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

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. ____________________________________ 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 ____________________________________ 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 AND DIRECT LINKS TO EVERYTHING DISCUSSED IS 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! :)

Om Podcasten

Meet diverse travelers and digital nomads from every continent who share their personal journey to location-independence as well as their reflections on identity, the power dynamics that shape our world, and how we can be more thoughtful, conscious travelers as we move through it.  Hosted by Matt Bowles—your typical Irish-American hip hop DJ turned human rights activist turned location-independent entrepreneur turned minimalist world-traveler and podcaster—these in-depth conversations take place all over the world (often over a bottle of wine, or 2).  Listen in as Matt draws out stories of their most epic adventures, and unpacks the skills, tactics, and strategies they use to build their remote businesses and design their lifestyles. Ranked the #1 Digital Nomad Podcast by Web Work Travel and the Top 1% of all podcasts by Listen Notes, each episode pulls out actionable tips and advice you can implement in your own life each week.  In 2024 The Maverick Show hit the Top 100 on Apple Podcasts and ranked the #1 “Places and Travel” podcast on Apple.