Travis Makes Money

In this episode, Travis and his producer use everything from Avatar and A24 movies to office space and social media trends to explore a simple question: what actually matters for making more money—and what’s just ego and aesthetics? They break down titles, office space, optics, and “being first” versus being consistent, and show where each one really fits in a practical business strategy.​ On this episode we talk about: Why job titles (“CEO,” “founder,” etc.) rarely matter to customers—and how they’re often used in corporate settings to extract more work without more pay.​ How Travis changed his mind on office space, and why in‑person teams can still beat fully remote setups for culture, communication, and output.​ The difference between healthy brand perception (optics that match reality) and fake positioning that can backfire when you can’t deliver.​ Whether you really need to be “first” in a new trend, space, or platform—or if you’re better off being second and more consistent.​ Why copying every new “expert” pivot (Web3, NFTs, AI, etc.) is usually worse than staying in one lane and compounding your skills over time.​ Top 3 Takeaways Titles are mostly internal theater. Clients care about results, not whether you call yourself founder, CEO, or “bull”; focus on competence and clarity, not status.​ Optics matter—but only if they’re true. Brand, image, and perception can open doors, but if they don’t match your real capabilities, they create refunds, resentment, and reputation damage.​ Consistency beats trend chasing. You don’t need to be first to a new platform or idea to win; you need to be good, reliable, and around long enough for your work to compound.​ Notable Quotes “You can’t escape perception; brand is just what people think when they hear your name.”​ “If people perceive you as great and you’re not, that’s bad for business. If you are great and nobody perceives it, that’s bad for business too.”​ “Most people would have made more money sticking with one skill for ten years than ‘reinventing’ themselves every eighteen months.”​ ✖️✖️✖️✖️ 🚀 Travis Makes Money is made possible by High Level – the All-In-One Sales & Marketing Platform built for agencies, by an agency.​ 🚀 Capture leads, nurture them, and close more deals—all from one powerful platform.​ 🎁 Get an extended free trial at gohighlevel.com/travis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Megan Spencer, better known online as Meg the Creator, is a content creator and mentor who helps introverts and “everyday people” earn real money online without becoming influencers. Through her Anti Influencer Method™, she teaches practical side hustles like Amazon Onsite Commissions (“Amazon reviews”), UGC freelancing, and TikTok Shop so students can build sustainable income streams without relying on follower counts or virality.​ On this episode we talk about: How Megan went from local government and social media management to building a multi–six-figure online business as a creator and mentor.​ The exact early steps of her social media agency: landing first clients on Upwork, charging low retainers, then scaling to $5K/month per client with a niche in holistic doctors.​ How Amazon Onsite Commissions works (horizontal product-review videos on Amazon product pages, no follower minimum) and why it can become “magic money” once you have enough videos live.​ Beginner-friendly UGC platforms (like JoinBrands and Billo), typical starter rates ($50–$80 per video, paid product photos), and how to turn that into recurring brand work.​​ What’s inside her Anti Influencer Method™ Skool community: training on Amazon Onsite, UGC, TikTok Shop, freelancing, and a steady stream of brand opportunities for students.​ Top 3 Takeaways You don’t need an audience to get paid. Models like Amazon Onsite Commissions and UGC let you piggyback on Amazon’s traffic and brand audiences instead of building your own following.​ Start small, then level up. Early UGC jobs might pay $50–$80 per video or $15 for a quick photo set, but they build your portfolio, skills, and confidence—so you can later charge much more.​​ Community and environment matter. Being in a group of people all learning the same skills (and sharing brand deals) accelerates your progress and makes the whole process far less intimidating—especially if you’re introverted.​ Notable Quotes “I didn’t want to be famous—I just wanted to be paid.”​ “Courses changed my life. That first $997 course led to my first $2,400 client and proved I could make money online.”​ “You have to build what people want, then give them what they need on the back end. That’s true for brands and for creators.”​​ Connect with Meg the Creator: Website & resources: megthecreator.com​ Anti Influencer Method™: antiinfluencermethod.com​ Instagram: @megthecreator__​ ✖️✖️✖️✖️ 🚀 Travis Makes Money is made possible by High Level – the All-In-One Sales & Marketing Platform built for agencies, by an agency.​ 🚀 Capture leads, nurture them, and close more deals—all from one powerful platform.​ 🎁 Get an extended free trial at gohighlevel.com/travis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Travis and his producer get brutally honest about the offers, products, and business models they would never build again—and why that matters if you want to make more money with less stress. From overpriced courses to overbuilt software and Travis’s hard “no” on ever starting a restaurant from scratch, this conversation focuses on pattern recognition: how to spot red flags earlier, avoid expensive mistakes, and build offers people actually want to buy.