Author: Tim Ferriss

Bill Burr — The Comedian’s Comedian

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Written by Topics: The Tim Ferriss Show

“Everybody fucking relax. Get yourself a sandwich.”
– Bill Burr

This episode of the podcast features Bill Burr (@billburr). Many of you know Bill as a famous standup comedian, and thousands of you have been requesting him for years. Rolling Stone called Bill “the undisputed heavyweight champ of rage-fueled humor,” and when we were finally able to talk, he did not disappoint.

In this wide-ranging conversation we explore:

  • How Bill found his way into standup comedy
  • Why he enjoys going for an encore after he’s been booed
  • The transformation from a “squeaky clean” comedian to offending nearly everyone
  • How learning can serve as powerful therapy
  • The importance of enjoying success
  • And much, much more

This interview comes from my television show Fear(less), where I interview world-class performers on stage about how they’ve overcome doubt, conquered fear, and made their toughest decisions. You can watch the entire first episode with illusionist David Blaine for free at att.net/fearless. (To watch all episodes, please visit DIRECTV NOW).

We recorded three hours of material, and only one hour was used for the TV show. This podcast episode is almost entirely new content that didn’t appear on TV.  

Enjoy!

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Want to hear another podcast with a comedian, actor, and director? — Listen to my conversation with Vince Vaughn. In this episode, we discuss stories of his early beginnings, how to negotiate, his cold-calling career, and important decisions he’s made as a producer, an artist, and a businessperson (stream below or right-click here to download):


This podcast is 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.

This podcast is also brought to you by Shopify. With the help of Shopify, many readers of my blog — first-time business owners — have ended up making millions of dollars each with their side gigs. Back in 2009, I helped create Shopify’s Build a Business, which is now the world’s largest entrepreneurship competition.

The goal of this competition is to entice would-be entrepreneurs to get off the couch and make things happen, and all you have to do to qualify is open a store on Shopify and start selling. Top sellers in each category then have the exclusive opportunity to learn from mentors and experts like Tony Robbins, Daymond John, Seth Godin, Sir Richard Branson, and me a location like Oheka (aka Gatsby’s) Castle or Necker Island.

Listeners to this show can go to shopify.com/tim to sign up for a free, 30-day trial and get access to video courses that will help you get started — including How to Quickly Start a Profitable Dropshipping Store with Corey Ferreira and some goodies from me. Check it out at shopify.com/tim today!

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…

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Ray Dalio, The Steve Jobs of Investing

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Written by Topics: The Tim Ferriss Show

“Pain plus reflection equals progress.”
– Ray Dalio

Ray Dalio (@raydalio) grew up a middle-class kid from Long Island. He started his investment company Bridgewater Associates out of a two-bedroom apartment at age 26, and it now has roughly $160 billion in assets under management. Over 42 years, he has built Bridgewater into what Fortune considers the fifth most important private company in the U.S.

Along the way, Dalio became one the 100 most influential people in the world (according to Time) and one of the 100 wealthiest people in the world (according to Forbes). Because of his unique investment principles that have changed industries, CIO Magazine dubbed him “the Steve Jobs of investing.”

Ray believes his success is the result of principles he’s learned, codified, and applied to his life and business. Those principles are detailed in his new book Principles: Life and Work.

In this interview, we cover a lot, including:

  • How Ray thinks about investment decisions, how he thinks about correlation, etc.
  • The three books he would give to every graduating high school or college senior
  • How he might assess cryptocurrency
  • And much, much more…

Enjoy!

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Want to hear a podcast featuring another great investor?  — Listen to this conversation with Naval Ravikant. In this episode, we discuss the habits and behaviors of both highly successful and happy people (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 Athletic Greens. I get asked all the time, “If you could only use one supplement, what would it be?” My answer is, inevitably, Athletic Greens. It is my all-in-one nutritional insurance. I recommended it in The 4-Hour Body and did not get paid to do so. As a listener of The Tim Ferriss Show, you’ll get 30 percent off your first order at AthleticGreens.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…

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Filmmaker Darren Aronofsky — Exploring Creativity, Ignoring Critics, and Making Art

