Timothy Ferriss's Blog, page 71
December 27, 2017
Lessons from Bozoma Saint John — From Spike Lee to Uber, From Ghana to Silicon Valley
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“We spend far too much time complaining about the way things are and forget that we have the power to change anything and everything.”
– Bozoma Saint John
Bozoma Saint John (@badassboz) is the Chief Brand Officer at Uber. Until June 2017, she was a marketing executive at Apple Music after joining the company in its acquisition of Beats Music.
In 2016, Billboard named her Female Executive of the Year, she appeared on Fortune’s 40 under 40, and Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People.
Bozoma was featured in Tribe of Mentors, but this conversation covers topics that go far beyond what was covered in the book. Enjoy!
Lessons from Bozoma Saint John -- From Spike Lee to Uber, From Ghana to Silicon Valley
https://rss.art19.com/episodes/18f80039-69f9-428f-868c-f49a0b25c0eb.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 mentor from Tribe of Mentors? Listen to this episode with Terry Crews, in which we discuss his workout and diet routine, overcoming failure, discovering happiness, and much much more. Listen to it here (stream below or right-click to download):
Terry Crews — How to Have, Do, and Be All You Wanthttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/5e0e91b1-34c3-4507-821b-6bb99dc06587.mp3
This podcast 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.
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.
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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 Bozoma Saint John:
Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Bozoma’s pinned Nietzsche tweet
Is This the Woman Who Will Save Uber? by Sheila Marikar, The New York Times
Harlem’s Floridita
Bamboozled
Ashley Stewart
Beats Music
The Defiant Ones
Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
DDB Worldwide
Uber’s Bozoma Saint John Says She Should Have Ignored This Career Advice from a Female Executive by Courtney Connley, CNBC
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
Ain’t 2 Proud 2 Beg by TLC
Show Notes
Introducing this year’s most-requested guest. [06:46]
Why is Bozoma’s currently pinned tweet a Nietzsche quote? [07:38]
Bozoma’s journey from the US to Africa and back to the US. [10:25]
Why did Bozoma’s family wind up in Colorado, and what were her takeaways from this time in her life? [12:00]
How did Bozoma develop the ability to pursue goals so boldly, and does it run in the family? [17:09]
What was Bozoma’s parents’ reaction when she lost her race for student council? [19:18]
How did Bozoma manage to bring Jay-Z to her university? [22:04]
How did Bozoma lobby her parents for a year-long sabbatical from medical school, and what were her plans for that time? [27:50]
Armed with smarts and hustle, here’s how Bozoma got by without money or parental financial support. [32:49]
What happened when Spike Lee asked Bozoma to read an early draft of Bamboozled while she was answering phones at his ad agency. [39:11]
Critical decisions that forged Bozoma’s career. [43:43]
Why did Bozoma fail at her first attempt at helping run a company in the fashion world? [48:46]
Bozoma talks about coping with her husband’s terminal cancer diagnosis. [50:50]
How Bozoma got involved in Beats Music. [54:29]
Why has Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon had such an impact on Bozoma’s life? [57:19]
What helped Bozoma through the grieving process after losing her husband? [1:01:20]
What has helped Bozoma overcome feelings of anger and learn self-forgiveness? [1:05:26]
Elaborating on a policy of not making pro and con lists — and being sure to listen to what instinct is trying to tell us. [1:11:42]
Worst career advice encountered, and people who inspire Bozoma to live more boldly. [1:17:03]
In what way does Bozoma find Arianna Huffington particularly inspiring? [1:22:00]
How did Bozoma know Uber was the next stop on her journey — and what’s more important than saving its brand? [1:25:23]
How would Bozoma encourage people to be positive but constructively dissenting against what we see wrong in our society at the moment? [1:28:34]
Final words and asks of the audience. [1:35:32]
People Mentioned
Friedrich Nietzsche
Jay-Z
Tupac Shakur
Spike Lee
Naval Ravikant
Jimmy Iovine
Dr. Dre
Toni Morrison
Kris Jenner
Oprah
Arianna Huffington
Agapi Stassinopoulos
Maya Angelou
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
December 20, 2017
Terry Crews — How to Have, Do, and Be All You Want
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“Vulnerability is not weakness.”
– Terry Crews
Terry Crews (@terrycrews) is an actor and former NFL player (Los Angeles Rams, San Diego Chargers, Washington Redskins, and Philadelphia Eagles). His wide-ranging credits include the original viral Old Spice commercials, television series such as The Newsroom, Arrested Development, and Everybody Hates Chris, and films including White Chicks, The Expendables franchise, Bridesmaids, and The Longest Yard.
He now stars on the Golden Globe award-winning Fox sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine. In 2014, Terry released his autobiography, Manhood: How to Be a Better Man — or Just Live with One.
Enjoy!
Terry Crews — How to Have, Do, and Be All You Want
https://rss.art19.com/episodes/5e0e91b1-34c3-4507-821b-6bb99dc06587.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 mentor from Tribe of Mentors? 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 podcast is 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…
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.
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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 Terry Crews:
Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Aratani Theatre
Manhood: How to Be a Better Man — or Just Live with One by Terry Crews
Who Poisoned Flint, Michigan? by Stephen Rodrick, Rolling Stone
Interlochen Center for the Arts
Actor Terry Crews Introduces a Contemporary Furniture Collection. Yep, He’s Doing That Now by Bonnie McCarthy, Los Angeles Times
Terry Crews Presents The Hard Questions
The Master Key System by Charles F. Haanel
Terry’s Lilypad Chair
BOB Screen Time Manager
T-Money vs. Rick Steiner (Battle Dome vs. WCW)
The 6th Day
White Chicks
Terry Crews Says ‘I Will Not Be Shamed’ as He Shares Details of Alleged Sexual Assault by Stephanie Petit, People
Man 2.0 Engineering the Alpha: A Real World Guide to an Unreal Life: Build More Muscle. Burn More Fat. Have More Sex by John Romaniello and Adam Bornstein
How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie
Fear-Setting: The Most Valuable Exercise I Do Every Month by Tim Ferriss
Show Notes
Terry is as big as he looks on television. [06:13]
Terry talks about his art background and growing up in Flint, Michigan. [07:32]
Why Terry didn’t stop making art just because he started playing football. [16:26]
How a vow helped Terry get through his teenage years. [20:15]
Negotiating with life’s everyday terrorists — from childhood to Hollywood. [22:20]
Terry is a motivational doer. [27:38]
Through the tough times, how has Terry maintained his optimism? [29:35]
On dealing with his own bouts of toxic masculinity (with a lot of help from his brutally honest wife). [31:02]
A favorite failure. [36:32]
How “The Master Key System” by Charles F. Haanel helped guide the course of Terry’s life. [44:09]
The consequences of competition on creativity and overall success. [50:26]
Terry’s advice to a new or expecting parent. [59:26]
Two ways of confronting an abusive father. [1:03:40]
Terry reflects on his favorite Emerson quote. [1:12:28]
Coping with “imposter syndrome” on his first movie set — with Arnold Schwarzenegger. [1:16:16]
What advice would Terry’s time-traveling 95-year-old self give him today? [1:20:06]
Lifestyle changes I’ve made since my 40th birthday; changes Terry has made going into his 50th. [1:23:23]
Terry’s intermittent fasting schedule. [1:26:35]
An interview request and my thoughts on cryptocurrency. [1:29:41]
How do we choose who to mentor (and who to let go)? [1:33:18]
How does Terry let someone go (and why doesn’t he believe in the traditional Hollywood entourage)? [1:37:04]
Advice for introverts who want to be entrepreneurial but dread socializing. [1:42:39]
Recommendations for coping with self-induced anxiety. [1:46:21]
Terry’s parting words and ask of the audience. [1:50:29]
People Mentioned
Patrica Ann Crews
Dwight Eichelberg
Rebecca King-Crews
Debbie Millman
Matt Mullenweg
Peter Thiel
Steve Jobs
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Tia Carrere
Michael Novogratz
Dan Gable
Jacqueline Novogratz
Vitalik Buterin
Zooko Wilcox
Sylvester Stallone
Chris Sacca
Dale Carnegie
December 16, 2017
The Man Who Taught Me How to Invest
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“Holding a grudge is a symptom of not knowing how you want to spend the gift of the day.”
– Mike Maples, Jr.
Mike Maples, Jr. (@m2jr) is the man who taught me how to invest. He’s one of my favorite people and a personal mentor.
He is a partner at Floodgate, a venture capital firm that specializes in micro-cap investments in startups. He has been on the Forbes Midas List since 2010 and named one of Fortune magazine’s “8 Rising VC Stars.” Before becoming a full-time investor, Mike was inolved as a founder and operating executive at back-to-back starup IPOs, including Tivoli Systems (acquired by IBM) and Motive (acquired by Alcatel-Lucent). Some of Mike’s investments include Twitter, Twitch.tv. ngmoco, Weebly, Chegg, Bazaar-voice, Spiceworks, Okta, and Demandforce.
Enjoy!
The Man Who Taught Me How to Invest
https://rss.art19.com/episodes/a37b219c-ddc8-412e-a344-3aae64dee746.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 mentor from Tribe of Mentors? 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 podcast is brought to you by ConvertKit. After trying the competition, this is the only email tool that has made email marketing intuitive for my team without sacrificing any of the features and benefits I need to run a profitable business. It’s easy-to-use systems, split testing, resending technology, automation, targeted content, high rates of deliverability, integration with more than 70 services — like WordPress, Shopify, and Sumo — and excellent customer service are the reason I made it my go-to ESP.
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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 Mike Maples, Jr.:
Castro Theatre
The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Timothy Ferriss
Mike Maples Talks Venture Capital And Thunder Lizards by Michael Arrington, Tech Crunch
Hobee’s Stanford
Kepler’s Books
You Can’t Always Get What You Want by The Rolling Stones
Digg
Dutch Goose
Sequoia
The Real History Of Twitter by Nicholas Carlson, Business Insider
SXSW Interactive Festival
The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses by Eric Ries
How We Built the First Real Self-Driving Car (Really) by Kyle Vogt, Medium
Moore’s Law
Metcalfe’s Law
SpaceX Launches and Lands its First Used Rocket for NASA
Mike Maples, Jr. and Ron Conway speak at Stanford University
Finding Billion Dollar Secrets by Mike Maples, Jr., Austin Startups
Dune by Frank Herbert
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
The Top Five Regrets of the Dying: A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing by Bronnie Ware
On Grief and Grieving: Finding the Meaning of Grief Through the Five Stages of Loss by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross and David Kessler
The Coming of Managerial Capitalism: The United States, Harvard Business School
