BigDeal

#122 Inside the Minds of the Most Successful Founders | David Senra

Is success in business simply about having the right idea, raising the perfect amount of money, or having the right connections? According to our guest today, David Senra, it’s none of those. It’s about obsession. David Senra has read 400+ biographies of history’s greatest entrepreneurs, studying how they actually built their companies. On his podcast Founders, he distills the lives of iconic builders into actionable frameworks. He also hosts in-depth conversations with living founders on his new show David Senra — from Daniel Ek to Michael Dell to Todd Graves — extracting the mental models you only earn after decades in the arena. In this wide-ranging conversation, we break down: • Why history’s greatest entrepreneurs hire for spikes, not well-rounded resumes • Why durability is a first-rate virtue — and most businesses die of indigestion, not starvation • How Steve Jobs worked barefoot at Atari — and why Nolan Bushnell kept him anyway • Why George Lucas bet unapologetically on himself • How Sam Zell tortured himself into greatness — and why he chose freedom over money • Why Michael Dell says he works “all the days” • The founder archetypes framework — and why founder-problem fit beats founder-market fit • Why Todd Graves hasn’t changed his menu in 30 years — and built a $20B chicken empire • How Rick Rubin became a reducer, not a producer — and why ruthless editing creates timeless work • Why belief comes before ability — non-negotiable for builders If you want to think like Jobs, Bezos, Zell, or Munger, this episode will permanently change how you approach focus, entrepreneurship, and building something that lasts. Turn attention into revenue with https://beehiiv.link/nt66tb. Use CODIE30 for 30% off your first 3 months. Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code BIGDEAL at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/bigdeal Follow David Senra: Founders Podcast: https://www.founderspodcast.com New Show (David Senra): Available on all platforms Instagram: @founderspodcast ___________ 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:42 The Lonely Founder Life: Why Entrepreneurs Need Founder Friends 00:01:04 Marriages and Relationships of History's Greatest Entrepreneurs 00:03:07 Is Entrepreneurship a Trauma Response? 00:05:26 Hiring for Spikes: The Steve Jobs Employee Philosophy 00:10:12 George Lucas and the Power of Unapologetic Self-Investment 00:12:39 Longevity Over Everything: Building Companies That Last Decades 00:18:37 Do You Have to Be Obsessed to Win? 00:19:35 The Inner Monologue Shift: From Negative to Positive Fuel 00:35:48 Keep Your Circle Small: The Sam Zell Approach to Relationships 00:42:03 Personal Standards and the Yardstick for Quality 00:47:30 Sam Zell's Life Philosophy: Freedom, Focus, and the One True Luxury 00:50:29 Start, Scale, Sell Is a Trap: Find Your Last Business 00:52:36 Complexity Is the Killer: The Sam Walton Bureaucracy Battle 00:59:15 Simplify to Amplify: Raising Cane's, Papa Bagels, and the Power of One Thing 01:07:13 Founder Problem Fit: Know Your Archetype 01:25:17 AI, Electricity, and Thin Horizontal Enabling Layers 01:30:50 Mute the World and Build Your Own: The Daily Design Philosophy 01:34:59 The Power of Simple Obsession ___________ MORE FROM BIGDEAL 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@podcastbigdeal 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bigdeal.podcast 📽️ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@big.deal.pod MORE FROM CODIE SANCHEZ 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@codiesanchezct 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/codiesanchez 📽️ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@realcodiesanchez OTHER THINGS WE DO 🌐 Our community: https://contrarianthinking.typeform.com/to/WBztXXID 📰 Free newsletter: https://contrarianthinking.biz/3XWLlZp 📚 Biz buying course: https://contrarianthinking.biz/3NhjGgN 🏠 Resibrands: https://resibrands.com/ 💰 CT Capital: https://contrarianthi Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#121 How to Start A Business With NO Money | Blake Mycoskie (Founder of TOMS)

