BROADCASTS.com

Welcome to another episode of The Tim Ferriss Show, where it is my job to deconstruct world-class performers to tease out the routines, habits, et cetera that you can apply to your own life.

You\u2019ll get plenty of that in this special episode, which features my interview with Michael Gervais from my 2017 TV Show Fear{less}. The \u201cless\u201d is in parentheses because the objective is to teach you to fear less, not to be fearless.

Fear{less} features in-depth, long-form conversations with top performers, focusing on how they\u2019ve overcome fears and made hard decisions, embracing discomfort and thinking big.

It was produced by Wild West Productions, and I worked with them to make both the video and audio available to you for free, my dear listeners. You can find the video of this episode on YouTube.com/TimFerriss, and eventually you\u2019ll be able to see all episodes for free at YouTube.com/TimFerriss.

Spearheaded by actor/producer and past podcast guest Vince Vaughn, Wild West Productions has produced a string of hit movies including The Internship, Couples Retreat, Four Christmases, and The Break-Up.

In 2020, Wild West produced the comedy The Opening Act, starring Jimmy O. Yang and Cedric The Entertainer. In addition to Fear{less}, their television credits include Undeniable with Joe Buck, ESPN\u2019s 30 for 30 episode about the \u201985 Bears, and the Netflix animated show F is for Family.

Please enjoy!

*

This episode is brought to you by \u201c5-Bullet Friday,\u201d my very own email newsletter that every Friday features five bullet points highlighting cool things I\u2019ve found that week, including apps, books, documentaries, gadgets, albums, articles, TV shows, new hacks or tricks, and\u2014of course\u2014all sorts of weird stuff I\u2019ve dug up from around the world.

It\u2019s free, it\u2019s always going to be free, and you can subscribe now at tim.blog/friday.

*

How Michael helped daredevil Felix Baumgartner mentally prepare for his 24-mile fall to earth from the edge of space. [05:06]

What does extinguishing phobia look like? [08:07]

What was Michael\u2019s childhood like? After moving away from their farm, how did his family help him adjust to life in the big city? [10:48]

How Fight Club SoCal led to Surfin\u2019 USA, and what kept Michael\u2019s ambitions in check during this time. [13:48]

How Michael began to rein in this anxiety, and who was there to help him. [17:24]

Michael describes the week he spent at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, and how it changed his life. [18:37]

How Michael became involved in the world of performance psychology, the mentor who guided him, and what his first lessons as a teacher looked like. [21:24]

Michael and I share our basic life philosophies. [23:27]

What was Michael\u2019s first paid gig with an athlete, and why is the word \u201cpotential\u201d often such a powerful performance killer? [26:25]

Effective pre-performance routines Michael has seen, and why he discourages the popular deference to superstition so popular among athletes. [27:31]

Is the effectiveness of a team dictated simply by a formula of individual multiplied by X number of team members? What ingredients best facilitate a team\u2019s culture toward success? [29:34]

Three rules (and one bonus, unwritten rule) that govern the Seattle Seahawks. [30:55]

What was it like to lose a Super Bowl? [33:08]

What role does mindfulness play in Michael\u2019s world? [36:47]

Michael\u2019s advice for someone new to \u2014 but curious to explore \u2014 mindfulness, and what they can do if it\u2019s just not clicking for them from the get-go. [38:47]

To avoid encouraging false confidence leading to overly risky or reckless behavior, how does Michael know when to draw the line? What specific incident really put this sense to the test, and how did he manage it? [43:01]

Something Michael believes everyone should do on an everyday basis, and how he puts this into practice. [46:18]

What is the first step back from massive failure? [47:29]

Would the general advice Michael dispenses differ between high performers and everyday people? [48:57]

How much of a role does Stoicism play in Michael\u2019s life? [51:24]

What would Michael\u2019s billboard say? [52:28]

Parting thoughts. [53:21]

*

For show notes and past guests, please visit tim.blog/podcast.

Sign up for Tim\u2019s email newsletter (\u201c5-Bullet Friday\u201d) at tim.blog/friday.

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

Discover Tim\u2019s books: tim.blog/books.

Follow Tim:

Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss 

Instagram: instagram.com/timferriss

Facebook: facebook.com/timferriss 

YouTube: youtube.com/timferriss

Past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Bren\xe9 Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, and many more.

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