Travis Makes Money

Tim Leatherman is the inventor of the iconic Leatherman multi-tool and the co-founder, owner, and chairman of Leatherman Tool Group. What started as a simple idea during a nine-month road trip through Europe took eight years to become a reality, including three years of building prototypes by hand, countless rejections, and a decision to manufacture the product himself. Today, more than 90 million...

In part four of this five-part series, Travis Chappell and Eric Skwarczynski use Panda Express, vegan tacos, and protein-food substitutes to unpack a practical business truth: customers—not founders—ultimately decide what wins. The conversation explores why Panda Express embraced “American Chinese” food rather than chasing a narrow definition of authenticity, and why businesses often struggle when...

Jim Bildner is the CEO of Draper Richards Kaplan (DRK), one of the world’s largest venture philanthropy firms. With experience across the private sector, government, and philanthropy, Jim has spent his career helping mission-driven organizations create meaningful change. In this episode, he explains how venture capital principles can be applied to philanthropy, why financial discipline is essentia...

In part three of this five-part series, Travis Chappell and Eric Skwarczynski expand on a key creator-economy principle: follower count is not financial security. Through examples ranging from a pizza-maker creator who embraces his day job to Surreal’s clever low-budget celebrity marketing, they explore why meaningful work, owned audiences, repeatable customer acquisition, and resourceful creativi...

Jared Dillian is a former Lehman Brothers trader, author of seven books, and the founder of Jared Dillian Money. He spent seven years at Lehman, where he was head of ETF trading, before building a successful market commentary and newsletter business. In this episode, Jared shares lessons from launching a newsletter during the 2008 financial crisis, explains why he believes bonds may offer one of t...

In part two of this five-part series, Travis Chappell and producer Eric Skwarczynski dig deeper into the creator economy, using Markiplier’s GoPro investment and Jordan “The Stallion” Howlett’s path from a pizza job to full-time creator as jumping-off points. Their core message: starting a creative business does not require reckless leaps—build momentum early, protect your downside, and leave your...

Jon Mest is a data scientist turned entrepreneur, CEO of both ChatRank and Just Reach Out, and a builder focused on helping companies get discovered in an AI-first world. After early roles in Wall Street and data analytics, Jon learned how enterprises buy, how to turn customer problems into products, and why bootstrapping can create more ownership and long-term flexibility. Today, he helps brands...

Travis Chappell and producer Eric Skwarczynski kick off the first episode of this five-part series with a funny, unfiltered conversation about sales, creator-led businesses, and the strange psychology of billionaires. From a brilliantly simple door-to-door pitch to Markiplier’s reported GoPro investment, Travis and Eric explore how creativity, attention, and conviction can turn unusual ideas into...

Tim Storey is an acclaimed author, speaker, executive coach, and the host of the Miracle Mentality podcast. Known as the “Original Comeback Coach,” Tim has spent more than four decades helping entrepreneurs, athletes, executives, celebrities, and people facing difficult circumstances turn adversity into forward momentum. His work centers on building the mindset, relationships, preparation, and pra...

Travis Chappell and producer Eric discuss how creators are changing the entertainment industry by bypassing traditional gatekeepers and building audiences directly online. Using the faith-based comedy series The Promised Land as an example, they explore how a show that started on YouTube grew to millions of views and ultimately landed a global distribution deal with Lionsgate. The conver...

Gina London is an Emmy-winning former CNN correspondent, executive communication advisor, and CEO of Language of Leadership. Having coached leaders and high-performing teams across nearly 60 countries, Gina helps professionals communicate with greater clarity, confidence, and influence. In her book, Amplify You: How to Connect More Powerfully in an AI World, she shares a practical framework f...

Travis Chappell and producer Eric break down a simple but powerful financial concept: how small daily spending decisions can add up to thousands of dollars over time. Inspired by a clip from Mel Robbins, they discuss the reality behind spending $27.40 a day, the power of compound interest, and why “paying your future self first” can be one of the simplest ways to build wealth. They also explore th...

Nick Huber is an accomplished entrepreneur and real estate investor based in Athens, Georgia. Best known for building a $30M+ annual revenue portfolio that includes 68 self-storage properties, Nick also owns companies like somewhere.com, Bolt Storage, and RE Cost Seg. He’s recognized for his no-nonsense advice on entrepreneurship, his book The Sweaty Startup, and his focus on building wealth throu...

Travis Chappell and producer Eric take a lighthearted look at celebrity sightings, theme-park spending, and the surprising relationship between money and happiness. After sharing stories from a trip to Universal Studios—including celebrity encounters with Josh Duhamel and Star Trek: Starfleet Academy actress Kasey Brooks—they dive into research discussed by Arthur C. Brooks about how increasing in...

Vinny Brusco is an insight and perspective coach, community builder, and podcast host who helps men cultivate clarity, connection, and purpose. After 16 years in the car business, he walked away from a lucrative but misaligned career to build a life and business rooted in what matters most to him: authentic brotherhood, mental and spiritual health, and intentional living. As the founder of Agora S...

Lauren Cobello is the CEO and founder of Leverage with Media PR, a boutique public relations agency that helps authors, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders use media strategically to build authority, credibility, and growth. Before launching her agency, she spent nearly two decades building her own personal brand as a personal finance expert, becoming a three-time author and regular national TV per...

In this solo episode, Travis wraps up his deep dive into context and clip culture by focusing on practical strategies to retrain your brain and think more clearly. He explains how intentional long-form consumption, better questioning, and curating high-quality information sources can dramatically improve your judgment, relationships, and decision-making. Drawing on real-world examples and personal...

Dr. Cindra Kamphoff is a confidence researcher, award-winning keynote speaker, and performance psychology expert who helps elite athletes, executives, and leaders perform under pressure. With a PhD in sport and performance psychology, she has worked with Minnesota Vikings players and USA Track & Field athletes at the Tokyo Olympics. She also founded the Mentally Strong Institute and is the author...

In this solo episode, Travis explores how neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to rewire itself—can either become your greatest advantage or your biggest liability in a world dominated by distraction. He breaks down how constant multitasking, short-form content, and emotional reactivity are reshaping our thinking, relationships, and even reputations. More importantly, he shares practical strategies...

Keith Wyche is a veteran Fortune 500 executive with four decades of senior leadership experience at companies including AT&T, IBM, Pitney Bowes, and Walmart. He currently serves as an independent director on the boards of Brinks and Internet Sciences and is the bestselling author of Uncommon Leadership, a blueprint for restoring integrity, trust, and people-centered leadership. In this e...

In this solo episode, Travis breaks down the hidden cognitive costs of living in a short-form, scroll-heavy world. Building on the idea of context, he explores how constant “context switching” from rapid-fire clips is quietly eroding memory, focus, and decision-making. Backed by emerging research and real-life examples, Travis explains why this isn’t just about distraction—it’s about protecting yo...

On this special co-host episode of Travis Makes Money, Travis and Eric are joined by Jackie, Travis's wife. Jackie is the owner-operator of an Everbowl franchise and a first-time business owner navigating the realities of running a brick-and-mortar food business. With a strong background in operations and systems, she shares what entrepreneurship has taught her about hiring, staffing, financial ma...

Kourtney Moore is a multi-passionate entrepreneur, mother of four, advocate, and community builder working at the intersection of technology, healthcare, and human connection. She is the co-founder and CEO of the Missing Piece App, a resource directory and EHR platform helping families with children on the autism spectrum find diagnosis, treatment, and community resources. Kourtney is also a docto...

In this solo episode, Travis dives deep into a topic he’s been reflecting on for years: the importance of context in a world dominated by short-form, out-of-context content. Drawing from personal notes, observations, and research, he breaks down how “clip culture” is shaping the way we think, judge, and remember—and why developing a discipline around context might be one of the most valuable skill...

In this episode of the Travis Makes Money Podcast, Travis Chappell and producer Eric dive into a lesson that applies to entrepreneurship, content creation, and virtually any other craft: master the fundamentals before trying to reinvent the game. Inspired by a discussion about writer David Sedaris, they explore why success often comes from consistency, learning from others, consuming great work, a...