Travis Makes Money

Travis Chappell
  • 4.3 (389)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Daily

You can't save your way to your dream life anymore. The truth is, you’re gonna need to learn to make more money. The Travis Makes Money Podcast is not your typical personal finance show. Rather than shaming you for buying a Starbucks coffee or pressuring you to become a billionaire, we focus on empowering you to make more money so you can enjoy life today while preparing for your future. You don’t have to cut back so much that you miss out on the present, and you don’t need to become the next Jeff Bezos either. Hosted by veteran podcaster Travis Chappell, each daily episode features interviews with regular people just like you – yes, you – who have learned how to make more money in unique and unconventional ways. From turning side hustles into an extra six figures to building massive business empires, these conversations dive into the mindset shifts, hard-earned lessons, and simple strategies that helped these individuals succeed. With over 1,000 podcast episodes under his belt, Travis has developed a unique ability to pull out inspiring stories and practical advice you can apply to your own financial journey that you just won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you’re looking for strategies on side hustles, skill building, investing, building generational wealth, or just motivation to take your next steps, this podcast is your resource. Tune in daily for insights, actionable tips, and inspiration from some of the most successful and interesting money-makers on the planet.

  1. 2h ago

    CO-HOST | Make Money by Defining Success on Your Own Terms

    In this snippet from his conversation on the Shane Sams Podcast, Travis Chappell opens up about how interviewing more than 1,000 people has shaped his perspective on success, ambition, and what it really takes to reach the top. Travis discusses why some high achievers sacrifice more than others, how becoming a father changed the way he evaluates business goals, and why chasing someone else's version of success can leave you feeling unfulfilled. He also shares his journey away from a fundamentalist religious upbringing, exploring the challenges of questioning deeply ingrained beliefs and learning to define his own values and direction in life. On this episode we talk about: What separates truly exceptional people from other successful entrepreneurs, including their willingness to risk rejection, endure embarrassment, and delay gratification Why the sacrifices required to reach the highest levels of success aren't always worth it—and how Travis prioritizes time with his kids over certain business ambitions How to recognize when you're climbing the wrong mountain by pursuing goals inherited from family, culture, or other successful people Travis's experience leaving a fundamentalist Baptist community, questioning his career path in ministry, and building a new identity outside the environment he grew up in The similarities between sales and high-control religious environments, including emotional persuasion, social pressure, and the difficulty of questioning established beliefs Top 3 Takeaways Define success on your own terms. It's easy to imitate people who have achieved what you think you want, but their version of success may require sacrifices you're unwilling to make. Take the time to decide what matters most to you, rather than automatically adopting someone else's goals. Don't let the sunk cost fallacy dictate your future. Just because you've spent years pursuing a career, earning a degree, or building a business doesn't mean you have to keep going. Recognizing that you're on the wrong path is valuable, and starting over may be better than spending another decade pursuing something that doesn't fulfill you. Question the beliefs and expectations you've inherited. Family, culture, religion, and society can shape your ambitions before you've had the chance to decide what you genuinely want. Developing your own perspective requires examining those influences and having the courage to make choices that reflect your personal values. Notable Quotes "They are willing to go through more than most people are willing to go through in order to achieve what most people will never be able to achieve." "I actually really enjoy the fact that I get to go to all my son's basketball games, even though they're garbage because they're six years old." "If you are not willing to risk the embarrassment of starting over again, then you're just gonna end up being at the pinnacle of some mountain you didn't want to climb." Connect with Travis Chappell: Instagram: @travischappell  Other: travischappell.com A Word from Our Sponsors: - The most successful business owners don't do it all themselves — they delegate. Upwork lets you build a team of highly skilled specialists for every function your business needs, so you can focus on what you do best and let experts handle the rest. Visit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free! - Scribe captures workflows as work happens and automatically generates step-by-step guides with screenshots and instructions, so no one has to sit down and write documentation from scratch. Learn more at scribe.how/tmm and mention Travis Makes Money for your first month of Scribe Capture free on select plans. - When you need a legal hand, visit LegalZoom. Go to LegalZoom.com to get started! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  2. 3h ago

