James Clear is the author of Atomic Habits, a global bestseller that has shaped how millions of people think about habits, consistency, and long-term change.

In this conversation, James explains how habits shape identity, why progress often stays invisible before it compounds, and how to design your environment so good behavior becomes the default.

You will learn how to stay consistent when motivation fades, stop quitting too early, and build habits that work across different seasons of life.

-----

Approximate Timestamps:

(00:00) Introduction

(00:56) The Role of Identity in Habit Formation

(03:38) Lack of Patience Changes the Outcome

(07:20) Seeing Invisible Progress

(09:58) Why Do We Change What's Working?

(13:46) Creating Conditions for Success

(17:44) Finding the Confidence to Start

(23:55) Playing to Win vs. Playing Not to Lose

(26:29) Internal Sayings to Live By

(30:36) Reputation

(34:32) Positioning in Business and Life

(44:36) Investment Philosophy

(47:18) Turning Reading Habits into Action

(50:31) Taking Notes While Reading...

(52:36) ...And Then What?

(56:06) Maintaining Focus on What You Want

(58:01) Lessons on Filtering Opportunities

(01:06:06) Longevity of Content

(01:07:21) Sequencing Through the Eras of Your Life

(01:11:22) What is a Habit?

(01:13:03) Is a Habit Working For You or Against You?

(01:15:20) Evaluation Framework for Habits

(01:18:32) Building or Replacing a Habit

(01:22:19) Social Media Detox

(01:25:34) The Most Important Upstream Habits to Create

(01:29:58) Relationship Check-In

(01:30:57) Thoughts on Popular Habits

(01:37:31) Become Stronger Than Your Feelings

(01:42:59) When Should You Deep Dive into an Idea

(01:48:12) Complexity vs. Simplicity

(01:54:40) Consistency vs. Intensity

(02:01:11) Learning New Subjects as an Adult

(02:06:40) Prioritization

(02:11:53) What is Success For You?

-----

Upgrade: Get a hand edited transcripts and ad free experiences along with my thoughts and reflections at the end of every conversation. Learn more @ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠fs.blog/membership

------

Newsletter: The Brain Food newsletter delivers actionable insights and thoughtful ideas every Sunday. It takes 5 minutes to read, and it’s completely free. Learn more and sign up at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠fs.blog/newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

------

Follow Shane Parrish:X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/shaneparrish⁠

Insta: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/farnamstreet/⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-parrish-050a2183/⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What do some of the greatest outliers in business history have in common?

For the past year, I’ve been sharing the stories of history's greatest outliers like James Dyson, Estée Lauder, Sol Price, Henry Singleton, Les Schwab, Rose Blumkin, Jim Clayton, and Andrew Mellon. These are names that deserve to be studied, but rarely are.

This episode explores the mindsets, systems and patterns history’s most notable outliers used to turn adversity into long-term advantage.

-----

Approximate Timestamps:

(00:00) - Introduction

(01:51) - Part 1: A Taste for Saltwater

(09:20) - Part 2: Do it now

(17:40) Ad Break

(19:37) - Part 3: Systems to Scale

(30:51) - Part 4: Understand What Really Matters

-----

Upgrade: Get a hand edited transcripts and ad free experiences along with my thoughts and reflections at the end of every conversation. Learn more @ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠fs.blog/membership

------

Newsletter: The Brain Food newsletter delivers actionable insights and thoughtful ideas every Sunday. It takes 5 minutes to read, and it’s completely free. Learn more and sign up at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠fs.blog/newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

------

Follow Shane Parrish:X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/shaneparrish⁠

Insta: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/farnamstreet/⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-parrish-050a2183/⁠

------

Thank you to the sponsors for this episode:

.tech domains: Nothing says tech like being on .tech⁠⁠⁠ https://get.tech/⁠⁠

reMarkable: Get your paper tablet at ⁠⁠https://www.reMarkable.com⁠⁠ today

-----

This episode is for informational purposes only.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we're releasing a special episode of TKP with Pierre Poilievre.

While we don't often tackle politics on the show, we are trying to improve political discourse by offering a platform for both sides to speak with depth and nuance.

This episode covers the economy, media, free speech, immigration, corporate subsidies, and more. (And before you ask, the same invite was extended to both Pierre and Prime Minister Mark Carney).

-----

Approximate Timestamps:

(00:00) Introduction

(01:31) What is the Role of Government?

(03:31) Canadian National Identity

(05:52) Canada's Global Role

(07:33) Immigration: Problems & Solutions

(09:37) What's Going Right?