​ On this episode we talk about: Why Travis’s early webinar-to-course funnel “worked” on paper but could never scale without a real backend offer.​ How he would redesign that same funnel today: free or low-ticket course, then selling implementation (done-with-you and done-for-you).​ The expensive lessons from building a software company before validating demand—and why you must build what the market wants, then deliver what it needs.​ The hidden stress and complexity of certain business models (like restaurants) and why Travis would never launch one from scratch.​ How ego, perfectionism, and “romanticizing your idea” can cost you time, money, and opportunity.​ Top 3 Takeaways Courses aren’t dead—but information isn’t enough. Use courses as lead magnets and make real money on implementation offers (coaching, consulting, done-for-you services).​ Validate before you build big. Especially with software, ship the embarrassing V1, get feedback fast, and only scale what people are already using and asking for.​ Choose business models that match your life. Some ideas (like restaurants) can be wildly profitable for the right person, but come with low margins, high stress, and operational headaches Travis doesn’t want.​ Notable Quotes “You have to build what they want—and then give them what they need on the back end.”​ “If you’re not embarrassed by the first version of your product, you launched too late really hit home for me—because I launched way too late.”​ “I would never start a restaurant from scratch. One successful store isn’t enough reward for all the headache it takes to get there.”​ ✖️✖️✖️✖️ 🚀 Travis Makes Money is made possible by High Level – the All-In-One Sales & Marketing Platform built for agencies, by an agency.​ 🚀 Capture leads, nurture them, and close more deals—all from one powerful platform.​ 🎁 Get an extended free trial at gohighlevel.com/travis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Bradley Nelson is a holistic physician, USA Today bestselling author, and one of the world’s leading voices in energy healing and root-cause wellness. As founder and CEO of Discover Healing, he created The Emotion Code®, The Body Code™, and The Belief Code®, and has now released The Heart Code, a book focused on dissolving “Heart-Walls” to unlock abundance, healing, and deeper purpose.​ On this episode we talk about: How Dr. Nelson went from chiropractor and former computer programmer to bestselling author and global teacher.​ The journey of self‑publishing The Emotion Code and later landing a six‑figure advance when St. Martin’s republished it.​ Why he believes in doing “any show, anywhere” and how roughly 1,700 interviews have fueled book sales and brand growth.​​ How he built Discover Healing’s main revenue engine through multi‑level certification in Emotion Code, Body Code, and Belief Code.​ The launch strategy behind The Heart Code—preorders, bonus gifts, and bulk packages to hit the USA Today list.​ Top 3 Takeaways One book can be a business, not just a product. Dr. Nelson used his first book as a foundation for courses, certifications, an app, and live events—eventually certifying 15,000+ practitioners in 108 countries.​ Self‑publishing vs. traditional isn’t either/or. He started by self‑publishing to move fast and keep margins, then later partnered with a major publisher for reach and credibility once demand was proven.​ Relentless visibility compounds. Years of consistent podcast, radio, and media appearances have created a global audience that now supports new book launches like The Heart Code.​​ Notable Quotes “When you self‑publish, you can make money from the very first copy—and you can change the book any time you need to.”​ “My policy has been to do any show, anywhere, at any time. That’s how you build a movement.”​​ “I didn’t know what it would look like; I just knew this information had to get out into the world.”​ Connect with Dr. Bradley Nelson: Website (books, about, speaking): drbradleynelson.com​​ ✖️✖️✖️✖️ 🚀 Travis Makes Money is made possible by High Level – the All-In-One Sales & Marketing Platform built for agencies, by an agency.​ 🚀 Capture leads, nurture them, and close more deals—all from one powerful platform.​ 🎁 Get an extended free trial at gohighlevel.com/travis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Travis and producer Eric dig into a surprisingly relatable mix of topics: changing friendships, unexpected stress in adulthood, and yes, bringing earplugs to the movie theater without feeling like a complete boomer. Through humor and a little friendly roasting, they unpack what no one really warns you about when it comes to growing up, building a business, and trying to stay healthy in the process.​ On this episode we talk about: Why Eric is (apparently) the first Gen Z moviegoer planning to wear earplugs to every screening.​ How relationships—friends, collaborators, even co‑workers—naturally change over time as your life, geography, and goals evolve.​ The difference between avoiding stress and choosing the right kind of stress for the life you actually want.​ Why time management becomes one of the hardest—and most important—skills of adult life.​ How to intentionally keep connections alive with simple habits like periodic check‑in texts and DMs.