Hear how one life-changing trip transformed his career and inspired him to make world travel more inclusive for others. ============================ Get the Monday Minute my weekly email with 3 personal recs for travel, culture, and living beyond borders you can read in 60 seconds. ============================ ON THIS EPISODE Award-winning travel influencer Jeff Jenkins shares his story of growing up in Orlando, Florida, attending Florida A&M University, and embarking on his world travels with his first international trip to Japan. 35 countries later he reflects back on the beginning of his travel journey, and how a life-changing trip to Rwanda inspired him to quit his job and become a full-time travel influencer. Jeff talks about the non-profit he founded to build water wells in Rwanda, and reflects on what has inspired him to continue traveling the world. He then talks about his entrepreneurial journey and founding his brand “Chubby Diaries” to empower plus-size people to travel the world. He explains how plus-size travelers are an underserved niche, and he provides specific tips and hacks for plus-size people to travel the world and life their life to the fullest right now. He also talks about how he monetizes his brand, explain what his primary sources of income are, and describes how he has pivoted during the pandemic and had his best business year yet in 2020. Jeff then shares his “budget travel” hacks and techniques for traveling the world on much less money than most people think is possible. He also talks about co-founding the Black Travel Alliance and explains their mission of holding the travel industry accountable for their lack of diversity. Jeff then shares his tips specifically for Black travelers at the earlier stage of their world travel journey. → Full show notes with direct links to everything discussed are available here. ============================ FIND YOUR NEXT EPISODE Explore The Maverick Show Starter Packs — some of my favorite conversations curated by theme so you can easily find the episodes that match your interests. ============================ FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU See my Top 10 Travel Apps See my Top 10 Books that Shaped the Way I Travel 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? Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram and DM Matt to continue the conversation Please leave a rating and review — it really helps the show and I read each one personally Support the show by buying me a coffee — espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes!

Empowering Plus-Size People to Travel the World and Co-Founding the Black Travel Alliance with Jeff Jenkins (Ep 112)

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Hear how one life-changing trip transformed his career and inspired him to make world travel more inclusive for others.  ============================  Get the Monday Minute my weekly email with 3 personal recs for travel, culture, and living beyond borders you can read in 60 seconds.  ============================  ON THIS EPISODE  Award-winning travel influencer Jeff Jenkins shares his story of growing up in Orlando, Florida, attending Florida A&M University, and embarking on his world travels with his first international trip to Japan. 35 countries later he reflects back on the beginning of his travel journey, and how a life-changing trip to Rwanda inspired him to quit his job and become a full-time travel influencer. Jeff talks about the non-profit he founded to build water wells in Rwanda, and reflects on what has inspired him to continue traveling the world. He then talks about his entrepreneurial journey and founding his brand “Chubby Diaries” to empower plus-size people to travel the world. He explains how plus-size travelers are an underserved niche, and he provides specific tips and hacks for plus-size people to travel the world and life their life to the fullest right now. He also talks about how he monetizes his brand, explain what his primary sources of income are, and describes how he has pivoted during the pandemic and had his best business year yet in 2020. Jeff then shares his “budget travel” hacks and techniques for traveling the world on much less money than most people think is possible. He also talks about co-founding the Black Travel Alliance and explains their mission of holding the travel industry accountable for their lack of diversity. Jeff then shares his tips specifically for Black travelers at the earlier stage of their world travel journey.  → Full show notes with direct links to everything discussed are available here.  ============================  FIND YOUR NEXT EPISODE  Explore The Maverick Show Starter Packs — some of my favorite conversations curated by theme so you can easily find the episodes that match your interests.  ============================  FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU  See my Top 10 Travel Apps  See my Top 10 Books that Shaped the Way I Travel  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?  Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram and DM Matt to continue the conversation  Please leave a rating and review — it really helps the show and I read each one personally  Support the show by buying me a coffee — espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes!

The Maverick Show is a global travel podcast about what really happens when people cross borders and build lives across cultures. Hosted by full-time world traveler Matt Bowles, each episode features intimate, unfiltered conversations (often over a bottle of wine) exploring the human stories behind global travel and what the journey teaches us about the world and ourselves.  Guests include expats, digital nomads, women and diaspora storytellers, worldschooling families, and human rights advocates, all sharing travel stories that are funny, moving, and deeply human.  In addition to hearing about extraordinary places and the people who live there, you’ll learn what it’s really like to move abroad, build an expat life, or travel long-term, as guests open up about their personal journeys navigating culture, race, power, identity, and belonging in an unequal world. If you’ve ever felt that travel changes you in ways no one talks about, you’re in the right place.  The Maverick Show hit the Top 100 on Apple Podcasts (including #1 in Places & Travel), was ranked in the Top 1% of podcasts globally by Listen Notes, and was named the #1 Digital Nomad Podcast and #1 Remote Work Podcast by Million Podcasts — with hundreds of five-star listener reviews.

The Maverick Show: Global Travel Stories & Life Beyond Borders

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