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Written by Topics: The Tim Ferriss Show

Photo credit: Niko Tavernise

“Procrastination is part of the process.”
– Darren Aronofsky

Darren Aronofsky (@DarrenAronofsky) is the founder and head of production company Protozoa Pictures. He is the acclaimed and award-winning filmmaker behind both cult classics and blockbusters, including Pi (which earned him a Best Director award at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival), Requiem For a Dream, The Wrestler (the third U.S. film in history to win the esteemed Golden Lion award), Black Swan (which won Natalie Portman the Academy Award for Best Actress and garnered four other Oscar nominations), Noah (His biblically inspired epic that opened at number one at the box office and grossed more than $362,000,000 worldwide), and his latest, mother!, a psychological horror-thriller film starring Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Ed Harris, and Michelle Pfeiffer.

In this episode, we explore a wide range of topics, including:

  • His creative process and “nomadic writing”
  • Work environment and highly unusual desks
  • The “Month of Fury”
  • How to navigate tough conversations over creativity and control
  • Psychedelics
  • Dealing with critics
  • And much more…

Many thanks to Peter Attia for making the introduction — check out his three previous appearances on this show here.

Please enjoy!

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Want to hear another podcast with another award-winning movie maker? — Listen to my conversations with Robert Rodriguez. In this episode, we discuss the making of From Dusk ’till Dawn, Sin City, and what it means to be the “Wizard” of Hollywood (stream below or right-click here to download):


This podcast is brought to you by WordPress, my go-to platform for 24/7-supported, zero downtime blogging, writing online, creating websites — everything! I love it to bits, and the lead developer, Matt Mullenweg, has appeared on this podcast many times.

Whether for personal use or business, you’re in good company with WordPress — used by The New Yorker, Jay Z, Beyonce, FiveThirtyEight, TechCrunch, TED, CNN, and Time, just to name a few. A source at Google told me that WordPress offers “the best out-of-the-box SEO imaginable,” which is probably why it runs nearly 30% of the Internet. Go to WordPress.com/Tim to get 15% off your website today!

This podcast is also brought to you by Audible. I have used Audible for years, and I love audiobooks. 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 visit Audible.com/Tim. Choose one of the above books, or choose any of the endless options they offer. That could be a book, a newspaper, a magazine, or even a class. It’s that easy. Go to Audible.com/Tim and get started today. Enjoy.

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…

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The CIA, The Police, and Other Adventures from Stewart Copeland

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Written by Topics: The Tim Ferriss Show

“Get yourself into a state of calmness, and then ferocity will take care of itself.”
– Stewart Copeland

Stewart Copeland (@copelandmusic) is a Grammy Award-winning musician, considered by Rolling Stone Magazine to be one of the top ten drummers of all time. He’s a founding member of The Police, and an inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

In this conversation, we delve into lessons for surviving the music industry, why entrepreneurs (and self-directed artists) never get a day off, how The Police developed their unique sound, the decision that changed everything, and much more.

This episode comes from my new television show Fear(less), where I interview world-class performers about how they’ve overcome doubt, conquered fear, and made their toughest decisions. You can watch the entire first episode with illusionist David Blaine for free at att.net/fearless. (To watch all episodes, please visit DIRECTV NOW).

We recorded three hours of material and only one hour was used for the TV show. This podcast episode is almost entirely new content that didn’t appear on TV.

Enjoy!

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Want to hear another podcast with an incredibly inspirational musician? — Listen to my conversation with Nicholas McCarthy. In this episode, we discuss how to overcome limitations, proving doubters wrong, how to manage ego, and much more. (Stream below or right-click here to download):

This podcast is brought to you by Mizzen + Main. These are the only “dress” shirts I now travel with — fancy enough for important dinners but made from athletic, sweat-wicking material. No more ironing, no more steaming, no more hassle. They are a personal favorite of NFL phenom J.J. Watt, alongside many professional athletes. Click here for the exact shirts I wear most often.

Don’t forget to use the code “TIM” at checkout for free shipping. And if you purchase before September 15, they’ll also donate a shirt to the effort to help those in need in Houston.