​ Top 3 Takeaways Stress is inevitable—so pick your stress. Whether it’s building a business, raising kids, or staying “comfortable” and broke, every path has stress. The goal is not to escape it, but to choose the stress that leads to the life you want.​ Relationships will change, and that’s normal. Friends move, priorities shift, careers evolve—so build simple rhythms (messages, calls, shared workouts, trips) to keep the right people close on purpose.​ Self‑care isn’t soft; it’s strategic. From sleep to hearing protection to workouts, protecting your body and mind is what allows you to keep showing up for your goals long‑term.​ Notable Quotes “You’re not going to avoid stress—if you want anything above average, stress is part of the deal.”​ “Most of the stress in my life is stress I welcomed because I wanted the challenge.”​ “If you don’t choose the stress of being a good parent now, you get the stress of having kids who cause you more stress later.”​​ ✖️✖️✖️✖️ 🚀 Travis Makes Money is made possible by High Level – the All-In-One Sales & Marketing Platform built for agencies, by an agency.​ 🚀 Capture leads, nurture them, and close more deals—all from one powerful platform.​ 🎁 Get an extended free trial at gohighlevel.com/travis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeremie Kubicek is a globally recognized speaker, author, and leadership expert who’s helped shape some of the world’s top organizational cultures. As co-founder of Giant Worldwide, he’s dedicated to multiplying healthy influence, building trust-driven workplaces, and creating systems that combine peace and performance. Jeremie’s the author or coauthor of several bestselling leadership books, including Making Your Leadership Come Alive, The 100X Leader, Five Voices, The Peace Index, and his latest release, The Voice Driven Leader. In this episode, Jeremie shares how he’s built nine interconnected revenue streams—and why leaders should aim to multiply their impact across ventures by focusing on people, systems, and personality-driven leadership. On this episode we talk about: How Jeremie built nine businesses that complement each other under a single ecosystem. The difference between “diversified investments” and “diversified revenue.” Why some personalities thrive with multiple ventures while others need narrow focus. How he uses AI (and his own custom GPT) to evaluate market readiness before launching. The mindset and apprenticeship model he uses to train operators and step into the executive chair role. Top 3 Takeaways Think like a portfolio manager, not a hustler. You can grow wealth faster by building connected ventures with shared DNA, not random side hustles. Create people-first businesses. Knowing your team’s personalities and leading them in their “language” accelerates both trust and productivity. Test before you invest. Use market-readiness testing—and a little AI help—to validate ideas before committing serious time or capital. Notable Quotes “I figured out how to diversify revenue, not just investments.” “I start businesses, but I don’t run them. I build, apprentice, and multiply.” “If you speak the language of the people you lead, they’ll fight for you.” Connect with Jeremie Kubicek: Website: jeremiekubicek.com ✖️✖️✖️✖️ 🚀 Travis Makes Money is made possible by High Level – the All-In-One Sales & Marketing Platform built for agencies, by an agency. 🚀 Capture leads, nurture them, and close more deals—all from one powerful platform. 🎁 Get an extended free trial at gohighlevel.com/travis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Travis and Producer Eric break down why most traditional networking advice is completely backwards for today’s world. Travis reflects on his early “Build Your Network” days and how he’s evolved past the outdated idea of “just showing up” to events with a business card and a smile. Now, his philosophy is about earning credibility first — because real relationships are built on competence, not empty confidence. On this episode we talk about: Why the phrase “networking” has gotten such a bad reputation. How Travis learned that “knowing a lot of people” doesn’t mean having influence or opportunity. Why the best-connected people are both competent and confident. The difference between productive relationship-building and “conference junkie” habits. Sharon Srivatsa’s reminder that “your network isn’t who you know — it’s who knows you can deliver.” Top 3 Takeaways Networking without value is noise. Focus first on learning, building skill, and doing great work — credibility comes from results. Competence creates confidence. Too many people try to project success before they’ve earned it, and it backfires. Relationships multiply your skills. The “who” and the “what” aren’t opposites — the right people accelerate what you already know. Notable Quotes “Most networking advice is for people with nothing to offer.” “Too many people are focused on building confidence when they haven’t built a base level of competence.” “People are the key to everything you want in life — but you have to bring real value to the table.” ✖️✖️✖️✖️ 🚀 Travis Makes Money is made possible by High Level – the All-In-One Sales & Marketing Platform built for agencies, by an agency. 🚀 Capture leads, nurture them, and close more deals—all from one powerful platform. 