EVERY SPOKEN WORD
65 min read · 12,725 words- 0:00 – 3:31
Cold open soundbites and sponsor messages (MeUndies, 99designs)
- TFTim Ferriss
Optimal minimal At this altitude, I can run flat-out for a half mile before my hands start shaking.
- TFTim Ferriss
Can I ask you a personal question? Now would seem an appropriate time.
- TFTim Ferriss
What if I did the opposite?
- TFTim Ferriss
I'm a cybernetic organism, living tissue over a metal endoskeleton.
- SPSpeaker
The Tim Ferriss Show.
- TFTim Ferriss
This podcast is brought to you by MeUndies, which I'm wearing right now. Have you ever wanted to be as powerful as a mullet-wearing ninja from the '80s, or as sleek as a black panther in the Amazon? Of course you have, and that is where MeUndies comes in. I have spent the last year wearing underwear from these guys 24/7, and they are the softest, most comfortable, most colorful underwear I have ever owned. And, uh, it says here in the copy they want a seasonality hook, and this is, quote, "The summer and fall are the perfect time to update your underwear drawer," end quote. Now, I don't know why the summer and fall are specifically true for that, but I would say this, that when you look in your underwear drawer, in your underwear drawer, uh, very often you'll see some that are a little ragged. You know, the bands are just a little loose. They tend to sag where they shouldn't sag. That's disgusting. MeUndies are designed in LA and made from sustainably sourced micromodal, a fabric three times softer than cotton. Even better, MeUndies has three different subscription plans, so you'll never get bored with the ever-changing selection, and it includes free shipping. There are many reasons that MeUndies has sold more than five million pairs to date. If you don't love your first pair, they'll give you a new pair or a refund. So to get 20% off your first pair plus free shipping, go to meundies.com/tim. That's meundies.com/tim. They're also undies for the ladies, not just dudes, and lots of hot pics. So check it out, meundies.com/tim. [upbeat music] This episode is brought to you by 99designs. I've used 99designs for ages, since even before podcasting was a thing, and I've used them for all sorts of graphic design needs. They are fast, and they are convenient. So whether you need a logo, website, book cover, or anything else, I've done competitions, for instance, for book covers related to The 4-Hour Body. 99designs makes great design accessible to everyone, and it makes the process so much easier. And I used them recently for artwork and illustrations inside of my Tao of Seneca set of books. So this is a collection of stoic writing and modern interviews and so on. So for the Tao of Seneca, I decided to use their one-to-one project service. In this case, you invite a specific designer to your project, agree on a price, and then work together until you're satisfied. And the artwork just blew my mind. Uh, you have to check it out. I kid you not. So you can check out some of the artwork from Tao of Seneca as well as some artwork and logos and so on that your fellow listeners have had made at 99designs.com/tim. That's 99designs.com/tim. I really suggest you check it out. And right now, you guys can receive a free $99 upgrade on your first project. This gets you, I think, 130% more submissions, so people who want to work with you and give you first drafts of what you're looking for. To access your free design, please visit 99designs.com/tim
- 3:31 – 9:03
Why morning routines matter: the “boot-up sequence” idea (plus Tim’s non-negotiables)
- TFTim Ferriss
and click the link on the landing page. That's 99designs.com/tim. [upbeat music] Hello, ladies and germs. Welcome back to The Tim Ferriss Show. This is Tim Ferriss, and if you've listened to this podcast before, you know it is my job to tease out the habits, routines, tactics, and breakfasts, or lack thereof, of world-class performers. I really dig into the nitty-gritty of what you can apply. And this episode is a special episode of The Tim Ferriss Radio Hour. Normally, I speak with one guest in long interviews, but The Tim Ferriss Radio Hour is thematic. So I will look at, say, meditation, or I will look at failure, or I will look at how people handle a specific problem or opportunity, and then pull highlights from my conversations with multiple guests. In this particular episode, I went in search of morning routines. Morning routines are very important to me for a lot of reasons. Now, routine may sound boring, but I encourage you to keep in mind the quote of W.H. Auden, which is, quote, "Routine in an intelligent man," which could be person, of course, "is a sign of ambition." Now, why would that be the case? And we're gonna come back to why that is the case [laughs] when I get to my own personal example. But first, let me give you an idea of who we're gonna chat with. In this episode, I talk to Jocko Willink, a legend in the special operations world and former US Navy SEAL commander. He's also a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, weighs more than 200 pounds, and can do 60-plus strict pull-ups. Here's Jocko.
- SPSpeaker
When I wake up in the morning, I'm thinking about the enemy. What can I do to be ready for that moment which is coming?
- TFTim Ferriss
Then, best-selling author Seth Godin discusses the importance that diet plays in the structure of his day.
- SPSpeaker
Well, if there's a laptop or I'm not unconscious, I'm at work.
- TFTim Ferriss
I also interview Academy Award-winning actor and Grammy Award-winning musician Jamie Foxx to ask him about the first 60 minutes of his day.
- SPSpeaker
Well, we, I got a homey, Tyrone, he played Caine in Menace II Society, and he, I kept wondering how is he always in shape. He says, "Man, I'm trying to tell you, the pull-up bar is everything."
- TFTim Ferriss
And then Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert, shares how he begins the day and discusses the six dimensions of humor.
- SPSpeaker
And there's a process, once you clear your mind, you have to flood it. You may use different words for this, but I know you do it.
- TFTim Ferriss
This is The Tim Ferriss Radio Hour on creating your ideal morning routine. [upbeat music] So I mentioned earlier that, and this is a quote, of course, that routine in the intelligent person is a sign of ambition. And that is the case because, at least from my perspective, your morning should have a predictable and scripted boot-up sequence. What does that mean? That means that you have an algorithm, a set of steps that produce an optimal day for you more often than not, and that is dictated in the first 60 to 90 minutes of your day. So it might be as simple as, say, making your bed in the morning. Look up McRaven, making your bed, for an interesting video and commencement speech all about this. It could include journaling. It could include any number of things. And by putting those particular steps on autopilot, having that boot-up sequence, you conserve your cognitive calories for the things that matter most. Meaning rather than deciding what you're gonna have for breakfast, what type of toothpaste you're gonna use, where you're gonna sit on the toilet [chuckles] , whatever it might be, you are sparing yourself that cognitive burden so that you can apply your energy where your unique strengths can best be applied later. And I've heard it said before, and I do believe that if you win the morning, you win the day. So in my case, what are some of the non-negotiables of my mornings? And I've written about this in Tools of Titans. I've talked about it elsewhere. It varies very mildly from week to week, from month to month. But right now, some of the non-negotiables are wake up, prime state. This is per Tony Robbins, so I jump in a cold pool. It could be a cold shower. Come out, I do 20 minutes of transcendental meditation, which could also be, for instance, Headspace or some type of guided meditation, say by Tara Brach or Sam Harris, and that is for state awareness. And then I sit down with a cup of tea, very often pu-erh plus turmeric and ginger, and I use a journal. Most often, that is a five-minute journal, and this is to clarify my in, my intense objectives and also gratitude for the day, which decreases anxiety. Uh, I find that to be an important precursor for me personally for optimal output. And that is really it. Literally, that takes about 30, 40 minutes. And if that means, this is very hard for me to bite off and accept because I am a night owl and love sleeping late, if I need to sleep 30 minutes less to get that boot-up sequence completed, that is a worthwhile investment, and I will very often be able to make that up later with a 30-minute, let's just say, caffeine nap later in the day. You can Google caffeine nap if you wanna know what that is. So am I completely psychotic and
- 9:03 – 11:54
Jocko Willink’s early wake-up and training before sunrise
- TFTim Ferriss
obsessive and so on? Probably, but not because of my interest in morning routines. Almost every guest on this podcast has an interesting approach to the beginning of the day. Whether that is highly, highly structured or completely unstructured, there's usually some thought behind it. Their habits and practices can help set the stage for you. So without further ado, let's get started. Jocko Willink spent 20 years in the US Navy and commanded SEAL Team's Three Task Unit Bruiser, the most highly decorated special operations unit in the Iraq War. Upon returning to the US, Jocko served as the officer in charge of training for all West Coast SEAL teams, designing and implementing some of the most challenging and realistic, perhaps psychotic, combat training in the world. After retiring from the Navy, he co-founded a leadership and management consulting company and authored the number one New York Times bestseller, Extreme Ownership: How US Navy SEALs Lead and Win. He did his first ever interview on this podcast. He also hosts a fantastic podcast called Jocko Podcast, which you should check out. It's intense. Now, in our conversation, I started by asking Jocko, at least in this excerpt, what his morning routines look like and how he would structure his ideal day. Here's what he said.
- SPSpeaker
[electronic music] So I wake up early. I wake up at 4:45. Um, I like to have that psychological win over the enemy. And, you know, for me, that-- When, when I wake up in the morning and I don't know why, I'm thinking about the enemy and what they're doing. And I know I'm not active duty anymore, but it's still in there, that there's a guy that's in a cave somewhere, and he's rocking back and forth, and he's got a machine gun in one hand and a, and a grenade in the other hand, and he's waiting for me, and we're gonna meet. And when I wake up in the morning, I'm thinking to myself, "What can I do to be ready for that moment which is coming? Which is coming." And, um, so that, that propels me out of bed. That... And I, I work out early in the morning. Uh-
- TFTim Ferriss
So you wake up at 4:45. What's the next thing? Aside from, like, brushing your teeth-
- SPSpeaker
Yeah
- TFTim Ferriss
... and doing the usual.
- SPSpeaker
Uh, do the usual. Start working out. And I try-- Ideally, I like to get done with my workout by the time the sun comes up. And so now if there's waves, you know, I live by the ocean, so I'll go surfing and get done with that. And-
- 11:54 – 14:23
Jocko’s workout structure, workday start, and simple eating pattern
- TFTim Ferriss
What is the morning workout? What does a typical morning workout look like?
- SPSpeaker
Uh, I, I, you know, I do a lot of pull-ups, push-ups and dips. I deadlift and do squats. I do sprints. I mean, it's everything that everybody knows. Uh, it's everything that everybody does, right? I swing kettlebells. Uh, I do burpees. You know, it's, it's all that.
- TFTim Ferriss
And it's like a- 60-minute workout? How long is the workout?
- SPSpeaker
It depends. It depends on what's going on.
- TFTim Ferriss
Mm-hmm.
- SPSpeaker
Um, I will... I'll, I'll try and do some strength movements to be strong, you know? Deadlifts, cleans, clean and jerk, something like that, uh, to make myself stronger. Or even if it's, even if it's something like just dead hang pull-ups and I'm just maxing out, but I, I'll, I'll do something like that to make myself stronger, and sometimes that can take a while, you know? 'Cause I'll just wanna relax and, and, you know, hit singles or doubles-
- TFTim Ferriss
Mm-hmm
- SPSpeaker
... um, on deadlifts or cleans or whatever. And then when I get done with that, I'll do some kind of, uh, some kind of metabolic conditioning of some kind, you know? I'll be sprinting or rowing or swinging a kettlebell or, you know, lighter weight clean and jerks for reps or something like that. So that's what it looks like for me.
- TFTim Ferriss
So you finish training when the sun comes up, hit the waves since they're there, which is a good policy, and, um, what happens then?
- SPSpeaker
You know, I'll, I'll come back and, you know, start doing normal human stuff. [laughs]
- TFTim Ferriss
[laughs] Right. That's when the work begins-
- SPSpeaker
Yeah, yeah
- TFTim Ferriss
... the professional
- SPSpeaker
I, I, you know, I have, I have a leadership and management consulting business, so I'll have clients to talk to, I'll have emails to push out.
- TFTim Ferriss
Mm-hmm.
- SPSpeaker
Um, and, and I'll, I'll start taking care of that business. I normally don't get hungry-
- TFTim Ferriss
Mm-hmm
- SPSpeaker
... until 10 or 11:00 in the morning. So around 10 or 11:00, I start wanting, you know, to, to start to graze on some food, and I'll do that. And, and then by, by noon, I'm, I'm feeling pretty hungry, like I need some lunch.
- TFTim Ferriss
And, uh, what is, is, what does your diet generally look like?
- SPSpeaker
Generally looks like steak-
- TFTim Ferriss
Steak
- SPSpeaker
... and chicken and salad.
- TFTim Ferriss
Paleo-ish.
- SPSpeaker
Yeah, yeah.
- TFTim Ferriss
Yeah.
- SPSpeaker
Y- and I'm, I'm no, you know, I'm no stranger to having some mint chocolate chip ice cream-
- TFTim Ferriss
[laughs]
- SPSpeaker
... or some Ovaltine or whatever. Uh, you know, again, I'm not, I'm, I'm not, you know, a competitive bodybuilder, and so, you know, I-
- TFTim Ferriss
Can-
- SPSpeaker
... I'll eat some normal food.
- 14:23 – 22:35
Jocko on success, heroes, and what he struggles with after combat
- TFTim Ferriss
Right. You can indulge when the, when, when the spirit moves you. When you think of the word successful, who are the first people or the first person that comes to mind?
- SPSpeaker
So for me, y- you know, the w- the part of the world that I've seen is a very dark place. It's a dark place. That's what war is. And when your job, which my job was, was to expand that darkness in many ways, I mean, it's... War is about killing people. And so for me, when I look to someone that's successful, i- it's someone that brings some light into that darkness. So for me, the first people that come to my head are Mark Lee, who was one of my guys, first SEAL killed in Iraq. Mike Monsoor, one of my guys, second SEAL killed in Iraq, posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. And Ryan Job, one of my guys, wounded in Iraq, blinded in both eyes, made it home, medically retired from the, from the Navy, married his high school sweetheart, got her pregnant, and finished his college degree. And after his 22nd surgery to repair the damage that was done to his, his head and face, there were complications, and he died as well. But all of those guys, in all that darkness, they did things, they, they made a sacrifice that was completely selfless. And to do that, and to live and fight and die like a warrior, that to me is success, and those guys are my heroes. [sighs]
- TFTim Ferriss
What do you, what do you struggle with? And I, I ask that because, uh, I mean, we've, we've only just met, but it's hard for me as a civilian to fathom what, what you and your friends have been through. Uh, impossible for me to fathom. Um, and I mean, it makes me just feel ashamed for ever complaining about a bad day or a hard day, uh, given what you guys have experienced and the stakes that are involved, and the sacrifices and the, the, you know, the sadness and tragedy that is, uh, a part of that job. Uh, what, what do you struggle with, uh, whether it's in the business sphere or just in, in life in general, if you're open to talking about it? 'Cause I certainly, I know that, uh... I used to, you know, when I had these, um, icons in my head, I was like, "Oh my God, Richard Branson, he's got it all figured out. He's doing everything perfectly. He's just, he's on cruise control, hitting home runs every time he gets at bat." And as I've- ... slowly gotten to know, not necessarily Branson directly, although I have met him before. I realize, like, people all have, and this is something that you talked about, the d- detachment. You know, when I find myself, I've always had kind of impatience and anger issues, and it's helped me to be aggressive in sport and in business and in negotiation, but it's also caused some problems for me. And, um, but I've realized that one of the ways I can tone that down is by realizing that, like, everybody ha- everyone is fighting a battle you know nothing about, uh, in some way. But what, what are the things that, uh, that you find difficult or that you struggle with or have struggled with?
- SPSpeaker
It's, it's, it's an interesting question because... And this is a filler answer, in case you couldn't tell that, 'cause when I start off with, "It's an interesting question," that means I'm not really quite sure what to say. Um, I've, you know, I've been, I've been lucky. I've been blessed. I've had, you know, a, a life that I would not trade with anyone in the world. Um, when you talk about Ramadi, I, that was the highlight of my life, because I was leading men in combat, which is something, which was something that I always wanted to do and something that I felt that I was destined to do. And when I was in that situation, I knew that. I, I wasn't, I don't look back and say, "Oh, I wish I would've enjoyed that." No, I knew it then. This is it. This is, this is what you have been waiting for your whole life and what you really have been preparing for your whole life. And I was lucky to be there, and I was lucky to have, uh, incredible guys to work with, both in my unit and in the other units in the Army and the Marine Corps that we worked with. I was lucky enough to have guys that were so brave and so dedicated. And I, I will, I will use the word fearless, not that they didn't have fear, but that they overcame it all the time. And so I'd say if there's anything that I struggle with now, it's just that, does anything else matter? Is there... A- and the answer is no. The answer is no. Nothing else matters. Nothing else is close. And so you have to deal with that. And, and I don't, struggle is a, a strong word, 'cause I don't sit there at night, you know, w- wishing I was back. Well, okay, I do do that, you know, sometimes. I, I often wish I was back. But I don't dwell on it, because it's gone. And I'm so happy that I could be part of it and that I was able to work with such tremendous guys, and, uh, I try and keep their memory alive every day in my own head.
- TFTim Ferriss
Next up is Seth Godin. I love Seth. He is one of the most influential marketers in the world, and his blog, which nearly anyone at the top of the marketing world has read at some point, is followed by the who's who of people in the persuasion and influence game, whether that is in marketing, advertising, or otherwise. He has authored 18, maybe more, bestselling books that have been translated into 35-plus languages around the world. He has founded several companies. And most of all, if you look at all of his various projects, he challenges the status quo in all areas. He loves testing assumptions, which makes me love you, Seth. It's true. Hope you're listening. Thanks, Seth. His books include Linchpin, Tribes, The Dip, Purple Cow, and What to Do When It's Your Turn, and then in parentheses, (And It's Always Your Turn) . In this short clip, Seth talks about self-discipline, the busy trap, and gives some best practices anyone can use, whether you're a parent or a so-called wantrepreneur. On
- 22:35 – 23:33
Seth Godin’s food rules and a no-decision breakfast
- TFTim Ferriss
the, uh, subject of eating, what do your eating habits look like? What does your diet look like?
- SPSpeaker
Yeah, it's really not good.
- TFTim Ferriss
[laughs] It's not good?
- SPSpeaker
Well, it's not good 'cause I'm bored by it, but people are fascinated when we go out to dinner 'cause there's so... I don't eat wheat. I don't eat dairy. I don't eat cilantro. I don't eat meat. Um, because each time I sort of adjust what I eat, I feel better. And so I feel like I am in a happy s- place where I can make fascinating, interesting food and mostly eat happily in restaurants without being obsessive about it.
- TFTim Ferriss
W- what does the first, say, two hours of your day look like, and what is brea- what is your, what is a typical breakfast?
- SPSpeaker
Uh, breakfast is one more decision I don't make. So it's a frozen banana, hemp powder, almond milk, uh, a dried plum, and some walnuts in, uh, the blender.
- TFTim Ferriss
Mm-hmm.
- 23:33 – 26:06
Morning triage, inbox zero, and a workspace he won’t compromise
- SPSpeaker
And, um, then I make coffee for whoever comes over that morning and for my lovely wife. Uh, meanwhile, I've probably done an hour and a half of stuff online before 7:30. Um, so then I know the world didn't break when I was asleep, and then I can get to work.
- TFTim Ferriss
What is the half hour of triage, internet triage or computer triage look like? What do you, what types of things are you doing in that half hour?
- SPSpeaker
Well, the most important thing is, uh, did the blog work? 'Cause if it didn't, I have to take evasive action. But I love the guys at Typepad. It's the best 29 bucks a month I spend because it doesn't crash and it works Um, and then I try to clear the email box. Uh, I li- I've lived in inbox zero since, uh, before it was, uh, coined. And, um, now my brain is free. And so then I try not to be an email hound until I've done actual productive work, and then I come to the apartment where I work, and other people join me here sometimes. And we work on the altMBA, which is a school I am building. And, um, that's what I do for work.
- TFTim Ferriss
So, uh, and, uh, h- when was the last time you worked at home, if you ever did?
- SPSpeaker
Well, if there's a laptop or I'm not unconscious, I'm at work-
- TFTim Ferriss
Right. Okay
- SPSpeaker
... in the sense that what I do for a living is notice things.
- TFTim Ferriss
Right. Right. I, I guess the, the reason I ask is I've, I've, I've long considered getting an office as opposed to operating out of coffee shops and miscellaneous locations. Um, and that is the, the context behind the question.
- SPSpeaker
Yeah, it's... I do much better in this room. This room is... I couldn't recreate this room for $10 million. It's got so much patina. It's got patina on the patina.
- TFTim Ferriss
[laughs]
- SPSpeaker
And that sets a bar for me about the fact that I don't wanna compromise just to do the next thing. 'Cause I look at the last thing or the thing before that and I say, "Damn, I'm proud of that." Don't do something you're not proud of. So, you know, the altMBA, w- I wouldn't be running it still if it wasn't the single most important educational thing I've ever done, and that's what I keep trying to do, is the next thing's gotta be worthy of it or else I might as well just take a break.
- 26:06 – 29:32
Seth’s education rant: parents, leadership, and solving interesting problems
- TFTim Ferriss
Could you elaborate? Because a lot of the questions from my fans on Twitter and Facebook were related to education. And they, they generally came in the form of, uh, i- in a number of themes. One was, you know, could you have him elaborate on his education manifesto? The other was, "Hey, I have a kid who's in fourth grade. I have a kid who's just going to be entering school. What would Seth do in my shoes?" Um, and you don't have to tackle those right off the bat, but as that as context, could you, could you tell us more about what you're up to?
- SPSpeaker
All right. So this, this is a rant, and it's not about what I'm up to, it's about what I was up to, and the rant is this. Sooner or later, parents have to take responsibility for putting their kids into a system that is indebting them and teaching them to be cogs in a s- in a economy that doesn't want cogs anymore. And parents get to decide. Uh, I'm a huge fan of public school. Send my kids to public school. I think everyone should go to public school 'cause it's a great mix master of our world. But from 3:00 to 10:00, those kids are getting home schooled, and they're either getting home schooled and watching The Flintstones or they're getting home schooled and learning something useful. And I think we need to teach kids two things. One, how to lead. And two, how to solve interesting problems. Because the fact is there are plenty of countries on Earth where there are people who are willing to be obedient and work harder for less money than us. So we cannot out-obedience the competition. Therefore, we have to out-lead or out-solve the other people, I don't care what country they live in, in Wyoming or across the world, who want th- whatever is scarce. The way you teach your kids to solve interesting problems is to give them interesting problems to solve.
- TFTim Ferriss
[laughs]
- SPSpeaker
And then don't criticize them when they fail, because kids aren't stupid. If they get in trouble every time they try to solve an interesting problem, they'll just go back to getting an A by memorizing what's in the textbook. That it's so important here, and I spend an enormous amount of time with kids. Uh, I produced the, The Wizard of Oz, the musical, in fourth grade. I used to help run a summer camp. Uh, I think that it's a privilege to be able to look a trusting, energetic, smart 11-year-old in the eye and tell him the truth. And what we can say to that 11-year-old is, "I really don't care how you did on your vocabulary test. I care about whether you have something to say." And we can teach our kids from a young age to be the kind of people we want them to be. And anything that's worth memorizing is worth looking up now. So we don't need to have them spend a lot of time getting good grades so they can go into a famous college, because famous colleges don't work anymore. Famous college isn't the point anymore. The point is, is there an entity that will have trouble living without you when you seek to earn a living? 'Cause if there is, you'll be able to make a living. If, on the other hand, you're waiting in the placement office for someone to pick you, you will be persistently undervalued.
- 29:32 – 35:36
Busy as a trap and why the altMBA is built around hard work and social pressure
- TFTim Ferriss
S- s- you talked earlier about writing daily as a practice, listening to the audiobooks as a practice. Are there any practices that you would suggest to s- the kinda overwhelmed, busy parent who wants to start to be more proactive in this department? They have an 11-year-old. Are there any practices or exercises that they, that you would suggest?
- SPSpeaker
Well, you know super well that busy is a trap, and that busy-
- TFTim Ferriss
Definitely
- SPSpeaker
... is a myth. So what could possibly be more important than your kid? Please don't play the busy card. If you spend two hours a day without an electronic device, looking your kid in the eye, talking to them, and solving interesting problems, you will raise a different kid than someone who doesn't do that And that's one of the reasons why I cook dinner every night because what a wonderful semi-distracted environment for the kid to tell you the truth, for you to have low stakes but super important conversations with someone who's important to you, right? That this idea, get home from work, put on your sneakers, and go for a walk with your kid. You know, my friend Brian walks his daughter to school every day. That's priceless. Well, how can you be too busy to do that?
- TFTim Ferriss
And the work you're doing now?
- SPSpeaker
So I did a c- couple courses for Skillshare. They worked really well. They were very highly rated, and they had a 80% dropout rate, which is way better than anybody else 'cause other online courses have a 97% dropout rate. Then I did a course for Udemy, and the same thing happened. And I'm thinking, "I love making these courses," and, you know, there I am on screen, it sounds like me, but why are people dropping out of my courses and everyone else's? And the reason is 'cause when it gets hard and there's no social pressure, you leave. So what I said was, "How do I make the opposite of an online course?" And that meant instead of a million people, 100. It meant instead of being free, it's expensive. Instead of letting everyone in, you have to apply. Instead of being easy, it's hard. And instead of being on your own, it's a group thing where there are coaches watching you all the time. And instead of lectures, it's 100% projects. So I built it to see what would happen. And so the Alt MBA is for people at big companies. We've got people from W- Whole Foods and Microsoft, and it's for people at tiny companies. And it's not for everybody, but we get this cohort of people, and, uh, there's a coach for every 10. We put them in Slack, we put them in WordPress, we give them 14 assignments over a 28-day period of time, and we sprint as fast as we can.
- TFTim Ferriss
Hmm.
- SPSpeaker
And it's unbelievable. Tim, I just gotta tell you, it's unbelievable 'cause I'm not actively involved. I just watch and... 'Cause eventually the goal is to have more of these sessions. I can't be in them if they have more of them. And people change because we don't give them any other choice.
