The Maverick Show: Global Travel Stories & Life Beyond Borders

Learn specific tips on traveling to Cameroon, Senegal and Dominica, plus the history of Carnival in the Caribbean.

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Get the Monday Minute my weekly email with 3 personal recs for travel, culture, and living beyond borders you can read in 60 seconds.

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ON THIS EPISODE

Dr. Clementine Affana and Matt discuss how they met at Nomadness Fest, and Clem then talks about her experience growing up in Cameroon.  She reflects on how her mother inspired her both to become a medical doctor and to travel the world.  Clem shares her experience going to Medical School on the Caribbean island of Dominica, and the cultural similarities between West Africa and the diaspora in the Caribbean.  She then explains the history and cultural significance of “Carnival” and describes her experience in Dominica attending Carnival as well as the World Creole Music Festival.  Next, Clem talks about her home country of Cameroon in West Africa and makes specific recommendations for visiting both Cameroon and Senegal.  She then gives tips for maximizing your time off work to travel, building a side hustle, and transitioning into a remote career. Clem reflects on the 3 primary ways travel has impacted her and, finally, recommends her top 5 favorite Afrobeat artists.

→ Full show notes with direct links to everything discussed are available here.

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FIND YOUR NEXT EPISODE

Explore The Maverick Show Starter Packs — some of my favorite conversations curated by theme so you can easily find the episodes that match your interests.

============================

FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU

See my Top 10 Travel Apps

See my Top 10 Books that Shaped the Way I Travel

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)

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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

Support the show by buying me a coffee — espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes!

Learn how to travel the world with kids, pursue motherhood without limits, and the tips & hacks to make it affordable.

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Get the Monday Minute my weekly email with 3 personal recs for travel, culture, and living beyond borders you can read in 60 seconds.

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ON THIS EPISODE

Kameko Rooks joins Matt over a bottle of wine and starts off talking about growing up in the hip hop culture of Yonkers, New York. She explains how she started traveling the world after having kids at a young age, and how her 8 year old has already been to 24 countries.  Meko then talks about founding her blog and website “Traveling with Meko”.  She shares tips for traveling with young kids under the age of 2, as well as tips for traveling with kids age 4-8, and the key travel hacks to make it affordable for the whole family.  Meko then talks about her scuba diving journey, and shares some of her favorite dive locations around the world. Next, she talks about founding her travel company “Let’s Just Bring the Kids” which organizes group trips for moms and their kids.  Meko also talks about how she has monetized her passion for travel, become an influencer, and grown her following to nearly 200,000 on social media. And, finally she shares tips for solo female travelers, and reflects on the impact traveling to over 50 countries has had on her.

→ Full show notes with direct links to everything discussed are available here.

============================

FIND YOUR NEXT EPISODE

Explore The Maverick Show Starter Packs — some of my favorite conversations curated by theme so you can easily find the episodes that match your interests.

============================

FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU

See my Top 10 Travel Apps

See my Top 10 Books that Shaped the Way I Travel

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

Support the show by buying me a coffee — espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes!

Learn the history, context & analysis of the genocide being carried out in Palestine & what you can do to help stop it.

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Get the Monday Minute my weekly email with 3 personal recs for travel, culture, and living beyond borders you can read in 60 seconds.

