Travis Makes Money

Travis and producer Eric continue to dive into the growing push to unplug from screens and reconnect with real-world experiences. They discuss why younger generations may be pushing back against an increasingly digital world, the downside of endless content consumption, the difference between creating meaningful work and chasing views, and the business opportunities emerging around in-person experiences. On this episode we talk about: The growing trend of unplugging from technology and seeking more real-life experiences Why physical businesses and in-person experiences could be making a comeback The difference between creating meaningful content and chasing views through controversy and “slop” How endless digital consumption can become a distraction from the things we actually need to address Business opportunities around experiences like driving ranges, golf simulators, restaurants, and other community-focused activities Top 3 Takeaways Spend more time creating than consuming. Reading, journaling, building businesses, and engaging with people in the real world can leave a much more lasting impression than endlessly scrolling through content. Don’t chase a trend just because it looks profitable. If you want to build a business around the return to in-person experiences, start with something you genuinely care about. Long-term success is more likely when the business is connected to something you actually enjoy. Just because something gets attention doesn't mean it deserves attention. Views, followers, and engagement aren't necessarily indicators that content is useful or valuable. Ask whether what you're creating actually helps the people consuming it. Notable Quotes “If I spend more time creating than consuming, my life will probably look a little bit better.” “Just because you can sell something doesn't mean you should sell something.” “I would really encourage you to look at the things that you enjoy doing.” Connect with Travis: Instagram: @travischappell  Website: 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

Dub Washington is a funding strategist, credit expert, travel hacker, coach, and mentor who teaches entrepreneurs how to strategically leverage the credit system to build wealth and grow their businesses. After leaving his job as a shipping and receiving warehouse supervisor in 2021, Dub launched a credit-focused ebook and made $10,000 in a single day, kicking off his transition into entrepreneurship. Today, he helps clients build credit, access funding, grow coaching and funding businesses, and use financial leverage more strategically. On this episode we talk about: How Dub made his first $10,000 in a day selling a credit and travel-hacking ebook Why Dub believes credit can be one of the most powerful tools for changing your net worth How to establish financial guardrails before leveraging large amounts of credit Building relationships with banks and starting with secured cards when you have little or damaged credit Why relationships, mentorship, and community can be worth more than money Top 3 Takeaways Know your North Star before you leverage credit. Your financial strategy should be determined by where you're actually trying to go. Someone pursuing a million dollars in available credit needs a very different strategy from someone simply trying to qualify for a mortgage or auto loan. Use credit for leverage, not lifestyle inflation. Dub has seen people receive $150,000–$200,000 in business credit and immediately spend it on luxury trips, designer clothing, and expensive cars. The goal should be to use capital toward something with potential upside rather than a temporary dopamine hit. Relationships are a form of wealth. Dub emphasizes that the communities, mentors, and relationships you build can provide access to resources and opportunities that money alone can't buy. Notable Quotes “Let's leverage the system that's intended to be leveraged.” “Relationships is the new currency.” “Sometimes your blessing is to literally be a blessing into other people's lives.” Connect with Dub Washington: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dubwashington/ Other: YouTube — Dub Washington 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 episode, Travis and producer Eric take a closer look at the growing appeal of physical experiences in an increasingly digital world. They discuss the resurgence of bookstores, the value of owning physical books and keeping a journal, and why stepping away from screens can create more meaningful memories and better habits. They also explore the tension between consuming and creating, and how intentionally unplugging can help you become more present. On this episode we talk about: Why physical products and offline experiences are making a comeback The resurgence of bookstores and what the latest reading trends actually show How journaling can help you remember your life and recognize recurring patterns The benefits of using libraries, physical books, and audiobooks Why spending more time creating than consuming can lead to a better life Top 3 Takeaways Give yourself permission to be imperfect. Journaling doesn't need to be organized, aesthetically pleasing, or perfectly consistent to be useful. The value comes from capturing your thoughts and experiences so you can learn from them later. Pay attention to recurring patterns. Looking back through old journals can reveal problems, questions, and areas of your life that you've remained stuck in for years. Those patterns can point you toward what you need to address or learn more about. Create more than you consume. Constant scrolling can leave you consuming huge amounts of content without remembering much of it. Intentionally putting your phone away and prioritizing writing, reading, and real-world experiences can help you become more present and productive. Notable Quotes "The only thing that's consistent is on the top I put pages read." "It's been helpful for me to look through." "If I spend more time creating than consuming, my life will probably look a little bit better." 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

Abhijit Bhaduri is a talent and learning expert who has spent more than two decades helping organizations develop people and navigate a rapidly changing world of work. As Microsoft's former global head of learning and development, he helped shape talent strategy for 230,000 employees, and he previously served as Wipro's first chief learning officer. A prolific writer and author of books including Dreamers and Unicorns and Career 3.0, Abhijit's latest book, A Identity, explores how AI is changing our work identity and what it takes to build a fulfilling career in an AI-driven world. On this episode we talk about: How Abhijit learned to make money as a teenager through radio, writing, and competitions Why having a personal "board of directors" can be more valuable than relying on a single mentor How to attract great mentors by doing your research and coming prepared with specific questions Abhijit's experience leading learning and development at Microsoft during the rise of AI Why your career needs more than money, including meaning, belonging, mastery, predictability, and status Top 3 Takeaways Build a board of mentors. Instead of relying on one person for every type of advice, develop relationships with several people who bring different expertise and perspectives to your career. Make mentorship valuable for both sides. The best mentees do their research, arrive prepared, and have a specific question or problem they want help solving. A mentor can then help reframe the problem rather than simply telling you what decision to make. Don't treat work like a vending machine. Money matters, but a fulfilling career also provides meaning, belonging, mastery, predictability, and status. Without those elements, financial success alone can still lead to burnout.Notable Quotes "I like to describe it like a board of directors." "Most of the times I look for people who come prepared for it because they get more out of it." "Work is about how you make money. Yes, that's a very important part of it, and nobody's gonna work for free. However, there are five other factors that we think about."Connect with Abhijit Bhaduri: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abhijitbhaduri/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abhijitbhaduri/ Other: AIdentity — Abhijit's latest book 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 episode of the Travis Makes Money Podcast, Travis and producer Eric break down the growing controversy surrounding prediction markets like Polymarket and Kalshi, including New York's lawsuit alleging that Polymarket is operating an unlicensed gambling operation. They discuss whether prediction markets are really different from traditional sports betting, how these platforms could introduce gambling to new demographics, the challenges of enforcing age restrictions, and where the line should be drawn between personal freedom, regulation, and protecting people from addictive behaviors. They also explore the bigger question of how entrepreneurs can ethically market products and businesses built around potentially harmful vices. On this episode we talk about: New York's lawsuit against Polymarket and the ongoing battle over whether prediction markets constitute gambling Why prediction markets may be more susceptible to manipulation than traditional sports betting The challenges of enforcing age restrictions and preventing banned users from accessing gambling platforms Whether prediction markets are introducing gambling to younger people and new demographics The ethical challenges of building and marketing businesses around potentially addictive vices Top 3 Takeaways Labels don't necessarily change the underlying behavior. Whether a platform calls itself a prediction market or something else, putting money on a yes-or-no outcome can function very similarly to gambling. Regulation needs to account for how people actually behave. Simply banning a platform or raising the minimum age may push users toward unregulated alternatives rather than eliminating the behavior entirely. Entrepreneurs have to consider the ethics of what they sell. Travis discusses the tension between building a profitable business around something people enjoy and questioning whether promoting that product encourages an unhealthy behavior. Notable Quotes “They are technically buying futures, but it is gambling.” “There has to be some sort of like at least coming to terms with the idea that it's like, ‘Okay, well, either you can do it at eighteen or you can't do it at eighteen.’” “How do you ethically market a vice?” 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