The Quiet Master of Cryptocurrency — Nick Szabo, The Tim Ferriss Show
The Wealth of Networks: How Social Production Transforms Markets and Freedom by Yochai Benkler
The Way Things Work: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Technology by C. van Amerongen
Fishes of the World by Joseph S. Nelson, Terry C. Grande, and Mark V. H. Wilson
Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life With the Heart of a Buddha by Tara Brach
Love Yourself Like Your Life Depends On It by Kamal Ravikant
Mental Toughness Training for Sports: Achieving Athletic Excellence by James E. Loehr
Metta Meditation, Metta Institute
Show Notes
Introduction. [05:30]
How we did market research back in the day. [10:15]
When he first hit the scene, Mike had trouble getting hired as a venture capitalist. [13:17]
How did Mike connect with our mutual friend Kevin Rose? [16:19]
Sometimes great introductions make up for lackluster investments. [18:03]
Mike’s not a man who holds many grudges. Here’s why. [23:09]
What happened when Mike invested in podcasting platform Odeo, and how its failure led to an opportunity to invest in Twitter. [25:30]
Rehearsing my SXSW talk in front of three chihuahuas. [34:51]
Overcoming technical difficulties when it came time to give the real talk. [35:49]
What Mike considers one of the most fun things about being an investor in contrast to being a founder. [36:34]
Without children of my own, some might wonder why I often ask guests for their parenting advice. Mike’s responses are one reason. [38:39]
What does Mike say to bolster the morale of entrepreneurs who are going through a rough patch? [41:48]
Why Mike thinks he might be “the worst person to talk to depressed people.” [46:35]
How Mike helped me act simple. [47:59]
One investment that seemed like a bad idea at the time but paid off very well, and how investment decisions happen at Floodgate. [52:28]
How does Mike know when to persist, quit, pivot, or double down with an idea? [56:53]
Mike explains how investment is like surfing. [1:00:19]
Early encouragement and advice about first principles thinking. [1:03:00]
What does Mike really think about the concept of social proof? [1:04:21]
Good first principles in action. [1:04:28]
The lessons Mike hopes to drive home for entrepreneurial students at Stanford. [1:07:25]
How does Mike recommend people find their unique gift, and what blocks that quest? [1:11:02]
I’ve recently moved to Austin. Where else might I have ended up? [1:14:16]
What books does Mike recommend and gift the most? [1:15:31]
Thoughts on death, grief, and grieving. [1:17:41]
What emerging technologies does Mike believe are most promising for anti-authoritarian disruption? [1:19:53]
Why Mike isn’t afraid that cryptocurrency adoption will disrupt venture capitalism. [1:26:16]
Mike’s view of the government’s role and how cryptocurrency helps separate politics from economics. [1:29:10]
Early traits that made Mike successful. [1:30:30]
Why did Mike’s dad tell him not to have heroes? [1:34:54]
What would Mike put on his billboard? [1:36:26]
Mike’s take on Jim Rohn’s famous, “you’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” [1:38:35]
Powerful new truths I’ve come to realize. [1:40:25]
On applying loving-kindness meditation. [1:44:52]
What is Mike’s 60-second idea to change the world? [1:45:47]
Parting thoughts. [1:46:31]
People Mentioned
Bill Campbell
Kevin Rose
Jay Allison
Ron Conway
Peter C. Wendell
Garrett Camp
Evan Williams
Tim O’Reilly
Jeff Huber
Hugh Forrest
Tony Robbins
Logan Green
John Zimmer
Oprah
Liz Maples
John Boyd
Eric Ries
Steve Blank
Kyle Vogt
Ryan Walsh
Arjun Chopra
Ann Miura-Ko
Marc Andreessen
Reid Hoffman
Elon Musk
Thomas Keller
Elvis Presley
Albert Einstein
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Peter Thiel
Bronnie Ware
Terry Laughlin
Matt Mullenweg
Julie Allegro
Naval Ravikant
John D. Rockefeller
J.P. Morgan
Andrew Carnegie
Cornelius Vanderbilt
Vinny Lingham
Jamie Dimon
Mike Maples, Sr.
Bill Gates
Ronald Reagan
Jim Rohn
Drew Houston
Richard Feynman
Ben Franklin
Tara Brach
Kamal Ravikant
Jim Loehr
December 7, 2017
Overcoming Doubt, Battling the Busy Trap, and Enhancing Life — M. Sanjayan
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“The messenger matters as much as the message.”
– M. Sanjayan
M. Sanjayan (@msanjayan) is a global conservation scientist specializing in how nature preserves and enhances human life. He serves as CEO for Conservation International, having joined CI in 2014 as executive vice president and senior scientist. He has led several key divisions including Oceans, Science, Development, Brand and Communications and Strategic Priorities.
Sanjayan holds a doctorate from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and his peer-reviewed scientific work has been published in journals including Science, Nature, and Conservation Biology. He is a visiting researcher at UCLA and distinguished professor of practice at Arizona State University.
Sanjayan has hosted a range of documentaries for PBS, BBC, Discovery, and Showtime. Most recently, he was featured in the University of California and Vox Media’s Climate Lab series.
Sanjayan is a Disneynature Ambassador, a Catto Fellow at the Aspen Institute, and a member of National Geographic Society’s Explorers Council. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did!
Overcoming Doubt, Battling the Busy Trap, and Enhancing Life -- M. Sanjayan
https://rss.art19.com/episodes/370d31e4-20da-44aa-8f20-32d7a58d7db5.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 inspired by Tribe of Mentors? Listen to this episode where discuss my answers to the 11 questions I asked all of the mentors, including my favorite failures, best purchases of $100 or less, my morning routines, and much more. Listen to it here (stream below or right-click to download):
The Answers to My Favorite Questionshttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/13d87dad-75aa-45f1-8ec4-27a858ec5f1e.mp3
This podcast 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.
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.
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…
Selected Links from the Episode
Connect with M. Sanjayan:
| Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Sixth & I
Nebraska by Bruce Springsteen
Icebreaker Merino Underwear
Tumi Bags
The World Bank
Respect by Aretha Franklin
Respect by Otis Redding
A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean
Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World by General Stanley McChrystal, Tantum Collins, David Silverman, and Chris Fussell
Deep: Freediving, Renegade Science, and What the Ocean Tells Us About Ourselves by James Nestor
Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch
The Nature Conservancy
Environmental Defense Fund
World Resources Institute
Climate Lab
The Giving Pledge
Casamigos Tequila
Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard
Show Notes
Introductions. [06:15]
What is Sanjayan’s birth name? [08:05]
Not everyone has a monkey birthday cake story. [11:14]
How did Sanjayan’s family wind up moving from Sri Lanka to Sierra Leone? [15:38]
How does Bruce Springsteen tie in to Sanjayan’s move to the United States and a career in science and conservation? [17:41]
Important advice Sanjayan received — and why it might not hold true today. [21:39]
What recent purchase of $100 or less has had the most positive impact on Sanjayan’s life? [23:38]
As a frequent traveler, what does Sanjayan rely on for saving his sanity and health on long flights or boat trips? [25:32]
What freshman college class would Sanjayan like to teach? [28:38]
What key principles would Sanjayan try to hammer home in a seminar on getting things done? [30:46]
Sanjayan considers these subjects crucial to a balanced education. [33:25]
Why Sanjayan feels his summers at The World Bank were “unbelievably useful” — even though he was studying wildlife biology at the time. [33:39]
The power of skill stacking and crossing disciplines. [35:25]
“Storytelling is one way to rule the world.” [36:39]
How does a good storyteller know when to stop? [43:33]
Same story, two tellers: “Respect” from the perspective of Aretha Franklin and Otis Redding. [44:52]
Influential books Sanjayan gives most as gifts. [46:41]
The big change that occurred after 3 hours of freediving instruction. [48:51]
Why you need to use the buddy system when experimenting with breathing. [50:11]
What would Sanjayan’s billboard say? [51:23]
Common misconceptions about conservation, and how to approach it without getting overwhelmed. [52:34]
Suggested resources for someone who wants to get informed about conservation issues. [57:15]
Why the people today are in a unique time and place to save the planet. [58:46]
How can we train ourselves to think more long-term. [1:00:55]
The messenger matters as much as the message. [1:04:05]
A final book recommendation. [1:06:11]
How does Sanjayan start his mornings — and avoid getting derailed early? [1:06:54]
The value of regularly meeting with mentors (and how to select them). [1:08:22]
How M’s mentor group coached him to aim for the CEO position at Conservation International when he was having doubts about interviewing. [1:13:22]
As a busy person meeting with busy people, how does Sanjayan schedule time with his mentors? [1:16:44]
People Mentioned
Bruce Springsteen
Michael Soulé
Jeremy Moon
Scott Adams
Marc Andreessen
Michael Jordan
Warren Buffett
Chris Sacca
Albert Einstein
Elon Musk
Steve Jobs
Cal Fussman
Mikhail Gorbachev
Aretha Franklin
Otis Redding
Norman Maclean
Stanley McChrystal
James Nestor
Shelby Eisenberg
Jimi Hendrix
John Glenn
Charlie Munger
George Clooney
Candice Millard
James Garfield
Chris Fussell
Thomas J. Tierney
Paula A. Kerger
Seth Neiman
December 3, 2017
The Answers to My Favorite Questions
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“You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.”
– Jim Rohn
This is an unusual episode. Instead of the typical interview format where I ask other people questions, I did what thousands of you have requested; I answered the 11 questions that are the foundation of Tribe of Mentors (and added in a few bonus answers). From beliefs that have changed my life to how I cope with feeling overwhelmed, I go into depth on all of my answers. I also recorded some of the answers on video, which you can watch on my YouTube channel.
I hope you enjoy this solo episode, and find something helpful that you can apply to your life. As always, thanks for listening!
The Answers to My Favorite Questions
https://rss.art19.com/episodes/13d87dad-75aa-45f1-8ec4-27a858ec5f1e.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 mentor from Tribe of Mentors? Listen to this episode with Tim Urban, in which we discuss the future, how to deal with procrastination, AI, and much much moreh. 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 podcast is brought to you by ZipRecruiter. One of the hardest parts about growing any business is finding and hiring the right team. Nothing can drain your resources and cost you time and money like making mistakes in hiring.
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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
Tribe of Mentors
Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach
The Tail End by Tim Urban
Transcendental Meditation
Sitka Dakota beanie
Theraspray
Rubz
Mack’s silicone ear plugs
Logitech Keys-To-Go Ultra-Portable Stand-Alone keyboard
Intermittent fasting
Ketosis
The 4-Hour Chef
Tao of Seneca
Zorba the Greek
Stranger in a Strange Land
Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman
The 5-Minute Journal
How to Create Your Own Real World MBA
Show Notes
A belief or behavior that changed my life. (5:07)
My best purchases of $100 or less. (10:28)
What would I put on a billboard? (15:20)
My favorite failure that led to success. (20:20)
The four books I have gifted the most. (23:59)
How to ask better questions. (26:29)
Techniques and strategies to start your day. (30:55)
Learning to say no and approaches that I have found effective. (33:47)
My most worthwhile investment of time or money. (39:50)
Should you write a book? (43:13)
The unusual habits that I love. (50:10)
People Mentioned
Matt Mullenweg
Tim Urban
Tara Brach
James Faidiman
Dan Engle
Chase Jarvis
Rick Rubin
Amelia Boone
Jim Rohn
Tony Robbins
Brian Grazer
Jocko Willink
Derek Sivers
November 30, 2017
Managing Procrastination, Predicting the Future, and Finding Happiness – Tim Urban
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“I always thought the future would be intense, but now I think the future is going fully fucking crazy!”
– Tim Urban
Tim Urban (@waitbutwhy) is the author of the blog Wait But Why and has become one of the Internet’s most popular writers. According to Fast Company, Tim has “captured a level of reader engagement that even the new-media giants would be envious of.” Wait But Why receives more than 1.5 million unique visitors per month and has over 550,000 email subscribers.