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ON THIS EPISODE

With a Master’s Degree in International Peace and Conflict Resolution and 25 years of peace and justice work around the Israel-Palestine conflict, Matt uses this episode to provide some historical and political context for the genocide now being carried out in Palestine, and to provide action items for how you can help stop it. He begins by reflecting on genocides around the world in places he has visited, then talks about what is happening right now in Palestine. Matt explains the effects of Israel’s aerial bombardment of Gaza, Israel’s blockade of food, water, electricity and fuel, and the U.S. role in funding, arming and backing the genocide. He then gives a brief history of Israel, including its colonial expansion, military occupation, settler pogroms, abduction and torture of Palestinians, and the blockade of Gaza that has been in place since 2007. Matt then talks about the history of Palestinian nonviolent resistance, and Israel’s consistently violent response. He then explains Israel’s strategic decision to support the rise of Hamas in the late 1980s, Israel’s disregard for international law, and how Israel’s policies make it less safe for both Israeli Jews and Jews around the world. Matt then talks about the shining examples of humanity across the world, including all of the cross cultural, inter-faith, diverse coalitions of people rising up to call for a ceasefire and a stop to the genocide. He concludes with sharing 10 things you can do right now to help de-escalate the violence and bring about a ceasefire.

→ Full show notes with direct links to everything discussed are available here.

============================

FIND YOUR NEXT EPISODE

Explore The Maverick Show Starter Packs — some of my favorite conversations curated by theme so you can easily find the episodes that match your interests.

============================

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 to navigate our diverse and complex world of power asymmetry, identity, privilege and be an ally not a savior.

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Get the Monday Minute my weekly email with 3 personal recs for travel, culture, and living beyond borders you can read in 60 seconds.

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ON THIS EPISODE

In part 2 of my interview with Tayo Rockson, he shares his personal journey and how he pivoted after a life threatening car accident. Tayo then shares his professional journey and explains his work as a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Consultant. I go deep with him on the relationship between DEI vs. dismantling systems of oppression, and I draw out his nuanced reflections on identity, privilege, power structures, and far right ideologies. We discuss the framing of international political conflicts, power asymmetry, and how to develop universally principled politics. He also shares his thoughts on cross-cultural dialogue, changing hearts and minds, and not allowing bad actors to drain your emotional energy. Tayo also explains how to be a good ally and avoid the savior complex. Next, he talks about his podcast “As Told By Nomads”, shares tips for visiting his home country of Nigeria, and reflects on what travel means to him today. Tayo also shares his Top 5 Hip Hop Emcees and his Top 5 Afrobeat artists.

→ Full show notes with direct links to everything discussed are available here.

============================

FIND YOUR NEXT EPISODE

Explore The Maverick Show Starter Packs — some of my favorite conversations curated by theme so you can easily find the episodes that match your interests.

============================

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 to develop cultural fluency, make thoughtful travel decisions, and seek out spaces where you are a minority.

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Get the Monday Minute my weekly email with 3 personal recs for travel, culture, and living beyond borders you can read in 60 seconds.

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ON THIS EPISODE

Tayo Rockson takes us on his journey growing up as the son of a diplomat and shares the lessons he learned living in Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Sweden, Vietnam and the U.S. all by the age of 18. He describes the role of basketball in building cross-cultural relationships, and shares lessons from attending a very conservative Christian university. Tayo then reflects on the different manifestations of anti-Blackness around the world, and why he recommends people intentionally put themselves in spaces where they are the minority. Matt and Tayo discuss the difference between being a numerical minority vs. a power minority and describe the global pervasiveness of white privilege. Tayo then shares techniques for developing cultural fluency and also shares some tips on making thoughtful travel decisions. He shares his analysis of digital nomad gentrification and neo-colonial dynamics in the travel and tourism industry. Tayo then discusses the importance of writing and the power of stories, especially stories from pre-colonial history. And, finally, he explains the neo-colonial relationships in present-day Africa and provides some important context and analysis for travelers.

→ Full show notes with direct links to everything discussed are available here.

============================

FIND YOUR NEXT EPISODE

Explore The Maverick Show Starter Packs — some of my favorite conversations curated by theme so you can easily find the episodes that match your interests.

============================

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 what it’s like in Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Central Asia & how you can participate in one of Derek’s sustainable tours.

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Get the Monday Minute my weekly email with 3 personal recs for travel, culture, and living beyond borders you can read in 60 seconds.

