Timothy Ferriss's Blog, page 69
March 21, 2018
How to Prioritize Your Life and Make Time for What Matters
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“Busy is a decision.”
– Debbie Millman
Debbie Millman (@debbiemillman) was named by Graphic Design USA as “one of the most influential designers working today.” She is also the founder and host of Design Matters, the world’s first and longest-running podcast about design, where she’s interviewed nearly 300 design luminaries and cultural commentators including Massimo Vignelli and Milton Glaser.
Debbie’s done it all. Her artwork has been exhibited around the world. She is the President Emeritus of AIGA (one of only five women to hold the position in the organization’s one-hundred-year history), the editorial and creative director of Print magazine, and the author of six books. In 2009, Debbie co-founded (with Steven Heller) the world’s first masters program in branding at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, which has received international acclaim.
In this episode, Debbie outlines:
How to bounce back from rejection and criticism.
The importance of mental health.
Whether courage or confidence is more important.
Five questions to help clarify your own purpose.
And much, much more.
Enjoy!
How to Prioritize Your Life and Make Time for What Matters
https://rss.art19.com/episodes/4b3d1c5c-912a-4547-aeb4-48e770f30dd3.mp3Download
Listen to it on iTunes.
Stream by clicking here.
Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as.”
Want to hear my first episode with Debbie Millman? — Listen to this episode, where we discuss how to recover from rejection, how to overcome personal crises of faith, class exercises from her most impactful mentors, and much more. (stream below or right-click here to download):
#214: How to Design a Life - Debbie Millmanhttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/a125690b-22e8-4d37-ae6a-f136c1df2cc0.mp3Download
This episode is brought to you by Ascent Protein, the only US-based company that offers native proteins — both whey and micellar casein — directly to the consumer for improved muscle health and performance. Because the product is sourced from Ascent’s parent company, Leprino Foods — the largest producer of mozzarella cheese in the world — it’s entirely free of artificial ingredients and completely bypasses the bleaching process common to most other whey products on the market.
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QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.
Scroll below for links and show notes…
Selected Links from the Episode
Connect with Debbie Millman:
Website | Design Matters Podcast | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Debbie’s first and second appearances on this show.
Books by Debbie Millman
The Voice That Is Great Within Us: American Poetry of the Twentieth Century edited by Hayden Carruth
Maximus, to Himself by Charles Olson
Apple Pencil
AIGA: Sold Out — the Speak Up open letter by Felix Sockwell and its follow up, Is the Dark Side Prevailing?
Why It’s Time To Take A New Look At Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy by Todd Essig, Forbes
Debbie’s Design Matters interview with Dani Shapiro
Show Notes
Influential and most-gifted books. [08:31]
Debbie reads us her favorite poem. [09:47]
What recent purchase of $100 or less has had the most positive impact on Debbie’s life? [11:31]
Does Debbie have a favorite failure that set her up for later success? [11:54]
What would Debbie’s billboard say? [13:38]
One of the most worthwhile investments Debbie has made. [15:16]
An unusual habit or absurd thing Debbie loves. [21:32]
What belief, behavior, or habit has most improved Debbie’s life in the past five years? [22:37]
What advice would Debbie give to a smart, driven college student about to enter the “real” world (and what advice should they ignore)? [26:04]
Bad recommendations Debbie hears in her field often. [28:52]
What fortune cookie advice does Debbie heed to overcome feeling overwhelmed or unfocused? [29:49]
People Mentioned
Massimo Vignelli
Milton Glaser
Steven Heller
Hayden Carruth
Charles Olson
Denise Levertov
Adrienne Rich
Ezra Pound
Wallace Stevens
Seth Godin
Dani Shapiro
March 15, 2018
How to Do Crazy Good Turns — Frank Blake
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“You get what you celebrate.”
– Frank Blake
Frank Blake (@frankblake) served as chairman and CEO of The Home Depot from January 2007 to May 2014, and then as chairman through January of 2015. He previously served as deputy secretary for the US Department of Energy. Prior to that, he served in a wide variety of executive roles at General Electric.
Frank’s public sector experience includes having served as general counsel for the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), deputy counsel to Vice President George H.W. Bush, and law clerk to Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens.
Frank serves on the board of directors for the Georgia Aquarium, Proctor & Gamble, Macy’s, and is currently serving as board chairman of Delta and Grady Memorial Hospital. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University and a jurisprudence degree from Columbia University School of Law.
Frank also produces a short-form podcast called Crazy Good Turns, which tells inspiring stories about amazing people who do things for others. In this wide-ranging conversation, we discuss a book that inspired both of us, advice from Jack Welch, the art of customer service, “productive conflict,” and much, much more. Enjoy!
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How to Do Crazy Good Turns -- Frank Blake
https://rss.art19.com/episodes/fca950ee-8c1b-4aab-b230-7983c8fcbd7a.mp3Download
Listen to it on iTunes.
Stream by clicking here.
Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as.”
Want to hear another episode with a fascinating leader? Listen to my conversation with Ray Dalio. We discuss how Ray thinks about investment decisions, the three books he would give to every graduating high school or college senior, how he might assess cryptocurrency, and much, much more (stream below or right-click here to download):
#264: Ray Dalio, The Steve Jobs of Investinghttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/12871ab9-f085-4f1e-83db-7b088c4a2d92.mp3Download
This episode is brought to you by Shure, makers of the SRH1540 Premium Closed-Back Headphones. These headphones feature an expansive soundstage with clear, extended highs and warm bass. They are made with aluminum alloy and carbon fiber construction for a lightweight and durable design, and Alcantara ear pads for maximum sound isolation and comfort.
Go to shure.com/tim and use the coupon code TIM at checkout to save $100 on these phenomenal, comfortable headphones. The offer is only valid through April 2018!
This podcast is also brought to you by WordPress, my go-to platform for 24/7-supported, zero downtime blogging, writing online, creating websites — everything! I love it to bits, and the lead developer, Matt Mullenweg, has appeared on this podcast many times.
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QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.