(14:50) Second & Third Order Consequences

(17:52) Government Spending & Economic Prospects

(20:05) Positioning: Canada & the United States

(24:36) Canada & Foreign Companies

(26:57) Fighting for Canada Long Term

(30:05) Weaponized Complexity

(31:52) What Role Does the Media Play?

(37:49) Rapid Fire: Get to Know Pierre

(47:44) Maintaining Hope in Politics

(49:06) The Drug Crisis

(54:00) Bringing Hope into 2026

-----

Upgrade: Get a hand edited transcripts and ad free experiences along with my thoughts and reflections at the end of every conversation. Learn more @ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠fs.blog/membership⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

-----

Newsletter: The Brain Food newsletter delivers actionable insights and thoughtful ideas every Sunday. It takes 5 minutes to read, and it’s completely free. Learn more and sign up at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠fs.blog/newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

-----

Follow Shane Parrish:
X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/shaneparrish

Insta: https://www.instagram.com/farnamstreet/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-parrish-050a2183/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Knowledge Project closes 2025 with a look back at the most meaningful conversations of the year.

Featuring insights from some of our most impactful episodes, this collection brings together practical insights on decision-making, leadership, preparation, relationships, trust, and performance.

This episode features insights from world-class investor Alfred Lin, tech founder and operator Bret Taylor, behavioral scientist Logan Ury, legendary NFL coach Bill Belichick, former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi, disciplined value investor Anthony Scilipoti, trust and communication expert Lulu Cheng Meservey, Shopify President Harley Finkelstein, and performance coach Jim Murphy.

These are the insights that help you prepare better, make clearer decisions, and build momentum for the year ahead.

Thank you for listening and we can't wait to see you next year.

-----

Approximate Timestamps:

(00:00) Introduction

(01:32) Alfred Lin: Inputs vs Outputs - Daily Routines and Priorities

(08:05) Bret Taylor: Founder Mode (Accountability vs. Caricature)

(19:43) Ad Break

(21:58) Logan Ury: Navigating Relationships and Attachments

(29:04) Bill Belichick: Preparation and Success In Life And The NFL

(38:33) Indra Nooyi: Delivering a Message That Gets Heard

(43:36) Anthony Scilipoti: Don’t Rely on AI, You Still Have to Put the Work In

(52:11) Lulu Cheng Meservey: Engineering Trust and Building Confidence That Others Can Believe In

(57:53) Harley Finkelstein: Overcoming Failure + The Hard Work Behind the Life You Want

(1:05:15) Jim Murphy: Performance Habits of Successful People

-----

Upgrade: Get a hand edited transcripts and ad free experiences along with my thoughts and reflections at the end of every conversation. Learn more @ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠fs.blog/membership⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
------
Newsletter: The Brain Food newsletter delivers actionable insights and thoughtful ideas every Sunday. It takes 5 minutes to read, and it’s completely free. Learn more and sign up at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠fs.blog/newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
------

Follow Shane Parrish:
X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/shaneparrish

Insta: https://www.instagram.com/farnamstreet/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-parrish-050a2183/

------

Thank you to the sponsors for this episode:

Basecamp: Stop struggling, start making progress. Get somewhere with Basecamp. Sign up free at http://basecamp.com/knowledgeproject

reMarkable: Get your paper tablet at https://www.reMarkable.com today

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bernie Marcus is the co-founder and former CEO of Home Depot. 

This is how he built a culture of ownership, kept going when everyone turned him down, nearly lost it all, and created one of the most successful retailers in history. 

-----

Approximate Timestamps:

(00:00) Introduction

(02:00) Part 1: An Accidental Miracle

(09:29) Part 2: A Golden Horseshoe Kick

(25:49) Part 3: Building From Nothing

(38:53) Part 4: Orange Everywhere

(49:40) Part 5: The Legacy

(54:17) Lessons

-----

Upgrade: Get a hand edited transcripts and ad free experiences along with my thoughts and reflections at the end of every conversation. Learn more @ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠fs.blog/membership⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
------
Newsletter: The Brain Food newsletter delivers actionable insights and thoughtful ideas every Sunday. It takes 5 minutes to read, and it’s completely free. Learn more and sign up at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠fs.blog/newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
------

Follow Shane Parrish:
X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/shaneparrish

Insta: https://www.instagram.com/farnamstreet/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-parrish-050a2183/

------

Thank you to the sponsors for this episode:

.tech domains: Nothing says tech like being on .tech⁠⁠ https://get.tech/⁠

reMarkable: Get your paper tablet at ⁠https://www.reMarkable.com⁠ today

-----

Sources:

Marcus, Bernie, and Arthur Blank. Built from Scratch: How a Couple of Regular Guys Grew The Home Depot from Nothing to $30 Billion. New York: Crown Business, 1999.

Best Practice Institute. "Bernie Marcus Interview." YouTube video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNP0YYDi1FY.

-----

This episode is for informational purposes only.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ogilvy Vice Chairman Rory Sutherland reveals the formula for persuasion, why people make decisions and how you can use psychology to your advantage.

Rory is the world’s leading advertising strategist. He spent almost four decades as Ogilvy studying why people behave the way they do and how to change that behavior.

He explains why contrast drives choices and efficiency often destroys value, and how trust, friction, and design shape real-world behavior.

+Rory was previously on the show, check out episode 19.

-----

Approximate Chapters:

(00:00) Introduction

(01:31) AI and Decision Making

(03:48) Are We Looking for Efficiency in the Wrong Place?

(15:52) Ad Break

(18:09) Ice Cold Beer Thought Experiment

(19:56) Trust and Manipulation

(27:15) Dyson Customer Experience and 'Brand Quake'

(29:21) Customer Value Thinking

(34:28) Why Is Dyson So Effective at Marketing?

(36:28) Ad Break

(38:51) Map/Territory Problem in Business

(39:27) The Problem with Shareholders

(42:29) The Problem with 'Tech Bro' Decision Making

(45:14) Warren Buffett’s Approach to Choosing Management

(47:52) John Bragg’s Approach to Buying Infrastructure

(51:23) High Trust vs Low Trust Societies

(58:45) What Can We Learn from the Mad Men Era of Marketing

(1:03:59) The Danger of Bad Marketing

(1:17:47) Navigating Cancel Culture with Common Sense

(1:29:59) Signalling to Ourselves When We Purchase Something

(1:39:06) Changing of Societal Norms

(1:43:27) How to Write Good Copy

(1:56:30) What Is Success for You?

-----

Upgrade: Get a hand edited transcripts and ad free experiences along with my thoughts and reflections at the end of every conversation. Learn more @ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠fs.blog/membership⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
------
Newsletter: The Brain Food newsletter delivers actionable insights and thoughtful ideas every Sunday. It takes 5 minutes to read, and it’s completely free. Learn more and sign up at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠fs.blog/newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
------

Follow Shane Parrish:
X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/shaneparrish

Insta: https://www.instagram.com/farnamstreet/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-parrish-050a2183/

------

Thank you to the sponsors for this episode:

Basecamp: Stop struggling, start making progress. Get somewhere with Basecamp. Sign up free at http://basecamp.com/knowledgeproject

reMarkable: Get your paper tablet at https://www.reMarkable.com today

.tech domains: Nothing says tech like being on .tech https://get.tech/

Shopify: https://shopify.com/knowledgeproject

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do you get ordinary people to achieve extraordinary results?

Mary Kay Ash built a two-billion-dollar company by solving that specific problem.

After watching men she trained get promoted above her for double the salary, she quit to build a company based on a radical idea: meritocracy.

This episode breaks down how she did it. You’ll learn her twenty-three leadership lessons, why pink Cadillacs outperformed raises, and the fundamentals of incentives, recognition, and human motivation that work in any business.

-----

Approximate Chapters:

(00:00) Introduction

(02:25)Part 1: You Can Do It, Mary Kay

(21:35)Part 2: Mary Kay Cosmetics

(36:45)Part 3: The System

(53:44)Epilogue: The Legacy

(55:16)Mary Kay’s 23 Lessons

-----

Upgrade: Get hand-edited transcripts and an ad-free experience, and so much more. Learn more @ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠fs.blog/membership⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

------

Newsletter: The Brain Food newsletter delivers actionable insights and thoughtful ideas every Sunday. It takes 5 minutes to read, and it’s completely free. See what you're missing: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠fs.blog/newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

------

Follow Shane Parrish

X ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@ShaneAParrish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Insta ⁠@farnamstreet⁠

LinkedIn ⁠Shane Parrish

------

This episode is for informational purposes only.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Top Performance Coach Jim Murphy reveals how to eliminate fear, master pressure, and unlock elite performance.

Jim spent 5 years writing Inner Excellence, the mental toughness manual that shot from obscurity to #1 New York Times bestseller overnight when star athlete A.J. Brown was caught reading it on the sidelines of a NFL playoff game.

