

The Maverick Show: Remote Entrepreneurship and World Travel
Matt Bowles: Digital Nomad & Full-Time Traveler Since 2013
Meet diverse travelers and digital nomads from every continent who share their personal journey to location-independence as well as their reflections on identity, the power dynamics that shape our world, and how we can be more thoughtful, conscious travelers as we move through it. Hosted by Matt Bowles—your typical Irish-American hip hop DJ turned human rights activist turned location-independent entrepreneur turned minimalist world-traveler and podcaster—these in-depth conversations take place all over the world (often over a bottle of wine, or 2). Listen in as Matt draws out stories of their most epic adventures, and unpacks the skills, tactics, and strategies they use to build their remote businesses and design their lifestyles. Ranked the #1 Digital Nomad Podcast by Web Work Travel and the Top 1% of all podcasts by Listen Notes, each episode pulls out actionable tips and advice you can implement in your own life each week. In 2024 The Maverick Show hit the Top 100 on Apple Podcasts and ranked the #1 “Places and Travel” podcast on Apple.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Nov 10, 2025 • 59min
362: Stories of Traveling Across Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean as a Jamaican-Chinese New Yorker with Darren Chew
Hear stories from visiting Nubia, the slums of Nairobi, rural villages in Zambia & going volcano-boarding in Nicaragua. _____________________________
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Darren Chew (“Chew”) joins Matt and starts off talking about his Jamaican and Chinese heritage and shares the story of how his parents met in Jamaica and immigrated to New York. He then talks about his experience growing up in New York with mixed cultural heritage, traveling back to Jamaica to visit family, and the pivotal role of basketball in his life. Chew explains how he started traveling the world to visit former basketball teammates in Europe and then reflects on his first impression of the continent of Africa. He tells travel stories from Kenya, Zambia, Senegal, Egypt, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and explains why Rio is his favorite city in the world. Chew reflects on visiting Nubia, gives a preview of his upcoming talk at Black Travel Summit in Brazil, and ends with a unexpected story of cultural immersion in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. FULL SHOW NOTES WITH DIRECT LINKS TO EVERYTHING DISCUSSED ARE AVAILABLE HERE.
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See my Top 10 Apps For Digital Nomads
See my Top 10 Books For Digital Nomads
See my 7 Keys For Building A Remote Business (Even in a space that’s not traditionally virtual)
Watch my Video Training on Stylish Minimalist Packing so you can join #TeamCarryOn
See the Travel Gear I Use and Recommend
See How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment,
services & vendors I use)
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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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Nov 3, 2025 • 1h 2min
361: Performing Hajj & Umrah and How to Travel the World with a Family of 5 on Points and Miles with Amena Bakali
Learn how to use points & miles to perform Umrah with a family and travel the world to celebrate Eid in different cities.
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Amena tells the story of how she met Matt and bonded around Palestine solidarity at the WITS Travel creator summit in NYC. She then talks about her parents experience immigrating to the U.S. from India and Pakistan, her experience growing up in Dallas in a Muslim immigrant home, the impact of the post 9-11 environment on her life, and how she developed her politics and worldview. Amena then talks about her first trip back to India as an adult, performing Hajj in Saudi Arabia, seeing the Islamic architecture in southern Spain, celebrating Eid in Istanbul, and visiting Japan and London. She then talks about performing Umrah as a family, shares strategies to accumulate points and miles to cover international family travel, and talks about her Umrah Guide. Finally, Amena talks about raising socially conscious kids, integrating travel into their lives, and what travel means to her today. FULL SHOW NOTES INCLUDING DIRECT LINKS TO EVERYTHING DISCUSSED ARE AVAILABLE HERE. ____________________________________
See my Top 10 Apps For Digital Nomads
See my Top 10 Books For Digital Nomads
See my 7 Keys For Building A Remote Business (Even in a space that’s not traditionally virtual)
Watch my Video Training on Stylish Minimalist Packing so you can join #TeamCarryOn
See the Travel Gear I Use and Recommend
See How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use)
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ENJOYING THE SHOW?
Please Leave a Rating and Review. It really helps the show and I read each one personally.
You Can Buy Me a Coffee. Espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes! :)

