The Maverick Show: Global Travel Stories & Life Beyond Borders

Hear stories about Guatemala, Morocco, Arctic Snow Hotels in Lapland, Finland and music festivals in Cali, Colombia.

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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

Nicole Phillip joins Matt from Orlando, Florida and talks about growing up in a Caribbean immigrant home, moving to New York City for college, and encountering racism on a study abroad trip to Italy.  Matt and Nicole reflect on the various ways anti-Blackness and white privilege manifest around the world.  Nicole then talks about her other travel experiences, starting with her European travels outside of Italy during her study abroad program.  She then explains why Colombia is one of her favorite countries and shares her experiences in Cartagena, Medellin, and Cali, including attending the Petronio Alvarez Festival.  Nicole also talks about her travels through Morocco, Guatemala, and her recent birthday trip to the Arctic Circle in Lapland, Finland.  She shares the magical experience of visiting the Arctic Snow Hotel, drinking at the ice bar, sleeping in a glass igloo, going dog-sledding, enjoying a Finnish sauna, and seeing the Northern Lights.

→ 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 experience the best of Tanzanian nightlife, food, music, beaches, mountains, safaris, history and culture.

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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

Justa Lujwangana joins Matt from Mt. Vernon, New York and talks about her experience growing up in Tanzania and Uganda before immigrating to New York at age 12.  She reflects on the cultural acclimation process, navigating the contours of Blackness in the U.S., and coming of age as an African immigrant in New York.  Justa talks about maintaining Tanzanian culture in the diaspora, the role of music in her life, and eventually re-connecting with her homeland as an adult.  Matt and Justa then talk about the amazing nightlife in Dar es Salaam, summiting Mt. Kilimanjaro, safaris in the Serengeti, and the beautiful beaches and distinct culture of Zanzibar.  Justa talks about founding her company “Curious on Tanzania” to help you experience the best of the country, focused on the themes that are most appealing to you.  She reflects on facilitating experiences for African-Americans to reconnect with the Continent and shares her thoughts about the ethical and sustainability dynamics of tourism in Tanzania. Finally, she reflects on the impact travel has had on her and offers you a special discount for a “Curious on Tanzania” trip.

→ 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 advertising, hiring, cash-flow, and leadership strategies behind scaling a fully distributed global brand.

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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 Dan Demsky, we pull back the curtain and do a deep dive into exactly how he built Unbound Merino from a Kickstarter to an 8-figure global brand. He breaks down the most effective digital advertising strategies and channels that are working today, as well as how to create digital ads that convert today.  Dan then describes the evolution of the Unbound Merino clothing line, the launch of the women’s line, and the tactics he used to scale the company to $40 million/year in revenue.  He reflects on his CEO leadership style, gives tips on building company culture with a fully distributed team, and explains how he attracts and hires top talent. Dan then gives tips on managing cash flow during periods of rapid growth, approaching business problem solving during periods of high stress, and becoming business partners with personal friends. Next, he talks about how he balances his health, relationships, and digital nomad lifestyle with being productive in a high growth business environment. Finally, Dan shares his vision for the future of Unbound Merino, reflects on what travel means to him today, and offers you a 10% discount on Unbound Merino apparel.

→ 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 why stillness and connection to nature are so important for a high-performance 8-figure remote business owner.

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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

Dan Demsky joins Matt from Buenos Aires for a virtual wine night.  He starts off talking about growing up in Toronto, reflects on his early entrepreneurial tendencies, and then tells stories from a life changing trip to Japan. Dan then talks about his passion for travel, his motives for traveling to places like Prague and Buenos Aires, and tells stories from a transformative hike up Cotopaxi in Ecuador.  He reflects on the importance of stillness and connecting with nature for high performance entrepreneurs.  Dan then takes us on his journey of finding business opportunities, learning about sales, and eventually co-founding the travel fashion brand Unbound Merino.  He explains the price to value of Merino wool clothing, breaks down the unique travel-conducive properties of Merino Wool, and the distinct positioning of the Unbound Merino brand.  And finally, Dan offers you 10% off Unbound Merino apparel.

→ 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 about the “Women. Life. Freedom” protests against the Iranian regime and discovering solidarity in remote places.

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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 3 of this interview, Yooshita talks about traveling back to Iran after leaving as a refugee.  She explains why she creates her travel content in Farsi and reflects on her last trip back to Iran (including why she can no longer return). Yooshita then explains the context for the “Women. Life. Freedom” movement against the Iranian regime, and describes her participation in the protest at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.  She talks about the extent of the global media coverage that she received, and the impact of the protest.  Yooshita then shares stories about finding Palestine solidarity in Greenland, celebrating her birthday on the Iron Ore train in Mauritania, and gives tips on how to integrate more travel into your life if you have a full time job that is not remote.  Finally, she shares her perspective on counting countries and reflects on how travel has impacted her as a person and how her view of travel has evolved over the years.