Most people think you need money to build a business. Blake Mycoskie proves you need creativity, conviction, and resilience. He built TOMS from $3,000 into a $600 million exit and launched multiple bootstrapped ventures, revealing what it really takes to start from nothing. In this raw conversation, Blake shares the frameworks behind businesses started with almost no capital — including a $500 laundry service that made $100K in three days and a $1,500 driver’s ed company. He explains why too much funding can hurt startups, how he cold-called Kid Cudi into becoming a founding partner, why industry experience can limit innovation, and his “utility marketing” approach — showing real value instead of selling hype. Blake also opens up about the depression that followed his success, waking at 3 AM with suicidal thoughts, and the healing journey that led to Enough, his mental health movement. He discusses lessons from failure at TOMS, using AI therapy during panic attacks, confronting his core belief of “I’m not enough,” mantra meditation, scheduling joy, walking the Camino, and why bold goals should be held loosely. This is practical entrepreneurship and personal transformation from someone who built millions from pocket change and found purpose beyond profit. Ready to turn your newsletter into your career? Head to https://beehiiv.link/nuiowa and use code CODIE30 for 30% off your first three months. ___________ 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:11 Starting Businesses With Zero Money: The EZ Laundry Story 00:03:06 The Two Biggest Lies Entrepreneurs Are Told 00:07:15 Utility Marketing: The Purple Cow Principle 00:11:08 Taste, Style, and Hiring the Right People 00:20:25 The ENOUGH Movement: From Depression to Purpose 00:31:52 The Dark Night: Suicidal Ideation and the Path to Healing 00:44:18 Big Goals Loosely Held: The Buddha Tree Moment 00:48:50 AI Therapy and Pattern Interrupts: Tools for Mental Health 00:55:26 Scheduling Joy and Engineering Adventure Into Life ___________ MORE FROM BIGDEAL 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@podcastbigdeal 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bigdeal.podcast 📽️ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@big.deal.pod MORE FROM CODIE SANCHEZ 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@codiesanchezct 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/codiesanchez 📽️ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@realcodiesanchez OTHER THINGS WE DO 🌐 Our community: https://contrarianthinking.typeform.com/to/WBztXXID 📰 Free newsletter: https://contrarianthinking.biz/3XWLlZp 📚 Biz buying course: https://contrarianthinking.biz/3NhjGgN 🏠 Resibrands: https://resibrands.com/ 💰 CT Capital: https://contrarianthinking.biz/4eRyGOk 🏦 Main St Hold Co: https://contrarianthinking.biz/3YfGa8u Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#120 The Best Investment Advice No One Listens To

Most people think getting rich is about saving harder or finding the next hot stock. It's not. It's about owning things. After 15 years on Wall Street, I learned the hard way that the wealthy don't get there by trading time for money or chasing tickers. They build ownership in boring, cash-flowing businesses that most people overlook.In this episode, I break down the exact investment framework I use today: just three categories I actually care about, why I ignore single stocks and hot tips, and how private business ownership became my unfair advantage. We dive into why Buffett doubled his money at 20% per year while the S&P did half that, why leverage magnifies your mistakes more than your wins, and why volatility isn't risk — not knowing what you're doing is.But this isn't theory. It's applied finance from the trenches. You'll learn:• Why the market is more concentrated and leveraged than almost any point in modern history• How to think like Buffett: buy businesses, not price movements• Why inflation and AI are quietly eating your W2 income while you sleep• The difference between speculation and actual investing (and why most people confuse the two)• How one woman bought six pack-and-ship stores while keeping her tech job• Why Charlie Munger said the best businesses don't require you to be a genius to run them• The three types of risk in every deal: product, market, and execution• How to negotiate by understanding the seller's incentives, not just your own• Why speed and ownership are the only real hedges against what's comingIf you're tired of watching your salary get chipped away by inflation, or if you've ever wondered how people actually build wealth without a finance degree or a trust fund, this episode will change how you think about money, ownership, and what it actually takes to win in 2026.Also hi I’m Codie and I run an investment and advisory firm that helps you buy and build businesses. Every year