Timothy Ferriss's Blog, page 81

David Heinemeier Hansson on Digital Security, Company Culture, and the Value of Schooling

David “DHH” Heinemeier Hansson (@dhh) is the creator of Ruby on Rails, founder and CTO at Basecamp (formerly 37Signals), and the best-selling co-author of Rework and Remote: Office Not Required. Oh, and he went from not having a driver’s license at 25 to winning, at 34, the 24 Hours of Le Mans race, one of the most prestigious automobile races in the world. It is often called the “Grand Prix of endurance and efficiency.”

Listeners had a million questions we didn’t get to last time, so he’s back for round two because his episode is about to cross a million downloads — and that’s in barely two weeks!

In this episode, DHH discusses:

Digital security
The value of schooling
Three questions you should be able to answer
Company culture
How bladder relief happens in a 24-hour race
And much, much more!

Please enjoy my round 2 conversation with DHH!

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 David “DHH” Heinemeier Hansson? — Listen to this interview, which has already been downloaded almost a million times. In this episode, DHH shares his thoughts on the power of being outspoken, running a profitable business without venture capital, Stoic philosophy, and much more (stream below or right-click here to download):

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 4-Hour Body, 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 Wealthfront. Wealthfront is a massively disruptive (in a good way) set-it-and-forget-it investing service led by technologists from places like Apple. It has exploded in popularity in the last two years and now has more than $2.5B under management. Why? Because you can get services previously limited to the ultra-wealthy and only pay pennies on the dollar for them, and it’s all through smarter software instead of retail locations and bloated sales teams.

Check out wealthfront.com/tim, take their risk assessment quiz, which only takes 2-5 minutes, and they’ll show you for free the exact portfolio they’d put you in. If you want to just take their advice and do it yourself, you can. Well worth a few minutes to explore: wealthfront.com/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 DHH:

Website | The Distance Podcast | Twitter | Instagram | Medium | Basecamp | Ruby on Rails

David “DHH” Heinemeier Hansson: The Power of Being Outspoken (DHH’s first appearance on this show)
Why Danish Students are Paid to Go to College by Rick Noack, The Washington Post
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs by Saul McLeod, Simply Psychology
Unlearn Your MBA — DHH’s talk at Stanford’s Entrepreneur Corner
Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM): Education for Global Leadership, US Department of Education
What are Computer-Aided Software Engineering (CASE) tools?
You’re A Computer. Can You Pass The Turing Test? via ClickHole
Remote: Office Not Required by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson
Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson
Employee Benefits at Basecamp by Jason Fried, Signal v. Noise
DHH uses 1Password as his password manager and two-factor authentication wherever possible.
by Ben Kepes, Forbes
24 Hours of Le Mans
It might be prudent for race car drivers to bring Anti-Monkey Butt Powder for those long stretches.

Show Notes

What skills are most important today? [05:22]
Will the days of AI (artificial intelligence) writing its own code be a reality soon? [13:49]
Thoughts on creating and maintaining a company culture. [19:13]
How does DHH ensure his own digital security? [26:21]
How (and why) did DHH and Jason Fried make the decision to sell off a lot of 37Signals’ portfolio products and double down on Basecamp? [32:07]
How have DHH and Jason Fried resolved heated disagreements and maintained their thriving partnership for so many years? [40:37]
What DHH has learned about effective parenting and his thoughts on raising a rebel vs. a compliant child. [45:45]
What was DHH’s opinion of himself as a child? [52:51]
How does DHH stay alert during a 24-hour Le Mans race? [57:18]
Does a 24-hour race take bathroom breaks into account? [1:02:56]

People Mentioned

Jason Fried
Colt Heinemeier Hansson
Jamie Heinemeier Hansson

Tools of Titans: Derek Sivers Distilled

“If [more] information was the answer, then we’d all be billionaires with perfect abs.”

– Derek Sivers

Derek Sivers(@sivers) is one of my favorite humans, and I call him often for advice. Think of him as a philosopher-king programmer, master teacher, and merry prankster. Originally a professional musician and circus clown (he did the latter to counterbalance being introverted), Derek created CD Baby in 1998. It became the largest seller of independent music online, with $100 million in sales for 150,000 musicians.

In 2008, Derek sold CD Baby for $22 million, giving the proceeds to a charitable trust for music education. He is a frequent speaker at the TED Conference, with more than five million views of his talks. In addition to publishing 33 books via his company Wood Egg, he is the author of Anything You Want: 40 Lessons for a New Kind of Entrepreneur, a collection of short life lessons that I’ve read at least a dozen times. I still have an early draft with highlights and notes.

I posted the following on Facebook while writing this chapter: “I might need to do a second volume of my next book [Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers] 100% dedicated to the knowledge bombs of Derek Sivers. So much good stuff. Hard to cut.”

Here’s a bit of what made it into the first edition — cherry-picked from the nuggets I’ve applied to my own life. Enjoy!

Listen to it on iTunes.
Stream by clicking here.
Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as.”

Want to hear an entire conversation with Derek Sivers? — Listen to this podcast, which was Derek’s first appearance on the show, and also a favorite of Seth Godin. In this episode, Derek discusses developing confidence, finding happiness, and saying “no” to millions (stream below or right-click here to download):

This podcast is brought to you by Audible. I have used Audible for years, and I love audiobooks. I have two to recommend:

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Vagabonding by Rolf Potts

All you need to do to get your free 30-day Audible trial is go to 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. Enjoy.

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” 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 Derek Sivers:

Twitter | Website | Facebook

Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers by Timothy Ferriss
Anything You Want: 40 Lessons for a New Kind of Entrepreneur by Derek Sivers
The Philosophies of Work: A Conversation with Derek Sivers of CD Baby
Derek Sivers on Developing Confidence, Finding Happiness, and Saying “No” to Millions
Derek Sivers Reloaded — On Success Habits and Billionaires with Perfect Abs
“Just Tell Me What to Do”: Compressing Knowledge into Directives by Derek Sivers
Here’s the big list of books Derek has read.
Seeking Wisdom: From Darwin to Munger by Peter Bevelin (Derek’s notes here)
Awaken the Giant Within: How to Take Immediate Control of Your Mental, Emotional, Physical and Financial Destiny! by Tony Robbins
The 4-Hour Chef: The Simple Path to Cooking Like a Pro, Learning Anything, and Living the Good Life by Timothy Ferriss
Tools for putting your information to use: Stickk.com or Coach.me
Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
Berklee College of Music
Paradox Resolved: Buridan’s Ass by Steve Patterson
CD Baby
How to Say “No” When It Matters Most (or “Why I’m Taking a Long ‘Startup Vacation'”) by Tim Ferriss
Marvin Braude Bike Trail
Penguins vs. Pelicans, National Geographic
Worldwide Accent Project — Iceland by kristabjork
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert
Mother Night by Kurt Vonnegut
The Most Successful Email [Derek Sivers] Ever Wrote

