#757: Matthew McConaughey and Aisha Tyler

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:[00:00] Start[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...