An accidental phone call from her — prompted by a misdirected library notice for a book on suicide methods — is the moment Ferriss credits with pulling him out of active suicidal planning during his senior year at Princeton.

Timeframe: 1999, and throughout his life

Deepened Ferriss's ties to the Silicon Valley startup and angel-investing scene after the success of The 4-Hour Workweek, and became the first-ever guest on The Tim Ferriss Show in 2014, giving the fledgling podcast instant credibility.

Timeframe: 2007-present

Ferriss's Tim Ferriss Publishing imprint released Holiday's breakout books The Obstacle Is the Way and Ego Is the Enemy, cross-promoting both of their audiences and extending Ferriss's footprint into publishing other authors.

Timeframe: 2013-present

His harsh critique of Ferriss's Japanese-language senior thesis was the immediate trigger for a suicidal depression crisis in Ferriss's final year at Princeton — a period Ferriss later said fundamentally changed his relationship to failure and stakes.

Timeframe: 1999-2000

Ferriss has credited the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist's Princeton course with developing the nonfiction writing skills he later used across five bestselling books.

Timeframe: Princeton years, approximately 1996-2000