Deviate

“The top of a mountain is just a pile of rock and ice, and it’s really not much different than being a couple hundred feet lower. What’s important are the lessons that you learn along the way when you’re fighting like hell to get up there. And then what you’re going to do with that information to be better going forward.” – Alison Levine Alison Levine (@Levine_Alison) is an American mountaineer, leadership consultant, and public speaker. She is one of less than 60 people to have ascended the highest peaks on every continent and skied to both the North and South Poles (known as the Explorers Grand Slam). Her 2014 book On the Edge: Leadership Lessons from Mount Everest and Other Extreme Environments was a New York Times Bestseller. In Episode 4 of Deviate, Rolf discusses introversion versus extroversion (1:45); summiting Mount Everest and overcoming obstacles (18:55); respecting culture while fostering progress (37:00); Alison’s career path, and lessons learned along the way (51:20); finding mentors (1:04:30); and Alison’s most important life advice, including the importance of failure (1:16:26). You can find out more about The Glass Ceiling, Alison Levine’s documentary project about the first Nepali woman to climb Mt. Everest, at theglassceilingmovie.com or via her Indiegogo fundraising campaign. Notable People Mentioned: Pasang Lhamu Sherpa (mountaineer) Edmund Hillary (mountaineer) Tenzing Norgay (mountaineer) Pete Dawkins (businessman) Links: TripScout (self-guided city-tour mobile app) Climb High Foundation (teaching women in developing nations trekking-related tourism skills) Thayer Leader Development Group at West Point “Freedom to Fail,” by Pete Dawkins (from Infantry Magazine, Sept/Oct.1965) This episode was sponsored by the Paris Writing Workshop, an intensive one-month course in the artistic heart of Europe. The Deviate theme music comes from the title track of Cedar Van Tassel’s 2017 album Lumber. Note: We don’t host a “comments” section, but we’re happy to hear your questions and insights via email, at deviate@rolfpotts.com.

“You should write down what you would like your future to look like, because otherwise you will be on autopilot.” – Rolfe Kent In Episode 3 of Deviate, Rolf discusses music and the creative process with accomplished Hollywood film composer Rolfe Kent (@rolfekent), whose recent project, The Zen Effect, is available on iTunes. To download a free track from The Zen Effect, visit Rolfe’s website. Links: Tools: FS Binaural Microphone The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles, by Steven Pressfield The Artist’s Way Morning Pages Journal, by Julia Cameron Ketogenic diet Oblique Strategies, created by Brian Eno and Peter Schmidt Pomodoro Technique (time management) Melodica (instrument) Mixtapes as a Lost Language: A Brief Cultural Primer Rolfe’s film and TV scores discussed in the interview: Dexter theme (television series) Sideways (film) Up in the Air (film) The Hunting Party (film) Mexico City (film) Reign Over Me (film) Mean Girls (film) Wedding Crashers (film) Legally Blonde (film) Notable film music discussed: James Bond theme (by Monty Norman) Star Wars theme (by John Williams) Mission Impossible theme (by Lalo Schifrin) Blade Runner theme (by Vangelis) The Good, the Bad and the Ugly main theme (by Ennio Morricone) Lawrence of Arabia main theme (by Maurice Jarre) Paris, Texas theme (by Ry Cooder) Steven Soderbergh’s ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ remix (which uses music from The Social Network) Notable people mentioned: Alexander Payne (director) Richard Shepard (director) Jason Reitman (director) Brian Eno (music producer) Mike Binder (director) Thomas Newman (composer) Rick Rubin (music producer) The tune “Hippie Christmas” from Rolfe’s song-shop, as heard in the episode, was written by Craig Richey Show Notes: Purpose of a movie score (11:45) Career path and early influences (23:22) Rolfe’s muscial style (27:18) Collaborating with filmmakers (37:30) Letting go of completed work (43:40) Accidental versus intentional creativity (47:50) On different instruments offering different opportunities to convey a message (50:32) On inspiration (52:30) Organization and focus techniques (54:20) Creative process (59:25) Mid-career creativity and “success management” (1:12:10) Restrictions as a catalyst for creativity (122:19) Immersive music theater (1:24:30) Scoring one’s own life (129:40) Musical structure and its function in everyday life (1:30:55) Free download from Rolfe’s Kent’s Zen Effect. This episode was sponsored by the Paris Writing Workshop, an intensive one-month course in the artistic heart of Europe. The Deviate theme music comes from the title track of Cedar Van Tassel’s 2017 album Lumber. Note: We don’t host a “comments” section, but we’re happy to hear your questions and insights via email, at deviate@rolfpotts.com.

“Culture is cosmetic” – Ernest White In Episode 2 of Deviate, Rolf explores friendship and culture as he goes on a road trip with friend, travel writer, and storyteller Ernest White (@ernestwhiteii), whose new TV show, Fly Brother, comes out soon. Links: Media Links Gringo Trails, by Pegi Vail (travel documentary) The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration, by Isabel Wilkerson James Baldwin (author) Notes of a Native Son, by James Baldwin The Fire Next Time, by James Baldwin Passing Strange (Broadway musical / movie) Show Notes: Adult friendships and sexual orientation (8:00) Race (21:10) Cross-cultural travel dynamics (25:15) Recognizing commonalities and appreciating differences (43:40) Cultural conditioning (46:23) Brotherhood (54:15) This episode was sponsored by the Paris Writing Workshop, an intensive one-month course in the artistic heart of Europe. The Deviate theme music comes from the title track of Cedar Van Tassel’s 2017 album Lumber. Note: We don’t host a “comments” section, but we’re happy to hear your questions and insights via email, at deviate@rolfpotts.com.

“If you never got paid for podcasting, would the skills and relationships you developed be enough to keep you doing it? If the answer is ‘no’, I wouldn’t pull the trigger.” – Tim Ferriss In the inaugural episode of Deviate, Rolf goes meta and talks about podcasting with bestselling author and lifestyle-design guru Tim Ferriss (@tferriss), whose newest book, Tribe of Mentors: Short Life Advice from the Best in the World, debuts this week. Update (12/07/17): An abridged transcript for this episode is now available online in blog form, as “Tim Ferriss on his 17 principles for how to create a successful podcast.” Links: Podcasting Tools Ecamm Call Recorder (28:04) Zencastr (28:08) ATR2100 USB Microphone (28:38) Zoom H6 Recorder (1:15:24) Zoom H1 Recorder Shure SM7B Mic Audacity (software) Auphonic (postproduction web service) Yellowtec: iXm (self-enclosed mic) Evernote (web application) Other links Rolf Potts on the Tim Ferriss Show Ed Catmull on the Tim Ferriss Show Arnold Schwarzenegger on the Tim Ferriss Show Edward Norton on the Tim Ferriss Show Dom D’Agostino on Ketosis and the End of Cancer on the Tim Ferriss Show Nick Szabo: The Quiet Master of Cryptocurrency on the Tim Ferriss Show Jocko Willink on the Tim Ferriss Show Debbie Millman on the Tim Ferriss Show Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make Competition Irrelevant, by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne “1,000 True Fans,” by Kevin Kelly Joe Rogan podcast WTF with Marc Maron podcast Nerdist podcast James Lipton (interviewer from Inside the Actors Studio) Terry Gross (interviewer from NPR’s Fresh Air) Serial podcast Spirited Away (2001 animated movie) Agaric mushroom Tentacle erotica Show notes: What not to do in podcasting (15:58) Crafting questions (19:58) Learning from previous interviews (24:55) Interviewing techniques (26:00) The benefits of phone interviews (29:40) The decision to start a podcast (32:28) The anxiety of interviewing (40:45) Pre-interview tips (45:20) Editing / producing interviews / podcasts (52:45) Intro music (58:38) Guest selection 1:03:01) Interview strategy (1:12:08) Recording equipment (1:14:50) Building a listening community (1:22:30) Tim’s brand (1:33:25) Building relationships (1:36:00) Podcast logistics (1:43:20) Podcast frequency (1:48:50) The interview introduction process (1:51:35) The preparation process (1:56:15) Monetization (2:05:55) Wrapping up podcasts (2:38:57) Japanamation (2:19:40) Psychedelics (2:27:16) Books by Tim Ferriss: Tribe of Mentors: Short Life Advice from the Best in the World Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers The 4-Hour Chef: The Simple Path to Cooking Like a Pro, Learning Anything, and Living the Good Life The 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat-Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman The 4-Hour Work Week: Escape the 9-5, Live Anywhere and Join the New Rich This episode was sponsored by the Paris Writing Workshop, an intensive one-month course in the artistic heart of Europe. The Deviate theme music comes from the title track of Cedar Van Tassel’s 2017 album Lumber. Note: We don’t host a “comments” section, but we’re happy to hear your questions and insights via email, at deviate@rolfpotts.com.