The Tim Ferriss Podcast: Ryan Holiday (#4)

Tim Ferriss

10 years ago

“The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” — Marcus Aurelius

This post includes:

– Sponsor intro (please visit them)

– Episode description

– Quick favor

– Show notes and tons of useful links, including mentioned books and documentaries

This episode of The Tim Ferriss Show is sponsored by HipDial, which I’ve been a fan of for ages.

I use HipDial for conference calls: no stupid PIN numbers, no hitting #, and you get a text when people join, so you don’t have to wait. It’s rocks–try it for a free month, and you’ll never go back.

Now, on to the main event…

My guest is Ryan Holiday, who became Director of Marketing at American Apparel at age 21 (!). He’s a beast.

Since dropping out of college at 19 to apprentice under strategist Robert Greene (author of The 48 Laws of Power), Ryan has advised many New York Times bestselling authors and mega-multi-platinum musicians. He is a master of the media, and he knows how to build massive buzz while responding to unexpected crises. He can compete or counterpunch with the best.

I hired Ryan to help with the launches of The 4-Hour Body and The 4-Hour Chef. His unorthodox approaches always impress me.

I loved his new book (The Obstacle Is The Way) so much that I bought the audiobook format and produced it with him. It is the newest addition to The Tim Ferriss Book Club.

In this episode, we discuss dozens of topics, including the real-world strategies he uses to thrive (not just survive) when the world is exploding around him.

You can find the transcript of this episode here. Transcripts of all episodes can be found here.

Episode 4: Ryan Holiday

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Show Notes for Episodes 4 (Thanks, Ian!)

The surprising story of how Ryan was introduced to stoicism by Dr. Drew
What makes a “quake book”?
How Marcus Aurelius helped Ryan survive a tough breakup
About esoteric philosophical ideas that are excellent tools in the modern world
Deconstructing the “Big 3” stoics – Seneca | Epictetus | Aurelius

- Is stoicism compatible with material or financial success, or are they completely at odds with one another?
- Tim’s strategy for developing connections in Silicon Valley
- Cultivating advantageous mentorships with peak performers
- The story of Benjamin Franklin’s lending library…

What Ryan credits for his ability to “get shit done.”
What a day in the life of Ryan Holiday looks like (deflecting meeting requests, etc.)
Why e-mail can save time compared to a phone call
The most common mistake that new writers make
Delving into the writing process
How Ryan approaches goal setting and financial security