Big Shot

Bobby Kotick, the mastermind behind Activision Blizzard, recounts his journey from hustling snacks in NYC to leading a $69 billion company. He shares wild anecdotes, like cold-calling Nintendo and charming Steve Wynn into an investment on a private jet. Discover how he revived a bankrupt Activision, leveraging classic games as billion-dollar blueprints. Bobby also reflects on leadership philosophies and the emotional rollercoaster of selling to Microsoft, revealing the blend of grit and innovation that fueled his success in the gaming industry.

Mike Milken, a legendary financier and philanthropist, shares his lifelong commitment to innovation and equity. He discusses how childhood experiences shaped his empathetic approach to philanthropy and entrepreneurship. Milken reflects on the impact of the Watts riots and market crashes, revealing how they created new opportunities. He emphasizes the power of financial technology in advancing health and education, while sharing insights on resilience and the transformative role of private industry in tackling global challenges. A captivating glimpse into the mind of a visionary!

Lynda Resnick, co-owner of The Wonderful Company, is a branding powerhouse behind FIJI Water, POM Wonderful, and Wonderful Pistachios. She shares her journey from child actor to marketing mogul, detailing her success in turning basic products into billion-dollar brands. Lynda reveals her unique approach to self-funding philanthropy and how her Jewish heritage shapes her values. Listeners will be inspired by her commitment to community health and her reflections on balancing creativity with business success.

Uri Levine, co-founder of Waze and author of "Fall in Love with the Problem, Not the Solution," shares his remarkable entrepreneurial journey from failure to success. He reflects on critical lessons learned from his father about embracing failure and prioritization. Uri recounts a clever fundraising hack involving mapping investors' homes to showcase Waze's potential. He also highlights the cultural drive within the Jewish community to foster innovation and positive change, and discusses the financial impact of Waze's acquisition that created many millionaires.

Mindy Grossman, former CEO of Weight Watchers and a veteran leader with a rich background at Nike and Polo Ralph Lauren, shares her incredible journey from college dropout to industry titan. She delves into the importance of calculated risk-taking and her mantra of 'passion, purpose, and impact.' Mindy reveals how she transformed toxic workplaces, notably revitalizing the culture at HSN. She also discusses her impactful collaboration with Oprah and insights into embracing Jewish identity as a driver for success. Get ready for a dose of inspiration!

Mickey Drexler, a retail legend, transformed brands like The Gap and Old Navy. He shares insights from his humble Bronx beginnings and emphasizes the importance of people skills in hiring. Mickey discusses his unique decision-making style, valuing urgency over indecision, and reflects on his friendship with Steve Jobs. Listeners learn about the emotional aspects of fashion and Mickey's innovative approach to market research. His journey highlights resilience, the impact of mentorship, and a deep passion for retail.

In this special live episode of Big Shot, recorded at StartupFest, we are excited to welcome Heather Reisman, the trailblazing entrepreneur behind Indigo Books & Music. Heather's remarkable journey began as a single mother learning to code to support her children. Fueled by grit, a bit of luck, and a talent for connecting with extraordinary people, Heather built Indigo into Canada’s largest bookseller. However, Heather's ambitions extend beyond her role as founder and CEO. She is also a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and philanthropist, having contributed $100 million to the University of Toronto and supported various causes through her foundation, HSEG, which aids the education of lone soldiers after their service in the IDF. In today’s conversation, we talk about:  Heather’s childhood and how her working mother influenced her The importance of curiosity and how this value has served Heather in entrepreneurship Heather’s first startup, Paradigm Heather’s work at Cott and how she broke out of a mental funk after leaving Raising $25 million and founding Indigo Founding Kobo eReaders and selling to Rakuten for $315 million Heather’s life beyond work and plans for increasing Canada’s literacy — In This Episode We Cover: (05:08) Welcome Heather Reisman (05:35) What it was like growing up in the Reisman household (10:26) Heather’s experience working at her mother’s retail store (11:15) Heather’s early passion for books (12:44) Why Curiosity is the key to everything (14:00) Heather’s coding journey as a single mom (16:00) Why Heather quit her job after an undeserved demotion  (17:00) Heather’s time working at a consulting firm (19:00) Co-founding Paradigm  (19:56) Heather’s thoughts on change and why she left consulting (24:29) Why Heather left Cott  (26:55) Heather’s depression and the book that kickstarted the next chapter of her life (20:24) The Borders deal that never worked out (33:00) Raising $25 million and founding Indigo  (37:19) The story of acquiring Chapters  (39:45) Integrating Chapters (42:13) How the ‘New Coke” failure inspired Heather to keep Chapters and Indigo separate  (43:20) Why Heather founded an e-reader company called Kobo (48:47) Selling Kobo to Rakuten for $315 million  (50:19) The power of Heather’s Picks (52:13) Taking Indigo private (53:00) Heather’s literacy goals and the importance of curation (57:00) How Heather balances work and family life Where To Find Heather Reisman: X: https://x.com/heatherreisman Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heatherreisman Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hreisman LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-reisman-3bab2319 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/discover/heather-reisman-indigo Where To Find Big Shot:  Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.bigshot.show/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@bigshotpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠   TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@bigshotshow⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/bigshotshow/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠   Harley Finkelstein: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/harleyf⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  David Segal: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/tea_maverick⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Production and Marketing: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://penname.co⁠

Bobbi Brown, a beauty industry icon and founder of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, shares her incredible journey from makeup artist to mogul. She reveals how sheer chutzpah and cold-calling landed her a Vogue cover. Bobbi discusses the development of her first lipstick and the pivotal moments that solidified her brand's foundation. Hear about her friendship with Leonard Lauder and the balance she struck between motherhood and business. With her new clean beauty brand, Jones Road, Bobbi emphasizes authenticity and resilience in the beauty world.

In this episode of Big Shot, we sit down with the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of G-III Apparel Group, Morris Goldfarb. Morris took over running his father’s company at the age of 24. His journey is deeply rooted in the inspiring legacy of his father, Aron Goldfarb, a Holocaust survivor who immigrated to the U.S. and founded G-III in 1956. Morris has transformed the company from a small women's leather outerwear business into a global fashion powerhouse, managing brands like DKNY, Calvin Klein, and Tommy Hilfiger. In our conversation today, talk about: The emotional impact of being the son of a Holocaust survivor Morris’s strategies for growing the family business and taking it public The setbacks G-III faced in 1995 and how Morris was able to successfully pivot the business Brand acquisitions and licensing that became the bread and butter of G-III Morris’s life outside work, including family and philanthropic accomplishments And much more! — In This Episode We Cover:  (01:50) Morris’s childhood in Israel and New York  (04:42) Morris’s dad, Aron Goldfarb’s memoir about the Holocaust, Maybe You Will Survive (08:54) How Morris was affected by the Holocaust survival stories of his family and friends (10:20) Aron Goldfarb’s clothing business and why he wanted Morris to get a city job (12:36) How Morris took over the family business at the age of 24 (14:30) Morris’s ambition and early years expanding G&N Sportswear (16:05) Morris’s consulting and building factories in South Korea (19:59) G-III’s journey to going public  (22:40) Why Morris had to pivot the business in 1995 and move towards licensing  (31:50) The current state of G-III (32:52) How Morris fought nepotism working at his father’s company (34:17) Acquisitions that grew G-III (38:18) An explanation of how licensing works at G-III (40:18) The pitfalls of direct to consumer businesses  (42:26) Morris’s thoughts on licensing vs. owning brands (43:24) Morris’s partnership with Carl Banks  (46:30) Morris’s family life and what it’s like working with his son (50:53) Why G-III is not a great fit for most emerging brands (52:50) What made Morris finally feel like he’d made it (54:29) What chutzpah means to Morris (54:55) Morris’s philosophy on giving back and why he built a Jewish cemetery in Poland (59:18) Why Jews have made so many contributions to business, science, and academia  — Where to find Morris Goldfarb: Website: https://ir.giii.com/management/morris-goldfarb Where To Find Big Shot:  Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.bigshot.show/⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@bigshotpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠   TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@bigshotshow⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/bigshotshow/⁠⁠⁠⁠   Harley Finkelstein: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/harleyf⁠⁠⁠⁠  David Segal: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/tea_maverick⁠⁠⁠⁠ Production and Marketing: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://penname.co⁠

Ron Shaich, founder of Panera Bread, shares his journey from a humble convenience store to a $7.5 billion empire. He discusses creating the 'Fast Casual' category, his first college store, IPO lessons, and the power of adaptability. Ron's stock success, leftist family background, and entrepreneurial insights are also highlighted.