Timothy Ferriss's Blog, page 98

(Photo: Ralph Arvesen)

Justin Boreta is a founding member of The Glitch Mob. Their music has been featured in movies like Sin City II, Edge of Tomorrow, Captain America, and Spiderman.

In this post, we discuss The Glitch Mob’s path from unknown band to playing sold-out 90,000-person (!) arenas.  We delve into war stories, and go deep into creative process, including never-before-heard “drafts” of blockbuster tracks!  Even if you have zero interest in music, Justin discusses habits and strategies that can be applied to nearly anything.  Meditation?  Morning routines?  We cover it all.

The Glitch Mob’s last album, Love Death Immortality, debuted on the Billboard charts at #1 Electronic Album, #1 Indie Label, and #4 Overall Digital Album. This is particularly impressive because The Glitch Mob is an artist-owned group.  It’s a true self-made start-up.

Listen to this episode on iTunes.
Stream by clicking here.
Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as”.

This podcast is brought to you by Mizzen + Main. Mizzen + Main makes 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. Click here for the exact shirts I wear most often. Order one of their dress shirts this week and get a Henley shirt (around $60 retail) for free.  Just add the two you like here to the cart, then use code “TIM” at checkout.

This episode 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 Body? Here are some of the impressive results.

QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What music do you listen to when you work? When you really need to get in the zone? Please share in the comments.

Do you enjoy this podcast? If so, could you please leave a short review here? I read them, and they keep me going.

Scroll below for links and show notes…

Selected Links from the Episode

Learn more about the Grant Korgan story
This is Your Brain on Music by Daniel J. Levitin
Learn more about Ableton music production software
The Glitch Mob uses DropBox to sync up multiple machines
Get Universal Audio Plug-ins to emulate outboard gear
Check out the trailer for Sin City II featuring The Glitch Mob
ZYNCMusic helps artists get paid for their music
Check out this post about Kyle Maynard
Listen to In the Dust of This Planet by Radiolab
Musicophilia by Oliver Sacks
Learn more about the UC Santa Cruz Electronic Music Program
Selected Ambient Works by Aphex Twin
The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera
Chemex & Aeropress coffee makers
Follow the The Glitch Mob and Justin Boreta:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube

Learn More about The Glitch Mob

Live

Pick up your own Glitch Baby
Playing to 90k people in Quebec with deadmau5
Playing on the streets of SF
On Attack of the Show
On Carson Daly
At Red Rocks produced by GoPro

Official

Can’t Kill Us
Becoming Harmonious (Description via Vice)

Movies

Sin City II
Edge of Tomorrow
Captain America
Spiderman

Commercial Work

Victoria’s Secret
GoPro
Gi Joe 2
Fiat
Audi 1 & Audi 2
Lamborghini
SOMA

Show Notes (Time Stamps Approximate)

World-class attributes of Justin Boreta
The Grant Korgan story
Unique attributes of The Glitch Mob and the feeling of being on stage in front of 90,000+ people
Defining “indie” and “artist owned”
The makeup and evolution of The Glitch Mob team
Tools and software of The Glitch Mob
What exactly is “mastering”?
Deconstructing audio engineering software and Ableton
How to have your music featured in massive motion pictures
The story of the Sin City II trailer
Justin plays Animus Vox [approx 36:30]
The fourth member, Kevin, and his role in the success of the business
Developing the creative process as success comes into play
Soliciting feedback, Justin Boreta-style
Describing a day in the studio for The Glitch Mob
Commonalities of the most successful songs
The importance of traditional instrument skills when performing/producing music
Justin plays the never before heard 6th version of Our Demons, followed by the finished product [57:30]
A rapid learning program for music production
The draft version of Fortune Days, followed by the finished product [1:03:15]
How many separate tracks are running in a Glitch Mob song?
What percentage of samples are custom vs. off-the-shelf?
Current revenue streams for The Glitch Mob
Favorite pastry, pre-show meditation, defining success, and advice for his 20-year old self
What EDM show should the uninitiated go to first, morning rituals, meditation and morning workouts
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? [1:40:20]
Justin plays us out with Can’t Kill Us [1:48:45]

People Mentioned

Boards of Canada
Kyle Maynard
Rick Ruben
Amon Tobin and Foley Room
Peter Diamandis
Daft Punk

(Photo: Ralph Arvesen)

Justin Boreta is a founding member of The Glitch Mob. Their music has been featured in movies like Sin City II, Edge of Tomorrow, Captain America, and Spiderman.

In this post, we discuss The Glitch Mob’s path from unknown band to playing sold-out 90,000-person (!) arenas.  We delve into war stories, and go deep into creative process, including never-before-heard “drafts” of blockbuster tracks!  Even if you have zero interest in music, Justin discusses habits and strategies that can be applied to nearly anything.  Meditation?  Morning routines?  We cover it all.

The Glitch Mob’s last album, Love Death Immortality, debuted on the Billboard charts at #1 Electronic Album, #1 Indie Label, and #4 Overall Digital Album. This is particularly impressive because The Glitch Mob is an artist-owned group.  It’s a true self-made start-up.

Listen to this episode on iTunes.
Stream by clicking here.
Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as”.

This podcast is brought to you by Mizzen + Main. Mizzen + Main makes 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. Click here for the exact shirts I wear most often. Order one of their dress shirts this week and get a Henley shirt (around $60 retail) for free.  Just add the two you like here to the cart, then use code “TIM” at checkout.

This episode 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 Body? Here are some of the impressive results.

QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What music do you listen to when you work? When you really need to get in the zone? Please share in the comments.

Do you enjoy this podcast? If so, could you please leave a short review here? I read them, and they keep me going.

Scroll below for links and show notes…

Selected Links from the Episode

Learn more about the Grant Korgan story
This is Your Brain on Music by Daniel J. Levitin
Learn more about Ableton music production software
The Glitch Mob uses DropBox to sync up multiple machines
Get Universal Audio Plug-ins to emulate outboard gear
Check out the trailer for Sin City II featuring The Glitch Mob
Zincbeats | ZYNCMusic helps artists get paid for their music
Check out this post about Kyle Maynard
Listen to In the Dust of This Planet by Radiolab
Musicophilia by Oliver Sacks
Learn more about the UC Santa Cruz Electronic Music Program
Selected Ambient Works by Aphex Twin
The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera
Chemex & Aeropress coffee makers
Follow the The Glitch Mob and Justin Boreta:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube

Learn More about The Glitch Mob

Live

Pick up your own Glitch Baby
Playing to 90k people in Quebec with deadmau5
Playing on the streets of SF
On Attack of the Show
On Carson Daly
At Red Rocks produced by GoPro

Official

Can’t Kill Us
Becoming Harmonious (Description via Vice)

Movies

Sin City II
Edge of Tomorrow
Captain America
Spiderman

Commercial Work

Victoria’s Secret
GoPro
Gi Joe 2
Fiat
Audi 1 & Audi 2
Lamborghini
SOMA

Show Notes (Time Stamps Approximate)

World-class attributes of Justin Boreta
The Grant Korgan story
Unique attributes of The Glitch Mob and the feeling of being on stage in front of 90,000+ people
Defining “indie” and “artist owned”
The makeup and evolution of The Glitch Mob team
Tools and software of The Glitch Mob
What exactly is “mastering”?
Deconstructing audio engineering software and Ableton
How to have your music featured in massive motion pictures
The story of the Sin City II trailer
Justin plays Animus Vox [approx 36:30]
The fourth member, Kevin, and his role in the success of the business
Developing the creative process as success comes into play
Soliciting feedback, Justin Boreta-style
Describing a day in the studio for The Glitch Mob
Commonalities of the most successful songs
The importance of traditional instrument skills when performing/producing music
Justin plays the never before heard 6th version of Our Demons, followed by the finished product [57:30]
A rapid learning program for music production
The draft version of Fortune Days, followed by the finished product [1:03:15]
How many separate tracks are running in a Glitch Mob song?
What percentage of samples are custom vs. off-the-shelf?
Current revenue streams for The Glitch Mob
Favorite pastry, pre-show meditation, defining success, and advice for his 20-year old self
What EDM show should the uninitiated go to first, morning rituals, meditation and morning workouts
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? [1:40:20]
Justin plays us out with Can’t Kill Us [1:48:45]

People Mentioned

Boards of Canada
Kyle Maynard
Rick Ruben
Amon Tobin and Foley Room
Peter Diamandis
Daft Punk

Matt Mullenweg has been named one of PC World’s Top 50 People on the Web, Inc.com’s 30 under 30, and Business Week’s 25 Most Influential People on the Web.

In this episode, I attempt to get him drunk on tequila and make him curse.

Matt is most associated with a tool that powers more than 22% of the entire web: WordPress. Even if you aren’t into tech, there are many pages of “holy shit!” tips and resources in this episode.

Matt is a phenom of hyper-productivity and does A LOT with very little. But how? This conversation shares his best tools and tricks. From polyphasic sleep to Dvorak and looping music for flow, there’s something for everyone.

Last but not least, Matt is also the CEO of Automattic, which is valued at $1-billion+ and has a fully distributed team of 300+ employees around the world. I’m honored to be an advisor, and I’ve seen how they use incredibly unorthodox methods for jaw-dropping results.

But… he started off as a BBQ-chomping Texas boy with no aspirations of empire building. How on earth did get here? Just listen and find out. It’s one hell of a story.

Listen to it on iTunes.
Stream by clicking here.
Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as”.

###

This episode is sponsored by Onnit. I have used Onnit products for years. If you look in my kitchen or in my garage you will find Alpha BRAIN, chewable melatonin (for resetting my clock while traveling), kettlebells, maces, battle ropes, and steel clubs. It sounds like a torture chamber, and it basically is. A torture chamber for self-improvement! Ah, the lovely pain. To see a list of my favorite pills, potions, and heavy tools, click here.

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 Body? Here are some of the impressive results.  Click this link and get a free $99 upgrade.  Give it a test run..

QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What’s the best productivity tip or tool you’ve implemented in the last year? Please let me know in the comments.

Scroll below for links and show notes…

Enjoy!

Selected Links from the Episode

Follow Matt on Spotify, where he shares music
Learn more about GLP
History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides
Learn about Mullenweg’s investors Tiger Global | Insights | True Ventures
Learn more about Automattic.com
Fall in love with Dvorak – DVzine
Learn about an even more efficient keyboard: Colemak
Learn about Automattic’s P2Theme.com, used to replace email
Learn more about Slack for replacing Skype
Casa Dragones – Our favorite sipping tequila
Momentum – A Chrome extension to enhance focus
WunderList – Useful to-do listing
Telegram.org – A fast, free, encrypted messaging app
The 7-Minute Workout – Simplifying exercise goals
Calm – Meditation App
Bikeshed.org – An essay


Stolen Dance by Milky Chance
Check out Matt’s blog and his post on Sam Smith
Who Says by John Mayer
Gorgeous and Power by Kanye West
Rigamortis by Kendrick Lamar
Matt’s EDM working music suggestions, Jane Doze
Though applications have ended, see my post seeking a managing editor for hiring ideas
Hire by Audition | The CEO of Automattic on Holding “Auditions” to Build a Strong Team by Matt Mullenweg on Harvard Business Review
The Year Without Pants by Scott Berkun
How Proust Can Change Your Life by Alain De Botton
The Effective Executive by Peter Drucker
Words That Work by Frank Luntz
Women, Fire, and Dangerous Things by George Lakoff
Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami
The Magus by John Fowles
Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts
The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer
Learn more about Pose Running and Dr. Romanov
Connect with Matt on Twitter
Matt recommends Tom Ford suits
Learn more about GigaOM.com
Read about what is in the carry-on bag of Matt Mullenweg
The Halo Effect by Phil Rosenzweig
The Everything Store by Brad Stone
Learn more about Wealthfront
The Black Swan, Fooled By Randomness, Book of Aphorisms and Anti-Fragile by Nassim Taleb
Read Warren Buffett’s Annual Letters
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
On Writing Well by William Zinsser
Ernest Hemingway on Writing by Larry Phillips
Learn more about TechMeme.com – “The Best Tech Newspaper in the World”
Innovation and Entrepreneurship by Peter Drucker
The Art of the Start by Guy Kawasaki
The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz
Zero to One by Peter Thiel (Also read Original Class Notes by Blake Masters)
The Starfish and the Spider by Ori Brafman
OK Computer by Radiohead
Nostalgia Ultra by Frank Ocean
Saxophone Colossus by Sonny Rollins

Show Notes

How WordPress started | The origin story
Defining “open source”
How WordPress beat their competition and how to beat the complicate-to-profit business model
The long term outlook and core product characteristics that has empowered the growth of WordPress
Describing Automattic, and how it was founded with a purpose to kill spam
Experiments in polyphasic sleep, girlfriend complexities, and Dvorak typing
How is Automattic differs from the average tech startup, and challenges of a distributed workforce
Thoughts on where to draw the transparency line when running an open-source company
Delving into the secret benefits of tequila
Matt Mullenweg’s useful laptop and smartphone apps
Turning it around on Tim: Intermittent fasting and distilled water fasting?
Overworking vices, creating “de-loading” phases and saying “no” to meetings
Why we don’t care about the color of the bike shed
Musical skills that support coding and other leadership skills
Why Matt listens to familiar songs on loop when working
Hiring tips: Auditions at Automattic, why use them, and how they work
Matt’s view on top-grading
Most gifted books
Learning to love running
Answering Twitter questions: Bootstrapping vs. seed money if starting in 2015, picking a badass suit and last great purchase for less than $100
Packing tips
The story of losing an investor’s check (nearly a $400,000 mistake)
The story behind eating 104 Chicken McNuggets
First person to come to mind when you think “successful”?
Suggested investing books
The role WordPress will play in online content outside the browser (mobile apps, API, etc.) in the near future
Books and resources for the 20-year old entrepreneur looking to start a company
Stranded on a desert island? Albums and what else?
Advice for your 20-year old self?

People Mentioned

Thucydides
Dvorak
Sam Smith
Milky Chants
Dr. Nicholas Romanov
Chris Sacca
Om Malik
Warren Buffett

In this episode, I interview the one and only Arnold Schwarzenegger… at his kitchen table.

We dig into lessons learned, routines, favorite books, and much more, including many stories I’ve never heard anywhere else.

As a starting point, we cover:

The Art of Psychological Warfare, and How Arnold Uses It to Win
How Twins Became His Most Lucrative Movie (?!?)
Mailing Cow Balls to Politicians
How Arnold Made Millions — Fresh Off The Boat — BEFORE His Acting Career Took Off
How Arnold Used Meditation For One Year To Reset His Brain
And Much More…

Listen to it on iTunes.
Stream it now by clicking here.
Download it as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as”.

This episode is sponsored by Onnit. I have used Onnit products for years. If you look in my kitchen or in my garage you will find Alpha BRAIN, chewable melatonin (for resetting my clock while traveling), kettlebells, maces, battle ropes, and steel clubs. It sounds like a torture chamber, and it basically is. A torture chamber for self-improvement! Ah, the lovely pain. To see a list of my favorite pills, potions, and heavy tools, click here.

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 Body? Here are some of the impressive results.  Click this link and get a free $99 upgrade.  Give it a test run..

Scroll below for links and show notes…

Enjoy!

Selected Links from the Episode

Pumping Iron
Stay Hungry
See Franco Columbu dislocate his leg in the World’s Strongest Man competition
See the trailer for Twins with Arnold and Danny DeVito
Learn more about the documentary Brooklyn Castle
The Churchill Factor: How One Man Made History by Boris Johnson
Free to Choose by Milton Friedman
California by Kevin Starr
Learn more about the USC Schwarzenegger Institute
Follow Arnold on Twitter
Learn more about climate action at Regions 20

Sample People Mentioned

Reg Park
Steve Reeves
Franco Columbu
Warren Buffett
Bill Gates
Larry Ellison
Elon Musk
Nelson Mandela
Mikhail Gorbachov
Muhammad Ali
Cincinnatus

 

“What makes ‘good tape’? That is the question that has consumed my life for the past 20 years, and I have an answer for you…”

– Alex Blumberg

How do you create a blockbuster podcast? This episode explores the tips, tricks, and best practices of a master.

My guest is Alex Blumberg, who cut his teeth on the king of all radio shows (This American Life) and recently co-founded Gimlet Media. Gimlet swiftly conquered the iTunes rankings with two blockbuster podcasts: Reply All and StartUp.

Podcasters everywhere asked: how the hell does he do it?  

This episode provides some answers. Part 2 also includes a sample of my upcoming episode with Arnold Schwarzenegger (!!!).

This discussion is split into two parts, and we cover a ton. Please listen to both parts, as they work together. We discuss what Alex learned from Ira Glass, his field recording gear, the nuts and bolts of producing world-class audio narrative, and much more.

Part 1 is my interview and conversation with Alex.

Part 2 is ~40 minutes of an amazing masterclass Alex taught on creativeLIVE, including the art of the interview, the power of the right question, and more (Get all 21 videos here).

Listen to them on iTunes.
Stream by clicking here: Part 1 and Part 2.
Download both as MP3s by right-clicking here (Part 1, Part 2) and choosing “save as”.

This episode is sponsored by Onnit. I have used Onnit products for years. If you look in my kitchen or in my garage you will find Alpha BRAIN, chewable melatonin (for resetting my clock while traveling), kettlebells, maces, battle ropes, and steel clubs. It sounds like a torture chamber, and it basically is. A torture chamber for self-improvement! Ah, the lovely pain. To see a list of my favorite pills, potions, and heavy tools, click here.

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 Body? Here are some of the impressive results.  Click this link and get a free $99 upgrade.  Give it a test run.

QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY:  What are your 2-3 favorite podcasts and why? What makes them unique? Please let me know in the comments!

If you like this episode, you’ll also love my episode with Neil Strauss, 7x New York Times bestselling author. He’s cray-cray like me.

Scroll below for links and show notes…

Enjoy!

Selected Links from the Episode

Learn more and listen to Gimlet Media

StartUp | Reply All

Learn more about Pro Tools
Pick up Alex’s recommended equipment for field recording:

AT8035 Microphone | Tascam DR-100KII Recorder

Sony MDR 7506 HeadPhones | XLR Cable

Learn more about Chart Beat analytics software
Hiroshima by John Hersey
The Fog of War directed by Errol Morris (Watch it)
Man on Wire, the story of Philippe Petit
On the Run by Alice Gotham
Want to master the art of storytelling? Check out Alex’s full creativeLIVE course, which is absolute gold.

Show Notes

On the 4-5-month startup burnout phase [3:24]
Defining tracking and work flow. What makes something worthy of being included in the show? [4:14]
What makes good tape? [6:14]
What makes a world-class editor? Acknowledging Ira Glass and his time at This American Life [12:15]
Defining the role of a “producer” [22:17]
The nitty gritty of producing high-level narrative podcasts. Includes: editing software, planning timelines, and much more [25:00]
Tools for capturing tape in the field [30:00]
The nuts and bolts of recording in the field, as well as tips for capturing the ‘vivid moments’ [31:14]
Microphone tips: directional vs. omnidirectional? [34:20]
Metrics used to define progress at Gimlet Media [36:00]
The story of acquiring a position as a top radio producer [37:29]
Transitioning from This American Life to Planet Money [49:12]
Why good radio doesn’t apply to television shows [51:00]
On the value of perfectionism [55:45]
Good and bad habits picked up from This American Life and Ira Glass [58:20]
Turning a bad situation into a good one – Deconstructing We Made a Mistake [1:12:20]
Rapid fire questions: most gifted books, favorite documentary films, and more [1:21:10]

People Mentioned

Ira Glass
Errol Morris
John McPhee
Chris Sacca
Mike Maples, Jr.
Naval Ravikant
Morgan Spurlock

Photo Credit: Sarah Dippity

The 4-Hour Workweek is coming up on its 10th anniversary in a few years (insane), and the time is ripe for a killer companion.  Therefore…

My next book will be a monstrous encyclopedia of success stories from readers of The 4-Hour Workweek.  There are innumerable stories I couldn’t have predicted. Taking multiple companies to IPO? Getting to the Super Bowl? Building a seven-figure muse and traveling the world with a family of 3-7…as a single parent?!

That’s just the beginning.  Now, I want to hear your story.  And I want to put you in my next book.

If you don’t yet have a success story, keep reading and I’ll show you how to create one.  I’ll also give you a benevolent kick in the ass (i.e. amazing bribe).

Please read this entire post.  To start off, there are three ways to share your story with me:

1) If you already have a success story to tell, please fill out the form at fourhourworkweek.com/success.  Easy peasy.

2) If you joined the latest Shopify Build-A-Business Competition that started last year, you can select the “Muse Category” and compete. Read below.

3) If you haven’t yet created a “muse” (automated cash-flow business), keep reading.  Things are about to get very interesting for you.

The prizes for sharing are simple: potentially be in my next book, and (if in categories 2 or 3 above) get flown to Richard Branson’s private island for billionaire coaching.

And here’s how it all works…

If you have not joined the latest Shopify Build-A-Business Competition, do this:

Read The 4-Hour Workweek if you haven’t.  
Still not sure what business to start, or which product to choose? Read this guide from Shopify and then come back to this post.
Create a new business: Launch an online store with Shopify by using this link. You *must* use this link or I can’t track you properly.
Start selling, change your life, and keep records: After the eight-month competition, Shopify will calculate your best two months of sales. From there, based on a $5K-per-month minimum, Shopify will compile a list of 20 finalists. Tim Ferriss and his magic elves will judge each of the 20 finalists using the following criteria: gross sales during the top two months (60% weight), Lifestyle Design (25% weight – i.e. how much your improve your life), and recording (15% weight – This could include YouTube clips, blog posts, Instagram pics, Twitter, Facebook, Vine, or whatever, but it should track your experiences and lessons learned. Use #4hourlaunch and link back to this blog post.)
Get support: Use all of the Shopify support resources, how-to guides, and community forums to learn how to grow, grow, grow.

If you’ve already entered the Shopify Build-A-Business Competition, and you want to join the Muse Category:

Just click this link. Enter your Shopify URL there, and you’ll be added into the Muse Competition.
Read The 4-Hour Workweek if you haven’t.
Follow the above steps from “Start selling…”  Same rules and criteria apply.

The Prizes (For Those Building Businesses and Competing):

For all competitors who sign up:

Private Facebook group. On February 15, 2015 at 5pm ET, Shopify will send me a list of all the email addresses of people who’ve signed up. Each person will then be invited to an exclusive and private “Muse” Facebook group, where I’ll also make occasional appearances.  It’s free, but you must sign up by Feb 15 at 5pm ET to be invited.

For the ultimate winners:

5 days of mentorship on Necker Island, Richard Branson’s private island in the British Virgin Islands
A private jet from New York to Necker Island. Shopify will also cover the cost of getting you to NYC.
You can invite a guest (!), and their costs are similarly covered.
You’ll be joined by 5 other winners, and you’ll be mentored by Tim Ferriss, Sir Richard Branson, Daymond John (founder of FUBU), and Marie Forleo. You will get plenty of one-on-one time with every mentor.
Complimentary nearly-everything: meals and drinks, as well as all the island has to offer, including water sports, tennis, pools, and jacuzzi.
Seth Godin will hold an private group workshop on the island.
And many other surprises!

Timeline:

You must enter your Shopify store into the competition no later than March 31, 2015.  Obviously, good to get started ASAP.  Just click the damn link and get started. If not now, then when?
Last day to generate sales for the competition: May 31, 2015

Restrictions:

Entrants must have opened a Shopify store after June 1, 2014 in order to be eligible
The competition is open to legal residents in any one of the United States, excluding Arizona, Maryland, Vermont, Delaware, Louisiana and Montana (sorry!). The competition is also open to legal residents of the District of Columbia, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, Spain and Canada.

Videos, Just for Fun:

5th Annual BAB Launch Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wh4iZJwfdA4
Last year’s winners (4th Annual BAB): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6X3t4K_-jbA
3rd Annual BAB: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJkTs470ILY
2nd Annual BAB: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMfOcxa7vF0
1st Annual BAB: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEtWqw4ZtVc

Ready for the adventure of a lifetime?  Sign up here and get started!

Look forward to raising a drink with you on Necker :)

Dr. Peter Diamandis (center) floating with Elon Musk (r), James Cameron (l), and others.

Dr. Peter Diamandis has been named one of “The World’s 50 Greatest Leaders” by Fortune Magazine.

You asked for an entire episode with him, so here it is!  The subject is simple: How to think big, and how to use the key strategies of Peter’s friends and investors, including Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson, and Larry Page. How do they create maximum leverage? How do they think differently? We explore all of this.

In the field of innovation, Diamandis is Chairman and CEO of the X PRIZE Foundation. Among many other things, Diamandis is also the Co-Founder (along with Craig Venter and Bob Hariri) of Human Longevity Inc. (HLI); and Co-Founder of Planetary Resources, a company designing spacecraft to mine asteroids for precious materials (seriously).

If I could ask one person to write one book, it would Peter and his new tome, Bold: How to Go Big, Create Wealth, and Impact the World.  In fact, I have been asking him for years, and now it has arrived.  The back cover alone gives me serious envy. Check out these testimonials from Bill Clinton, Eric Schmidt, and Ray Kurzweil. Ray says simply: “If you read one business book in the twenty-first century, this should be the one.”

There are a few ways to listen to this episode, and I highly suggest a notepad:

Listen to it on iTunes.
Stream here.
Download is as MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as”.

This podcast is 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 Body? Here are some of the impressive results.

Also, how would you like an all-expenses-paid trip to Richard Branson’s private island for a week of mentoring with Sir Richard, yours truly, and other teachers? It’s coming up soon, and it’s going to be amazing. Click here for all the details.

Enjoy!  I didn’t have time for show notes on this one, but — as usual — I’m happy to include the first comprehensive show notes (with links) that any reader leaves in the comments. I will gladly link to your website in appreciation.

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QUESTION OF THE DAY:  What books or resources have most inspired you to think BIGGER, to 10x your results or impact?  Please share in the comments by clicking here.

Subscribe to The Tim Ferriss Show on iTunes.

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This episode was a real treat. It was one of the most enlightening and lucid conversations about physical training I’ve ever had.  If you want strength, power, endurance, and flexibility, it’s all covered in this one interview.

Pavel Tsatsouline is Chairman of StrongFirst, Inc. and was born in Minsk, USSR, which is now part of Belarus.

In the 1980s, he was a physical-training instructor for Spetnaz, the elite Soviet special-forces units. Pavel is now a subject matter expert to the US Marine Corps, the US Secret Service, and the US Navy SEALs. He is widely credited with introducing the now ubiquitous kettlebell to the United States.

Over the last several years, Pavel has become a friend, and his input was critical to the success (and experiments) of The 4-Hour Body.  His massively popular post on 80/20 Powerlifting and How to Add 110+ Pounds to Your Lifts appears on this blog.

Whether you’ve heard of him or not, prepare to have your mind blown, and I don’t say that lightly :)  Enjoy!

Listen to it on iTunes.
Stream by clicking here.
Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as”.

This podcast is 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 Body? Here are some of the impressive results.

QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What’s the most valuable exercise tip you’ve ever received or learned? Please let me know in the comments.

Scroll below for links and show notes…

Enjoy!

Do you enjoy listening to this podcast? If so, please leave a short review here. It’s important for keeping the show going.

Subscribe to The Tim Ferriss Show on iTunes.

Non-iTunes RSS feed

Selected Links from the Episode

Learn more about StrongFirst
Kettlebell: Simple and Sinister by Pavel Tsatsouline
Antifragile by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Deadlift Dynamite by Pavel Tsatsouline and Andy Bolton
Easy Strength by Dan John and Pavel Tsatsouline
Learn more about The Four Quadrants by Dan John
Pick up some Captains of Crush grippers from Iron Mind
Hard Style Abs by Pavel Tsatsouline
The Naked Warrior by Pavel Tsatsouline
Learn more about Tim’s suggested writing software – Scrivener
Learn more about Dr. Mark Cheng and the Turkish getup
The Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz
The trailer for Pavel’s favorite movie – The Magnificent Seven
Benjamin Franklin: An American Life by Walter Isaacson

Show Notes

How Pavel and Tim first came in contact [1:00]
How others define Pavel as “world-class” [2:00]
Considerations for designing training for top performers [5:00]
The biggest misconceptions about Pavel Tsatsouline [11:25]
When in doubt, what’s the minimum you should train? [18:00]
How to train “grease to groove” [21:15]
Approaching training as a practice [35:45]
Prioritizing skills that lead to strength [39:20]
The most counter-productive myths about strength training [42:20]
Pavel’s hypothesis for the science behind hypertrophy [48:30]
What is preventing new powerlifting records? [1:02:00]
Deadlifts, kettlebells, and the most common mistakes with both [1:10:00]
Morning rituals [1:13:50]
Most frequently played music [1:16:50]
Pavel’s writing mechanics [1:18:05]
Current professional improvement endeavors [1:21:30]
Mobility, flexibility, and the goal of full side splits [1:22:45]
On the malfunction of over-sharing [1:39:00]
What Americans can learn from former Soviet culture [1:40:20]
Mitigating distractions [1:48:40]

People Mentioned

Andy Bolton
Dan John
Ed Coan
Konstantin Konstantinovs
Dmitry Klokov

History is littered with examples of successful (and unsuccessful) people who kept daily journals. It ranges from Marcus Aurelius to Ben Franklin, and from Mark Twain to George Lucas.

But what on earth did they write about?

Or perhaps you’ve seen examples of their writing and thought to yourself, “Goddamn, that reads like the Gettysburg Address!” and become demoralized.

In this post, I’ll show you what my raw morning journal looks like.

Why?

Because it’s easy to imagine our heroes as unflappable juggernauts, who conquer insecurity with a majestic mental karate chop every morning. This is, of course, an illusion. Most people you see on magazine covers have plenty of mornings when they’d rather hide under the covers all day long.

A while back, I bared my soul in a post about “productivity” tips for neurotic and crazy people (like me). I was overwhelmed by the hundreds of heartfelt comments, letters, and more that I received.

Many of you have since asked about my “morning pages,” so I’m oversharing again…

The Daily Struggle

Nearly every morning, I sit down with a hot cocktail of turmeric, ginger, pu-erh tea, and green tea. Next, I crack open this large-format paperback (pic from my Instagram):

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To be honest, I never read the original Artist’s Way, which was recommended to me by many mega-bestselling authors.

More book consumption didn’t interest me, as I often use it to procrastinate. What I needed was a daily and meditative practice of production, like the tea ceremony. So, voila, I bought the journal. This “companion” provides plenty of context to be used by itself.

But why journal in the first place?

I don’t journal to “be productive.” I don’t do it to find great ideas, or to put down prose I can later publish. The pages aren’t intended for anyone but me.

Morning pages are, as author Julia Cameron puts it, “spiritual windshield wipers.” It’s the most cost-effective therapy I’ve ever found. To quote her further, from page viii:

“Once we get those muddy, maddening, confusing thoughts [nebulous worries, jitters, and preoccupations] on the page, we face our day with clearer eyes.”

Please reread the above quote. It may be the most important aspect of trapping thought on paper (i.e. writing) you’ll ever encounter. Even if you consider yourself a terrible writer, writing can be viewed as a tool that you can and should use. There are huge benefits to writing, even if no one — yourself included — ever reads what you write. In other words, the process matters more than the product.

Below is one of my real entries.

I’ve typed out the text below the image, as it’s easier to read.

SUNDAY, DEC. 28, NEW YORK

Woke up at 7:30am, before everyone else. Feels great.

It’s a Sunday, so I feel I can take it slow, which is probably the reason it feels great.

Why should Monday or Tuesday be any different? There are still people waiting regardless. Let them wait.

It’s funny how we work and aim and strive to get to a point where people wait for us, not the other way around. Cue Get Shorty!

And yet, when we arrive at this vaunted point, the masses of people (often rightly) incessantly knocking on the door, one after another, causes far more stress than when you were a mere peon (sp)! [I was unsure of spelling]

Is it because of the 100x more inbound, which decreases a feeling of self-directed free will? A feeling that you’re constantly choosing from someone else’s buffet instead of cooking your own food?

Or is it because you *feel* you must be defensive and protect what you have: time, money, relationships, space, etc.?

For someone who’s “won” through a lifetime of offense, of attacking, playing the defensive game conflicts with the core of who they are.

[END]

So… What’s The Point Again?

There are two ways to interpret the above journal entry, and they’re not mutually exclusive:

1) I’m trying to figure things out, and this might help.

For instance: I’ve realized conflicts between goals (become “successful”) and related side-effects one must manage (100x more inbound). I’ve also noted that my big wins in life have come from being aggressive, much like iconic coach Dan Gable, who’s epic rant here is one of my favorites of all time. But the fetters of even a modicum of professional success makes one feel like they have to play defense, or manage instead of conquer. This runs counter to my DNA, which leads to unhappiness. Therefore, I need to divest myself of assets that require “protecting,” or I need to better delegate this responsibility.

That all sounds pleasantly analytical. Aren’t we smart? But perhaps the real value is that…

2) I’m just caging my monkey mind on paper so I can get on with my fucking day.

#2 is key.

Morning pages don’t need to solve your problems. They simply need to get them out of your head, where they’ll otherwise bounce around all day like a bullet ricocheting inside your skull.

Could bitching and moaning on paper for five minutes each morning change your life?

As crazy as it might seem, I believe the answer is yes.

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Would you like more posts like this? Or never again? Please let me know in the comments (click here), or I’ll never know. Thank you for reading!

By popular demand, an entire episode dedicated to exploring the human microbiome!

Are you really 90% bacteria and 10% human? How can you manage or optimize your own microbiome? Should we do fecal-matter transplants from “untouched” indigenous tribes to reverse chronic illness? We tackle all this and much more…

Jessica Richman is co-founder and CEO of uBiome, a startup backed by Y Combinator and Andreessen Horowitz, which uses citizen science to understand the human microbiome.

Jonathan Eisen is a Full Professor at the University of California, Davis with appointments in the School of Medicine and the College of Biological Sciences. Dr. Eisen’s research focuses on the evolution, ecology and function of communities of microorganisms.

Listen to it on iTunes.
Stream by clicking here.
Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as”.

This podcast is 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 Body? Here are some of the impressive results.

QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY:  What’s the most interesting or helpful thing you’ve ever learned from a medical or biological test? Please share in the comments.

Scroll below for links and show notes…

Enjoy!

Do you enjoy this podcast? If so, please leave a short review here. It keeps me going…

Subscribe to The Tim Ferriss Show on iTunes.

Non-iTunes RSS feed

Selected Links from the Episode

UC Davis Genome Center
Learn more about uBiome
Seth Robert’s honey and vinegar bedtime trick
Neil Gaiman – The Best Commencement Speech You May Ever Hear (20 Minutes)
Oxford Internet Institute
Start-Up Chile
A Field Guide to the Birds of North America by National Geographic
The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway
The Old Man and The Sea by Ernest Hemingway
Shackleton with Kenneth Branagh
The Edge with Anthony Hopkins
Connect with Jessica Richman:

uBiome’s Twitter | Jessica Richman Twitter | Indiegogo

Connect with Jonathan Eisen:

Twitter | Personal Blog | The Tree of Life | TED

Show Notes

Interesting answers to boring questions… [1:00]
Defining “microbiology” [2:30]
What is “phylogenomics”? [4:00]
Microbiome misconceptions [6:40]
Defining citizen science [9:30]
Gut | Mood | Behavior [11:30]
Scaling microbiome research using the public [21:30]
How experts think about probiotics [34:30]
A new perspective on probiotic solutions [42:20]
The idea of a fecal bank, and the scientific feasibility of actually doing it [52:00]
Exploring vegetarianism [1:04:45]
Rules that stifle vs. constraints that enable [1:07:10]
Jessica’s founding story of uBiome [1:13:40]
Long-term goals of uBiome [1:17:00]
Rapid-fire questions for Jonathan [1:19:55]
Rapid-fire questions for Jessica [1:29:55]
Many more rapid-fire questions…

People Mentioned

Seth Roberts
Barry Jacobs
Jim Watson
Rubin “Hurricane” Carter
Stephen Pinker