Oct 27, 2025 • 1h 22min
360: Hacking Serendipity, Connecting Travelers with the Pangea App, and Co-Hosting the Nomad Week with Matt Gray
Learn how to coordinate your travel plans with friends, exchange recommendations & connect around the world with Pangea.
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Subscribe to The Maverick Show’s Monday Minute Newsletter
where I email you 3 short items of value to start each week that you can
consume in 60 seconds (all personal recommendations like the latest travel gear I'm using, my favorite destinations, discounts for special events, etc.).
Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram ____________________________________
Matt Gray starts off describing what he loves about Cape Town and tells the story of taking the world’s highest bungee jump off a bridge there. He then reflects on growing up outside NYC, studying abroad in Vienna, and traveling the world for a decade as part of his corporate job. Matt tells stories from visiting Reunion Island, Madagascar, Lapland, Greenland, Antarctica, Armenia and Uzbekistan. He then talks about organizing a group safari to Botswana, building community in the digital nomad lifestyle, and his plans for co-hosting Nomad Week 2026 in Cape Town. Next, Matt talks about founding the Pangea App which enables you to coordinate your travel plans with friends, exchange recommendations & connect around the world. He opens up about his own transition into full-time entrepreneurship, his journey building and scaling Pangea, his recent acquisition of the Overlap app, and is 5-year vision for Pangea. Finally, Matt explains how he designs his digital nomad lifestyle, why he wants to travel to every country in the world, and what impact all this travel has had on him as a person. FULL SHOW NOTES INCLUDING DIRECT LINKS TO EVERYTHING DISCUSSED ARE AVAILABLE HERE. ____________________________________
See my Top 10 Apps For Digital Nomads
See my Top 10 Books For Digital Nomads
See my 7 Keys For Building A Remote Business (Even in a space that’s not traditionally virtual)
Watch my Video Training on Stylish Minimalist Packing so you can join #TeamCarryOn
See the Travel Gear I Use and Recommend
See How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use)
____________________________________
ENJOYING THE SHOW?
Please Leave a Rating and Review. It really helps the show and I read each one personally.
You Can Buy Me a Coffee. Espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes! :)

Oct 20, 2025 • 1h 7min
359: Traveling the World as a Black Muslim Digital Nomad, Giving Birth in Poland, and Raising Globally Conscious Kids with Imani Bashir
Hear about living in China, Malaysia, Poland and Mexico as a Black Muslim woman & raising her son in multiple countries. _____________________________
Subscribe to The Maverick Show’s Monday Minute Newsletter
where I email you 3 short items of value to start each week that you can
consume in 60 seconds (all personal recommendations like the latest travel gear I'm using, my favorite destinations, discounts for special events, etc.).
Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram
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In part 2 of this interview Imani talks about her experience living in China, Poland, Malaysia and Mexico. She tells stories about how many of these places defied stereotypes and how warmly she was received and treated
in Poland when she gave birth there. Imani then reflects on raising her son across multiple countries and how living abroad has impacted him as a person. She also reflects on the development of her own politics of collective liberation, how she maintains long-term activist stamina, and how we can all rise to meet this historical moment despite feeling overwhelmed. Imani then talks about her current role as a co-director at “Resist” and the storytelling and communications work she does. She explains the history of the organization, their present day work in supporting grassroots initiatives, and how you can support their work. Imani then reflects on how her travel and activism are so integrally intertwined. She shares tips on raising socially conscious kids, standing in better solidarity with marginalized groups, and offers specific advice to Black and Muslim women travelers. Finally, Imani reflects on why she continues to travel and what travel means to her today. FULL SHOW NOTES WITH DIRECT LINKS TO EVERYTHING DISCUSSED ARE AVAILABLE HERE.
____________________________________
See my Top 10 Apps For Digital Nomads
See my Top 10 Books For Digital Nomads
See my 7 Keys For Building A Remote Business (Even in a space that’s not traditionally virtual)
Watch my Video Training on Stylish Minimalist Packing so you can join #TeamCarryOn
See the Travel Gear I Use and Recommend
See How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use)
____________________________________
ENJOYING THE SHOW?
Please Leave a Rating and Review. It really helps the show and I read each one personally.
You Can Buy Me a Coffee. Espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes! :)