    INTERVIEW | Make Money by Understanding What Went Wrong at CrossFit with Calum Marsh

    Calum Marsh is a writer, reporter, and editor covering arts, culture, and sports, with work featured in The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, GQ, and other leading publications. He is the author of The Glass Box, a narrative nonfiction book exploring the rise and fall of CrossFit and its controversial founder, Greg Glassman. Drawing on years of research and his own experience as a CrossFit athlete, Calum unpacks how a grassroots fitness movement grew into a global business empire—and how the very culture that fueled its success ultimately contributed to its downfall. On this episode we talk about: How CrossFit grew from a grassroots fitness program into a global network of 15,000 gyms without traditional investors or corporate backing How CrossFit used the early internet to build a passionate community and scale its business in ways few companies had attempted before Why the leadership traits that help founders build unconventional businesses can become liabilities as their companies grow The dangers of surrounding yourself with yes-men and creating a culture where disagreement is treated as disloyalty How aspiring writers can build their skills, pitch editors, and create opportunities by putting their work out into the world Top 3 Takeaways Your greatest strength can become your biggest weakness. The unconventional thinking and willingness to break rules that help a founder build something remarkable can become liabilities when a business reaches a certain scale. Growth requires knowing when to adapt and bring in people with complementary skills. Build a culture where people can challenge you. Leaders need people who are willing to question their decisions, identify problems, and provide honest feedback. When employees are afraid to disagree, bad decisions can go unchecked and threaten the entire organization. Stop waiting for permission to pursue opportunities. Callum's advice to aspiring writers is simple: reach out to editors, pitch publications you admire, and put your work in front of people who can help you advance. Rejection is part of the process, but you can't get a yes if you never ask. Notable Quotes "The best thing about journalism is people will talk to you and tell you the story." "I think it's incumbent on you... you need to be able to hear feedback. And I mean actually be able to like receive feedback." "I usually tell people to just go for it. And I think... my advice is usually just ask." Connect with Calum Marsh: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calummarsh Website: https://www.calummarsh.com/ Other: The Glass Box — available in print, ebook, and audiobook formats.  A Word from Our Sponsors: - The most successful business owners don't do it all themselves — they delegate. Upwork lets you build a team of highly skilled specialists for every function your business needs, so you can focus on what you do best and let experts handle the rest. Visit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free! - Scribe captures workflows as work happens and automatically generates step-by-step guides with screenshots and instructions, so no one has to sit down and write documentation from scratch. Learn more at scribe.how/tmm and mention Travis Makes Money for your first month of Scribe Capture free on select plans. - When you need a legal hand, visit LegalZoom. Go to LegalZoom.com to get started! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  3. 1d ago

    CO-HOST | Make Money and How to Close a Prospect

    In this special episode, Travis Chappell joins the Closers Network Podcast to break down the skills that separate good salespeople from great closers. Drawing from his experience in door-to-door sales, entrepreneurship, and building relationships with influential people, Travis explains why trust is the foundation of every transaction. He shares practical strategies for using empathy, asking better questions, improving discovery calls, and handling objections without turning every conversation into a battle. Whether you're a sales rep, business owner, or entrepreneur, this conversation offers actionable insights into building stronger relationships and closing deals that leave customers confident in their decisions. On this episode we talk about: Why investing in your knowledge, skills, relationships, and content can help you rebuild and grow from scratch How to build trust and meaningful relationships by prioritizing people over transactions and giving value without keeping score Why empathy is one of the most underrated skills in sales and how understanding a prospect's perspective makes it easier to communicate your own How asking better questions, actively listening, and mastering discovery can make closing conversations shorter and more natural Why trust is the foundation of every sale and how personal branding, content, and genuine relationships can help prospects feel confident buying from you Top 3 Takeaways Empathy is a competitive advantage in sales. Before trying to convince a prospect of your point of view, take the time to understand theirs. When people feel understood, they're more likely to trust you and consider your solution. The best closers do the hard work during discovery. Don't rush through questions just to get to your pitch. Ask thoughtful follow-up questions, actively listen, and rephrase the prospect's problem until you understand it clearly and they agree you've understood them. That makes your pitch more relevant and the close more natural. Trust drives transactions. People need to believe you have their best interests at heart and that you're capable of delivering what you promise. Build that trust through your actions, expertise, personal brand, and commitment to adding value—not just through scripts or objection-handling techniques. Notable Quotes “I want to be the person to add 51% of the value in every relationship that I have.” “It's much easier to get somebody else to see your point of view when you are first willing to go see theirs.” “Trust equals transactions.” Connect with Travis Chappell: Instagram: @travischappell Other: travischappell.com A Word from Our Sponsors: - The most successful business owners don't do it all themselves — they delegate. Upwork lets you build a team of highly skilled specialists for every function your business needs, so you can focus on what you do best and let experts handle the rest. Visit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free! - Scribe captures workflows as work happens and automatically generates step-by-step guides with screenshots and instructions, so no one has to sit down and write documentation from scratch. Learn more at scribe.how/tmm and mention Travis Makes Money for your first month of Scribe Capture free on select plans. - When you need a legal hand, visit LegalZoom. Go to LegalZoom.com to get started! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  4. 1d ago

