The Tim Ferriss Show

This episode is the second half of my recent live Q&A. I cover what I’m doing to try to prevent Alzheimer’s, how to change when you can see exactly what’s keeping you stuck, staying hopeful as current events turn darker, what Quantified Self 2.0 would need to deliver, where psychedelics fit in my life now, how I think about “all-natural” vs. synthetic options, and much more. Please enjoy!

This episode is brought to you by:

• Helix Sleep premium mattresses: HelixSleep.com/Tim (20% off any purchase)
• Shopify global commerce platform, providing tools to start, grow, market, and manage a retail business: Shopify.com/Tim
• Fin powerful AI Agent for all your customer service: Fin.Ai/Tim
• Eight Sleep Pod 6 which cools or heats each side of the bed, with custom elevation and snoring reduction, and wearable-free sleep tracking: EightSleep.com/tim

Timestamps

• [00:00:00] Start.
• [00:01:59] What I’m doing to help prevent Alzheimer’s: sauna, Norwegian 4×4 intervals, Zone 2, urolithin A, lithium orotate, and dental health.
• [00:06:46] Knowing what keeps you stuck and still not changing: IFS, CBT, DBT, and the cost of inaction.
• [00:11:26] Will I move to a looser, more extemporaneous format? (Send me your ideas.)
• [00:17:51] From intellectual collector to builder.
• [00:18:38] What we’ll wish we’d been doing with AI 12 months from now.
• [00:19:05] Staying hopeful as the news gets darker: social media fasts, upside time vs. downside time, and Hard Times.
• [00:27:19] Will handmade work and human imperfection become more valuable?
• [00:27:37] Fix your state: exercise.
• [00:27:58] The best way to spend 5K–10K to get current on AI (you don’t need to).
• [00:29:59] Where psychedelics fit for me now, shorter-acting compounds, and anti-inflammatory effects at tiny doses.
• [00:33:49] Hugh Jackman’s 2,000-meter row.
• [00:37:17] What Quantified Self 2.0 would need to show me, and the missing piece of behavior change.
• [00:43:26] Life before and after psychedelics, and losing the fear of death.
• [00:49:59] “All-natural” vs. synthetic: supplements, cholesterol, and being your own advocate.
• [00:58:02] Xylitol and white teeth.
• [01:00:22] What I still love doing inefficiently.
• [01:00:59] Preventing tech neck.
• [01:03:05] Minimum effective dose for flexibility.
• [01:04:39] The $20 tip from Billy Joel.
• [01:06:09] My favorite birds.
• [01:07:12] When to keep investing in a friendship.
• [01:08:09] Am I at peace?
• [01:09:20] Parting thoughts.

For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast.

For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsors

Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday.

For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.

Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.

Follow Tim:

Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss 

Instagram: instagram.com/timferriss

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Facebook: facebook.com/timferriss 

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferriss

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For episode #888, I couldn’t resist going down a rabbit hole about the number eight and what it can tell us about luck, language, money, and fate. Join me for a nerdy tour of China, Japan, and Korea, including a million-dollar license plate, disappearing hotel floors, a casino room designed around one gambler’s birthday, and the lucky number hiding in Toyota’s name. This is my excuse to dust off some of my East Asian Studies background and indulge a few wonderfully weird interests. Please enjoy!

This episode is brought to you by:

• AG1 all-in-one nutritional supplement: https://DrinkAG1.com/Tim

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Timestamps:

00:00 Episode 888: How do you design luck?

01:44 Why eight is lucky in Chinese culture.

04:48 Expensive phone numbers, license plates, and Olympic dates.

07:04 Lucky skyscrapers and apartment prices.

08:00 Four, death, and disappearing hotel floors.

09:31 Casinos, feng shui, and designing for good fortune.

12:12 A gaming room designed around one gambler’s birthday.

13:47 Uncle Sam’s lucky-money products.

14:20 Japan: Tim’s exchange-student experience.

14:36 How Japanese writing works: kanji, hiragana, and katakana.

16:53 Hachi, suehirogari, and the shape of growing prosperity.