Show Notes

Derek has read, reviewed, and rank-ordered more than 200 books. Which are among the most important? [05:04]
Kevin Olega tells us how an episode with Derek changed his life. [06:06]
It’s not what you know — it’s what you do consistently. [06:49]
The best plan is the one that lets you change your plans. [07:43]
Who does Derek think of first when he hears the word “successful” — and why is the third person who comes to mind probably more successful? [08:33]
Just starting out? Say “yes” to everything — even if it’s playing acoustic guitar at a pig show in Vermont. [10:44]
The standard pace is for chumps. [12:40]
Advice Derek would give to his 30-year-old self. [15:35]
Business models can be simple: you don’t need to constantly pivot. [17:19]
Once you have some success: if it’s not a “hell, yes!” it’s a “no.” [19:24]
Lack of time is lack of priorities. [21:22]
What would Derek put on his billboard? [22:23]
On taking 45 minutes instead of 43. [23:10]
Why Derek has no morning routines. [28:48]
Treat life as a series of experiments. [30:55]
The most successful email Derek ever wrote. [31:57]

People Mentioned

Charlie Munger
Warren Buffett
Tony Robbins
Marc Andreessen
Seneca
Jason Nemer
Kevin Kelly
Albert Einstein
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Daniel Kahneman
Richard Branson
Ricardo Semler
Kimo Williams
Amber Rubarth
Daniel Gilbert
Kurt Vonnegut

The Tim Ferriss Radio Hour: Meditation, Mindset, and Mastery

I’m excited to bring you a little taste test of a new show format that I’ve been working on — The Tim Ferriss Radio Hour.

After 200 conversations with a variety of fascinating people, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Foxx, Tony Robbins, Maria Popova, Peter Thiel, Marc Andreessen, Amanda Palmer, Malcolm Gladwell, Rick Rubin, Reid Hoffman, Chase Jarvis, Sam Harris, Rainn Wilson, and so many others, I started to spot patterns. This is the premise of my new book Tools of Titans, which is a compilation of all of my favorite habits, philosophies, and tools of world-class performers.

This is where Tim Ferriss Radio Hour comes in. In each episode, we’ll take a deep dive into one specific topic or tactic, bringing together the collective genius of past guests — with some new insights from yours truly — to help you become world class in your own right (if you aren’t already).

In this episode, we’ll be exploring meditation and mindfulness. You’ll hear from Chase Jarvis as he explains his top priorities for feeling fulfilled. I talk transcendental meditation with Arnold Schwarzenegger. I cover a wide spectrum with Sam Harris, and ask him about everything from hallucinogens to meditation techniques. And then I wrap up with Rainn Wilson, discussing how to handle life when you feel overwhelmed.

Without further ado, let’s jump into the first episode of The Tim Ferriss Radio Hour!

Listen to it on iTunes.
Stream by clicking here.
Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as.”

In this podcast, we talk with Arnold Schwarzenegger. In his first episode on the podcast, we discussed psychological warfare, never-told-before stories, how he became a millionaire outside of Hollywood, and much more (stream below or right-click here to download):

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 4-Hour Body, 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 Four Sigmatic. I reached out to these Finnish entrepreneurs after a very talented acrobat introduced me to one of their products, which blew my mind (in the best way possible). It is mushroom coffee featuring chaga. It tastes like coffee, but there are only 40 milligrams of caffeine, so it has less than half of what you would find in a regular cup of coffee. I do not get any jitters, acid reflux, or any type of stomach burn. It put me on fire for an entire day, and I only had half of the packet.

People are always asking me what I use for cognitive enhancement right now, this is the answer. You can try it right now by going to foursigmatic.com/tim and using the code Tim to get 20 percent off your first order. If you are in the experimental mindset, I do not think you’ll be disappointed.

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

Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers by Timothy Ferriss
The Tim Ferriss Show: Chase Jarvis, Master Photographer
CreativeLive
What is transcendental meditation (TM)?
The Rise of Superman by Stephen Kotler
Burning Man
What is Wim Hof breathing?
5 Morning Rituals That Help Me Win The Day
Check out the blog post and video documenting how I make my Titanium Tea.
Headspace meditation app
Tim Ferriss Interviews Arnold Schwarzenegger on Psychological Warfare (And Much More)
Sam Harris on Daily Routines, The Trolley Scenario, and 5 Books Everyone Should Read
The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason by Sam Harris
Free Will by Sam Harris
Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion by Sam Harris
Are Psychedelic Drugs the Next Medical Breakthrough?
How to Meditate, Sam Harris’s blog
Mindfulness in Plain English by Bhante Gunaratana
The Experience of Insight: A Simple and Direct Guide to Buddhist Meditation by Joseph Goldstein
Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn
9 minutes of guided mindfulness meditation from Sam Harris
Drugs and the Meaning of Life, Sam Harris’s blog
Food of the Gods: The Search for the Original Tree of Knowledge by Terence McKenna
Rainn Wilson on Meditation, The Sexy Nostril Exercise, and Acting as Therapy
Roland Griffiths — The science of psilocybin and its use to relieve suffering, TEDMED
Life Lessons From The World’s Happiest Man by Mat Smith, Esquire
Tara Brach on Meditation and Overcoming FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out)
Watch Amy, the documentary about Amy Winehouse
SoulPancake
The Hilarious “Sexy Nostril” Game for Writers by Christopher Kokoski

Show Notes

Chase Jarvis lays out his top priorities for feeling happy and fulfilled. [07:02]
How TM (transcendental meditation) puts Chase in flow state (aka “the zone”). [08:40]
You don’t have to be a Burning Man aficionado to benefit from TM. [010:45]
Some of my current meditation routines, and how I incorporate mindfulness into my day. [14:57]
Why Arnold Schwarzenegger started practicing TM in the ’70s. [17:30]
Arnold applies the lessons of meditation to focus on everything from studying scripts to working out. [21:33]
Sam Harris talks about various ways of achieving valuable altered states (e.g., transcendence) without invoking religion. [23:34]
What type of meditation does Sam recommend to the novice? [29:17]
Sam’s resources for those new to meditation. [33:46]
Psychedelics Sam has found therapeutically valuable in his own life. [36:19]
Why Terence McKenna argued that psychedelics are superior to meditation and yoga. [41:11]
Are there benefits to a bad trip? [43:05]
What does Rainn Wilson do when he’s feeling overwhelmed? [45:25]
What scientists learned from scanning the brain of the world’s happiest man. [49:38]
Acting can be a wonderful escape from your own head. How can non-actors benefit from playing theater games? [52:11]
What is the sexy nostril game? [55:20]
How Rainn gets to “normal.” [56:50]

People Mentioned

Arnold Schwarzenegger
Jamie Foxx
Tony Robbins
Maria Popova
Peter Thiel
Marc Andreessen
Amanda Palmer
Malcolm Gladwell
Rick Rubin
Reid Hoffman
Chase Jarvis
Sam Harris
Rainn Wilson
Paul McCartney
Arianna Huffington
David Lynch
Ray Dalio
Russell Simmons
Howard Stern
Jerry Seinfeld
Wim Hof
Jeff Bridges
Sally Field
Jesus
Gautama Buddha
Terence McKenna
Roland Griffiths
Adam Gazzaley
Matthieu Ricard
Tara Brach
Amy Winehouse
Paul Walker

Susan Garrett — Master Dog (and Human) Trainer

“Dogs are here to teach us. And if you don’t open your eyes to that, you’re going to miss life lessons.”

