Timothy Ferriss's Blog, page 104

This episode of The Tim Ferriss Show is sponsored by HipDial. I use them personally, and you should check them out.

“Art is a subset of creativity.” – Chase Jarvis

Now, on to our amazing guest, Chase Jarvis!

Chase is a master photographer and the CEO of CreativeLIVE.com, where this episode was filmed.

Chase is the youngest person ever to be named a Hasselblad Master, Nikon Master, and ASMP Master. Since opening his own studio, Chase has photographed for Nike, Apple, Columbia Sportswear, REI, Honda, Subaru, Polaroid, Lady Gaga, Red Bull, and many more. He is known for a hyper-kinetic style and an emphasis on sports and portraiture.

CreativeLIVE, where he is CEO, is an online learning platform that broadcasts live, high-definition classes to more than 2 million students in 200 countries (!). All classes are free to watch while live and can be purchased for later viewing. They are amazing. Teachers include Pulitzer Prize winners, business luminaries, and beyond.  Check them out here.

This is my first video podcast test, and I’ve also included a transcript of this episode for my hearing-impaired friends (Click here: Chase Jarvis – Tim Ferriss Show – Transcript). Hope you enjoy!

In this episode, we explore:

Chase’s personal story
The most important choices he’s made
Common mistakes of “creative” professionals (or people in general)
How he reached the pinnacle of his industry
And much, much more…

His lessons and principles can be applied almost anywhere.

Click here to subscribe/listen to the show on iTunes.

Click here to subscribe to the show via RSS (non-iTunes feed).

If you have a second, please leave me an honest rating and review on iTunes by clicking here. It will help the show tremendously, including my ability to bring on more incredible guests. Thanks!

Show notes and links are below, and please let Chase (@ChaseJarvis) know what you found most interesting or valuable.  He’s a good dude and would love to hear from you.

Enjoy!…

Show Notes and Select Links from Episodes 8 (Thanks, Ian!)

A little about CreativeLIVE studios
Chase Jarvis growing up, the making of a madman
Transitioning from artist to entrepreneur, where so many creatives fail
The amazing story of how Chase started taking pictures
The story of his first sale in the photography game
Main tipping points that led to him traveling the world with the greatest athletes… all while getting paid handsomely
How to monetize your craft at the highest level
Understanding negotiating skills, myths and realities
The most consistent mistakes in the world of creative entrepreneurship
How sharing his experiences of coming up as an artist was a tactic for differentiation
The importance of looking outside ones industry to glean tactics you can use
What it’s like shooting the top tennis players of all time, including Roger Federer and Serena Williams
Dissecting the value and capacity to become an empowered polymath in today’s world
How iteration is the key to navigating the transition from successful solopreneur to building out a company
About the vision for CreativeLIVE and himself
The top priorities for fulfillment/happiness for Chase Jarvis
On the fascinating power of meditation and how Chase practices
Chase’s catastrophic self-inflicted wound

SOME LINKS FROM EPISODE 8

Check out Chase’s YouTube Channel
Andy Warhol – Pop Art hacker
Jean-Michel Basquiat – Taking graffiti off the streets and into the gallery
Ramit Sethi negotiation techniques
Learn more about Red Bull BC One
In this show, Chase talks a little about Marc Ecko. Here’s a post on this blog by Marc himself: “10 Rules for Getting ‘Influencer’ Attention.”
Learn more about Isaac Asimov
Charlie Hoehn – CharlieHoehn.com | Play it Away
Kelly Starrett – MobilityWOD.com
The Power of Vulnerability by Brene Brown
Learn more about Chase’s CreativeLIVE

BOOKS FOR BRAINSTORMING, MENTIONED IN EPISODE 8

22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Al Ries and Jack Trout
Blue Ocean Strategy by Chan Kim
Business Model Generation
Steal Like an Artist & Show your Work by Austin Kleon
Crush It, Thank You Economy, Jab Jab Jab Right Hook – Gary Vaynerchuk
The Rise of Superman by Stephen Kotler
Self-Inflicted Wounds by Aisha Tyler

Connect with Chase Jarvis: Website | YouTube | Twitter | Facebook | G +

NO ITUNES? NO PROBLEM

Just listen on Stitcher, or you can listen using the player below –

Stephen J. Dubner (@Freakonomics) 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 5 million copies in 35 languages.