This podcast is also brought to you by Kettle & Fire, the first shelf-stable (never frozen) bone broth that uses 100 percent grass-fed, organically grazed animals. Recommended by past guests like Dom D’Agostino and Amelia Boone, Kettle & Fire is slow-simmered for 20+ hours so the bone broth is packed with collagen — 19 times more than its closest competitor — and other key proteins and amino acids.

Need that slow carb diet boost? Take a look at kettleandfire.com/tim for 20 percent off your entire order!

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…

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Mental Performance, Work-Life Balance, and the Rise to the Top – Maria Sharapova

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Written by Topics: The Tim Ferriss Show

“No matter what rock is in the way, no matter what storm is on the way, the water’s ultimately going to go down the river.”
– Maria Sharapova

Maria Sharapova (@MariaSharapova) is one of the best tennis players in the world. She is the winner of five Grand Slam titles (two at the French Open and one each at the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and US Open) and an Olympic silver medalist.

Forbes named Maria the highest-paid female athlete of all-time in 2005 — a title she’s held for 12 years. Off the court, she’s an ambassador for many of the world’s top luxury brands and a number of Fortune 500 companies including Porsche, Nike, Evian, and Head. In 2007, she became a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and has made significant contributions to Chernobyl-related projects. Her first and brand-new book, Unstoppable: My Life So Far, is on sale now.

In this conversation, we went deep into the tactics of training, mental performance, mental toughness, and much more. I hope you enjoy it all as much as I did!

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Want to hear another podcast about higher performance? Listen to this episode with Michael Gervais, where we discuss how to win the war against anxiety, some of the more effective (and less effective) ways to self-talk, understanding mastery, and much more. (stream below or right-click here to download):


This podcast is brought to you by Kettle & Fire, the first shelf-stable (never frozen) bone broth that uses 100-percent grass-fed, organically grazed animals. Recommended by past guests like Dom D’Agostino and Amelia Boone, Kettle & Fire is slow-simmered for 20+ hours so the bone broth is packed with collagen — 19 times more than its closest competitor — and other key proteins and amino acids.

Need that slow-carb diet boost? Take a look at kettleandfire.com/tim for 20 percent off your entire order.

This podcast is also brought to you by Ascent Protein, the best protein I’ve ever tried. Ascent is the only US-based company that offers native proteins — both whey and micellar casein — directly to the consumer for improved muscle health and performance. Because the product is sourced from Ascent’s parent company, Leprino Foods — the largest producer of mozzarella cheese in the world — it’s entirely free of artificial ingredients and completely bypasses the bleaching process common to most other whey products on the market.

If you want cleaner, less processed protein, which I certainly do, go to ascentprotein.com/tim for 20 percent off your entire order.

QUESTION 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…

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Setting Goals, Making Money, and Overcoming Tough Times — Phil Hellmuth

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Written by Topics: The Tim Ferriss Show

“The difference between your best and your worst? The perception of others. Block out the noise and you’ll stay on track.”
–Phil Hellmuth

Phil Hellmuth (@phil_hellmuth) is an American professional poker player who has won a record fourteen World Series of Poker bracelets. He is the winner of the Main Event of the 1989 World Series of Poker (WSOP), the Main Event of the 2012 World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE), and he is a 2007 inductee of the WSOP’s Poker Hall of Fame. Hellmuth is also known for his temperamental “poker brat” personality — reflected in his new book, Poker Brat: Phil Hellmuth’s Autobiography.

In this conversation, we discuss:

  • The importance of setting goals and blessings
  • How he became the youngest person to win the World Series of Poker
  • The right way to manage your money
  • His prep for high-stakes games
  • What it takes to compete at the highest level
  • And much, much more.

This episode comes from my new television show Fear(less), where I interview world-class performers about how they’ve overcome doubt, conquered fear, and made their toughest decisions. You can watch the entire first episode with illusionist David Blaine for free at att.net/fearless. (To watch all episodes, please visit DIRECTV NOW).

We recorded three hours of material and only one hour was used for the TV show. This podcast episode is almost entirely new content that didn’t appear on TV.

Enjoy!

