The Maverick Show: Global Travel Stories & Life Beyond Borders

Learn tactics for making local friends, building a social network, and experiencing destinations through everyday life.

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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

Gareth Leonard shares his experience growing up outside Rochester, NY, studying abroad in college, working in a start-up that he wasn’t passionate about, and then deciding to change course completely and buy a one way ticket to Argentina. He takes us on his journey of slow-traveling the world for 12 years, making local friends, and understanding foreign places by the people and cultures that define them. Gareth shares stories from his first 5 years in South America—Learning Spanish in Buenos Aires, learning to cook Peruvian food in Lima, volunteering to build libraries in Bolivia, helping small businesses get micro-loans in Guatemala, and working at the World Cup in Brazil. He also tells the story of how he got to perform in the Level 1 Samba School Parade Competition at Carnival in Rio. Gareth then talks about the techniques he has developed for traveling deeper and transforming from a tourist to a townie. He shares specific tactics on how to make local friends, develop a local social network, and immerse into the local culture. Gareth talks about how he currently determines his travel destinations, and gives tips on how to travel deeper on shorter trips or vacations. He also breaks down the sustainability pillars for maintaining a healthy, fulfilling, substantive life of full time world travel for 12 years. And, finally, he talks about his “why” for continuing to travel and, at this point in his life, what travel means to him.

→ 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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Learn what bootstrapping major exits taught him about leadership and how long-term travel shaped his approach to impact.

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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

Dave Williams shares his entrepreneurial trajectory growing up in Delaware, becoming a digital marketing pioneer in the 1990s, and eventually bootstrapping and selling multiple 7 and 8 figure businesses. He then talks about his world travel journey with his wife, becoming a digital nomad, and gives his tips on long-term world travel with a partner. Dave shares stories from his most epic travel adventures, including white water rafting on the Zambezi River, hiking Mount Kilimanjaro, and Scuba Diving the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. He then reflects on his pilgrimage walking the Camino de Santiago and why it was so life changing for him. He also shares highlights from hiking the Tour de Mont Blanc in Europe, the Himalayas in South Asia, and reflects on how traveling to over 50 countries has impacted him. He then talks about building “Nomad X” (a platform offering medium-term accommodations for digital nomads in Portugal) and recently merging with Flatio. He also reflects on the importance of building community as a digital nomad and talks about the “Nomad Village” initiative on Madeira Island in Portugal. Dave then talks about the key leverage points for bootstrapping businesses to 7 and 8 figure exits. He explains his leadership style and what he feels makes a great CEO, as well as his techniques for attracting, hiring and retaining top talent. Dave also gives tips for how to build company culture in remote-first companies. And, finally, Dave reflects on the importance of giving back, making a positive impact around the world, and gives tips on how to be a more socially conscious traveler.

→ 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)

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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 communication, virtual dating, and a global dating pool can reshape the search for meaningful relationships.

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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

Kimberly Koehler shares her journey growing up in Minnesota, becoming a real estate entrepreneur, and eventually a professional dating coach. She then shares her world travel journey, her transition into the digital nomad lifestyle, and her decision to focus her business and dating expertise on the digital nomad niche by becoming a co-owner of “Nomad Soulmates”. Kimberly reflects on her 15 years experience as a dating coach and shares some common themes on which she repeatedly coaches her clients. She shares dating tips for successful women, as well as advice for men on how to avoid the “friend zone”. She then gives tips on dating locals around the world, reflects on the reality of having the entire planet as your dating universe, and emphasizes the value of virtual dating. Kimberly talks about the potential beauty of short and medium-term nomadic relationships as well as long-term partnerships, the crucial importance of communication, and the potential implications of having so many global dating options. She then gives specific advice on improving your dating profile, and talks about Matt’s dating profile and introduction to the Nomad Soulmates Facebook Group. Kimberly then talks about her upcoming event “Finding Love Online”, and shares some examples of Nomad dating success stories.

→ 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 leadership, hiring, and culture principles that helped him scale distributed teams across dozens of countries.

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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

Tony Jamous takes us on his journey growing up in Beirut during the Lebanese civil war in the 1980s, being inspired to his grandfather’s entrepreneurship, and eventually moving to France at age 17 and starting his world travel journey. He reflects on his top travel experiences, what travel means to him, and how he ended up founding and scaling his first company to over $100 Million in under 5 years and selling it for $230 Million. Tony breaks down some of the biggest leverage points that enabled him to scale that fast and build an operational infrastructure with internationally distributed staff in over 50 countries. He reflects on his personal leadership style, what he feels makes a great CEO, how to attract and hire top talent, and tips for managing an internationally distributed team. Tony also reflects on how and why remote teams can outperform in-office teams and gives tips on how to effectively build company culture in fully remote businesses. He then shares his personal productivity routines, stress management techniques, and how he approaches business problems. Tony also talks about his latest venture, Oyster, that he founded with the vision of changing the world by making remote work accessible to everyone. He explains how his talent-enablement platform works to empower employees from anywhere in the world to work for the best global companies without leaving their home countries. He explains the mission and values of Oyster and how his goal is to reduce global wealth inequality and positively impact the environment by disrupting and revolutionizing the way companies can hire the best staff around the world remotely. He explains the service offering, the customer experience, and how companies can start using the Oyster platform 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 how living abroad shaped her connection to Black heritage and inspired her to help others explore their own roots.

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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

Stephanie Claytor takes us on her journey growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, traveling around the U.S. as a kid, and eventually kicking off her world travel journey by studying abroad in the Dominican Republic. Stephanie reflects on her experience living in the DR at age 19, the impact that had on her life, lessons learned, and how it inspired her future travel journey. She then talks about her experience living in Colombia as part of the Fulbright program, connecting with Afro-Colombian heritage, interviewing internally displaced Colombians, and having a blast salsa dancing and going to Carnival. Stephanie also reflects on the racial profiling and other problematic racial dynamics she observed while traveling in Latin American. She then shares the inspiration for writing her memoir “BlackTrekking: My Journey Living in Latin America” and explains what people can expect from the book. Stephanie then shares her reflections on her trip to Ghana, including her visit to the Slave Castles and her participation in a traditional “Naming Ceremony”. She then talks about her blog, Blacktrekking.com, which focuses on Black cultural heritage around the world. She also shares some examples of important Black heritage destinations in the U.S. that she has visited and written about. Stephanie explains why her goal is to inspire more Black Americans to travel the world and live abroad. She reflects on her minimalism, why she prioritizes experiences over material items, and how and why she intends to integrate world travel into her son’s life. She concludes by sharing why she continues to travel, what travel means to her at this point in her life, and her top tips for Black world 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 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 following coffee from farm to cup can deepen cultural connection and transform the way you taste and travel.

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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

Resi Schlage shares her journey growing up in Germany, getting her Master’s Degree in Global Studies, working in the International NGO sector, and then transitioning to become a full-time digital nomad and professional coffee writer in 2016. Matt and Resi discuss the coffee equipment they both carry while traveling (for making filter coffee and espresso) and the importance of coffee grinders and scales in preparing a great cup of coffee. Resi shares her path to starting her coffee blog and choosing to travel the world for coffee full time. She talks about her experiences spending time with coffee producers in Sri Lanka and Thailand and making a connection between the coffee communities in both countries. Resi then goes on to define some of the most important coffee terminology, explains the seed-go-cup pipeline, and highlights the different aspects of making a great specialty coffee. She then gives tips on exploring the realm of specialty coffee and refining your coffee palate. Matt and Resi then discuss why they slow travel the world and what they love about experiencing different coffee shops across the globe. Matt shares his favorite coffee shops in South Africa and Colombia and Resi talks about her favorite coffee shops in Thailand and Japan. She then reflects on the relationship between producers, roasters and coffee shops. And, finally, Resi discusses why she continues to travel full time and what world travel means to 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 behind anti-Asian hate in America and concrete ways to support different Asian-American communities.

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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

Matt Bowles gives a brief historical overview of hate and violence against Asian-Americans over the last 150 years, leading up to the hostile anti-Asian climate of the present day United States. He then shares specific ways that you can support Asian-American communities from anywhere in the world. 

→ 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 how six years abroad shaped her views on cultural connection, solo travel, relationships, and why she keeps going.

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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

Lauren Carey takes us on her journey growing up in Boston and then quitting her corporate job at age 27 to travel the world. Despite having no family or friends that were international travelers, she reflects on her decision to get a one-way ticket to Thailand to teach English. She then shares her path to becoming a full time digital nomad and living in 50 countries over the next 6 years. Lauren explains how she documented her entire journey on her blog “Girl Gone Abroad” and built her personal brand on Instagram along the way. She shares her experiences couch-surfing through Turkey, solo-traveling through Siem Reap Cambodia, and the emotional impact of learning first-hand about the Cambodian genocide from family members of those who were killed. Lauren then shares her experience joining the “Wifi Tribe” and traveling the world with a work-travel community. She also reflects on her experiences dating both locals and other travelers, and shares her tips and advice on dating as a nomad. She then offers her tips for solo-female travelers and, finally, reflects on why she continues to travel and what travel means to 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!

Hear how a breakdown in Russia became the turning point that led her to rethink success, purpose, and life on her terms.

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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

Lydia Lee takes us on her journey growing up in Malaysia, immigrating to Canada as a kid, leaving home at age 17, and eventually starting to travel the world as an adult. She tells the story of her trip to Southeast Asia with her girlfriends where she woke up one morning to find gunmen in her bedroom, and how she confronted them. She then talks about how it was the travel she did as part of her corporate job that inspired her to travel the world as a full time nomad. She shares a major life-transitionary moment in Russia, when she had a total breakdown and began reassessing her entire life, and that started her journey to location-independent entrepreneurship. She explains how she started her blog “Screw the Cubicle” and eventually scaled it into her coaching business that she runs today. She breaks down the process she uses with her clients of finding their zone of genius, identifying their super power, establishing purpose in their business, beta-testing their product or service and ensuring they love what they are doing before they scale it. Lydia then explains how she designs her lifestyle, her choice of travel cadence, and shares her tips on sustaining a life of long-term world travel. She also shares her personal reflections and tips on dating and finding love as a nomad.

→ 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 how surviving addiction sparked a life abroad and his path from English teacher to location-independent copywriter.

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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

Francis Nayan takes us in his journey growing up in a Filipino immigrant home in Memphis, Tennessee. He reflects on his immigrant identity growing up in the American South, including the racism he experienced, but also shares the things he loved about his diverse upbringing. Francis then shares his experience going to college in Mississippi, getting into drugs, and falling into a downward spiral that led him to heroin addiction. He explains how a heroin overdose that almost killed him was actually the event that saved his life. Francis then takes us on his journey of getting clean, healthy and designing his dream lifestyle around world travel. He explains how he moved to Barcelona to teach English for a year, followed by teaching for a year in Budapest, Hungary. Francis then takes us on his entrepreneurial to from an English teacher to a location-independent 6-figure freelance copywriter who has now been to over 30 countries. Next he shares tactical advice on how businesses can significantly augment their email marketing strategy. He goes deep on market research, email-list segmentation, personalization, crafting emotionally-driven story-based copy, automating email campaigns, and optimizing deliverability and open rates. Francis also shares the #1 leverage point a business with an established email list can do right now to improve performance immediately.

→ 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!