Scroll below for links and show notes…
Selected Links from the Episode
Connect with Frank Blake:
Crazy Good Turns
The Home Depot
Built from Scratch: How a Couple of Regular Guys Grew The Home Depot from Nothing to $30 Billion by Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank
General Electric
How Home Depot CEO Frank Blake Kept His Legacy from Being Hacked by Jennifer Reingold, Fortune
The Home Depot’s Inverted Pyramid
Meaningful Growth vs. Metric Manipulation by Des Traynor, Intercom
Net Promoter Score (NPS)
Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A)
Habitat for Humanity
Call Home Depot CEO Frank Blake by Ben Popken, Consumerist
Home Depot CEO Blake Says Breach Investigation Continuing by Leon Stafford, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie
Crazy Good Turns Podcast by Former Home Depot Execs Highlight Stories of Worthy Non-profits by Kyle O’Brien
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t by Jim Collins
Cultural Amnesia: Necessary Memories from History and the Arts by Clive James
A la Recherche du Temps Perdu by Marcel Proust
300 Arguments: Essays by Sarah Manguso
My Reading Year, 2017 by Austin Kleon
Samuel Hubbard Shoes
Oxford History of the United States
Inside the Tunnels Las Vegas’s Homeless Population Calls Home by Harmon Leon, Vice
Crazy Good Turns S.1 Ep.1: Team Rubicon
Crazy Good Turns S.1 Ep.4: Tunnel to Towers
Show Notes
Frank and I discuss a book that’s near and dear to both of us. [05:11]
Frank talks about growing up in New England and recently celebrating his sharp-as-a-tack mother’s 100th birthday. [10:20]
While growing up, what did Frank aspire to become? [11:55]
What led to Frank’s early fascination with politics? [12:33]
How does Frank explain his eclectic career’s rare blend of politics, law, and entrepreneurship? [13:18]
Frank walks us through the decision process to leave his DC law practice and join General Electric. [16:19]
Frank talks about getting CEO advice from GE’s Jack Welch, and why he would “never take a phone call from him sitting down.” [18:49]
Advice Frank got from Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus about the perils of corporate echo chambers. [25:06]
How did Frank disrupt The Home Depot’s echo chamber and encourage productive conflict? [25:57]
What did Frank learn about the importance of celebration as a CEO that he missed as a lawyer? [28:05]
A relationship-building technique Frank picked up from working for George H.W. Bush. [31:27]
How does someone in charge of 350,000 associates pick who gets rewarded for their good deeds? [33:27]
What makes a customer service story noteworthy? [35:20]
When he took the reins at The Home Depot, what metrics did Frank focus on? [37:37]
How — and why — was Frank asked to be CEO at The Home Depot when it wasn’t really a job he felt cut out for at the time? [39:23]
Why did Frank recommend selling the business? [40:41]
How did Frank’s legal training help with (or hurt) what came later? [44:02]
How was The Home Depot’s Net Promoter Score (NPS) measured? [47:29]
What has Frank found to be the best way to deal with business worries? [48:54]
Now that he’s about as retired as he’ll ever be, how does Frank cope with anxiety these days? [54:03]
How and why might someone unsure of a higher power decide to pray? [58:10]
What happened when Frank posted his phone number online and invited Home Depot customers to contact him. [1:02:08]
Lessons learned from Bernie Marcus. [1:04:01]
What changes did Frank make to The Home Depot that made hourly employees more invested in the company’s success? [1:05:30]
Frank talks about dealing with The Home Depot’s 2014 data breach. [1:07:51]
An embarrassing but important failure. [1:13:27]
Are there different species of worrying? How can it be constructive? [1:17:21]
Does Frank find value in practicing anxiety transfer? [1:19:13]
What advice did Frank give his successor at The Home Depot? What advice might he offer to someone in similar circumstances? [1:21:25]
How did Frank develop the skill of simple and portable messaging? [1:22:49]
Frank’s “favorite story.” [1:23:32]
What projects keep Frank occupied these days? [1:26:12]
How is Frank working to become more genuinely helpful and generous? [1:28:32]
Books Frank would recommend to a budding entrepreneur. [1:31:27]
Books gifted most often. [1:33:27]
Books Frank has recently read. [1:37:18]
How does Frank choose the books he reads? [1:38:32]
A recent, relatively inexpensive purchase that has had the most positive impact on Frank’s life. [1:39:33]
What class would Frank teach, and what would the course description look like? [1:42:22]
What figures from American history would Frank most like to meet? [1:43:44]
What would Frank’s billboard say? [1:44:57]
What episodes of Crazy Good Turns would Frank recommend as an ideal starting point? [1:45:58]
What prompted the creation of Crazy Good Turns? [1:47:29]
An ask of the audience and parting thoughts. [1:48:53]
People Mentioned
Jack Welch
Bernie Marcus
Arthur Blank
Ken Langone
Frank Blake, Jr.
George H.W. Bush
Andrew Grove
Darwin Smith
Colin Powell
Craig Menear
Elizabeth Blake
Matt Carey
A.J. Jacobs
Brad Shaw
Jim Collins
Clive James
Marcel Proust
Francis Ford Coppola
Robert Rodriguez
Sarah Manguso
Austin Kleon
Harry S. Truman
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Peter Drucker
March 12, 2018
Own the Day, Own Your Life – Aubrey Marcus
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“Welcome to heaven. Population: everyone.”
– Aubrey Marcus
Aubrey Marcus (IG: @aubreymarcus) is the founder and CEO of Onnit, a lifestyle brand based on a holistic health philosophy he calls Total Human Optimization. Onnit is an Inc. 500 company and an industry leader with products touching millions of lives, including many top professional athletes around the world.
Aubrey currently hosts The Aubrey Marcus Podcast, a motivational destination for conversations with the brightest minds in athletics, business, science, relationships and spirituality with over 10 million downloads on iTunes. Aubrey regularly provides commentary to outlets like Entrepreneur, Forbes, The Doctors, and The Joe Rogan Experience.
He has been featured on the cover of Men’s Health, and his newest (and first!) book is Own The Day, Own Your Life from HarperCollins. Enjoy!
Own the Day, Own Your Life - Aubrey Marcus
https://rss.art19.com/episodes/e3583478-ff98-48e4-9d71-5a33b3c6d359.mp3Download
Listen to it on iTunes.
Stream by clicking here.
Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as.”
Want to hear another episode about spirituality, happiness, and mindfulness? — Listen to this episode with Sharon Salzberg (stream below or right-click here to download):
Sharon Salzberg, World-Renowned Meditation Teacherhttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/505397f9-8b1b-4747-b509-06cb97ab28f5.mp3Download
This episode is brought to you by Peloton, which has become a staple of my daily routine. I picked up this bike after seeing the success of my friend Kevin Rose, and I’ve been enjoying it more than I ever imagined. Peloton is an indoor cycling bike that brings live studio classes right to your home. No worrying about fitting classes into your busy schedule or making it to a studio with a crazy commute.
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QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.
Scroll below for links and show notes…
Selected Links from the Episode
Connect with Aubrey Marcus:
Website | Podcast | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Own the Day, Own Your Life: Optimized Practices for Waking, Working, Learning, Eating, Training, Playing, Sleeping, and Sex by Aubrey Marcus
Onnit
Ecstacy dance playlist
What Is a Vision Quest and Why Do One? by Maddisen K. Krown, HuffPost
The Psychedelic Explorer’s Guide — Risks, Micro-Dosing, Ibogaine, and More
Onnit Alpha Brain
Bulletproof Coffee
The Joe Rogan Experience
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Moby Dick by Herman Melville
Books by Carlos Castaneda
The Toltec Art of Life and Death: Living Your Life as a Work of Art by Don Miguel Ruiz and Barbara Emrys
The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Don Miguel Ruiz
The Mastery of Love: A Practical Guide to the Art of Relationship by Don Miguel Ruiz
Island by Aldous Huxley
Sex at Dawn: How We Mate, Why We Stray, and What It Means for Modern Relationships by Christopher Ryan and Cacilda Jetha
Aubrey Marcus Gets Real about His Open Relationship by Ashley Uzer, Galore
Sam Harris’ Waking Up App
The Healing Practice of Ecstatic Dance by Ian Faulkner, Elephant Journal
Grof’s Basic Perinatal Matrices
Music by Lindsey Stirling
Beats Antique
A Tribe Called Red
Porangui
Sleep: The Myth of 8 Hours, the Power of Naps, and the New Plan to Recharge Your Body and Mind by Nick Littlehales
Show Notes
Is Austin past its prime or just getting better? [06:57]
When was the last time Aubrey cried tears of joy? [09:02]
How did a vision quest help Aubrey shift gears and stop being miserable? [12:09]
If Aubrey someday has kids, would he encourage a similar rite of passage for them? [17:19]
Which element does Aubrey feel contributed most heavily to his vision quest experience: psychedelics, ceremony, or guidance? [18:41]
When he was younger, what did Aubrey want to be when he grew up? [20:38]
What projects did Aubrey try that didn’t quite work out? [21:25]
What is Onnit, and what about it is Aubrey most proud of? [23:10]
How many people does Onnit now employ, and how much has the company grown since it started in 2010? [24:39]
Aubrey talks about the complicated relationship with his father and how it affected his relationships with others. [26:53]
Learning what causes our own trauma allows us to help others overcome theirs. [34:24]
When was the first time Aubrey felt successful? [37:13]
How did Aubrey become business partners with Joe Rogan? [40:46]
Influential books. [47:55]
Aubrey’s guidelines for exploring open relationships. [52:40]
Failures that set the stage for later success. [54:20]
What’s Aubrey’s pattern interrupt for anger management? [56:40]
What would Aubrey’s billboard say? [1:01:27]
Tools for a more fulfilling life. [1:02:44]
The music Aubrey uses for ecstatic dance. [1:07:10]
On getting comfortable with discomfort. [1:13:05]
Aubrey gives us a preview of what we can expect from his book Own the Day, Own Your Life. [1:13:59]
What advice would Aubrey give his younger self? [1:18:08]
Parting thoughts and a term of cannibal affection. [1:21:00]
People Mentioned
Jerzy Gregorek
Michael Hebb
Stan Grof
Michael Marcus
Genghis Khan
Caitlyn Howe
Bode Miller
Ram Dass
Kyle Kingsbury
William Wallace
Joe Rogan
Alice Little
Carlos Castaneda
Don Miguel Ruiz
Aldous Huxley
Whitney Miller
Duncan Trussell
Wim Hof
Sam Harris
Lindsey Stirling
Neale Donald Walsch
Jim Rohn
Nick Littlehales
March 8, 2018
Joe Gebbia — Co-Founder of Airbnb
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“Anything I come across that feels impossible, I probably need to take a second look.”
– Joe Gebbia
Joe Gebbia (@jgebbia) is a designer, entrepreneur, and global explorer. He is the co-founder and CPO of Airbnb, which has changed the way the world travels and how people connect in more than 190 countries.
In this wide-ranging and hilarious interview, Joe shares the decisions, hardship, failures, and successes that prepared him for Airbnb.
Enjoy!
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Joe Gebbia -- Co-Founder of Airbnb
https://rss.art19.com/episodes/11e79eb4-52eb-4b06-b114-23ac7961924d.mp3Download
Listen to it on iTunes.
Stream by clicking here.
Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as.”
Want to hear another episode with a fascinating leader? Listen to my conversation with Ray Dalio. We discuss how Ray thinks about investment decisions, the three books he would give to every graduating high school or college senior, how he might assess cryptocurrency, and much, much more (stream below or right-click here to download):
#264: Ray Dalio, The Steve Jobs of Investinghttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/12871ab9-f085-4f1e-83db-7b088c4a2d92.mp3Download
This episode is brought to you by Athletic Greens. I get asked all the time, “If you could only use one supplement, what would it be?” My answer is, inevitably, Athletic Greens. It is my all-in-one nutritional insurance. I recommended it in The 4-Hour Body and did not get paid to do so. As a listener of The Tim Ferriss Show, you’ll get 30 percent off your first order at AthleticGreens.com/Tim.
This episode is also brought to you by LegalZoom. I’ve used this service for many of my businesses, as have quite a few of the icons on this podcast — such as Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg of WordPress fame.
LegalZoom is a reliable resource that more than a million people have already trusted for everything from setting up wills, proper trademark searches, forming LLCs, setting up non-profits, or finding simple cease-and-desist letter templates.
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QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.
Scroll below for links and show notes…
Selected Links from the Episode
Connect with Joe Gebbia:
Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Airbnb
CritBuns
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Ultimate Collection, Vol. 1 by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird
Date with Destiny
IMG Academy Bollettieri Tennis
Open: An Autobiography by Andre Agassi
Atlanta College of Art
Rhode Island School of Design (RISD)
26 Of The Most Epic Senior Pranks Of All Time, BuzzFeed
Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2 by Pink Floyd
School’s Out by Alice Cooper
High School Stories: Scandals, Pranks, and Controversies
Gerrit Rietveld at MoMA
Clark University
The Story of Scrotie, the College Sports Mascot Who Was a Dick and Balls, The Ball Report
Critbuns Keeping My Ass In Check by Lisa Katayama, Wired
designboom
How the Ubiquitous Foam Finger Reveals the True Nature of American Entrepreneurship by Jeff Spross, The Week
Virtual Tour of Rhode Island’s Central Landfill
Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things by Michael Braungart and William McDonough
Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution by Paul Hawken and Amory Lovins
GreenBox and Product NutritionLabel, Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum
Chronicle Books
Playboy: The Complete Centerfolds by Hugh Hefner
The Ferry Plaza Farmers Market
PechaKucha
SXSW Conference
Brian Chesky: I Lived on Cap’n McCain’s and Obama O’s Got AirbnB out of Debt by Michael Carney, Pando
All Marketers are Liars: The Underground Classic That Explains How Marketing Really Works — and Why Authenticity Is the Best Marketing of All by Seth Godin
Purple Cow, New Edition: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable by Seth Godin
Field of Dreams
Show Notes
How did Joe’s first business venture get him into trouble? [02:09]
How did Joe wind up being raised in the rural deep south? [04:47]
What sparked Joe’s entrepreneurial curiosity? [05:30]
What did Joe’s parents teach him about connecting with others and going above and beyond to be of service? [07:00]
How Joe’s parents learned to support his interests the hard way. [11:55]
Joe talks about some of his other early entrepreneurial exploits. [14:07]
From a high school perspective, what did Joe want to be when he grew up? [16:44]
On getting into the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). Was it the environment or the medium that helped him excel? [18:05]
How Joe rose to the challenge of outdoing a legendary senior prank at his high school. [20:32]
Why has Joe seen Michael Jordan naked? [45:19]
What source does Joe credit for his intuition to go beyond expectations? [1:08:29]
How founding a basketball team at RISD was like running a startup. [1:15:38]
We’ve talked about balls. Let’s talk about buns — CritBuns. [1:22:50]
A rejection equation: SW2 + WC = MO (Some will love it, some won’t + who cares? = move mn) AKA “Keep going until you find the people who do love your idea.” [1:33:56]
The goal Joe set for CritBuns that would represent the pinnacle of achievement — and how he reached it. [1:38:52]
What happened when Joe took CritBuns to Japan? [1:47:03]
On pitching to Billy Mays. [1:51:35]
What was the turning point that made Joe pivot away from building a CritBuns empire? [1:53:20]
On starting a digital service during the revenue-light Web 2.0 years. [2:02:03]
How a rent crisis prompted the birth of Airbnb. [2:05:49]
Mixed reactions to the initial Airbnb concept, an unsuccessful SXSW launch, and the company’s evolution into something bigger. [2:18:27]
A more successful relaunch during the Obama vs. McCain campaign. [2:23:31]
Closing thoughts on reframing rejection into an invitation, and the small adjustments that can turn a failing idea into a successful one. [2:30:14]
People Mentioned
Joe Gebbia, Sr.
Eileen Gebbia
Tony Robbins
Jim Loehr
Lorenzo Beltrame
Nick Bollettieri
Andre Agassi
Thelonious Monk
Dave Brubeck
Kim Gebbia Chappell
Mark Isenhour
Michael Jordan
Chris Tucker
Marcus Camby
Lenny Wilkens
Dikembe Mutombo
Steve Smith
Scottie Pippen
Steve Kerr
Dennis Rodman
Phil Jackson
Gareth Jones
Henry Moore
Frank Lloyd Wright
Gerrit Rietveld
Rosanne Somerson
Alexis Ohanian
Gerald Fauss
Billy Mays
Charles and Ray Eames
Brian Chesky
Amol Surve
Nathan Blecharczyk
Barack Obama
John McCain
Errol Barnett
Seth Godin
Elon Musk
March 5, 2018
Jack Kornfield – Finding Freedom, Love, and Joy in the Present
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“Hatred never ceases by hatred, but by love alone is healed. This is the ancient and eternal law.”
– Jack Kornfield
Jack Kornfield (@JackKornfield) trained as a Buddhist monk in the monasteries of Thailand, India, and Burma, shortly thereafter becoming one of the key teachers to introduce Buddhist mindfulness practice to the West. He has taught meditation internationally since 1974.
Jack has had a profound and direct impact on my life, and I’m thrilled to finally have him on the podcast to share our history, his incredible stories, and practical tactics and techniques that you can use.
Jack co-founded the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, with fellow meditation teachers Sharon Salzberg and Joseph Goldstein and the Spirit Rock Center in Woodacre, California. He holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and is a father, husband, and activist.
Jack’s books have been translated into 20 languages and sold more than a million copies, including The Wise Heart, A Lamp in the Darkness, A Path with Heart, After the Ecstasy, the Laundry (one of my favorite book titles of all time), and his most recent, No Time Like the Present: Finding Freedom, Love, and Joy Right Where You Are.
Enjoy!
Jack Kornfield - Finding Freedom, Love, and Joy in the Present
https://rss.art19.com/episodes/f6381ff7-2f63-46c0-a888-052337df33f5.mp3Download
Listen to it on iTunes.
Stream by clicking here.
Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as.”
Want to hear another episode about meditation and mindfulness? — Listen to this episode with Sharon Salzberg (stream below or right-click here to download):
Sharon Salzberg, World-Renowned Meditation Teacherhttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/505397f9-8b1b-4747-b509-06cb97ab28f5.mp3Download
This podcast is brought to you by Four Sigmatic. While I often praise this company’s lion’s mane mushroom coffee for a minimal caffeine wakeup call that lasts, I asked the founders if they could help me — someone who’s struggled with insomnia for decades — improve my sleep. Their answer: Reishi Mushroom Elixir. They made a special batch for me and my listeners that comes without sweetener; you can try it at bedtime with a little honey or nut milk, or you can just add hot water to your single-serving packet and embrace its bitterness like I do.
Try it right now by going to foursigmatic.com/ferriss and using the code Ferriss to get 20 percent off this rare, limited run of Reishi Mushroom Elixir. If you are in the experimental mindset, I do not think you’ll be disappointed.
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QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.
Scroll below for links and show notes…
Selected Links from the Episode
Connect with Jack Kornfield:
Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Spirit Rock — An Insight Meditation Center
The Wise Heart: A Guide to the Universal Teachings of Buddhist Psychology by Jack Kornfield
A Lamp in the Darkness: Illuminating the Path Through Difficult Times by Jack Kornfield
A Path with Heart: A Guide Through the Perils and Promises of Spiritual Life by Jack Kornfield
After the Ecstasy, the Laundry: How the Heart Grows Wise on the Spiritual Path by Jack Kornfield
No Time Like the Present: Finding Freedom, Love, and Joy Right Where You Are by Jack Kornfield
Tandem Paragliding in Grindelwald
Psychedelics: Help or Hindrance? by Allan Hunt Badiner, Tricycle
Be Here Now by Ram Dass
Psilocybin: A Journey Beyond the Fear of Death? by Richard Schiffman, Scientific American
Buddhist Wheel of Life by Diana St. Ruth, Buddhism Now
Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ by Daniel Goleman
Esalen
Gestalt Practice
Vultures and Charnel Grounds — East and West, Vajratool
What Is the Concept of Samadhi?
Why the World Should Not Forget Khmer Rouge and the Killing Fields of Cambodia by Adam Taylor, The Washington Post
The Sound of One Hand Clapping: 281 Zen Koans with Answers by Yoel Hoffman
The Brain: The Mystery of Consciousness by Steven Pinker, Time Magazine
Mind: A Journey to the Heart of Being Human by Daniel J. Siegel M.D.
U.K. Appoints a Minister for Loneliness by Ceylan Yeginsujan, The New York Times
MediTrain
A Meditation on Lovingkindness by Jack Kornfield
Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness by Sharon Salzberg
The Telomere Effect: A Revolutionary Approach to Living Younger, Healthier, Longer by Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn and Dr. Elissa Epel
Meditations at Jack’s site
Jack’s programs at Sounds True
First White House Buddhist Leadership Conference by Jack Kornfield
CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning)
The Magic of Mindfulness: Complain Less, Appreciate More, and Live a Better Life
Mindfulness Daily with Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield
The Power of Awareness with Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield
The Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program with Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach
Guided Meditation with Jack Kornfield
The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World by Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu
Mosaic Voices
Cu Chulainn: An Iron Age Hero by Daragh Smyth
Restrepo
Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging by Sebastian Junger
The Water of Life: Initiation and the Tempering of the Soul by Michael Meade
The Art of Forgiveness, Lovingkindness, and Peace by Jack Kornfield
The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined by Steven Pinker
Bury the Chains: Prophets and Rebels in the Fight to Free an Empire’s Slaves by Adam Hochschild
Show Notes
What’s Jack’s connection with hang gliding and paragliding? [08:49]
Now 72, Jack recalls his childhood, a brilliant but abusive father, and becoming the peacemaker in his family. [11:51]
“If you’re going to be angry, do it right.” [18:18]
Why did Jack make the transition from pre-med to Asian studies at Dartmouth? [20:50]
The journey from card-carrying hippie to Buddhist monk. [22:32]
How did psychedelics influence Jack’s spiritual path, and what’s his stance on them today? [24:27]
Who is Stanislav Grof, and when did Jack meet him? [34:35]
How did Jack manage to find and study under Ajahn Chah? [38:55]
What did Jack’s rookie monk training in Thailand look like, and what suffering did he find there that was most difficult to endure? [42:53]
On periods of long silence and out-of-body experiences. [50:37]
Mystical experiences are not always pleasant. [53:45]
We talk about my own experience at Spirit Rock. [56:48]
While in Thailand and Burma, did Jack ever come close to quitting his training and going home? [57:52]
“Hatred never ceases by hatred, but by love alone is healed. This is the ancient and eternal law.” [1:03:02]
What advice would Jack have for people with multiple “real life” responsibilities who find it hard to take off long periods of time required for deep inner work? [1:08:40]
How does compassion differ from empathy? [1:22:24]
How might technology help us develop and harness compassion? [1:27:14]
Jack explains lovingkindness meditation and why it’s often effective for Westerners who have trouble with other forms of meditation (like me). [1:28:27]
On attending the First White House Buddhist Leadership Conference and the mission of CASEL. [1:38:04]
How a busy or impatient person might get hooked on mindfulness practice, and why love is a superpower. [1:41:53]
What does Jack recommend for people who have derailed from their path of self-discovery and need to find the way back? [2:04:08]
Sometimes what might seem like a derailment is just another form of communication required for the time at hand. [2:09:29]
What self-talk might someone employ when potentially inappropriate anger begins to surface? [2:11:48]
After his training abroad, what made Jack return to the United States to study clinical psychology? [2:24:53]
How does Jack use forgiveness to help veterans, gang kids, and others trying to cope with often horrific experiences? [2:29:53]
An ancient story about a warrior returning home and why community support beats community apathy. [2:34:08]
Does Jack feel there are problems caused by lack of significant initiation rituals in modern society? [2:39:00]
Which book of his would Jack recommend for a newcomer to his work? [2:44:22]
What would Jack’s billboard say? [2:49:05]
Parting thoughts. [2:50:28]
People Mention
Alice Walker
Sharon Salzberg
Joseph Goldstein
Adam Gazzaley
The Kornfield Brothers
Ajahn Chah
Gautama Buddha
Wing-tsit Chan
Trudy Goodman
Ram Dass
Roland R. Griffiths
Sam Harris
Richard Dawkins
Stanislav Grof
Daniel Goleman
David McClelland
Timothy Leary
Jiddu Krishnamurti
Richard Davidson
John C. Lilly
Joan Halifax
Ajahn Sumano
Anne LaMott
Maha Ghosananda
Dalai Lama
Jack Dorsey
Jesus
Daniel J. Siegel
Elizabeth Blackburn
Elissa Epel
Tara Brach
George Mumford
Chade-Meng Tan
Maya Angelou
Martin Luther King Jr.
Wes Nisker
Gary Snyder
Albert Einstein
B.J. Fogg
Esta Gallant Kornfield
Desmond Tutu
Omar Bradley
Taigu Ryokan
Jigoro Kano
Bill Ford
Michael Meade
Luis Rodriguez
C˙ Chulainn
Sebastian Junger
Pablo Neruda
Steven Pinker
Thomas Clarkson
February 28, 2018
How to Secure Financial Freedom, Maximize Productivity, and Protect Your Health
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In this episode, I answer the most up-voted questions from subscribers to 5-Bullet Friday, the free newsletter I send out every week.
