____________________________________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 ____________________________________He then talks about his deep personal connection with James Joyce’s book “Ulysses”. Matt and Zein discuss “Bloomsday” celebrations around the world, as well as the history of the U.S. government’s censorship of Ulysses. Zein then talks about the study abroad program he designed to take his students to Ireland to study Ulysses and celebrate Bloomsday in Dublin. He shares the impact that his first trip to Ireland had on him and why he now feels like Dublin is his second home. Matt and Zein discuss Ireland-Palestine solidarity and Zein shares how he first toured Belfast as part of a Palestinian delegation. He then talks about the study abroad program he designed to take his students to Morocco and explains the importance of understanding “Orientalism” as a framework for de-exotifying the Arab World. Zein then reflects on his experience being exiled, talks about his poetry collection “A Travel Guide for the Exiled”, and reads his poem “On Embassy Row”. He then reflects on his activist trajectory in the U.S., getting kicked out of the International Socialist Organization, and founding Left Turn Magazine. Matt and Zein reflect on why Left Turn attracted extraordinary political activists, the importance to connecting the local with the global, and the impact of Palestine solidarity work over the last 25 years. Zein also talks about hosting the Shay Wah Nana Show and discusses his recent episode highlighting the Tanzanian government’s violent evictions of the Maasai people from their ancestral lands. FULL SHOW NOTES AND DIRECT LINKS TO EVERYTHING DISCUSSED IS 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! :)

Zein El-Amine talks about growing up in Lebanon at the start of the Lebanese civil war and tells the story of being trapped between two warring factions in Beirut at 12 years old.____________________________________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 ____________________________________He then opens up about his time attending high school in Bahrain and college in Saudi Arabia. Zein shares the story of going off to play tennis one day in Bahrain and being arrested as a suspected member of Shīʿa terrorist cell planning a coup. He describes his experience being put into the Shīʿa political wing of the prison, who he met there, how his parents feared he might be executed, and how this experience fundamentally changed his political consciousness. Next, Zein tells a story about going down to Barbados on vacation from Saudi Arabia, running out of money, and teaming up with locals to teach windsurfing to British tourists as an anti-colonial gesture. He then reads the poem he wrote about the Barbados experience.  Next, Zein talks about his path to becoming a writer and a literature professor. He explains the significance of poetry in Arab culture and also reflects on the value, impact and crucial importance of travel. FULL SHOW NOTES AND DIRECT LINKS TO EVERYTHING DISCUSSED IS 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! :)

Matt Bowles celebrates 200 episodes of The Maverick Show with the listeners and reflects on The Maverick Show being ranked the #1 Digital Nomad Podcast in the world by Web Work Travel. ____________________________________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 ____________________________________He shares some highlights from his last year of travel and announces the availability of his new media kit for people who want to book him for keynote speeches or podcast interviews. Matt also mentions the publication of “Digital Nomads For Dummies” by Kristin Wilson, which he is featured in. He then 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. Matt also offers his white paper on Real Estate Investing for Digital Nomads. He then talks about his upcoming trip to Africa and shares his itinerary as well as his New Year’s Eve plans. Matt explains why he is doing another Remote Year program, reflects on his previous experience with Remote Year, and offers listeners a $100 credit towards their first Remote Year program. He then announces his newly updated video training on minimalist packing where he teaches you how to travel the world full time with carry-on luggage only…without sacrificing fashion and style. Matt also announces the launch of The Maverick Show Newsletter, and how you can opt-in for that! And, finally, he asks listeners to fill out a survey to give their opinions and feedback on The Maverick Show and offers a 20-minute video call with the first 20 people who complete the survey and DM him on Instagram. FULL SHOW NOTES AND DIRECT LINKS TO EVERYTHING DISCUSSED IS 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! :)