Oct 13, 2025 • 1h 9min
358: Lessons from Malcolm X’s Travels, Black-American Expatriation, Living in Cairo, and Building Global Solidarity with Imani Bashir
Learn about being a Black Muslim activist in the U.S., meeting Malcolm X’s daughter, moving abroad and living in Cairo.
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Subscribe to The Maverick Show’s Monday Minute Newsletter
where I email you 3 short items of value to start each week that you can consume in 60 seconds (all personal recommendations like the latest travel gear I'm using, my favorite destinations, discounts for special events, etc.).
Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram
____________________________________
Imani Bashir joins Matt in Washington, DC and they reflect on their Keynote panel at Nomadness Fest and their experience meeting Malcolm X’s daughter there. Imani breaks down the neocolonial dynamics that often pervade the travel industry and travel journalism, and then offers tips on how be a more socially conscious traveler and content creator. Next, she talks about the history of Islam in Black America, her experience navigating her Black and Muslim identities in the U.S., her experience after 9-11, and how her father raised her in an activist home. Imani then talks about her commitment to Palestine solidarity work and reflects on the history of Palestine solidarity within Black American and other anti-colonial struggles around the world. She then takes us on her personal journey attending an HBCU, getting her first passport, the impact of visiting London, and recognizing the beauty of immigrant communities. Finally, Imani reflects on the history of Black-American expatriation, how the death of Sandra Bland motivated her to move out of the U.S., and her lessons and reflections from living in Cairo, Egypt. FULL SHOW NOTES WITH DIRECT LINKS TO EVERYTHING DISCUSSED ARE AVAILABLE HERE.
____________________________________
See my Top 10 Apps For Digital Nomads
See my Top 10 Books For Digital Nomads
See my 7 Keys For Building A Remote Business (Even in a space that’s not traditionally virtual)
Watch my Video Training on Stylish Minimalist Packing so you can join #TeamCarryOn
See the Travel Gear I Use and Recommend
See How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use)
____________________________________
ENJOYING THE SHOW?
Please Leave a Rating and Review. It really helps the show and I read each one personally.
You Can Buy Me a Coffee. Espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes! :)

Oct 6, 2025 • 56min
357: Nomading in Africa, Developing a Politically Conscious Travel Lens, and Co-Hosting the “Remote Roundup” on Zero to Travel with Janessa Klatt
Hear highlights from digital nomading around Africa & the power of travel in learning about struggles against injustice.
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Subscribe to The Maverick Show’s Monday Minute Newsletter where I email you 3 short items of value to start each week that you can consume in 60 seconds (all personal recommendations like the latest travel gear I'm using, my favorite destinations, discounts for special events, etc.).
Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram
____________________________________
In Part 2 of this interview Janessa Klatt talks about her experience working remotely while traveling through Africa for 7 consecutive months. She explains why Nairobi, Kenya won her heart, why her first safari in Tanzania was so magical, and why Cape Town, South Africa is now one of her favorite cities. She also talks about her travels in Namibia, why the landscape is so uniquely spectacular, how she learned about the genocide that the German government committed there in 1907, and how travel has impacted her politics and worldview overall. She then talks about co-hosting the “Remote Roundup” segment on the Zero to Travel podcast,
gives minimalist packing tips for women, and reflects on why she continues to travel. Finally, Janessa gives advice to aspiring digital nomads and speaks directly to people currently in a traditional 9-5 job that aspire to create a fulfilling life of long term world travel. FULL SHOW NOTES INCLUDING DIRECT LINKS TO EVERYTHING DISCUSSED ARE AVAILABLE HERE.
____________________________________
See my Top 10 Apps For Digital Nomads
See my Top 10 Books For Digital Nomads
See my 7 Keys For Building A Remote Business (Even in a space that’s not traditionally virtual)
Watch my Video Training on Stylish Minimalist Packing so you can join #TeamCarryOn
See the Travel Gear I Use and Recommend
See How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use)
____________________________________
ENJOYING THE SHOW?
Please Leave a Rating and Review. It really helps the show and I read each one personally.
You Can Buy Me a Coffee. Espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes! :)

