Uploaded July 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Charlie Houpert is the co-founder of Charisma on Command, a company that helps people develop confidence, charisma, and strong social skills. Originally launched as a 4-Hour Workweek-inspired “muse,” it has since grown into one of the largest platforms for social skills and confidence training, with more than 10 million YouTube subscribers worldwide and more than a billion views across its channels in six languages. His flagship course, Charisma University, has guided more than 30,000 members through practical steps to become more magnetic.
This episode is brought to you by:
Monarch Money track, budget, plan, and do more with your money: MonarchMoney.com/Tim (50% off your first year at monarchmoney.com with code TIM)
LinkedIn Jobs recruitment platform with 1B+ users: linkedin.com/tim (post your job for free)
Tim Ferriss is one of Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Business People” and an early-stage tech investor/advisor in Uber, Facebook, Twitter, Shopify, Duolingo, Alibaba, and 50+ other companies. He is also the author of five #1 New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers: The 4-Hour Workweek, The 4-Hour Body, The 4-Hour Chef, Tools of Titans and Tribe of Mentors. The Observer and other media have named him “the Oprah of audio” due to the influence of his podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show, which has exceeded 900 million downloads and been selected for “Best of Apple Podcasts” three years running.
Sign up for "5-Bullet Friday" (Tim's free weekly email newsletter): https://go.tim.blog/5-bullet-friday-yt/
Follow the Tim Ferriss Podcast: https://tim.blog/podcast/
Visit the Tim Ferriss Blog: https://tim.blog/
Follow Tim Ferriss on Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss
Follow Tim Ferriss on Instagram: instagram.com/timferriss
Like Tim Ferriss on Facebook: facebook.com/TimFerriss
Charlie Houpert is the co-founder of Charisma on Command, a company that helps people develop confidence, charisma, and strong social skills. Originally launched as a 4-Hour Workweek-inspired “muse,” it has since grown into one of the largest platforms for social skills and confidence training, with more than 10 million YouTube subscribers worldwide and more than a billion views across its channels in six languages. His flagship course, Charisma University, has guided more than 30,000 members through practical steps to become more magnetic.
This episode is brought to you by:
Monarch Money track, budget, plan, and do more with your money: MonarchMoney.com/Tim (50% off your first year at monarchmoney.com with code TIM)
LinkedIn Jobs recruitment platform with 1B+ users: linkedin.com/tim (post your job for free)
Tim Ferriss is one of Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Business People” and an early-stage tech investor/advisor in Uber, Facebook, Twitter, Shopify, Duolingo, Alibaba, and 50+ other companies. He is also the author of five #1 New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers: The 4-Hour Workweek, The 4-Hour Body, The 4-Hour Chef, Tools of Titans and Tribe of Mentors. The Observer and other media have named him “the Oprah of audio” due to the influence of his podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show, which has exceeded 900 million downloads and been selected for “Best of Apple Podcasts” three years running.
Sign up for "5-Bullet Friday" (Tim's free weekly email newsletter): https://go.tim.blog/5-bullet-friday-yt/
Follow the Tim Ferriss Podcast: https://tim.blog/podcast/
Visit the Tim Ferriss Blog: https://tim.blog/
Follow Tim Ferriss on Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss
Follow Tim Ferriss on Instagram: instagram.com/timferriss
Like Tim Ferriss on Facebook: facebook.com/TimFerriss
![The Most Incredible Transformation I’ve Ever Seen — Jerzy Gregorek on Cerebral Palsy and Coaching
Jerzy Gregorek is a 4x World Weightlifting Champion, co-founder of UCLA’s weightlifting team, and co-creator, with his wife Aniela, of the Happy Body program. You can watch Prisoner No More for free here: https://tim.blog/hardchoices. To fill out the form on Cerebral Palsy Research Project, visit https://tim.blog/cp.
This episode is brought to you by:
Matic the intelligent robot vacuum and mop that navigates obstacles and needs no babysitting: https://MaticRobots.com/Tim
Our Place’s Titanium Always Pan® Pro using nonstick technology that’s coating-free and made without PFAS, otherwise known as “forever chemicals”: https://FromOurPlace.com/Tim
[00:00] Preview
[00:35] The transformation Ive been chasing for a decade.