In this podcast, we discuss dozens of topics, including: his writing process, religion, parenting, favorite documentaries, and much, much more.

I recommend checking out his new book, Think Like a Freak. If you liked the assumption-busting, myth-testing stories of Freakonomics or any of my books, you’ll enjoy it.

Click here to subscribe/listen to the show on iTunes.

Click here to subscribe to the show via RSS (non-iTunes feed).

If you have a second, please leave me an honest rating and review on iTunes by clicking here. It will help the show tremendously, including my ability to bring on more incredible guests. Thanks!

I didn’t have time to create show notes this time around, but here’s the usual deal: If you’re the first to leave good shows notes (including links) in the comments, I’m happy to thank you in this post and link to your site. If I don’t get it by 4pm EST today, I’ll put them up early next week, so read the comments if you’re curious.

Hope you like the ep!

Please let Stephen (@Freakonomics) know what you enjoyed most.

 

What happens when you hug strangers?

Andrew Hales of LAHWF wanted me to find out.

The above video took place in Dolores Park in San Francisco last Thursday, around 5:30pm. All people hugged are complete strangers.

Andrew challenged me to make the awkward even more awkward:

Could I score a hug by simply standing like a zombie with my arms out? (He’s good at this)
Could I go for the “long hold” and hug someone for 5 seconds, 10 seconds, or more?
Could I hug without saying anything? (Not my strong suit, it turns out)

To make things more interesting, Andrew accidentally–or purposefully?–started the filming at the famously gay southwest corner of Dolores.

Oh, boy…

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In other news, if you’re looking for a short essay to jumpstart your week, this might be what the doctor ordered: “6 Formulas for More Output and Less Overwhelm.”

My guest this episode is the incredible Jason Silva.

Download it here.

Jason has been called the “Timothy Leary of the viral video age” by The Atlantic.

He is also host of Brain Games on National Geographic Channel. The show set a record as the highest-rated series launch in Nat Geo’s history, with an average of 1.5 million viewers for the first two episodes.

In this episode, we discuss his career, his skills, TV, his influences and tools, and much more.

QUICK FAVOR – If you haven’t already, can you pretty please:

1) Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, even if you listen to it elsewhere?  This is critical for ranking and recruiting future guests.

2) Leave a review of the podcast on iTunes here? Even one sentence would be extremely helpful.

Hope you enjoy the episode!

Would you like to sponsor the podcast (more than $5K per episode, less than $25K)? Please let me know by filling out this short form.

Below are the show notes, links to resources, and non-iTunes download options…

Select Show Notes for Episodes 5 (Thanks, Ian!)

Learn about epiphany addiction
How Jason uses flow states to create astonishing wordplay
The power of being open to “rhapsody”
Cognitive ecstasy and wonder junkies
Exploring discursive environments
What does the first hour of Jason Silva’s day look like?
The crappiest job Jason ever had
Why Chris Anderson, the curator of TED, is Jason’s ideal of a successful person
Why Jason would dream of working with director Danny Boyle
Advice for his younger self

SOME LINKS FROM EPISODE 5

Shots of Awe – Jason Silva’s web series
Brain Games – National Geographic’s hit series that Jason hosts
The Rise of Superman – Steven Kotler
Flow Genome Project - Learn more about flow
Hans Zimmer – Time

“I think cinema is the last alter left…” – Jason Silva

FILMS MENTIONED IN EPISODE 5

Inception
The Matrix
The Truman Show
Existenze
Vanilla Sky
Memento
Maiden Trip – About a 14 year old girl who sailed around the world by herself

Connect with Jason Silva: Twitter | Shots of Awe | Facebook | Personal Site

NO ITUNES? NO PROBLEM:

Just download the MP3 here, or you can stream it below:

This post is about the fourth book in the Tim Ferriss Book Club, which is limited to books that have dramatically impacted my life. All previous selections can be found here. Enjoy!

