Travis Makes Money

Mark Divine is a retired U.S. Navy SEAL commander, entrepreneur, and founder of SEALFIT and Unbeatable Mind. After 20 years leading elite special operations teams, he transitioned into entrepreneurship, building multiple businesses and training top executives in leadership, resilience, and peak performance. A New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Mark blends military disciplin...

On this solo episode, Travis shares candid stories from his own entrepreneurial journey, walking through more than a dozen ventures that didn’t work out the way he hoped before his podcasting business took off. From childhood side hustles and landscaping to MLMs, door-to-door sales, and water purification, he breaks down how repeated “failures” created the skills, resilience, and opportunities tha...

Host Travis and producer Eric dive into an in-depth discussion about Tony Hawk's legendary decision to turn down a $500,000 buyout from Activision in favor of royalties on the Tony Hawk Pro Skater video game franchise. They explore the financial wisdom behind knowing when to bet on yourself versus taking guaranteed money, and how keeping your lifestyle expenses low creates the flexibility to take...

Owen Barrett is the founder of a solar company that has generated over $50 million in revenue in just three years. Before building his solar empire, Owen spent a decade in the energy efficiency space, eventually discovering a massive gap in the multifamily real estate market: operators were ignoring solar as a value-add strategy. After trying and failing to convince syndicators to adopt solar, Owe...

This episode features an in-studio conversation with Travis's producer, who brings a unique perspective on financial decisions and lifestyle choices. The producer shares personal stories about weight loss, childhood experiences with "husky" uniforms, and honeymoon budgeting, creating an authentic dialogue about money management at different life stages. On this episode we talk about: The trade-off...

Yasmin Cheyenne is a three-time HarperOne author and Today Show wellness expert who has guided hundreds of thousands of people back to their authentic selves through her writing, workshops, and teachings. After serving five years in the Air Force and working in the JAG (legal) department, Yasmin spent nearly a decade balancing a government job with her growing coaching and writing business before...

In this episode, Travis Chappell and producer Eric dive into a candid conversation sparked by Dave Portnoy discussing his relationship with his ex-wife on Shannon Sharpe’s podcast. The discussion evolves into a thoughtful exploration of marriage, prenups, business partnerships, loyalty, and what it really means to build a life together. Travis shares personal reflections on getting married young,...

What if one of the world’s most solvable problems remains unsolved… simply because most of us never have to think about it? In this preview episode of Travis Makes Friends, Travis sits down with Scott Harrison, founder of Charity: Water, to unpack a staggering reality: 700 million people still lack access to clean water—and the biggest barrier isn’t technology, it’s attention and funding. Scott sh...

Caitlin Clark has become one of the biggest stars in professional sports, transforming the WNBA’s popularity and sparking major conversations around athlete pay, league growth, and the future of women’s basketball. In this episode, Travis and producer Eric break down the “Caitlin Clark Effect,” explore how one player can completely reshape a sport’s economics, and debate what it really takes to gr...

Bestselling author, journalist, and podcast creator Jo Piazza joins Travis to break down the realities of building a career as a modern writer. From working gossip columns in New York City to publishing bestselling novels, launching hit podcasts, and navigating today’s AI-driven content landscape, Jo shares the unfiltered truth about storytelling, publishing, audience building, and why creators ne...

Travis and his producer Eric discuss actress Shannon Elizabeth's remarkable OnlyFans success, where she earned $1.2 million in her first seven days on the platform. The conversation explores the economics of creator platforms, celebrity access, and the power of owning your audience versus working through traditional Hollywood gatekeepers. They also dive into the harsh realities for average OnlyFan...

Brian Keller is the CEO and co-founder of Rora, a company focused on creating innovative, easy-to-use water filtration systems designed to improve health without requiring complicated plumbing. After discovering that a filtered shower head dramatically improved his daughter’s eczema, Brian became obsessed with understanding water quality and building products that families could trust. Prior to la...

On this episode, Travis is joined in studio by his producer Eric for a hilarious and surprisingly insightful conversation about fast food, self-control, and how subscription models are changing the way restaurants make money. They riff on Travis’s former “big back” days, his love of junk cereal and late-night drive‑thrus, and then pivot into a real discussion about what an “all you can eat” McDona...

Chris Hunter is the co-founder of Four Loko and the founder behind Koia, one of the fastest-growing plant-based protein beverage brands in the country. From disrupting the alcohol industry in the early 2000s to building a multi-nine-figure health beverage company carried in over 35,000 retailers, Chris has mastered the art of spotting trends, scaling brands, and staying ahead of consumer demand. I...

Travis Chappell is the host of the Travis Makes Money podcast and a content creator who transformed from a 24-year-old door-to-door sales guy with zero content experience into a successful podcaster and entrepreneur. His journey has been guided by principles that helped him build an audience and create meaningful content in a crowded digital landscape. On this episode we talk about: Why treating a...

In this episode, Travis and his producer dive into the fascinating financial strategy and global influence of MLB superstar Shohei Ohtani. While there’s no traditional guest, the conversation highlights what makes Ohtani one of the most unique earners in sports history—blending elite performance, international appeal, and long-term thinking. From endorsement dominance to contract structuring, this...

In this episode, Travis sits down with Guy Winch—an internationally renowned psychologist, bestselling author, and TED speaker whose talks have amassed over 35 million views. Guy is a leading voice in emotional health, known for translating complex psychological research into practical, everyday strategies. His latest book, Mind Over Grind, explores how modern work culture hijacks our well-being—a...

In this solo episode, Travis breaks down the double-edged sword of optimism—one of the most powerful drivers of success that can also quietly sabotage your progress. Drawing from psychology, entrepreneurship, and personal experience, he explores how blind optimism can distort decision-making, and how to properly “calibrate” your mindset to make smarter, more effective moves in business and life. O...

In this episode, Travis and his producer Eric break down financial advice circulating online and react to contrasting perspectives from popular finance personalities. They unpack the practicality of investing strategies like Roth IRAs versus real estate, while also diving into fascinating money stories—like how blockbuster filmmaker deals can generate massive long-term income. With a mix of humor...

In this episode, Travis sits down with Cynthia Thurlow, a nurse practitioner, TEDx speaker, and expert in women’s metabolic health. Cynthia shares her unconventional journey from aspiring lawyer to clinician to thriving entrepreneur, explaining how she walked away from a successful medical career to build a mission-driven business. With deep insights into mindset, personal growth, and monetization...

In this solo episode, Travis dives deep into the concept of optimism—breaking down why it’s one of the most powerful drivers of success and, at the same time, one of the most dangerous traps. Drawing from conversations with over 1,000 high performers, Travis explores the fine line between useful self-belief and harmful delusion. He blends personal insight with psychological research to help listen...

In this episode, Travis and his producer Eric break down a surprising case study in modern monetization using reality TV personality “Big Ed” from 90 Day Fiancé. While not a traditional guest interview, the conversation highlights how everyday people can turn unexpected exposure into serious income. Through humor, pop culture, and real-world examples, they unpack what makes someone profitable in t...

David Epstein is a number one New York Times bestselling author whose books The Sports Gene and Range have sold millions of copies worldwide. A former senior writer at Sports Illustrated and investigative reporter at ProPublica, David studies how people succeed in complex, high-stakes environments. His new book, Inside the Box: How Constraints Make Us Better, reveals how narrowing your options, dr...

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...

In this episode, Travis and his producer Eric dive into a candid, behind-the-scenes conversation about discipline, fitness, and personal growth. While there’s no traditional guest, the episode offers a raw and relatable look at how high performers think about habits, consistency, and long-term success. Travis shares practical insights from his own fitness journey and connects those lessons directl...