Chris Reynolds returns to the Maverick to discuss brain optimization techniques. ____________________________________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 ____________________________________He starts off by talking about his presentation at the Bansko Nomad Fest and explains his conference networking strategy. Chris then talks about how he began organizing entrepreneur masterminds in the beginning of the pandemic to support fellow business owners, and then how he developed that into the M3 entrepreneur community. He also talks about hosting The Business Method Podcast, publishing over 500 episodes, and shares top lessons from his latest season interviewing billion-dollar business owners. Chris then debunks a number of misconceptions about the brain and does a deep dive into brain science. He gives specific optimization tips on how to strengthen the pre-frontal cortex, avoid dopamine floods, release more oxytocin, increase serotonin and endorphins, harness eustress, and achieve “flow states”. He also explains how to have better orgasms! Chris then gives tips on how to start optimizing your brain for peak performance and shares his brain scan results after a dark-room meditation retreat. He also reflects on a recent M3 Brain Optimization Retreat and explains how you can join the M3 community. FULL SHOW NOTES AND DIRECT LINKS TO EVERYTHING DISCUSSED IS 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! :)

Kach Umandap takes us on her journey growing up in the Philippines, moving to the Middle East to work in Kuwait and Iraq, and then starting to travel the world full-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 ____________________________________She shares her reflections on “passport privilege” and her experience traveling to 173 countries and territories on a Philippines passport. Kach also shares stories from her travels to East Africa, Pakistan, Iran, and Central Asia, and the time she sailed through the Caribbean for 2 years with a cat and lived on her boat. She explains how she became a travel influencer, and entrepreneur, built the businesses she currently runs today, and how she helps Filipinos travel the world. Kach also explains why she selected Montenegro as her base, explains the benefits of relocating to Montenegro, and provides specific tips for digital nomads on where to stay in Montenegro. She also reflects on the impact a decade of travel has had on her, explains how she structures her current lifestyle and offers tips for sustaining a lifestyle of long-term world travel. FULL SHOW NOTES AND DIRECT LINKS TO EVERYTHING DISCUSSED IS 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! :)

May Ling Lai returns to the Maverick Show and starts off by talking to Matt about wine and travel experiences in Italy, France, Spain, Colombia and Vietnam.____________________________________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 then performs a Spanish language song acapella. Next the conversation turns to May Ling’s YouTube Show “Markets with May”. She discusses Matt’s appearance on “Markets with May” and then talks about her motive for starting the show. Next, she talks about her experience and lessons from reading the annual reports of every company in the S&P 500. May Ling also offers suggestions for how beginners can approach the “Markets with May” show. She then shares some basic fundamentals on how she decides which companies she is bullish on and breaks down the keys to understanding dividend-paying stocks. May Ling shares her top 4 favorite dividend-paying stocks at the time of the interview. And, finally, she offers her opinion on cryptocurrency as an investment, it’s volatility, Warren Buffett’s crypto-skepticism, and how beginners should approach the asset class. FULL SHOW NOTES AND DIRECT LINKS TO EVERYTHING DISCUSSED IS 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! :)

Mike Wolf takes us on his journey growing up in Canada, becoming a real estate investor, and building a portfolio of cash-flowing rental properties that now serve to finance his lifestyle of full-time world travel. ____________________________________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 ____________________________________He talks about his lessons from real estate investing and the value of buying “turnkey” rental properties. Mike then talks about his early experiences in the real estate education industry and shares some cautionary behind-the-scenes stories. Next, he talks about how he built his current coaching program, The Wolfpack, and explains how he scaled it to a 7 figure business in just 8 months. Mike then talks about his passion for making a positive impact and shares some of his most meaningful experiences affecting positive change in the world. Next, he reflects on how his interest in world travel developed and tells the story of how he took his daughter out of school in 2nd grade for two years to travel the world full time. Mike then reflects on the impact travel has had on him, why he continues to travel, how he designs his lifestyle, and how he sustains an exciting nomadic lifestyle over the long term. FULL SHOW NOTES AND DIRECT LINKS TO EVERYTHING DISCUSSED IS 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! :)