Travis Makes Money

By Travis ChappellBusiness Entrepreneurship Education Self-Improvement Investing Careers

Travis Makes Money episodes

May 19SOLO | Make Money by Having the Conversations You've Been Avoiding, part 3
Travis is a podcast host, interviewer, and creator who’s running a 30-day interview challenge and sharing practical outreach, scheduling, and interview-prep tactics from his experience booking guests and growing a show.
On this episode we talk about:
How to structure DM outreach to get podcast interview yeses

Why short video messages beat long written pitches in DMs

Scheduling and reducing friction (Calendly tips and what not to ask)

Ten to fifteen high-leverage interview questions to use repeatedly

How to use informational interviews to build confidence and get warm intros
Top 3 Takeaways
Use short personalized video DMs and a one-sentence link to your about page to prove legitimacy and avoid wasting the recipient’s time

Don’t over-prepare or wait for a perfect script — send lots of messages, iterate quickly, and systematize what works for you

Make scheduling frictionless (Calendly + minimal form fields), avoid asking guests to do your prep work, and always ask for introductions to scale bookings
Notable Quotes
"The only real question you have to answer in these reach-outs is are you going to waste my time?"

"You can't think your way into becoming the kind of person who reaches out to people who are seemingly out of your league. You reach out your way into becoming that person."

"Don't wait — start doing it. By day seven when you've sent 30 of these things, you will feel wildly more confident."
Connect with Travis:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/travischappell
Other: https://travischappell.com
A Word from Our Sponsors:
Are you ready to start your own creator journey and make it big? Visit [www.fanvue.com] today and launch your career!

To learn more about Mode Mobile and its investor community, go to [https://invest.modemobile.com/travismakesmoney]

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]

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18 min
May 18CO-HOST | Make Money with a Tier List: Ranking Financial Influencers
In this special episode, host Travis sits down with producer Eric to rank some of the biggest names in financial advice. From real estate moguls to personal finance gurus, they debate who deserves S-tier status and who falls short. The conversation reveals what makes financial advice trustworthy, the importance of balanced perspectives, and why conflicts of interest matter when following money influencers.
On this episode we talk about:
The tier system for ranking financial influencers (S-tier to D-tier)

Graham Stephan's balanced approach to real estate and stock market investing

The Ramsey personalities and their debt-free philosophy

Robert Kiyosaki and Grant Cardone's polarizing investment strategies

How to evaluate financial advice when influencers have products to sell
Top 3 Takeaways
Follow financial advisors who have tested multiple wealth-building vehicles (real estate, stocks, business) rather than those who only promote one investment type, as they provide more balanced and objective advice.

Be skeptical when financial influencers sell products or services directly related to their advice—their recommendations may serve their financial interests more than yours, so interrogate the advice more carefully.

Personal finance advice isn't one-size-fits-all; strategies like avoiding all debt and credit cards may work for some people but aren't necessarily optimal for everyone with financial discipline.
Notable Quotes
"Just because somebody is gaining something financially from their advice does not mean that their advice is incorrect. It does mean that you should interrogate the advice a little bit more and ask a couple more questions."

"Do not treat men like gods. Do not look at anybody as they are the ultimate source of truth or you'll find yourself hurting for that decision."

"Money only solves your money problems, but it's easier to solve the rest of your problems if you got money in the bank."
Connect with Travis:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/travischappell
Other: https://travischappell.com

A Word from Our Sponsors:

- Are you ready to start your own creator
journey and make it big? Visit
www.fanvue.com today and launch your
career!

- To learn more about Mode Mobile and its investor community, go to
https://invest.modemobile.com/travismakesmoney
-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
29 min
May 18INTERVIEW | Make Money by Building Positive Habits That Compound Over Time with Jon Gordon
Jon Gordon is a bestselling author, speaker, and leadership expert known for his work with Fortune 500 companies, professional sports teams, and organizations around the world. With over 30 books—including The Energy Bus and The Power of Positive Leadership—Jon has helped millions improve their mindset, leadership, and performance. His latest book, The Power of Positive Habits, is a collection of proven strategies designed to help people elevate their lives through simple, consistent actions.
On this episode we talk about:
Why small, consistent habits have the biggest long-term impact on success

The concept of the “habit before the habit” to reduce friction and build consistency

How gratitude practices like the “thank you walk” can rewire your mindset

The difference between building habits vs. building a better life

Why focusing on just 1–3 habits is more effective than trying to change everything at once
Top 3 Takeaways
You don’t need dozens of habits—just one or two consistently applied habits can change your life.

Reducing friction (the “habit before the habit”) makes it much easier to follow through.