Sep 29, 2025 • 1h 3min
356: How to Become a Digital Nomad and Build Community Around the World as a Solo Traveler with Janessa Klatt
Learn how to leave your 9-5 job and build a fulfilling life of long-term world travel rooted in a supportive community. _____________________________
Subscribe to The
Maverick Show’s Monday Minute Newsletter
where I email you 3 short items of value to start each week that you can consume in 60 seconds (all personal recommendations like the latest travel gear I'm using, my favorite destinations, discounts for special events, etc.).
Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram
____________________________________
Janessa Klatt joins Matt from Winnipeg, Canada over a bottle of wine and tells the story of her Grandparents’ experience immigrating to Canada from Germany, and then talks about her experience growing up in Winnipeg. She gives her recommendations for visiting Canada, and talks about the role of sports in her life and how that started to pique her interest in world travel. Janessa then tells the story of her first solo back-packing trip through New Zealand, her study abroad experience in Melbourne, Australia, and learning to scuba dive at the Great Barrier
Reef. Next, she talks about leaving her corporate job for an adult gap year, living and working in Berlin, and re-connecting with her Germany heritage. Janessa then shares her experiences traveling around Europe and reflects on the powerful impact of visiting the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland. She then talks about her experience working as a deck hand on a private yacht, becoming a dive master in
the Canary Islands, discovering The Maverick Show podcast, and becoming a full-time digital nomad. Finally, she reflects on how she has build a meaningful community, both online and offline, in her itinerant digital nomad lifestyle. FULL SHOW NOTES WITH DIRECT LINKS TO EVERYTHING DISCUSSED ARE AVAILABLE HERE. ____________________________________
See my Top 10 Apps For Digital Nomads
See my Top 10 Books For Digital Nomads
See my 7 Keys For Building A Remote Business (Even in a space that’s not traditionally virtual)
Watch my Video Training on Stylish Minimalist Packing so you can join #TeamCarryOn
See the Travel Gear I Use and Recommend
See How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use)
____________________________________
ENJOYING THE SHOW?
Please Leave a Rating and Review. It really helps the show and I read each one personally.
You Can Buy Me a Coffee. Espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes! :)

Sep 22, 2025 • 54min
355: Mindful Travel In an Unequal World: How to Move Beyond Guilt, Build Solidarity, Challenge Power, Notice Joy, and Find Belonging with Dr. Anu Taranath
Hear from the author of my most recommended book for travelers: Beyond Guilt Trips: Mindful Travel in an Unequal World.
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Subscribe to The Maverick Show’s Monday Minute Newsletter where I email you 3 short items of value to start each week that you can consume in 60 seconds (all personal recommendations like the latest travel gear I'm using, my favorite destinations, discounts for special events, etc.).
Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram
____________________________________
In part 2 of this interview, Dr. Anu Taranath talks about her motives for writing her book “Beyond Guilt Trips”, the value and importance of stories, and how we can understand guilt and shame in order to move beyond them and build real solidarity. She then explains and unpacks the all to common division between cross cultural engagement “at home” vs. "abroad” and offers tips on how we should think about personal transformation through travel and becoming more thoughtful at home. Anu then talks about the importance of noticing the small moments of everyday joy and reflects on how she has incorporated travel into her parenting. She also unpacks the concept of ‘complexity’ and explains how it can sometimes be used as a tool to illuminate important nuances and at other times be used by powerful interests to obfuscate the way dominant power structures function in order to demobilize opposition and maintain unjust power arrangements. Finally, Anu reflects on what “belonging” means to her today and names the 3 best places in the world to get Indian food outside of the Subcontinent. FULL SHOW NOTES INCLUDING
DIRECT LINKS TO EVERYTHING DISCUSSED ARE AVAILABLE HERE. ____________________________________
See my Top 10 Apps For Digital Nomads
See my Top 10 Books For Digital Nomads
See my 7 Keys For Building A Remote Business (Even in a space that’s not traditionally virtual)
Watch my Video Training on Stylish Minimalist Packing so you can join #TeamCarryOn
See the Travel Gear I Use and Recommend
See How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use)
____________________________________
ENJOYING THE SHOW?
Please Leave a Rating and Review. It really helps the show and I read each one personally.
You Can Buy Me a Coffee. Espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes! :)

Sep 15, 2025 • 1h 17min
354: Navigating Racism, Power Inequality and Turning Immigrant Diaspora Identity into a Superpower with Dr. Anu Taranath
Learn about Indian-American identity, the value of critical pedagogy, and making meaningful connections in West Africa.
_____________________________
Subscribe to The Maverick Show’s Monday Minute Newsletter
where I email you 3 short items of value to start each week that you can
consume in 60 seconds (all personal recommendations like the latest travel gear I'm using, my favorite destinations, discounts for special events, etc.).
Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram
____________________________________
Dr. Anu Taranath joins Matt from Seattle and they reflect on their time together in NYC at the WITS Travel Creator Summit, including Anu’s keynote panel that centered the genocide in Palestine and got a standing ovation from 600 people. Anu then talks about her experience navigating racism while growing up in an Indian immigrant home in Houston. She
reflects on her trips back to India, her study abroad year in Delhi, her
academic journey, and how she eventually found the language to process racism, power inequality, and turn her immigrant diaspora identity into a superpower. Anu also reflects on her experience teaching in Seattle in the period after the September 11th attacks, and the importance of critical pedagogy for both teaching and learning. Finally, she reflects on the role of travel in her life and her teaching. Anu shares stories from her time in Ghana building connections with locals, and also reflects on her connections with the Indian diaspora communities around the world.
FULL SHOW NOTES INCLUDING DIRECT LINKS TO EVERYTHING DISCUSSED ARE AVAILABLE HERE.
____________________________________
See my Top 10 Apps For Digital Nomads
See my Top 10 Books For Digital Nomads
See my 7 Keys For Building A Remote Business (Even in a space that’s not traditionally virtual)
Watch my Video Training on Stylish Minimalist Packing so you can join #TeamCarryOn
See the Travel Gear I Use and Recommend
See How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use)
____________________________________
ENJOYING THE SHOW?
Please Leave a Rating and Review. It really helps the show and I read each one personally.
You Can Buy Me a Coffee. Espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes! :)

Sep 8, 2025 • 1h 15min
353: Understanding Palestine and How You Can Help Stop the Genocide: Matt Bowles Interviewed on the Going Places Podcast
Matt Bowles is interviewed by Yulia Denisyuk about Palestine and action items you can take to help stop the genocide. _____________________________
Subscribe to The Maverick Show’s Monday Minute Newsletter
where I email you 3 short items of value to start each week that you can
consume in 60 seconds (all personal recommendations like the latest travel gear I'm using, my favorite destinations, discounts for special events, etc.).
Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram
____________________________________
In this special episode, The Maverick Show host Matt Bowles is interviewed on the Going Places podcast about his 25 years of Palestine solidarity work. He shares his own activist trajectory and reflects on the
state of the Palestine solidarity movement today in response to the
live-streamed genocide. He then discusses the history of Israeli colonialism, provides an analysis of the power asymmetry at the root of the conflict, and unpacks dominant framing that is used to obfuscate the unjust power dynamics. Matt explains how to respond to claims like “it’s complicated” and “Israel has a right to defend itself”. He also discusses the history of Zionism, gives examples of anti-semitic support for the Zionist movement, and explains the role of U.S. foreign policy in supporting Israel and providing an atmosphere of impunity for their war crimes. Finally, Matt provides concrete action items that you can take to help stop the genocide and discusses the various arenas where we have leverage to exert pressure—including political, economic, legal, diplomatic, and disrupting the genocide supply chain through non-violent direct action. Matt and Yulia conclude by discussing hope for the future and why Gaza will change the world. FULL SHOW NOTES WITH DIRECT LINKS TO
EVERYTHING DISCUSSED ARE AVAILABLE HERE.
____________________________________
See my Top 10 Apps For Digital Nomads
See my Top 10 Books For Digital Nomads
See my 7 Keys For Building A Remote Business (Even in a space that’s not traditionally virtual)
Watch my Video Training on Stylish Minimalist Packing so you can join #TeamCarryOn
See the Travel Gear I Use and Recommend
See How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use)
____________________________________
ENJOYING THE SHOW?
Please Leave a Rating and Review. It really helps the show and I read each one personally.
You Can Buy Me a Coffee. Espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes! :)


