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A
So good, so good, so good.
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You're listening to the Travis Makes Money podcast presented by GoHighLevel.com for a free 30 day trial of the best all in one digital marketing software tool on the planet, just go to gohighlevel.com travis. What's going on, everybody? Welcome back to the Travis Makes Money podcast, where it's a mission to help you make more money on this episode of the show. My producer Eric is in studio. What's up, Eric?
A
It's good to be here, Travis. How are you? Very hot here in Las Vegas.
C
It did feel. I feel like it just flipped a switch.
A
Yeah.
C
Cause it was nice for quite some time and then like the last two days were like, it's summer.
A
Yeah.
C
But it is what it is.
A
Well, now that we got the small talk out of the way, who are you voting for for mayor of la?
C
I don't live there, so zero people.
A
Perfect. So there's no stakes to this conversation.
C
Correct.
A
So one of the people who's made some waves. Do you know who I'm going to talk about?
C
Is it Spencer Pratt?
A
Yeah. Dude, you're a big fan, huh?
C
I'm a big fan because he's a
A
big, like, Trump guy.
C
I love him and them so much. Anyway, I honestly know zero things about him. I've just heard his name a bunch. He's like reality TV or something.
A
Yeah, he was a reality tv. Yeah. Spencer Pratt was a reality TV star. From what I think it was from. Let me just check.
C
Okay.
A
Instead of guessing wrong, let me ponder every reality show. He was in the Hills, which I think Tara used to watch.
C
I was gonna say is no, old.
A
It's an old show. Yeah.
B
Yeah.
A
And he's been in a couple. Like he's acted in a few little, little, little things.
C
I see little, little, little, little, tiny, tiny, little things.
A
Anyway, he's running for mayor. I don't want to talk to you about politics, as fun as that would be. I want to talk to you about something recently that has caused some waves. He was on the no Jumper podcast. I know you're a big fan.
C
He was on the no Jumper podcast. That's really funny.
A
You know what Though I re.
B
I.
A
Since I'm going to be doing the same things in the next year or so or trying to do the same things. I like seeing politicians do crazy shows like that.
C
Yeah, I don't mind it. And I mean, He's a reality TV guy.
A
So do we got to get J.D.
C
vance.
A
We got to get J.D. vance on the. Whatever podcast. Can you imagine that?
C
Actually, yes.
A
They're like asking. I would love to see them do this stuff where they're like, Name 10 books. But. But with J.D. vance.
C
Why? You don't think he can name 10 books?
A
No.
C
Okay.
A
You'd be like, what is a book?
C
I mean, he's a best selling author himself. But.
A
Well, anyway, so there's a clip that just got shared by TMZ from the no Jumper podcast.
C
Okay.
A
And remind me to tell you something funny about TMZ later. But there's this controversy because he's wanting to run la. A big piece of his push push has been like, Gavin Newsom doesn't know how to manage money and Louisiana's going to go in the toilet.
C
And people are, Gavin Newsom or Karen Bass. He's not running for governor. All right, no, sorry.
A
I'm sorry, I'm sorry, sorry. Karen Bass, across my streams here, Karen Bass wasting a lot of money that the states run poorly, that, you know, all this sort of stuff, which obviously is not true. Well, nobody in the leadership of LA is doing that, but people are pointing out the fact that when he was younger, he blew through like 10 million bucks of personal money and they're trying to tie that over to the political side. So here's the clip and then I want to get your take on it. So here we go.
D
Everything I ever spent money on, they act like I didn't have it. So, yes, I spent all this money. I was also 22, 23 years old, was planning on being Kim Kardashian, rich and famous. So I wasn't hoarding my money. Like, this was my one run at the game, you know, if I didn't get unplugged, which, that's the game. Like the Kardashians, Comcast stayed with them. Viacom said, oh, this, this crew's too expensive. So I wasn't wrong and I wasn't right. But that idea again, that's my money. It wasn't tax money.
A
I'm going to start saying that, yeah, I wasn't wrong. I wasn't right.
C
It seems like he was wrong.
D
So if we're going to say he spent 10 million of his own money when he's 23. This lady, Karen Bass just spent $400 million last year of our money to house allegedly 1400 people. We're going to do the who spends more reckless money. And mine wasn't reckless. I had great dinners. I treated a lot of friends like I was supporting people. I was funding, you know, rappers, MMA fighter. I had so many people I was taking care of with that money that you go ask them right now, buying my friends suits so they could go try to be real estate. Like, I was a very good person to be friends with. Like, with that money. I'll run it back right now. This is what's going to stop me from being mayor. Like those decisions. I would have done all those decisions again. And if I don't get elected, I'm going to go back to selling healing crystals and be with my family and hummingbirds, baby. Yeah, hummingbirds will be back. I'll just be eating my tacos at Don Antonio. So I only have the pressure of doing my hardest effort so I can look and be like, it was not God's plan.