- TFTim Ferriss
[laughs] Could you, uh, could you expand on the social pressure piece? I think this is such an important point, and I was asked recently... I get asked all the time, maybe you get asked this too, but, like, how do you maintain the discipline or how do you change this habit? How do you do this? And, and my answer is almost always the same. Like, you have to have a punishment or a reward [laughs] for following or not following it, for doing it or not doing it. And it's, it's, it's just incredible to see how people who've never been able to lose weight before, as soon as they have $100 of their own money on the line and it's a betting pool with five other people who will be able to heckle them at the office, all of a sudden they figure it out really quickly, and the how-to isn't as hard. But, uh, in, in, in this particular example, could you expand on the, uh, the social aspect because I think it's really, really important and transfers and applies to a lot of other areas.
- SPSpeaker
There are some people in some areas who have the self-discipline necessary to get the work done that needs to get done. You know those people and I need, and I know those people. And when we find one of them, it's fabulous. Like, I think I am like that with certain parts of my craft in that no one would notice if I didn't do it the way I do it. I just choose to do it. When it comes to education, though, all of us have 12 to 20 years of brainwashing going on with, which is epitomized by one sentence I hate with a passion, which is, "Will this be on the test?"
- TFTim Ferriss
[laughs]
- SPSpeaker
Right? So as soon as you say, "Will this be on the test?" you've instantly defined why you are doing something. And then when we invite you to an online course for free on artificial intelligence in which there is no certificate, which there is no accreditation, and you get to problem number four and it's really hard, and you ask yourself, "Will this be on the test?" And then you realize there is no test and no one even knows you're taking the course, then you stop and you go eat some M&Ms and you turn on the TV.
- TFTim Ferriss
[laughs]
- SPSpeaker
And so the goal here was, um, if you need, if you benefit, if you thrive from being in an environment where you will push yourself to get what you wanted all along, I'll give you people who will push you, your fellow students and your coaches, and there won't be a test and there won't be grades. This is better than that. This is teaching you to, you know, internalize the narrative of, "My mom's not here, my mom's not watching, but I should act like she was."
- 35:36 – 39:13
Jamie Foxx’s first hour: encouragement texts, pull-up routine, and cutting stimulants
- TFTim Ferriss
I spent two and a half hours with Jamie Foxx in his home recording studio. Jamie, for those who don't know, is an Academy Award-winning actor, Grammy Award-winning musician, and of course, he cut his teeth as a stand-up and improv comedian. He can do it all. He's the most consummate performer and entertainer I've ever met. He's really phenomenal. In this particular episode, and you can hear the whole thing at tim.blog/jamie, this episode ended up winning Podcast of the Year the year it came out, as voted on Product Hunt. His morning routine plays an important role in the structure of his day. Let him tell you all about it. What does, uh, what does the first 60 minutes of your day look like? Or what, do you have any morning routines that are important to you?
- SPSpeaker
Morning routines? I, I wake up I, uh, I text the people that I dig and love. Uh-
- TFTim Ferriss
What, what do you say?
- SPSpeaker
I just send them encouraging like, you know, there's a few, you know, people that just, you know, really mean a lot to me. Wanna let them know I'm thinking about them, the whole nine. And then, uh, uh, it varies, man. Sometimes I'll be like, okay, I, I put some work in, so I put in eight days. So maybe these two days I could chill. Uh, get a little... I do the, uh, just on the physical part, I get my, uh, I get my 50 pull-ups in [chuckles] 100 sit-ups, you know, maybe 100, uh, maybe 100 crunches, and it's easy. I used to not be able to do it. My, my boy Tyrin Turner-
- TFTim Ferriss
How many sets for the 50 pull-ups?
- SPSpeaker
For the 50? So I do 15 first, 15 pull-ups. This is what it is. I do 15 pull-ups, 50 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, then I go back and I do 15 different-
- TFTim Ferriss
Oh, chin
- SPSpeaker
... grip.
- TFTim Ferriss
Yeah.
- SPSpeaker
So that'll get me to 30. Another 50 push-ups. That gets me to 100 push-ups. I'm done with the push-ups. And then I do 10 and 10 back to the, to the first grip.
- TFTim Ferriss
Mm-hmm.
- SPSpeaker
And you don't have to do it every single day. You can do it every other day. Uh, and then what you notice is the pull-up bar, and Tyrin kept telling me this. Well, we-- I got a homie, Tyrin, he played Cane in Menace II Society, and he... I kept wondering, how is he always in shape? He says, "Man, I'm trying to tell you, the pull-up bar is the everything." So, uh, so that and, uh, um, and then just, you know, make the calls on what I need to get done and make sure I'm, you know, in the right, you know, position and-
- TFTim Ferriss
Do you drink coffee?
- SPSpeaker
... get the kid... I don't drink coffee. I don't drink coffee.
- TFTim Ferriss
Is... Have you, have you never?
- SPSpeaker
I had to stop having-
- TFTim Ferriss
Oh, you stopped.
- SPSpeaker
I had to stop having stimulants.
- TFTim Ferriss
That's, that's-
- SPSpeaker
There was some, uh-
- TFTim Ferriss
It's you and me
- SPSpeaker
... there was earlier in my career I was, I was all about the stimulants. [both laughing] So at a certain point I had to-
- TFTim Ferriss
Ixnay on the-
- SPSpeaker
Yeah
- TFTim Ferriss
... caffeine K.
- SPSpeaker
Yeah, man. Yeah, it is.
- TFTim Ferriss
Yeah. I've been, I've been cutting that out as well.
- SPSpeaker
Yeah. Cut it.
- TFTim Ferriss
It's not good for me. People are like, "Oh, are you worried about depressants, alcohol?" I'm like, "No. No, no, no. Stimulants, that's what I need to be worried about."
- SPSpeaker
Yeah. Well, 'cause, 'cause what I tell people all the time to drink coffee after a while you, you, you keep, you keep hitting that same muscle, you know, that-
- 39:13 – 47:13
Jamie’s advice to himself at 20, 30, and 40—then music and social plugs
- TFTim Ferriss
Last, last question here is, um, I'm gonna ask what advice you would give to yourself three different ages: 20, 30, and 40. Um, so what advice would you give to your 20-year-old self?
- SPSpeaker
Man, put the condom on.
- TFTim Ferriss
[laughing]
- SPSpeaker
Shit. Stop playing around. [both laughing]
- TFTim Ferriss
Important advice. [laughing]
- SPSpeaker
You 20, man. Put that on, buddy. [both laughing] And not the fishnet one either. Put the real one on.
- TFTim Ferriss
[laughing] Okay. Uh, anything else for 20 or should we move to 30?
- SPSpeaker
20. 20s. I had my daughter at 26, so the advice I would give me was like, calm down. You know? It, it was like calm down and, and just, you know, make sure you're paying attention to your daughter and to the daughter's mom. 20s was tough 'cause I just got to LA. I was just... You know, man, the whole world was opening up, so I'm like, man, I'm, you know, I'm trying to do all of it. And while I was like calm down and, and luckily it was 26, so moving into 30, I was, uh, on my way to calming. If that makes sense.