we do one 3 day virtual workshop to help you find, finance and learn to do deals live. Come learn what Wall Street (and your boss or competitors) hope you never learn: https://contrarianthinking.biz/MSML_BDYT26___________00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:22 The Three-Investment Portfolio: Why Less Is More 00:00:59 Buffett's 5.5 Million Percent Return: The Power of Selectivity 00:01:45 The 2026 Market Warning: Debt, AI Valuations, and Leverage Risk 00:03:40 Volatility Is Not Risk: Risk Is Not Knowing What You're Doing 00:07:43 The Asset Ownership Race With AI: Own the Farm or Be the Donkey 00:09:10 Main Street Millionaire Live: Your Path to Business Ownership 00:10:16 Build Durable Advantages: Moats, Brands, and Networks That Protect Profits 00:10:39 Nui's Story: From Big Tech to Six Pack and Ship Stores 00:14:20 Charlie Munger on Simple Business Models: Take a Simple Idea Seriously 00:15:30 The Three Risks Framework: Product, Market, and Execution 00:16:37 The Power of Incentives: Understanding What Drives Every Deal 00:18:13 Speed Wins: Why Moving Fast Makes You More Money 00:20:15 The Main Street Revolution: Your Generational Wealth Creation Event___________MORE FROM BIGDEAL🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@podcastbigdeal📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bigdeal.podcast📽️ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@big.deal.podMORE FROM CODIE SANCHEZ🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@codiesanchezct📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/codiesanchez📽️ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@realcodiesanchezOTHER THINGS WE DO🌐 Our community: https://contrarianthinking.typeform.com/to/WBztXXID📰 Free newsletter: https://contrarianthinking.biz/3XWLlZp📚 Biz buying course: https://contrarianthinking.biz/3NhjGgN🏠 Resibrands: https://resibrands.com/💰 CT Capital: https://contrarianthinking.biz/4eRyGOk🏦 Main St Hold Co: https://contrarianthinking.biz/3YfGa8u Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#119 Investing Expert: Your Step-By-Step Plan to Build Generational Wealth | Vivian Tu

Money advice is broken. It’s either shamey, gatekept, or written for people who already have money. Vivian Tu built her career proving there’s a better way. After learning how money actually moves inside Wall Street at JPMorgan, she left the system and taught millions how to win at it anyway through Your Rich BFF. No jargon. No guilt. Just systems that work. Vivian is a former Wall Street trader turned financial educator and founder of Your Rich BFF, one of the largest personal finance platforms in the world. She’s known for translating complex money rules into clear, actionable playbooks for people who were never taught how wealth is built or protected. She breaks down:• Why buy-now-pay-later isn’t convenience, it’s a quiet wealth killer• How to calculate your “walk away” number and what it actually unlocks• Why budgeting fails when it’s about restriction instead of design• The invisible tactics advertisers use to drain your financial discipline• How wealthy families transfer money intentionally while everyone else leaves it to chance• Why housing, wages, and timing really are stacked against younger generations• The only kind of income that compounds without burning you out• How to handle your first $10K without overthinking it• Why prenups are protection, not a lack of trust• How to split money with a partner in a way that’s fair, not equal This isn’t theory or hustle culture. It’s applied finance from someone who’s seen how the game is played behind closed doors and decided to explain it in plain English. If money has ever felt overwhelming, confusing, or emotionally loaded, this conversation rewires how you think about it and what’s actually possible. Check out Vivian's new book Well Endowed: The Secrets to Strategic Spending, Building a Financial Foundation for You and Your Family, and Creating Lasting Generational Wealth here: https://www.harpercollins.com/pages/wellendowed And follow her at @YourRichBFF on all platforms. ***Also hi I’m Codie and I run an investment and advisory firm that helps you buy and build businesses. Every year we do one 3 day virtual workshop to help you find, finance and learn to do deals live. Come learn what Wall Street (and your boss or competitors) hope you never learn. https://contrarianthinking.biz/MSML_BDYT26 ___________ 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:16 The Buy Now Pay Later Trap: How Creative Debt Keeps You Broke 00:03:45 It's Harder to Be Young Today: The Math Behind Generational Wealth Inequality 00:07:23 Temptation Touch Points: The Pixel Tracking System Designed to Drain Your Wallet 00:09:38 Willpower Is a Losing Game: Why Financial Discipline Beats Motivation 00:10:41 Wall Street's Biggest Lie: Rich People Talk About Money All the Time 00:14:12 Old Money vs New Money: Social Capital and the Unspoken Club 00:18:31 Financial Choreography: How Rich People Strategically Move Money Through Life 00:19:50 Main Street Millionaire Live: Your Path to Business Ownership 00:20:24 Prenups Are Insurance, Not Distrust: The Government Default Agreement 00:24:20 Equitable vs Equal: The Math of Splitting Expenses in Relationships 00:29:59 Budgeting Needs a New PR Team: The 50-30-20 Framework That Actually Works 00:31:48 Automate Your Savings: The Paycheck Portal Hack That Builds Wealth Invisibly 00:34:19 Emergency Funds and the Levers: How Much Cash Should You Actually Keep 00:37:17 Calculate Your F You Number: The 4 Percent Rule for Financial Freedom 00:39:58 The Four-Square Money Talk: What to Know Before You Marry Someone 00:48:40 Well in Doubt: Building Your Personal Endowment for Life 00:50:44 Your First Ten Thousand Dollars: The Exact Allocation Strategy 00:53:58 Passive Income Is a Lie Unless You Own Something 00:56:39 Money as a Mirror: Why Your Financial Reality Reflects Your Self-Belief ___________ MORE FROM BIGDEAL 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@podcastbigdeal 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bigdeal.podcast 📽️ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@big.deal.pod ... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#118 You Aren't Alone Enough.

If you feel mentally crowded, over-influenced, or disconnected from your own powers, today’s episode is for you. It’s about how stepping back — intentionally — can restore clarity, confidence, and direction. We explore why solitude isn’t loneliness, but a practical tool for better decisions and stronger self-trust. Drawing from Carl Jung’s idea of individuation, Nietzsche’s writing on original thought, and examples like Sarah Blakely building Spanx against outside advice, the episode looks at how people develop an internal compass instead of borrowing one from the world. I also introduce the “Inner Board Meeting” framework: a way to separate the voices of vision, execution, and self-protection so choices come from your core, not reactivity. Along the way, we examine burnout as identity suppression, midlife crises as unmet meaning, and the hidden cost of being too available to others. The goal isn’t withdrawal—it’s learning how to hear yourself again. Ready to turn your newsletter into your career? Head to https://beehiiv.com/codie and use code CODIE30 for 30% off your first three months. ___________ 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:42 The Crisis of Solitude: Why You Need to Be Alone 00:02:21 Carl Jung's Individuation: Becoming Who You Truly Are 00:02:44 The Psyche Map: Ego, Persona, Shadow, and Self 00:03:54 Energy Vampires: Why Being Too Available Drains You 00:09:03 The Inner Board Meeting: Dialogue With Your Inner Voices 00:12:09 Nietzsche on Solitude: Flee Into Your Solitude 00:14:19 Sarah Blakely and the Path of Solitude 00:19:12 Strategic Non-Reactivity: The Bare Hibernating Method 00:21:05 Midlife Crisis as Opportunity: When Your Persona Cracks 00:22:02 Burnout is Shadow Suppression 00:26:23 The Self-Contract: Choosing Your Identity 00:28:20 Potential Is Worthless: Reality Over Possibility 00:29:57 Main Street Millionaire Live: Your Path to Business Ownership ___________ MORE FROM BIGDEAL 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@podcastbigdeal 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bigdeal.podcast 📽️ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@big.deal.pod MORE FROM CODIE SANCHEZ 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@codiesanchezct 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/codiesanchez 📽️ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@realcodiesanchez OTHER THINGS WE DO 🌐 Our community: https://contrarianthinking.typeform.com/to/WBztXXID 📰 Free newsletter: https://contrarianthinking.biz/3XWLlZp 📚 Biz buying course: https://contrarianthinking.biz/3NhjGgN 🏠 Resibrands: https://resibrands.com/ 💰 CT Capital: https://contrarianthinking.biz/4eRyGOk 🏦 Main St Hold Co: https://contrarianthinking.biz/3YfGa8u Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices