Episode

#303: How to Do Crazy Good Turns -- Frank Blake
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1:55:14
Published: Thu Mar 15 2018
Description

Frank Blake (@frankblake) served as chairman and CEO of The Home Depot from January 2007 to May 2014, and then as chairman through January of 2015. He previously served as deputy secretary for the US Department of Energy. Prior to that, he served in a wide variety of executive roles at General Electric.Frank's public sector experience includes having served as general counsel for the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), deputy counsel to Vice President George H.W. Bush, and law clerk to Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens.Frank serves on the board of directors for the Georgia Aquarium, Proctor & Gamble, Macy's, and is currently serving as board chairman of Delta and Grady Memorial Hospital. He holds a bachelor's degree from Harvard University and a jurisprudence degree from Columbia University School of Law.Frank also produces a short-form podcast called Crazy Good Turns, which tells inspiring stories about amazing people who do things for others. In this wide-ranging conversation, we discuss a book that inspired both of us, advice from Jack Welch, the art of customer service, "productive conflict," and much, much more. Enjoy!This episode is brought to you by Shure, makers of the SRH1540 Premium Closed-Back Headphones. These headphones feature an expansive soundstage with clear, extended highs and warm bass. They are made with aluminum alloy and carbon fiber construction for a lightweight and durable design, and Alcantara ear pads for maximum sound isolation and comfort.Go to shure.com/tim and use the coupon code TIM at checkout to save $100 on these phenomenal, comfortable headphones. The offer is only valid through April 2018!This podcast is also brought to you by WordPress, my go-to platform for 24/7-supported, zero downtime blogging, writing online, creating websites -- everything! I love it to bits, and the lead developer, Matt Mullenweg, has appeared on this podcast many times.Whether for personal use or business, you're in good company with WordPress -- used by The New Yorker, Jay Z, FiveThirtyEight, TechCrunch, TED, CNN, and Time, just to name a few. A source at Google told me that WordPress offers "the best out-of-the-box SEO imaginable," which is probably why it runs nearly 30% of the Internet. Go to WordPress.com/Tim to get 15% off your website today!***If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. I also love reading the reviews!For show notes and past guests, please visit tim.blog/podcast.Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (“5-Bullet Friday”) at tim.blog/friday.For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Please fill out the form at tim.blog/sponsor.Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.Follow Tim:Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferrissFacebook: facebook.com/timferriss YouTube: youtube.com/timferrissPast 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, and many more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chapters
Get a $100 discount on WordPress.com using the code TIM at checkout, and also receive a $100 discount on the SRH1540 headphones using the same code, for a limited time only.
00:00 - 02:59 (02:59)
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Discounts
Summary

Get a $100 discount on WordPress.com using the code TIM at checkout, and also receive a $100 discount on the SRH1540 headphones using the same code, for a limited time only.

Episode
#303: How to Do Crazy Good Turns -- Frank Blake
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The former Home Depot CEO reflects on when he was offered the position and shares his insight into the success they achieved with the establishment of the company.
02:59 - 10:12 (07:13)
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Business
Summary

The former Home Depot CEO reflects on when he was offered the position and shares his insight into the success they achieved with the establishment of the company.

Episode
#303: How to Do Crazy Good Turns -- Frank Blake
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Many lawyers pine after changes but are averse to entrepreneurship due to a certainty-focused mindset, leading only a few to take the leap.
10:12 - 17:42 (07:30)
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Legal Careers
Summary

Many lawyers pine after changes but are averse to entrepreneurship due to a certainty-focused mindset, leading only a few to take the leap. Lawyers tend to possess an extensive knowledge of people and the industry, making them a valuable resource in the world of entrepreneurship.

Episode
#303: How to Do Crazy Good Turns -- Frank Blake
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker shares about his experience spending a day with Jack Welch and learning CEO 101 lessons from him.
17:42 - 21:54 (04:12)
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CEO
Summary

The speaker shares about his experience spending a day with Jack Welch and learning CEO 101 lessons from him.

Episode
#303: How to Do Crazy Good Turns -- Frank Blake
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Discussion on how submissive behavior can hinder an individual in certain situations and the importance of receiving feedback to overcome such practices.
21:54 - 26:14 (04:20)
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Personal Development
Summary

Discussion on how submissive behavior can hinder an individual in certain situations and the importance of receiving feedback to overcome such practices.

Episode
#303: How to Do Crazy Good Turns -- Frank Blake
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Positive reinforcement is an important aspect of operant and classical conditioning when it comes to dog training, mammal training, and human training since people learn best from celebrating achievements.
26:14 - 30:34 (04:19)
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Positive reinforcement
Summary

Positive reinforcement is an important aspect of operant and classical conditioning when it comes to dog training, mammal training, and human training since people learn best from celebrating achievements. Therefore, it is essential for CEOs to focus on the customer, front line associates, and employees to ensure that projects are successful.

Episode
#303: How to Do Crazy Good Turns -- Frank Blake
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker describes a recognition program for great customer service where stores submit stories and videos of exceptional customer service, which are then sent to districts, regions, and ultimately to the speaker.
30:34 - 36:40 (06:06)
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Customer Service
Summary

The speaker describes a recognition program for great customer service where stores submit stories and videos of exceptional customer service, which are then sent to districts, regions, and ultimately to the speaker. The criteria for good stories include various forms of good customer service.

Episode
#303: How to Do Crazy Good Turns -- Frank Blake
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker discusses the importance of putting all efforts into one specific business to be the best in the retail industry.
36:40 - 45:09 (08:29)
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Business Strategy
Summary

The speaker discusses the importance of putting all efforts into one specific business to be the best in the retail industry. This strategy has been used by successful companies such as Jack Welch's and General Electric.

Episode
#303: How to Do Crazy Good Turns -- Frank Blake
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
In order to have a high net promoter score, having a store that few people go to might be useful, but there's still a challenge of selection bias among the customers.
45:09 - 50:07 (04:58)
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Net promoter score, CEO management, selection bias, customer satisfaction
Summary

In order to have a high net promoter score, having a store that few people go to might be useful, but there's still a challenge of selection bias among the customers. As a CEO, it's important to keep concerns and worries inside while maintaining an optimistic public face to keep the morale of the company up.

Episode
#303: How to Do Crazy Good Turns -- Frank Blake
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Home Depot's leadership philosophy involves spending time with hourly associates to better understand their daily struggles, as well as sharing stories of overcoming adversity to inspire and motivate employees.
50:07 - 56:56 (06:49)
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Leadership
Summary

Home Depot's leadership philosophy involves spending time with hourly associates to better understand their daily struggles, as well as sharing stories of overcoming adversity to inspire and motivate employees.

Episode
#303: How to Do Crazy Good Turns -- Frank Blake
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Tim Ferriss and Kevin Rose discuss the power of gratitude in prayer and the different categories that tend to pop up, including expressing gratitude and asking for help.
56:56 - 1:01:26 (04:30)
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Prayer
Summary

Tim Ferriss and Kevin Rose discuss the power of gratitude in prayer and the different categories that tend to pop up, including expressing gratitude and asking for help.

Episode
#303: How to Do Crazy Good Turns -- Frank Blake
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Home Depot's strong customer-centric culture has been a key factor in its success.
1:01:26 - 1:08:08 (06:42)
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Home Depot
Summary

Home Depot's strong customer-centric culture has been a key factor in its success. Even during tough times like the housing downturn, the company prioritized hourly associates and customer satisfaction over profits, as evidenced by its practice of giving pay raises and bonuses to hourly staff.

Episode
#303: How to Do Crazy Good Turns -- Frank Blake
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The former CEO of Home Depot shares insights on their experience with data breaches, emphasizing the importance of being proactive and honest with stakeholders.
1:08:08 - 1:15:08 (07:00)
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Home Depot
Summary

The former CEO of Home Depot shares insights on their experience with data breaches, emphasizing the importance of being proactive and honest with stakeholders. He also highlights the need to recognize that no company will openly admit to having a massive data breach.

Episode
#303: How to Do Crazy Good Turns -- Frank Blake
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The podcast discusses the different types of worry such as passive worrying, and how to overcome it by focusing on the people involved and not just checking a box.
1:15:08 - 1:20:25 (05:17)
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Worry
Summary

The podcast discusses the different types of worry such as passive worrying, and how to overcome it by focusing on the people involved and not just checking a box.

Episode
#303: How to Do Crazy Good Turns -- Frank Blake
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The importance of listening and communicating effectively in podcasting is highlighted through impactful stories shared by guests, resulting in an engaging and fascinating experience for listeners.
1:20:25 - 1:25:46 (05:21)
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Podcasting
Summary

The importance of listening and communicating effectively in podcasting is highlighted through impactful stories shared by guests, resulting in an engaging and fascinating experience for listeners.

Episode
#303: How to Do Crazy Good Turns -- Frank Blake
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker discusses the growth of entrepreneurship and philanthropy, emphasizing the importance of taking risks and being generous in different ways.
1:25:46 - 1:31:08 (05:22)
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Entrepreneurship
Summary

The speaker discusses the growth of entrepreneurship and philanthropy, emphasizing the importance of taking risks and being generous in different ways. They also discuss the benefits of seeking outside perspective to manage anxiety and achieve personal growth.

Episode
#303: How to Do Crazy Good Turns -- Frank Blake
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker recommends a book by Agnes Callard, which is a summary of the three hundred underlined points of a real book.
1:31:08 - 1:39:50 (08:42)
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Book Recommendation
Summary

The speaker recommends a book by Agnes Callard, which is a summary of the three hundred underlined points of a real book. The book talks about the influence of World War Two in the liberal arts world, particularly Europe and the need to face the collaboration that happened.

Episode
#303: How to Do Crazy Good Turns -- Frank Blake
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker expresses their fascination with the complexities of their country's history and highlights the importance of reading history books.
1:39:50 - 1:46:37 (06:47)
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History
Summary

The speaker expresses their fascination with the complexities of their country's history and highlights the importance of reading history books. They also mention how many workers in the humanitarian field wear slip-on shoes designed for hospital use.

Episode
#303: How to Do Crazy Good Turns -- Frank Blake
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Take on a challenge to focus on applauding what you want to see more of in the world, rather than criticizing things you do not like.
1:46:37 - 1:50:40 (04:03)
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Positivity
Summary

Take on a challenge to focus on applauding what you want to see more of in the world, rather than criticizing things you do not like.

Episode
#303: How to Do Crazy Good Turns -- Frank Blake
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The podcast episode includes a sponsorship advertisement for Shure headphones, offering a discount for listeners using a special code.
1:50:40 - 1:54:59 (04:19)
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Shure, headphones, WordPress.com, websites
Summary

The podcast episode includes a sponsorship advertisement for Shure headphones, offering a discount for listeners using a special code. The episode also briefly mentions WordPress.com as a tool for creating personal and business websites.

Episode
#303: How to Do Crazy Good Turns -- Frank Blake
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show