– Susan Garrett

Susan Garrett (@susangarrett) is an incredible dog trainer. She has a B.Sc. in animal science, and for more than two decades has been one of the most consistently successful competitors in the sport of dog agility.

Susan has been on the podium of the world and national championship events more than 50 times, winning those events a total of 38 times. She was of great help to me when I first adopted Molly, my own pup, and her book Shaping Success (The Education of an Unlikely Champion) was selected as the 2005 dog training and behavior book of the year.

Susan is a champ not only for her competitive track record, but for her ability to convey concrete tips and recommendations for:

The most critical exercises for your dog
The three types of reinforcement
How to use crates properly
What you should do in the first 24 hours of adopting a puppy
How training a dog is like training an Olympic athlete
And much, much more!

We discuss every facet of behavioral modification and conditioning, which applies to much more than dog training. These are techniques that work on everyone from chickens to cats to irritating in-laws.

If you only have 5 minutes, you’ll want to learn why negative reinforcement isn’t as effective as positive reinforcement — even for people.

I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did!

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 podcast about powerful communication? — Listen to my interview with Malcolm Gladwell. In this episode, we discuss routines, habits, and tools, how to make your stories relatable, and why he eats as little as possible in the morning (stream below or right-click here to download):

This podcast is brought to you by Four Sigmatic. I reached out to these Finnish entrepreneurs after a very talented acrobat introduced me to one of their products, which blew my mind (in the best way possible). It is mushroom coffee featuring chaga. It tastes like coffee, but there are only 40 milligrams of caffeine, so it has less than half of what you would find in a regular cup of coffee. I do not get any jitters, acid reflux, or any type of stomach burn. It put me on fire for an entire day, and I only had half of the packet.

People are always asking me what I use for cognitive enhancement right now, this is the answer. You can try it right now by going to foursigmatic.com/tim and using the code Tim to get 20 percent off your first order. If you are in the experimental mindset, I do not think you’ll be disappointed.

This podcast is also brought to you by Wealthfront. Wealthfront is a massively disruptive (in a good way) set-it-and-forget-it investing service led by technologists from places like Apple. It has exploded in popularity in the last two years and now has more than $2.5B under management. Why? Because you can get services previously limited to the ultra-wealthy and only pay pennies on the dollar for them, and it’s all through smarter software instead of retail locations and bloated sales teams.

Check out wealthfront.com/tim, take their risk assessment quiz, which only takes 2-5 minutes, and they’ll show you for free the exact portfolio they’d put you in. If you want to just take their advice and do it yourself, you can. Well worth a few minutes to explore: wealthfront.com/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 Susan Garrett:

Twitter | Dogs That Listen | Susan Garrett Agility Training | Facebook | YouTube

Shaping Success (The Education of an Unlikely Champion) by Susan Garrett
What is the sport of dog agility?
ItsYerChoice
Recall Training with the Dogs with Susan Garrett
Orijen “fancy” treats
Clicker dog training system
Pop up dog crates
Crate Games and the Question of Value by Susan Garrett, Say Yes! Dog Training
Restrained Recalls — Recallers Game Day 3, Hiva the Dane & Hani the Border
30′ training leads
Collar Grab Game — Recallers Game Day 1, Hiva the Dane & Hani the Border
Pavlov’s Dogs by Saul McLeod, Simply Psychology
Call Once, Romeo & Juliet
Stella & Chewy Freeze Dried Dandy Lamb and Rabbit dinner patties
Effective Triggers and the Transfer of Value by Susan Garrett, Say Yes! Dog Training
Before You Get Your Puppy by Dr. Ian Dunbar
The 10,000 Swing Kettlebell Workout by Dan John, T Nation
The Journey, Susan Garrett
A toy that simulates mother’s heartbeat can be comforting for a new puppy.
Don’t Shoot the Dog!: The New Art of Teaching and Training by Karen Pryor
X pens
The Best Animal Trainers in History: Interview with Bob and Marian Bailey — Part 1 and Part 2 by Dr. Sophia Yin
Chicken Camp with Bob Bailey — Discrimination Workshop Evaluation, Elsa Blomster
Extracts from Patient Like the Chipmunks by Bob Bailey & Marian Breland-Bailey
What Is a Skinner Box? by Kendra Cherry, Verywell
Jason Nemer — Inside the Magic of AcroYoga
Classic KONG Dog Toy
Nature’s Miracle Urine Destroyer
Susan recommends Gentle Leader headcollars.
Dog Tricks: Command, Safety, and Vanity with Molly and me
Dog Breakfast Tips with Molly and me
Dog Tips and Training with Molly and me

Show Notes

What is the sport of dog agility? [08:27]
What separates a good handler from a great handler? [09:37]
What differentiates Susan’s approach to training from others? [10:26]
Susan contrasts choice-based training with punishment-based and reinforcement-based training. [11:32]
Susan explains how her ItsYerChoice game introduces the premise of choice-based training to dogs. [13:47]
The three big reinforcements for a dog. [16:11]
The first thing to identify: where’s the value for the dog? [16:24]
Explaining the reinforcement (or reward) zone. [18:03]
“It’s a crowded bar and you’ve got to tip with twenties!” illustrates a technique vs. incentive issue. [19:09]
Why crate games build the foundation for successful training. [23:40]
Explaining restrained recalls. [28:50]
What is the collar grab game? [31:17]
Is “call once” a relative or variant of restraint recalls? [34:37]
Giving the dog a choice is just one way behaviors are shaped. [35:50]
How I reacquainted myself with Molly after a long absence. [39:23]
Susan explains transfer of value and why you shouldn’t always make food available. [42:10]
The dos and don’ts of getting a new puppy (and how it ties in with trying to do 10,000 kettlebell swings in 28 days). [45:10]
Our dogs are just trying to help us become better dog trainers. [47:55]
Susan’s first 24 hours with a new puppy — and why she’s never had a puppy wake her up after the first night. [50:12]
Potty training: why Susan always raises dogs to do their business on a leash, and how giving that “business” a name helps the process. [52:44]
Clicker training: it works for dogs, marine mammals, and Olympic divers. [55:28]
Why negative reinforcement isn’t as effective as positive reinforcement — even for people. [1:02:59]
How do you avoid doling out negative reinforcement when bad behavior is exhibited? [1:11:03]
Susan explains how the San Diego Zoo got a troublemaking, diabetic mandrill to love getting his blood drawn. [1:14:10]
X pen versus tethering. [1:20:24]
What is jackpotting, and what does science say about its value in training? [1:23:39]
Susan talks about a couple of her mentors and how they’ve contributed to the scientific study of animal behavior. [1:24:35]
Why do chickens make excellent subjects for a trainer trying to understand positive reinforcement? [1:30:28]
“Dogs are brilliant at figuring out patterns of reinforcement.” [1:31:30]
The three Ds: distance, duration, and distractions.  [1:34:31]
Why did I stop using the bell on the door, and how can I reintroduce it by shaping Molly’s behavior? [1:36:54]
What are some of the common mistakes Susan sees people making? [1:40:04]
Is there a way to calm down your dog? [1:42:32]
Susan talks about her “dog-free” vacation to Ireland. [1:45:23]
Most people try to train from the world of “don’t,” but dogs only understand “do.” [1:49:02]
Even AcroYoga uses positive reinforcement. [1:49:56]
Striving to become a better trainer for the benefit of your dog makes you a better person. [1:50:27]
Tools to bring home for your dog before you adopt. [1:51:20]
Why Susan advocates online learning. [1:55:24]
What kind of training does Susan recommend staying away from? [1:56:13]

People Mentioned

Molly
Ian Dunbar
Ivan Pavlov
Greg Louganis
Gary Priest
Bob Bailey
Marian Breland Bailey
B.F. Skinner
Jason Nemer

The Tim Ferriss Show Crosses 100 Million Downloads

I’m still having a total blast. (Photo: Chase Jarvis, also pictured)

Holy schnikes!

At the end of October, The Tim Ferriss Show shot past 100,000,000 downloads.  What does that mean? Here’s an official quote from Libsyn:

“Congratulations to Tim for crossing the 100-million download mark. At Libsyn, we have been hosting podcasts for more than 12 years, and we currently host well over 28,000 podcasts, including a high percentage of the blockbuster hits on iTunes,” said Rob Walch, Vice President of Podcaster Relations at Libsyn. “Tim’s podcast is the first business-interview format podcast in our history to cross the 100,000,000 download mark.”

This is wild.

As some of you know, my podcast–The Tim Ferriss Show–was started on a whim. It was intended as a break between big book projects. “I’ll do six episodes to get better at interviewing” was the grand goal.

In the first episode and after two bottles of wine, Kevin Rose nicknamed the show TimTimTalkTalk (damn you, KevKev). And the next morning, after reviewing my ridiculously slurred and iffy questions (e.g. “If you were a breakfast cereal, which would you be?”), I let out a long sigh. I’d always hated the sound of my own voice, but this was worse than expected. TERRIBLE. The podcast experiment wouldn’t last a month.

Or so I thought.

Now, here we are, 100M downloads later, on the cusp of 200 episodes, and growing faster every month. 100M excludes YouTube and other substantial ancillary views/listens.  As of this writing, The Tim Ferriss Show has been in the iTunes top-100 list for 934 consecutive days.

I can say one thing for certain — I’ve only made it this far because of YOU.

Your amazing feedback, support, questions, and comments are what kept this podcast alive. Amidst self-doubt (similar to this) and many mistakes, I’ve wanted to throw in the towel more than once. But, through thick and thin, you’ve been there, telling my monkey mind to chill the fuck out, to take a deep breath, to go to sleep and fight another day.

Many, many thanks.  To celebrate, I’m gathering the top-100 most prolific commenters from this blog’s comments, and you guys will be getting some thank-you goodies

Stephen Dubner — The Art of Storytelling and Facing Malcolm Gladwell in a Fist Fight

“Storytelling has a power that goes well beyond the sum of its parts.”

– Stephen Dubner

Stephen J. Dubner (@Freakonomics) returns to the show. He is an award-winning author, journalist, and radio and TV personality. He is best-known for writing, along with the economist Steven D. Levitt, Freakonomics (2005), SuperFreakonomics (2009), and Think Like a Freak (2014), which have sold more than five million copies in 35 languages. He is the creator of the top-ranked Freakonomics Radio podcast.

His brand-new podcast, produced in collaboration with The New York Times, is Tell Me Something I Don’t Know It is equal parts game show, talk show, and brain-tease. I had a chance to experiment with this format as a “panelist” alongside Malcolm Gladwell. It’s a blast.

In this episode, we cover such diverse topics as:

Why cats wiggle their butts before they pounce
How to grow a podcast
If he thinks he could take Malcolm Gladwell in a fist fight
Economics and the President’s actual influence over the economy
How virtual reality might affect education
And much, much more

If you only have 5 minutes, I recommend listening to the three books that shaped Stephen into the person he is today [at 31:26 for the overcast link]

Please enjoy this round two with Stephen J. Dubner!

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 podcast featuring Stephen J. Dubner? — Listen to this early episode of The Tim Ferriss Show. In this episode, we discuss the craft of brainstorming, narrative storytelling, and how to avoid wasting mental energy on meaningless nonsense (stream below or right-click here to download):

This podcast is brought to you by Wealthfront. Wealthfront is a massively disruptive (in a good way) set-it-and-forget-it investing service led by technologists from places like Apple. It has exploded in popularity in the last two years and now has more than $2.5B under management. Why? Because you can get services previously limited to the ultra-wealthy and only pay pennies on the dollar for them, and it’s all through smarter software instead of retail locations and bloated sales teams.

Check out wealthfront.com/tim, take their risk assessment quiz, which only takes 2-5 minutes, and they’ll show you for free the exact portfolio they’d put you in. If you want to just take their advice and do it yourself, you can. Well worth a few minutes to explore: wealthfront.com/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 4-Hour Body, 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 Stephen Dubner:

Twitter | Freakonomics Radio | Tell Me Something I Don’t Know | Facebook | Freakonomics website

The Tim Ferriss Show, Episode 7: Stephen Dubner, Co-Author of Freakonomics (Stephen’s first appearance on this show)
How to Be Tim Ferriss — Featuring Freakonomics (that time Stephen interviewed me)
Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
SuperFreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
Think Like a Freak: The Authors of Freakonomics Offer to Retrain Your Brain by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
Question of the Day Episode 107 with Special Guest Tim Ferriss: Does Altruism Actually Exist?
LMGTFY (Let Me Google That for You)
Holy Bible, King James Version
The Brady Bunch
The Epic of Gilgamesh
The Odyssey by Homer
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare
This Is Your Brain on Podcasts, Freakonomics Radio
Dubno Jewish History Tour, Jewish Virtual Library
Choosing My Religion: A Memoir of a Family Beyond Belief by Stephen J. Dubner
Missing Ingredient to Lower Scores Is Something Called Deliberate Practice, Golf Magazine
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
Ring: A Biography of Ring Lardner by Jonathan Yardley
The Right Profile Live (Stephen’s old band)
Trading Rock ‘n’ Roll for Economics: Stephen J. Dubner Thinks Like a Freak by Mack Hayden, Paste Monthly
SuperFreakonomics Co-Author Describes the Intersection of Good and Bad versus Wrong and Right interview with Tavis Smiley
Why Are We Still Using Cash?, Freakonomics Radio
How Much Does the President Really Matter?, Freakonomics Radio
Has the U.S. Presidency Become a Dictatorship?, Freakonomics Radio
New Classrooms
Footy for Two
On stamp collecting: A Hobby for Everyone, American Philatelic Society

Show Notes

Why do cats wiggle their butts before they pounce? [08:48]
How might storytelling improve the way lessons of hard sciences and other traditionally “boring” subjects are conveyed? [09:28]
Top tips for editing your podcasts to make them shorter without losing too much valuable information. [19:33]
Suggestions for growing the reach of a podcast. [23:15]
The origin of Stephen’s last name. [26:07]
What’s happening with the golf book Stephen and Steven were working on? [28:57]
What are the three books that had the biggest impact on Stephen? [31:26]
Stephen talks about why he chose a career in writing over one in sports or music (his other two passions). [33:07]
How did Stephen meet James Altucher and what makes James a good interviewer? [40:50]
Does Stephen think he could take Malcolm Gladwell in a fist fight? [42:24]
How will South Korea’s entry into the cryptocurrency game affect the dynamic of the market? [43:17]
What actual influence does a US president have on the economy? [46:13]
How will technology such as VR (virtual reality) affect education? [51:48]
What’s the best way to teach kids how to develop critical thinking and ask unusual questions? [56:55]
What Stephen learned from stamp collecting. [1:01:32]

People Mentioned

Steven D. Levitt
Malcolm Gladwell
James Altucher
Moses
Adam and Eve
Jesus
Gilgamesh
William Shakespeare
Pauly Shore
Jack Gallant
Jonathan Yardley
Ring Lardner
Tavis Smiley
Eric Posner
Richard Posner
James Madison
Joel Rose
Solomon Dubner

Tools of Titans Foreword — Arnold Schwarzenegger!!! “I Am Not A Self-Made Man”

Speaking as a Long Island kid raised on Commando and Predator, this post is a dream come true.

Arnold Schwarzenegger–the freaking Terminator–was kind enough to write the Foreword for Tools of Titans. Whaaat?! Seriously, I have to pinch myself.

The more time I spend with Arnold and his team, the more impressed I am.  The more I study his life, the more I want to think bigger, stretch my limits, and smile at the naysayers of life. His habits, decisions, philosophies, and routines are endlessly fascinating, which I explore in ToT.

Arnold, thank you. Danke sehr!

Now, without further ado, here is the Foreword for Tools of Titans by Arnold, which could also be titled “I Am Not A Self-Made Man.”

Enter Arnold

I am not a self-made man.

Every time I give a speech at a business conference, or speak to college students, or do a Reddit AMA, someone says it.

“Governor/Governator/Arnold/Arnie/Schwarzie/Schnitzel (depending on where I am), as a self-made man, what’s your blueprint for success?”

They’re always shocked when I thank them for the compliment but say, “I am not a self-made man. I got a lot of help.”

It is true that I grew up in Austria without plumbing. It is true that I moved to America alone with just a gym bag. And it is true that I worked as a bricklayer and invested in real estate to become a millionaire before I ever swung the sword in Conan the Barbarian.

But it is not true that I am self-made. Like everyone, to get to where I am, I stood on the shoulders of giants. My life was built on a foundation of parents, coaches, and teachers; of kind souls who lent couches or gym back rooms where I could sleep; of mentors who shared wisdom and advice; of idols who motivated me from the pages of magazines (and, as my life grew, from personal interaction).

I had a big vision, and I had fire in my belly. But I would never have gotten anywhere without my mother helping me with my homework (and smacking me when I wasn’t ready to study), without my father telling me to “be useful,” without teachers who explained how to sell, or without coaches who taught me the fundamentals of weight lifting.

If I had never seen a magazine with Reg Park on the cover and read about his transition from Mr. Universe to playing Hercules on the big screen, I might still be yodeling in the Austrian Alps. I knew I wanted to leave Austria, and I knew that America was exactly where I belonged, but Reg put fuel on the fire and gave me my blueprint.

Joe Weider brought me to America and took me under his wing, promoting my bodybuilding career and teaching me about business. Lucille Ball took a huge chance and called me to guest star in a special that was my first big break in Hollywood. And in 2003, without the help of 4,206,284 Californians, I would never have been elected Governor of the great state of California.

So how can I ever claim to be self-made? To accept that mantle discounts every person and every piece of advice that got me here. And it gives the wrong impression — that you can do it alone.

I couldn’t. And odds are, you can’t either.

We all need fuel. Without the assistance, advice, and inspiration of others, the gears of our mind grind to a halt, and we’re stuck with nowhere to go. I have been blessed to find mentors and idols at every step of my life, and I’ve been lucky to meet many of them.

From Joe Weider to Nelson Mandela, from Mikhail Gorbachev to Muhammad Ali, from Andy Warhol to George H.W. Bush, I have never been shy about seeking wisdom from others to pour fuel on my fire.

You have probably listened to Tim’s podcasts. (I particularly recommend the one with the charming bodybuilder with the Austrian accent.) He has used his platform to bring you the wisdom of a diverse cast of characters in business, entertainment, and sports. I bet you’ve learned something from them — and oftentimes, I bet you picked up something you didn’t expect.

Whether it’s a morning routine, or a philosophy or training tip, or just motivation to get through your day, there isn’t a person on this planet who doesn’t benefit from a little outside help. I’ve always treated the world as my classroom, soaking up lessons and stories to fuel my path forward. I hope you do the same.

The worst thing you can ever do is think that you know enough.

Never stop learning. Ever.

That’s why you bought this book. You know that wherever you are in life, there will be moments when you need outside motivation and insight. There will be times when you don’t have the answer, or the drive, and you’re forced to look beyond yourself.

You can admit that you can’t do it alone. I certainly can’t. No one can.

Now, turn the page and learn something.

— Arnold Schwarzenegger

###

Tools of Titans is available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Books-A-Million, iBooks, Indiebound, Indigo, and more.

Charles Poliquin – His Favorite Mass-Building Program, His Nighttime Routine For Better Sleep, and Much More

“If you’re 80% good and 20% terrible, you can’t expect to have 100% results.”

– Charles Poliquin

Charles Poliquin is back for another round of the podcast. Charles (@strengthsensei) is one of the best known strength coaches in the world. He has trained elite athletes from nearly 20 different sports, including Olympic gold medalists, NFL All-Pro’s, NHL All-Stars and Stanley Cup champions, and IFBB bodybuilding champions. His clients include long-jump gold medalist Dwight Phillips, NHL MVP Chris Pronger, and MLB batting champion Edgar Martinez, and the first women’s wrestling US Olympic gold medalist Helen Maroulis, among many others.

And as I creep up towards episode #200, his first appearance on the podcast is still one of the top-15 most listened to episodes, and he’s constantly requested by listeners for a round 2.

In this episode, you to play host, and I selected your most popular questions on Facebook and Twitter. This time, Charles goes deep on several topics, including:

His favorite mass building program of all-time
Recommendations for older lifters
His latest thoughts on hormones and diet
How to differentiate a bad trainer from a good one, and a good one from the “best of the best”
His nighttime routine for improving sleep
Why most people screw up abdominal training
Ketosis and muscle gain
And much, much more!

Enjoy!

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 Charles Poliquin?  — Listen his first appearance on the podcast. In this episode, we discuss, muscle-building techniques, how to become stronger, warmup routines, why people struggle to lose fat, and more (stream below or right-click here to download):

This podcast is brought to you by Rhone Apparel. Dozens — maybe even hundreds of you — have asked me: “What shirts are you wearing in your recent YouTube videos?” They’re a very specific set of shirts from Rhone. I’m packing for a trip for seven to ten days, and I would say half of what I’m going to pack is from Rhone. These are the most comfortable shirts (and Rhone stocks way more than shirts) that I have ever worn — at least for active wear. But you can even sneak them into a business casual event or dinner if you’re a Long Island kid like me.

Rhone has minimal branding, so you don’t feel like you’re walking around with some sort of billboard on your chest. They come with pure, melted-down silver in the fabric — anti-odor technology so you don’t smell like a musk ox halfway through the day. I love Rhone’s shirts, pants, and shorts, and I’ve been wearing them pretty much every day for the past few weeks. Luckily, there’s no risk in trying them out: free shipping and a 100-day return policy should help you decide if they’re worth it. Plus, listeners get an exclusive 15% off for using the code TIM at checkout. Find ’em at rhone.com/tim.

This podcast is also brought to you by TrunkClub. I hate shopping with a passion. And honestly, I’m not good at it, which means I end up looking like I’m colorblind or homeless. Enter TrunkClub, which provides you with your own personal stylist and makes it easier than ever to shop for clothes that look great on your body.

Visit trunkclub.com/tim, answer a few questions, and then you’ll be sent a trunk full of awesome clothes. They base this on your sizes, preferences, etc. The trunk is then delivered and you only pay for clothes that you keep. To get started, check it out at trunkclub.com/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 Charles Poliquin:

StrengthSensei.com | Facebook | YouTube | Google+ | Twitter | Instagram

Charles Poliquin on Strength Training, Shredding Body Fat, and Increasing Testosterone and Sex Drive (Charles’s first appearance on this show)
Charles Poliquin’s favorite mass building routine
Charles’s recommended resources
Dinosaur Training Secrets by Brooks D. Kubik
Training Gains That Keep Coming: A Primer on Periodization That Works by Charles Poliquin, Strength Sensei (an explanation of accumulation vs. intensification phases)
Charles recommends Gotu Kola capsules for repairing stretch marks.
Prevention of Overuse Injuries in Strength Training — Updated by Charles Poliquin, Strength Sensei
What is chelation therapy?
Some of the reputable gyms Charles mentions: UP (Ultimate Performance), Shredded Strength Institute, Wolf Gate, and Average Broz’s
IDEA Health and Fitness Association
For sleep improvement, Charles recommends magnesium threonate and theanine
The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Timothy Ferriss
The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan
What is the Preferred Ratio of DHA/EPA in Supplements?, DHA-EPA Omega-3 Institute
Charles’s suggested fish oil is OmegAvail
Squats — The Facts by Charles Poliquin, Strength Sensei
Television Watching and “Sit Time,” Harvard School of Public Health (studies showing correlation between screen time and obesity)
The Last Samurai
Cluster Training: A Novel Method for Introducing Training Program Variation, Strength and Conditioning Journal
Jailhouse Strong by Josh Bryant and Adam benShea
What is cryotherapy?
5 Things I Learned at Charles Poliquin’s Advanced Program Design Seminar by Stefan Ianev.
Video: Busting Through Plateaus in Squat Training — Updated by Charles Poliquin, Strength Sensei
Helen Maroulis Wins USA’s First Gold Medal in Women’s Wrestling by Shawn Smith, NBCUniversal
When learning a new language, Charles favors the Pimsleur Method and restaurant menus.

Show Notes

Advice for older (40+) lifters. Is it all downhill from here? [06:44]
How can you test your insulin sensitivity to determine if you’re lean enough to make good use of carbs or not? [09:33]
What’s Charles’s best routine for gaining mass? [11:16]
What dosage of Gotu Kola does Charles recommend for repairing stretch marks? [14:00]
What injuries has Charles had to deal with over a career of maximizing swolertrophy (aka muscle hypertrophy) — and how does he treat them? [14:32]
With YouTube giving so many so-called strength training “experts” a soapbox, how do we combat misinformation? [16:53]
What distinguishes a good personal trainer from a great personal trainer — and what’s the best way to get started? [19:53]
Which supplements does Charles recommend for improving sleep? [22:58]
Does Charles have any regrets? [23:27]
Is taking three-to-one EPA to DHA supplements worth it? [26:01]
What’s Charles’s beef against foam rolling? [27:38]
Does Charles have a go-to lifting plan for body transformation? [29:23]
How do we know which supplements are more effective — or if they work at all? [30:36]
When squatting: high bar or low bar? Type of shoes? With or without a belt? [32:50]
Why something as simple as chewing can have an impact on your weight goals. [34:08]
Is there a way to combine strength training and long cardio sessions? [40:01]
What’s the use of scientific knowledge if it’s not put to practical use? [41:35]
Is a trainer who can’t get a woman to do 12 pull-ups in 12 weeks a bad trainer? [47:05]
How would Charles prioritize sleep, food, and exercise? [47:50]
Are there any benefits to cryotherapy for the average person? [49:12]
Top things Charles has learned in the last two years. [51:25]
What does Charles know that’s not well-known among the scientific community? [53:08]
For someone who wants to start coaching in the strength and conditioning world, is there something more beneficial than certifications? [53:55]
Thoughts on intermittent fasting for trying to gain lean muscle. [55:35]
What is the most effective and efficient way to increase strength in a squat and deadlift after you hit a plateau? [56:53]
What “big idea” has Charles recently changed his mind about? [58:40]
What new insights did Charles gain training women wrestlers Helen Maroulis and Elena Pirozhkova for the Olympic games in Rio? [1:00:09]
His process for learning new languages. [1:04:59]
Favorite books. [1:08:27]
Charles discusses his “one thing.” [1:08:49]
What is Charles most proud of? [1:10:16]

People Mentioned

Dwight Phillips
Chris Pronger
Edgar Martinez
Helen Maroulis
Brooks Kubik
Ed Coan
Robert Rakowski
Josh Bryant
Paul Carter
Nick Mitchell
Gary Vaynerchuk
Barry Sears
Matt Wenning
Arnold Schwarzenegger
John Meadows
Dave Tate
Ben Prentiss
Bill Starr
John Broz
Elena Pirozhkova
John Berardi

Drunk Dialing — Ladies Night Edition!

By request, we have another drunk dialing episode (the most recent one can be found here, and the original can be found here).

This one is a little different as it’s a Ladies Night edition. Some of you may have noticed that ladies were absent from the last drunk dialing fiasco. Why? It’s just math. Looking at the results of a recent poll of 11,463 respondents, my audience is 84.04% male, 15.83% female, and .13% other.

The people who sign up first get called first. The last time, 3 out of the 20, which is exactly 15%, were female. Unfortunately, those women (and several guys) did not pick up.

This time around, I decided to try the “ladies night” format. In this episode, we discuss:

Language learning
Exercising with (or around) injuries
Viral marketing
Handstands and handstand training
How I decide my experiments (and what gets shared afterward)
Teaching disabilities vs. learning disabilities
The craft of writing: common mistakes, goals, etc.

Please enjoy!

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 when I’m drunk? — Listen to my 100th podcast. In this episode, we discuss tantric sex, how I view and organize my various income streams, marketing yourself in job interviews, and much, much more (stream below or right-click here to download):

This podcast is brought to you by Vimeo Business. Vimeo Business has all of the prior benefits of Vimeo Pro, including VIP support. Whether you make videos for a living, run your own company, or simply want to amp up your video marketing, Vimeo Business is here to help. It has more than 280 million creators and viewers worldwide and makes it easier to share your videos with a global audience and connect with professional video makers to bring your stories to life.

Vimeo Business allows you to upload up to five terabytes and store your videos in one secure place, add up to 10 team members to your account for easy collaboration, and gather feedback with seamless review tools. You can even add clickable calls to action and capture email addresses directly in the player, which can help you generate leads and drive conversion for whatever you’re trying to optimize, such as a newsletter or a sales page. Check out vimeo.com/tim10 to save 10 percent on Vimeo Business.

This podcast is also brought to you by FreshBooks. FreshBooks is a 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, go to FreshBooks.com/Tim and enter “Tim” 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

Drink of choice fueling this episode: Hendrick’s Gin and Canada Dry Club Soda
The 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat Loss, Incredible Sex and Becoming Superhuman by Timothy Ferriss
This is what a hex bar looks like.
Total Immersion: How I Learned to Swim Effortlessly in 10 Days and You Can Too
Body by Science: A Research-Based Program for Strength Training, Body building, and Complete Fitness in 12 Minutes a Week byJohn Little and Doug McGuff
GymnasticBodies
Hardcore History — Wrath of the Khans Series with Dan Carlin
Hardcore History — Prophets of Doom with Dan Carlin
The Loom of Language: An Approach to the Mastery of Many Languages by Frederick Bodmer and Lancelot Thomas Hogben
In Other Words: The Science and Psychology of Second-Language Acquisition by Ellen Bialystok and Kenji Hakuta
One Piece Box Set: East Blue and Baroque Works, Volumes 1-23 by Eiichiro Oda
Cowboy Bebop comics
Die Hard
12 Rules for Learning Foreign Languages in Record Time — The Only Post You’ll Ever Need
Phrase Origins: Where Does the Saying “There’s More Than One Way to Skin a Cat” Come From? via Quora
AJATT | All Japanese All The Time
Anki, Duolingo, and Memrise are excellent virtual aids to learning languages; I use physical flash cards from Vis-Ed.
The Rideau Canal Skateway and BeaverTails in Ottawa
1,000 True Fans by Kevin Kelly
The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing: Violate Them at Your Own Risk! by Al Ries and Jack Trout
Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make the Competition Irrelevant by W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne
Learn How to Do a Handstand — Cast Handstand Wall Walks via GymnasticBodies
Athletic Playground in Emeryville
Infobesity, aka information overload
My Life Extension Pilgrimage to Easter Island (lots of stuff on rapamycin and metformin)
Resveratrol
KetoForce
What is the Ketogenic Diet? by The Charlie Foundation
How to Lose 100 Pounds on The Slow-Carb Diet — Real Pics and Stories
The Art and Science of Learning Anything Faster
Bad Science: Quacks, Hacks, and Big Pharma Flacks by Ben Goldacre
10 Signs You’re Not Cut Out to Be an Entrepreneur Stephanie Vozza, Entrepreneur
The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Timothy Ferriss
How to Surf Life: Attorney Turned Surf Guru
The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber
Secrets of Power Negotiating, 15th Anniversary Edition: Inside Secrets from a Master Negotiator by Roger Dawson
Getting Past No: Negotiating in Difficult Situations by William Ury
On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction by William Zinsser
Husk in Charleston
The Magic of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz
Blogging Without Killing Yourself (my talk from WordCamp San Francisco 2009)
Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers by Timothy Ferriss
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson
Levels of the Game by John McPhee
John McPhee, The Art of Nonfiction No. 3 interviewed by Peter Hessler, The Paris Review
Writing with the Master — The Magic of John McPhee
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott
Stoicism Resources and Recommendations
The Serenity Prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr
The Eternal Magic of Beirut by Michael Specter,The New York Times Style Magazine

Show Notes

How do you exercise or stay active around a permanent or long-term injury? [06:02]
Good podcasts for long walks. [17:43]
Advice for studying multiple languages simultaneously. [19:22]
Thoughts on viral marketing and niche creation. [37:44]
How do you graduate to moving away from the wall when you’re learning handstands? [42:25]
How do I choose my projects and experiments? [46:51]
Learning disabilities vs. teaching disabilities. [1:01:26]
Comparing entrepreneurial and investing experiences, which has (so far) proven most rewarding? [1:05:18]
How do you switch gears to make the transition from employee to entrepreneur? [1:09:25]
If I were to do it all over again, what would I change first? [1:13:36]
Good advice for new and aspiring writers — along with some all-too-common bad advice. [1:17:17]
Why have I never done a traditional book tour? [1:26:03]
How do I optimize my life for efficiency and keep enjoying the novelty of discovery without burning out? [1:33:55]
Don’t optimize what you enjoy; savor what you enjoy. [1:42:44]

People Mentioned

Doug McGuff
Chris Sommer
Dan Carlin
Benny Lewis
Michel Thomas
Ed Cooke
Andrew Chen
Andy Johns
Kevin Kelly
Seth Godin
Sam Luckey
Eric Weinstein
Navdeep Chandel
Liz Morrow
Glennon Doyle Melton
Jenny Lawson
Lori Deschene
Stephen Dubner
Elizabeth Gilbert
Cheryl Strayed
Oprah Winfrey
Mark Manson
John McPhee
Marcus Aurelius
Seneca
Epictetus

Meet the Machine, Dave Camarillo

“Rocket science is not rocket science if you’re a rocket scientist.” 

– Dave Camarillo

Dave Camarillo (@DaveCamarillo) was my long-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) coach (see him kicking my ass repeatedly here). Put simply, he is a machine.

On the Mat once said: “It’s funny that everybody in Judo is scared of David’s ne waza and everybody in Jiu-Jitsu is scared of his stand up. (We) guess people, in general, are just scared of him.”

Dave is a very technical coach and an elite-level Jiu-Jitsu competitor. He dominated the lightweight and open weight classes at the 1998 Rickson Gracie American Jiu-Jitsu Association tournament; the legendary Rickson Gracie himself bestowed the honor of Most Technical American Jiu-Jitsu Fighter upon him.

He has worked not only with people on the ground game, but many recognizable MMA (mixed martial arts) figures as a coach and as a corner man.

We’ll delve into:

Tactical training
Military training
Hockey fights
Defending yourself armed only with a flashlight
How Dave’s mom is the best sniping shot in the entire family
And much, much more.

Enjoy!

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 an incredible athlete?  — Listen to this interview with Amelia Boone, who has been called the Michael Jordan of obstacle course racing (OCR). In this episode, she explores her training, nutrition, rehab, “pre-hab,” and more (stream below or right-click here to download):

This podcast is brought to you by Audible. I have used Audible for years, and I love audiobooks. I have two to recommend:

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Vagabonding by Rolf Potts

All you need to do to get your free 30-day Audible trial is go to 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. Enjoy.

This podcast is also brought to you by Vimeo Business. Vimeo Business has all of the prior benefits of Vimeo Pro, including VIP support. Whether you make videos for a living, run your own company, or simply want to amp up your video marketing, Vimeo Business is here to help. It has more than 280 million creators and viewers worldwide and makes it easier to share your videos with a global audience and connect with professional video makers to bring your stories to life.

Vimeo Business allows you to upload up to five terabytes and store your videos in one secure place, add up to 10 team members to your account for easy collaboration, and gather feedback with seamless review tools. You can even add clickable calls to action and capture email addresses directly in the player, which can help you generate leads and drive conversion for whatever you’re trying to optimize, such as a newsletter or a sales page. Check out vimeo.com/tim10 to save 10 percent on Vimeo 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 Dave Camarillo:

Guerrilla Jiu-Jitsu | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Position Impossible Podcast

Submit Everyone: The Guerrilla Jiu-Jitsu Files: Classified Field Manual for Becoming a Submission-focused Fighter by Kevin Howell and Dave Camarillo
How To Simplify Your Love Life (video explaining how I outsourced dating thanks to Dave’s inspiration)
Combat sports mentioned: Mixed Martial Arts, Judo, Kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Wrestling, Boxing, Kung Fu, Krav Maga, and Muay Thai
Hip-Hop Chess Federation
Judo terms mentioned: Tachi waza (standing), Ne waza (ground), Esae komi, Mate, and Uchikomi (more here)
Ralph Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy
What is shocknife training?
Modern Army Combatives Program (MACP)
Dave’s mother doesn’t need her son’s help for self-defense — she’s a crack shot.
Steve MacIntyre Fights Whole Team (see the dreaded hockey player in action)
In boxing, what does “in the pocket” mean?
Bloodsport
SureFire flashlights
What does Dave mean when he asks if I want to do “Judo Randori?”
Tomoe Nage Demonstration by Kashiwazaki
Pancrase: Masakatsu Funaki vs. Wayne (Ken) Shamrock (King)
Rorion Gracie and the Day He Created the UFC by Guilherme Cruz, MMA Fighting
WEC 53 Anthony Pettis Matrix Kick
Jocko Willink on Real Martial Arts
The Camarillo Brothers Sparring
Jiu-Jitsu Studio Owner Recreates Heroic Act by Kelli Johnson, ABC News Bakersfield
Camarillo Jiu Jitsu
Momento trailer
Ozzy Man Reviews: MMA 9 Second Knockout
International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation
Searching for Bobby Fischer
The Magic of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz
The 80/20 Principle and 92 Other Powerful Laws of Nature: The Science of Success by Richard Koch
The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber
Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging by Sebastian Junger
Gratitude by Oliver Sacks
Less Is More: An Anthology of Ancient & Modern Voices Raised in Praise of Simplicity by Goldian VandenBroeck
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott
Japanese Chess: The Game of Shogi by Trevor Leggett
Dune by Frank Herbert
Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis
The Art Of War by Sun Tzu
On War by Carl von Clausewitz
Repentless by Slayer
Tool
1999 by Prince
Batman by Prince
Shaun of the Dead
Just Friends
Hot Fuzz
The Thing
Dave says Taipei is “like Japan, but the Chinese version of Shinjuku.”
About Face: The Odyssey of an American Warrior by Colonel David H. Hackworth and Julie Sherman
Happy Money: The Science of Happier Spending by Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton
The Tail End by Tim Urban, Wait But Why
To Gi or Not To Gi: Differences Between Gi & No-Gi Grappling by Valerie Worthington, Breaking Muscle
Flying Kimura
Black Arrow Martial Arts
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Show Notes

Dave takes in my house. [05:35]
We met at an MMA event punctuated by mass hysteria, a stabbing, and SWAT police. [05:57]
Dave was the (usually unnamed) inspiration behind outsourcing my love life. [08:26]
Dave on using martial arts as a problem-solving framework and what’s been keeping him busy lately. [10:37]
MMA fighters Dave has cornered. [11:50]
How should a beginner approach Jiu-Jitsu? [16:32]
Three basic guard principles for staying ahead of the curve and controlling an opponent in a fight. [18:21]
Key differences between Judo and Jiu-Jitsu. [19:42]
Are there elements of Judo that Dave still applies to Jiu-Jitsu lessons? [21:31]
The difference between tachi waza and ne waza. [21:58]
On the benefits of cross training, how it helped Travis Stevens in the 2016 Olympics, and how it keeps a fighter’s repertoire flexible for when he or she needs it most. [22:39]
Dave talks about his first exposure to Jiu-Jitsu at 19 and how it instantly became something he had to do “for the rest of [his] life.” [24:10]
What is shocknife training? [25:39]
How Dave confidently transfers his martial arts problem solving skills to unfamiliar situations and environments. [29:47]
What Dave learned about hockey fights from Steve MacIntyre. [34:07]
How do you defend yourself if you’re only armed with a flashlight? [39:53]
The importance of situational awareness and knowing how to avoid danger in self-defense. [44:22]
Dave’s advice to people who can’t easily avoid danger. [47:06]
Learning to get comfortable under stress (in self-defense and stand-up comedy). [48:36]
What fighting discipline would Dave recommend for (as an example) a 35-year-old, non-military, semi-athletic woman in a bad San Francisco neighborhood looking to defend herself? [51:11]
Dave bounces his own parties — don’t make him go hands on. [53:24]
Is Jiu-Jitsu the greatest martial art? [58:10]
Unlike many other sparring arts, Jiu-Jitsu isn’t just a young person’s game. [1:00:13]
What is Dave’s go-to Judo technique for throws? [1:01:43]
The properly executed foot sweep looks like a magic trick. [1:05:01]
Dave describes what it’s like to corner a professional fighter in a competition. [1:10:32]
Thanks to the way his parents raised him, martial arts became as natural as brushing teeth at an early age. [1:12:40]
Dave talks about the time his brother Dan brought a fugitive to justice. [1:13:30]
The risks of being a real-life vigilante. [1:14:50]
“Simple” help a corner can provide to a fighter during a competition. [1:17:22]
How have Dave’s experiences had an impact on his parenting style? [1:23:28]
Who has impressed Dave the most as a Jiu-Jitsu sparring partner? [1:27:02]
Why does Dave call Marcelo Garcia “The GOAT?” [1:31:45]
Books Dave has gifted the most. [1:34:05]
When you’re working out, you can always count on Slayer and Tool. [1:36:22]
Movies we love. [1:38:05]
Sometimes the teacher learns a shocking lesson from the student. [1:41:24]
On becoming, as Jim Rohn once said, the average of the five people you associate with most. [1:47:26]
What would Dave’s billboard say? [1:49:15]
Dave’s three favorite holidays. [1:49:36]
Dave tells us about how he elevates his mood. [1:50:10]
We talk about happier spending and the pricelessness of family time. [1:51:24]
What advice would Dave give his 30-year-old self? [1:54:21]

People Mentioned

Dan Gable
Molly the Dog
Cain Velasquez
Jon Fitch
Josh Koscheck
Mike Swick
Daniel Cormier
Travis Stevens
Ralph Gracie
Linda Camarillo
Jim Camarillo
Steve MacIntyre
Andre the Giant
Angus MacGyver
Whitney Cummings
James T. Kirk
Katsuhiko Kashiwazaki
Ken Shamrock
Flavio Canto
Rorion Gracie
Anthony Pettis
Jose Aldo Junior
Jocko Willink
Bob Cook
Dan Camarillo
Marcelo Garcia
Rafael Mendes
Josh Waitzkin
B.J. Penn
Michael Jordan
Wayne Gretzky
Mike Tyson
Sebastian Junger
Carl von Clausewitz
Prince
Ryan Reynolds
John Carpenter
Kurt Russell
Jim Rohn
Tim Urban
Matt Mullenweg
Jared Feierabend