The Maverick Show: Global Travel Stories & Life Beyond Borders

Learn about Black history in Austin, human trafficking in high school sports, and how to become a better storyteller. ============================ 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, Javier talks about the impact of anti-Blackness and class inequality on sports, both in Panama and in the diaspora. He explains the political economic dynamics that give rise to the transnational human trafficking of vulnerable youth, particularly through high school basketball networks in the U.S.. Javier shares his experience researching this topic for his PhD dissertation at the University of Texas at Austin, explains his key research findings, and makes policy recommendations for mitigating basketball trafficking. He then talks about founding the award-winning Black Austin Tours and explains why it is so unique. Finally, Javier breaks down the craft of narrative storytelling, explains why it is so important, and gives specific tips on how we can all become better storytellers in our own lives. ⁠ ⁠ → 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! :)

Hear Javier’s stories of navigating his intersectional Afro-Panamanian-American experience in both the U.S. and Panama. ============================ 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 Dr. Javier Wallace starts off talking about his mother’s family history in Texas and his father’s family history in Panama before migrating to the U.S. He shares his reflections on growing up in a bi-cultural home, playing football in Texas, attending Florida A&M University as a student athlete, then getting his Master’s Degree and pursuing a career in sports. Javier then discusses his decision to move to Panama and live there for 6 years. He opens up about his encounters with anti-Blackness in Panama, including violent experiences with law enforcement, his realizations about the power of passport privilege, and how all of that impacted his identity. Javier then talks about co-founding “Afro-Latinx Travel” and developing tours in Panama, Cuba, Costa Rica and Colombia that disrupt traditional tourism narratives, center marginalized stories, and benefit the local communities. ⁠ ⁠ → 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! :)

Learn about traveling to Togo, Benin, The Gambia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and building a successful travel company. ============================ 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 Ashley Company starts off talking about founding Jelani Gives and how that led to founding her company Jelani Travel. Ashley reflects on running her company for over a decade, including the healing impact she has seen when taking people from the African Diaspora to spend time on the Continent. She then talks about how she traced her ancestry to Sierra Leone, was able to get citizenship in Sierra Leone, and had her passport handed to her by the President of the country. Ashely also shares some highlights from the Jelani Travel trips to Benin, Togo, Ghana, Senegal, and The Gambia. She then takes us behind the scenes of her entrepreneurial journey and explains how she built a successful travel company that she has now run for over a decade. Ashley shares tips and insights on how she optimizes her time, manages stress, and chooses what to outsource. She also reflects on how to avoid the pitfalls of voluntourism in Africa, and how all of her travels to 100+ countries have impacted her as a person. Finally, Matt and Ashley talk about the upcoming Black Travel Summit and how to meet them there in person. ⁠ ⁠ → 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! :)

Learn how immersive trips to the Dominican Republic, Kenya and backpacking through South America can be life-changing. ============================ 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 Ashley Company starts off by talking about her experiences traveling the world for wine, and why the South African wine region is so unique and special.  She then talks about her experience growing up in the U.S., traveling to Turkey as a kid, living in South Korea for a year at age 12, and attending an HBUC for college. She then describes how her first solo trip to the Dominican Republic was completely transformative, as was her first trip to Kenya. Ashley then explains what led her to quit her job and backpack through every country in South and Central America. She shares stories about traveling to San Basilio de Palenque in Colombia and accidentally entering Venezuela without going through immigration. Ashley also talks about the power of her first experience attending Carnival in Trinidad and why she has been back 10 times since. And, finally, she reflects on the impact that a full year of backpacking in South America had on her as a person, and how it shaped her life and entrepreneurial trajectory. ⁠ ⁠ → 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! :)

Matt Bowles celebrates 300 episodes by offering 30 free video calls as well as discounts to meet up with him in person. ============================ 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 The Maverick Show breaking into the Top 100 Apple Podcasts and being ranked the #1 “Places and Travel” podcast on Apple. Matt explains how and why to subscribe to The Maverick Show’s “Monday Minute” email newsletter, and how to follow The Maverick Show on Instagram. He then talks about the 3 upcoming conferences he is attending in 2024 and how you can meet up with him in person. He describes Nomadness Fest in North Carolina, the Black Travel Summit in Florida, and The Extraordinary Travel Fest in Bangkok, Thailand. Matt then offers you a discount on your tickets to each one. He also explains how you can support the podcast by buying him a coffee and leaving a rating and review for the show. Matt also explains how his company Maverick Investor Group 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 you resources where you can learn more. And, finally, he invites you to provide him with your direct feedback and opinions via a short survey and offers 30 people who fill out the survey a free 30-minute video call with him. ⁠ ⁠ → 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! :)

Learn why Japan is so amazing and important to visit, and the value of incorporating world travel into your parenting. ============================ 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, Zoe Moore talks about her role in organizing the Latino Travel Fest and Nomadness Fest (which centers BIPOC travel experiences). She then explains how living in Korea inspired her world travels, and shares highlights from trip she organized to Ghana in 2019 for the Year of Return. Next, Zoe talks about traveling with her teenage son to Puerto Rico, Colombia, Japan and the impact those travels had on his life. She also talks about her time in Tokyo, the powerful and emotional experience she had in Hiroshima, and why Kamakura is her favorite place in Japan. Finally, Zoe reflects the impact travel has had on her life. ⁠ ⁠ → 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! :)

Learn how serving in the U.S. military in Iraq and around the world was a political consciousness raising journey. ============================ 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 Zoe Moore starts off by giving tips for visiting Atlanta. She then shares her experience growing up in California, attending an HBCU in Louisiana, and then joining the U.S. military. She reflects on her critical consciousness-raising journey over the course of serving in Iraq and experiencing wartime trauma. Zoe also talks about her experience living in Korea as part of her military service and how that inspired her subsequent world travels. She reflects on being an Equal Opportunity representative as a soldier, and then eventually getting out of the military and becoming an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) specialist. Zoe talks about founding “Grow with Zomo”, explains how she works with her clients in the events and tourism space and explains what EDI impact she has seen. ⁠ ⁠ → 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! :)

Learn how some local communities are being harmed by the rise of digital nomadism and what some potential solutions are. ============================ 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 of this interview, Dr. Kaisu Koskela talks about the academic sampling bias when attempting to define who digital nomads are. She then explains the dynamics of both overtourism and transnational gentrification, and the harm they are causing to some local communities. Kaisu then lays out some specific policy recommendations that can help protect local communities. She describes her vision for a more equitable future of travel, global mobility, and digital nomadism. Kaisu then talks about finding love and partnership in the digital nomad lifestyle. She opens up about how she met her relationship partner and offers tips on long-term digital nomad relationships. Kaisu then reflects on how thirty years of world travel have impacted her as a person and what travel means to her today. Finally, she offers tips on how we can all make more ethical and thoughtful travel decisions as we move through the world.  ⁠ ⁠ → 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! :)

Learn why digital nomads are not using digital nomad visas, and who the term “digital nomad” applies to anyway. ============================ 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 Kaisu Koskela starts off talking about her experience growing up in a remote town in northern Finland near the Arctic Circle, gives tips for visiting the region, and talks about her all-female motorcycle club. She then reflects on the years she spent working at local jobs around the world and traveling before smartphones. Kaisu tells stories from her experience teaching English in Nepal and spending time with different tribes in Tanzania. She then talks about her interest in Anthropology and Ethnic Studies, how she developed a location-independent academic career, and why she is so interested in studying digital nomads. Kaisu shares insights from her research into why digital nomads are not using the “digital nomad visas” and who is using them instead. Kaisu also discusses the evolution of the “digital nomad” label and whether it has become interwoven with racial, class or other types of privileged coding, and what implications that has.  ⁠ ⁠ → 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! :)

Learn about Black history and culture and get travel tips for Atlanta, Jamaica, and Asheville, North Carolina. ============================ 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 Romie Roberton joins Matt for a virtual glass of wine from Atlanta, Georgia, and explains the Black history, culture, and hip-hop music scene in Atlanta. She gives specific tips for visiting the city and then reflects on her experience growing up there, traveling to Germany as a kid, and the impact of going to China at age 14. Romie also shares her experience going to college in New York City, becoming a social justice advocate, teaching in Miami, and then getting her Master’s Degree at Harvard. She reflects on Harvard’s legacy of slavery and shares her journey of learning about and becoming a supporter of the Palestinian liberation struggle. Romie then talks about her trips exploring Black history in Asheville, North Carolina, and Rhode Island. She explains why she loves Japan so much, and why she has such a close connection to Jamaica. Romie then analyzes the intersectional dynamics of anti-Blackness and passport privilege. She reflects on the impact of James Baldwin and the power of viewing the racial dynamics in the U.S. from abroad. Finally, she talks about her brand “Roaming with Romie”, her work with the upcoming Black Travel Summit, and reflects on why she is still so passionate about world travel.  ⁠ ⁠ → 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! :)