A
And then Adam22's follow up question was, yeah, but what's your favorite position though?
C
Yeah, he's famous onlyfans.
A
He's like, oh, anyway, so, okay, so basically his argument is like, I just spent my personal money. I could do whatever I want. I'm curious to know from you, because I watched him was like, I wonder what Travis thinks.
C
Well, the most problematic part of that was the healing crystals.
A
Yeah, well, we don't need to get into that. Do you feel like it's fair to judge someone's ability to run a state based on, like, their personal finances from when they were like 22?
D
No.
A
Okay. Thank you so much for listening. That's the best bet ever on podcasting. Well, thanks for listening. And I'm going to do it every time. Every time I do it, I'm like, that's so played out. That's like the dumbest joke ever.
C
But you still do it.
A
But I still do it. I still do it.
C
You do that one too?
A
Yep.
C
It's another thing you do anyway. Yeah, I, I don't think that it's fair, but I do think that it should be, like, considered. Yeah, it's not necessarily something that is like, well, you were irresponsible with your own personal finances. I do think he's making a good point by saying these are not equivalent. Like, this is a false equivalency here. Like, you're, you're equating My ability to run a budget for the city of Los Angeles, comparatively to, like, what I did with my excess finances when I was 22 and all of a sudden rich and famous compared to what Karen Bass has done with the city's actual money for her duration as the mayor currently. And those are. Those are. That's false equivalency to me.
A
Yeah.
C
But doesn't mean that he's good with money. And like, Yeah, I forget you've never watched the show, but on it reminds me of Parks and Rec, because Ben, in that show, his character gets elected as mayor of his local town when he's 18, spends all this money on, like a water park or something. Yeah. Ice Town. And then gets impeached as the mayor at 18 and then shamed, and his whole family is like, excommunicated from this town. But then he spends the next 15 years of his career in the show balancing budgets for local cities and going back to school and learning how. And so, like, a lot of times that inception point can be the thing that made them go fix it and learn how to manage money better. And frankly, again, I don't know really anything about this guy. I've just heard his name a bunch in the last. Literally, probably the last, like seven days, just because I'm from LA and I see people talking about it. But I've. I've done zero research on him or his background or if he is financially responsible or what he's done since his reality TV show days or what he's doing now. I don't know any of that. So I could be dead wrong on this. But my. My point is to say that, like, that activity in and of itself is not enough to me to look at that and judge and go, you shouldn't be trusted with this budget. So, yeah, I don't know much about him other than that, but I wouldn't judge, like, you know, I don't think anybody. I don't think any one of us want people judging us for the decisions we made when we were 22, you know?
A
Nah, do judge me on 22. I think I was doing great.
C
Do you think so?
A
No, I don't think so. Do you want to buy one of his healing pendants for the show?
C
Just for, like, it's a what now?
A
It's a healing pendant.
C
How much is it?
A
Just say yes or no. Do you want to buy one for the show?
C
How much is it? Is a very relevant question.
A
No, no, no. Yeah. This episode is brought to you by Google Chrome. You think you know A browser. But Gemini and Chrome, that's new. It can help you with practically anything on the web, like restoring a vintage motorcycle from a 50 page restoration block. Or finally break down that long article you've had open for weeks. Gemini and Chrome is here for it, ready to make anything online make sense. There's no place like Chrome. Check responses, setup required. Compatibility and availability various. 18.
C
And we're live on Matchday as Doug reaches for a buffalo wing.
B
He's got it.
C
Oh, and he's gone for a can of Pepsi too. What a finish. There's no doubt about it, it just tastes better. Match days deserve Pepsi.
A
You know who wouldn't ask how much it is before they spend money? Spencer Pratt.
C
That's honestly like, that's the most alarming part of the whole thing. Okay, if I don't like, that's a wild statement to say. If I don't get elected mayor, I'll go back to selling healing crystals.
A
Do you want to. A healing crystal for the show? The most expensive one on the site is $675 off.
C
Right now.
A
It's off. $675 off.
C
That tells me it's way too much to begin with. No, no, no, that doesn't mean it's $5.
A
Give me your credit card. No, I'm just gonna.
C
What is it, $1200?
A
Well, it's normally $3375, but it's only $2700.
C
Holy shit.
A
If he's moving those, I would not be mayor.
C
I would just keep selling that crazy town.
A
Do you want to buy the cheapest one?
C
I mean, to be fair, he's probably selling a shit ton of crystals right now.
A
Do you want to buy the cheapest one?
C
I don't. No.
A
It's 18. About 18 bucks.
C
I still don't want it. How is there. How can you buy a healing crystal for $18?
A
Okay, well.
C
Well, what's the difference between like how much healing you get?
A
Maybe it's like pain relief. It's like Tylenol versus morphine. But rocks.
C
But it's.
A
There are rocks that relief.
C
Well then the energy in this one is just.
A
Well, it's the type of rock the cheapest is clear quartz pendant. It's 18 bucks. And then the most expensive, which is like $2,600, is aquamarine.
C
Jesus Christ, dude.
A
So that's a hustle and a half looking here. Well, let me just convince you. Hold on real quick. The pendant will be intuitively styled by Spencer. This is like sell me this pen I'm going to sell you this necklace. Okay. Pendant will be intuitively styled by Spencer Pratt on a complimentary chain. Additional chains are available for purchase separately. It comes from Africa. It's 33 grams. That's a pretty hefty crystal. Okay. And let me just. Before you're completely out.
C
Well, it's not about size. In the crystal healing space.
A
Looking for courage, look for aquamarine. Dressed up or down, this beautiful crystal never looks out of place. Walk from the boardroom to the red carpet feeling tranquil, intuitive, and never waver from speaking the truth. Accept life as it comes, curve balls and all.
C
Yes.
A
So do you want one or no? 237 bucks a month with payment plan.
C
Let me see it. That's a good use of a payment plan right there. An energy crystal that looks like a bag of water. That's wild, dude. $2,700.
A
It looks like it's comfortable to wear at least.
C
Does it?
A
A block of ice. It looks like frozen. When they're hauling ice off the thing,
C
you grow some neck muscles.
A
Okay, well, here's Karen Bass targeting his experiences. I just want to see. I haven't watched this one yet, but I want to see if she addresses the money.
C
The money thing.
A
Is that okay?
C
Yeah.
A
TMZ says it's relevant. So TMZ is. I will die on this hill. Probably the most trustworthy reporting of any news major.
C
I will die alone on that hill.
A
That's a pretty normal.
C
The most trusted.
A
I'm saying their information's. I've, like, it's usually pretty accurate.
C
I don't know enough about TMZ to
A
argue with you, my friend. Always.
C
But it just seems like a gross media. Did you ever see that?
A
Well, yeah, it's gross, but, like, they don't lie. They don't lie.
C
Oh, I see.
A
No. One of my friends always says, which he's. You know, there's loose connections to the Epstein list with this guy. But I always loved Harvey Levin, the guy that ran it.
C
Was that the main guy?
A
Yeah. You ever watch TMZ where they're all sitting in the room? He's like, I've seen print that. Call the autopsy place and find out how they died.
C
I saw the one that they made fun of that. Was it SNL that made fun of that?
A
Or Key and Peele or MADtv or something? But anyway.
C
Yeah. Whereas it's. Eric Andre is. The guy has, like a giant Slurpee.
A
Yeah.
D
That's so funny.
A
But anyway, my friend, when I share, like, a big story on Preacher Boys, we'll send the picture of him with his giant cup leaning over and she'll be like, literally you. So anyway, but here we go. Here's this. But I said stop doing that after. There was like, his name was in the Epstein files, but I don't know to what extent, but it was enough to be like, don't call me that. Literally you.
C
Please don't associate.
A
Literally you. All right, here we go.
B
What do you have to say to voters who are still deciding between you and Spencer Pratt?
A
Well, I think Karen Bass is wearing a necklace here, and I'm wondering what if she gets the courage she needs to beat him by wearing one of his necklaces? She's.
C
It's like a conquer your aquamarine. As you know, dude, if she gets
A
an aquamarine, it's over.
C
It's over before it begins.
B
What do you have to say to voters who are still deciding between you and Spencer Bratt? Well, I think that voters have a decision to make between somebody who has been bringing change in our city, reducing homelessness for the first time. Homelessness is only going up fast track. 42,000 units of housing, 60 year drop in crime, and much, much more to come. Or a reality TV star villain. And I think we know how reality stars make it.
A
Ooh, she's cooking. She's wearing aquamarine. For sure she's cooking.
B
And what's going on is not the best pitch. So a reality star with no track record, I'm not sure he's ever had a job other than reality tv. I don't know if he worked at a regular job. I know he has no idea how
A
this sells pendants, so back off.
B
Or somebody who has.
C
Check yourself.
B
Their lives change. And over the last three and a half years have brought about change in some very significant ways. So in four years from now, a city that is affordable, a city where parents aren't afraid to walk their kids to school, they don't have to walk through encampments, because that's the other thing. An opponent who has taken every position on every issue but is okay with encampments in front of schools, and I am not, I don't think that there should be encampments anywhere in our city.
A
I'm going to go crazy. I only want them in front of schools. That's my platform. Because you have to be polarizing to stand out in an election.
C
This is what I hate about politics in general, though, is that like everything she said that she did, if you go listen to somebody else, they're just going to Say the opposite. They'd be like, well, homelessness went up,
A
and if only there's some way to know.
C
Well, everybody. That's the problem, though, is they can skew data to support a narrative and be like, well, I'll look at that report instead of that report.
A
That's why you need to go to TMZ to find out that he has
B
no experience in city government. I don't know that he's ever held a job in his life other than to be a reality TV star.
A
I always love the. I always love the talking points that, you know, PR is like, hit that, hit that, hit that. What did we just listen to where they were doing that? And they said, there's a line. And they keep saying it. And I was like, someone told them,
C
oh, oh, yeah, I remember what you're talking about.
A
But also, is it Chipotle.
C
Chipotle or McDonald's or.
A
It was something. But I always love when there's a line and it's like, that's the line repeating it. That was a dumb. That was a dumb political attack thing. I saw the other day about James Talarico in Texas, and they. They showed him speaking, like, two different nights, and he's saying the same thing, and they're like, oh, look, he's going through a scripted. I'm like, yeah, it's a. That's literally. Yeah, you. You don't write a new speech everywhere you go, and you don't come up with new. New things you want to talk about. It's like the same thing I always see where it's like this president, you know, Trump's using teleprompter on the. It's like, yeah, yeah, you can't memorize these, you know.
B
Anyway, I think that he doesn't know the issues. He's operating out of anger. And what our city needs is to move forward to make a city that is affordable, a city that is safe, and a city where people can live their lives without the fear of crime. Going into tomorrow night, do you have any concern that you will not? No, I don't. I don't. There's lots and lots of polls.
A
We should record this in a busy diner.
B
I would never, ever be cavalier.
C
Okay, but isn't there. Isn't there another candidate, though, that because they're running Study and play come together on a Windows 11 PC and for a limited time, college students get the best of both worlds, get the unreal college deal, everything you need to study and play with select Windows 11 PCs, eligible students get a year of Microsoft 360, 365 Premium and a year of Xbox game pass ultimate with a custom color Xbox wireless controller. Learn more@windows.com student offer while supplies last ends June 30th terms at aka Ms. CollegePC.
B
You have one new message translating Disney and Pixar's Hoppers is now available on Disney plus.
C
You could say that again.
B
Critics are calling it Pixar's funniest movie ever and a wildly entertaining ride. Blizzard Potato. It's certified fresh and verified hot. Now we party.
A
This is incredible.
B
Wow.
C
I am clearing the rest of the day.
B
Disney and Pixar's Hoppers now available on Disney.
C
Rated PG as different parties, obviously, but isn't there another candidate that she's trying to edge out for the Democratic.
A
Well, I'll tell you this, Travis. It's a fight to finish in LA's wild mayoral primary. According to Yahoo. News, an embattled mayor, a brainy Democratic socialist, and a reality TV star who's been a staple on tmz. Yes, Nithya Raman. Raman.
C
So, yeah, I don't know, man.
A
Anyway. But yeah, I was curious when you want, like, because people will talk about, you know, all these sorts of things get drug out during election seasons. And I was always curious, like, what? When I read it, I was like, does it matter?
C
No, it doesn't seem to be directly.
A
And it doesn't feel like he was like, struggling where he's like, just blowing money. It just feels, I mean, obviously he probably would be in a better spot if he hadn't done that. But yeah, I was like, I don't feel like this is a big, big issue.
C
Yeah, there's a correlation.
A
It feels similar to when they released that video. Was it Ted Cruz where they interviewed him in high school? Do you remember that?
C
No, hold on.
A
You're going to love this. But it was a video of him in high school and he's talking about like, they're like, what's your. What does success mean to you? And he gives a very high school answer.
C
Yeah. And then people are like.
A
And then people were like, oh my God. And I was like, I would have said the same thing.
C
Yeah, he's 15.
A
Oh, where is it? Politician Here. You say something while I pull this up. Let's see. Politician. High school.
C
I like how you kept talking.
A
Yeah, keep him busy.
C
You say something while I continue to mutter things.
A
Was it Ted Cruz?
C
I don't know. You're the, you're the politics guy here. You're a political correspondent. That's definitely not me.
A
Hey, hold on one second. I'm going to go ahead and find that.
C
I mean, it's a. That was a big promise from her to mention affordability in la.
A
Here it is.
C
Crazy thing to hear.
A
Oh, video unavailable.
D
No,
A
no. Yeah. Creepy Ted Cruz. And Ted Cruz is a creepy feller, but not for this.
C
Well, he unfortunately has that.
A
That Grandpa Munster.
C
Yeah, the downward smile, it's not right.
A
There we go. Here we go. Are you ready? The aspirations of 18 year old Ted Cruz.
B
Aspiration that like sweat on my butt.
A
I would vote.
C
That's actually a good joke.
A
Dude, Ted Cruz used to be so cool.
B
Aspiration that like sweat on my butt.
A
That's good.
B
No, no. Oh, I see what you want me to do, what I want to do in life. Well, my aspiration is to, oh, I don't know, being a teen tit film. Like that guy who played Horatio, you know, he was in Malibu Bikini beach shop. Well, other than that. Take over the world. World domination. You know, rule everything. Rich, powerful, that sort of stuff.
A
So that's Ted Cruz. Yeah, but people were like, see once. World domination. Yeah.
C
He's 18.
A
Yeah. So yeah, that's. You've never seen that? I can't believe that.
C
Politics. I've never seen that. No.
A
All right, all right.
C
Well anyway, does that actually surprise you?
A
Well, yeah, it was. It was so popular at the time. It was like when he retweeted adult content on X.
C
He retweeted adult content.
A
I got stuff to show you. Here, I'll show you. Anyway, we'll go ahead and close this out.
C
All right, well, that's it for this episode of the show. Remember, money only solves your money problems. But it's easier to solve the rest of your problems. Money in the bank. So let's start there. Here on the Travis Makes Money podcast. Thanks for tuning in. Catch you guys next time. Peace.
B
What is that?
C
Oh, yeah, it's a World cup holder.
B
Like the soccer tournament.
C
World cup holder for the world. Fits every car, holds every cup.
B
It has a Carvana logo.
C
Carvana made it. They buy and sell cars. So they made a car cup holder.
B
So.
C
Got any good cups lately?
B
Used to.
D
Just couldn't figure out where in the
B
world to put them.
C
The World Cup Holder brought to you by Carvana. Proud sponsors of the World cup holder, sign up today to win yours@cup-holder2026.com not authorized or endorsed by FIFA. Not a real product. For parody and various purposes only.
Episode: CO-HOST | Make Money by Thinking Critically About Leadership, Reputation, and Public Perception
Host: Travis Chappell
Release Date: June 17, 2026
Guest: Eric (Producer/Co-host)
In this episode, Travis Chappell is joined by his producer, Eric, for an in-studio discussion centering on how public perception, reputation, and leadership impact financial opportunity and political viability. Using the recent LA mayoral campaign—particularly the media controversy around candidate and reality TV star Spencer Pratt—as a springboard, they dive into critical thinking around leadership qualifications, the relevance of personal financial decisions, and the performative nature of politics. The episode has a conversational, often humorous tone, exploring everything from healing crystals to political soundbites.
On Personal vs Public Spending:
"You're equating my ability to run a budget for the city... to what I did with my excess finances when I was 22… that's false equivalency to me."
— Travis, [06:19]
On Political Spin:
"Everything she said that she did, if you go listen to somebody else, they're just going to say the opposite… that's the problem, though, is they can skew data to support a narrative."
— Travis, [15:46]
On Healing Crystals as a Side Hustle:
"If he's moving those, I would not be mayor. I would just keep selling that crazy town."
— Travis, [11:13]
On Youthful Ambition:
“People were like, see, he wants world domination… He's 18.”
— Eric, [21:46]
The hosts challenge listeners to think critically about the intersection of reputation, media narratives, and leadership. Through humorous analogies and pop culture references, they reinforce that past mistakes—especially those of youth—should be taken in context. Leadership potential isn’t locked by past failures, nor should political performance be measured solely by rhetorical spin.
Final Word:
Money only solves your money problems. But it's easier to solve the rest of your problems with money in the bank. So let's start there. — Travis, [22:09]
Useful For: