The Tim Ferriss Show

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)
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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
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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.
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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.
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This is a special compilation devoted to reinvention: how to shed an identity that no longer fits, decide on a new chapter, navigate uncertainty, and commit to what’s next.
This episode is brought to you by:
Shopify global commerce platform, providing tools to start, grow, market, and manage a retail business
Momentous high-quality creatine for cognitive and muscular support
In this episode:
Matthew McConaughey explains why he stopped making romantic comedies, turned down $15 million, and waited nearly two years for Hollywood to see him differently.
Steve Young talks about losing the identity that had defined him and the advice another legendary quarterback gave him.
Lori Gottlieb explains how listening to a quiet inner voice led her from Hollywood to medicine, then to journalism, and finally to psychotherapy.
Suleika Jaouad describes rebuilding her life after cancer when going back to her old life was no longer possible.
Samin Nosrat on walking away from a wildly successful food business that was making her miserable, and making room for the writing career that ultimately became Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat.
Martine Rothblatt tells the remarkable story of teaching herself biology and starting a pharmaceutical company to save her daughter’s life.
Finally, Debbie Millman gives you a simple exercise for imagining—and creating—the life you truly want.
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro from Tim
01:43 Matthew McConaughey
14:35 Steve Young
17:16 Lori Gottlieb
24:38 Suleika Jaouad
36:47 Samin Nosrat
45:04 Martine Rothblatt
56:51 Debbie Millman
Short bios:
Matthew McConaughey is an Academy Award-winning actor—whose career spans 40+ feature films—a cofounder of the Just Keep Livin’ foundation, and the bestselling author of Greenlights.
Steve Young is a Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback, Super Bowl MVP, and co-founder and chairman of private-equity firm HGGC.
Lori Gottlieb is a psychotherapist, the New York Times “Ask the Therapist” advice columnist, and the bestselling author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone.
Suleika Jaouad is an Emmy Award-winning journalist, artist, and bestselling author of Between Two Kingdoms and The Book of Alchemy.
Samin Nosrat is the James Beard Award–winning author of the New York Times bestseller Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat—also the title of her acclaimed Netflix series.
Dr. Martine Rothblatt is the founder, chairperson, and CEO of United Therapeutics—a biotechnology company she started to save the life of one of her daughters—and a pioneer of satellite radio.
Debbie Millman is one of the most influential designers working today, according to Graphic Design USA, an author, an educator, and the host of the pioneering podcast Design Matters, now celebrating its 21st year.
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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:
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This is a special compilation devoted to a subject very close to my heart and currently consuming a large percentage of my waking hours: writing. Over the years, I’ve asked some of the writers I admire most questions like: How do you choose a project and stay with it? How do you begin when inspiration refuses to show up? How do you build a practice that reliably produces pages? And how do you keep going when you fear your pages are terrible? Listen in to some of my favorite authors answer these and other questions. Please enjoy this special compilation on the craft of writing.
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
AG1 all-in-one nutritional supplement
Timestamps:
00:00 — Introduction
01:52 — Elizabeth Gilbert: Choosing and committing to a project
06:25 — Anne Lamott: Shitty first drafts and taking it bird by bird
13:04 — Joyce Carol Oates: Don’t wait for inspiration
15:47 — Jerry Seinfeld: Building a writing system
26:27 — Mary Karr: Revision and throwing out 1,200 pages
35:08 — Brandon Sanderson: Consistency, word counts, and output
45:04 — Seth Godin: Fear of bad writing
Elizabeth Gilbert is the author of Eat, Pray, Love; Big Magic; and City of Girls. Her ten books have sold more than 25 million copies worldwide.
Anne Lamott is the author of 20 books, including Bird by Bird, Operating Instructions, and Help, Thanks, Wow, and co-author—with her husband Neal Allen—of Good Writing.
Joyce Carol Oates has written more than 70 books, including Blonde and We Were the Mulvaneys, and won the National Book Award for her novel them.
Jerry Seinfeld co-created and starred in the sitcom Seinfeld—which ran nine seasons and won 10 Emmys—and later created Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee and wrote Is This Anything?
Mary Karr wrote the bestselling memoirs The Liars’ Club, Cherry, and Lit and her book on writing, The Art of Memoir.
Brandon Sanderson created the Mistborn and Stormlight Archive series, completed Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time, and raised more than $41 million on Kickstarter for four secret novels.
Seth Godin has written 21 bestsellers published in 40 languages—including Purple Cow, Linchpin, and The Practice—and a daily blog of more than 10,000 posts.
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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:
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In this wide-ranging Q&A, Tim explores reinvention, enduring skills for the age of AI, friendship, mental health, fitness, language learning, privacy, cognitive longevity, and more.
This episode is brought to you by:
Gusto simple and easy payroll, HR, and benefits platform used by 400,000+ businesses: Gusto.com/Tim
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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.
[00:00:24] How to go from hyper-optimized to grounded.
[00:03:45] Reinvention in your late 40s: there are more than two options.
[00:07:45] Five meta-skills for the age of AI.
[00:16:06] Post-sabbatical rules that re-focused this podcast.
[00:21:05] Why male friendship is built shoulder-to-shoulder, not face-to-face.
[00:25:04] Love for women authors.
[00:25:24] SAINT, TMS, and Ampa’s one-day brain reset.
[00:27:32] How to build a fanbase by being your authentically weird self.
[00:28:50] My “something is better than nothing” workout routine.
[00:30:33] Staying fit in mind and soul via the past-year review.
[00:31:12] The 4-Hour Body workout routines I still follow.
[00:35:46] Spotting the future titan hiding in an average teen.
[00:37:01] Vacation, burnout, or an outgrown life? Take a mini-retirement.
[00:41:18] Guiding kids through our digital dystopia.
[00:43:45] Does AI kill language learning? What does a new language really give you?
[00:53:36] Muted movies as late-night writing company.
[00:54:13] Best sub-$100 buy: seven seasons of wholesome Pawnee.
[00:55:34] Why two hours of walking fixes almost everything.
[00:57:21] Sleep, unsexily solved: less water, more sun, more exhaustion.
[00:59:16] Privacy as the new luxury in the age of shrinking fame.
[01:02:35] Luxuries worth overspending on: massage, easy travel, and health.
[01:07:24] The best defense against cognitive decline: exercise, exercise, exercise.
[01:11:11] Parting thoughts.
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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.