- TFTim Ferriss
It does make sense. So then you hit 30.
- SPSpeaker
30.
- TFTim Ferriss
What advice would you give your 30-year-old self?
- SPSpeaker
Uh, it's gonna go fast. [chuckles]
- TFTim Ferriss
In what way?
- SPSpeaker
It's gonna go fast. The time is gonna go fast. So just make sure that you, uh, you start now planning for your future. And not only it's gonna go fast, but don't spend all your money. Don't buy the f- the, the jacket that's $12,000. You know, relax. You know, just, just you relax it because it, it's g- and, and 40 is gonna come so fast, and you don't think that it is-
- TFTim Ferriss
Right
- SPSpeaker
... but it's gonna come so fast.
- TFTim Ferriss
And would you say that because you would want your 30-year-old self to pay attention to the present moment or do long-term thinking-
- SPSpeaker
No
- TFTim Ferriss
... or both?
- SPSpeaker
You gotta do long term. When you're 30 and you got a kid and you're in my business, and in any business, all businesses are gonna... especially when, when you, when, when you make... My business is about me though, so I have to be careful in my decisions socially, uh, and, and plan for the future. It's not gonna be... I remember, uh, uh, doing my television show and it went five years went fast, and I would tell the people on my television show, "It's gonna go fast, man." And if you finish at 35, but you live till 70, you know, so you have to really think about the future.
- TFTim Ferriss
The long game.
- SPSpeaker
Yeah.
- TFTim Ferriss
And then 40. The big four zero.
- SPSpeaker
Wow. 40. There, there are gonna be tough decisions that you have to make when it comes to business, 'cause in your 40, when you're 40 in my business, the window is closing on certain things. So you have to be able to open those windows to other things, and some of the people that you've gone t-to, to battle with till you're 40 may not be the ones that you will battle and do business with towards 50. And take a little bit of your, uh, personal feelings out of it because I'm very personal. Uh, meaning like I would stay with someone even if I feel that they're not up to par business-wise, but, you know, we have history. Take a little bit of the personal out of it. Still remain friends if you can with that person because now it's really pending. Like 50 about to be here. You know what I'm saying? So it's like, you know. And, uh, I would tell my 40-year-old self, grow up in your mind but not in your body necessarily.
- TFTim Ferriss
Mm.
- SPSpeaker
Meaning stay young in your body, but certain parts of your life you have to grow up and be, be grown about things because now you got another kid. Your other child is, you know, 20-- uh, she's 21 now, which is just, you know, this past year, so. But she was, you know, 13, 14 if, when I was 40. But now you gotta start living, uh... You would always live your life 100% for you, but now that you have your kids and they're a certain age, it's gotta be 30 to 40% you, 60 to 70% what you're gonna leave for them and how you're gonna leave them because, like I said, it's, it's flying. And that's it.
- TFTim Ferriss
Jamie, so much fun. I really appreciate you taking the time. And, uh, where can people find what you're up to, find you online, learn about your projects?
- SPSpeaker
They can find me at iamjamiefox on my Periscope. Am I right? Am I saying this right? You know, I got these young cats telling me what to do.
- TFTim Ferriss
And then iamjamiefox on Twitter also.
- SPSpeaker
Iamjamiefox at Twitter.
- 47:13 – 54:33
Scott Adams’ decision-free morning, idea “flooding,” and six dimensions of humor
- TFTim Ferriss
Scott Adams is the creator of Dilbert which has been published in more than 2,000 newspapers in 57 countries and in 19 languages. In this next segment, Scott talks about his six dimensions of humor, but I started by asking Scott about the structure of his morning, beginning with the exact time that he wakes up. [whooshing sound]
- SPSpeaker
So depending on when I went to sleep, either 5:00 or 6:00, but let's say 5:00. I get up and, uh, I walk directly downstairs, um, and get my coffee. So push one button and wait for it. Have my one protein bar which is always the same because r- you know, the coffee's always the same, the protein's always the same, and the time's always the same, give or take that hour, because I'm removing decisions.
- TFTim Ferriss
What type of protein bar do you eat?
- SPSpeaker
Um, I eat a Builder's 20 gram protein bar chocolate peanut butter, and I'm so smart that I actually picked it up and had the label in front of me 'cause I expected that question.
- TFTim Ferriss
[laughs] Well, you know me well. [laughs]
- SPSpeaker
At that point I usually get on and start looking... I guess I f- I check, you know, Twitter first, um, and check my webpage to see if anything blew up that I don't know about.
- TFTim Ferriss
Right.
- SPSpeaker
You know, did I, did I say anything yesterday that caused the world to melt down? 'Cause, you know, I'll need to know about that. [laughs]
- TFTim Ferriss
Right.
- SPSpeaker
Uh, failing that, I usually open, um, Business Insider 'cause I just like reading it. Or th- usually while I'm waiting for my coffee, I've looked at my Facebook feed and, you know, just tweeted, you know, played around. Basically, I'm just trying to wake up, get my mind working. And there's a process where, um, once you clear your mind, you have to flood it, and you may use different words for this, but I know you do it. Um, so you empty it, and then you flood it with new input that's not the old input. So I'm looking at the news. I'm looking at stuff I haven't seen. I'm not looking at yesterday's problem for the fifth time. I'm looking at a new problem. I'm thinking of a new idea. So I'm flooding in all the, all the, uh, the new stuff. But then you, then you gotta, um, find out where in that flood is the little, uh, piece that's worth working with, and that's where I, that's where I use the body model. I kind of cycle through all this, this stuff.
- TFTim Ferriss
The body model, you said?
- SPSpeaker
Yeah, the... So the model is, um, your brain can't find good content, right? Not directly in an intellectual sense. Obviously, the brain's involved. But what I mean is that as I'm thinking of these ideas and they're flowing through the, my head, I'm, I'm monitoring my body. I'm not monitoring my mind.
- TFTim Ferriss
Hmm.
- SPSpeaker
And when my body changes, I have something that other people are gonna care about, too.
- TFTim Ferriss
Oh, that's cool. I like that.
- SPSpeaker
All right.
- TFTim Ferriss
So y- that means posture or what, uh, what type of indicators are there?
- SPSpeaker
Um, I'll tell you, when... If I'm thinking of, let's say, a particular setup for a joke, I'll, I'll think of the joke and then, uh, quite often I'll audibly go [laughs] .
- TFTim Ferriss
Right.
