Youmie Jean Francois joins Matt in-person for this conversation in Dakar, Senegal.&nbsp; They start talking about their time together in Dakar and what they love about Senegal.&nbsp; Then, they discuss the “Stylish Minimalist Packing” workshop that they co-facilitated for other world travelers on the Remote Year program and give tips on how to travel the world with carry-on luggage only.&nbsp; Next, Youmie talks about her experience growing up in Haiti and moving to New York City at age 6.&nbsp; She reflects on coming up in the Bronx during the golden era of hip hop, becoming a professional dancer, and then eventually leaving the industry, becoming a location-independent entrepreneur, and starting to travel the world.&nbsp; Youmie tells the story of her first solo trip to Montreal, reflects on how she fell in love with world travel, and explains why she now loves Colombia so much.&nbsp; She then opens up about her own journey with mental health and wellness, and explains why it is such a central part of her life, her business, and her personal values.&nbsp; She shares advice on travel wellness for nomads, gives specific tips for entrepreneurs, and talks about the overall importance of prioritizing Black mental health and wellness.&nbsp; Youmie then shares her entrepreneurial journey founding Flex-n-Fly to bridge the gap between travel and wellness, talks about her products, The Flex|Bag and The Flex|Mat, and also shares resources on how to patronize more Black-owned businesses.&nbsp; Finally, she reflects on what travel means to her.&nbsp; FULL SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT

218: Bridging the Gap Between Travel and Wellness, Prioritizing Black Mental Health, and Founding Flex-n-Fly with Youmie Jean Francois

Val Schrock talks about growing up Mennonite in Kalamazoo Michigan, wanting to be a professional athlete, navigating gender fluidity, seeking adrenaline and competition, and eventually meeting Matt in a Master’s Degree program for International Peace and Conflict Resolution.&nbsp; Val and Matt share stories from their friendship that began in the 90s, including the time when Matt gave Val a Samurai sword for her birthday and she used it to confront a home intruder!&nbsp; They also talk about their long history of activist work together, global adventures, real estate investing and eventually co-founding Maverick Investor Group as business partners.&nbsp; They share stories about taking international observer groups to monitor human rights abuses in the north of Ireland, doing Palestinian solidarity work in the U.S. and organizing elaborate street theater actions, working in the non-profit space in Washington DC., and eventually deciding to start investing in real estate.&nbsp; Val and Matt then talk about the founding of Maverick Investor Group and reflect on conceptions of “risk’, the keys to successful business partner selection, and their personal synergies.&nbsp; They talk about the 4 Pillars of Purpose on which Maverick was founded, and discuss how and why Maverick commits a fixed % of net revenue to donate to causes that affect positive change in the world.&nbsp; Val also talks about her travel experiences, how international travel impacted her as a kid, and how, as an adult, she was able to form a deeper connection with her mother through annual mother-daughter trips.&nbsp; She shares stories about riding the world’s fastest roller coaster in Abu Dhabi and going dune-boarding in Swakopmund, Namibia. &nbsp;Finally, she shares her most profound life and business lessons she learned from MacGyver.&nbsp; FULL SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT: www.TheMaverickShow.com

102: Val Schrock on Co-Founding Maverick Investor Group, Business Lessons from MacGyver, and Confronting a Home Intruder with a Samurai Sword

On this episode Ben Lakoff interviews Matt Bowles on the Alternative Asset Allocation podcast.&nbsp; Ben draws out Matt’s expertise on how to understand the unique dynamics of residential investment property as an asset class. Matt explains the multi-dimensional nature of the asset class and how rental properties have 5 profit centers, compared to most other asset classes that have only one.&nbsp; They talk about the biggest risks associated with rental property investing and how Matt’s company, Maverick Investor Group, helps their clients leapfrog over many of the up-front risks by buying turnkey rental properties that come new or fully-renovated with tenants and local property management already in place.&nbsp; Matt talks about how residential investment property is the most debt favored asset class, the most tax-advantaged asset class, and one of the only investments that enables you to profit from inflation.&nbsp;&nbsp; He also explains the importance of owning hard assets, with intrinsic value, that you control.&nbsp; Matt also gives tips about how to choose investor-advantaged markets, make your money when you buy so you don’t have to speculate, and choose recession resilient areas for owning your rental properties.&nbsp; He also goes into the COVID-19 era trends and shares strategies for real estate investing during the pandemic.&nbsp;&nbsp; FULL SHOW NOTES at

103: Matt Bowles Interviewed on How to Analyze and Invest in Turnkey Rental Properties

Matt Bowles interviews today’s most interesting location-independent entrepreneurs and world travelers to pull out actionable tips and advice that you can apply in your own life each week. Hear personal stories about their most epic travel adventures as well as their most valuable tactics, strategies and lessons learned on their journey to financial success, location independence and lifestyle freedom. Meet long-term digital nomads who globe-trot on their own terms, and learn about the resources, tools, hacks and practices that can help you take your business, travel and lifestyle design to the next level.

218: Bridging the Gap Between Travel and Wellness, Prioritizing Black Mental Health, and Founding Flex-n-Fly with Youmie Jean Francois

The Maverick Show

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