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Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Hey, everyone. So this week, we're revisiting one of our favorite episodes from the archives. It's an advice line conversation with entrepreneur, author and podcaster Tim Ferriss. And stick around to the end because we checked back in with the callers to hear what's happened since this episode first aired back in August of 2025.
We'll be back next week with a brand new Advice Line episode featuring Christina Tosi from Milk Bar. Super fun episode. Can't wait for you guys to hear that. And without further ado, here is the episode for this week. Enjoy. Hello and welcome to the advice line on how I built this lab. I'm Guy Raz. This is the place where we help try to solve your business challenges.
Each week, I'm joined by a legendary founder, a former guest on the show who will help me try to help you. And if you're building something and you need advice, give us a call and you just might be the next guest on the show. Our number is 1-800-433-1298. Send us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and the issues or questions that you'd like help with.
And you can also send us a voice memo at hibt.id.wondery.com and make sure to tell us how to reach you. And also, don't forget to sign up for my newsletter. It's full of insights and ideas from some of the world's greatest entrepreneurs. You can sign up for free at GuyRoz.com or on Substack. And we'll put all of this info in the podcast description. All right, let's get to it.
Joining me this week is Tim Ferriss. He's an entrepreneur, investor, host of The Tim Ferriss Show, and author of many books, including The 4-Hour Workweek. Tim, it's great to have you back on the show. Thanks for having me back. So nice to see you. You too, Tim. You were first on How I Built This back in 2020. And as always, for anyone listening, if you haven't heard that episode, it's so good.
We'll put a link to it in the episode description, so check it out. In that episode, Tim, we talked about your time as a student and learning Japanese and how you got a sales job out of college. And then you started your own business, a supplement company. And then of course, you published your first book, which many people know you for the four hour work week.
And initially, you couldn't even find a publisher. And the story of how you managed to use your blog to get it out there and sold millions of copies became a massive bestseller. And of course, since then, you've written several other books, you've launched a massively successful podcast, which hit a billion downloads last year. Congratulations.
Give us a little bit of an update about what's been going on in your life since we last spoke.
Well, there are a number of simultaneously running chapters. So supporting a lot of early stage science. And then I would say every three to four years, I want to try something completely off menu professionally to see what I can learn. The angel investing after the success of the first book, the podcast after the third book, et cetera. And now I've spent two years working on a card game.
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Chapter 2: How does Tim Ferriss stay innovative in his ventures?
And tell me a little bit about how you're doing so far. I mean, you're selling mainly to who and what kind of attraction are you seeing?
Yeah, so we sell directly on our website currently and also in a number of music venues. And that's a bit about like why I'm here and asking you a question.
Go ahead, Lach. What's your question?
So we're really lucky to be gaining mega traction in the live event space with actually a national partnership with a massive company that owns many venues. And at the same time, we're growing a really strong direct-to-consumer customer base for sleep.
So my question, and I'd love both of your advice, is around how to successfully scale two very different verticals simultaneously without losing focus.
All right. Awesome questions. I'm going to bring Tim Ferriss in. Tim, questions maybe for Lauren or thoughts about her question?
Lauren, if you had to focus on, say, the venues or the DTC, which right now, let's just say you had to make a decision, which way would you go and why?
Oh, that's really tough because on the sleep side of things, we're getting customer feedback. Like we're getting a lot of rave reviews. I feel like we're really finding that need and we're meeting that need. On the venue side of things, however, you know, we have access to guaranteed eyeballs, thousands, sometimes tens of thousands in a night. And basically we
we're meeting people in these cultural, emotional moments. And Tim, you were mentioning IRL experiences. That's where people really connect with brands. So that's why I'm so torn.
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Chapter 3: What strategies can early-stage founders use to scale their businesses?
That's awesome. I love that. And I'm looking at your website now and it'd be beautiful. I mean, amazing. So did you, you studied as a fashion designer? Is that your background? Yeah.
I'm actually a textile designer by training, which I bring a unique angle to the apparel industry. I worked in almost every cotton mill in America before they all closed.
Wow. And it's got a little bit of an Eileen Fisher kind of vibe to go in for a little bit.
Yeah. So I listened to your interview with her.
Years ago. Yes. Yeah.
She really, I mean, changed the fashion industry for women, gave women a way to dress in that sort of Japanese aesthetic is so timeless and so beautiful. But I almost think of myself as her alter ego. We're not trying to make sort of a simple boxy silhouette. We're trying to bring style, fashion forward, sort of whatever was on the Paris runways so that it's not dumbed down. It's not timeless.
It's not shapeless.
How many years have you been doing this?
So I launched in October, 2023. So I'm quite new. And from year one to year two, we've doubled our sales. I sell direct to consumer on my website, but really primarily I'm doing this all in person.
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Chapter 4: How did Lauryn's product gain traction after celebrity endorsement?
And, and so in the idea of the club idea, which I love calling it that it never occurred to me to do that, to, to, but to send swatches of fabric for a new piece because the fabric is such a big part.
The quality is such a big part of my brand to send a swatch of fabric and say that you're getting exclusive, like first touch, like first opportunity to see this beautiful gabardine that we're going to be making the next blazer in. It's coming out in a few weeks. Keep your eye open when it drops. You know, you would be one of the first people to get your hands on it.
Yeah, sure. And also coming back to what you said about consolidating effort, I love the idea of shipping swatches, but that seems like it could turn into a hell of a lot of work. And I'm not saying that's a bad thing to do, but you might be able to scratch some of the desire for community engagement.
where you give them a peek behind the curtain using something that's off the shelf, like Patreon or private YouTube, something like that. Like, Hey guys, this is what I'm looking. This is what I'm working on right now. And, uh, I'm always looking for low cost, fast experiments that are easy to do. And if it doesn't work, it doesn't work.
But if it does work, then all of a sudden you've created a new type of loyalty program, which has a community where they get to be part of it.
It would also give people something to talk about, about the brand that's unique, which right now is everything. It's word of mouth is everything in this brand. Like we have to get people to the website or it's never going to happen. Yeah.
Well, it's just, you got to get that club going. The exclusive club.
I love it.
Yeah. Kimberly, thanks so much for calling in. Kay Becker Designs. Thank you. Good luck.
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