- SPSpeaker
And it wasn't planned, right? It just, it just went [laughs] . Um, and it was k- sort of a half laugh that you do when you're by yourself and you say, think of something funny, but you don't wanna do a full laugh.
- TFTim Ferriss
[laughs]
- SPSpeaker
You know, so that sort of thing. There are other times when, um... So for example, I told you the story about being in the shower and thinking of the entire plot for God's Debris in one moment. You know, my entire body lit up. Um, when I had the idea for the, um, uh, blog that I wrote recently that just sort of lit up the internet, um, I felt it as a full body experience long before I wrote it, right? And so that's, that's largely true. Now, with Dilbert, if you do this long enough, a lot of the things that used to be technique just get baked into your personality after a while. And so there's stuff you do a, a second nature that you're kind of moving art into the domain of craft.
- TFTim Ferriss
Right.
- SPSpeaker
So for example, I know, um, 'cause I've, you know, learned over time that there are six elements of dimension, of humor, six dimensions of humor, and if I use at least two of them, I've got a joke. If I use three of them, it's probably gonna be a really good joke. But that's not enough. There's still that, um, there's something about it, that X factor, that thing you can't put your foot, your finger on, that just makes your body move. You know? It just moves your body. And if you can't get that, um, no craft in the world can survive. You know, it can't resuscitate it.
- TFTim Ferriss
And have you, have you, you written about the, the six elements of humor before?
- SPSpeaker
Uh, I did. I, I've written about it a number of times. I think if anybody Googles my name, Scott Adams, and six dimensions of humor-
- TFTim Ferriss
Six dimensions. Mm-hmm
- SPSpeaker
... you'll see, yeah, you'll see a few references to it.
- TFTim Ferriss
Got it. And, um, what, what would be two examples of the six, just, just for fun?
- SPSpeaker
Oh, I know you're good at this. 'Cause you know what you just did that was just so smart?
- 54:33 – 1:06:09
Scott Adams on affirmations: what he claims and the stories that convinced him
- TFTim Ferriss
Could you perhaps, uh, explain a bit of how you use affirmations, if you do?
- SPSpeaker
You have accidentally given me the greatest, um, beginning anecdote to a long explanation anybody ever did.
- TFTim Ferriss
[laughs] All right. All right.
- SPSpeaker
So, uh, true, true story. Just a few days ago, I was having dinner with Naval, and I'm just making conversation, you know, hadn't seen him in a while, and just randomly, because I knew I was coming on your podcast, I said, "Naval, have you ever done the, you know, Tim Ferriss podcast?" And he gets this weird expression in his face and he says, "I just came from there."
- TFTim Ferriss
[laughs]
- SPSpeaker
It was the most, it was the most random thing any two people could have said to each other-
- TFTim Ferriss
[laughs]
- SPSpeaker
... after not seeing for a while. But that, that weird story, um, is a story about coincidence, right? You know, there's no magic that happened there. It was just a, a strange coincidence, and probably wasn't even a coincidence because the fact that we both know you, and, you know, there's something in the air, and maybe you bunch your, bunch your interviews in a certain way or think about them a certain way. So I'm sure there's no real coincidence there. There's just something we didn't see underlying it all. So that's the backdrop for affirmations. Let me say first that what I'm saying is not my belief that if you say your affirmations something magical will happen and the universe will change in, in some non-science way. All right? So I never made that claim, although often people have put that, uh, opinion in my mouth. What I have said is that I've used the technique, and I got a certain experience, which I'll be happy to share, and then I tell the story. All right? You can make of it what you will. I have several explanations for why there seems to be what I would call the, the appearance of an effect. Which by the way, would be amazing in itself.
- TFTim Ferriss
Of course.
- SPSpeaker
If you could give yourself a genuine feeling that you had a superpower, even if it wasn't real, as long as it didn't, you know, interfere with your job, nobody thought you were crazy, it'd be a cool feeling. So, so even if it's not real in some sense of reality, still worth having, frankly. So y- we'd have, um... I, I'm gonna take as long as I want for this and you can just cut me off. It's a fun story from beginning to end.
- TFTim Ferriss
I like long-
- SPSpeaker
And a lot of people ask this
- TFTim Ferriss
... this is what, uh, this is what this format is for, long form.
- SPSpeaker
Yeah, the podcast.
- TFTim Ferriss
So please go, go for it. Yeah.
- SPSpeaker
All right. So I'm in my 20s. I was taking a course in hypnosis to learn how to become a professional hypnotist, uh, and get certified. In my class was a woman who was, uh, also interested in a lot of things that I thought were pretty out there, some new agey stuff. But we became friends, and one day she said, "You gotta try this thing called affirmations. I read about it in a book, and I don't remember the name of the book, and so I can't tell you here," 'cause she couldn't tell me. And she said, "It works like this. All you do is you, you pick a goal, and you write it down 15 times a day in some specific sentence form, like, 'I, Scott Adams, will become an astronaut,' for example. And you do that, uh, every day, and, uh, then it will seem as if the universe just starts spitting up opportunities, and it will look to you like these are coincidences, and whether they are or not is less relevant than the fact that they seem to pop up." So I, of course, being my rational self, you know, at this point, I haven't even decided if hypnosis is a real thing, right?
- TFTim Ferriss
Right.
- SPSpeaker
You know, I'm taking the course to find out, in part. And so I'm, I'm saying, "You know, that seems like a terrible waste of time. There's no science behind that, blah, blah, blah." She convinced me, partly because she was a member of Mensa, uh, that she wasn't dumb. [laughs] Um-
- TFTim Ferriss
Step one. That's good
- SPSpeaker
... and then secondly, it didn't cost me anything, right? It was a low investment for something to make her shut up. So I said, "All right. I'm gonna do this thing." So I picked as my goal, um, that I would have an encounter with a woman who was well beyond my buying power, shall we say. Uh, this is pre-Dilbert, so you know. Post, post-Dilbert, you get to add a few points to your- [laughs]
- TFTim Ferriss
Right
- SPSpeaker
... to your attractiveness scale. It's not fair, but that's just the way it works. So, so let's say if, you know, if I could modestly say I was a, a, a six, uh, hoping to be a six and a half, uh, let's say she was a, a nine, just so you get a sense of the, the monumental task I, I set in front of myself.
- TFTim Ferriss
[laughs]
- SPSpeaker
Secondly, I didn't know her. She was just somebody who worked in the company in a different department. So I'll shorten the story just to say lucky things happened, and against all odds, my affirmation came true. So I thought to myself, as everybody would in this situation, well, it's not really the affirmation that worked. That would be crazy, right? Because even though it was a whole bunch of ridiculous coincidences that put us in the same place, you know, at the same time, I mean, you wouldn't believe the, the number of them, and I, I won't tell them here 'cause they're, they're just too many. But in the end, it was almost like we were fated to meet, right? Now, I don't believe in that, but it just felt like that. That's the experience. So I said to myself, "Well, I guess I've misinterpreted this, and really what happened is I'm not a six and a half. Damn it, I must be her level."