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ON THIS EPISODE

In this episode Derek Baron talks about his experience traveling through Iraq, Syria and Yemen, including the incredibly unique island of Socotra.  He explains why he loves the Middle East and talks about the small group tours he runs to Iraq, based on his personal local contacts on the ground.  Derek also talks about his love for Central Asia, and the tours he runs to Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.  He explains how he designs all of his tours sustainably to have a maximum positive impact on the local people and places.  Derek reflects on the trends of over-tourism, digital nomad gentrification, and offers some suggestions for how we can make thoughtful travel decisions.  He also talks about stability anchors in an itinerant lifestyle, and pillars for sustaining the lifestyle long term. Derek opens up about dating as a digital nomad, how his lifestyle design choices have changed in different seasons of life, and why he does not have a goal of visiting every country.  Finally, Derek reflects on the biggest impact 23 years of world travel has had on him, why he continues to travel, and what travel means to him today.

→ Full show notes with direct links to everything discussed are available here.

============================

FIND YOUR NEXT EPISODE

Explore The Maverick Show Starter Packs — some of my favorite conversations curated by theme so you can easily find the episodes that match your interests.

============================

FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU

See my Top 10 Travel Apps

See my Top 10 Books that Shaped the Way I Travel

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

Support the show by buying me a coffee — espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes!

Hear what decades of unconventional travel taught him about risk, safety, and how to process difficult experiences abroad.

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Get the Monday Minute my weekly email with 3 personal recs for travel, culture, and living beyond borders you can read in 60 seconds.

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ON THIS EPISODE

Derek Baron takes us on his journey growing up in Boston, studying abroad in Australia, and then taking a life-changing trip to Angkor Wat in Cambodia for the Millennium that inspired him to travel full-time, forever.  23 years later, he reflects on his travels to 133 countries, how he financed it all, and shares some of his highlights.  After 40 trips to India, Derek makes some recommendations on where to go, how to approach the country, and shares the story of how he acted in a Bollywood TV series.  He then explains why Romania and Mauritius are some of his top recommendations for digital nomads looking for medium to long term stays. Derek also reflects on his trip to East Timor two decades after the genocide.  Next, he shares his 6-week experience in Pakistan, which included unexpectedly spending a hash-and-opium-filled evening with the Taliban, traveling through the Tribal Regions, and crossing the Khyber Pass into Afghanistan.  Derek then shares the story of trying to return through U.S. customs after that experience and what happened when they found a bullet in his pocket.  Next, he talks about his experience being kidnapped in Dhaka, Bangladesh for 3 nights, how he eventually escaped, and what overall safety lessons he learned.  And, finally, Derek reflects on processing negative travel experiences and how it impacts his overall impression of the place and of travel safety more broadly.

→ Full show notes with direct links to everything discussed are available here.

============================

FIND YOUR NEXT EPISODE

Explore The Maverick Show Starter Packs — some of my favorite conversations curated by theme so you can easily find the episodes that match your interests.

============================

FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU

See my Top 10 Travel Apps

See my Top 10 Books that Shaped the Way I Travel

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

Support the show by buying me a coffee — espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes!

Learn the keyword research, backlink, and content strategies she used to grow and monetize a successful travel blog.

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Get the Monday Minute my weekly email with 3 personal recs for travel, culture, and living beyond borders you can read in 60 seconds.

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ON THIS EPISODE

Isabel Leong takes us on her journey growing up in Singapore, studying abroad in France, and then transitioning out of the corporate world to become a full time travel blogger and digital nomad. She shares her experiences ice-climbing in New Zealand, rock climbing in Colombia, going through the salt flats in Bolivia, seeing the Tigers Nest and learning about the practice of phallus worship in Bhutan.  Isabel explains how she designs her lifestyle, and reflects on traveling as an introvert, local cultural immersion, and dating as a digital nomad.  She then shares how she grew her blog traffic using SEO, how she monetizes it, and the best tools for doing SEO Keyword Research.  Isabel also shares best practices for post length and frequency, developing quality backlinks, and the biggest leverage points for improving your SEO Rankings.