    INTERVIEW | Make Money Without Sacrificing Your People or Your Values with Mercer Carlin and Christen Bavero

    Mercer Carlin and Christen Bavero are leadership development experts who help businesses achieve better results by investing in their people. Mercer was a founding partner of Transact, which grew from five employees into a billion-dollar business, where she oversaw more than 1,100 insurance salespeople across four sites and helped build a strong company culture. Christen brings 25 years of experience across public education, public health, and business, including leadership training for fast-growing companies. Together, they founded a leadership development and executive coaching business focused on helping leaders build thriving businesses without sacrificing the people who make them successful. On this episode we talk about: How Mercer built her career from telemarketing into helping grow a billion-dollar business Why taking action and following opportunities can lead to unexpected career breakthroughs How to build a profitable business while genuinely caring for employees and avoiding burnout Why Mercer and Christen partnered to help leaders improve communication, team alignment, and leadership skills How executive coaching, leadership development, and team alignment can help businesses overcome challenges and create stronger workplace cultures Top 3 Takeaways You don't need a perfect plan to build a successful career. Take the next available step, try new opportunities, and learn as you go. Clarity often comes from action rather than waiting for the ideal opportunity. Making money and taking care of people aren't mutually exclusive. Businesses can achieve strong financial results while creating environments where employees feel supported, inspired, and motivated instead of burned out. Great leadership requires more than technical expertise. People often get promoted because they're good at their jobs, but managing teams requires additional skills. Investing in leadership development, communication, and team alignment helps both employees and businesses thrive. Notable Quotes "I'm a big believer in doing something, even if it's not the perfect thing." "You can take care of people and still be super successful." "We're not here to run an agenda. We're here to be of service to you." Connect with Mercer Carlin and Christen Bavero: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christen-bavero-she-her-184679b3 Other: Level Up — Leadership development, executive coaching, and team alignment A Word from Our Sponsors: - The most successful business owners don't do it all themselves — they delegate. Upwork lets you build a team of highly skilled specialists for every function your business needs, so you can focus on what you do best and let experts handle the rest. Visit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free! - Scribe captures workflows as work happens and automatically generates step-by-step guides with screenshots and instructions, so no one has to sit down and write documentation from scratch. Learn more at scribe.how/tmm and mention Travis Makes Money for your first month of Scribe Capture free on select plans. - When you need a legal hand, visit LegalZoom. Go to LegalZoom.com to get started! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  5. 2d ago

