The Maverick Show: Global Travel Stories &amp; Life Beyond Borders

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Watching Buzkashi in Afghanistan, Visiting Micronations, and How Not to Take the Iron Ore Train in Mauritania with Ric Gazarian (Ep 307) Oct 21, 2024

Show notes

Hear Ric’s stories from Afghanistan, Burundi, Chad, Eritrea, Mauritania, Papua New Guinea, Abkhazia and Transnistria.

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ON THIS EPISODE

In Part 2 of this interview, Ric Gazarian talks about his decision to pursue the goal of traveling to all 193 UN recognized countries. He shares stories of watching the sport of Buzkashi in Afghanistan, getting a private performance by the Royal Drummers of Burundi, and attending the Gerewol Festival in Chad. Ric talks about two very different train experiences in Eritrea and Mauritania, describes his overnight tour of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, and explains why one of his most unique trips was to Papua New Guinea. He then discusses the contested definition of what constitutes a country, explains what a micronation is, and shares his experiences visiting Transnistria, Abkhazia, and the Principality of Sealand. Ric then talks about his “Counting Countries” podcast and his biennial conference “The Extraordinary Travel Festival”. Finally, he talks about how he designs culturally immersive travel experiences, how his perception of travel has changed over the years, how all of this travel has impacted him, and what travel means to him today.

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

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Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh, and Racing Tuk-Tuks Across Asia with Ric Gazarian (Ep 306) Oct 14, 2024

Show notes

Hear how his Armenian heritage shaped decades of return visits and why unconventional journeys create deeper encounters.

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ON THIS EPISODE

Ric Gazarian starts off talking about his family’s history escaping the Armenian Genocide in 1915 and eventually making their way to Boston, Massachusetts where he grew up. He reflects on his first visit to Armenia and how his Armenian identity has evolved as he visited every year for over 20 years. Ric explains the history of Nagorno-Karabakh and shares his experience visiting multiple times. Next, he talks about his experience racing through the Caucuses, and then about driving across both India and Cambodia in a Tuk-Tuk. Ric reflects on the unique experiences and local encounters that this mode of travel enables, and what it was like to capture it all in an award-winning documentary film. He then talks about his love for Southeast Asia, shares tips on the most interesting festivals in Thailand, and why Myanmar is so special to him. Finally, Ric talks about being the Asia coordinator for Travel Massive, a 60,000 person travel industry network.

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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.

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Watch my Video Training on Stylish Minimalist Packing so you can join #TeamCarryOn

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

See How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use)

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Please leave a rating and review — it really helps the show and I read each one personally

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The Racial Integration of Duke Men's Basketball and Lessons from C.B. Claiborne's Campus Activism with Javier Wallace (Ep 305) Oct 07, 2024

Show notes

Hear how C.B. Claiborne combined basketball with activism and what today’s student organizers can learn from his legacy.

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ON THIS EPISODE

In Part 3 of this interview, Javier talks about his role as the Race and Sport Post-Doctoral Associate at Duke University, and the class he teaches on the History of Duke Men’s Basketball. He tells the story of C.B. Claiborne, the first Black player on the Duke Men’s Basketball team in the 1960s, who was also a student activist on campus that participated in the Allen building takeover. Javier explains the ramifications for C.B. for his activism at the time, and what led up to him eventually being honored by the University in 2023. He shares some of the discussions on race and sports that take place in his class on Duke Men’s basketball, and also shares some lessons that today’s student activists can take from C.B. Claiborne’s legacy. Finally, Javier talks about his role in the Stephen Hayes Sculpture Project at the Equal Justice Site in Montgomery, Alabama, and then reflects on how all of his travels have impacted him as a person.

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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.

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FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU

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

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

See How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use)

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Becoming a Master Storyteller, Founding "Black Austin Tours", and Combating Transnational Basketball Trafficking with Javier Wallace (Ep 304) Sep 30, 2024

Show notes

Learn about Black history in Austin, human trafficking in high school sports, and how to become a better storyteller.

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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 this interview, Javier talks about the impact of anti-Blackness and class inequality on sports, both in Panama and in the diaspora. He explains the political economic dynamics that give rise to the transnational human trafficking of vulnerable youth, particularly through high school basketball networks in the U.S. Javier shares his experience researching this topic for his PhD dissertation at the University of Texas at Austin, explains his key research findings, and makes policy recommendations for mitigating basketball trafficking. He then talks about founding the award-winning Black Austin Tours and explains why it is so unique. Finally, Javier breaks down the craft of narrative storytelling, explains why it is so important, and gives specific tips on how we can all become better storytellers in our own lives.

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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 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

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

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!

Navigating Anti-Blackness in Panama, Centering Marginalized Stories, and Co-Founding "AfroLatinx Travel" with Javier Wallace (Ep 303) Sep 23, 2024

Show notes

Hear Javier’s stories of navigating his intersectional Afro-Panamanian-American experience in both the U.S. and Panama.