→ Full show notes with direct links to everything discussed are available here.

============================

FIND YOUR NEXT EPISODE

Explore The Maverick Show Starter Packs — some of my favorite conversations curated by theme so you can easily find the episodes that match your interests.

============================

FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU

See my Top 10 Travel Apps

See my Top 10 Books that Shaped the Way I Travel

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

Support the show by buying me a coffee — espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes!

Learn how to join Matt and Johannes on the next Nomad Cruise and become part of a global community of digital nomads.

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Get the Monday Minute my weekly email with 3 personal recs for travel, culture, and living beyond borders you can read in 60 seconds.

============================

ON THIS EPISODE

Johannes Voelkner joins Matt from Bangkok and starts off talking about what he loves about Bangkok and how it has changed since he started going there 20 years ago. He also shares what he loves about the Continent of Africa and the role it has played in his digital nomad journey. Johannes then gives his recommendations for digital nomads who want to spend time in his home country of Germany. Next, he talks about how he has built a global community of digital nomads through organizing 12 Nomad Cruises, as well as meetups at various cities around the world in between. Johannes then explains the itinerary for the upcoming Nomad Cruise, including pre-embarkation plans in the Canary Islands, programming on the boat, and post-cruise plans in Brazil for the group, including the legendary white party on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro for New Year’s Eve. He also offers Maverick Show listeners a $100 Discount! Johannes then reflects on his life of long-term world travel, including how he maintains relationships with friends and family back home, and what travel means to him today. He also offers his thoughts on over-tourism, digital nomad gentrification, and making responsible travel decisions.

→ Full show notes with direct links to everything discussed are available here.

============================

FIND YOUR NEXT EPISODE

Explore The Maverick Show Starter Packs — some of my favorite conversations curated by theme so you can easily find the episodes that match your interests.

============================

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 to meet up with Matt, get discounts on upcoming nomad conferences, and schedule a free video call with Matt.

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Get the Monday Minute my weekly email with 3 personal recs for travel, culture, and living beyond borders you can read in 60 seconds.

============================

ON THIS EPISODE

Matt reflects on doing podcast for 5 years and now having listeners in 185 countries. He shares an update on the Maverick Show’s “Monday Minute” email newsletter and the Maverick Show’s social media content. Matt then shares some highlights from his last year of travel, including participating in Remote Year’s 4-month all-Africa itinerary, and offers the listeners a $100 discount on their first Remote Year program (which enables you to travel the world with a community of other location-independent professionals for 1, 4 or 12 months). He then talks about his upcoming travel and how to link up with him around the world at some nomad events (with special discounts). Next, Matt talks about the increasing number of Maverick Show guests and listeners who are now buying rental properties through his company, Maverick Investor Group. Matt explains how Maverick helps you buy turnkey rental properties (with tenants and local property management in place) in the most investor-advantaged U.S. markets from anywhere, and offers listeners a free video consultation with Maverick about that. He also offers his white paper on Real Estate Investing for Digital Nomads. Matt then offers listeners his Top 10 Essential Apps for Digital Nomads, his Top 10 Essential Books for Digital Nomads, and his 7 Keys for Building a Location Independent Business (Even in spaces that are not traditionally virtual). He also offers his video training on Stylish Minimalist Packing where he teaches you how to travel the world full time with carry-on luggage only…without sacrificing fashion and style. And, finally, Matt asks listeners to fill out a survey to give their opinions and feedback on The Maverick Show, and offers a 25-minute one-on-one video call with the first 25 people who complete the survey and DM him on Instagram @mattbowlesmaverick.

→ Full show notes with direct links to everything discussed are available here.

============================

FIND YOUR NEXT EPISODE

Explore The Maverick Show Starter Packs — some of my favorite conversations curated by theme so you can easily find the episodes that match your interests.

============================

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! :)