- TFTim Ferriss
[laughs]
- SPSpeaker
Or, or, or maybe, maybe I'm a seven and a half, and maybe she's a nine, but she's got, you know, poor self-image, so she didn't know it. So maybe that's all that happened, right? So I said, "Well, I'm gonna have to try something else." So I said, "All right. I'll try an affirmation of I'll get rich in the stock market." Now, that's kind of a crazy thing to ask for, especially if you don't even have a stock, uh, brokerage account open, and if you don't have any money to invest. I think I was, you know, a poor banking, uh, person, a banker, that was. And so I started doing that affirmation, and after about a week, I literally woke up in the middle of the night, sat straight up in my bed with a thought firmly in my head that I should buy stock in Chrysler.
- TFTim Ferriss
[laughs]
- SPSpeaker
Now, at the time, I don't remember the year, but if, you know, if you went through the historical records, it was when Chrysler was, uh, flirting with completely going out of business. It was... I, I don't know if they were officially bankrupt, but they were, they were, uh, the government had pumped them up, and most observers were saying, you know, this is sort of the, the company that's circling the drain. So it didn't seem like a good idea and, but I tried to open my Schwab account anyway and pursue it just to see. You know, we're still in AB testing here to see if this is real. But the paperwork got mixed up, and it took weeks to sort it out, and I didn't get my account opened. And in the meantime, the stock starts rising. You know, I think it went up 10 or 20% in the time that I wasted trying to open my account. So I thought to myself, "Damn, I, I was kinda right. You know, I mean, I picked a pretty good stock, but, you know, my timing's off." So I guess the affirmation thing wasn't really working. So I didn't buy that stock. If you, if you go back, you'll find out it continued to go up, 'cause it turns out Chrysler did a turnaround. It was one of the great business success stories of all time. I knew nothing about that except, you know, the headline news, um, before I th- I came up with this idea. In other words, there was no story I read, no analyst was ahead of it. It just came from nowhere, or so it s- or so it seemed. But I, I lost out because I didn't trust it, I guess, right? I didn't buy, and it became kind of the story stock of the year.
- TFTim Ferriss
Right.
- SPSpeaker
So I tried it one more time. I said, uh, "I think I'll try to, uh, you know, buy one more stock," and I did the affirmations. And one day I pick up the newspaper, and I just had this feeling, and I open it up, and there's a... Uh, back in the day when a, a company was going public, they would sometimes put a, uh, a big notice in the newspaper. It was a company called ASK Computer, A-S-K, or Ask Software, I forget. But they were a new tech company back before tech was anything. And I said, "Hey, I'm gonna invest in this company. I just feel it." Put in some money. I think it went up, I don't know, 10% in a week or whatever it was. I thought, "Woo, woo, I'm a genius. I think I invested about $1,000. Might've made 100," which was big money for a week of doing nothing. You know, when you're, when you're not making enough money to save money, making $100 for nothing seemed like a big deal. So I'm thinking, "Man, I am so smart." Sold my stock, and that fricking stock went to the moon after-
- 1:06:09 – 1:11:45
Episode wrap-up, where to find full interviews, and postscript promos (5-Bullet Friday and sponsors)
- TFTim Ferriss
Well, there you have it, folks. This is The Tim Ferriss Radio Hour, and I hope you enjoyed hearing from some of the superstars I've spoken with over nearly 250 podcasts now. My God, no wonder I have less hair. [laughs] The Tim Ferriss Radio Hour continues to be an experiment. This format is experimental, so please let me know what you like, what you don't like, what you would want to hear, any themes, any changes. Let me know on Ze Twitterse, on Twitter. You can ping me @TFerriss, T-F-E-R-R-I-S-S, or you can leave a comment on the blog post which will accompany this episode, which has all the show notes, any links to anything that is mentioned in this episode. You can find that at tim.blog/podcast, which is where you can find all previous episodes of the podcast. And if you want to hear from some of the people who popped up in this episode, well, the Jamie episode, a must-listen, tim.blog/jamie. If you wanna hear Seth, go to tim.blog/seth. If you want to hear from Scott Adams, you can go to tim.blog/scott. And then Jocko, of course, Jocko, you can go to tim.blog/jocko. And as always, guys, thank you so, so much for listening. [upbeat music] Hey, guys, this is Tim again. Just a few more things before you take off. Number one, this is 5-Bullet Friday. Do you want to get a short email from me? Would you enjoy getting a short email from me every Friday that provides a little morsel of fun before the weekend? And 5-Bullet Friday is a very short email where I share the coolest things I've found or that I've been pondering over the week. That could include favorite new albums that I've discovered. It could include gizmos and gadgets and all sorts of weird shit that I've somehow dug up [laughs] in the, uh, the world of the esoteric as I do. It could include favorite articles that I've read and that I've shared with my close friends, for instance. And it's very short. It's just a little, tiny bite of goodness before you head off for the weekend. So if you want to receive that, check it out. Just go to fourhourworkweek.com. That's fourhourworkweek.com all spelled out, and just drop in your email, and you will get the very next one. And if you sign up, I hope you enjoy it. This episode is brought to you by 99designs. I've used 99designs for ages, since even before podcasting was a thing, and I've used them for all sorts of graphic design needs. They are fast, and they are convenient. So whether you need a logo, website, book cover, or anything else, I've done competitions, for instance, for book covers related to The 4-Hour Body. 99designs makes great design accessible to everyone, and it makes the process so much easier. And I used them recently for artwork and illustrations inside of my Tao of Seneca set of books. So this is a collection of stoic writing and modern interviews and so on. So for the Tao of Seneca, I decided to use their one-to-one project service. In this case, you invite a specific designer to your project, agree on a price, and then work together until you're satisfied. And the artwork just blew my mind. Uh, you have to check it out. I kid you not. So you can check out some of the artwork from Tao of Seneca as well as some artwork and logos and so on that your fellow listeners have had made at 99designs.com/tim. That's 99designs.com/tim. I really suggest you check it out. And right now, you guys can receive a free $99 upgrade on your first project. This gets you, I think, 130% more submissions, so people who want to work with you and give you first drafts of what you're looking for. To access your free design, please visit 99designs.com/tim and click the link on the landing page. That's 99designs.com/tim. [upbeat music] This podcast is brought to you by MeUndies, which I'm wearing right now. 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Episode duration: 1:11:47
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