The Tim Ferriss Show
#176: Mike Birbiglia, The Sleepwalking Comedy Giant

Mike Birbiglia (@birbigs) is one of the best-known and busiest working comedians in the world, both behind and in front of the camera. His standup blends elements of theater, film, storytelling, and comedy.

Mike has been deliberate in studying many crafts and tying them together, which is reflected in a diverse string of successes: sold-out tours as a solo theater act, New York Times bestselling books, off-Broadway shows, feature film, TV, and more. In recent years, his work has appeared on public radio's This American Life, where he began a meaningful collaboration with host and producer Ira Glass.

Currently, he is the creator, writer, and star of the new film Don't Think Twice, which was just released. I loved it, which I do not say lightly. Check it out.

So...how the hell does he do it all? I aimed to find out.

In this conversation, we cover a ton, including:

  • His writing process and schedule
  • Favorite books, documentaries, and TV shows
  • Morning routines
  • Stories and lessons from Oliver Stone, Ron Howard, and others
  • How he "workshops" and develops material
  • Hilarious interactions with POTUS
  • The best pizza joints in NYC
  • Which three comedians he'd combine into one "super comic"
  • How he runs jokes by other people
  • And much, much more...

Enjoy!

Show notes and links for this episode can be found at www.fourhourworkweek.com/podcast

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 -- exactly the 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.

Direct download: The_Tim_Ferriss_Show_-_Mike_Birbiglia.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:24am EDT

#175: How to Cage the Monkey Mind

This episode is a little different. I visited the Googleplex -- the Mountain View-based headquarters of Google -- and had a public chat. I was interviewed and made sure that we covered some ground that has not been discussed before. There were questions such as:

  • What has been the most important Stoic teaching that I've come across?
  • How do I manage the many requests I receive?
  • What are the factors or elements that have led to the success of the podcast?
  • Where do I see myself in five years?
  • If I could pick three people -- alive or dead -- to be in my personal board of directors, who would they be?
  • How do I experiment with my dog training?
  • What are my recommendations for longevity?
  • How do I fight insomnia?
  • And much, much more...

As always, I hope you enjoy this episode and find it useful.

Show notes and links for this episode can be found at www.fourhourworkweek.com/podcast

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 -- exactly the 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 episode is also brought to you by Headspace, the world's most popular meditation app (with more than4,000,000 users). It's used in more than 150 countries, and many of my closest friends swear by it. Try Headspace's free Take10 program -- 10 minutes of guided meditation a day for 10 days. It's like a warm bath for your mind. Meditation doesn't need to be complicated or expensive, and it's had a huge impact on my life. Try Headspace for free for a few days and see what I mean.

Direct download: The_Tim_Ferriss_Show_--_How_to_cage_the_monkey_mind.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:15pm EDT

#174: The One-Handed Concert Pianist, Nicholas McCarthy

Nicholas McCarthy (@NMcCarthyPiano) was born in 1989 without his right hand and only started to play the piano at the age of 14.

He was told he would never succeed as a concert pianist.

Fortunately, the doubters were wrong. His graduation from the prestigious Royal College of Music in London in 2012 appeared in press around the world, as he became the only one-handed pianist to graduate from the Royal College of Music in its 130-year history.

Nicholas has now performed extensively throughout the world, including the U.K., U.S., South Africa, South Korea, Japan, Malta, and Kazakhstan. He has also played alongside Coldplay and given a rendition of the Paralympic Anthem in front of an audience of 86,000 people and half a billion worldwide viewers.

His first album, entitled Solo (Warner Music) features 17 stunning pieces of left-hand repertoire spanning three centuries and has been released around the world to great acclaim.

This was a blast of an interview, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Thanks for listening.

Show notes and links for this episode can be found at www.fourhourworkweek.com/podcast.

This podcast is brought to you by Gymnastic Bodies. This is the training system that I am most obsessed with at the moment. Coach Sommer appeared on a previous episode of the podcast, which turned into a sleeper hit. He is the former USA national team coach for men's gymnastics and creator of this bodyweight-based training system. I'm not easily impressed, and I have been completely blown away by the sophistication and the elegance of his programming.