In this Q&A, I reveal:
The five health markers I check and watch regularly.
Strategies to prevent or minimize binge eating during times of stress.
The most valuable skills for securing financial freedom.
My philospophy on having children.
Productivity advice
And much, much more.
Want to ask me your own questions? Just subscribe to 5-Bullet Friday, which — every Friday — sends five bullet points of cool things I’ve found that week, including apps, books, gadgets, albums, articles, new hacks or tricks, and — of course — all sorts of weird stuff I dig up around the world. It’s free, it’s always going to be free, and you can check it out here: tim.blog/friday.
Enjoy!
How to Secure Financial Freedom, Maximize Productivity, and Protect Your Health
https://rss.art19.com/episodes/61dc128f-e1ad-4891-8733-adf59789951a.mp3Download
Listen to it on iTunes.
Stream by clicking here.
Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as.”
Want to hear another Q&A episode? — Listen to this episode where I discuss the Myer’s-Briggs personality test, diet mistakes, immortality, and much, much more (stream below or right-click here to download):
#250: Myers-Briggs, Diet Mistakes, and Immortalityhttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/8698b2f3-ee5a-401c-a607-78a58d80dc45.mp3Download
This episode is brought to you by LegalZoom. I’ve used this service for many of my businesses, as have quite a few of the icons on this podcast — such as Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg of WordPress fame.
LegalZoom is a reliable resource that more than a million people have already trusted for everything from setting up wills, proper trademark searches, forming LLCs, setting up non-profits, or finding simple cease-and-desist letter templates.
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Whether for personal use or business, you’re in good company with WordPress — used by The New Yorker, Jay-Z, FiveThirtyEight, TechCrunch, TED, CNN, and Time, just to name a few. A source at Google told me that WordPress offers “the best out-of-the-box SEO imaginable,” which is probably why it runs nearly 30% of the Internet. Go to WordPress.com/Tim to get 15% off your website today!
QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.
Scroll below for links and show notes…
Selected Links from the Episode
Subscribe to 5-Bullet Friday:
Episodes featuring Dr. Peter Attia
How to Lose 100 Pounds on The Slow-Carb Diet by Tim Ferriss
Tribe of Mentors by Timothy Ferriss
Waking Up App Beta Test conversation on Reddit
The Tail End by Tim Urban, Wait But Why
Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport
Vipassana Meditation
Patagonia Classic Retro-X Vest
Datsusara Hemp Gear
Due North Foot Rubz Foot Hand and Back Massage Ball
Black Diamond Head Lamps
TheraZinc Spray
Melatonin
VooDoo Floss Bands
The Five-Minute Journal
The Artist’s Way Morning Pages Journal by Julia Cameron
Mack’s Pillow Soft Silicone Earplugs
Sleep Master Sleep Mask
37-in-1 Wallet Multitool Card
SureFire Tactical Flashlights
Paracord Bracelets
Starting a Fire with a Paracord Bow Drill
Tim Ferriss Experiment Urban Evasion and Escape
Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not! by Robert T. Kiyosaki
Rich Dad’s Cashflow Quadrant
The Psychology of Automation: Building a Bulletproof Personal Finance System by Ramit Sethi
ABCs Of Investing: Alpha, Beta, And Correlation by Rob Russell, Forbes
Unshakeable: Your Financial Freedom Playbook by Tony Robbins
MONEY Master the Game: 7 Simple Steps to Financial Freedom by Tony Robbins
An Essay on Ben Graham’s “Mr. Market” by Warren Buffett
How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie
Fear-Setting: The Most Valuable Exercise I Do Every Month
Myers Briggs Personality Types
Toastmasters International
Discipline Equals Freedom: Field Manual by Jocko Willink
Less Is More: An Anthology of Ancient & Modern Voices Raised in Praise of Simplicity by Goldian VandenBroeck
The Essential Rumi by Jalal al-Din Rumi
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Musashi: An Epic Novel of the Samurai Era by Eiji Yoshikawa and Charles Terry
The Book of Laughter and Forgetting by Milan Kundera
Principles: Life and Work by Ray Dalio
Go Set with Reversible Bamboo Board
Majesty Surfacing by Paul Nicklen
New Research and a Dirty Truth: Read This Before Chasing the Dollar by Tim Ferriss
Understanding the Pareto Principle (The 80/20 Rule)
Tim Ferriss and Jimmy Do AcroYoga, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon
I talk about my 10-day silent retreat on 10% Happier with Dan Harris.
Spirit Rock — An Insight Meditation Center
Real Mind Control: The 21-Day No-Complaint Experiment
Show Notes
What are the top five health markers I check and watch regularly? [04:39]
How do I manage all of my contacts? [08:49]
Do I have any strategies to prevent or minimize binge eating during times of stress? [11:57]
What’s next now that my book (Tribe of Mentors) has launched? [16:12]
What do I keep on my person as my EDC (every day carry), and how do I carry it? [19:30]
What are the most valuable skills for securing financial freedom and being better with money? [23:44]
Do I have a philosophy about having children? [40:04]
I always ask guests what advice they would give to their younger selves. How might such advice differ given to a 40-year-old? [43:46]
Should introverts become more extroverted or just embrace their introverted tendencies? [45:37]
How do I arrange my home’s interior to optimize my mental state and effectiveness? [48:04]
Productivity advice for ambitious people who eschew the daily grind of routines. [51:26]
How am I enjoying life in Austin? [53:26]
What questions should a person ask themselves to determine their “where” of happiness? [54:09]
If I could only record one more podcast, who — living or dead — would I interview? [57:01]
What are the pros and cons of a silent retreat? [57:54]
Why have I not illustrated or sketched in my books? [1:02:06]
Here’s a 21-day no complaint experiment we can all tackle together. [1:03:30]
People Mentioned
Peter Attia
Dominic D’Agostino
Kathy Sierra
Gretchen Rubin
Tim O’Reilly
Sam Harris
Tim Urban
Cal Newport
Amelia Boone
Art De Vany
Kelly Starrett
Kevin Reeve
Dave Ramsey
Robert T. Kiyosaki
Ramit Sethi
John D. Rockefeller
Warren Buffet
Charlie Munger
Paul Tudor Jones
Tony Robbins
Richard Branson
Naval Ravikant
Mike Maples, Jr.
Jerzy Gregorek
Charles Darwin
P.T. Barnum
Steve Jobs
Matt Mullenweg
Jocko Willink
Miyamoto Musashi
Milan Kundera
Ray Dalio
Paul Nicklen
Cristina Mittermeier
W.H. Auden
Jimmy Fallon
Dan Harris
Jack Kornfield
February 20, 2018
Dr. Gabor Maté — New Paradigms, Ayahuasca, and Redefining Addiction
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“Trauma isn’t what happens to you, it’s what happens inside you.”
– Gabor Maté
Dr. Gabor Maté (@drmate) is a physician who specializes in neurology, psychiatry, and psychology. He’s well known for studying and treating addiction.
Dr. Maté has written several books, including the award-winning In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction. His work has been published internationally in 20 languages, and he’s received the Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize; an Honorary Degree (Law) from the University of Northern British Columbia; an Outstanding Alumnus Award from Simon Fraser University; and the 2012 Martin Luther King Humanitarian Award from Mothers Against Teen Violence. He is an adjunct professor in the Faculty of Criminology, Simon Fraser University.
I’ve wanted to invite Dr. Maté to this podcast for a while because he is not only an expert in the pathologies of addiction, but he’s experimented with — and used successfully — tools that are perhaps outside the realm of traditional psychiatry. He is also a co-founder, along with Vicky Dulai, of Compassion for Addiction, a group that advocates for a new way to understand and treat addiction.
Enjoy![image error] [image error]
Dr. Gabor Maté - New Paradigms, Ayahuasca, and Redefining Addiction
https://rss.art19.com/episodes/a0c1eace-43ca-4a95-8076-0f33ab872641.mp3Download
Listen to it on iTunes.
