318: Navigating the Neo-Colonial Dynamics of the Travel Industry and Co-Founding the Hybrid Tours with Hira Aftab

The tables are turned and Matt Bowles is interviewed about purposeful travel, social justice & his digital nomad life. _____________________________ 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 by Brittany Braddock in an episode that originally aired on the Manifest Travel podcast. Matt starts off explaining how he co-founded Maverick Investor Group as a fully remote real estate brokerage and later became a digital nomad. He reflects on his travel intentions, the synergy between travel and human rights, and how he builds community as he travels. Matt also talks about the art of podcasting and how he has refined the craft of interviewing. He then explains how his company, Maverick Investor Group, empowers you to buy “turnkey” rental properties in the best U.S. markets from anywhere. Matt reflects on building the company with a location-independent infrastructure and running it remotely for over 17 years. He then gives tips on creating immersive local travel experiences. Matt also emphasizes the importance of learning about the places we travel, and gives some tips on how we can all be more conscious travelers. Finally, he reflects on ways to create stability, productivity and harmony in the digital nomad life. 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! :)

Learn about the neo-colonial dynamics in the travel industry but how tourism can include both recreation & human rights. _____________________________ 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, Hira Aftab starts off talking about the neo-colonial dynamics of the travel industry. She explains what prompted her to co-found the Hybrid Tours and how she integrates human rights and refugee experiences into her travel itineraries. Hira also explains the importance of studying genocides and understanding what leads to them. She then talks about her evolving connection with her Pakistani identity, learning about the 1971 Bangladesh genocide, her upcoming Hybrid Tour to Pakistan, and how you can join. Finally, Hira reflects on how travel has impacted her, give tips on how we can be more ethical travelers, and shares specific action items for how we can help stop the genocide in Palestine. FULL SHOW NOTES WITH 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! :)

Learn about the importance of prioritizing the voices, stories, and experiences of refugees in the places we travel.   _____________________________ 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 ____________________________________ Hira Aftab talks about growing up in a Pakistani immigrant home between the UK and Saudi Arabia. She reflects on the life changing impact of her first trip to Palestine, and how that inspired her to become a human rights activist. Hira then reflects on doing two Master’s degrees and working in the international humanitarian sector. She talks about her trip to Jordan, the impact of meeting with Palestinian refugees there, and how that inspired her to start “Our World Too” as a platform to center the voices and stories of refugees. She also talks about hosting the “More than a Statistic Podcast” and shares some of her most powerful interviews. Finally, she reflects on the lessons from her international humanitarian work and unpacks some of the neo-colonial dynamics in the space. 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! :)

Learn how to leave your corporate job and transition into the digital nomad lifestyle with the skills you already have. _____________________________ 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 ____________________________________ Yuri Chu Su talks about her Chinese-Peruvian identity while growing up in Lima, Peru. She reflects on her first visit China at age 9 and then moving to Canada with her family. Yuri talks about her traditional career path of becoming an Accountant, and then her journey discovering The Maverick Show podcast and being inspired to become a digital nomad. She explains her process for quitting her job, using her existing skillset to land remote freelance clients, and then transitioning into a lifestyle of itinerant world travel. Yuri talks about her experiences on the Nomad Cruise and the Remote Year Program, shares stories from her travels, and explains how she was able to build meaningful community with other world travelers. Finally, she reflects on her multi-cultural identity and what travel means to her today. FULL SHOW NOTES WITH DIRECT LINKS TO EVERYTHING DISCSUSSED 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! :)

Learn how to take some of the most epic train rides in the world, and hear highlights from spending time in 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 ____________________________________ In Part 2 of this interview with Sojourner White, Matt and Sojourner discuss the best long distance train rides in the U.S.. Sojourner then describes her experience taking the Jose Cuervo Express Tequila Train in Mexico. She also reflects on how special and unique it was to take the train through Peru, and then shares her experience hiking the Rainbow Mountain. Sojourner also talks about visiting Panama, and shares a unique experience hiking a volcano in Guatemala for pizza. She then talks about her experiences visiting Kenya, going on Safari, and spending time in Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa. Sojourner shares reflections about connecting with the African Continent as a Black American, and the importance of paying attention to social, economic and political dynamics as we travel. Finally, she reflects on how all this travel has impacted her 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! :)

Learn about living and traveling in Spain as an African-American woman and becoming a fully remote social worker. _____________________________ 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 ____________________________________ Sojourner White joins Matt over a bottle of wine and they start of discussing their international wine experiences, from Spain to South Africa. She then talks about growing up in Milwaukee, being named after Sojourner Truth, taking road trips as a kid, and eventually studying abroad in Spain. Sojourner reflects on her experiences first living in Granada and later getting a Fulbright to teach in Rioja. Next she shares her journey getting a Master’s Degree in International Social Work, living in Berlin, and developing a career as a fully remote social worker. Finally, Sojourner reflects on how she maintains work-life balance as a digital nomad, and shares her travel lessons about identity, privilege, gender, and anti-Blackness around 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! :)

Learn how to find a romantic life-partner in the digital nomad life & why all travel medical insurance is not the same.  _____________________________ 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 episode, Ebonie Finley talks about her experience reconnecting with the Bahamas as an adult, and shares tips for visiting the Bahamas and Costa Rica. She then talks about navigating anti-Blackness in the digital nomad life, and why she feels Medellin, Colombia is one of the best destinations for Black women. Ebonie then talks about finding love, romance, and long-term partnership in the digital nomad lifestyle, and gives tips on maintaining a long-term nomadic relationship. She then talks about her experience working for SafetyWing after being a long-time customer of their travel medical insurance. Ebonie talks about why SafetyWing’s Nomad Insurance is so unique in the market, and who it is specifically suited for. She then shares tips for making friends around the world as a solo traveler, offers advice for aspiring nomads, and gives tips for sustaining a long-term life of world travel. 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! :)

Hear stories from The Amazing Race Canada, Interviewing Nomads Around the World, and Snowboarding at Night in Quebec. _____________________________ 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 ____________________________________ Ebonie Finley joins Matt from Montreal and starts off talking about her mother’s experience immigrating to Canada from the Bahamas. She then reflects on her experience growing up and navigating her mixed identity as a Quebecer-Bahamian in Canada. Ebonie shares personal stories about her work in the modeling industry and her participation in The Amazing Race Canada. She then talks about traveling the world to film her series “Nomad Generation” and reflects on the people she met and the impact of the project. Ebonie also talks about her snowboarding experience and identity, and her choice to film “Night Riders” as the first ever snowboarding film shot entirely at night in the backcountry of Quebec. 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! :)

Learn how to improve your money mindset, set financial goals & avoid the biggest financial mistake digital nomads make. _____________________________ 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 ____________________________________ Michael Kim starts off talking about his family’s immigration story of how his parents got to Canada, his experience growing up in Toronto, and how is interest in travel started to develop. He shares his experience studying abroad in Poland, then traveling to Japan and Korea, and eventually deciding to become a digital nomad and begin his entrepreneurial journey. Michael describes the healing impact of moving to Mexico and then shares the highlights of spending 3 months in Puerto Escondido and slow-traveling through southeast Asia. He also reflects on his experience and gives tips for traveling the world as a Queer digital nomad. Michael then talks about founding “Michael E Kim Coaching” and gives tips on how to improve your money mindset, how to set financial and lifestyle goals, and how to make, save and invest your money. He speaks about financial planning for digital nomads in particular, and how to avoid the top financial mistakes that digital nomads are making. 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! :)

Learn what Afghanistan is like now, how to become fluent in 5 languages & get tips on being a more ethical traveler. ____________________________________ 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 Sibu Szymanowska shares her journey becoming a digital nomad and founding “Go Global with Sibu”. She tells stories from her journey traveling overland across 9 countries in Africa using public transportation. Sibu also shares her experience traveling to Pakistan and then choosing to visit Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover. She explains why she loves Lebanon so much, tells stories from her trip to Syria, and describes why the Yemeni island of Socotra is so unique. Sibu reflects on how she learned 5 languages fluently, including Mandarin and Polish, and shares language learning tips. She then reflects on how traveling to nearly 100 countries has impacted her, gives tips on how we can be more conscious and ethical travelers, and explains 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! :)