🎁 Get an extended free trial at gohighlevel.com/travis Travis Makes Money Podcast: Episode Show Notes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John O. McGinnis is the George C. Dix Professor of Constitutional Law at Northwestern University and one of the leading legal minds examining how wealth, influence, and democracy intersect in modern America. In this episode, he unpacks the core argument from his forthcoming book, Why Democracy Needs the Rich—that wealthy entrepreneurs and investors don’t just drive economic growth, but also counterbalance left-leaning professional influencers and fund vital cultural, civic, and philanthropic institutions. The conversation dives into envy, academia, “professional influencers,” and why attempts to sideline the rich could unintentionally damage pluralism, innovation, and freedom. On this episode we talk about: Why critics like Bernie Sanders and big-city mayors argue that the rich are a problem for democracy—and how John dismantles that claim. How founders typically capture only a tiny fraction of the total value they create, and why innovations like Amazon massively increase “consumer surplus” for everyday people. The concept of “professional influencers” (academics, media, entertainers, bureaucrats), why they lean heavily left, and how wealthy individuals provide ideological and practical counterbalance. Historical and modern examples of the rich funding abolition, civil rights, environmental causes, education reform, museums, and other public goods that government is slow or incapable of providing. Why classical political thinkers feared static oligarchies, and how today’s dynamic, constantly changing class of entrepreneurs is almost the opposite of that. The data and reality behind wealth creation—why most millionaires are first-generation—and what that says about opportunity and technological change. How resentment, envy, and “othering” the rich mirror older patterns of scapegoating minority groups, and why that’s dangerous for a free society. Whether the wealthy are drifting right politically in response to regulation, energy policy, and growing hostility from the activist left. Practical thought experiments to challenge “eat the rich” rhetoric, including how much our daily lives resemble those of historical elites thanks to modern tech and markets. Top 3 Takeaways 1.  The rich are not a monolithic right‑wing bloc; they are a diverse, constantly changing group whose entrepreneurship and philanthropy expand opportunity, fund public goods, and increase real living standards.2.  Efforts to mute or punish the rich don’t create a level playing field—they simply hand even more power to already-dominant professional influencers in academia, media, entertainment, and bureaucracy.3.  Envy-driven politics may feel emotionally satisfying, but they ignore how much ordinary people benefit from innovation, consumer surplus, and the pluralism that wealthy funders help sustain in a free society. Notable Quotes   “Founders often only capture one or two percent of the value they create—the rest goes to consumers in the form of better, cheaper, more abundant goods and services.”   “If you push the rich out of the public square, you don’t get ‘pure democracy’—you get even more power for academics, media, and bureaucrats who already lean heavily to one side.”   “Envy is a thief of joy; before you condemn the rich, it’s worth asking how much of your everyday life was made possible by the very people you claim to hate.” Purchase John O. McGinnis' book:   Book –Why Democracy Needs the Rich : https://a.co/d/eKcmirX ✖️✖️✖️✖️ 🚀 Travis Makes Money is made possible by High Level – the All-In-One Sales & Marketing Platform built for agencies, by an agency. 🚀 Capture leads, nurture them, and close more deals—all from one powerful platform. 🎁 Get an extended free trial at gohighlevel.com/travis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, host Travis Chappell and producer Eric use a ridiculous on‑air nicotine experiment and some Kroger pickle‑jar banter to launch into a serious conversation about the power of saying no with your money. From friends asking to “spot me, bro” to sketchy investments, unpaid collabs, lifestyle upgrades, and sponsors that don’t feel right, they walk through real scenarios where saying yes can quietly wreck your finances—or your brand—if you’re not intentional.​ On this episode we talk about: Eric nearly puking on mic after trying a 6mg mojito ZYN, why “no” would have been the better choice, and how that sets up the theme of the episode.​ How Travis handles friends and family asking for money—why he almost always says no to “investment” pitches now, and how he decides when helping actually becomes enabling.​ When to say yes (and when to stop) with unpaid collaborations, speaking gigs, and local partnerships—plus the story of how saying yes to a low‑ROI volleyball promo still led to a profitable tournament relationship for AuraVela.​ Lifestyle spending boundaries: cars, first‑class flights, subscriptions, Klarna‑financed Chipotle, and how Travis finally justified buying a genuinely nice car after years of driving beaters.​ The importance of asking “Does this matter to me—or just to other people?” before dropping money on status symbols, upgrades, or brand‑driven purchases.​ Eric’s recent decision to drop a meaningful podcast sponsor after loyal, long‑time listeners said it felt off, and why he chose long‑term trust over short‑term cash.​ The hidden risks of programmatic ads (like political spots or government agencies slipping in) and how both hosts have had to tighten ad category filters to protect their brands.