Your daily habits ultimately determine your success—good habits create a good life, great habits create a great life.
Notable Quotes
"One habit can literally change the course of your life."

"Don’t listen to yourself—talk to yourself."

"Bad habits create a bad life, good habits create a good life, great habits create a great life."
Connect with Jon Gordon:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jongordonenergy/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jongordon11/

Other: https://powerofpositivehabitsbook.com
A Word from Our Sponsor:
Are you ready to start your own creator
journey and make it big? Visit
www.fanvue.com today and launch your
career!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
26 min
May 18SOLO | Make Money By Having the Conversations You've Been Avoiding, part 2
On this solo episode, host Travis shares a personal, behind-the-scenes look at how strategically reaching out to people you admire can transform your career and expand your sense of what is possible. Drawing from his own experiences in podcasting and entrepreneurship, he walks through how he went from dreaming about conversations with icons like Shaquille O’Neal and Joe Gatto to building real relationships with them over time.
On this episode we talk about:
How a “dream guest” list turned into real conversations with Shaquille O’Neal and Joe Gatto

Why proximity, rejection therapy, and exposure change your sense of what’s possible

A 30-day outreach challenge to build relationships through cold DMs

How to structure short interviews and reuse the same core questions for different guests

What to say in a DM (and what to absolutely avoid, including AI-written outreach)
Top 3 Takeaways
Your sense of what’s possible expands as you consistently put yourself in proximity to people you once thought were unreachable, even if it starts with a simple DM.

Focus on inputs you can control—like sending five personalized cold DMs per day for 30 days—instead of obsessing over outputs you can’t guarantee, such as who says yes.

Lead with genuine value and specificity in your outreach: personalize your message, keep it short, make a clear ask, and reduce friction so busy people can easily say yes.
Notable Quotes
“Every real conversation removes a little bit of the intimidation tax that you’ve been paying your whole life leading up to this point.”

“The point is not that every successful person becomes your mentor; the point is that your sense of what’s possible continues to expand.”

“For the love of God, please do not have AI write your DMs for you—if you don’t know how to write a 50-word outreach, that’s exactly what you should be working on.”
Connect with Travis:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/travischappell
Other: https://travischappell.com

A Word from Our Sponsors:

- Are you ready to start your own creator
journey and make it big? Visit
www.fanvue.com today and launch your
career!

- To learn more about Mode Mobile and its investor community, go to
https://invest.modemobile.com/travismakesmoney
-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
19 min
May 17CO-HOST | Make Money by Building Your Mount Rushmore of Mentors
Travis and his producer Eric break down the idea of a personal “Mount Rushmore” of high‑value influences and why picking the right people to follow can make you more successful and less susceptible to the spammy, scammy side of self‑help and business content. They use a viral clip about “the most attractive man in America” as a humorous jumping‑off point to talk about substance over style in the online influencer world.
On this episode we talk about:
Why the phrase “high value man” has become a cringe trigger and what people really mean when they say it.

Using a funny viral clip to pivot into a serious conversation about who actually influences your thinking and behavior.

Travis’s Mount Rushmore of mentors: Naval Ravikant, Adam Grant, Mark Manson, and Gary Vaynerchuk, and why each one made the cut.

How Adam Grant’s “Give and Take” reshaped Travis’s philosophy on relationships, giving, and long‑term success.

Naval’s concept of unique value and building a skill stack that creates a “market of one,” plus how that ties wealth creation to genuine happiness.
Top 3 Takeaways
Curate your influences with intention: the people you follow most closely should be data‑driven, non‑reactionary, and focused on truth over polarization or cheap virality.

The most successful people tend to be strategic givers, not takers or strict matchers, and adopting a give‑first mindset can fundamentally change your relationships and opportunities.

Long‑term leverage comes from stacking skills into a unique value proposition so you become a “market of one,” doing work that feels like play to you but looks like work to everyone else.
Notable Quotes
“You’re basically just calling him hot, but you want to say it in a masculine way, so you’re like, ‘he’s just so high value.’ You wanted to say sexy.”

“Give and Take fundamentally shifted the way that I view relationships and the value that’s given in relationships because of the givers, takers, matchers thing.”