→ 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 stories from Balochistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and why Yooshita wants to travel to every country in the world.

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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

In Part 2 of this interview, Yooshita talks about her first experience living abroad on her own in London and later moving to Dubai to work as cabin crew for Emirates Airlines.  She then talks about her decision to take jobs for 1-3 years at a time in different countries and reflects on living in Dubai, Portugal, Switzerland, Malta and Gibraltar.  Yooshita shares why she loves Spain so much and offers her top recommendations.  She then describes her trip to Afghanistan, why it was life-changing, and why it inspired her to travel to every country in the world. Yooshita then talks about the month she spent in Pakistan, her experience crossing the land border into Iran, and her stereotype-busting trip through Balochistan.

→ 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 about growing up in Iran, being a refugee in Europe & ethical considerations when traveling to low income areas.

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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

Yooshita joins Matt and they start off talking about how they met at the Extraordinary Travel Festival in Bangkok and connected around their shared human rights activism. Yooshita then talks about her recent trip to Jamaica, including both the importance of getting out of the tourist areas and the ethical dynamics of visiting low-income or high-crime areas. Next, she describes her recent trip to Libya in 2025 and why it was so special to her.  Yooshita then talks about growing up in Iran until the age of 13, and the experience of her family applying for refugee asylum in Europe.  She reflects on what that experience taught her about the way refugees are treated, and what she learned from the other refugees she met during that time.  Yooshita then describes her experience culturally acclimating to Austria as a teenager, confronting stereotypes about Iranians, and later working at an NGO to help religious minorities emigrate from Iran.

→ 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 stories from traveling 2,500 miles across India by Rickshaw and driving a “Shoe-Baru” from the UK to Cape Town.

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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

In Part 2 of this interview, Scott Brills tells the story of driving from the UK to Cape Town in cars decorated as Chuck Taylor sneakers.  He describes his experience getting stuck in Aswan in Southern Egypt, and then evading bandits in Ethiopia and plowing through a makeshift roadblock.  Scott then reflects on doing the “Rickshaw Run” in India 3 times and describes the uniquely rich and immersive experience of traveling 2,500 miles across India in a tuk tuk.  Next, he talks about falling in love with Japan and founding his company “Eat Japan” which runs small group tours for people to experience Japanese culture through food.  Scott then talks about his distilling and brewing experience and his upcoming launch of his own tea brand, “Asa Tea”. He then offers tips on language learning, as well as business lessons from starting companies in 6 countries.  Scott also shares some thoughtful advice on avoiding the pitfalls of voluntourism and the white savior complex.  And finally, he reflects on the impact over 2 decades of travel has had on him 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!

Learn how to plan your Tanzanian Safari, hire an ethical company, tip correctly, and have an amazing experience.

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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

Scott Brills starts off talking about the wine sommelier training he is currently doing and how he often structures his travel experiences around wine and other beverages.  He then talks about growing up in Michigan, traveling to China at age 13, and then living abroad in Japan and Turkey.  Next, Scott shares his experience doing the “Mongol Rally” and driving from the UK to Mongolia in a beater car, hitchhiking in Central Asia with a gangster, and running a marathon in the Gobi Desert with no preparation.  He then talks about co-founding his company “Pamoja Safaris” in Tanzania with a local Maasai business partner. Scott then shares tips on navigating the ethical dynamics of the tourism industry in Tanzania—what you need to know about local compensation, tipping, and the neo-colonial context of safaris in Africa—so you can make responsible decisions as a customer.

→ 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 make a life pivot in your 30s, move abroad, reinvent yourself and become the person you really want to be.

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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

Cepee Tabibian joins Matt from Malaga, Spain and starts off talking about her parents’ journey immigrating to the U.S. from Iran and Colombia respectively, and then reflects on her own experience growing up in an immigrant home in Houston. She talks about her first trips back to Iran and Colombia as an adult, and how those identities have evolved for her over the years. Cepee then talks about her decision to hit refresh at age 35, quit her traditional job in the U.S. and move to Spain.  She opens up about her journey into remote work, entrepreneurship, and how the move abroad empowered her to reinvent herself in her 30s.  Cepee explains how adopting an immigrant mindset can be a superpower, and how moving abroad can give us the freedom to be more creative, try new things, and become the person we really want to be.  She gives tips on building a business, designing a travel lifestyle, and explains how her community “She Hit Refresh” helps women over 30 improve their lives by moving abroad.

→ 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!