Travis Makes Money

On this episode of Travis Makes Money, Travis sits down with his in-house producer to unpack how modern couples can navigate money, marriage, and identity when traditional gender roles are flipped or blurred. Drawing on Travis’s own journey with his wife Jackie—from dual incomes to traditional roles and back again—they explore what actually works for a relationship financially and emotionally, beyond cultural or religious expectations. On this episode we talk about: Growing up in patriarchal, religious environments and how that shapes money and marriage expectations How Travis and Jackie experimented with dual-income dynamics and evolving career goals The emotional impact on men when their partner earns more—and what that does to their sense of masculinity Why Travis and Jackie ultimately decided to return to more traditional roles and how it affected their finances and happiness How high-earning couples can creatively structure childcare, lifestyle, and work (nannies, travel, homeschooling, etc.) Top 3 Takeaways You cannot copy-paste “ideal” gender roles from culture or religion; you have to design a structure that actually works for your specific relationship and be brutally honest about it. Financial contribution is not the only measure of value in a relationship—clear communication about expectations, roles, and respect matters more than who brings in the bigger paycheck. Traditional roles often work well for many couples, but they should be a conscious, strategic choice based on strengths, earning power, and personal fulfillment—not just “the way it’s always been done.” Notable Quotes "We were doing this almost for the sake of combating traditional gender roles, but at the detriment of our own financial success and happiness." "My ability to earn so far outweighs her ability to earn with our current skill sets that it just doesn’t make sense for me to spend my time cleaning the house or worrying about dinner." "You have to be willing to say some of the quiet parts out loud if you want to find what’s really going to work for your relationship." Connect with Travis: LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/travischappell⁠ Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/travischappell⁠ Other: ⁠https://travischappell.com⁠ A Word from Our Sponsors:- The most successful business owners don't do it all themselves — they delegate. Upwork lets you build a team of highly skilled specialists for every function your business needs, so you can focus on what you do best and let experts handle the rest. Visit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free! - Scribe captures workflows as work happens and automatically generates step-by-step guides with screenshots and instructions, so no one has to sit down and write documentation from scratch. Learn more at scribe.how/tmm and mention Travis Makes Money for your first month of Scribe Capture free on select plans. - When you need a legal hand, visit LegalZoom. Go to LegalZoom.com to get started! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marko Mandaric is a technology entrepreneur and former visual effects artist whose work has appeared in major Hollywood productions, including The Avengers. A self-taught computer enthusiast who built his first computer at nine and sold his first website at eleven, Marko has spent his career turning technical skills into business opportunities. After working in VFX and co-founding a consumer automotive hardware company that shipped products to nine countries, he's now building Sense, a company focused on making AI accessible without expensive subscriptions or reliance on third-party services. In this episode, Marko shares his unconventional career journey and explains how personal computing could be entering its next major evolution. On this episode we talk about: How Marko turned a self-taught skill into a $600 website sale at age eleven and landed a $50-per-hour VFX job at eighteen. What it was like working on The Avengers and creating movie-quality visual effects under intense deadlines. Why Marko left traditional employment for contracting and eventually transitioned from visual effects into hardware entrepreneurship. How his new company, Sense, aims to make AI accessible at home and for businesses without recurring subscription fees or third-party service dependencies. Why leveraging the computing power people already own could change how businesses use AI and dramatically reduce operating costs. Top 3 Takeaways You don't always need a degree to monetize a valuable skill. Marko taught himself website development and visual effects, then found people willing to pay for what he could deliver. Identify a skill you can develop independently, solve a real problem, and let the results speak for themselves. Don't be afraid to experiment with unconventional career paths. Marko moved from self-taught VFX work to major Hollywood projects, automotive CGI, contracting, and hardware entrepreneurship. Skills developed in one industry can translate into unexpected opportunities in another. Look for expensive problems that technology can solve. Marko sees an opportunity to reduce AI costs by using computing resources people already have rather than relying entirely on paid services. For entrepreneurs, identifying a recurring expense and finding a more efficient way to handle it can create significant value. Notable Quotes “I don't need formal training for this. I can just go do good work and go make money.” “Computers are semi-ambient, they sit around us, they do nothing most of the time. We should leverage them, turn them into machines that actually do stuff for us.” “Personal intelligence I think is about to be the next huge wave that changes things.” Connect with Marko Mandaric: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markomandaric/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themarkomandaric/ Other: Sense — Learn more about Marko's work to make AI more accessible and affordable. A Word from Our Sponsors: - The most successful business owners don't do it all themselves — they delegate. Upwork lets you build a team of highly skilled specialists for every function your business needs, so you can focus on what you do best and let experts handle the rest. Visit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free! - Scribe captures workflows as work happens and automatically generates step-by-step guides with screenshots and instructions, so no one has to sit down and write documentation from scratch. Learn more at scribe.how/tmm and mention Travis Makes Money for your first month of Scribe Capture free on select plans. - When you need a legal hand, visit LegalZoom. Go to LegalZoom.com to get started! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this co-hosted episode, Travis and Eric riff on TED vs. TEDx, the evolution of “thought leadership,” and why people love to critique things that have genuinely helped millions. They also dig into how ideas spread today, the difference between real credibility and checkbox credentials, and why simple, boring actions still beat fancy labels when it comes to actually making money. On this episode we talk about: *  Whether TED and TEDx talks still matter for credibility in 2026 *  Why not all “bestselling author” or “TEDx speaker” titles are created equal *  How great ideas rise above the noise regardless of the label on them *  Why people love to criticize helpful platforms instead of doing the work themselves *  When a TEDx talk or self-published book is actually worth doing for your brand Top 3 Takeaways 1.  There’s a massive difference between a TED talk and a TEDx talk—one is a global, highly curated stage, the other is much more accessible and variable in quality. 2.  Labels like “TEDx speaker” or “bestselling author” can help, but only if the underlying work is excellent; the best ideas and books win because they’re good, not because of the stamp. 3.  Time spent tearing down platforms that help millions is usually better spent creating something great yourself and letting the market decide its value. Notable Quotes *  “If you don’t like it, just don’t watch it—you don’t need a Reddit thesis about why something that helps people is dumb.” *  “It’s the difference between an Amazon bestseller and a New York Times bestseller—same label, wildly different signal.” *  “You have to earn the right not to do the things you don’t like to do.” Connect with Travis: *  Travis on Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/travischappell⁠ *  Travis on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/travischappell⁠ *  Podcast: Travis Makes Money on all major podcast platforms - leave a review and we'll love you forever! *  Website: https://travischappell.com A Word from Our Sponsors:- The most successful business owners don't do it all themselves — they delegate. Upwork lets you build a team of highly skilled specialists for every function your business needs, so you can focus on what you do best and let experts handle the rest. Visit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free! - Scribe captures workflows as work happens and automatically generates step-by-step guides with screenshots and instructions, so no one has to sit down and write documentation from scratch. Learn more at scribe.how/tmm and mention Travis Makes Money for your first month of Scribe Capture free on select plans. - When you need a legal hand, visit LegalZoom. Go to LegalZoom.com to get started! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Julian Blair Baldwin is an author, leadership thinker, and founder of Cohere Leadership Group who helps leaders bridge the gap between their values and their actions. After more than 20 years in corporate leadership, including serving as a senior vice president at a $34 billion company, Julian has developed a framework for building trust, navigating personal growth, and leading with consistency. His book, To Zuri, written as a series of letters to his daughter, explores the lessons he has learned through grief, struggle, and self-discovery—and how those lessons can help others build a meaningful legacy. On this episode we talk about: Why Julian wrote To Zuri for his daughter and the importance of passing down life lessons, not just memories and accomplishments. How to question inherited beliefs, challenge assumptions, and develop principles based on your own experiences. Why personal growth often requires unlearning behaviors that once helped you survive but no longer serve you. How leaders can build trust by aligning their personal values with their professional actions. The connection between trust, employee engagement, productivity, and long-term business performance. Top 3 Takeaways Examine the beliefs you inherit. The values and assumptions passed down by family, culture, and life experiences can shape your decisions without you realizing it. Take the time to question them, understand where they came from, and decide which principles you genuinely want to live by. Let your principles evolve as you grow. Behaviors that help you navigate one stage of life may hold you back in another. Stay open to new information, learn from difficult experiences, and have the courage to update your perspective when reality challenges what you once believed. Build trust by living consistently. Your values shouldn't change depending on whether you're at work, at home, or around different people. As Julian puts it, “You have one life, so you should have one set of standards.” Consistency between your words and actions strengthens relationships, leadership, and organizational culture. Notable Quotes “I didn't want my daughter to just inherit a highlight reel of my career and a resume and keepsakes. I wanted her to have my interpretation and what my life meant to me.” “What worked in one setting didn't work in another setting.” “You have one life, so you should have one set of standards.” Connect with Julian Baldwin: Website: https://julianblairbaldwin.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/baldwinjulian1 Other: Look for To Zuri on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Audible, or wherever books are sold. Julian is also the founder of Cohere Leadership Group. A Word from Our Sponsors: - The most successful business owners don't do it all themselves — they delegate. Upwork lets you build a team of highly skilled specialists for every function your business needs, so you can focus on what you do best and let experts handle the rest. Visit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free! - Scribe captures workflows as work happens and automatically generates step-by-step guides with screenshots and instructions, so no one has to sit down and write documentation from scratch. Learn more at scribe.how/tmm and mention Travis Makes Money for your first month of Scribe Capture free on select plans. - When you need a legal hand, visit LegalZoom. Go to LegalZoom.com to get started! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Travis Chappell and producer Eric sit down for a conversation about spending money on the things that bring you genuine joy. From vintage James Bond movie posters and signed Star Wars memorabilia to Pokémon cards with the kids, they explore why not every purchase needs to generate a financial return. Travis shares how collecting can reconnect you with childhood interests, create unexpected connections with other people, and even open the door to teaching kids valuable lessons about money, commerce, and entrepreneurship. On this episode we talk about: Why it's okay to spend money on hobbies and collectibles that make you happy, even if they never increase in value How Travis scored an original The Spy Who Loved Me movie poster for just $75 and why meaningful collectibles are worth more than their resale price How collecting Pokémon cards with your kids can create lasting memories and teach them about earning, saving, and spending money What buying and reselling products online taught Travis about commerce, budgeting, and finding profitable deals Why the best collectibles combine personal enjoyment with the possibility of becoming valuable keepsakes for the next generation Top 3 Takeaways Not every dollar needs to make you more money. Building wealth is important, but it's also worth setting aside money for things you genuinely enjoy. If a purchase brings you years of happiness, it doesn't have to appreciate in value to be worthwhile. Hobbies can create unexpected connections. Shared interests like Star Wars, movies, and collectibles can become natural conversation starters that help you connect with people you'd never otherwise meet. The right hobby can be both personally fulfilling and socially valuable. Teach kids the value of money through experiences. Helping children work toward something they want, whether it's a rare Pokémon card or another special purchase, introduces them to earning, budgeting, and entrepreneurship. Even simple activities can teach lessons that last a lifetime. Notable Quotes "It's just cool to own stuff that you think is cool and you don't have to explain it to anybody and nobody has to get it or understand it." "I bought it to enjoy it." "You can get that money. Like it's more money than you have. But there's ways that you can sell some extra money." Connect with Travis Chappell Website: https://travischappell.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/travischappell/ A Word from Our Sponsors: - The most successful business owners don't do it all themselves — they delegate. Upwork lets you build a team of highly skilled specialists for every function your business needs, so you can focus on what you do best and let experts handle the rest. Visit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free! - Scribe captures workflows as work happens and automatically generates step-by-step guides with screenshots and instructions, so no one has to sit down and write documentation from scratch. Learn more at scribe.how/tmm and mention Travis Makes Money for your first month of Scribe Capture free on select plans. - When you need a legal hand, visit LegalZoom. Go to LegalZoom.com to get started! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dana K. White is the author of Procrastinators Get Stuff Done and Decluttering at the Speed of Life, a Wall Street Journal bestseller with more than 500,000 copies sold. After struggling to manage the clutter in her own home, Dana developed practical, reality-based strategies to help people move from feeling overwhelmed to taking action. Through her five-step anti-procrastination process, she teaches people how to stop overthinking, break big goals into manageable steps, and make meaningful progress without needing the perfect plan. On this episode we talk about: Why procrastination often comes from feeling overwhelmed rather than being lazy or unmotivated. Dana’s five-step process for overcoming procrastination: look, do the easy stuff, experiment, make a plan, and finish. Why taking action and learning through experimentation can be more effective than endless research and planning. How to break big goals into small, completable steps that make it easier to build momentum. Why focusing on what you can accomplish today is more effective than pressuring yourself to achieve long-term consistency right away. Top 3 Takeaways Start by looking at the reality of the situation. Before making a detailed plan, take a noncommittal look at what you're actually dealing with. Removing the unknown can make an overwhelming project feel much more manageable. Experiment instead of trying to predict everything. You don't have to know whether an approach will work before you try it. Taking action helps you learn what works and what doesn't, while endless research can keep you stuck for months. Focus on today's finish line, not the entire journey. Instead of setting a goal like running every day, focus on going for a run today. Break larger projects into small, completable steps, and let consistency develop over time. Notable Quotes “Ultimately it's facing something that is so overwhelming I cannot even get started.” “The goal is to find out what works, which means if I fail, I've actually succeeded because I've learned something that doesn't work.” “If I run today, I am so much more likely to run tomorrow.” Connect with Dana K. White Website: DanaKWhite.com Books: Procrastinators Get Stuff Done and Decluttering at the Speed of Life A Word from Our Sponsors: - The most successful business owners don't do it all themselves — they delegate. Upwork lets you build a team of highly skilled specialists for every function your business needs, so you can focus on what you do best and let experts handle the rest. Visit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free! - Scribe captures workflows as work happens and automatically generates step-by-step guides with screenshots and instructions, so no one has to sit down and write documentation from scratch. Learn more at scribe.how/tmm and mention Travis Makes Money for your first month of Scribe Capture free on select plans. - When you need a legal hand, visit LegalZoom. Go to LegalZoom.com to get started! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Travis Chappell and his producer Eric break down one of Jeff Bezos’s biggest business lessons: obsess over the customer experience instead of getting distracted by competitors. From marketing campaigns that miss the point to once-dominant tech companies that failed to evolve, they explore what it takes to build a lasting business. They also discuss why collaboration can be more valuable than competition, how customer-focused messaging wins attention, and what entrepreneurs can learn from the marketing strategies of political figures. On this episode we talk about: Why Jeff Bezos believes customer obsession is more important than competitor obsession, and how businesses can apply that philosophy. How to create marketing that focuses on what customers actually care about instead of what matters to the business. What the decline of Skype and Apple Podcasts can teach entrepreneurs about user experience, innovation, and adapting to changing markets. Why collaborating with competitors, sharing best practices, and referring customers can help businesses grow together. How political marketing, name recognition, and persuasive messaging demonstrate the power of understanding your audience. Top 3 Takeaways 1. Put the customer at the center of every decision. Customers care about the value they receive, not your company's milestones or internal accomplishments. Lead with the benefit that matters most to them. 2. Don't let competitors dictate your strategy. Constantly copying other businesses can distract you from building something valuable. Pay attention to market trends when necessary, but keep your focus on improving your own product and customer experience. 3. Collaboration can create more opportunities than competition. You don't have to put another business out of business to succeed. Sharing best practices, referring customers, and helping others in your industry can create growth for everyone involved. Notable Quotes “The number one thing that has made us successful by far is obsessive compulsive focus on the customer.” — Jeff Bezos, as discussed in the episode “Every bit of energy that's directed toward the competitor is not directed toward your space being successful.” — Travis Chappell “I don't have to see you fail in order for me to succeed.” — Travis Chappell Connect with Travis Chappell Website: Travis Chappell Instagram: @travischappell  A Word from Our Sponsors: - The most successful business owners don't do it all themselves — they delegate. Upwork lets you build a team of highly skilled specialists for every function your business needs, so you can focus on what you do best and let experts handle the rest. Visit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free! - Scribe captures workflows as work happens and automatically generates step-by-step guides with screenshots and instructions, so no one has to sit down and write documentation from scratch. Learn more at scribe.how/tmm and mention Travis Makes Money for your first month of Scribe Capture free on select plans. - When you need a legal hand, visit LegalZoom. Go to LegalZoom.com to get started! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brandon Willington is an entrepreneur, marketer, and author of Fuck Your Agency, a book that teaches business owners how to generate their own leads instead of relying on marketing agencies. After starting out as a DJ and music producer, Brandon accidentally built a marketing agency before realizing that most small and medium-sized businesses could get better results by learning to run their own ads. Today, his business helps entrepreneurs master lead generation, landing pages, and sales, with his “with you” program growing from $29,000 in monthly sales in October 2024 to more than $1 million a month just one year later. In this episode, Brandon breaks down his approach to advertising, explains how to attract qualified leads, and shares why understanding your customers is more important than complicated marketing tactics. On this episode we talk about: How Brandon went from DJing and producing music to building a marketing agency and generating millions in monthly sales. Why most small and medium-sized businesses may be better off learning to generate their own leads instead of hiring an agency. The three essential components of lead generation: ads that attract the right people, landing pages that convert, and a sales process that closes deals. How to use messaging, customer psychology, and the “curious versus committed” principle to attract qualified leads instead of clicks from people who will never buy. How to approach paid advertising, including choosing between Meta and Google Ads, testing creative formats, setting budgets, measuring results, and improving sales processes. Top 3 Takeaways Learn the fundamentals before outsourcing your marketing. Business owners understand their customers better than anyone else. Learning to run ads, build landing pages, and convert leads can help them move faster, save money, and maintain control over their growth. Attract the right leads, not just more leads. Your advertising should speak directly to your ideal customer's circumstances, problems, and desired outcomes. Brandon explains how changing an ad from “This is how guys are losing stubborn belly fat” to “This is how the guys I coach are losing stubborn belly fat” helped one fitness coach significantly improve conversion rates by setting clearer expectations. Fix problems upstream instead of optimizing individual steps in isolation. If your landing page isn't converting, the problem might not be the page itself. Your ads may be attracting the wrong audience or setting the wrong expectations. Make sure your ads, landing pages, and sales process communicate a consistent message, and use meaningful data trends rather than reacting to daily fluctuations. Notable Quotes "No one knows the customer better than the business owner." "Advertising is very much like debating at scale." "Whenever you're testing anything, I can give you like a educated opinion on what the outcome might be, but until you turn that thing on, spend a bunch of money, and let a bunch of strangers on the internet vote with their clicks, everything's just a hypothesis." Connect with Brandon Willington: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-willington/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandon.lyads Other: Visit Brandon's website and check out his book, Fuck Your Agency, for more on generating leads and growing your business. A Word from Our Sponsors: - The most successful business owners don't do it all themselves — they delegate. Upwork lets you build a team of highly skilled specialists for every function your business needs, so you can focus on what you do best and let experts handle the rest. Visit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free! - Scribe captures workflows as work happens and automatically generates step-by-step guides with screenshots and instructions, so no one has to sit down and write documentation from scratch. Learn more at scribe.how/tmm and mention Travis Makes Money for your first month of Scribe Capture free on select plans. - When you need a legal hand, visit LegalZoom. Go to LegalZoom.com to get started! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Travis Chappell and producer Eric are back for another episode of the Travis Makes Money Podcast, breaking down the internet’s latest controversies and what they reveal about business, branding, and consumer perception. From a debate over whether sports fans should give caught baseballs to kids to OnlyFans’ attempt to attract mainstream creators, Travis and Eric explore why context matters, how audiences shape a brand’s reputation, and why companies can lose customer trust when they try to be everything to everyone. On this episode we talk about: Whether fans who catch baseballs at games should give them to nearby kids, and why context matters more than internet outrage. How social media turns minor disagreements into controversies and why not every viral moment deserves attention. OnlyFans’ attempt to reposition itself as a platform for entrepreneurs, podcasters, and mainstream content creators. Why brand perception is difficult to change once consumers associate a company with a particular type of content. Why companies should focus on their existing customer base instead of alienating loyal users to chase a new market. Top 3 Takeaways Context matters more than quick judgments. Before labeling someone a villain online, consider the circumstances. You rarely know the full story behind an interaction, and not every disagreement deserves outrage. Brand perception is difficult to change. Consumers develop strong associations with companies. Even if a business expands its offerings, those associations can prevent new audiences from taking it seriously. Serve your existing customers before chasing a new market. Companies risk losing the people who helped build their success when they try to reinvent themselves for a different audience. If there's an opportunity to serve a new market, creating a separate brand or platform may be the smarter move. Notable Quotes "There are a lot of context that matters, I think, in those types of interactions that nobody ever considers." — Travis Chappell "Perception is reality." — Travis Chappell "Let it be what it is. Do well for the people you serve in that world." — Travis Chappell Connect with Travis Chappell: Instagram: @travischappell  Other: travischappell.com A Word from Our Sponsors: - The most successful business owners don't do it all themselves — they delegate. Upwork lets you build a team of highly skilled specialists for every function your business needs, so you can focus on what you do best and let experts handle the rest. Visit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free! - Scribe captures workflows as work happens and automatically generates step-by-step guides with screenshots and instructions, so no one has to sit down and write documentation from scratch. Learn more at scribe.how/tmm and mention Travis Makes Money for your first month of Scribe Capture free on select plans. - When you need a legal hand, visit LegalZoom. Go to LegalZoom.com to get started! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if most relationships don't fail because of a lack of love, but because nobody ever taught us how to love well? In this preview episode of Travis Makes Friends, Travis sits down with Jimmy Knowles, who got to a breaking point seven years into his marriage. Only after hitting that rock bottom did he pick up his first book on relationships. One book turned into two years of studying what a strong, healthy partnership actually looks like. Now he wants to know why none of this is taught before we say "I do." Jimmy makes the case that we send people into marriage with almost no preparation and then wonder why the divorce rate sits near 50%. He shares one of his favorite lines, "Just because you say I do, doesn't mean you can," and explains why relationships are much simpler than we make them, but still take real, steady effort. He's so passionate about this that he wants to build a free premarital course. It would help couples learn what love requires of them, and help them decide if they're truly ready for that commitment, rather than just ticking off life's next box. One of the boldest ideas in the conversation is that love is not enough. Jimmy explains how one partner can say "I love her" while the other says "I don't feel loved," and why that gap is where relationships quietly break down. His fix is very practical. Swap the yes-or-no question for this one: "What are two ways I can love you this week so you feel valued and prioritized?" It's a simple question that almost nobody asks. Travis and Jimmy also look at modern dating. One survey says 63% of men under 30 are single. More than half of younger women on dating apps say they've received sexual messages they never asked for. Young men and young women seem to be living in two very different dating worlds. The two talk about how swipe culture cuts attraction down to looks, how it can crush confidence, and why sending an Instagram DM instead of saying hello in person means you never build the skill. Their takeaway reaches well beyond dating: in friendships, business, and your career, you have to risk rejection to get better. You'll also hear Jimmy explain why conflict is one of the biggest threats to a relationship. Most people don't know how to avoid it, resolve it, or repair it. When you feel you can't bring something up with your partner, what you're really saying is "I can't trust this person." And trust is much bigger than staying faithful. It's about knowing someone has your back, and seeing their actions match their words. If you've ever wondered why so many relationships fall apart, or what it really takes to make one last, this preview offers a candid, practical, and hopeful starting point. Hit play to hear why love alone isn't enough, and the simple questions that could change your relationship this week.Check out the full episode on Youtube HERE.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices