The Tim Ferriss Show

Josh Waitzkin was the basis for the book and movie Searching for Bobby Fischer.  This episode is DEEP, in the best way possible. 

Considered a chess prodigy, he has perfected learning strategies that can be applied to anything, including his other loves of Brazilian jiu-jitsu (he’s a black belt under phenom Marcelo Garcia) and Tai Chi Push Hands (he’s a world champion). These days, he spends his time coaching the world’s top performers, whether Mark Messier, Cal Ripken Jr., or hedgefund managers.  I initially met Josh through his incredible book, The Art of Learning.

Our first long conversation on the podcast (#2) can be found on iTunes or here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYaMtGuCgm8

 

Direct download: Waitzkin_TFS_Smaller_Circles.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:08pm EDT

"Why would I be wound up? I'm either ready, or I'm not. Worrying about it right now ain't gonna change a damn thing." 
- Floyd Mayweather, Jr. just before a fight, as recalled by Paul Levesque [34:20]

Paul Levesque, more popularly known as Triple H, is a 13-time World Heavyweight Champion in World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (WWE). He is also the Executive Vice President of talent, live-events, and creative at the WWE.

In this episode, we explore everything: the teachings of Killer Kowalski, how he avoids and repairs injuries (even if on the road 200+ days of the year), pre-game rituals, and habits developed with the support of trainer Joe DeFranco, The Undertaker, and boxer Floyd Mayweather, Jr..

This podcast is not limited to athletic performance. We dig deep into Triple H's routines, and how he manages his responsibilities as a husband and father of three daughters.

Enjoy, and thank you for checking out the products below! I use them, and they make the show possible.

This podcast is sponsored by LSTN Headphones. LSTN Headphones are gorgeous headphones made of real exotic, reclaimed wood. Proceeds from each purchase help a deaf or auditory-impaired person hear for the first time through the Starkey Hearing Foundation. Check out the headphones that I love and travel with here: LSTNHeadphones.com/Tim. On that page, you can get a $50 discount.

This podcast is also brought to you by 99Designs, the world’s largest marketplace of graphic designers. Did you know I used 99Designs to rapid prototype the cover for The 4-Hour BodyHere are some of the impressive results.  Click this link and get a free $99 upgrade.  Special offer: For the month of April only, you can get an additional $30 off. Give it a test run and share your results!

Direct download: Triple_H_TFS.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:22pm EDT

#71: The Master Creator - How Jon Favreau Went from Swingers to Elf to Ironman to Chef
 
Jon Favreau (@Jon_Favreau) is a man of many talents.  He burst onto the acting scene with his role in Rudy. 
 
He first established himself as a writer with the iconic cult hit Swingers, in which he starred.
 
Then, Favreau made his feature film directorial debut with Made, which he also wrote and produced. Other directing credits include Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Cowboys & Aliens, Elf, Zathura, and Chef, which he wrote, produced, directed, and starred in. 
 
Lots of commas!  This man does everything.
 
Recent acting credits include The Wolf of Wall Street and Identity Thief.  Favreau is currently directing a live-action film with groundbreaking technology that blow your mind  an adaptation of Disney’s Jungle Book, set to be released on April 15, 2016.

In our conversation, we dig deep into his creative process, how he writes, the inflection points in his career, how he prepared for Chef, and much more. The impact of Dungeons and Dragons? The value and danger of motorcycle treks? It's all in here.
 
All show notes, links, and resources related to this episode can be found at fourhourworkweek.com/podcast
 
This show is sponsored by:
 
Onnit Labs  See the gear I use by clicking here.

 

99Designs  See the competitions Ive run there, including the mock ups for the cover of The 4-Hour Body, which hit #1 NY Times.
Direct download: Tim_Ferriss_Show_-_Jon_Favreau_128kbps.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:17pm EDT

#70: How to Earn Your Freedom

This short episode is composed of two essays on "lifestyle," world travel, practical philosophies, and much more.

Disclaimer: These might make you quit your job... even if you're the boss.  I'm not kidding, as I've already seen it.  If it happens, you'll thank me later.

To see the movies I rave about in this episode, check out fourhourworkweek.com/vimeo

For two free protein bars, visit exoprotein.com/tim (limited supplies)

For more from my book club, check out audible.com/timsbooks

Thanks for listening!

- Tim

Direct download: Vagabonding_TFS.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:10pm EDT

The goal of this blog and my podcast is to push you outside of your comfort zone and force you to question assumptions.  This why I invite divergent thinkers and world-class performers who often disagree.  I might interview Tony Robbins (Part 1, Part 2) and then Matt Mullenweg, as I did. Or I might have Sam Harris, PhD on and later invite a seemingly opposite guest like...
 
 
This interview is a wild ride, and it happened — oddly enough -- thanks to a late-night sauna session.  I was catching up with an old friend, who is mixed-race, a Brown University grad, and liberal in almost every sense of the word.  I casually asked him, “If you could pick one person to be on the podcast, who would it be?"
 
“Glenn Beck,” he answered without a moment’s hesitation. “His story is FASCINATING."
 
He went on to describe how Glenn hit rock bottom and restarted his life in his 30’s. Fast forward to 2014, Forbes named him to their annual Celebrity 100 Power List and pegged his earnings at $90 million for that year.  This placed him ahead of people like Mark Burnett, Jimmy Fallon, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Will Smith. Glenn's site, TheBlaze.com, gets somewhere between 30 and 50 million unique visitors per month.
 
This interview is neither a “gotcha” interview nor a softball interview.  I ask some very tough questions (some from listeners), but my primary goal was to pull out routines, habits, books, etc. that you can use.  There is no political agenda whatsoever.
 
If anything, this is a story of entrepreneurship, and whether you love Glenn, hate Glenn, or have never heard his name, there is a lot to learn from him.

 

Full show notes and links from this episode can be found at www.fourhourworkweek.com/podcast
Direct download: TFS_Glenn_Beck.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:53am EDT

This 15-minute episode is experimental, and it might just change your life.  I suspect many of you will listen to it on an ongoing weekly basis, and that's precisely what I plan to do.  

It's a wonderful essay from the newest book in the Tim Ferriss Book Club:  We Learn Nothing by Tim Kreider.  The essay stands on its own and is titled "Lazy: A Manifesto."  I loved this book so much that I reached out to Tim and we produced the audiobook together.

If you want to stop feeling rushed, this is the medicine you need.

Here is what writer/director Judd Apatow has to say about Tim Kreider:

"Tim Kreider's writing is heartbreaking, brutal and hilarious—usually at the same time. He can do in a few pages what I need several hours of screen time and tens of millions to accomplish. And he does it better. Come to think of it, I'd rather not do a blurb. I am beginning to feel bad about myself." - Judd Apatow

And one more:

"Tim Kreider may be the most subversive soul in America and his subversions—by turns public and intimate, political and cultural—are just what our weary, mixed-up nation needs. The essays in We Learn Nothing are for anybody who believes it's high time for some answers, damn it." - Richard Russo, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Empire Falls

Enjoy! Don't miss this one.

I will be putting up a collection of Tim's cartoons from the book at fourhourworkweek.com/podcast

All books in the Tim Ferriss Book Club can be found at fourhourworkweek.com/books

Direct download: Tim_Kreider_We_Learn_Nothing_TFS.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:52pm EDT

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