18:33 From Toyoda to Toyota: eight lucky strokes.

19:25 The Shikoku pilgrimage, 88 temples, and Craig Mod.

21:32 Korea: saju palja, eight characters, and the language of fate.

23:43 666 and the number of the beast.

24:20 Heavy metal, the evil eye, and Ronnie James Dio’s grandmother.

26:21 Why six and 666 can mean good fortune in China.

27:24 88, 886, and a numerological goodbye.

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For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast.

For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsors

Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday.

For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.

Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.

Follow Tim:

Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss 

Instagram: instagram.com/timferriss

YouTube: youtube.com/timferriss

Facebook: facebook.com/timferriss 

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferriss

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This episode explores what The 4-Hour Workweek looks like in the age of AI, rebuilding momentum when you’re stuck, navigating friendships, making room for serendipity, and much, much more.

This episode is brought to you by:

• Incogni, which removes your personal data from the web, helping shield you from fraud, scams, and identity theft: Incogni.com/Tim (use code TIM at checkout and get 60% off an annual plan)
• Our Place’s Titanium Always Pan® Pro using nonstick technology that’s coating-free and made without PFAS, otherwise known as “forever chemicals”: FromOurPlace.com/Tim
• Momentous high-quality creatine for cognitive and muscular support: https://LiveMomentous.com/Tim
• AG1 all-in-one nutritional supplement: https://DrinkAG1.com/Tim

Timestamps

• [00:00:00] Introduction.
• [00:01:23] The 4-Hour Workweek in the age of AI.
• [00:06:29] Revisiting old advice as your life changes.
• [00:09:10] Rebuilding momentum with small daily actions.
• [00:12:58] The one question Tim would ask every guest.
• [00:18:06] Staying close when friends drift apart.
• [00:22:19] Knowing when to persist and when to quit.
• [00:27:15] Oryx and age-related vision changes.
• [00:31:51] Investing 10 times more in health and relationships.
• [00:37:35] Making room for serendipity.
• [00:42:37] What Tim gets from live Q&As.
• [00:43:54] Climbing and building finger strength.
• [00:44:49] Tim's experience with accelerated TMS.
• [00:48:01] Bioelectric medicine and vagus nerve research.
• [00:49:22] State, story, strategy: answering questions well.
• [00:53:39] The movies and music behind Tim's writing routine.
• [00:55:09] Ten-minute meditation sessions, twice a day.
• [00:57:45] John Sarno, back pain, and the limits of one explanation.
• [01:04:26] Back Mechanic and the Egoscue exercises Tim still uses.
• [01:05:03] The 4-Hour Body after 40: Slow-Carb, fasting, and supplements.
• [01:09:01] A book recommendation for grieving.
• [01:09:55] What Tim would prioritize as a new parent.
• [01:12:20] The Happy Body and gymnastic strength training.

For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast.

For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsors

Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday.

For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.

Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.

Follow Tim:

Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss 

Instagram: instagram.com/timferriss

YouTube: youtube.com/timferriss

Facebook: facebook.com/timferriss 

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferriss

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this edition of The Random Show, Tim and Kevin reunite in L.A. to talk AI super assistants that run your life over text message, agentic shopping, beta-alanine for climbing endurance, walnuts and sperm quality, dream engineering and anesthesia dreams, boner pills, man makeup, The Dark Wizard, Tim's upcoming book, a Jean-Claude Van Damme splits bet, and much more. Please enjoy!

This episode is brought to you by:

• Timeline Mitopure, a highly pure form of Urolithin A that supports mitochondrial health and cellular renewal: Timeline.com/Tim (30% off for a limited time)
• Shopify global commerce platform, providing tools to start, grow, market, and manage a retail business: Shopify.com/Tim
• Fin powerful AI Agent for all your customer service: Fin.Ai/Tim
• Gusto simple and easy payroll, HR, and benefits platform used by 400,000+ businesses: Gusto.com/Tim

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Start

00:00:52 AI super assistants: Instinct, Muse, Grok Bot, and ChatGPT dots

00:09:04 How AI agents could reshape shopping and video editing

00:19:43 Beta-alanine for climbing endurance

00:26:23 Psyllium, contaminants, and creatine without stomach trouble

00:30:34 Walnuts, sperm quality, and micronutrients

00:40:15 A2 protein shakes and practical training nutrition

00:46:20 Dream engineering, lucid dreaming, and brain stimulation

00:53:06 Anesthesia dreams and trauma recovery

00:59:19 DORA sleep medications and Alzheimer’s research

01:01:25 Plum Flower Curing Pills and Airofit breathing training

01:05:36 Brain-stimulating contact lenses and the mysteries of anesthesia

01:10:06 Boner pills, back pain, and the lure of enhancement

01:12:55 AI writing tools and the value of lived experience

01:16:51 “Personal Renewal”: John Gardner and the story of Cervantes

01:18:44 Man makeup, rosacea, and Kevin’s skincare routine

01:22:17 The Dark Wizard and the extraordinary life of Dean Potter

01:24:48 Studs Terkel’s Hard Times, Working, and the art of oral history

01:27:34 Exploring romantasy: Fourth Wing and A Court of Thorns and Roses

01:30:40 What Fifty Shades of Grey teaches about clear positioning

01:34:43 Tim’s next book: saying no in a world of noise

01:37:23 Authors Equity, publishing timelines, and the case for print

01:43:10 “Please Use AI,” Kurt Vonnegut, and preserving human connection

01:44:53 Will AI create more leisure—or just more work?

01:47:34 The $500 Jean-Claude Van Damme splits bet

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DISCLAIMER FROM TIM FERRISS: I am not an investment adviser or a medical professional. Nor is Kevin Rose. All opinions are mine alone. Or his. Nothing here is investment or medical advice; it is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Please talk to your doctor before trying any drug, supplement, or protocol we mention.

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For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast.

For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsors

Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday.

For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.

Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.

Follow Tim:

Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss

Instagram: instagram.com/timferriss

YouTube: youtube.com/timferriss

Facebook: facebook.com/timferriss

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferriss

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Many of us feel like we’re drowning in invisible complexity. So I wanted to hit pause and ask a simple question: What are 1–3 decisions that could dramatically simplify my life?

In this episode:

• Chip Conley shares how a near-death experience on stage changed his life.
• Greg McKeown reveals what a stormtrooper costume has to do with all the goddamn clutter in our lives.
• David Allen explains why the to-do list living in your head costs you more than you think.
• Elizabeth Gilbert explains why she treats her inbox like her home and what she does when uninvited guests show up.
• And Oliver Burkeman explains why so much simplicity advice backfires and what has actually worked for him.

This episode is brought to you by:

• Eight Sleep Pod 6 which cools or heats each side of the bed, with custom elevation and snoring reduction, and wearable-free sleep tracking: EightSleep.com/tim
• AG1 Pro all-in-one nutritional supplement: DrinkAG1.com/Tim

Timestamps:

Chip Conley: 00:01:36

Greg McKeown: 00:13:00:22

David Allen: 00:20:18:27

Elizabeth Gilbert: 00:28:35:17

Oliver Burkeman: 00:36:37:01

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For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast.

For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsors

Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday.

For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.

Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.

Follow Tim:

Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss 

Instagram: instagram.com/timferriss

YouTube: youtube.com/timferriss

Facebook: facebook.com/timferriss 

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferriss

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Kevin Ryan is one of the leading entrepreneurs and investors in New York. Often called the “Godfather of NYC tech,” he is the founder and CEO of AlleyCorp, a New York based venture capital firm that incubates and invests across healthcare, AI and software, consumer tech, deep tech, and more. Kevin is also the co-founder of several notable companies including MongoDB, Business Insider, Zola, Gilt Groupe, and Transcend Therapeutics. Earlier in his career, Kevin was the CEO of DoubleClick, which he helped grow from a 20-person startup to a publicly-traded company with more than 1,500 employees.