    CO-HOST | Make Money by Crushing Today When You Sucked Yesterday

    On this episode, producer Eric shares a clip from Travis Chappell's appearance on the Closers Network podcast. Travis grew up in a fundamentalist Christian community in Southern California and earned a ministry degree. Then he found out he loved door-to-door sales and made six figures selling solar in his early twenties. In 2017 he moved into podcasting. Since then he has coached, consulted, and run communities, courses, software companies, and a done-for-you production and guest-booking agency, and his own show now has more than 1,500 episodes. In this conversation he talks about the biggest missed opportunity of his career, the limiting beliefs that kept him thinking like a "sales guy" instead of an entrepreneur, and why investing in yourself is the best return you can get when you're just starting out. On this episode we talk about: How Travis went from a ministry degree to door-to-door sales, and then fell in love with podcasting Finding clarity by doing things instead of thinking about them, and the "look at the 46-year-olds around you" test Travis's biggest career regret: leaving solar too early with a sales-guy mindset instead of an entrepreneur mindset Unlearning limiting beliefs, and the real trade-offs between a career in commission sales and running your own business Coming in neutral every day so you can crush today whether yesterday went badly or well Why your first $10,000 should go into your skills before the stock market, real estate, or crypto Top 3 Takeaways You find out what you want by doing things. Don't spend 90 days researching a path. Try it for a week, and look at the people one stage ahead of you to see if you want their life. If you don't, change course now, because it will probably never be easier than it is today. Show up to each day with neutral positivity. Bringing yesterday's bad day or yesterday's big win into today will both throw you off. Look at your results over months and years, and put your energy into getting a little better. Invest in yourself before you invest in anything else. If it took you a year to save $10K, no stock or property is going to turn that into $100K in 12 months. A skill you can sell, like sales, copywriting, ads, or operations, can. Your competence, your connections, and your content stay with you even in a downturn. Notable Quotes "You find out what you don't want to do by just doing stuff." "Every new business needs cash, and the fastest path to cash is sales." "You gotta figure out ways day in and day out to keep that mindset ready to go so that you can crush today without thinking about the fact that you sucked yesterday." "Everything is limited by the knowledge that you have or the skillset that you have." Connect with Travis Chappell: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/travischappell/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/travischappell/ Other: Travis Makes Money Podcast | Travis Chappell Website | A Word from Our Sponsors: - The most successful business owners don't do it all themselves — they delegate. Upwork lets you build a team of highly skilled specialists for every function your business needs, so you can focus on what you do best and let experts handle the rest. Visit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free! - Scribe captures workflows as work happens and automatically generates step-by-step guides with screenshots and instructions, so no one has to sit down and write documentation from scratch. Learn more at scribe.how/tmm and mention Travis Makes Money for your first month of Scribe Capture free on select plans. - When you need a legal hand, visit LegalZoom. Go to LegalZoom.com to get started! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  6. 2d ago

    INTERVIEW | Make Money by Building a Business That Creates Financial Freedom with Michael Rangel

    Michael Rangel is the founder of Novo, a modern banking platform designed for small and independent businesses. After seven years in finance, Michael saw firsthand how traditional banking made managing money unnecessarily complicated for small business owners. Since launching Novo in 2016, he has helped build a platform serving more than 250,000 small businesses across all 50 states. In this episode, Michael shares his entrepreneurial journey, why cash management is critical to business survival, and how AI is creating new opportunities for solo entrepreneurs to build profitable businesses and gain greater financial freedom. On this episode we talk about: How Michael started his first business at 11 years old by pressure-washing driveways in his neighborhood. The frustrations with traditional banking that inspired him to launch Novo. Why poor cash management is a major reason small businesses fail and how better financial tools can help. How Novo differentiates itself through simple banking, integrated tools, and a focus on saving business owners time. Why Michael believes AI is ushering in a new era of million-dollar solopreneurs and independent business ownership. Top 3 Takeaways: Learn to recognize problems worth solving. Michael built Novo after experiencing the tedious, error-prone process of managing business finances. Some of the best business ideas come from identifying everyday frustrations and finding ways to make them simpler. Treat cash flow as a business priority. Revenue alone doesn't guarantee a healthy business. Understanding what's coming in, what's going out, and when payments arrive can help business owners avoid cash crunches and make better decisions. Use technology to create more freedom. AI and modern business tools are expanding what one person can accomplish. Entrepreneurs can use these tools to build leaner businesses, increase their earning potential, and spend more time on the parts of life that matter most. Notable Quotes: “It's more just like, how do you deal with failure? How do you deal with something when it's a total change in how you had planned?” “Moving money should be a super quick thing. And if it's not, that was kind of an insight to us of like, okay, then something must be broken or must be confusing.” “If you're netting a million dollars a year [...] the way I look at that is like that equals freedom.” Connect with Michael Rangel: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rangel/ Personal Website: https://michaelvrangel.com/ Novo: https://www.novo.co/ A Word from Our Sponsors: - The most successful business owners don't do it all themselves — they delegate. Upwork lets you build a team of highly skilled specialists for every function your business needs, so you can focus on what you do best and let experts handle the rest. Visit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free! - Scribe captures workflows as work happens and automatically generates step-by-step guides with screenshots and instructions, so no one has to sit down and write documentation from scratch. Learn more at scribe.how/tmm and mention Travis Makes Money for your first month of Scribe Capture free on select plans. - When you need a legal hand, visit LegalZoom. Go to LegalZoom.com to get started! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  7. 3d ago

