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

Youmie Jean Francois joins Matt in-person for this conversation in Dakar, Senegal. ____________________________________ 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 ____________________________________ They start talking about their time together in Dakar and what they love about Senegal. 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. Next, Youmie talks about her experience growing up in Haiti and moving to New York City at age 6. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Finally, she reflects on what travel means to her. FULL SHOW NOTES WITH LINKS TO EVERYTHING DISCUSSED 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.