Tim’s series of posts after interviewing Elon Musk has been called by Vox‘s David Roberts “the meatiest, most fascinating, most satisfying posts I’ve read in ages.” You can start with the first one, Elon Musk: The World’s Raddest Man. Tim’s TED Talk, Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator, has received more than 21 million views.
This episode is a live talk that was recorded on the launch day of Tribe of Mentors. Enjoy!
Managing Procrastination, Predicting the Future, and Finding Happiness - Tim Urban
https://rss.art19.com/episodes/f2d4392d-c8c5-4a41-9f18-392532e29098.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 mentor from Tribe of Mentors? Listen to this episode with Debbie Millman, in which we discuss how favorite failures and why busy is a decision. Listen to it here (stream below or right-click to download):
Busy is a Decision - Debbie Millmanhttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/c6e98395-dafd-4b4e-b029-778f495db443.mp3
This podcast 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.
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.
This podcast is also brought to you by ConvertKit. After trying the competition, this is the only email tool that has made email marketing easy for my team without sacrificing any of the features and benefits I need to run a profitable business. It’s got easy-to-use systems, split testing, resending technology, automation, targeted content, high rates of deliverability, integration with more than 70 services — like WordPress, Shopify, and Sumo — and excellent customer service.
Whether you have a thousand subscribers or a million, whether you run a simple blog or a whole company, ConvertKit has a plan that’s scaled to fit your budget and requirements. Go to ConvertKit.com/Tim to try it out and get your first month for free! Test the platform, kick the tires, and make sure it works for you and your business.
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 Tim Urban:
Wait But Why | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube
Elon Musk: The World’s Raddest Man by Tim Urban, Wait But Why
Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator (Tim’s TED Talk)
Underneath the Turban
ArborBridge Test Prep
7 Ways to Be Insufferable on Facebook by Tim Urban, Wait But Why
My Life Extension Pilgrimage to Easter Island, The Tim Ferriss Show
The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Timothy Ferriss
Finding Nemo
The Tail End by Tim Urban, Wait But Why
Dear Hank & John
Kurzgesagt
CGP Grey
Minute Physics
Instant Gratification Monkey Plush Toy
How (and Why) SpaceX Will Colonize Mars by Tim Urban, Wait But Why
The AI Revolution: The Road to Superintelligence
What’s a hedonic treadmill?
These Are the World’s Happiest Places by Dan Buettner, National Geographic
Stoicism Resources and Recommendations
What is Epicureanism?
Are Psychedelic Drugs the Next Medical Breakthrough?, The Tim Ferriss Show
Why Cryonics Makes Sense by Tim Urban, Wait But Why
Chan Zuckerberg Initiative
Dr. Peter Attia on Life-Extension, Drinking Jet Fuel, Ultra-Endurance, Human Foie Gras, and More, The Tim Ferriss Show
Go Tokyo Official Tokyo Travel Guide
36 Hours in Hanoi by Robyn Eckhardt, The New York Times
Tim Ferriss: On The Creative Process And Getting Your Work Noticed by Ariston Anderson, 99u
Guided Meditation — “Loving Kindness” by Tara Brach
Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life With the Heart of a Buddha by Tara Brach
Show Notes
Introduction. [06:54]
Tim talks about what led to the creation of Wait But Why. [10:17]
Is test prep the ideal starter business? [15:24]
What is the origin of the name Wait But Why? [17:29]
Embarrassing alternative names that thankfully didn’t make the cut. [18:37]
Early blog topics. [21:15]
Going viral by posting or launching in the right place at the right time — but understanding that it’s always the right time for something. [23:51]
Who is Winston? [26:18]
What is Tim’s method to making heavy topics approachable to the layman? [27:36]
How might Tim research and write about — for example — cryptocurrency? [31:56]
How does Tim perform a search that gets him the results he needs? What are his most trusted sources? [35:55]
The approach Tim finds most effective for being informative as well as entertaining. [37:41]
To find out what Tim sees for our future as a species, he tells us how an alien might view our history thus far. [41:22]
The future of human space exploration and colonization of Earth. [48:26]
Is artificial intelligence (AI) an existential threat to humanity? [51:32]
How does Tim define happiness? [55:55]
Does reality minus expectations equal happiness? How we get stuck on the hedonic treadmill. [58:22]
What do Denmark, Costa Rica, and Singapore have in common? [1:00:25]
Our advice to recent college graduates (or, as it turns out, anyone) seeking to maximize well-being and perspective before entering a career. [1:03:33]
What trends, industries, and topics are we most excited about now? [1:07:44]
Why we should learn from rather than mock the pursuits and investments of “rich, white people.” [1:10:41]
What cities should everyone visit before they die? [1:13:59]
What does Tim’s writing process look like? [1:24:52]
Tim talks about his struggles with procrastination. [1:28:08]
I talk about coping with depression and practicing self-kindness. [1:31:11]
People Mentioned
Sam Harris
Susan Cain
Evan Williams
Chris Anderson
Maria Popova
David Roberts
Elon Musk
Soman Chainani
Adam Robinson
Andrew Finn
George Clooney
Winston the Tortoise
Winston the Churchill
Hank Green
John Green
CGP Grey
Jeff Bezos
Nick Bostrom
Epicurus
Mark Zuckerberg
Priscilla Chan
Peter Attia
Steve Carell
Arianna Huffington
Sharon Salzberg
Tara Brach
November 27, 2017
Tribe of Mentors Podcast — Tim Urban
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This is the most recent episode of my brand-new Tribe of Mentors podcast! It features a live interview I did with writer Tim Urban at Union Square Barnes & Noble in NYC on the launch day of Tribe of Mentors: Short Life Advice from the Best in the World.