[01:49] When an unstoppable coach meets an immovable cerebral palsy diagnosis.
[03:46] Three pounds to 170: the bench press that woke a brain up.
[06:26] One year in, the first real conversation lands.
[09:51] Treadmills exhaust, athletes progress: why physical therapy stalled where coaching took off.
[15:02] Lethargy, sleeping in the car, and the quiet power of resting energy.
[16:19] The 16-inch box that opened the bathroom door — and everything after.
[20:28] Certificates, restaurant ceremonies, and writing history onto a blank brain.
[25:22] Parental dedication and appreciation.
[28:03] The adulthood gambit: quit piano, quit training — if you can stick an 18-inch jump.
[31:24] License plates as the gateway drug from counting to math five hours a day.
[36:19] Coaching that doesnt court approval.
[39:06] Genghis Khan vs. Admiral Yi Sun-Sin.
[42:55] The pitch: 25 patients, five years, and a method built to be replicated.
[1:02:16] Hard choices, easy life — and the call to find your starting point.
Tim Ferriss is one of Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Business People” and an early-stage tech investor/advisor in Uber, Facebook, Twitter, Shopify, Duolingo, Alibaba, and 50+ other companies. He is also the author of five #1 New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers: The 4-Hour Workweek, The 4-Hour Body, The 4-Hour Chef, Tools of Titans and Tribe of Mentors. The Observer and other media have named him “the Oprah of audio” due to the influence of his podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show, which has exceeded one billion downloads and been selected for “Best of Apple Podcasts” three years running.
Sign up for 5-Bullet Friday (Tims free weekly email newsletter): https://go.tim.blog/5-bullet-friday-yt/
Follow the Tim Ferriss Podcast: https://tim.blog/podcast/
Visit the Tim Ferriss Blog: https://tim.blog/
Follow Tim Ferriss on Twitter: https://twitter.com/tferriss/
Follow Tim Ferriss on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timferriss/
Like Tim Ferriss on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TimFerriss/ The Most Incredible Transformation I’ve Ever Seen — Jerzy Gregorek on Cerebral Palsy and Coaching](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/fBujS3ACNQY/mqdefault.jpg)

![Daredevil Michelle Khare — How to Become a YouTube Superstar
Daredevil Michelle Khare lives life to the extreme in Challenge Accepted, amassing more than 6 million followers and more than 1 billion views. Across the show, youll see Michelle attempt everything from Tom Cruise’s Deadliest stunt to Harry Houdini’s water torture cell to trying to earn a black belt in taekwondo in only 90 days.
Follow Michelle: @MichelleKhare
This episode is brought to you by:
Fin powerful AI Agent for all your customer service https://Fin.Ai/Tim
Monarch track, budget, plan, and do more with your money: https://Monarch.com/Tim
Momentous Fiber+ 3-in-1 formula with soluble fiber, insoluble fiber, and Solnul® resistant starch: https://LiveMomentous.com/Tim
AG1 all-in-one nutritional supplement: https://DrinkAG1.com/Tim
[00:00] A Fear Setting Preview.
[00:39] Challenge Accepted: The logline and why breakdowns stay in the edit.
[02:50] Growing up in Shreveport, LA: Movies, the AFI Top 100, and interning on Snitch.
[06:34] Podcasting: More work than meets the ear.
[18:43] Quality over quantity: 8–10 episodes a year, scarcity as strategy, and building a defensible moat.
[29:14] Hard choices, easy life — Jerzy Gregorek, calling the FAA 300 times, and why no one copies you when the barrier is insanity.
[33:11] Dartmouth to Google.org: the Fermi estimation faceplant and not getting the job.
[34:46] BuzzFeed as graduate school of the internet.
[38:16] My case against starting a company right out of school.
[41:57] The stolen book: Michelle pulls out a battered 2016 copy of The 4-Hour Workweek and reads her fear-setting chart aloud.
[45:43] Ive never designed my own rubric of success — the nightmare, the repair plan, and what Michelle was putting off out of fear.
