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Joshua Fields Millburn

Joshua Fields Millburn

1/2 of The Minimalists

1 episodeOct 2018

About Joshua

Joshua Fields Millburn is one half of The Minimalists duo along with his mate Ryan Nicodemus. He grew up working in the corporate world, earning a remarkable income but it all went south in 2009 when his mother died and his marriage ended. He discovered the concept of minimalist and never looked back.

In 2016 Josh and Ryan made the documentary Minimalism with our mate Matt D'Avella.

An introvert (INTJ), Josh is a great human and an avid tweeter, using the platform to write pithy musings and smart-ass remarks.

Josh on Twitter:
@JFM

The Minimalist's Website:
www.theminimalists.com

In Joshua’s words

Verbatim from the transcripts — each quote links to the moment.

“It's aggressively simple.”
Ep 199
“I think that's total bullshit advice, right? Because it presupposes you were born to do something.”
Ep 199
“And those 5 words are, would you be willing to?”
Ep 199
“Happiness is a byproduct of a meaningful life.”
Ep 199
“I don't want the metrics to dictate creativity, because then I realise what will happen is like, oh, that episode performed really well, what's the secret sauce so that I can get more clicks or views? That's not what we do.”
Ep 199
“There's a difference between communicative communication and expressive communication.”
Ep 199
“It strangely feels dangerous because you don't have your phone with you, which is so fucking silly.”
Ep 199

Joshua’s advice on the show

Should I just follow my passion to find meaningful work?

Treat 'follow your passion' as bad advice since it assumes you were born to do something; instead follow your curiosity, pursue threads you're curious about, and cultivate passion over time through hard work.

How do I know when to collaborate versus work solo, and how do partners avoid stepping on each other?

Curate relationships based on shared values even if beliefs differ; know your own values and your partner's, and let each person follow their own curiosity before coming back together to combine ideas.

How can I ask someone for help in a way that actually gets results, like when things go wrong (e.g., at an airline counter)?

Ask 'would you be willing to?' instead of demanding action; this frames the request as empowering the person to help rather than issuing a command, giving them a real choice to say yes.

How can I apply minimalism to my life once I have kids?

Start with the question 'How might your life be better with less?' to identify what you value, and don't impose values on your children; instead model the benefits and let them keep an appropriate amount of possessions rather than depriving them.

How do I overcome perfectionism and actually publish/ship creative work?

Accept that nothing will be perfect; assess the resources you actually have (time, money, skill) and do the best you can with those, improving incrementally over time rather than waiting for ideal conditions.

When should I start asking my audience for financial support (e.g. via Patreon)?

Don't start something like a Patreon page too early before building an audience, since it likely won't generate meaningful income and an early failed attempt can make people reluctant to support a relaunch later.

Stories Joshua told

Bumping into Josh and Tommy on an LA street

Ep 199

Millburn describes randomly running into Josh and Tommy while walking down a Hollywood street, not having seen them since filming together in Australia earlier that year.

Starting the blog after his mother's death and divorce

Ep 199

Millburn explains how, in his 30s, his mother's death and the end of his marriage prompted him and Ryan to start writing online, initially calling the posts 'essays' rather than realising it was a blog.

The São Paulo airline mishap

Ep 199

Millburn recounts a flight mix-up in Brazil where staff kept deflecting him, and how asking 'would you be willing to help us?' instead of demanding action got the problem resolved.

Screenless Saturdays and buying a CD at Amoeba Music

Ep 199

Millburn and his wife Bex do biweekly 'Screenless Saturdays,' going without phones; on one occasion they drove to Amoeba Music and bought a David Gray CD for a dollar, planning to return it since he already has the music on his phone.

Learning St. Petersburg by getting lost while his mother was dying

Ep 199

Millburn describes learning the layout of St. Petersburg, Florida by driving around without GPS while his mother was dying there, which led him to fall in love with the city and later open a coffee shop there.

Questions these interviews answer

Drawn from the episode transcripts.

What does Joshua Fields Millburn say to do instead of demanding help from someone, like at an airline counter?

He recommends asking 'would you be willing to?' instead of making demands, because it frames the request as empowering rather than confrontational, giving the person a genuine choice to help.

From episode 199→
Why don't Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus track analytics for The Minimalists?

Millburn says he avoids looking at metrics because he doesn't want numbers to dictate creativity; he only reviews figures once a year when his publicist, booking agent, or literary agent ask for them.

From episode 199→
How does Joshua Fields Millburn apply minimalism to raising his daughter?

He says minimalism isn't about deprivation but about keeping an appropriate amount of toys that add value; each month they donate old toys if new ones come in, and he frames it around the question 'How might your life be better with less?'

From episode 199→

When Joshua came up

Mentioned on 6 episodes Joshuawasn’t on.

Co-founder of The Minimalists; Josh and Tommy randomly bumped into him twice in West Hollywood.

Referenced as a minimalist blogger with notably manicured hair whom Tommy randomly encountered in Los Angeles.

Referred to throughout as 'Josh' / 'Milburn', Ryan's co-founder of The Minimalists and best friend since 5th grade, who tried a strong edible and whose Montana preferences and minimalist apartment tour are discussed.

Referenced as 'The Minimalist' when discussing minimalism versus consumerist Christmas gift-giving.

Referenced for calling his writing an 'essay' rather than a blog post, inspiring discussion about Tommy's blog terminology.

One of 'The Minimalists' who appeared on The Daily Talk Show the Friday before this episode.

Episodes with Joshua

Every episode featuring Joshua Fields Millburn on The Daily Talk Show.