This episode is brought to you by:

• Eight Sleep Pod 6 which cools or heats each side of the bed, with custom elevation and snoring reduction, and wearable-free sleep tracking: EightSleep.com/tim
• Shopify global commerce platform, providing tools to start, grow, market, and manage a retail business: Shopify.com/Tim
• Momentous high-quality creatine for cognitive and muscular support: LiveMomentous.com/Tim
• AG1 all-in-one nutritional supplement: DrinkAG1.com/Tim

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Intro from Tim

00:01:25 Kevin Ryan’s entrepreneurial track record

00:03:40 Spotting long-term trends and turning them into businesses

00:06:33 Designing gatherings and trips for great conversations

00:11:42 Second-order thinking and the missed YouTube opportunity

00:17:47 Gilt’s rise, shrinking moat, and knowing when to sell

00:22:06 From Dilbert to DoubleClick: early lessons and fast decisions

00:27:52 AlleyCorp’s model: start narrow, then scale

00:32:26 Recruiting founders and building Business Insider

00:38:28 Recognizing a business crush and choosing what to build

00:41:44 Investing in nuclear energy

00:43:26 Taking money off the table and keeping funds small

00:47:15 Ping-pong and the value of coaching

00:49:05 Making time for family, fitness, and vacation

00:51:52 Psychedelics and the origins of Transcend Therapeutics

00:54:20 Methylone, PTSD trials, and navigating the FDA

00:59:57 Transcend’s public-benefit mission and giving back

01:05:46 Deep tech, robotics, and the next wave of opportunities

01:11:35 Failed startups, MongoDB, and knowing when to persist

01:15:06 A more caring society: inequality, taxes, and opportunity

01:17:26 Immigration and attracting the world’s best talent

01:20:04 Why Kevin is bullish on New York

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For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast.

For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsors

Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday.

For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.

Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.

Follow Tim:

Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss 

Instagram: instagram.com/timferriss

YouTube: youtube.com/timferriss

Facebook: facebook.com/timferriss 

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferriss

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

My guest today is Tania de Jong, co-founder of Mind Medicine Australia. Tania and her husband, Peter, helped lead the push that, in 2023, made Australia the first country in the world to allow MDMA and psilocybin to be prescribed for psychiatric conditions. I wanted to understand how the hell they helped make that happen and what the rest of the world can learn from it.

This episode is brought to you by:

• ProLon science-backed Fasting Mimicking Diet that helps activate cellular renewal through fasting, while still eating nourishing meals: https://prolonlife.com/Tim
• Momentous high-quality creatine for cognitive and muscular support: https://LiveMomentous.com/Tim
• AG1 all-in-one nutritional supplement: DrinkAG1.com/Tim

Timestamps

[00:00:00] Intro from Tim.

[00:02:46] The article that changed Tania’s life.

[00:04:39] A first psychedelic experience—and the year it took to integrate it.

[00:10:17] Rick Doblin’s encouragement and the birth of Mind Medicine Australia.

[00:13:15] Turning regulatory rejection into a stronger application.

[00:20:48] Building a grassroots movement and training clinicians.

[00:23:23] Cold emails, scientific allies, and singing your way into the room.

[00:31:11] A week with Ram Dass: silence, singing, and an extraordinary LSD story.

[00:37:54] Bringing David Nutt—and a family’s devastating story—to the regulators.

[00:42:42] Dancing in the kitchen: Australia’s rescheduling breakthrough.

[00:43:40] From changing the rules to treating patients.

[00:48:18] Why Tim thinks MDMA is still underestimated.

[00:50:23] Integration beyond the session: therapy, nutrition, and exercise.

[00:52:29] Scaling access and collecting real-world evidence.

[00:58:13] Getting insurers, government agencies, and philanthropists on board.

[01:00:44] Syrian rue, psilocybin, and learning to let go of control.

[01:09:06] Dosing, expectations, and the pressure to take more.

[01:11:07] The promise of group therapy and shared integration.

[01:13:27] Hiring mistakes, personal attacks, and the resilience advocacy requires.

[01:22:43] Turning a window of change into lasting habits.

[01:24:56] Getting through to regulators and pushing for end-of-life access.

[01:27:32] The bureaucratic barriers that remain.

[01:30:43] What treatment costs—and why therapist time drives the bill.