“Would you have a great empire? Rule over yourself.” — PUBLILIUS SYRUS

The last two weeks have been disaster after disaster for me:

A dear friend died unexpectedly, only miles from my home. (RIP, Seth Roberts)
A seven-figure business deal fell apart at the last minute.
Only days ago, Turner Broadcasting let me know that the May 27th digital launch of The Tim Ferriss Experiment has been canceled. Some (not all) of the higher-ups want to try selling it to traditional outlets. (Sidenote: If you bought an iTunes season pass, definitely request a refund)

Over the last 14 days, I have carried one book in my backpack to cope, all day and every day: The Obstacle Is The Way.

It has helped me to turn problems upside-down, become the calm within the storm, and even uncover unique opportunities.

“Philosophy” gets a bad rap.

Most of us know a turtleneck-wearing pseudo-intellectual who’s spent countless hours studying obscure details of Wittgenstein or post-structural lesbian feminism. And for what? More often than not, to posture as a holier-than-thou jerk off. To argue over semantics that don’t matter.

Fortunately, there are a few philosophical systems that produce dramatic real-world results…without the nonsense. In other words, all substance instead of smoke.

The Obstacle Is The Way, penned by Ryan Holiday, is a collection of stories and principles about Stoicism, which I consider to be the ultimate personal “operating system” for entrepreneurs…or anyone who wants high performance under high stress.

Ryan became Director of Marketing at American Apparel at age 21 (!). He gets more heat, makes more high-stakes decisions, and take more risks in a given week than most people experience in any given quarter. He also happens to be a die-hard Stoic and incredible at putting the principles into practice.

If you want to be “anti-fragile” like Thomas Jefferson, Marcus Aurelius, and many of most dominant soldiers and investors in history, Stoicism offers the playbook.  If you want to make better decisions, if you want to smile when other people cower, it offers real tools.

To quote Andy Grove, former CEO of Intel, “Bad companies are destroyed by crisis. Good companies survive them. Great companies are improved by them.”

What if you could be a person who is improved by crisis? That would give you opportunities no one else can see, let alone grasp.

It will also make you a happier human being.

Check out The Obstacle Is The Way today:

Audiobook (I licensed the rights and produced it with Ryan)
Print
Kindle

I’m not the only one who loves it. Here are just a few of many:

“Follow these precepts and you will revolutionize your life. Read this book!”

—Steven Pressfield, author of The War of Art and Gates of Fire

“A book for the bedside of every future–and current–leader in the world.”

—Robert Greene, author of The 48 Laws of Power and Mastery

“Ryan Holiday has written a brilliant and engaging book, well beyond his years…It is invaluable.”

—Honorable Frederic Block, Judge, U.S. District Court

Seriously, check out the book.

If you’d like to hear more of Ryan’s ideas, you might enjoy the podcast interview I recorded with him recently, which has gone nuts on social media:

The best podcast epi I've listened to this year. RT @tferriss The Tim Ferriss Podcast, Episode 4: Ryan Holiday http://t.co/nRU4f8IttP

— Mary Shenouda (@paleochef) May 8, 2014

Question of the day: What philosophies, guiding tenets, or quotes have you found most helpful in your own life? Please share in the comments!

“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

- Non-iTunes options for listening

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.

And…want to win some cool stuff today? Tweet out your favorite quote or line from this episode, using the following format, and I’ll pick a few of my favorites for prizes:

“[Insert quote]” More: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-tim-ferriss-show/id863897795?mt=2 #TFS”

To encourage other people to retweet, try and keep your entire tweet to 125 characters or fewer. The iTunes link above will be automatically shortened.

Deadline is 8:30pm PST.

QUICK FAVOR – If you haven’t already, can you pretty please:

1) Leave a review of the podcast on iTunes here?

2) Vote as “helpful” the reviews you most agree with? Here’s the link. The vast majority are 5 stars (290 out of 333), but there’s some wild Haterade, too, if that’s your thing.

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

Friend curation, and the factors that guide Ryan’s decision making
Rapid-fire questions:


Ryan’s fight entrance song?
One thing he would change about himself?
When he thinks of the word “successful,” who comes to mind, and why?
If he could study any expert in the world, who would it be and why?
Advice to his younger self?
What Ryan orders at the bar?


Who should drop out of college versus who should stay in college
And much, much more…

SOME LINKS FROM EPISODE 4

Maker vs. Manager by Paul Graham
Who Ryan Follows on Twitter:


Fake Jeff Jarvis
FelixSolomon
Media Redefined by Jason Hirschhorn
MariaPapova of BrainPickings


Ryan’s favorite blogs:


Feedly
Ta-Nehisi Coate’s blog
Mark Cuban’s blog


Ryan’s Favorite Reddits:

Stoicism | Philosophy | History Porn | Ask Historians

Today I Learned | First World Problems | Reddit Books

 

BOOKS MENTIONED IN EPISODE 4

Marcus Aurelius – Meditations: A Translation
Epictitus – The Art of Living
Nicholas Nassim-Taleb - Scholar, Statistician


The Black Swan
Fooled by Randomness
Antifragile


Benjamin Franklin by Ron Chernow
Titan: The Life of John D Rockefeller by Ron Cherow
How to Live by Sarah Bakewell
The Fish that Ate the Whale: The Life and Time of the Banana King by Rich Cohen
Tough Jews by Rich Cohen
Edison: A Biography by Matthew Josephson
Ulysses S. Grant: Triumph over Adversity by Brooks D. Simpson
John McPhee – Non-Fiction Writer (Pulitzer Prize Winner)


Oranges
Levels of the Game
The Survival of the Bark Canoe
Plymouth Rock (Free Online)
The Control of Nature
Giving Good Weight


The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

DOCUMENTARIES MENTIONED FROM EPISODE 4

Fog of War: Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara
An Unauthorized Guide to The Known Unknown about Donald Rumsfeld
The Wall of Sound about Phil Spector
Every Ken Burns Documentary (10 hrs. on Civil War & 10 hrs. on National Park System)

Connect with Ryan Holiday: Twitter | Website | Thought Catalogue | Observer

 

NO ITUNES? NO PROBLEM:

Just listen on Stitcher, or you can listen using the player below –

There are dozens of topics covered in this tea-infused, bromantic episode of scatterbrained nonsense.

Like what? Well: porn (including select picks), taking an “alcohol vacation,” fixing low testosterone, the wonders of insect protein, start-up talk, and much more. O-tanoshimi dane!

One special offer:

If you sign up as one of the first 100 people in this Google form (sorry, US only), we will mail you one free Exo cricket protein bar.  They are amaze-balls.  Here is the link.

This edition of The Random Show was recorded and edited by Graham Hancock(@grahamhancock). For all previous episodes, including the epic China Scam episode,click here.

As always, if you’re the first to leave complete show notes in the comments, I’ll happily give you credit and link to your site here in the post.

Enjoy!

Let us know what you’d like us to tackle in the next show…

It’s my first podcast threesome! [blush]

THE TIM FERRISS SHOW, EPISODE 3:

This episode features two incredible guests: Dr. Justin Mager and Kelly Starrett. We all drink wine and get crazy.



Dr. Mager is my personal doctor and has helped me with dozens of my crazy experiments, complete with blood testing and next-generation tracking. He’s brilliant (and hilarious).

Kelly Starrett is one of the top Crossfit coaches in the world, and one of my favorite PTs and performance trainers. His clients include Olympic gold medalists, Tour de France cyclists, world and national record holders in Olympic lifting and powerlifting, Crossfit Games medalists, ballet dancers, and elite military personnel. If you’re interested in taking your body or brain to the next level, or attempting to become the guy from Limitless, this episode is for you.

Enjoy!

And…want to win some cool stuff today? Tweet out your favorite quote or line from this episode, using the following format, and I’ll pick a few of my favorites for prizes:

“[Insert quote]” More: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-tim-ferriss-show/id863897795?mt=2 #TFS”

To encourage other people to retweet you, try and ensure your entire Tweet is 120 characters or less. The iTunes link above will be automatically shortened.

If you haven’t already, please subscribe to the podcast on iTunes! My iTunes rank — largely determined by subscriber count — is critical for recruiting future guests. Other options for download are the end of this post, but iTunes (here) really helps me out, even if just for the first few episodes. Help me make this podcast as strong as possible, and click subscribe here!

If you’d like a teaser of Episode 3, some of the subjects we cover are below. Learn more about Kelly at MobilityWOD and through his Twitter account:

Defining a “performance whore”
The potent combination that is Justin Mager
What makes people “well” and what makes people thrive
Mixing passions for endocrinology and eastern philosophy
How chakras described in Ayurvedic medicine correspond to nerve plexuses and endocrine glands
How Justin Mager changes lives by exploring the body as a whole
Experimenting on the fringes of physiology and what limits can be pushed
Working with high-end athletes and military to exceed supposed “optimal” performance
Blood testing is a snapshot, not a overall description of health — how do you improve it? What do you measure?
Delving into the effects of travel on circadian rhythms, and how to correct problems
Exploring the Quantified Self (QS) movement and Kevin Kelly
Testing quality of sleep
Why science isn’t the cause-and-effect master of the universe, or shouldn’t be viewed as such
Pattern recognition and “chunking” for improved talent acquisition
The diverse role of genetics; what can be changed and what cannot
The health and performance implications of testosterone, boners, sleep, and more
Mattress selection from the mobility expert (Kelly)
Hacking the nervous system for rejuvenating sleep, utilizing body temperature as a tool
Rebooting the parasympathetic nervous system
“Supple Leopard” morning rituals
Kelly’s test of functional mobility
How pain tolerance, mobility, and movement come together
Common qualities of top physicians, coaches, and bio-hackers, and how you can emulate them…

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For Android users, this podcast can also be found on Stitcher.

Just want the plain old RSS feed? Here it is! http://feeds.feedburner.com/thetimferrissshow

Users of Pocket Casts (and similar apps) can copy the Feedburner link above, then paste it in the app’s search bar. It’ll take you straight to the good stuff.

Hai!

Fuckin’ A–it’s finally here!

After fantasizing about starting a podcast for nearly two years, after being asked hundreds of times, The Tim Ferriss Show is now live.

Sometimes you have to stop over-thinking things, bite the bullet, and figure it out as you go.

To launch, I’ve posted two episodes that are vastly different.  They are available on iTunes and, for Android folks, Stitcher.

I have an important favor to ask, which I don’t do often:

1) Please listen to one or both episodes.

2) Then, PLEASE leave a review on iTunes.

I will read EVERY review and, based on that feedback, I’ll either stop or keep doing this podcast.

If you seem to like them, I promise to do at least 6 total episodes in the next 1-2 months.  And trust me: I have some amazing people lined up and ready to go. Constructive criticism and suggestions for improvement are welcome, whether on iTunes or in the comments below.

All that said, here are the first two episodes! I really hope you enjoy them.

EPISODE 1: KEVIN ROSE

I consider Kevin Rose one of the best “stock pickers” in the startup world. He can predict even non-tech trends with stunning accuracy.

Kevin is a tech entrepreneur who co-founded Digg, Revision3 (sold to Discovery Channel), Pownce, and Milk (sold to Google). Since 2012, he is a venture partner at Google Ventures. He’s also a hilarious dude, and this episode involves heavy drinking.

In this finding-my-feet episode, Kevin and I get down on a bottle of Gamling and McDuck while discussing, among dozens of topics: why Kevin would love to work at McDonald’s, how he kicked my ass on the Twitter deal, and — just a wee tad — biohacking.

Dive in, folks!

It’s the first episode of The Tim Ferriss Show!  Listen to it here, and please subscribe!

EPISODE 2: JOSH WAITZKIN

Josh Waitzkin was the basis for the book and movie Searching for Bobby Fischer.

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, which I loved so much that I helped produce the audiobook (download here, at Audible or DRM-free Gumroad).

This episode is DEEP, in the best way possible.  Josh will blow your mind.

And for a change from Episode 1, I’m totally sober.  I’d be curious to know which Tim you prefer.

Listen to it here, and please subscribe!

Show Notes for Episodes 1 and 2

Special thanks to my friend Ian for helping with show notes. Much obliged, kind sir.

These notes only partially cover the conversations, but they will give you a taste.

EPISODE 1: KEVIN ROSE

What makes a good wine bar?
The story of Kevin Rose: Growing up in Vegas, starting Digg, joining Google Ventures, and beyond
What makes Kevin Rose so good at predicting what’s next, spotting trends
The characteristics of winners. What makes a successful angel investor?
Hear the story of Odeo – The company that birthed Twitter
Tips on choosing angel investments

“What new app will find itself on the front screen of your iPhone?”

Dissecting the success of Philip Rosedale, Elon Musk and — the “Oracle of Silicon Valley” — Reid Hoffman
How to say no to an investment or pitch
Experiences and lessons learned running the roller coaster of Digg
Where is Kevin Rose world-class?  Which skills define his success?
The M7 chip on iPhone – An opportunity to build new apps
Learn more about My Basis, a biometric company that Tim invested in [Update: sold to Intuit for $100M]
Why Kevin wants to get a job at McDonald’s
Ideas and suggestions for the podcast. Where should it go, and how should it be different?

SOME LINKS FROM EPISODE 1

Learn more about Digg
Nextdoor – Private Social Network for your Neighborhood
Watch the Philip Rosedale interview on Foundation
Pick up Venture Deals by Brad Feld
Check out Hotel Biron – Kevin’s fave tiny wine bar in San Francisco
Visit Zuni Cafe – Get the dry-brined roasted chicken
Learn more about Apple’s new M7 Chip
Get health insights from MyBasis
Any many more….

Connect with Kevin Rose: Instagram | Twitter | Website

 

EPISODE 2: JOSH WAITZKIN

Show Notes:

The origins of The Art of Learning.
What it takes to play 30-50 games of chess simultaneously (!).
About Josh’s focus on moving from world-class to world champion. How to cross the gap between the two
The many dimensions of Josh Waitzkin’s creative life:


Family
JW Foundation – The Art of Learning Project
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) school with Marcelo Garcia
Consulting for “Master of the Universe”-type financiers; what commonalities the best have


About the learning (and UNlearning) processes that distinguish the good from the great and from the elite
Insights on the strategic movement from Tai Chi to BJJ
About the profound kinesthetic intelligence of Marcelo Garcia and how he uses it to “navigate the world”
A deep understanding of what makes world-class performers tick and thrive

“If you can really train people to get systematic about nurturing their creative process, it’s unbelievable what can happen. Most of that work relates to getting out of your own way at a very high level. It’s unlearning, it’s the constant practice of subtraction, reducing friction.” – Josh Waitzkin

Strategies for aligning peak energy periods with peak creativity to achieve a relentless, proactive lifestyle
On Hemingway’s creative writing process:


End the workday with something left to write
Release your mind from the work – Let Go


Understanding cognitive biases
Understanding how to use specific questions for deconstruction (e.g. “Who’s good at this who shouldn’t be?”)
Core themes/habits that Josh teaches to top performers:

Meditation | Journaling | “Undulation” (Capacity to turn drive on and off)

How Josh Waitzkin meditates
Meditation styles: contemplative Buddhist sitting meditation, Tai Chi and moving meditation.
What Josh’s morning rituals look like
Why you should study the artists rather than the art critics.
Remember to love .

“The hero and the coward both feel the same thing, but the hero uses his fear and projects it onto his opponent, while the coward runs.” – Cus D’Amato, original trainer of Mike Tyson

Links:

JW Foundation – The Art of Learning Project
Check out Hemingway on Good Reads
Learn more about BJJ school of Marcelo Garcia
Identify your own biases: List of Cognitive Biases
Check out the article Tim mentioned: Bridgewater Associates founder, Ray Dalio, credits transcendental meditation for his success

“One of the things we have to be wary in life is studying the people who study the artists, as opposed to the artists themselves” – Josh Waitzkin

The Waitzkin Library:

On the Road – Jack Kerouac
Dharma Bums – Jack Kerouac
Tao te Ching – Lao Tzu Gia-Fu Feng and Jane English Translation
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance – Robert M. Pirsig
Shantaram – Gregory David Roberts
For Whom the Bell Tolls – Ernest Hemingway
Green Hills of Africa – Ernest Hemingway
Complete Collection of Short Stories – Ernest Hemingway
Old Man and the Sea – Ernest Hemingway
A Moveable Feast – Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway on Writing - Larry W. Phillips

Let’s get this party started!

For months now, I’ve wanted show you all of my TV episodes.

Over the last year, the team at ZPZ (the production company behind Anthony Bourdain) and Turner Broadcasting have helped me capture incredible footage and characters all over the country. I’m thrilled with every episode.

Alas, for reasons I won’t bore you with, the TV broadcasting puzzle piece is taking ages to sort out. I’ve been fighting hard behind the scenes, and it’s been a sumnabitch process for an impatient Long Island boy (me).

The waiting has driven me absolutely insane. I’ve felt a lot like this:

But…no más waiting already!

Enough. While the entertainment folks are sussing out cable details, I’d like to give you everything — and I mean EVERYTHING — digitally.

Turner’s all for it. This world is a changin’, and distribution is changing with it.

ON MAY 27, ALL 13 EPISODES WILL BE RELEASED ON ITUNES SIMULTANEOUSLY.

In each episode, I team up with world-class teachers to “hack” a different skill….then I get thrown through a gauntlet of tests. Sometimes I do well, othertimes I face-plant and decimate myself. You get to see all the struggles, nervous breakdowns, and little breakthroughs. It ain’t always pretty, but it’s real.

Here are some of the topics I jump into:

Music and drumming
Rally car racing
Language learning
Brazilian jiu-jitsu (and chess) — ouch.
Parkour — super, double ouch.
High-stakes poker (with real money)
Tactical gun fighting
Dating and the pick-up game
Building a business in one week (I co-teach a student)
Golf
Long-distance swimming (I co-teach a student)
Surfing
And the mysterious finale episode…

And another thing…

One of the things that bugs me most about TV is that five days of shooting gets cut down to 30 minutes. In reality, it’s around 21:30 after subtracting commercials. Whaaaa?! “Isn’t that a waste?” you ask. Yes, it’s a maddening amount of great footage that ends up on the cutting room floor.

I want to give you more.

So…

If you’ve bought — or buy — an iTunes season pass (click “View in iTunes” here to purchase), more good news: you’ll get a ton of bonus footage. Current estimates are 10+ minutes of extras per episode, and I’m fighting to release much more footage into the wild, hopefully hours and hours.

If you can’t use iTunes or can’t afford to pay, here’s the solution: Each week after the May 27th launch, one episode will be released on YouTube for free viewing. It won’t contain bonus footage, and you’ll have to wait 3+ months to see the whole season, but you’ll be able to see them all.

If you’d like a sneak peek, the first episode can be watched here for free.

Much more coming soon, and thank you for your patience! It’s been a long road for everyone. Phew.