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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. Javier Wallace starts off talking about his mother’s family history in Texas and his father’s family history in Panama before migrating to the U.S. He shares his reflections on growing up in a bi-cultural home, playing football in Texas, attending Florida A&M University as a student athlete, then getting his Master’s Degree and pursuing a career in sports. Javier then discusses his decision to move to Panama and live there for 6 years. He opens up about his encounters with anti-Blackness in Panama, including violent experiences with law enforcement, his realizations about the power of passport privilege, and how all of that impacted his identity. Javier then talks about co-founding “Afro-Latinx Travel” and developing tours in Panama, Cuba, Costa Rica and Colombia that disrupt traditional tourism narratives, center marginalized stories, and benefit the local communities.

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

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 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

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

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!

Organizing 500 Trips to Africa, Becoming a Citizen of Sierra Leone, and Building Jelani Travel with Ashley Company (Ep 302) Sep 16, 2024

Show notes

Learn about traveling to Togo, Benin, The Gambia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and building a successful travel company.

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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

Ashley Company starts off talking about founding Jelani Gives and how that led to founding her company Jelani Travel. Ashley reflects on running her company for over a decade, including the healing impact she has seen when taking people from the African Diaspora to spend time on the Continent. She then talks about how she traced her ancestry to Sierra Leone, was able to get citizenship in Sierra Leone, and had her passport handed to her by the President of the country. Ashley also shares some highlights from the Jelani Travel trips to Benin, Togo, Ghana, Senegal, and The Gambia. She then takes us behind the scenes of her entrepreneurial journey and explains how she built a successful travel company that she has now run for over a decade. Ashley shares tips and insights on how she optimizes her time, manages stress, and chooses what to outsource. She also reflects on how to avoid the pitfalls of voluntourism in Africa, and how all of her travels to 100+ countries have impacted her as a person. Finally, Matt and Ashley talk about the upcoming Black Travel Summit and how to meet them there in person.

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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 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

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

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

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Visiting Every Country in Central & South America and How Not to Cross the Venezuelan Border with Ashley Company (Ep 301) Sep 09, 2024

Show notes

Learn how immersive trips to the Dominican Republic, Kenya and backpacking through South America can be life-changing.

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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

Ashley Company starts off by talking about her experiences traveling the world for wine, and why the South African wine region is so unique and special. She then talks about her experience growing up in the U.S., traveling to Turkey as a kid, living in South Korea for a year at age 12, and attending an HBCU for college. She then describes how her first solo trip to the Dominican Republic was completely transformative, as was her first trip to Kenya. Ashley then explains what led her to quit her job and backpack through every country in South and Central America. She shares stories about traveling to San Basilio de Palenque in Colombia and accidentally entering Venezuela without going through immigration. Ashley also talks about the power of her first experience attending Carnival in Trinidad and why she has been back 10 times since. And, finally, she reflects on the impact that a full year of backpacking in South America had on her as a person, and how it shaped her life and entrepreneurial trajectory.

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

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 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

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

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!

Three Hundred Maverick Show Episode Special with Matt Bowles (Ep 300) Sep 02, 2024

Show notes

Matt Bowles celebrates 300 episodes by offering 30 free video calls as well as discounts to meet up with him in person.

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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 reflects on The Maverick Show breaking into the Top 100 Apple Podcasts and being ranked the #1 “Places and Travel” podcast on Apple. Matt explains how and why to subscribe to The Maverick Show’s “Monday Minute” email newsletter, and how to follow The Maverick Show on Instagram. He then talks about the 3 upcoming conferences he is attending in 2024 and how you can meet up with him in person. He describes Nomadness Fest in North Carolina, the Black Travel Summit in Florida, and The Extraordinary Travel Fest in Bangkok, Thailand. Matt then offers you a discount on your tickets to each one. He also explains how you can support the podcast by buying him a coffee and leaving a rating and review for the show. Matt also explains how his company Maverick Investor Group 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 you resources where you can learn more. And, finally, he invites you to provide him with your direct feedback and opinions via a short survey and offers 30 people who fill out the survey a free 30-minute video call with him.

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

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 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

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

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!

BIPOC Travel Conferences, Reflections on Japan, and Raising Kids to be Travelers with Zoe Moore (Ep 299) Aug 26, 2024

Show notes

Learn why Japan is so amazing and important to visit, and the value of incorporating world travel into your parenting.

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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 this interview, Zoe Moore talks about her role in organizing the Latino Travel Fest and Nomadness Fest (which centers BIPOC travel experiences). She then explains how living in Korea inspired her world travels, and shares highlights from a trip she organized to Ghana in 2019 for the Year of Return. Next, Zoe talks about traveling with her teenage son to Puerto Rico, Colombia, Japan and the impact those travels had on his life. She also talks about her time in Tokyo, the powerful and emotional experience she had in Hiroshima, and why Kamakura is her favorite place in Japan. Finally, Zoe reflects on the impact travel has had on her life.

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

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 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