[51:35] Practicing poverty
[1:01:45] Kebab-shop destiny: meeting stunt coordinator Steve Brown in L.A. — now he does Avatar and straps Michelle to planes.
[1:03:48] Surface area for luck: Bill Gurley, Kevin Kellys sleeping bag, and Seneca on voluntary discomfort.
[1:07:27] Coach, mentor, cheerleader: the three-person Formula One team you actually need.
[1:12:02] The art of the cold email — and cold-calling the FBI tip line to meet The Hollywood Guy.
[1:16:33] Michelles three-paragraph, six-sentence formula for emails that open any door.
[1:20:58] Tims cold email playbook: the via trick, include your damn cell number, and why Yo, Ferriss is an auto-archive.
[1:31:06] The fake Tim Ferriss Podcast phishing scam: Zoom calls, screen access, and hijacked Facebook pages.
[1:35:46] Emailing Hank Green, Brandon Sandersons unpublished novels, and why your first cold emails are just practice reps.
[1:41:32] Michelles storytelling syllabus: Survivor, Snyders Save the Cat, and peer review of whatever went viral last week.
[1:43:46] Jeff Probst: The GOAT host and secret Einstein of reality television.
[1:48:16] John McPhees red-ink writing class at Princeton.
[1:53:54] Six Thinking Hats broke Michelles pessimism; Radical Candor taught her how to give feedback.
[2:02:46] The slinky org chart: Seven full-timers that balloon to 50 for a shoot, then compress right back.
[2:17:13] Scope creep, saying no to big checks, and why Michelle has never hit creator burnout.
[2:26:49] My No Book teaser: 850 pages on renegotiating commitments and getting back on the wagon.
[2:29:55] The Mindy Kaling manifesto: @MindyKalingFan, The Office, and shattering expectations for Indian women in entertainment.
[2:37:19] Wishlist shout-out: Norland College, where Mary Poppins meets Secret Service.
[2:39:26] Episodes Michelle would pay to relive.
[2:44:24] Episodes Michelle would pay to skip.
[2:49:00] Seven marathons, seven continents, one week.
[2:54:06] Free Solo, Alex Honnold in the creepy van, and things both of us would never do.
[2:57:37] Books gifted most: Radical Candor, The Great CEO Within, and Adam Grants Originals.
[2:58:21] Michelles billboard.
[2:59:45] A primetime Emmy run and parting thoughts.
Tim Ferriss is one of Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Business People” and an early-stage tech investor/advisor in Uber, Facebook, Twitter, Shopify, Duolingo, Alibaba, and 50+ other companies. He is also the author of five #1 New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers: The 4-Hour Workweek, The 4-Hour Body, The 4-Hour Chef, Tools of Titans and Tribe of Mentors. The Observer and other media have named him “the Oprah of audio” due to the influence of his podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show, which has exceeded one billion downloads and been selected for “Best of Apple Podcasts” three years running.
Sign up for 5-Bullet Friday (Tims free weekly email newsletter): https://go.tim.blog/5-bullet-friday-yt/
Follow the Tim Ferriss Podcast: https://tim.blog/podcast/
Visit the Tim Ferriss Blog: https://tim.blog/
Follow Tim Ferriss on Twitter: https://twitter.com/tferriss/
Follow Tim Ferriss on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timferriss/
Like Tim Ferriss on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TimFerriss/ Daredevil Michelle Khare — How to Become a YouTube Superstar](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/fmpWGD1OxDo/mqdefault.jpg)


![The Many Benefits of Coca — The “Divine Leaf” with 8,000+ Years of Use
Coca is to cocaine what potatoes are to vodka — Dr. Andrew Weil and Wade Davis on the health benefits, sacred history, and unjust prohibition of the most misunderstood plant on Earth.
Dr. Andrew Weil is a pioneer in integrative medicine and founder of the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona, where he holds the Lovell-Jones Endowed Chair and serves as Clinical Professor of Medicine and Professor of Public Health.
Wade Davis is an ethnographer, writer, photographer, and filmmaker. From 2014 to 2024 he served as Professor of Anthropology and BC Leadership Chair in Cultures and Ecosystems at Risk at the University of British Columbia, and from 2000 to 2013 as Explorer-in-Residence at the National Geographic Society.
This episode is brought to you by:
Incogni, which removes your personal data from the web, helping shield you from fraud, scams, and identity theft: https://Incogni.com/Tim (use code TIM at checkout and get 60% off an annual plan)
Maui Nui Venison delicious, nutrient-dense, and responsible red meat: https://mauinuivenison.com/tim
5-Bullet Friday, my very own free email newsletter: https://tim.blog/friday
[00:00] Start.
[00:30] When coca tea cured my brutal altitude sickness in Chile.
[01:56] Andy meets coca, 1965: the Andes master medicine for gut, energy, mood, metabolism.
[04:20] 14 alkaloids, one scapegoat.
[05:12] The paradox: one remedy for both diarrhea and constipation.
[09:49] 8,000 years, zero addiction — and the 1975 study no one wanted to run.
[11:23] Eradication began 60 years before there was a cocaine problem.
[12:05] Two nations inside Peru: alcohol versus coca.
[12:42] The 1950 UN commission that dictated coca policy by pseudoscience, fear, and racism.
[13:49] Filed beside fentanyl and heroin; 250,000 families and the price of peace.
[15:46] What coca actually feels like: milder than half a coffee, no crash, no withdrawal.
[20:06] Decoupling the leaf from the cartels; why crop substitution is a fantasy.
[21:45] Domesticated three times; the accident of Schedule II.
[23:42] The sacred leaf: kintu, cruceta, Pachamama, runakuna.
[27:10] Hayo in the Sierra Nevada, and Latin Americas most-denied gift.
[28:56] The wedge in the door: demand, the FDA, and an entrepreneurs gold mine.
[36:40] The story coca deserves — a film, green powders, and one good study.
[39:31] Monkey mind, the tax of consciousness, and an 84th birthday on coca.
[43:59] Whom to fund: McCurdy and the hunt for legal leaves.
[45:41] Could coca treat cocaine addiction? Cost, and NIDAs timing.
[49:46] Green cocaine at the airport: coca is to cocaine as potatoes are to vodka.
[53:28] A 24-hour ritual run powered entirely by coca.
[55:41] Why two men gave their careers to one leaf — and the pharmaceutical body count.
[1:03:06] Americas legal cocaine capital, and Cokes secret recipe.
[1:05:58] No accident: the hideous prose behind laws we still obey.
[1:12:38] Parting thoughts.
Tim Ferriss is one of Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Business People” and an early-stage tech investor/advisor in Uber, Facebook, Twitter, Shopify, Duolingo, Alibaba, and 50+ other companies. He is also the author of five #1 New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers: The 4-Hour Workweek, The 4-Hour Body, The 4-Hour Chef, Tools of Titans and Tribe of Mentors. The Observer and other media have named him “the Oprah of audio” due to the influence of his podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show, which has exceeded one billion downloads and been selected for “Best of Apple Podcasts” three years running.
Sign up for 5-Bullet Friday (Tims free weekly email newsletter): https://go.tim.blog/5-bullet-friday-yt/
Follow the Tim Ferriss Podcast: https://tim.blog/podcast/
Visit the Tim Ferriss Blog: https://tim.blog/
Follow Tim Ferriss on Twitter: https://twitter.com/tferriss/
Follow Tim Ferriss on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timferriss/
Like Tim Ferriss on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TimFerriss/ The Many Benefits of Coca — The “Divine Leaf” with 8,000+ Years of Use](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/gL48mHH6ul8/mqdefault.jpg)

![Building “Charisma on Command” to 10M+ Subscribers — Charlie Houpert
Charlie Houpert is the co-founder of Charisma on Command, a company that helps people develop confidence, charisma, and strong social skills. Originally launched as a 4-Hour Workweek-inspired “muse,” it has since grown into one of the largest platforms for social skills and confidence training, with more than 10 million YouTube subscribers worldwide and more than a billion views across its channels in six languages. His flagship course, Charisma University, has guided more than 30,000 members through practical steps to become more magnetic.
This episode is brought to you by:
Patagonias call-to-action to protect Americas public lands. Go to https://Patagonia.com/Tim to learn more and act now.
Monarch Money track, budget, plan, and do more with your money: https://MonarchMoney.com/Tim (50% off your first year at monarchmoney.com with code TIM)
LinkedIn Jobs recruitment platform with 1B+ users: https://linkedin.com/tim (post your job for free)
Tim Ferriss is one of Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Business People” and an early-stage tech investor/advisor in Uber, Facebook, Twitter, Shopify, Duolingo, Alibaba, and 50+ other companies. He is also the author of five #1 New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers: The 4-Hour Workweek, The 4-Hour Body, The 4-Hour Chef, Tools of Titans and Tribe of Mentors. The Observer and other media have named him “the Oprah of audio” due to the influence of his podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show, which has exceeded 900 million downloads and been selected for “Best of Apple Podcasts” three years running.
Sign up for 5-Bullet Friday (Tims free weekly email newsletter): https://go.tim.blog/5-bullet-friday-yt/
Follow the Tim Ferriss Podcast: https://tim.blog/podcast/
Visit the Tim Ferriss Blog: https://tim.blog/
Follow Tim Ferriss on Twitter: https://twitter.com/tferriss/
Follow Tim Ferriss on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timferriss/
Like Tim Ferriss on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TimFerriss/
[00:00] Start
[03:51] Why defaulting to management consulting after college felt like daily self-betrayal.
[07:07] Leaping into parkour training via DVD as a first business attempt.
[09:29] Moonlighting vs. burning-ships entrepreneurship.
[10:39] Negotiating remote work with a 90% raise.
[15:18] Charlie moves to New York and kicks off KickAss Academy.
[16:13] Airbnb survival tactics while living in a 396 sq. ft. apartment.
[17:28] Using the fear-setting exercise and other disaster-mitigation strategies.
[20:16] Charlie’s first blog post and crossing the publishing Rubicon.
[22:34] How Charlie’s first in-person class prompted an accidental business model.
[27:31] 10 go-getters make an ambitious move to Brazil.
[30:30] The daily growth whiteboard system.
[31:22] How a harsh Tucker Max consultation galvanized the rebranding to Charisma on Command.
[38:12] From financial downturn to pre-selling a course for $12,500.
[44:38] Finally making enough money to chase summer in six-to-eight-month increments.
[45:55] Enjoying the sustainable benefits of creating timeless content.
[48:04] How Bill Clinton seduced 7,000 people into following Charlie on YouTube.
[49:41] How Greg McKeown’s Essentialism helped solve Charlie’s “Herbie” problem.
[52:28] Evolving funnel flow and fame-jacking.
[57:50] YouTube algorithm changes, short-form content, and maintaining audience trust for the long term.
[01:05:09] Why I still create this podcast.
[01:14:10] The dangers of succumbing entirely to audience expectation over authenticity.
[01:16:28] The catalysts that led to time off, an ayahuasca retreat, and a seven-year transformation process.
[01:25:24] Making the transition from 50/50 partner to sole owner.
[01:30:20] Recommended reading: Six Pillars of Self-Esteem by Nathaniel Branden
[01:32:44] The influence of The Last Psychiatrist blog.
[01:36:56] Jay Abraham coaching: “Make it good enough for Tim Ferriss.”
[01:39:03] How testimonials added a 4x conversion lift.
[01:39:42] Coming to an agreement with the co-founder.
[01:42:34] Joe Hudson and the Art of Accomplishment.
[01:47:14] Why I stand by The 4-Hour Workweek without further revision, warts and all.
[01:50:31] Exercising gratitude even when receiving praise is difficult.
[01:54:43] Relationship with earlier work: video vs. writing.
[01:57:46] Don’t miss “Filling the Void.”
[01:59:41] More recommended reading.
[02:02:25] Improv & Dragons.
[02:03:45] Charlie’s billboard: “Don’t think, feel.”
[02:04:36] Parting thoughts. Building “Charisma on Command” to 10M+ Subscribers — Charlie Houpert](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/gxkjMnSCg3k/mqdefault.jpg)