​ Saying no to shady money: Travis turning down a $3,000 crypto‑related interview offer that required an NDA and looked like reputation rehab for a founder with bad press.​ Top 3 Takeaways Not every “opportunity” is for you. Saying no to friends’ investments, high‑risk plays, or repeated bailouts protects your own financial runway and keeps you from funding other people’s bad patterns.​ Your brand is worth more than a short‑term check. Dropping a sponsor or declining a stage when it feels misaligned can cost money now but preserves audience trust that’s worth far more over a decade.​ Buy for your life, not their approval. Big purchases and lifestyle upgrades should be driven by your values, convenience, and experiences—not by keeping up with people you don’t even like.​ Notable Quotes “For investments right now it’s basically a no—if I don’t have true ‘play money,’ I’d rather put it in something more certain than somebody else’s ‘sure thing.’”​ “If you’re asking me for help the fifth time, at some point I’m not helping—you’re just making bad decisions and I’m funding them.”​ “You can have the life you want now and later, but only if you stop buying stuff just to impress people and start asking if it actually matters to you.”​​ ✖️✖️✖️✖️ 🚀 Travis Makes Money is made possible by High Level – the All-In-One Sales & Marketing Platform built for agencies, by an agency. 🚀 Capture leads, nurture them, and close more deals—all from one powerful platform. 🎁 Get an extended free trial at gohighlevel.com/travis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Diana Pagano is an international keynote speaker, author, and action‑driven mindset coach who helps people break past limiting beliefs and step into who they were truly meant to become. A proud first‑generation Mexican American from San Diego, she went from growing up in a two‑bedroom apartment with a family of six and constant evictions to becoming a record‑breaking real estate producer in multiple markets and scaling a multi‑million‑dollar company as MVP. In this episode, she shares how her “more mindset” transformed fear and survival mode into consistent high performance—and how anyone can apply the same mental shifts to sell more, earn more, and live more fully.​ On this episode we talk about: Diana’s childhood in a struggling entrepreneurial household, moving every 18 months in San Diego and inheriting limiting beliefs about money, struggle, and what was “normal.”​ How becoming a single mom in her 20s pushed her into real estate with a survival‑mode mindset—and why fear of her kids repeating her story initially drove her success.​ Going from PetSmart corporate HR to rookie real estate agent, breaking ceilings and 10x‑ing her income to hit six figures in under 12 months (a highly atypical first‑year result in real estate).​ Rebuilding from scratch in Scottsdale and later Connecticut, door‑knocking luxury neighborhoods, cold‑calling for‑sale‑by‑owners, and proving you don’t need an existing network to win in a new market.​ How blocking “power hours,” tracking appointments, and focusing on income‑producing activities beat being “busy” at the office all day.​ Why strategy alone isn’t enough if you secretly don’t believe you’re the kind of person who can succeed—and how The More Mindset offers neuroscience‑backed tools to rewire those internal stories.​ Diana’s telemarketing origins at 16½, becoming top producer booking copier appointments, leading a team of older reps, and paying her family’s electric bill with her first big paycheck.​ Common cold‑calling mistakes—trying to sound “salesy,” apologizing for calling, or believing you’re a bother—and how to reframe calls as helping people instead of harassing them.​ Why belief and authenticity in sales matter more than having the “perfect” script, and how confidence plus genuine value consistently outperform low‑confidence reps with great products.​ Top 3 Takeaways Your past doesn’t cap your potential. Diana carried inherited beliefs from a childhood of evictions and scarcity, but by obsessively studying why some people succeed while others struggle, she rewired her mindset and built a multiple‑market real estate career.​ Discipline beats busyness. Time‑blocking prospecting, door‑knocking high‑end neighborhoods, and running focused “power hours” of cold calls produced six‑figure results far faster than simply “being at the office” all day.​ Sales starts in your head, not your script. If you believe you’re a bother or that success is “for other people,” you’ll sabotage proven strategies; when you see yourself as someone who helps others and truly believes in the offer, confidence and results follow.​ Notable Quotes “It wasn’t about doing more. It was about becoming more of who you were meant to become—not living stuck in self‑sabotage and limiting beliefs.”​ “You can drop me in Arizona, Connecticut, or Japan—semantics are semantics. It’s your brain and how you show up that determine your success.”​ “You shouldn’t be okay with being ‘a bother’ on the phone. If you truly believe you’re helping people, your entire delivery changes.”​ Connect with Diana Pagano: Website – https://dianapagano.com​ ✖️✖️✖️✖️ 🚀 Travis Makes Money is made possible by High Level – the All-In-One Sales & Marketing Platform built for agencies, by an agency.​ 🚀 Capture leads, nurture them, and close more deals—all from one powerful platform.​ 🎁 Get an extended free trial at gohighlevel.com/travis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices