#448: Brad Feld — The Art of Unplugging, Carving Your Own Path, and Riding the Entrepreneurial Rollercoaster

Podcast Notes Key Takeaways In his 30s, Brad worked so much that his wife nearly left him. He had two realizations from that incident:His words weren’t matching his actions (he told his wife she was the most important person in her life yet he was taking work calls when the two of them were hanging out)He needed to spend more time with his wife so they started taking a one week off-the-grid vacation every quarterBrad learned the following lessons from his mentor Len fassler: “They can’t kill you and they can’t eat you” “That moment of I’m at the absolute bottom of this, but I’ve still got shit to do and him just sort of saying, ‘Just suit up, let’s go,’ was a powerful moment for me.” – Brad FeldTwo important questions Tim learned from Jerry: “How are you complicit in creating the conditions you say you don’t want?”“What is being said that you are not hearing, or that is not being heard?”Remember that there’s a difference between hiring a therapist and a coach:A therapist helps you to understand what’s going on in your life and how your current behavior plays a role in itA coach helps you to get better at your craftWhen Brad and his wife fight, they have 3 rules:No physical violenceDon’t shut down while it’s happeningWhen the argument is over, both of them apologizeIt’s okay to be bored in life, you don’t have to fill every single second with some activity:“And it is really helpful to sometimes just sort of look out the window or sit in your backyard and feel like, ‘I actually don’t have anything I have to be doing right now other than be right here.” – Brad Feld

Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.org

Brad Feld — The Art of Unplugging, Carving Your Own Path, and Riding the Entrepreneurial Rollercoaster | Brought to you by Laird Superfood, Theragun, and Thrive Market.

"Brad, they can’t kill you and they can’t eat you. Suit up." — Len Fassler

Brad Feld (@bfeld) is the author of two new books: The Startup Community Way and the second edition of Startup Communities. He has been an early-stage investor and entrepreneur since 1987. Prior to co-founding Foundry Group, he co-founded Mobius Venture Capital and, prior to that, founded Intensity Ventures. Brad is also a co-founder of Techstars. Brad is a writer and speaker on the topics of venture capital investing and entrepreneurship. He’s written a number of books as part of the Startup Revolution series and writes the blogs Feld Thoughts and Venture Deals.

Brad holds bachelor of science and master of science degrees in management science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Brad is also an art collector and long-distance runner. He has completed 25 marathons as part of his mission to finish a marathon in each of the 50 states.

Please enjoy!

This episode is brought to you by Laird Superfood. Founded by big-wave surfer Laird Hamilton and volleyball champion Gabby Reece, Laird Superfood promises to deliver high-impact fuel to help you get through your busiest days. Laird Superfood offers a line of plant-based products designed to optimize your daily rituals, from sunrise to sunset.

My favorite two products are their Turmeric Superfood Creamer and Unsweetened Superfood Creamer. I put one of them in practically everything. Both can really optimize your daily coffee or tea ritual, and a $10 bag will last you a long time. For a limited time, Laird Superfood is offering you guys 20% off your order when you use code TIM at checkout. Check out lairdsuperfood.com/tim to see my favorite products and learn more.

*

This episode is also brought to you by Theragun! Theragun is my go-to solution for recovery and restoration. It’s a famous, handheld percussive therapy device that releases your deepest muscle tension. I own two Theraguns, and my girlfriend and I use them every day after workouts and before bed. The all-new Gen 4 Theragun has a proprietary brushless motor that’s surprisingly quiet. It’s easy to use and about as quiet as an electric toothbrush.

Go to Theragun.com/TIM right now and get your Gen 4 Theragun today, starting at only $199.

*

This episode is also brought to you by Thrive Market, which saves me a ton of money and is perfect for these crazy times. Thrive Market is a membership-based site on a mission to make healthy living easy and affordable for everyone. You can find all types of food, supplements, nontoxic home products, clean wine, dog food—just about anything. Members earn wholesale prices every day and save an average of $30 on each order. I personally saved $39 on my most recent order. 

Go to ThriveMarket.com/tim to give Thrive Market a try! You can choose the membership model that best fits your lifestyle.

They have affordable one-month and 12-month options. When you go to ThriveMarket.com/tim, you can receive up to $20 in shopping credit. Start a risk-free membership today, as you can cancel for any reason within your first 30 days for a full refund.

***

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests.

For show notes and past guests, please visit tim.blog/podcast.

Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (“5-Bullet Friday”) at tim.blog/friday.

For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.

Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Please fill out the form at tim.blog/sponsor.

Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.

Follow Tim:

Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss 

Instagram: instagram.com/timferriss

Facebook: facebook.com/timferriss 

YouTube: youtube.com/timferriss