    CO-HOST | Make Money by Growing Your Podcast One Listener at a Time

    In this special episode of the Travis Makes Money Podcast, producer Eric pulls a conversation from Travis Chappell’s appearance on the Monetizing Your Message Podcast. Travis shares how he built a podcast business generating nearly a quarter-million dollars in sponsorship revenue, landed interviews with people like Shaquille O’Neal, and learned to turn a small, engaged audience into a thriving business. From his door-to-door sales background to his evolving approach to AI, content, and entrepreneurship, Travis explains why focusing on fundamentals and building genuine relationships can be more valuable than chasing the latest trends. On this episode we talk about: How Travis landed major guests like Shaquille O’Neal and what made his conversations with Shaq so meaningful Why growing a podcast audience one listener at a time is more effective than chasing vanity metrics How Travis shifted his focus back to podcast sponsorships and generated nearly a quarter-million dollars in sponsorship revenue Why Travis prefers conversations with traditional business owners over repetitive discussions about AI and marketing trends How podcast sponsorship agencies work, when it makes sense to partner with one, and the difference between programmatic and host-read ads Top 3 Takeaways Build a small audience that genuinely cares about your content. Talk directly with your listeners, learn about their challenges, and create content that addresses their needs. A highly engaged audience can become your biggest source of organic growth. Focus on what is already working before chasing new opportunities. Travis spent years building different businesses before realizing he could generate more revenue by focusing on his podcast, improving its content, and pursuing sponsorships intentionally. Take action instead of getting caught up in trends. Whether it’s AI, marketing, or business strategy, conversations only go so far. Implement what you learn, focus on fundamentals, and study people who are building real businesses. Notable Quotes "It's way more important to build a small audience of people who really care about your stuff than it is to build a large audience of people who kinda like you." "The boring stuff that I find more fascinating." "At some point, like you just gotta go do it, play with it, use it, implement it." Connect with Travis Chappell: Instagram: @travischappell  Other: travischappell.com A Word from Our Sponsors: - The most successful business owners don't do it all themselves — they delegate. Upwork lets you build a team of highly skilled specialists for every function your business needs, so you can focus on what you do best and let experts handle the rest. Visit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free! - Scribe captures workflows as work happens and automatically generates step-by-step guides with screenshots and instructions, so no one has to sit down and write documentation from scratch. Learn more at scribe.how/tmm and mention Travis Makes Money for your first month of Scribe Capture free on select plans. - When you need a legal hand, visit LegalZoom. Go to LegalZoom.com to get started! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  8. 3d ago

    INTERVIEW | Make Money by Mastering Wealth-Building Principles and Overcoming Life's Toughest Challenges with Danial Jiwani

    Danial Jiwani is a writer, speaker, and investor focused on wealth creation, decision-making, and resilience. He's the author of The 52 Laws of Wealth and Buffett's Two-Step Stock Market Strategy, with five self-published books selling more than 80,000 copies worldwide. In this episode, Danial shares how his passion for investing began as a teenager, why he chose self-publishing over traditional publishing, and how Warren Buffett's investment principles can help everyday investors make smarter decisions. He also recounts an extraordinary personal experience: being detained by the Saudi Arabian government for more than two months on suspicion of terrorism and espionage. Danial explains how writing helped him begin rebuilding his life after the ordeal and why having a passion to pursue can make all the difference when facing adversity. On this episode we talk about: How Danial's father introduced him to investing as a teenager and inspired his lifelong interest in financial markets. Why Danial chose to self-publish his books, how he monetizes his writing, and the importance of maintaining creative control over your work. Warren Buffett's two-step investing strategy: finding wonderful companies and buying them at wonderful prices using discounted cash flow analysis. Danial's experience being detained in Saudi Arabia, spending weeks in a secret detention site and additional time in a maximum-security prison without charges. How Danial used his passion for writing and the principles in The 52 Laws of Wealth to begin rebuilding his life after a traumatic experience. Top 3 Takeaways Learn to value investments based on their future cash flow. Before investing in a stock or business, consider how much cash it can generate over time and whether the price you're paying makes sense. Understanding a company's underlying value can help you avoid overpaying based on hype or market sentiment. Take ownership of your work and focus on what you do best. Danial chose self-publishing because it gave him greater control over his books, marketing, and potential earnings. Rather than spreading himself across multiple monetization channels, he focuses on writing and building a lasting catalog of books that can generate income over time. Use your passion and principles to navigate adversity. Even after experiencing a traumatic and life-changing ordeal, Danial found a way to move forward by returning to something meaningful to him: writing. Developing a clear set of principles and focusing on work you care about can help provide direction when life takes an unexpected turn. Notable Quotes "The only reason you should invest money in any sort of investment whether it's like a piece of real estate or a piece or business, like a stock, is if it's gonna produce more cash in the future." "Self publishing gives you a lot of control." "I'm passionate about writing. So the first thing I did was actually write a book to give me a set of principles [...] that help me rebuild my life." Connect with Daniel Jiwani: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danial_jiwani/ Other: Official website | Find his books, including The 52 Laws of Wealth and Buffett's Two-Step Stock Market Strategy, on Amazon. A Word from Our Sponsors: - The most successful business owners don't do it all themselves — they delegate. Upwork lets you build a team of highly skilled specialists for every function your business needs, so you can focus on what you do best and let experts handle the rest. Visit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free! - Scribe captures workflows as work happens and automatically generates step-by-step guides with screenshots and instructions, so no one has to sit down and write documentation from scratch. Learn more at scribe.how/tmm and mention Travis Makes Money for your first month of Scribe Capture free on select plans. - When you need a legal hand, visit LegalZoom. Go to LegalZoom.com to get started! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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4.3
out of 5
389 Ratings

About

You can't save your way to your dream life anymore. The truth is, you’re gonna need to learn to make more money. The Travis Makes Money Podcast is not your typical personal finance show. Rather than shaming you for buying a Starbucks coffee or pressuring you to become a billionaire, we focus on empowering you to make more money so you can enjoy life today while preparing for your future. You don’t have to cut back so much that you miss out on the present, and you don’t need to become the next Jeff Bezos either. Hosted by veteran podcaster Travis Chappell, each daily episode features interviews with regular people just like you – yes, you – who have learned how to make more money in unique and unconventional ways. From turning side hustles into an extra six figures to building massive business empires, these conversations dive into the mindset shifts, hard-earned lessons, and simple strategies that helped these individuals succeed. With over 1,000 podcast episodes under his belt, Travis has developed a unique ability to pull out inspiring stories and practical advice you can apply to your own financial journey that you just won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you’re looking for strategies on side hustles, skill building, investing, building generational wealth, or just motivation to take your next steps, this podcast is your resource. Tune in daily for insights, actionable tips, and inspiration from some of the most successful and interesting money-makers on the planet.

Information

  • Creator
    Travis Chappell
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodes
    2K
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2020 Travis Chappell
  • Show Website
    Travis Makes Money

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