Here we go…
Tim Urban (@waitbutwhy, waitbutwhy.com) is the author of the blog Wait But Why and has become one of the Internet’s most popular writers. Tim, according to Fast Company, has “captured a level of reader engagement that even the new-media giants would be envious of.” Today, Wait But Why receives more than 1.5 million unique visitors per month and has over 550,000 email subscribers. Tim has gained a number of prominent readers as well, like authors Sam Harris (page 365 in Tribe of Mentors) and Susan Cain (page 10), Twitter co-founder Evan Williams (page 401), TED curator Chris Anderson (page 407), and Brain Pickings’ Maria Popova. Tim’s series of posts after interviewing Elon Musk have been called by Vox’s David Roberts “the meatiest, most fascinating, most satisfying posts I’ve read in ages.” You can start with the first one, “Elon Musk: The World’s Raddest Man.” Tim’s TED Talk, “Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator,” has received more than 21 million views.
Listen and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.
Want to hear another conversation with a mentor from Tribe of Mentors? Listen to this episode with Debbie Millman, in which we discuss how favorite failures and why busy is a decision. Listen to it here (stream below or right-click to download):
Busy is a Decision - Debbie Millman
https://rss.art19.com/episodes/c6e98395-dafd-4b4e-b029-778f495db443.mp3
Get Tribe of Mentors at these fine retailers or at your local bookstore! Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Apple iBooks | Books-A-Million | Indigo
Here’s a partial list of people included: tech icons (founders of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Craigslist, Pinterest, Spotify, Salesforce, Dropbox, and more), Jimmy Fallon, Arianna Huffington, Brandon Stanton (Humans of New York), Lord Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Ben Stiller, Maurice Ashley (first African-American Grandmaster of chess), Brené Brown (researcher and bestselling author), Rick Rubin (legendary music producer), Temple Grandin (animal behavior expert and autism activist), Franklin Leonard (The Black List), Dara Torres (12-time Olympic medalist in swimming), David Lynch (director), Kelly Slater (surfing legend), Bozoma Saint John (Beats/Apple/Uber), Lewis Cantley (famed cancer researcher), Maria Sharapova, Chris Anderson (curator of TED), Terry Crews, Greg Norman (golf icon), Vitalik Buterin (creator of Ethereum), and roughly 100 more. Click here to see the full list, sample chapters, and more.
November 25, 2017
How to Say No
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This is a special episode of the podcast. When I wrote Tribe of Mentors, I reached out to many different experts, leaders, athletes, and entrepreneurs who are the best in the world at what they do. More than 130 people said yes — but many others said no. This episode covers rejection, and — more specifically — how to reject other people and opportunities. How you can you say no to seemingly burdensome “obligations,” and say yes to the critical few opportunities. Understanding the difference — and how to do it — can make a significant impact on your life and your happiness. Enjoy!
How to Say No
https://rss.art19.com/episodes/7d03a6a6-2bc3-4e21-8093-74fbba041600.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 mentor from Tribe of Mentors? Listen to this episode with Debbie Millman, in which we discuss how favorite failures and why busy is a decision. Listen to it here (stream below or right-click to download):
Busy is a Decision - Debbie Millmanhttps://rss.art19.com/episodes/c6e98395-dafd-4b4e-b029-778f495db443.mp3
This podcast is brought to you by ConvertKit. This my go-to email service provider and the only email tool that has made email marketing intuitive for my team without sacrificing any of the features and benefits I need to run a profitable business. It’s got easy-to-use systems, split testing, resending technology, automation, targeted content, high rates of deliverability, integration with more than 35 services — like WordPress, Shopify, and Sumo — and excellent customer service.
Whether you have a thousand subscribers or a million, whether you run a simple blog or a whole company, ConvertKit has a plan that’s scaled to fit your budget and requirements. Go to ConvertKit.com/Tim to try it out and get your first month for free! Test the platform, kick the tires, and make sure it works for you and your business.
This podcast is also brought to you by Audible. I have used Audible for years, and I love audiobooks. I have two to recommend:
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
The Tao of Seneca by Seneca
All you need to do to get your free 30-day Audible trial is visit Audible.com/Tim. Choose one of the above books, or choose any of the endless options they offer. That could be a book, a newspaper, a magazine, or even a class. It’s that easy. Go to Audible.com/Tim and get started today.
QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.
10 Short Life Lessons From Steven Pressfield
The below profile is adapted from the new book, Tribe of Mentors: Short Life Advice from the Best in the World, which features practical and detailed advice from 130+ of the world’s top performers. Enjoy!
Steven Pressfield (@spressfield, stevenpressfield.com) has made a professional life in five different writing arenas — advertising, screenwriting, fiction, narrative nonfiction, and self-help. He is the best-selling author of The Legend of Bagger Vance, Gates of Fire, The Afghan Campaign, and The Lion’s Gate, as well as the cult classics on creativity, The War of Art, Turning Pro, and Do the Work. His Wednesday column on stevenpressfield.com is one of the most popular series about writing on the web.
What is an unusual habit or an absurd thing that you love?
This’ll sound crazy, but I have certain places that I go to, usually alone, that summon up for me earlier eras in my life. Time is a weird thing. Sometimes you can appreciate a moment that’s gone more in the present than you did when it was actually happening. The places that I go to are different all the time and they’re usually mundane, ridiculously mundane. A gas station. A bench on a street. Sometimes I’ll fly across the country just to go to one of these spots. Sometimes it’s on a vacation or a business trip when I’m with family or other people. I might not ever tell them. Or I might. Sometimes I’ll take somebody along, though it usually doesn’t work (how could it?).