TF-ItunesButtonTF-StitcherButton

Want to hear another podcast with a guest from Fearless? — Listen to this episode with Micahel Gervais. We discuss how to win the war against anxiety, some of the more effective (and less effective) ways to self-talk, behind-the-scenes stories of Michael’s clients, understanding mastery, and much more. (stream below or right-click here to download):


This podcast is brought to you by MVMT. The founders are two college dropouts who wanted to wear fancy watches, but couldn’t afford them — so they decided to scratch their own itch and build a company around high-quality but affordable watches in 2013. They’ve gone from start-up to more than one million watches sold across 160 countries in just a few years — an awesome success story that makes sense when you check out the product.

MVMT offers classic designs, quality construction, and many different modern styles, so you can pick one that suits you. Get 15 percent off your entire purchase with free shipping (and free returns if you’re dissatisfied for any reason) by visiting MVMTwatches.com/tim!

This podcast is also brought to you by Mizzen + Main. These are the only “dress” shirts I now travel with — fancy enough for important dinners but made from athletic, sweat-wicking material. No more ironing, no more steaming, no more hassle. They are a personal favorite of NFL phenom J.J. Watt, alongside many professional athletes. Click here for the exact shirts I wear most often.

Don’t forget to use the code “TIMFERRISS” at checkout for $50 off when you purchase three or more shirts.

QUESTION 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…

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Lessons from 50,000 Interviews: Larry King and Cal Fussman

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Written by Topics: The Tim Ferriss Show

“Sometimes, the simplest question is the best.”
– Larry King

Cal Fussman (@calfussman) is a New York Times bestselling author and a writer-at-large for Esquire magazine, where he is best known for being a primary writer of the “What I’ve Learned” feature. He has transformed oral history into an art form, conducting probing interviews with a long list of icons who’ve shaped the last 50 years of world history.

I’ve been trying to get Cal to do his own podcast. Rather than overthinking it, I simply asked Cal to interview a friend who I would also love to have on the podcast: Larry King. This episode is the result of that request.

Larry King (@kingsthings) has been dubbed “The most remarkable talk show host on TV, ever” by TV Guide and “Master of the mic” by Time Magazine. Larry’s been described as the Muhammad Ali of the broadcast interview, and he’s been inducted into five of the nation’s leading broadcasting halls of fame. He’s the recipient of the Allen H. Neuharth Award for Excellence in Journalism, an Emmy, the George Foster Peabody Award for Excellence in Broadcasting, ten CableACE awards — the list goes on.

Enjoy!

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Want to hear my first episode with Cal Fussman? — In this episode, we discuss Cal’s interviews with the most influential people in history, how he made himself a guinea pig (Cal boxed against world champion Julio Cesar Chavez), and his best life lessons (stream below or right-click here to download):


This podcast is brought to you by Shopify. With the help of Shopify, many readers of my blog — first-time business owners — have ended up making millions of dollars each with their side gigs. Back in 2009, I helped create Shopify’s Build a Business, which is now the world’s largest entrepreneurship competition.

The goal of this competition is to entice would-be entrepreneurs to get off the couch and make things happen, and all you have to do to qualify is open a store on Shopify and start selling. Top sellers in each category then have the exclusive opportunity to learn from mentors and experts like Tony Robbins, Daymond John, Seth Godin, Sir Richard Branson, and me a location like Oheka (aka Gatsby’s) Castle or Necker Island.

Listeners to this show can go to shopify.com/tim to sign up for a free, 30-day trial and get access to video courses that will help you get started — including How to Quickly Start a Profitable Dropshipping Store with Corey Ferreira and some goodies from me. Check it out at shopify.com/tim today!

This podcast is also brought to you by Kettle & Fire, which makes some of the best bone broth I’ve ever tasted. It came highly recommended by past podcast guests such as Amelia Boone and Dr. Dom D’Agostino. 

Kettle & Fire is the first shelf-stable (i.e. never frozen) bone broth that uses bones from 100% grass-fed, organically raised animals. They use longer cook times (20+ hours), which means more collagen and other nutrients. Visit Kettleandfire.com/tim and you can receive 20% off your entire order. 

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…

Read More →

33 Comments / Leave a comment or question