#564: Performance Psychologist Michael Gervais — Fear{less} with Tim Ferriss

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’ll get plenty of that in this special episode, which features my interview with Michael Gervais from my 2017 TV Show Fear{less}. The “less” 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’ve 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’ll 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’s 30 for 30 episode about the ’85 Bears, and the Netflix animated show F is for Family.

Please enjoy!

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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’s 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’ USA, and what kept Michael’s 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’s first paid gig with an athlete, and why is the word “potential” 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’s 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’s world? [36:47]

Michael’s advice for someone new to — but curious to explore — mindfulness, and what they can do if it’s 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’s life? [51:24]

What would Michael’s billboard say? [52:28]

Parting thoughts. [53:21]

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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. Brené 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.

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