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

Learn how smart planning and safety strategies can make solo world travel more accessible, affordable, and empowering. ============================ Get the Monday Minute my weekly email with 3 personal recs for travel, culture, and living beyond borders you can read in 60 seconds. ============================ ON THIS EPISODE 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 about 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 with direct links to everything discussed are available here. ============================ FIND YOUR NEXT EPISODE Explore The Maverick Show Starter Packs — some of my favorite conversations curated by theme so you can easily find the episodes that match your interests. ============================ FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU See my Top 10 Travel Apps See my Top 10 Books that Shaped the Way I Travel See my 7 Keys For Building A Remote Business (Even in a space that’s not traditionally virtual) Watch my Video Training on Stylish Minimalist Packing so you can join #TeamCarryOn See the Travel Gear I Use and Recommend See How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use) ============================ ENJOYING THE SHOW? Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram and DM Matt to continue the conversation Please leave a rating and review — it really helps the show and I read each one personally Support the show by buying me a coffee — espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes!