The Genesis of Cirque du Soleil: Art, Opportunity, and Entrepreneurship

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Guy Laliberté (@guylalibertedj) is the founder of Cirque du Soleil, One Drop Foundation, and Lune Rouge. He was named by Time Magazine as one of the most influential personalities in the world and has been recognized as one of the most creative and innovative minds by Condé Nast. 

An artist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, Guy is a three-time winner of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, including World Entrepreneur of the Year; a Knight of the National Order of Quebec; and an inductee of the Canadian Business Hall of Fame. Guy has been granted the insignia of the Order of Canada, the highest distinction in the country, and in 2010 received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Guy now dedicates his time to his company, Lune Rouge, and his international nonprofit, One Drop Foundation, which aims to “ensure sustainable access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene for communities everywhere through innovative partnerships, creativity, and the power of art.”

Visit Frooogs.com to discover Guy's latest project.

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[06:16] A galvanizing trip to Europe in 1977.

[12:31] Busking without going broke.

[15:46] Managing Mom and Dad's misaligned values.

[25:35] Emerging from a dark teenage period.

[31:13] The transcendental power of Cirque du Soleil.

[36:25] Beginning a "theater troupe on stilts."

[45:00] How Hawaiian epiphanies forged the spirit of Cirque du Soleil.

[51:55] Black sheep winning over the wolves.

[1:05:57] Drawing from P.T. Barnum and Walt Disney.

[1:07:27] Overcoming early financial hurdles.

[1:19:31] An opening day that signaled the beginning of never looking back again.

[1:27:11] Evaluating danger without nurturing fear.

[1:28:36] Buffering against betrayal without surrendering to cynicism.

[1:34:12] Steve Wynn for the win.

[1:47:55] Blue Ocean Strategy.

[1:48:55] Pioneering and inspiring.

[1:51:55] Priority and mortality.

[1:57:47] Parting thoughts.

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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, Margaret Atwood, Mark Zuckerberg, Peter Thiel, Dr. Gabor Maté, Anne Lamott, Sarah Silverman, Dr. Andrew Huberman, and many more.

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