Travis Makes Money

In this fun and fast-paced episode of the Travis Makes Money podcast, Travis Chappell and producer Eric break down and rank some of the most popular side hustles in today’s economy—from freelance copywriting and media buying to dropshipping, reselling, and drone businesses. Along the way, they swap hilarious gym stories, debate hustle culture, and dive deep into which side hustles actually build v...

Buddy Clay is the founder and CEO of New Hope Healthcare Institute, a behavioral health and addiction recovery facility based in Knoxville, Tennessee. After being diagnosed with stage three melanoma at 32 and then facing a stage four recurrence just a few years later, Buddy chose a holistic healing journey while continuing to lead and grow his company. He shares the lessons he learned about leader...

In this solo episode, Travis Chappell reflects on some of the most impactful lessons he’s learned after interviewing more than 1,000 guests over nearly a decade of podcasting. Drawing insights from conversations with thought leaders like Ed Mylett, James Clear, Mark Manson, and Nicole LePera, Travis shares the mindset shifts and personal breakthroughs that have shaped his own life and career. From...

In this episode of the Travis Makes Money podcast, Travis Chappell and producer Eric play a fast-paced game of “This or That,” diving into some of the biggest debates in entrepreneurship, investing, and wealth-building. From buying vs. renting and high-ticket offers to personal branding and business partnerships, Travis shares nuanced takes shaped by interviewing over 1,000 successful entrepreneur...

Attorney Ryan is a workers’ rights lawyer, former firefighter, and author of Get It in Writing: The Ultimate Guide to Your Rights at Work. Known online for his practical legal advice and relatable approach, Ryan has built a massive following by helping everyday workers understand labor laws, negotiate better outcomes, and avoid getting taken advantage of at work. In this episode, he shares hard-ea...

In this solo episode, Travis Chappell breaks down the current state of podcast guesting and whether it’s still worth your time as a marketing strategy in 2026. Drawing from his experience hosting more than 1,700 podcast episodes, appearing on 500+ shows himself, and building a multi-million dollar podcast booking agency and software company, Travis shares the real pros and cons of podcast guesting...

On this episode of Travis Makes Money, Travis and producer Eric dive into the surprising $2 billion sale of Nothing Bundt Cakes and unpack what it says about franchising, private equity, branding, and scaling a simple business model into a nationwide empire. Along the way, they debate whether private equity ruins beloved brands, swap stories about junk food cravings, cake shakes, and Vegas dessert...

What if the fastest way to get a “yes”… is to stop asking for it? In this preview episode of Travis Makes Friends, Travis sits down with legendary FBI hostage negotiator Chris Voss to challenge one of the most ingrained habits in communication: chasing agreement. Instead, Chris introduces a counterintuitive approach—go for “no”—and explains why it actually builds trust faster, lowers resistance, a...

Host Travis walks through how to follow up like a pro, respect your guest’s time, and turn a 30‑day DM challenge into real relationships and opportunities. Drawing on over a thousand interviews, he breaks down the mindset, cadence, and etiquette that separate annoying outreach from respected professional persistence. On this episode we talk about: Setting a smart follow‑up cadence instead of DMing...

In this episode, Travis Chappell and producer Eric dive into the business behind entertainment franchises, streaming rights, and why intellectual property can become one of the most valuable assets in media. Using The Walking Dead as the centerpiece of the conversation, they break down how legacy TV shows continue generating hundreds of millions of dollars long after their original run, the econom...

Forbes Riley is a globally recognized communication expert, entrepreneur, and bestselling author known as the “Queen of Pitch.” With more than $2.5 billion in product sales across live television, home shopping, and infomercials, Forbes has built an extraordinary career helping people sharpen their message, boost confidence, and sell more effectively. In this episode, she shares the incredible jou...

Travis is a podcast host, interviewer, and creator who’s running a 30-day interview challenge and sharing practical outreach, scheduling, and interview-prep tactics from his experience booking guests and growing a show. On this episode we talk about: How to structure DM outreach to get podcast interview yeses Why short video messages beat long written pitches in DMs Scheduling and reducing frictio...

In this special episode, host Travis sits down with producer Eric to rank some of the biggest names in financial advice. From real estate moguls to personal finance gurus, they debate who deserves S-tier status and who falls short. The conversation reveals what makes financial advice trustworthy, the importance of balanced perspectives, and why conflicts of interest matter when following money inf...

Jon Gordon is a bestselling author, speaker, and leadership expert known for his work with Fortune 500 companies, professional sports teams, and organizations around the world. With over 30 books—including The Energy Bus and The Power of Positive Leadership—Jon has helped millions improve their mindset, leadership, and performance. His latest book, The Power of Positive Habits, is a collection of...

On this solo episode, host Travis shares a personal, behind-the-scenes look at how strategically reaching out to people you admire can transform your career and expand your sense of what is possible. Drawing from his own experiences in podcasting and entrepreneurship, he walks through how he went from dreaming about conversations with icons like Shaquille O’Neal and Joe Gatto to building real rela...

Travis and his producer Eric break down the idea of a personal “Mount Rushmore” of high‑value influences and why picking the right people to follow can make you more successful and less susceptible to the spammy, scammy side of self‑help and business content. They use a viral clip about “the most attractive man in America” as a humorous jumping‑off point to talk about substance over style in the o...

Whitney Johnson is one of the world’s leading management thinkers, recognized by Thinkers50 and Inc. Magazine. She began her career as a secretary on Wall Street before reinventing herself into an award-winning equity analyst and later co-founding an investment fund with Clayton Christensen, the father of disruptive innovation. A Wall Street Journal bestselling author and host of the Disrupt Yours...

On this solo episode of Travis Makes Money, Travis breaks down why your life is limited by the conversations you refuse to have and issues a challenge that can literally change your trajectory. Drawing from both his own experience and recent research on networking self‑efficacy, he shows how intentionally interviewing high‑level people can build confidence, expand your opportunities, and collapse...

In this episode, Travis and his producer Eric break down Kevin Hart’s media company, Heartbeat, and what entrepreneurs can learn from its rise, expansion, and struggles. Eric walks through how Hart bundled his ventures, built a multi-platform comedy brand, and chased a massive valuation, while Travis provides perspective on what happens when a business stretches too far beyond its founder’s person...

Chris Sain is an entrepreneur, investor, and content creator who has built a multi-million dollar digital education business helping people achieve financial freedom. With over a million followers online, Chris has generated more than $10 million in revenue and retired himself and his wife before 40. Known for his transparent, no-excuses approach, he teaches everyday people how to build wealth thr...

In this solo episode, Travis breaks down how getting in the best shape of your life becomes a force multiplier for everything else: your confidence, your relationships, and your ability to make more money. He shares his own journey from being clinically obese to getting lean, consistent, and disciplined, and explains how fitness, nutrition, and long-term habits translate directly into better busin...

In this episode, Travis and his producer Eric riff on one of the hottest debates in modern city life: are reservations and curated nights out killing “real” experiences, or are they the only sane way to survive places like Las Vegas? Using a viral Subway Takes clip as a jumping-off point, they break down why lines get engineered, why chaos is overrated, and how to actually plan a great Vegas trip...

Cheryl Strauss Einhorn is the creator of the AREA Method, a structured decision-making system used by individuals, companies, and nonprofits to solve complex problems. She’s the founder of Decisive, an adjunct professor at Cornell and the University of Miami, and the author of multiple books on decision-making, including Problem Solved and her latest, The Human Edge. Cheryl combines deep research...

This solo episode features Travis continuing his deep dive on failure, following up on his “failure resume” from the previous show. He shares a practical three-part framework—debrief, connect, and act—for processing big setbacks, protecting your mindset, and getting back into motion after deals go bad, investments flop, or businesses collapse. On this episode we talk about: Why most of Travis’s 17...

This is a conversation between Travis and his producer Eric, who brings a mix of comedy, real-world consumer insight, and behind-the-scenes perspective from the show itself. Eric’s storytelling about fitness, Starbucks chai, and Panera “hacks” sets up a broader conversation with Travis about pricing, perceived value, and how brands like Starbucks, Chipotle, and Everbowl think about experience vers...