[01:34:12] Could shorter-acting compounds make treatment more affordable?

[01:37:51] Ketamine, kratom, and the limits of “all natural.”

[01:42:19] The unexpected payoff from Tim’s ketamine experiment.

[01:46:51] What might come next for psychedelic access worldwide?

[01:48:10] Persistence versus pushiness—and knowing when to try another door.

[01:53:27] Supporting patients and training the next wave of clinicians.

[01:56:56] “Be curious”: exploring your inner world and walking each other home.

[02:00:40] The ripple effects of sharing your curiosity—and simply asking for help.

Timeline:

• February 2, 2015: Michael Pollan publishes “The Trip Treatment” in The New Yorker, which is the article Tania credits with setting her journey in motion.
• March 21, 2015: Tim releases his James Fadiman interview, “The Psychedelic Explorer’s Guide” (#66). Its show notes link to “The Trip Treatment.”
• January 15, 2016: In 5-Bullet Friday, Tim announces support for Johns Hopkins’ psilocybin research and a personal commitment of at least $100,000 toward psychedelic research that year.
• 2016: Tania and Peter travel to the Netherlands for their first guided psilocybin experience. (Source)
• 2017–2019: UCSF conducts the psilocybin-assisted group-therapy study involving long-term AIDS survivors that Tim helped support. (Source)
• May 6, 2018: Michael Pollan joins Tim for “Exploring the New Science of Psychedelics” (#313), discussing his forthcoming book (How to Change Your Mind).
• May 15, 2018: Pollan’s How to Change Your Mind is published.
• February 13, 2019: Tania and Peter publicly launch Mind Medicine Australia. (Source)
• 2020–2022: MMA applies to reschedule MDMA and psilocybin, faces rejection, and submits new applications in March 2022. (Source)
• November 21, 2022: David Nutt presents to Australia’s medicines regulator, the TGA, supporting the case for therapeutic access. (Source)
• February 3, 2023: The TGA announces restricted prescribing access to MDMA for PTSD and psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression, effective July 1, 2023. (Source)
• January 2024: Patients begin receiving treatment under the new prescribing program. (Source)

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For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast.

For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsors

Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday.

For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.

Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.

Follow Tim:

Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss 

Instagram: instagram.com/timferriss

YouTube: youtube.com/timferriss

Facebook: facebook.com/timferriss 

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferriss

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This episode is a bit different. It's a live, unscripted working session with a founder, and I've only done one other earlier this year.

Niels Hoven (@NielsHoven) is the founder and CEO of Mentava, a company building software to support fast learners. Eager kids are dramatically underserved by today's education system, and Niels created Mentava to allow students to achieve their potential. Prior to Mentava, Niels worked at Cloudflare, ClassDojo, and Pocket Gems, where he ran the highest-grossing mobile game in the world in 2011. He has a graduate degree in electrical engineering from UC Berkeley.

This episode is brought to you by:

• Fin powerful AI Agent for all your customer service: Fin.Ai/Tim
• Shopify global commerce platform, providing tools to start, grow, market, and manage a retail business: Shopify.com/Tim
• Wealthfront high-yield cash account: Wealthfront.com/Tim

New clients get 3.30% base APY from program banks + additional 0.75% boost for 3 months on your uninvested cash (max $150k balance). Terms and conditions apply. The Cash Account offered by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC (“WFB”) member FINRA/SIPC, not a bank. The base APY as of 1/30/26 is representative, can change, and requires no minimum. Tim Ferriss, a non-client, receives compensation from WFB for advertising and holds a non-controlling equity interest in the corporate parent of WFB, which creates a conflict of interest. Individual experiences and outcomes will differ. Instant withdrawals may be limited by your receiving firm and other factors. Investment advisory services provided by Wealthfront Advisers LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. Securities investments: not bank deposits, not bank-guaranteed or FDIC-insured, and may lose value.

Timestamps:

[00:00:00] Start.

[00:01:32] What Mentava is—and the toddlers reading before age three.

[00:08:31] Game design, slot-machine motivation, and lowering the hoop.

[00:11:54] Tim's red pen: rewriting the bio and positioning.

[00:16:59] The real problem: wasted early years, high-school pressure.

[00:23:55] Learning at your own pace—and "what if you did nothing?"

[00:29:32] Dog-fish, fish-dog: readiness, failed trials, and follow-ups.

[00:35:06] The $500 price, school pilots, and videos-for-tuition scholarships.

[00:41:39] Teach a kid to fish: selling relief, not nagging.

[00:47:49] Viral posts, the culture-war trap, and why exaggeration is death.

[00:55:05] Put the ask on top: investor updates and what actually converts.

[00:59:35] The thirty-year phonics war—and it's not with teachers.

[01:01:10] A $1,000 coupon, zero takers: why the referral bribe flopped.

[01:08:04] Lead with the love letters: testimonials, homepage, and who's buying.

[01:20:03] "No scam charges $500 a month": pricing and who you're not for.

[01:34:16] Uncrowded channels and workshopping like a standup.

[01:42:08] Don't let Amazon be your debutante ball: testing what sells.

[01:46:42] Alpha School, the competitive map, and the eager investor.

[01:48:39] Reaching the already-converted: be the painkiller, TiE, surround sound.

[02:08:18] Niels's charge: advocate for your child, unapologetically.

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For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast.

For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsors

Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday.

For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.

Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.

Follow Tim:

Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss 

Instagram: instagram.com/timferriss

YouTube: youtube.com/timferriss

Facebook: facebook.com/timferriss 

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferriss

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This is a special episode about overcoming mistakes and failure. What do you do when your work is rejected, when the big bet fails, or when the path ahead suddenly disappears? As you’ll hear in this episode, setbacks can often present opportunities, if you know how to look for them.

This episode is brought to you by:

• Helix Sleep premium mattresses: HelixSleep.com/Tim (20% off any purchase)
• Gusto simple and easy payroll, HR, and benefits platform used by 400,000+ businesses: Gusto.com/Tim
• Incogni, which removes your personal data from the web, helping shield you from fraud, scams, and identity theft: Incogni.com/Tim (use code TIM at checkout and get 60% off an annual plan)

In this episode: 

• BJ Miller, a triple amputee, on his years-long quest to ride a motorcycle.
• Terry Crews on missing a season-ending shot—and the mindset shift that stayed with him for life.
• Tim McGraw on his debut album flopping and betting his career on next steps.
• Jessica Lahey on being told her first book was “unpublishable” and turning brutal feedback into a New York Times bestseller.
• Dax Shepard on the collapse of an identity and career he thought he wanted—and the unexpected much better life it made possible.
• Cathy Lanier on becoming a teenage single mother, passing her GED by a single point, and beginning an unlikely climb.
• Janna Levin on the liberating realization that life is not a smooth path interrupted by obstacles—life is the obstacles.
• Boyd Varty on using the mindset of a lion tracker to move through uncertainty and the paralysis of not knowing what comes next.

Dr. BJ Miller is a triple amputee, longtime palliative-care physician, cofounder of virtual palliative-care service Mettle Health, and coauthor of A Beginner’s Guide to the End.

Terry Crews is an actor, artist, author, television host, and former NFL player best known as Terry Jeffords on the Emmy-nominated TV series Brooklyn Nine-Nine and as the longtime host of America’s Got Talent.

Tim McGraw is a three-time Grammy-winning country-music superstar, an actor, and a 2026 Country Music Hall of Fame inductee.

Jessica Lahey is an educator and the New York Times bestselling author of The Gift of Failure and The Addiction Inoculation.

Dax Shepard is an actor, writer, and director and the co-creator and host of the hit podcast Armchair Expert.

Cathy Lanier is the NFL’s chief security officer and the first woman—and longest serving chief—to lead Washington, DC’s Metropolitan Police Department.

Janna Levin is a theoretical cosmologist, the Claire Tow Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Barnard College, a Guggenheim Fellow, a PEN-winning author, and the founding director of sciences at Pioneer Works.

Boyd Varty is a lion tracker, wildlife activist, TED speaker, and author of The Lion Tracker’s Guide to Life.

