Guy Laliberté, Founder of Cirque du Soleil | The Tim Ferriss Show

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Resources from this episode: https://tim.blog/2023/10/25/guy-laliberte-cirque-du-soleil/#more-69773

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.”

Please enjoy!

[00:00] Intro
[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.

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.

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