#833: Jack Canfield — Selling 600+ Million Books, Success Principles, and How He Made The 4-Hour Workweek Happen
Timestamps are as accurate as they can be but may be slightly off. We encourage you to listen to the full context.
Podcast Summary
In this engaging episode of The Tim Ferriss Show, Jack Canfield, co-creator of the legendary Chicken Soup for the Soul series, shares his incredible journey from inner-city teacher to becoming one of America's most successful authors and speakers. The conversation reveals how a single "yes" from Jack launched Tim's career, as Jack introduced him to the editor who would publish The 4-Hour Work Week. (01:57)
- Main Theme: The episode explores Jack's evolution from teaching in Chicago's inner city to creating a publishing phenomenon that sold over 600 million copies, while diving deep into the principles of success, personal responsibility, and the power of persistence in the face of massive rejection.
Speakers
Jack Canfield
Jack Canfield is the co-author of more than 200 books, including The Success Principles and the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, which includes 44 New York Times bestsellers and has sold more than 600 million copies in 50+ languages worldwide. He is the founder and CEO of the Canfield Training Group and holds two Guinness World Records, including having seven Chicken Soup books on the New York Times bestseller list simultaneously in 1999. (00:25)
Tim Ferriss
Tim Ferriss is the host of The Tim Ferriss Show and author of multiple bestselling books including The 4-Hour Work Week. As revealed in this episode, his career was significantly influenced by Jack Canfield, who made the crucial introduction to the editor who would publish Tim's first book. Tim started as a volunteer organizer for Silicon Valley startup events while driving his mother's broken-down minivan and eating at Jack in the Box. (02:57)
Key Takeaways
Take 100% Responsibility for Your Life
W. Clement Stone's mentorship fundamentally changed Jack's approach to life when he asked the pivotal question: "Do you take 100% responsibility for your life?" (22:23) This isn't about toxic positivity or ignoring reality - it's about recognizing that while you can't control events, you can control your response. Jack uses the formula E + R = O (Event plus Response equals Outcome) to illustrate that blaming others or circumstances never produces better results. The only things you can control are your thoughts, mental images, and behaviors. When you stop wasting energy on blame and complaints, you free up mental bandwidth to focus on solutions and actions that actually improve your situation.
Test Your Material with Live Audiences Before Publishing
Jack's success with Chicken Soup for the Soul wasn't accidental - every story was battle-tested in front of real audiences during his workshops and seminars. (26:12) He noticed that when he told historical facts, students looked out the window, but when he shared stories, they paid complete attention. This feedback loop allowed him to refine what worked and eliminate what didn't. For The Success Principles, he spent three days reading every story aloud at a ski resort to ensure they flowed naturally, contributing to its 105 million copies sold. Live feedback reveals what truly resonates, what confuses people, and where you need more or less information - insights you simply cannot get from writing in isolation.
Implement the Rule of Five for Consistent Progress
Jack and Mark Victor Hansen's breakthrough strategy involved taking five marketing actions every single day for their book, inspired by learning that The Road Less Traveled author did five interviews daily for a year. (34:07) They created a wall of Post-it notes with every marketing idea from a book about selling millions of copies, then either took five actions from one idea or did five different marketing activities daily. This included calling bookstores, churches, military PXs, speaking at any venue available, and doing radio shows even at 2 AM for truckers who might hear it. The psychic they consulted told them it would be like taking five swipes at a tree with a sharp axe daily - eventually even a redwood would fall.
Clean Up Your Messes to Free Mental Energy
Jack places "clean up your messes" as the number one productivity tip because incomplete tasks and unresolved issues consume precious mental attention units. (82:24) Research suggests we can only hold about seven attention units simultaneously, and every mess - whether physical clutter, unfinished projects, or unresolved relationships - occupies mental space that could be used productively. He defines messes as "incompletions" and emphasizes creating systems to handle them: filing systems, "come up" files for future tasks, and following the rule that if you haven't used something in 30 days (except formal wear), it should be donated or discarded. Clearing these completions is like removing papers from a desk - each one freed up creates more mental clarity.
Persist Through Rejection by Testing Your Core Assumptions
Chicken Soup for the Soul was rejected by 144 publishers over more than a year, but Jack and Mark persisted because they had tested the material extensively with live audiences and knew it worked. (29:14) They received standing ovations and saw people's emotional responses firsthand, confirming their material's impact. When publishers said collections of short stories never worked, they knew their stories were different because they addressed universal human experiences like love, grief, and overcoming obstacles - themes everyone connects with regardless of background. Their persistence paid off when a small publisher finally said yes, and after the publisher initially projected 20,000 copies, they sold 1.3 million copies in 18 months through relentless marketing effort.
Statistics & Facts
- Chicken Soup for the Soul was rejected by 144 publishers over more than a year before finding success. (29:24) This demonstrates the extreme persistence required even for materials that have been proven to work with audiences.
- W. Clement Stone was worth $600 million in 1968, made through three primary methods: starting Combined Insurance Company for low-premium policies, genius real estate investments including buying air rights over Chicago railroad tracks, and strategic investments. (17:37)
- The Chicken Soup for the Soul series ultimately sold over 600 million copies in 50+ languages worldwide, with seven books simultaneously on the New York Times bestseller list in 1999, earning Jack a Guinness World Record. (00:41)