Timestamps:

00:00 — Introduction from Tim

01:23 — BJ Miller: Making an Impossible Motorcycle Dream Real

05:35 — Terry Crews: Why You Have to Take the Shot

16:28 — Tim McGraw: Failing on Your Own Terms

27:31 — Jessica Lahey: From “Unpublishable” to Bestseller

31:48 — Dax Shepard: When Failure Saves You From What You Want

38:11 — Cathy Lanier: Rebuilding a Life

47:33 — Janna Levin: Life Is the Obstacles

54:36 — Boyd Varty: Finding the Next Track When You’re Stuck

*

For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast.

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This episode is devoted to one deceptively simple question: How do you stay close to your partner over time through the inevitable exhaustion, misunderstanding, conflict, disappointment, and change?

This episode is brought to you by:

• Eight Sleep Pod Cover 5 with dual-zone temperature control, so each partner sleeps at their perfect temperature

In this episode: 

• Esther Perel begins with the basics: appreciation, affection, and replacing chronic complaints with clear requests.
• Brené Brown explains why marriage is never 50/50 and how she and her husband create what Brené calls a “plan of kindness.” 
• Brad Feld describes the monthly “life dinners” that have helped him and his wife review the previous 30 days, talk honestly about the future, and prevent resentments from building up
• Jim Dethmer offers a practical way to distinguish observable facts from the stories we make up about our partners.
• Sheila Heen explains how humor and genuine curiosity can serve as an interrupt on an argument that is heating up 
• The late Dr. Sue Johnson then walks us through a “Hold Me Tight” conversation—a way of moving beneath anger and defensiveness to the fear, vulnerability, and need for connection underneath.
• Terry Real then offers a strikingly simple model for repair and introduces the term “normal marital hatred” - as he put it, nobody ever goes up to him and says “What do you mean by that?!”
• Finally, Diana Chapman describes what it means to let an outdated version of a marriage end so that two people can consciously choose what comes next for their relationship.

Timestamps:

Intro from Tim: 00:00:00

Esther Perel: 00:01:58

Brené Brown: 00:08:21

Brad Feld: 00:12:02

Jim Dethmer: 00:16:51

Shelia Heen: 00:23:04

Dr. Sue Johnson: 00:29:26

Terry Real: 00:40:14

Diana Chapman: 00:46:19

Short bios:

• Esther Perel is an internationally renowned psychotherapist, the New York Times bestselling author of Mating in Captivity and The State of Affairs, and the host of the award-winning podcast Where Should We Begin?
• Brené Brown is the author of six number-one New York Times bestsellers exploring courage, vulnerability, shame, and resilience; a research professor at the University of Houston; and a professor of practice at the University of Texas at Austin.
• Brad Feld is an early-stage investor and entrepreneur and a co-founder of Foundry Group, Mobius Venture Capital, and Techstars. He writes on entrepreneurship, leadership, mental health, and sustaining a life beyond work.
• Jim Dethmer is a co-founder of the Conscious Leadership Group and co-author of The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership, an influential framework for building candid, responsible, high-trust relationships.
• Sheila Heen is the deputy director of the Harvard Negotiation Project, founder of Triad Consulting Group, and co-author of the New York Times bestsellers Difficult Conversations and Thanks for the Feedback.
• Dr. Sue Johnson was the pioneering clinical psychologist who created Emotionally Focused Therapy. She was named Psychologist of the Year by the American Psychological Association and appointed to the Order of Canada for her global impact on psychotherapy.
• Terry Real is an internationally recognized family therapist, a bestselling author, and the creator of Relational Life Therapy. He has spent more than four decades helping couples restore intimacy and connection.
• Diana Chapman is co-author of The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership, a cofounder of the Conscious Leadership Group, and founder of the Signal Institute, working with leaders on radical honesty, somatic intelligence, and transformation.

*

For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast.

For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsors

Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday.

For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.

Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.

Follow Tim:

Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss 

Instagram: instagram.com/timferriss

YouTube: youtube.com/timferriss

Facebook: facebook.com/timferriss 

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferriss

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.