#700: Guy Laliberté, Founder of Cirque du Soleil — The Power of Belief, Street Gangs, Wild Tales from Las Vegas, The Dangers of Nurturing Fear, and Dancing on the Cliff

Brought to you by Momentous high-quality supplements, Eight Sleep’s Pod Cover sleeping solution for dynamic cooling and heating, and Shopify global commerce platform, providing tools to start, grow, market, and manage a retail business. 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. Please enjoy! This episode is brought to you by Momentous high-quality supplements! Momentous offers high-quality supplements and products across a broad spectrum of categories, and I’ve been testing their products for months now. I’ve been using their magnesium threonate , apigenin , and L-theanine daily, all of which have helped me improve the onset, quality, and duration of my sleep. I’ve also been using Momentous creatine , and while it certainly helps physical performance, including poundage or wattage in sports, I use it primarily for mental performance (short-term memory, etc.). Their products are third-party tested (Informed-Sport and/or NSF certified), so you can trust that what is on the label is in the bottle and nothing else. If you want to try Momentous for yourself, you can use code Tim for 20% off your one-time purchase at LiveMomentous.com/Tim . And not to worry, my non-US friends, Momentous ships internationally and has you covered. * This episode is also brought to you by Eight Sleep ! Eight Sleep’s Pod Cover is the easiest and fastest way to sleep at the perfect temperature . It pairs dynamic cooling and heating with biometric tracking to offer the most advanced (and user-friendly) solution on the market. Simply add the Pod Cover to your current mattress and start sleeping as cool as 55°F or as hot as 110°F. It also splits your bed in half, so your partner can choose a totally different temperature. Go to EightSleep.com/Tim and save $250 on the Eight Sleep Pod Cover. Eight Sleep currently ships within the USA, Canada, the UK, select countries in the EU, and Australia. * This episode is also brought to you by Shopify ! Shopify is one of my favorite platforms and one of my favorite companies. Shopify is designed for anyone to sell anywhere , giving entrepreneurs the resources once reserved for big business. In no time flat, you can have a great-looking online store that brings your ideas to life, and you can have the tools to manage your day-to-day and drive sales. No coding or design experience required. Go to shopify.com/Tim to sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period. It’s a great deal for a great service, so I encourage you to check it out. Take your business to the next level today by visiting shopify.com/Tim . * [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. * For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show , please visit tim.blog/podcast . For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show , please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsors Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter ( 5-Bullet Friday ) at tim.blog/friday . For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts . 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