I have been using Gymnastic Bodies for just a few months now, and I already feel more flexible and stronger than I have in years. Check out GymnasticBodies.com/tim, where you'll find the Fundamentals course for diagnosing your weakest areas, those you can tweak for fast improvements. It is incredible. Take a look at GymnasticBodies.com/tim for more details and a large discount.

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.

Direct download: Nicholas_McCarthy.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:19am EDT

#173: Lessons from Geniuses, Billionaires, and Tinkerers

Chris Young is an obsessive tinkerer, inventor, and innovator.

His areas of expertise range from extreme aviation (world-record goals) to mathematics and apocalyptic-scale BBQs. Above all, he is one of the clearest thinkers I know.

In this interview, we discuss a great many things, including his wild story and lessons learned from rainmakers like Bill Gates, Gabe Newell, Neal Stephenson, and many more. More topics we tackle:

  • How he managed to get jobs working for the best in the world...despite having no credentials.
  • Advice -- and incredible questions -- from self-made billionaires.
  • Why raw foodism isn't always what it's cracked up to be.
  • How geniuses show disappointment and ensure you correct yourself.
  • The "emoji egg" breakfast.
  • And much more...

If you only have 5 minutes, I highly recommend listening to Chris's secret to working with hard-to-reach people. 

Enjoy!

Show notes and links for this episode can be found at www.fourhourworkweek.com/podcast.

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

  1. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
  2. 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 between more than 180,000 audio programs. 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 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 -- exactly the 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.

Direct download: Chris_Young.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:08pm EDT

#172: Dom D'Agostino -- The Power of the Ketogenic Diet

Dr. Dominic "Dom" D'Agostino (@DominicDAgosti2) is an assistant professor in the Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology at the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, and a senior research scientist at the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC). He has also deadlifted 500 pounds for 10 reps after a seven-day fast.

Many of you sent enthusiastic follow-up questions after the last conversation we had, so Dom took the time to answer your most popular questions. In particular, he focused on ketosis, ketones, and the ketogenic diet -- so you can consider it the ketosis master class (especially if you combine both episodes, though this one does stand alone).

It takes a few minutes for Dom to warm up -- so be patient! If you have an interest in these types of metabolic therapies, whether for performance enhancement, endurance, weight loss, or fighting cancer, diabetes, or any number of other maladies, you will find a gem within this episode.

Enjoy!

Show notes and links for this episode can be found at www.fourhourworkweek.com/podcast.

This podcast is brought to you Gymnastic Bodies. This is the training system that I am most obsessed with at the moment. Coach Sommer appeared on a previous episode of the podcast, which turned into a sleeper hit. He is the former USA national team coach for men's gymnastics and creator of this bodyweight-based training system. I'm not easily impressed, and I have been completely blown away by the sophistication and the elegance of his programming.

I have been using Gymnastic Bodies for just a few months now, and I already feel more flexible and stronger than I have in years. Check out GymnasticBodies.com/tim, where you'll find the Fundamentals course for diagnosing your weakest areas, those you can tweak for fast improvements. It is incredible. Take a look at GymnasticBodies.com/tim for more details and a large discount.

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, which was introduced to me by Laird Hamilton, the king of big wave surfing.

You just add the entire packet to hot water. It tastes like coffee, but there are only 40 milligrams of caffeine, so it's got 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.

Direct download: Dom_DAgostino_part_2.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:14am EDT

#171: The Random Show - New Favorite Books, Memory Training, and Bets On VR

This is not going to be a long-form interview where I dissect and deconstruct a world-class performer...at least not in the usual fashion. Instead, this is a special edition of The Random Show.

I am joined by Kevin Rose (@KevinRose), serial entrepreneur, world-class investor, and all around wild and crazy guy. We discuss a wide range of topics, including new favorite books, memory training, meditation tactics, multiple wives, and bets for or against virtual reality.

Enjoy!

Show notes and links for this episode can be found at www.fourhourworkweek.com/podcast.

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 -- exactly the 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.

 

Direct download: Random_Show_Favorite_Books_-_Tim_Ferriss_Show.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:51am EDT

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