A personal coach to professional baseball players and Olympic athletes, he teaches how extraordinary performance and a meaningful life follow the exact same path.

-----

Approximate Chapters:

(00:00) Introduction

(01:01) The Three Elements of Inner Excellence

(04:36) Before Fame

(05:42) Discovery: When A.J. Brown Read ‘Inner Excellence’ on TV

(12:01) Powering Your Life With Clean Fuel vs. Dirty Fuel

(16:26) Ad Break

(22:34) Why You Avoid Life by Keeping 'Busy'

(25:39) Purpose in Life and How He Found Religion

(31:09) The Interaction of Ego, Self-Centeredness, and Self-Confidence

(33:59) How to Navigate Failure and Learn From It

(41:43) Dealing With Comparison in the Modern World

(47:34) Discovering Your Inner Excellence

(51:25) Does Success Equal Happiness?

(55:00) Feeling Guilt or FOMO About Life Choices

(01:01:21) Changing Your Focus to Get Through Challenging Goals

(01:05:40) Choices Are Hard to Act On, Rules Are Not

(01:10:40) Daily Mantras for Success

(01:12:15) Is the Best Possible Life Driven by Ambition or Love?

(01:14:52) Why Do We Train Our Bodies but Don’t Train Our Minds?

(01:15:38) What Is Success for You?

-----

Upgrade: Get a hand edited transcripts and ad free experiences along with my thoughts and reflections at the end of every conversation. Learn more @ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠fs.blog/membership⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
------
Newsletter: The Brain Food newsletter delivers actionable insights and thoughtful ideas every Sunday. It takes 5 minutes to read, and it’s completely free. Learn more and sign up at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠fs.blog/newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
------

Follow Shane Parrish:
X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/shaneparrish

Insta: https://www.instagram.com/farnamstreet/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-parrish-050a2183/

------

Thank you to the sponsors for this episode:

Basecamp: Stop struggling, start making progress. Get somewhere with Basecamp. Sign up free at http://basecamp.com/knowledgeproject

reMarkable: Get your paper tablet at https://www.reMarkable.com today

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Charlie Munger spent his life studying one question: why do smart people make bad decisions?

In his legendary talk The Psychology of Human Misjudgement, Munger outlined 25 psychological tendencies that quietly distort how we think.

From incentives and social proof to denial, envy, and authority bias, you’ll learn how these hidden tendencies shape behavior and how to build the mental defenses that helped Munger create one of the best decision records in history.

You’ll hear practical examples, powerful antidotes, and lessons you can apply to business, investing, and everyday life.

-----

Chapters:

-----

I published the full updated version on fs.blog with his permission, we are the only website to my knowledge that had his personal permission to post it.

-----

Upgrade: Get hand-edited transcripts and an ad-free experience, and so much more. Learn more @ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠fs.blog/membership⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

------

Newsletter: The Brain Food newsletter delivers actionable insights and thoughtful ideas every Sunday. It takes 5 minutes to read, and it’s completely free. See what you're missing: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠fs.blog/newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

------

Follow Shane Parrish

X ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@ShaneAParrish⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Insta ⁠@farnamstreet⁠

LinkedIn ⁠Shane Parrish

------

This episode is for informational purposes only.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Restauranteur Ron Shaich reveals how he built the fast casual industry, scale a business, and spot the trends before they happen.

Ron Shaich is an entrepreneur and investor. He was the founder and former CEO of Panera Bread and Au Bon Pain, generating 25% annualized returns and helping define the fast casual restaurant segment. Now he's the chairman of CAVA (NYSE: CAVA). He is the author of Know What Matters.

He explains

- The origins of Au Bon Pain and Panera

- What you should focus on and what you should avoid

- What most people get wrong about growing a business

- Why the best always seek out the details

- How to use your obsession to your advantage

-----

Upgrade: Get a hand edited transcripts and ad free experiences along with my thoughts and reflections at the end of every conversation. Learn more @ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠fs.blog/membership⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
------
Newsletter: The Brain Food newsletter delivers actionable insights and thoughtful ideas every Sunday. It takes 5 minutes to read, and it’s completely free. Learn more and sign up at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠fs.blog/newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
------

Follow Shane Parrish:
X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/shaneparrish

Insta: https://www.instagram.com/farnamstreet/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-parrish-050a2183/

Thank you to the sponsors for this episode:

reMarkable: Get your paper tablet at https://www.reMarkable.com today

.tech domains: Nothing says tech like being on .tech https://get.tech/

Shopify: https://shopify.com/knowledgeproject

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices