Podcast Summary: Travis Makes Money – SOLO | Make Money by Doubling Down on What Works
Host: Travis Chappell
Date: February 17, 2026
Episode Overview
In this solo episode, Travis Chappell expands on a crucial entrepreneurial lesson: stop abandoning paths that are working and instead double down on proven strategies to maximize growth and income. Drawing from personal experience, Travis reflects on missed opportunities and shares actionable advice on how listeners can recognize—and exploit—the “gold veins” in their own businesses and lives, without getting distracted by shiny new ventures or obstacles.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Learning from the Past Without Regret
[00:00–01:46]
- Travis continues a recent theme of evaluating what he would do differently if he had to start over.
- He emphasizes learning from the past without dwelling in regret:
"I don't call these regrets because I mostly find that as a useful emotion. And I don't like putting myself in that headspace ... once you take the lessons away from it." (01:14)
- Reflection should focus on extracting lessons, not negative emotions.
2. The Power of Doubling Down on What Works
[01:47–05:20]
- The central takeaway:
"If I could go back and double down on something sooner, it would be ... the things that worked." (02:14)
- Entrepreneurs often feel the need to reinvent or chase entirely new opportunities, even before truly maximizing existing ones:
"We haven’t even come close to tapping this well ... let’s mine this one and get all the gold out of it before we start digging in a new random place." (02:38)
Example: The Podcast Itself
- Early on, Travis limited his podcast volume, thinking he was at maximum capacity.
- He challenges himself and others to rethink self-imposed limits:
"Rather than just writing it off as impossible right off the bat—what would it look like?" (03:32)
- Even now, running 3 episodes a day, he ponders expanding further (e.g., mashup episodes, additional hosts), not out of obligation but out of curiosity and optimization.
3. Extracting More Value from Existing Content
[03:47–05:20]
- Suggests ways to multiply content output and reach without burning out:
- Mashup episodes repurposing past interviews around a theme (e.g., real estate).
- Hiring segment hosts to cover specialized topics.
- Encourages "thought experiments" to overcome self-imposed limits before dismissing possibilities:
"...sometimes we write it off because we think that we're doing everything that we can. [In] reality, we're leaving some ... money on the table.” (04:53)
4. Doubling Down on Live Events, not Just Virtual
[08:17–12:50]
- Travis discusses his early Mastermind events and live experiences, recounting success at a 2019 Vegas event:
- Broke even on day one; total revenue around $180,000–$200,000.
- Built on unique venues and experiences for deeper connection (e.g., TopGolf in Vegas, Breckenridge resort, trips to Bali and Thailand).
- When COVID hit, he canceled a planned event (Costa Rica) and shifted away from live events, convincing himself it "wasn't a real business anyway."
- Admits this was a significant missed opportunity and a case of abandoning something that had already proven successful.
"...I abandoned it too quickly at the first sign of an obstacle, rather than sticking with that thing ... I left a lot of money on that table." (11:49)
5. Lessons from Scaling and Pausing Podcast Course/Education Products
[12:51–14:48]
- Ran a podcast course business with decent sales but pulled back after hitting hurdles.
- Now recognizes being nearly break-even on customer acquisition (via ads) is a strong position if there's an upsell or backend product (e.g., coaching, done-for-you services).
"The only thing that we were lacking was the ability to have a higher lifetime value because there was no up, there was no step on the ladder for them to go up to once they bought the course." (14:12)
- Inexperience and a narrow focus led him to view small losses as failure rather than inevitable growing pains in a scalable business model.
6. Stop Overlooking Your Wins
[14:49–End (~16:20)]
- Multiple times, Travis admits he "abandoned things too early because there were obstacles" rather than pushing through and increasing investment in what already worked.
- Urges listeners:
"Stop avoiding the things that are working, man. Just double down on the things that are working." (15:40)
- Highlights core strengths—podcasting, events, selling from stage, learning while earning—that he wishes he had exploited even more aggressively.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “I don’t call these regrets... there’s literally nothing you can do about it once you take the lessons away from it.” (01:14)
- “Double down on the things that were working. For me, that meant the podcast.” (02:18)
- “We could probably do a fourth episode by just having my team go through and cut ... clips from particular topics and putting them all into a single mega, you know, mashup episode.” (04:16)
- “Even when you think that you’re tapped out, you might be able to go a little bit further. You just got to do the thought exercise of like, if it were possible, what would it take rather than just assuming that it’s impossible to get more gold out of this mine.” (08:03)
- “There’s been multiple times in my career where I just ... abandoned things too early because there were obstacles rather than ... doubling down on the things that were already working for me.” (15:03)
- “Learning while I was earning—all of those things were things that were massively important to me, and I probably did not double down enough.” (15:55)
Timestamps for Important Segments
- 00:00–01:46 — Opening thoughts; learning from the past, not regrets
- 01:47–05:20 — Importance of doubling down on what’s working; examples from the podcast
- 08:17–12:50 — The live event business: what worked, what was left behind, and lessons learned
- 12:51–14:48 — Podcast course business: understanding backend and missed potential
- 14:49–End — Summing up core lesson: “Stop avoiding the things that are working”
Takeaways
- Double down on proven successes before chasing entirely new opportunities.
- Don’t let obstacles or early challenges trick you into abandoning profitable endeavors.
- Regularly re-examine and “mine deeper” in the areas that already show promise—instead of always looking for the next big thing.
- Leverage your unique strengths and experiences; don’t undervalue businesses just because they don’t look traditional.
Connect with Travis
- Tag and post on Instagram @travischappell to join the conversation and connect directly.
This summary is intended to provide a clear, actionable recap of all important ideas and stories shared in the episode for those who missed it or want quick reference.