On this episode, the tables are turned and Matt Bowles is interviewed by Becky Gillespie about his activism, social justice background and nomadic lifestyle. This wine-induced conversation off the coast of Dubai starts off talking about Matt’s path getting fired from his job, transitioning to become a location independent entrepreneur, building Maverick Investor Group, and traveling the world full time. It then goes back to trace his history of social justice activism, starting with how his initial awareness of the African-American struggle was raised through politically consciousness hip hop music and how that shaped his academic trajectory to study race, class and gender inequality as well as the colonial processes over Native Nations. He then explains his decision to do a Master’s Degree in International Peace and Conflict Resolution, and reflects on his initial travel to conflict regions like Palestine and the north of Ireland, sharing his reflections on those trips, and his subsequent solidarity activism. He then shares his experience working professionally in the non-profit advocacy space up until the age of 30, and then making a major life transition to build a location-independent business, but being intentional to ground it in his activist values. He gives tips on how to make a transition in a way that enshrines your values into the business so you can continue to affect positive change in the world as you grow your company. And, finally, Matt talks about his current nomad lifestyle, his experiences on programs like Remote Year and Nomad Train, and how he curates the social groups with whom he has epic travel adventures on an ongoing basis. FULL SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT: www.TheMaverickShow.com
Episode #91: Matt Bowles Interviewed on his Activism, Social Justice Background and Nomadic Lifestyle
Episode Summary
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About the Guest
Matt Bowles
Matt Bowles co-founded Maverick Investor Group in 2007 to help people buy cash-flowing rental properties in the best U.S. real estate markets, regardless of where they live. He has been featured in major national media and was named one of the “Top 50 Real Estate Opinion Makers and Market Leaders”. Matt and his co-founders at Maverick have helped individual real estate investors buy over $100 million in residential investment property across 15 U.S. States. Since 2013 Matt has been a full-time nomad with no permanent base and has run his company from 65 different countries. He is also the host of The Maverick Show podcast where he interviews today’s most interesting real estate investors, entrepreneurs and world travelers. Matt is a proponent of “stylish minimalism” and travels the world through multiple climates with carry-on luggage only. He is also a sought-after speaker and has addressed conferences around the world ranging from the Nomad Summit to South-by-Southwest on topics relating to real estate investing, location-independent entrepreneurship, and long-term world travel.
What You'll Learn
- Matt’s history of activism and social justice advocacy work
- How to build your business in a way that affects positive change in the world
- How to design your nomadic lifestyle with social sustainability pillars
Links From the Episode
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LOCATION WHERE THE INTERVIEW TOOK PLACE
PLACES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
- Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Cape Town
- Caribbean Islands
- Doha, Qatar
- Dubai
- Egypt
- Bordeaux, France
- Burgundy, France
- Accra, Ghana
- Ireland
- Jordan
- Nairobi, Kenya
- Lake Baikal
- Lebanon
- London
- Malaysia
- Gobi Desert, Mongolia
- Morocco
- Irkutsk, Russia
- Moscow, Russia
- Novosibirsk, Russia
- St. Petersburg, Russia
- Palestine
- Singapore
- Barcelona, Spain
- Kazan, Tatarstan
- USA
BOOK MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
PEOPLE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
TRAVEL PROGRAMS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
- Remote Year (Use this link to get a $100 Discount on Remote Year)
- Hacker Paradise (Use this link to get a $100 Discount on Hacker Paradise)
- Nomad Train (Use Discount Code “MAVERICK” to get $100)
- Nomad Cruise
EVENTS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
TV SHOW MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE
Time Stamped Show Notes
[0:50] Matt and Becky talk about travel in the Middle East and Becoming a Nomad
[3:32] Matt’s Path to Becoming a Location Independent Entrepreneur
- Matt’s Academic Background
- Matt’s transitionary moment getting fired from his job
- How he processed being let go from his job
- Deciding to start a business
- Prioritizing location independence when building a business
[10:20] Building Maverick Investor Group to Help People Buy Rental Properties
- Helping his friends buy rental properties
- Building a real estate investment brokerage
- The value proposition of Maverick Investor Group
- Selecting business partners
- Location Independence vs. Nomading
[15:50] Matt’s Travel Experiences and Trips to Conflict Regions
- Backpacking Through Europe
- Studying Abroad in Ireland
- Matt’s reflections on his first trip to Palestine
- Understanding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in a Settler-Colonial context
- Comparative colonial processes over the Irish, Native Americans and Palestinians
- Doing a Master’s Degree in International Peace and Conflict Resolution
- Developing social and political awareness through hip hop music
- Trying to Learn about African-American history as a white kid in the suburbs
- Studying Racism, Feminism and Class Inequality in college
- Studying Irish history and British Colonialism
- Understanding Human Rights Abuses by the Israeli Government
[28:20] Transitioning from Non-Profit Advocacy to Entrepreneurship
- How Matt was able to stay grounded in progressive activist values
- Donating a fixed 10% of Net Revenue to Charitable Causes
- Selecting Causes and Making it Part of our Business Identity
[33:32] Matt’s itinerant Nomad Lifestyle
- Leaving LA for Cairo via Buenos Aires
- Long term world travel with a relationship partner
[38:43] Matt’s experience traveling the world with on Remote Year
- Long term world travel with a community of people
- Going to the Formula 1 Grand Prix night race
- Staying at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore
- Spending the Day at the Legendary Infinity Pool
- Exploring the Salt Flats in Bolivia
- Swimming with Whale Sharks in Thailand
[45:21] Nurturing the Sustainability Pillars for a Healthy Nomad Live
- Maintaining a disciplined work schedule
- Managing FOMO
- Prioritizing fitness, nutrition, hugs and alone time
[48:02] Matt’s Experience on the Nomad Train
- Taking the Trans-Siberian Railway from Moscow to Mongolia
- The places Matt saw on the 14-day train journey
- Riding camels through the Gobi desert
- Meeting and bonding with the nomadic Mongolians
[54:23] How Matt Decides Where to Travel
- Choosing people he wants to spend time with in addition to places he wants to see
- Plugging into work-travel programs
- Leveraging alumni-networks of work-travel programs
- Custom Curating social groups to have particular cultural experiences
