Mentors, Miles & Meaning: The Story Behind Gnarwhal Coffee with Nick Monica

Mentors, Miles & Meaning: The Story Behind Gnarwhal Coffee with Nick Monica

Author: Mike Schibel, Travel With Meaning June 23, 2025 Duration: 39:44

On this episode of the Travel With Meaning podcast, we sit down with Nick Monica, the founder and CEO of Gnarwhal Coffee and Companion Restaurant in Venice Beach. Recorded in front of a live audience at The Kinn, this inspiring conversation explores the meaningful experiences that shaped Nick's path—from pivotal mentors and personal growth to the unforgettable road trip that inspired the name "Gnarwhal."

Nick is a passionate explorer, entrepreneur, and community builder who's brought his love of travel, storytelling, and connection into everything he creates at Gnarwhal Coffee. His journey is filled with lessons learned on the road, and he's infused that spirit into a space that brings people together every day. 

Please share, follow and subscribe for more inspiring travel stories


Mike Schibel sits down with a fascinating array of guests on Travel With Meaning, but the destination is rarely the main point. Instead, this podcast explores the profound personal shifts that happen when we step outside our familiar surroundings. Each conversation delves into a specific journey-whether it’s a life-altering pilgrimage, a chaotic business trip that sparked a new idea, or a simple vacation that unexpectedly clarified a career path. You’ll hear from artists, athletes, entrepreneurs, and seasoned travel experts, but the focus remains on the transformative moment, the insight gained, or the connection made that reverberated long after the suitcase was put away. Schibel, founder of Travel With Meaning, guides these discussions with a genuine curiosity, allowing his guests to unpack not just their itineraries but the emotional and professional baggage they carried with them. The stories reveal how travel acts as a catalyst, reshaping identities, forging unexpected creative directions, and offering a new lens on one’s place in the world. Listening feels like being part of an intimate, thoughtful dialogue where the map of a life is redrawn by the roads taken. This isn't about recommendations or tips; it's about the lasting imprint of a place on a person. The podcast consistently uncovers how the world, in all its diverse complexity, has a way of teaching us exactly what we need to learn, often when we least expect it.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Travel With Meaning
Podcast Episodes
Ep 61: Jeannette Ceja [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:04
Jeannette Ceja is an award-winning bilingual travel journalist, television host, travel advisor, and global public speaker. Over the past ten years, she has interviewed countless celebrities, politicians, athletes, and t…
Ep 60: Checking In [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:28
A special solo episode, quickly checking in with all of you, dear listeners, after this crazy year we've had. As we can now see the light at the end of the tunnel of the pandemic, I reflect on what the meaning of travel…
Ep 59: Konrad Waliszewski [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:56
Konrad Waliszewski is the CEO & Co-Founder of Tripscout, a venture-backed travel company that has built one of the most popular travel entertainment and trip planning apps. He has visited approximately 100 countries and…
Ep 58: Khalil Kinsey [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:31
Khalil Kinsey showed an affinity for the arts and culture from a very young age. Having been exposed to the world early on through travel with his parents, he developed a deep appreciation for the similarities that bond…
Ep 57: Phil Rosenthal [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:01
Phil Rosenthal is the creator and host of "Somebody Feed Phil," an unscripted documentary series on Netflix, which combines his love of food and travel with his unique brand of humor. Rosenthal was born in Queens, New Yo…
Ep 56: Mark Tsigounis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:00
Mark Tsigounis was born and raised in New Jersey. There he fell in love with the Kittatinny Mountains and the famous barrier islands that litter the coastline. This passion served as kindling which fuels his service of t…
Ep 55: Matt Wilson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:58
Matt Wilson is Co-founder and CEO of the travel company for people ages 21-35 Under30Experiences, and author of "The Millennial Travel Guidebook". Under30Experiences has been named number 801 on the Inc. 5000 Fastest-Gro…
Ep 54: Carolyn Scott-Hamilton [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:00
The Healthy Voyager, aka Carolyn Scott-Hamilton, is the creator and host of The Healthy Voyager web series, site, and overall brand. An award-winning healthy, special diet and green living and travel expert, holistic nut…
Ep 53: Todd Glaser [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:07
Todd Glaser is a San Diego-born photographer, surfer, and waterman. A SURFER Staff Photographer for over a decade, Glaser is prolific for his young age, earning more than a dozen covers during his tenure at the magazine.…
Ep 52: Ravi Patel [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:26
On the acting front, Ravi's next appearance is in Gal Gadot and Chris Pine's WONDER WOMAN 1984. Ravi is also co-creator and co-lead in Netflix's upcoming half-hour comedy series MESSY, which follows an Indian woman pursu…