The Tim Ferriss Show   /     #757: Matthew McConaughey and Aisha Tyler

Summary

This episode is a two-for-one, and that’s because the podcast recently hit its 10-year anniversary and passed one billion downloads. To celebrate, I’ve curated some of the best of the best—some of my favorites—from more than 700 episodes over the last decade. I could not be more excited. The episode features segments from episode #474 "Matthew McConaughey — The Power of 'No, Thank You,' Key Life Lessons, 30+ Years of Diary Notes, and The Art of Catching Greenlights" and #327 "Aisha Tyler — How to Use Pain, Comedy, and Practice for Creativity." Please enjoy! Sponsors: Momentous high-quality supplements: https://livemomentous.com/tim (code TIM for 20% off) Eight Sleep’s Pod 4 Ultra sleeping solution for dynamic cooling and heating: https://eightsleep.com/tim (save $350 on the Pod 4 Ultra) LMNT electrolyte supplement: https://drinklmnt.com/Tim (free LMNT sample pack with any drink mix purchase) Timestamps: [04:58] Notes about this supercombo format. [05:51] Enter Matthew McConaughey. [06:19] The words forbidden in Matthew's house growing up. [08:58] The book that changed the course of Matthew's life. [17:27] Matthew's 10 goals in life (circa 1992). [22:20] Why take more risks? [26:04] The evolving purpose of keeping a diary. [29:48] The art of running downhill. [33:56] Learning to say "No" to rom-com typecasting. [47:50] Enter Aisha Tyler. [48:19] Aisha's role in The Tim Ferriss Show's existence. [49:43] Aisha's trademark podcast question. [51:06] Aisha's unorthodox childhood and family relationships. [52:06] How did Aisha answer the questions "Whose day is it?" and "What are you going to do?" every morning? [55:34] From where does Aisha get her general sense of optimism? [57:25] Following father's advice and views on regret. [59:22] Free-range parenting vs. modern overprotection. [1:03:33] Having a bad day? You're not special! [1:05:27] Young Aisha's career aspirations. [1:06:52] Why was Aisha miserable at what she thought was her dream job? [1:08:51] Why did Aisha pick standup comedy to break into show business? [1:10:08] What it was like to keep a day job and do standup comedy as a hobby. [1:11:50] Commuting for comedy in San Francisco. [1:14:03] What made the comedy club bubble of the '80s burst? [1:18:11] How did Aisha practice to get better at standup? [1:19:01] A memorable set Aisha bombed and the gift it gave her. [1:22:22] Dealing with hecklers Bill Burr and Kenny Moore style. [1:28:20] Aisha shares some of her own heckler stories. [1:32:31] Aisha's academic approach to the math of comedy. [1:34:43] What's the Rule of Threes? [1:35:36] Gauging comic evolution. [1:36:46] Comedians compared to other artists. [1:38:04] Changing success metrics and creative traps. [1:40:41] How fear-based people-pleasing affects creativity. [1:43:52] If one likes big butts, one cannot lie — even if it might tick someone off. [1:46:03] Sometimes constructive feedback does make me change my mind. [1:46:33] Pursuing authentic, meaningful work. [1:48:32] Comedy's core beyond humor. [1:49:04] Expecting failures in creative beginnings. [1:49:52] Why it doesn't pay to emulate a master of a craft in their own field. [1:51:51] Aisha's transition to filmmaking. [1:54:47] Aisha believes in personal aggression. [1:55:28] How Aisha piggybacked resources for her first music video. [1:56:30] Learning filmmaking through short projects. [1:58:03] What lessons did Aisha learn from these projects? [1:59:06] How visiting the sets of Penny Dreadful and Vikings in Ireland led to making AXIS. [2:00:52] Financing the Ireland trip. [2:02:35] The email Aisha sent to visit the set of Vikings. [2:03:18] The impact of fan appreciation. [2:04:50] Budweiser's "Whassup" campaign origin. [2:05:38] Why Aisha made AXIS. [2:07:06] Resources for aspiring screenwriters and tech investors. [2:08:06] What is AXIS, and did anyone try to talk Aisha out of making it? [2:09:53] AXIS production experience and methods. [2:12:00] The magic, intensity, and clarity of operating on an aggressive deadline. [2:15:00] Aisha's current fears and goals. [2:16:33] One of Aisha's current struggles. [2:17:24] "If art imitates life, in order to create art, you have to have a life." [2:18:33] As a workaholic, how does Aisha manage to live a life that influences her art? [2:20:58] How would Aisha's life be different if she didn't have exercise as an element? [2:22:47] What equipment does Aisha use to work out? [2:23:36] What does a prototypical workout look like for Aisha? [2:23:53] How does Aisha take her glutathione, and what does it help with? [2:26:40] Morning routine and exercise timing. [2:27:40] Aisha works out at home to save transit time. What does she watch when she rows? [2:29:39] Does Aisha make New Year's resolutions? [2:32:17] Aisha likens her first (unwatchable and destroyed) short film to the standup set she bombed. [2:34:58] When has Aisha been extremely proud of herself? [2:37:46] How confidence transfers across projects. [2:39:46] To grow from failure, you have to be aggressive. [2:40:24] 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. 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