133: Solo-Traveling to 55 Countries Safely, Confidently and without Draining the Bank Account with Shakeemah Smith

The Maverick Show with Matt Bowles

Shakeemah Smith shares her experience growing up in East Orange, New Jersey during the Golden Era of hip hop in the 1990s. She explains how she overcame perceived financial obstacles and was able to travel to her first 20 countries for under $100 per flight. Shakeemah then explains how she was able to travel to a different country every month while working at an office job. She shares the reasons that she chose solo-travel, explains how she develops her trip itineraries and shares the safety precautions she takes before each trip. Shakeemah then takes us on some of her most epic travel adventures, ranging skydiving in Australia to getting chased by a wild elephant in Zambia. She explains the biggest misconceptions about ‘safety’ and why the U.S. is the most dangerous country she has ever been to. Shakeemah then talks bout getting residency and second passports in Antigua for her family, including her 13 year old nephew, and explains her primary motive is protecting him from racialized violence in the U.S. After taking her nephew to visit 7 countries by age 13, she reflects on the profound impact it has had on him. Shakeemah then shares her entrepreneurial journey—how she was able to monetize her travel expertise by coaching other women on how to solo-travel the world safely, confidently and without draining their bank account. She explains how she was able to build her personal brand, develop key partnership, and eventually scale it into a successful business that allowed her to leave her job and become a fully location-independent entrepreneur. And finally, after traveling to 55 countries, Shakeemah reflects on what travel means to her. FULL SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT: www.TheMaverickShow.com