Stream by clicking here.
Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as”.
Want to hear more about alternative medicine? Check out my conversations with James Fadiman, Ph.D. In the below episode, we discuss LSD and micro-dosing for creative problem solving, anxiety reduction, and more (stream below or right-click here to download):
Ep 66: The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide - Risks, Micro-Dosing, Ibogaine, and Morehttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/ae1b609a-106c-486e-a62b-2f4b410b33da.mp3Download
This podcast is brought to you by Ascent Protein, the only US-based company that offers native proteins — both whey and micellar casein — directly to the consumer for improved muscle health and performance. Because the product is sourced from Ascent’s parent company, Leprino Foods — the largest producer of mozzarella cheese in the world — it’s entirely free of artificial ingredients and completely bypasses the bleaching process common to most other whey products on the market.
If you want cleaner, more pure, less processed protein — which I certainly do — go to ascentprotein.com/tim for 20 percent off your entire order! I’m a big fan of all of their flavors — the chocolate, vanilla, and even their newest option, cappuccino. Enjoy!
This podcast is also brought to you by 99Designs, the world’s largest marketplace of graphic designers. I have used them for years to create some amazing designs. When your business needs a logo, website design, business card, or anything you can imagine, check out 99Designs.
I used them to rapid prototype the cover for The Tao of Seneca, and I’ve also had them help with display advertising and illustrations. If you want a more personalized approach, I recommend their 1-on-1 service. You get original designs from designers around the world. The best part? You provide your feedback, and then you end up with a product that you’re happy with or your money back. Click this link and get a free $99 upgrade. Give it a test run…
QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.
Scroll below for links and show notes…
Enjoy!
Selected Links from the Episode
Connect with Gabor Maté:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube
In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction by Gabor Maté
Compassion for Addiction
LZR
Tribe of Mentors: Short Life Advice from the Best in the World by Timothy Ferriss
The Scourge of the Swastika: A History of Nazi War Crimes During World War II by E.F.L. Russell
Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne
Goodbye Christopher Robin
The Drama of the Gifted Child: The Search for the True Self by Alice Miller
Psychoanalytic Theory
Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes
The Dhammapada by Anonymous
What Is Palliative Care?
American Society of Addiction Medicine
Ephedrine
An Integrated Scientific Framework for Child Survival and Early Childhood Development by Jack P. Shonkoff, Linda Richter, Jacques van der Gaag, Zulfiqar A. Bhutta
Temper Trap: The Genetics of Aggression and Self-Control by Tom Denson, The Conversation
Take the ACE (Adverse Childhood Experiences) Quiz — and Learn What It Does and Doesn’t Mean by Laura Starecheski, NPR
The Drug of Choice for the Age of Kale (Ayahuasca) by Ariel Levy, The New Yorker
Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness by Sharon Salzberg
Compassionate Inquiry with Dr. Gabor Maté
Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma by Peter A. Levine and Ann Frederick
Peter Levine on Trauma Healing: A Somatic Approach by Victor Yalom and Marie-Helene Yalom
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
Emotional Freedom Techniques
Sensory Integration Therapy
Yoga
Inner Engineering
Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS)
Heffter Research Institute
Usona Institute
Alcoholics Anonymous
Kumare
The Gift of Fear and Other Survival Signals that Protect Us From Violence by Gavin de Becker
Any Way You Want Me (That’s How I Will Be) by Elvis Presley
Vipassana Meditation
Date with Destiny
Spirit Rock — An Insight Meditation Center
Glossary of Spiritual Wisdom by A.H. Almaas
In Your Mind by Johnny Cash
Scattered: How Attention Deficit Disorder Originates and What You Can Do About It by Gabor Maté
Hold On to Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More Than Peers by Gordon Neufeld and Gabor Maté M.D.
Show Notes
Gabor shares his family history and how it motivated him to understand people as a medical doctor. [09:58]
On influential books and gaining, rather than losing, something in translation. [14:06]
The link between sensitivity, pain, and creativity. [21:33]
How does Gabor start helping someone who’s outwardly successful but inwardly tortured? [24:31]
When did Gabor’s interest in medicine begin? [29:58]
How did Gabor end up working in palliative care? [33:49]
How did Gabor start focusing on his work with addiction? [36:29]
What nontraditional methods did Gabor use that raised eyebrows and got him fired, which opened opportunities he couldn’t have foreseen? [37:10]
How does Gabor define addiction, and how is it at odds with other definitions? [39:16]
What prompted my high school drug addiction? [41:32]
How a coping mechanism becomes the root of addiction. [47:39]
Looking at the causes of addiction instead of the consequences. [52:10]
To what extent do genetics play a role in addiction? [1:01:56]
What do the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) studies tell us about the nature of addiction? [1:04:50]
How I’ve used loving kindness meditation to shed certain behaviors. [1:07:17]
Once Gabor identifies why an addiction exists, what’s the next step? [1:11:37]
Recommendations for someone looking to reconnect with themselves. [1:14:34]
After a lifetime of believing himself unaffected by the benefits of yoga, what kind of yoga has Gabor recently started practicing with great success? [1:18:42]
How did Gabor begin researching the therapeutic value of psychedelics? What was revealed by his first experience with ayahuasca? [1:20:56]
The right way and the wrong way to experience ayahuasca. [1:26:46]
Where can people learn more about current scientific studies into the therapeutic benefits of psychedelics? [1:30:40]
An important caveat about powerful tools and exploitative gurus. [1:35:05]
How I’ve been trying to reconnect with myself and my own gut feelings. [1:38:29]
Why we shut down our gut feelings. [1:41:14]
Elvis Presley’s lack of love song. [1:45:55]
Some powerful modalities aren’t for everyone. [1:47:26]
How did humans discover ayahuasca? How might it differ from place to place? [1:49:17]
Gabor’s pre- and post-ayahuasca practices. [1:53:14]
The importance of integrating by sharing our powerful experiences with others. [1:59:41]
The clear intention you set is not the same as an expectation. “The task which hinders your task is your task.” [2:01:20]
How can we view such a task as a gift? [2:05:07]
An exercise for understanding how we respond not to what happens but to our perception of what happens. [2:07:18]
Why blaming others for our problems turns us into victims, while identifying ourselves as the source of those problems is empowering. [2:14:01]
What Gabor’s books are about and where he and his work can be found. [2:19:25]
The problem with the way the United States deals with trauma. [2:24:47]
Parting thoughts. [2:27:05]
PEOPLE MENTIONED
Vicky Dulai
John Price
Christopher Robin Milne
A.A. Milne
Walt Disney
Alice Miller
Sigmund Freud
Prince
Elvis Presley
Marilyn Monroe
Gautama Buddha
Donald Trump
George Sarlo
Tony Robbins
Vincent Felitti
Chade-Meng Tan
Jack Kornfield
Peter Levine
Sadhguru
Rick Doblin
William Griffith Wilson
Joe Gebbia
Marc Benioff
A.H. Almaas
Robert Rodriguez
Johnny Cash
Ramana Maharshi
Bettina Goering
Hermann Goering
Gordon Neufeld
February 14, 2018
Bob Metcalfe — The Man (and Lessons) Behind Ethernet, Metcalfe’s Law, and More
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“Never fire anybody alone.”
-Bob Metcalfe
Bob Metcalfe (@BobMetcalfe) is an MIT-Harvard-trained engineer-entrepreneur who became an Internet pioneer in 1970, invented Ethernet in 1973, and founded 3Com Corporation in 1979. About 1.2B Ethernet ports were shipped last year — 400M wired and 800M wireless (Wi-Fi).
3Com went public in 1984, peaked at $5.7B in annual sales in 1999, and after 30 years became part of HP last year. Bob was a publisher-pundit for IDG-InfoWorld for about 10 years and a venture capitalist for about 10 years with Polaris Venture Partners, where he continues as a Venture Partner.
Bob is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and a recipient of the National Medal of Technology.
In this conversation, we talk about everything from how he toasts when drinking with friends, how he learned to recruit and fire, what he does to scale businesses, different approaches to talent evaluation, critical decisions and mistakes made, and much more. Please enjoy!
Bob Metcalfe -- The Man (and Lessons) Behind Ethernet, Metcalfe's Law, and More
https://rss.art19.com/episodes/2038d7c8-6170-4c27-835b-59ccaefa635a.mp3
Listen to it on iTunes.
Stream by clicking here.
Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as.”
Want to hear another conversation with a fascinating polymath? Listen to this episode with Kevin Kelly, in which we discuss population implosions, The Long Now Foundation, organizational methods for learning, and much more? — Listen to them here (stream below or right-click to download part 1 | part 2 | part 3):
Ep 25: Kevin Kelly - WIRED Co-Founder, Polymath, Most Interesting Man In The Worldhttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/6f89ca68-cfff-4e64-9230-ea3bcdcad3cf.mp3
Ep 26: Kevin Kelly (Part 2) - WIRED Co-Founder, Polymath, Most Interesting Man In The World?https://rss.art19.com/episodes/e77c8948-ef94-48a2-ab97-cb3c114ebb28.mp3
Ep 27: Kevin Kelly (Part 3) - WIRED Co-Founder, Polymath, Most Interesting Man In The World?https://rss.art19.com/episodes/29d135c2-52c2-4253-a7a1-4c084d6893d3.mp3
This episode is brought to you by WeWork. I haven’t had an office in almost two decades, but working from home and coffee shops isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be. When I moved to Austin, one of the first things I did was get a space at WeWork, and I could not be happier. It’s dog friendly and serves the best cold-brew coffee on tap I’ve ever had!
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New classes are added every day, and this includes options led by elite NYC instructors in your own living room. You can even live stream studio classes taught by the world’s best instructors, or find your favorite class on demand.
Peloton is offering listeners to this show a special offer. Visit onepeloton.com and enter the code TIM at checkout to receive $100 off accessories with your Peloton bike purchase. This is a great way to get in your workouts, or an incredible gift. Again, that’s onepeloton.com and enter the code TIM.
QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.
Scroll below for links and show notes…
Selected Links from the Episode
Connect with Bob Metcalfe:
May 22, 1973: Enter Ethernet by Randy Alfred, Wired
Luminiferous Aether
Texas Instruments SILENT 700 Series, Vintage Volts
ARPANET and the Origins of the Internet
Network Packet
Metcalfe’s Law
3Com
Toy Story
Network Effect
Metcalfe’s Law After 40 Years of Ethernet by Bob Metcalfe, Computer
Even Facebook Can’t Help You Have More Than 150 Real Friends by Abby Ohlheiser, The Washington Post
What’s the Origin Of “Ahoy?”, The Straight Dope
[Buffalo Bill’s] by E.E. Cummings
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
Tribe of Mentors: Short Life Advice from the Best in the World by Timothy Ferriss
The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins
Enthusiasm: the Secret to Happiness by Bob Metcalfe, Maine Boats
The Eisenhower Matrix
New Kid In Town by The Eagles
Robert Metcalfe Gets His National Medal of Technology and Innovation
Show Notes
Have I lived in Austin long enough to call myself an Austinite? [09:09]
What has Bob learned from tennis that applies elsewhere? [10:20]
What makes a good competitor? [12:48]
Has Bob always had the drive to compete, or was it something that developed over time? [15:30]
On playing doubles. [16:11]
How much time and energy did Bob spend developing strengths versus fixing weaknesses? [16:59]
What happened on May 22nd, 1973? [17:52]
How did the name “ethernet” come about? [18:47]
Why was ethernet’s conception such a game changer almost overnight? [20:07]
What led to Bob’s interest in electronic networks — and the roots of his animosity toward Harvard University? [21:49]
What is Metcalfe’s Law and when did it enter the picture? [28:54]
Why did Bob name his networking company 3Com, and what compelled him — as an engineer — to start a company in the first place? [34:21]
How did Bob get good enough at sales and marketing to take 3Com from zero to a million per month in revenue? [37:26]
Bob explains how operating ranges work. [42:41]
Why does Bob believe you should “never fire anybody alone?” [44:03]
Bob’s advice for anyone in the difficult position of having to fire or reassign somebody. [48:21]
Why does Bob consider “recruiting” a more accurate use of language for a company than “hiring?” [50:24]
What’s Bob’s playbook for effective recruitment? [52:15]
When recruiting at 3Com, how did Bob make his company attractive to candidates who had other options? [55:25]
The building blocks of credibility. [58:31]
Bob talks about Steve Jobs, a wedding, a flat tire, and high standards. [1:05:07]
“You are not obligated to change your mind just because you lose an argument.” -Butler Lampson [1:09:11]
A moment of gratitude from Steve Jobs. [1:11:03]
Common misunderstandings about Metcalfe’s Law and the network effect. [1:13:30]
On Facebook as “the Metcalfe’s Law company” that leverages the network effect. [1:17:10]
Bob talks about Dunbar’s Number and the limitations of close friendship. [1:19:00]
What is Bob’s go-to toast when he’s having a drink with friends? [1:24:16]
Bob talks about his summer camp and recites an E.E. Cummings poem he brings out when a friend passes away. [1:26:30]
Books most frequently gifted. [1:30:51]
As someone who admits a tendency to overcommit, how does Bob cope with feeling overwhelmed? [1:35:09]
How does Bob prioritize his commitments? [1:36:10]
The disadvantages of having a personal assistant. [1:38:24]
The disadvantages of answering email. [1:39:44]
What Bob has done to regain footing during tough times — like when Harvard rejected his PhD thesis. [1:40:57]
How di Bob overcome being rejected as CEO of his own company. [1:48:00]
What advice would Bob give to someone who faces similar adversity? [1:52:42]
For contrast, Bob shares one of his life’s high points. [1:57:39]
Parting thoughts on the American dream, capitalism, and our society’s perception of startups. [2:01:59]
People Mentioned
George Gilder
Steve Jobs
Bill Hewlett
Dave Packard
Robert Noyce
Bill Krause
Bob Finocchio
John Sculley
Marleen McDaniel
Debra Engel
Kyle Maynard
Bill Gates
Butler Lampson
Mark Zuckerberg
Sheryl Sandberg
Robin Dunbar
Alexander Graham Bell
Thomas Edison
E.E. Cummings
Ayn Rand
Dagny Taggart
Howard Roark
Richard Dawkins
Charles Darwin
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Robert Scoble
J.D. Souther
Bob Taylor
Dick Kramlich
Robyn Metcalfe
George W. Bush
February 10, 2018
How to Build Popular Podcasts and Blogs
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“Let the silence do the work.”
– Cal Fussman
Many of you have asked me about strategies for building a popular blog and podcast. I’ve covered some aspects of growing a podcast in a previous post, and then Mari Takahashi (@atomicmari) — a successful ballerina, gamer, and content creator — sent me some very good questions that I haven’t discussed before.
This episode goes into detail about how I’ve built the The Tim Ferriss Show into a podcast that has almost 300 million downloads, and how my blog receives between three and four million unique visitors per month.
There are certainly bigger podcasts and blogs, but I share how I’ve been able to grow both with only a couple full-time employees and a few part-time assistants. Enjoy!
How to Build Popular Podcasts and Blogs
https://rss.art19.com/episodes/8c8d3593-b42b-41bf-9f00-4f90f1465b75.mp3
Listen to it on iTunes.
Stream by clicking here.
Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as.”