“It’s not just about creating one skill set that’s marketable… it’s about the ultimate skill stack you create over a long enough period of time so you can create a market of one.”
Connect with Travis:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/travischappell

Other: https://travischappell.com
A Word from Our Sponsors:
- Are you ready to start your own creator
journey and make it big? Visit
www.fanvue.com today and launch your
career!
- To learn more about Mode Mobile and its investor community, go tohttps://invest.modemobile.com/travismakesmoney
-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
22 min
May 17INTERVIEW | Make Money by Disrupting Yourself and Embracing Career Reinvention with Whitney Johnson
Whitney Johnson is one of the world’s leading management thinkers, recognized by Thinkers50 and Inc. Magazine. She began her career as a secretary on Wall Street before reinventing herself into an award-winning equity analyst and later co-founding an investment fund with Clayton Christensen, the father of disruptive innovation. A Wall Street Journal bestselling author and host of the Disrupt Yourself podcast, Whitney now helps individuals and organizations navigate change, growth, and high performance.
On this episode we talk about:
How Whitney went from secretary to Wall Street analyst through self-education and persistence

Why career “disruptions” often lead to the biggest breakthroughs and opportunities

The importance of treating everyone with dignity—regardless of status or title

How to navigate uncertainty using the S-curve framework for personal and professional growth

Why focus and boundaries are critical in a world full of distraction and opportunity
Top 3 Takeaways
Career growth often comes from unexpected opportunities—what feels like a setback can become your biggest advantage.

Treating people with respect at every level builds trust, reputation, and long-term success.

Focus and small, consistent improvements (like 5% better) are key to sustainable growth.
Notable Quotes
"Sometimes you get disrupted—and that can be the best thing that happens to you."

"How people treat you at the bottom is a measure of who they really are."

"Focus on one thing, do it well, and then move to the next."
Connect with Whitney Johnson:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitneyjohnson/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnsonwhitney/

Other: https://thedisruptionadvisors.com
A Word from Our Sponsor:
Are you ready to start your own creator
journey and make it big? Visit
www.fanvue.com today and launch your
career!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
23 min
May 17SOLO | Make Money by Having the Conversations You’re Avoiding
On this solo episode of Travis Makes Money, Travis breaks down why your life is limited by the conversations you refuse to have and issues a challenge that can literally change your trajectory. Drawing from both his own experience and recent research on networking self‑efficacy, he shows how intentionally interviewing high‑level people can build confidence, expand your opportunities, and collapse years of trial and error into a handful of powerful conversations.
On this episode we talk about:
Why your life is constrained by the conversations you’re avoiding and how one conversation can lead to a new idea, partner, or opportunity.

A 30‑interview challenge over 30–45 days designed to improve confidence, purpose, and decision‑making.

How to use social media as a social tool to meet the top 1–10% in your field instead of just consuming content.

The invisible mental hierarchies and “they’d never talk to me” stories that keep people from reaching out.

Research showing that informational interviews increase networking self‑efficacy and why confidence is usually an evidence problem, not a mindset problem.
Top 3 Takeaways
Your world gets bigger with every high‑quality conversation you initiate; silence doesn’t just protect you from rejection, it blocks opportunity.

Confidence comes from evidence: repeated outreach, informational interviews, and real‑world reps teach your nervous system that rejection is survivable and that you can network with high‑level people.

A structured challenge—30 interviews in 30–45 days—gives you exposure therapy to rejection, direct information from people who’ve “been there, done that,” and proximity that makes success feel tangible instead of mythical.
Notable Quotes
“Your life is limited by the conversations that you are avoiding.”

“Not sending the message does not protect you from rejection. It protects you from opportunity.”

“Confidence is not a mindset problem; most of the time it’s an evidence problem.”
Connect with Travis:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/travischappell
Other: https://travischappell.com
A Word from Our Sponsors:
https://invest.modemobile.com/travismakesmoney
- Are you ready to start your own creator
journey and make it big? Visit
www.fanvue.com today and launch your
career!
- To learn more about Mode Mobile and its investor community, go to
https://invest.modemobile.com/travismakesmoney

-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
18 min
May 16CO-HOST | Make Money Learning from Kevin Hart’s Heartbeat Media Play
In this episode, Travis and his producer Eric break down Kevin Hart’s media company, Heartbeat, and what entrepreneurs can learn from its rise, expansion, and struggles. Eric walks through how Hart bundled his ventures, built a multi-platform comedy brand, and chased a massive valuation, while Travis provides perspective on what happens when a business stretches too far beyond its founder’s personal brand.
On this episode we talk about:
How Kevin Hart built Heartbeat into a multi-platform comedy media company bundling Laugh Out Loud and Heartbeat Productions

The $650M valuation and sale of 15% of Heartbeat, and what that says about leveraging a personal brand

Why Heartbeat’s non-Kevin Hart projects struggled to sell and move forward without his direct involvement

The risks of expanding into too many verticals at once (film, TV, short-form, podcasts, brand deals) in a shifting Hollywood and streaming landscape

Lessons on churn, team turnover, and how trying to build something “bigger than the personal brand” can backfire if the market only wants the star
Top 3 Takeaways
A powerful personal brand can create huge opportunities—like a $650M valuation for Heartbeat—but if the market only cares when the star is involved, non-core projects will struggle.

