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Big Shot

Big Shot

Written by: Big Shot
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 If the walls of Kosher delis could speak, they would (schm)ooze invaluable wisdom and endless laughs. Harley Finkelstein (Shopify) and David Segal (DAVIDsTEA) are Jewish entrepreneurs influenced by the greats who came before them. But, they realized no one was archiving the best behind-the-scenes stories ever told. Before time was up, they set out on a passion project to preserve the memories, mishaps, and wins of the people who have seen it all. Big Shot tells the stories of the people that shaped an entire generation.Big Shot Economics Leadership Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • Disney Fired Him. He Built DreamWorks, Shrek, and a $3.8B Empire | Jeffrey Katzenberg

    Disney Fired Him. He Built DreamWorks, Shrek, and a $3.8B Empire | Jeffrey Katzenberg
    Mar 19 2026

    Jeffrey Katzenberg was one of the youngest studio heads in Hollywood when he was named president of Paramount Pictures at just 31. Over the decades that followed, he would help shape modern animation and co-found DreamWorks alongside Steven Spielberg and David Geffen.

    In this episode of Big Shot, Harley and David sit down with Jeffrey to explore the experiences that shaped his career and leadership approach. He reflects on lessons from his father, whose generosity left a lasting impression, and on a moment with Kirk Douglas that reinforced the idea that you have not truly learned how to live until you have learned how to give.

    Jeffrey traces his path through Hollywood, from working with Barry Diller to helping lead Disney during a pivotal era for animation, and how being fired from Disney led him to build DreamWorks.

    Along the way, Jeffrey reflects on failure, success, and the mindset that has guided him through decades in Hollywood, and shares why he never rests on past success, keeping his eyes on what’s next.

    —

    In This Episode We Cover:

    (00:00) Intro

    (02:40) Lessons from his father and Kirk Douglas

    (12:01) Volunteering for NYC mayor John Lindsay

    (12:40) Growing up with dyslexia

    (16:44) The philosophy of exceeding expectations

    (25:24) Jeffrey’s role in revitalizing Disney animation

    (33:32) Storytelling lessons from Walt Disney

    (37:16) Building DreamWorks as its own brand

    (43:29) Getting fired from Disney and forming the Dreamworks team

    (57:04) Movie studio economics

    (59:32) Venture capital vs. filmmaking

    (1:05:26) A story about Jeffrey’s father and the drive of Jewish parents

    (1:09:29) Dealing with failure

    —

    Where To Find Jeffrey Katzenberg:

    • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrey-katzenberg-4b3b47123

    • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeffrey.katzenberg

    • Website: https://www.wndrco.com

    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
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    1 hr and 14 mins
  • Goldman Sachs Rejected Him. Years Later, He Ran the Place | Lloyd Blankfein

    Goldman Sachs Rejected Him. Years Later, He Ran the Place | Lloyd Blankfein
    Dec 25 2025
    Lloyd Blankfein never chased a master plan. He focused on whatever was right in front of him, and those small decisions carried him from a Brooklyn housing project to leading Goldman Sachs through the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.In this episode of Big Shot, Harley and David sit down with Lloyd to explore how that path unfolded. He talks about growing up in public housing and sharing a room with his grandmother, then suddenly finding himself at Harvard at 16, arriving in a suit because he had no idea what college culture looked like. He reflects on the dislocation of moving between the projects and the Ivy League and how he learned to navigate both worlds without ever feeling fully at home in either.Lloyd traces his shift from law to commodities, what he absorbed inside J. Aron, and how a crisis inside Goldman in the 1980s reshaped the firm and opened unexpected doors. He also shares what it was like to lead Goldman Sachs through 2008, why Warren Buffett’s support mattered at a defining moment, and what it took to keep the firm intact while the global financial system was breaking apart.It is a conversation about chance, focus, resilience, and the surprising places a life can go when you simply take the next step.—In This Episode We Cover:(00:00) Intro(05:15) Lloyd’s early days(07:05) How Lloyd graduated early (08:53) How Lloyd ended up at Harvard at 16 (10:56) A glimpse at just how humble his beginnings truly were(13:42) What it was like arriving at Harvard with no roadmap(19:37) Why top public-university talent can match (and sometimes surpass) the Ivies(20:27) What it was like moving between worlds (25:05) Why it took a long time to adjust to the burden of great wealth (27:11) What led Lloyd to law school(28:48) Lloyd’s approach of thinking one step ahead(30:35) Why Lloyd quit practicing law (35:16) Lloyd’s pivot to finance and initial rejection from Goldman Sachs(41:00) The J. Aron role that pulled Lloyd into Goldman (49:30) Inside the meritocracy of Goldman Sachs (53:08) How Lloyd ended up making partner at Goldman Sachs unexpectedly(1:02:30) Building trust across cultures (1:06:52) What changed after making partner (1:10:10) What sparked Lloyd’s retirement and renewed focus on learning(1:14:42) How the 1994 crisis set the stage for Lloyd to become CEO(1:22:00) Steering the firm through the 2008 financial crisis(1:28:22) The deal with Warren Buffett (1:37:58) Risk-taking vs. risk management (1:39:04) How anxiety fuels Lloyd’s risk management style (1:42:00) Lloyd’s biggest accomplishment at Goldman Sachs (1:46:21) A case for self-acceptance —Where To Find Lloyd Blankfein: • X: https://x.com/lloydblankfeinWhere 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
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    1 hr and 49 mins
  • She Escaped Communism, Reinvented Nail Polish, and Sold for a Billion Dollars

    She Escaped Communism, Reinvented Nail Polish, and Sold for a Billion Dollars
    Dec 11 2025
    Before OPI, nail color was just another product on the shelf. Suzi Weiss-Fischmann gave it personality and built a global brand in the process.Suzi believed nail color could be personal, playful, and expressive. She pushed the entire industry forward with smarter formulas, bold branding, and shade names that became pop culture, from “I’m Not Really a Waitress” to “Lincoln Park After Dark.” In just six years after its founding, OPI became the number one professional nail brand in America.In this episode of Big Shot, Harley and David sit down with Suzi to explore the instincts that fueled that rise. She talks about welcoming competition, using storytelling to make an emotional connection with customers, and expanding from salons into Walmart without losing trust or quality. Suzi also shares how her Jewish upbringing influenced her approach to business, from the drive that comes from starting with very little to the values of community and responsibility that guided every big decision.—In This Episode We Cover:(00:00) Intro(03:23) Growing up in communist Hungary with two Holocaust-survivor parents(05:54) How honoring faith brought Suzi’s mom back to Auschwitz(07:32) Why Suzi’s family fled Hungary (12:40) Suzi’s family’s transitional time in Israel (15:50) Where Suzi’s work ethic came from (18:53) Suzi’s adolescence in New York(23:27) Suzi’s move to Los Angeles (24:52) How a dental-supply store ended up experimenting with acrylic nails(29:37) OPI’s first trade show (32:36) Why competition is good(33:58) How Starbucks inspired Suzi to personalize nail polish (36:44) Why OPI named polishes after food and places and how the naming process worked(42:46) The time Suzi presented to Barbara Broccoli (45:27) The perks and bonuses OPI gave to their employees(48:19) How OPI fixed its lipstick mistake(52:43) How success affected Suzi(55:04) Entering Walmart and growing beyond the professional market(58:15) How Suzi’s divorce impacted the family business (1:01:33) The emotional impact of selling OPI(1:10:47) The Jewish work ethic(1:14:25) How to raise resilient, hardworking children—Where to find Suzi Weiss-Fischmann: • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/1stladyofcolors• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/1stladyofcolors• Website: https://1stladyofcolors.comWhere 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
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    1 hr and 23 mins
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