What advice would you give to a smart, driven college student about to enter the “real world”? What advice should they ignore?
I’m probably hopelessly out of date but my advice is get real-world experience: Be a cowboy. Drive a truck. Join the Marine Corps. Get out of the hypercompetitive “life hack” frame of mind. I’m 74. Believe me, you’ve got all the time in the world. You’ve got ten lifetimes ahead of you. Don’t worry about your friends “beating” you or “getting somewhere” ahead of you. Get out into the real dirt world and start failing. Why do I say that? Because the goal is to connect with your own self, your own soul. Adversity. Everybody spends their life trying to avoid it. Me too. But the best things that ever happened to me came during the times when the shit hit the fan and I had nothing and nobody to help me. Who are you really? What do you really want? Get out there and fail and find out.
What is the book (or books) you’ve given most as a gift, and why? Or what are one to three books that have greatly influenced your life?
The single book that has influenced me most is probably the last book in the world that anybody is gonna want to read: Thucydides’ History of the Peloponnesian War. This book is dense, difficult, long, full of blood and guts. It wasn’t written, as Thucydides himself attests at the start, to be easy or fun. But it is loaded with hardcore, timeless truths and the story it tells ought to be required reading for every citizen in a democracy.
Thucydides was an Athenian general who was beaten and disgraced in a battle early in the 27-year conflagration that came to be called the Peloponnesian War. He decided to drop out of the fighting and dedicate himself to recording, in all the detail he could manage, this conflict, which, he felt certain, would turn out to be the greatest and most significant war ever fought up to that time. He did just that.
Have you heard of Pericles’ Funeral Oration? Thucydides was there for it. He transcribed it.
He was there for the debates in the Athenian assembly over the treatment of the island of Melos, the famous Melian Dialogue. If he wasn’t there for the defeat of the Athenian fleet at Syracuse or the betrayal of Athens by Alcibiades, he knew people who were there and he went to extremes to record what they told him. Thucydides, like all the Greeks of his era, was unencumbered by Christian theology, or Marxist dogma, or Freudian psychology, or any of the other “isms” that attempt to convince us that man is basically good, or perhaps perfectible. He saw things as they were, in my opinion. It’s a dark vision but tremendously bracing and empowering because it’s true. On the island of Corcyra, a great naval power in its day, one faction of citizens trapped their neighbors and fellow Corcyreans in a temple. They slaughtered the prisoners’ children outside before their eyes and when the captives gave themselves up based on pledges of clemency and oaths sworn before the gods, the captors massacred them as well. This was not a war of nation versus nation, this was brother against brother in the most civilized cities on earth. To read Thucydides is to see our own world in microcosm. It’s the study of how democracies destroy themselves by breaking down into warring factions, the Few versus the Many. Hoi polloi in Greek means “the many.” Oligoi means “the few.”
I can’t recommend Thucydides for fun, but if you want to expose yourself to a towering intellect writing on the deepest stuff imaginable, give it a try.
How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success? Do you have a “favorite failure” of yours?
I just wrote a book called The Knowledge about my favorite failure and guess what? It failed too. In all truth, when my third novel (which, like the first two, never got published) crashed ignominiously, I was driving a cab in New York City. I’d been trying to get published for about 15 years at that point. I decided to give up and move to Hollywood, to see if I could find work writing for the movies. Don’t ask me what movies I wrote. I will never tell. And if you find out by other means, BE WARNED! Don’t see ’em. But working in “the industry” made me a pro and paved the way for whatever successes finally did come.
If you could have a gigantic billboard anywhere with anything on it, what would it say and why?
I would not have a billboard, and I would take down every billboard that everybody else has put up.
What is one of the best or most worthwhile investments you’ve ever made?
I’ve never invested in the stock market or taken a risk on anything outside myself. I decided a long time ago that I would only bet on myself. I will risk two years on a book that’ll probably fall flat on its face. I don’t mind. I tried. It didn’t work. I believe in investing in your heart. That’s all I do, really. I’m a servant of the Muse. All my money is on her.
In the last five years, what new belief, behavior, or habit has most improved your life?
I’ve always been a gym person and an early morning person. But a few years ago I got invited to train with T. R. Goodman at a place called Pro Camp. There’s a “system,” yeah, but basically what we do (and it’s definitely a group thing, with three or four of us training together) is just work hard. I hate it but it’s great. T. R. says, as we’re leaving after working out, “Nothing you face today will be harder than what you just did.”
In the last five years, what have you become better at saying no to? What new realizations and/or approaches helped?
I got a chance a couple of years ago to visit a security firm, one of those places that guard celebrities and protect their privacy — in other words, a business whose total job was to say no. The person who was giving me the tour told me that the business screens every incoming letter, solicitation, email, etc., and decides which ones get through to the client. “How many get through?” I asked.
“Virtually none,” my friend said. I decided that I would look at incoming mail the same way that firm does. If I were the security professional tasked with protecting me from bogus, sociopathic, and clueless asks, which ones would I screen and dump into the trash? That has helped a lot.
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?
I have a friend at the gym who knew Jack LaLanne (Google him if the name is unfamiliar). Jack used to say it’s okay to take a day off from working out. But on that day, you’re not allowed to eat. That’s the short way of saying you’re not really allowed to get unfocused. Take a vacation. Gather yourself. But know that the only reason you’re here on this planet is to follow your star and do what the Muse tells you. It’s amazing how a good day’s work will get you right back to feeling like yourself.
What are bad recommendations you hear in your profession or area of expertise?
Great, great question. In the world of writing, everyone wants to succeed immediately and without pain or effort. Really? Or they love to write books about how to write books, rather than actually writing . . . a book that might actually be about something. Bad advice is everywhere. Build a following. Establish a platform. Learn how to scam the system. In other words, do all the surface stuff and none of the real work it takes to actually produce something of value. The disease of our times is that we live on the surface. We’re like the Platte River, a mile wide and an inch deep. I always say, “If you want to become a billionaire, invent something that will allow people to indulge their own Resistance.” Somebody did invent it. It’s called the Internet. Social media. That wonderland where we can flit from one superficial, jerkoff distraction to another, always remaining on the surface, never going deeper than an inch. Real work and real satisfaction come from the opposite of what the web provides. They come from going deep into something — the book you’re writing, the album, the movie — and staying there for a long, long time.
###
The above was taken from Tribe of Mentors, which shares short, tactical life advice from 130+ world-class performers from every imaginable field. Many of the world’s most famous entrepreneurs, athletes, investors, and artists are part of the book.
Get Tribe of Mentors at these fine retailers or at your local bookstore! Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Apple iBooks | Books-A-Million | Indigo
Here’s a partial list of people included: tech icons (founders of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Craigslist, Pinterest, Spotify, Salesforce, Dropbox, and more), Jimmy Fallon, Arianna Huffington, Brandon Stanton (Humans of New York), Lord Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Ben Stiller, Maurice Ashley (first African-American Grandmaster of chess), Brené Brown (researcher and bestselling author), Rick Rubin (legendary music producer), Temple Grandin (animal behavior expert and autism activist), Franklin Leonard (The Black List), Dara Torres (12-time Olympic medalist in swimming), David Lynch (director), Kelly Slater (surfing legend), Bozoma Saint John (Beats/Apple/Uber), Lewis Cantley (famed cancer researcher), Maria Sharapova, Chris Anderson (curator of TED), Terry Crews, Greg Norman (golf icon), Vitalik Buterin (creator of Ethereum), and roughly 100 more. Click here to see the full list, sample chapters, and more.
November 24, 2017
4 Short Life Lessons From Bozoma Saint John
Photo credit: Tua Ulamac
The below profile is adapted from the new book, Tribe of Mentors: Short Life Advice from the Best in the World, which features practical and detailed advice from 130+ of the world’s top performers. Enjoy!
###
Bozoma Saint John (@badassboz) is the chief brand officer at Uber. Until June 2017, she was a marketing executive at Apple Music after joining the company through its acquisition of Beats Music, where she was the head of global marketing. In 2016, Billboard named her “Executive of the Year” and Fortune included her in their “40 under 40” list. Fast Company has included Bozoma on its list of “100 Most Creative People.” Bozoma was born in Ghana, and she left the country at 14 with her family to immigrate to Colorado Springs.
What are one to three books that have greatly influenced your life?
I love Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon. Her writing style is incredibly poetic and complex. She doesn’t “allow” any laziness in reading her work; so beyond the incredible story, I learned to take my time to absorb the characters, and to reread passages when there was so much to unpack. It was also the book I asked my late husband to read when he dropped his pickup line to get to know me better. Our first date was a book review — and clearly he passed with flying colors. Two months later, he presented me with a painting of his interpretation of the book as a birthday gift. I knew then that I wanted to marry him. Anyone who could take his time to read, comprehend, and interpret Toni Morrison’s work, based on my recommendation, was someone I wanted to spend significant time with. That experience taught me that when people care, they’ll go beyond the extra mile to understand you. So Toni Morrison helped me set a high bar.
What is an unusual habit or an absurd thing that you love?
I love to people watch. I can literally do that all day long. It’s fascinating to watch people go by. There’s so much you can learn about a culture by just watching its people walk with each other. Great places to people watch are food courts in American malls, street-corner cafes in Paris, the market in Accra . . . fashion, etiquette, PDA . . . all of it can be learned and make the observer a more respectful participant in that culture.
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?
I sleep. Or rather, I nap. There’s no conundrum that a 20-minute nap can’t help me unpack. It’s like a refresh button for my mind. I wake up clearer and more able to make the “gut” decision because I’ve stopped thinking. Whatever I’m feeling when I wake up is the feeling I go forward with.
If you could have a gigantic billboard anywhere with anything on it, what would it say and why? Are there any quotes you think of often or live your life by?
Hands down, it would be “Be the change you want to see in the world.” We spend far too much time complaining about the way things are, and forget that we have the power to change anything and everything. I’d have a secondary quote too: “I’m starting with the man in the mirror” — Michael Jackson. Same message; different delivery.
###
The above was taken from Tribe of Mentors, which shares short, tactical life advice from 130+ world-class performers from every imaginable field. Many of the world’s most famous entrepreneurs, athletes, investors, and artists are part of the book.
Get Tribe of Mentors at these fine retailers or at your local bookstore! Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Apple iBooks | Books-A-Million | Indigo
Here’s a partial list of people included: tech icons (founders of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Craigslist, Pinterest, Spotify, Salesforce, Dropbox, and more), Jimmy Fallon, Arianna Huffington, Brandon Stanton (Humans of New York), Lord Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Ben Stiller, Maurice Ashley (first African-American Grandmaster of chess), Brené Brown (researcher and bestselling author), Rick Rubin (legendary music producer), Temple Grandin (animal behavior expert and autism activist), Franklin Leonard (The Black List), Dara Torres (12-time Olympic medalist in swimming), David Lynch (director), Kelly Slater (surfing legend), Bozoma Saint John (Beats/Apple/Uber), Lewis Cantley (famed cancer researcher), Maria Sharapova, Chris Anderson (curator of TED), Terry Crews, Greg Norman (golf icon), Vitalik Buterin (creator of Ethereum), and roughly 100 more. Click here to see the full list, sample chapters, and more.