Expanding into too many verticals at once (film, TV, shorts, podcasts, brand deals, big offices) without a clear focus can stretch a media company thin, especially when studios and streamers are cutting spend.

If you want to build a company that outlives your personal brand, you need vehicles, IP, and formats that can stand on their own, not just spin-offs that depend on your face and name to sell.
Notable Quotes
“Everything I see about Kevin Hart is against my will because I don’t watch his rock movies on Netflix.”

“The whole goal when Kevin Hart started this was to make something that would be bigger than just his personal brand… but the biggest issue is that non-Hart projects are the ones that are sitting there and not selling.”

“They started having a bunch of churn, which is bad unless you’re in the butter industry. Having high churn within your company is not a good thing.”
Connect with Travis:
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/travischappell
• Other: https://travischappell.com

A Word from our Sponsor:
Are you ready to start your own creator
journey and make it big? Visit
www.fanvue.com today and launch your
career!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
22 min
May 16INTERVIEW | Make Money by Building a Loyal Audience and Starting Before You're Ready with Chris Sain
Chris Sain is an entrepreneur, investor, and content creator who has built a multi-million dollar digital education business helping people achieve financial freedom. With over a million followers online, Chris has generated more than $10 million in revenue and retired himself and his wife before 40. Known for his transparent, no-excuses approach, he teaches everyday people how to build wealth through disciplined investing and consistent action.
On this episode we talk about:
How Chris built a loyal, “cult-like” audience through consistent content and authenticity

Turning free social media content into book sales, speaking gigs, and a scalable business

The step-by-step path he teaches beginners to start investing (even with limited money)

Why most people delay investing—and how to overcome that mindset

Using transparency and real results to build trust and credibility with an audience
Top 3 Takeaways
You don’t need a lot of money to start investing—what matters most is consistency and discipline.

Building trust through authenticity and real results is what turns an audience into paying customers.

Success comes from taking action early, learning from mistakes quickly, and refusing to adopt a victim mindset.
Notable Quotes
"Get started. You don’t need a lot of money—just build the habit."

"People will always take more from watching you than they will from listening to you."

"We don’t run in the victim Olympics."
Connect with Chris Sain:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chris.sain.14/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chris_sain/

Other: https://chrissain.com | YouTube: Chris Sain
A Word from Our Sponsor:
Are you ready to start your own creator
journey and make it big? Visit
www.fanvue.com today and launch your
career!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
24 min
May 16SOLO | Make Money by Getting in the Best Shape of Your Life
In this solo episode, Travis breaks down how getting in the best shape of your life becomes a force multiplier for everything else: your confidence, your relationships, and your ability to make more money. He shares his own journey from being clinically obese to getting lean, consistent, and disciplined, and explains how fitness, nutrition, and long-term habits translate directly into better business performance and financial results.
On this episode we talk about:
Why you can’t “silo” fitness from the rest of your life and how health bleeds into business, marriage, and parenting.

Travis’ journey from 250 pounds and nearly 30% body fat to dropping around 70 pounds and getting under 200 again.

The difference between short-term “challenge” goals and long-term consistency goals like his 300-workout year and monthly pull-up/running targets.

How nutrition, daily discipline, and managing your “calorie budget” map directly onto managing money, budgets, and business decisions.

Why being in good shape signals discipline and competence to others and how that can create opportunities in your career, business, and network.
Top 3 Takeaways
Getting in shape is a leverage point: when you prioritize health, your confidence, energy, and ability to show up in business, as a spouse, and as a parent all improve.

Sustainable change comes from consistency goals (like 300 workouts a year or simple daily habits) and long-term nutrition discipline, not short, unsustainable “shred” challenges.

Fitness builds the same boring, daily discipline required to make money—planning, budgeting, delayed gratification—which signals competence to others and opens doors in business and career.
Notable Quotes
“When I got back in shape, it just started bleeding into every other area of my life in a really positive way.”

“I was 250 and clinically obese, which was hard to admit because I always identified as an athlete… it’s just so easy to lose control.”

“The bare-bones principles of being in good shape are the exact same principles you need to make good money—boring, consistent work compounded over time.”
Connect with Travis:
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/travischappell
• Other: https://travischappell.com

A Word from our Sponsor:
Are you ready to start your own creator
journey and make it big? Visit
www.fanvue.com today and launch your
career!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
23 min

About Travis Makes Money

From the publisher's feed

You can't save your way to your dream life anymore. The truth is, you’re gonna need to learn to make more money. The Travis Makes Money Podcast is not your typical personal finance show. Rather than…