Want to hear another solo episode where I answer your questions? Listen to this episode where I discuss how I would update The 4-Hour Workweek today. I discuss common questions and misperceptions, and how I would adjust certain chapters and recommendations. Listen to it here (stream below or right-click to download):
The 4-Hour Workweek Revisitedhttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/e0dafc3d-329b-4683-892f-578411090845.mp3
This podcast is brought to you by Four Sigmatic. While I often praise this company’s Lion’s Mane Mushroom Coffee, I asked the founders if they could help me improve my sleep. Their answer: Reishi Mushroom Elixir. They made a special batch for me and my listeners that comes without sweetener; you can try it at bedtime with a little honey or nut milk, or you can just add hot water to your single-serving packet and embrace its bitterness like I do.
Try it right now by going to foursigmatic.com/ferriss and using the code Ferriss to get 20 percent off this rare, limited run of Reishi Mushroom Elixir. If you are in the experimental mindset, I do not think you’ll be disappointed.
This podcast is also brought to you by FreshBooks. FreshBooks is the #1 cloud bookkeeping software, which is used by a ton of the start-ups I advise and many of the contractors I work with. It is the easiest way to send invoices, get paid, track your time, and track your clients.
FreshBooks tells you when your clients have viewed your invoices, helps you customize your invoices, track your hours, automatically organize your receipts, have late payment reminders sent automatically and much more.
Right now you can get a free month of complete and unrestricted use. You do not need a credit card for the trial. To claim your free month and see how the brand new Freshbooks can change your business, go to FreshBooks.com/Tim and enter “Tim Ferriss” in the “how did you hear about us” section.
QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.
Scroll below for links and show notes…
Selected Links from the Episode
Connect with Mari Takahashi:
Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube
Zoom H6 Six-Track Portable Recorder
XLR 3 Pin Microphone Cable (6 feet)
Shure KSM8/N Dualdyne Vocal Microphone
Shure SM58-LC Cardioid Vocal Microphone without Cable
Panasonic Eneloop Rechargable Batteries
Audio-Technica ATR2100-USB Cardioid Dynamic USB/XLR Microphone
Ecamm Call Recorder
Zencastr
Yellowtec: iXm
Skype
Built to Sell: Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You by John Warrillow
Tribe of Mentors Intro
The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Timothy Ferriss
How I Built a #1-Ranked Podcast With 60M+ Downloads
WordPress
99Designs
The 4-Hour Chef Official Trailer
Contextual Advertising
Native Advertising
Disclosure — The Full Monty
Wait But Why
Broken Windows Theory
Show Notes
What equipment do I use on the road; does it differ from what I use at home? [09:32]
How do I set myself — and my guest — up for a good interview? [14:08]
What does Cal Fussman mean when he says “Let the silence do the work?” [23:57]
Questions I’ve stopped asking in interviews. [25:32]
How far ahead do I bank content or episodes? [27:34]
Do I recommend seeking out a podcast network? What are the advantages and disadvantages of belonging to one? [30:15]
Different approaches to monetizing and ranking. [34:02]
Is it better to name a blog after oneself for recognition, or use a company name to reach a broader audience? [38:40]
What do I suggest for a blogging platform? [40:20]
Pointers for getting started blogging without worrying about it being perfect. [43:40]
What should be outsourced in the interest of saving time? [45:28]
How do I handle scheduling/automating social media or podcasts? [47:11]
How much revenue can you get from ads on your blog? [48:20]
Do users stay longer on a blog that has no advertisements? Is embedded affiliate income a better strategy to bring in revenue? [49:28]
At what point is it necessary to seek out guest editors to contribute to a blog? [51:05]
Are there any widgets I can’t live without? [52:37]
How do I handle comments? [53:20]
Final thoughts on what it really takes to build popular — and sustainable — podcasts and blogs. [55:11]
People Mentioned
Mari Takahashi
Bryan Callen
Brendan Schaub
James Lipton
Edward Norton
Terry Crews
Cal Fussman
Mikhail Gorbachev
George Clooney
Muhammad Ali
Derek Sivers
Elon Musk
Steve Jobs
Tony Robbins
Barack Obama
Brian Lam
Tim Urban
Seth Godin
February 2, 2018
The 4-Hour Workweek Revisited
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My first book, The 4-Hour Workweek, recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. Thousands of you have asked me how I would update it today — and many have asked why I haven’t updated it since 2009.
For this episode, I discuss common questions and misperceptions, and how I would adjust certain chapters and recommendations.
As always, thank you for listening!
The 4-Hour Workweek Revisited
https://rss.art19.com/episodes/e0dafc3d-329b-4683-892f-578411090845.mp3
Listen to it on iTunes.
Stream by clicking here.
Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as.”
Want to hear a conversation with a guest that has influenced the way I live my life? Listen to this episode with Tim Urban, in which we discuss the future, how to deal with procrastination, AI, and much much more. Listen to it here (stream below or right-click to download):
Managing Procrastination, Predicting the Future, and Finding Happiness - Tim Urbanhttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/f2d4392d-c8c5-4a41-9f18-392532e29098.mp3
This episode is brought to you by WeWork. I haven’t had an office in almost two decades, but working from home and coffee shops isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be. When I moved to Austin, one of the first things I did was get a space at WeWork, and I could not be happier.
WeWork is a global network of workspaces where companies and people grow together — in fact, more than ten percent of Fortune 500 companies use WeWork. The idea is simple: you focus on your business, and WeWork takes care of the rest — front desk service, utilities, refreshments, and more. WeWork now has more than 200 locations all over the world, so chances are good there’s one near you. Check out we.co/tim to become a part of the global WeWork community!
This podcast is also brought to you by Peloton, which has become a staple of my daily routine. I picked up this bike after seeing the success of my friend Kevin Rose, and I’ve been enjoying it more than I ever imagined. Peloton is an indoor cycling bike that brings live studio classes right to your home. No worrying about fitting classes into your busy schedule or making it to a studio with a crazy commute.
New classes are added every day, and this includes options led by elite NYC instructors in your own living room. You can even live stream studio classes taught by the world’s best instructors, or find your favorite class on demand.
Peloton is offering listeners to this show a special offer. Visit onepeloton.com and enter the code TIM at checkout to receive $100 off accessories with your Peloton bike purchase. This is a great way to get in your workouts or an incredible gift. Again, that’s onepeloton.com and enter the code TIM.
QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.
Scroll below for links and show notes…
Selected Links from the Episode
The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Timothy Ferriss
My Story
How to Live Like a Rock Star (or Tango Star) in Buenos Aires…
The Pareto Principle (80/20 Approach)
My Outsourced Life by AJ Jacobs
Filling the Void
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber
Built to Sell: Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You by John Warrillow
The 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat Loss, Incredible Sex and Becoming Superhuman by Timothy Ferriss
Add 100-LB to Your Deadlift in 5 Minutes by Tim Ferriss, Men’s Health
Tribe of Mentors: Short Life Advice from the Best in the World by Timothy Ferriss
The 4-Hour Chef: The Simple Path to Cooking Like a Pro, Learning Anything, and Living the Good Life by Timothy Ferriss
Stoicism Resources and Recommendations
The Tao of Seneca: Letters from a Stoic Master + On Groundless Fears (Letter 13)
Personal Power II: The Driving Force!
Fear-Setting: The Most Valuable Exercise I Do Every Month
Show Notes
After 10 years, why has The 4-Hour Workweek enjoyed such longevity? [08:11]
Why have I avoided making updates to the book in recent years? [13:27]
That being said, what chapters would I be most inclined to refresh? [20:39]
How can someone avoid being caught off guard by their own success? [30:31]
What would 40-year-old me tell 29-year-old me to expect from publishing my first book? [39:58]
How beginning this podcast helped me recover from a difficult time. [44:22]
Resilience is important because failure can happen at any point. How does someone practice resilience? [47:01]
How would I recommend approaching The 4-Hour Workweek for maximum impact? [55:07]
People Mentioned
Jean-Baptiste Say
Barry Ross
Pavel Tsatsouline
Marc Maron
Joe Rogan
Chris Hardwick
Seneca
Marcus Aurelius
Bill Belichick
George Washington
Thomas Jefferson
Tony Robbins
Warren Buffett
