

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

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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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.).
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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.
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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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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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Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram
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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.
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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)
____________________________________
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. _____________________________
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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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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.
_____________________________
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, 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! :)

Sep 1, 2025 • 58min
352: How to Survive a Hitman, Protect the Environment, and Make the Coffee Industry More Ethical and Sustainable with Etelle Higonnet
Learn what you can do to combat environmental destruction and human rights abuses in the coffee industry staring today.
_____________________________
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, Etelle Higonnet explains how human rights abuses and environmental destruction are intertwined and breaks down the main causes and industries harming the environment today. She then
explains the sustainable alternatives, how we can work together to reform these industries, and shares some specific activist victories. Etelle then talks about the environmental campaign she ran against the company Olam in Gabon, and tells the story of how she survived when two hitmen were sent to kill her. She then talks about her love of coffee, what most people don’t know about the coffee they drink, and why she founded Coffee Watch. Etelle explains how human rights abuses and environmental destruction pervade the coffee industry, and what campaigns Coffee Watch is undertaking to combat them. She explains how we can all make an impact towards reforming the coffee industry by buying more ethical coffee, pressuring our favorite brands, signing
petitions, getting politically active, and volunteering with Coffee Watch. 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! :)

Aug 25, 2025 • 1h 13min
351: Investigating War Crimes and Fighting for Human Rights in Chiapas, Guatemala, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, Iraq, Cambodia and Palestine with Etelle Higonnet
Hear stories about standing up for human rights around the world and struggling for truth, accountability and justice.
_____________________________
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
____________________________________
Etelle Higonnet joins Matt for a wine night from Copenhagen, and begins by talking about her role as a founding member of the Sustainable Wine Round table. She then describes her family background, her experience moving around growing up, and how her passion for social justice developed. Etelle talks about her college experience at Yale and what compelled her to move to Guatemala to work with refugees and displaced people. She describes a scary encounter there with masked gunmen and her eventual publication a book on the U.S.-backed genocide in Guatemala. Etelle then talks about spending time in Chiapas, Mexico, supporting a lawsuit brought by indigenous women, and attending a speech by Subcommandante Marcos, the spokesperson of the Zapatista
movement. Next, she describes her experience working for Human Rights Watch and investigating crimes of sexual violence in the Ivory Coast after the 2007 civil war. Etelle also talks about her time living in Iraq documenting testimonies from victims of political violence, her human rights work with Amnesty International in Sierra Leone, and her role in helping establish the Cambodian war crimes tribunal. She reflects on the history and legacy of French colonialism, the need for post-colonial justice systems, and shares some human rights victories in Ivory Coast and Sierra Leone. Finally, Etelle offers her insights, strategies, and encouragement to everyone working to stop the genocide in Palestine. 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! :)

Aug 18, 2025 • 1h 29min
350: Full-Time World Travel as a Deafblind Latina and Smashing Disability Stigma Through Storytelling, Advocacy and Education with Catarina Rivera
Learn about traveling the world as a deafblind Latina—salsa dancing, sumo-wrestling and becoming a disability advocate.
_____________________________
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
____________________________________
Catarina joins Matt and talks about growing up in the U.S. in an immigrant home with Puerto Rican and Cuban heritage. She reflects on what those identities mean to her as well as her deafblind disability journey with Usher syndrome. Catarina debunks common misconceptions people have about deafblind people and offers tips on non-disabled people can be better allies to disabled travelers. She then reflects on how her interest in world travel developed and tells stories from a family trip to Spain in high school and more immersive trips to rural Kentucky, Argentina and Korea in college. Next, Catarina talks about her first solo-trip with the white cane to Montreal, her love for Salsa dancing around the world, and her recent trip to Japan where she had epic tea experiences and got to try sumo-wrestling. She then talks about the trip she led to Portugal for disable travelers and reflects and the power and impact of that experience. Catarina next takes us on her journey of becoming an intersectional activist and building a fully remote company to smash disability stigmas. She explains how she designs her travel lifestyle and offers trips for disabled travelers as well as those traveling with a relationship partner. And finally Catarina reflects on how traveling to nearly 40 countries has impacted her 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 HowI 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! :)

Aug 11, 2025 • 49min
349: Visiting Occupied Palestine, Becoming the Queen of Trips, and How Men Can Be Better Allies to Women Travelers with Mari Monsalve
Hear stories from visiting the occupied West Bank, being sexually harassed in Guatemala & founding the “Queen of Trips”
_____________________________
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, Mari Monsalve talks about her experience visiting the occupied Palestinian West Bank and reflects on anti-colonial solidarity. She then opens up about her trip to Guatemala where she was sexually harassed by a hotel employee. Mari reflects on solo-female travel safety and offers suggestions for how men can be better allies to women travelers. She then talks about founding the “Queen of Trips” platform to empower Latinas to confidently explore the world through solo travel, and what type of content she is putting out via her blog, newsletter, and social media. Finally, Mari reflects on the impact all of this travel has had on her 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! :)


