BigDeal

What if the richest man who ever lived wasn't a tech genius, a Wall Street titan, or a Silicon Valley disruptor? What if he was a 16 year old bookkeeper who studied invoices like scripture and built a $400 billion fortune by doing the opposite of what everyone else thought was smart?

John D. Rockefeller became the wealthiest human being in history not by chasing oil wells, but by controlling the choke points everyone else ignored. He bought boring businesses, borrowed aggressively, moved before windows closed, and built a system so efficient that breaking it apart only made him richer. His playbook wasn't luck. It was discipline, leverage, and ruthless clarity about where real money gets made.

In this episode, you'll learn:

How Rockefeller became the greatest borrower of his generation and why hesitation is its own kind of risk

The transportation edge nobody saw that gave him a 10 cent per barrel advantage and $50,000 a year in extra profit

The Cleveland Massacre and how he bought 23 companies in 28 days using transparency and data instead of aggression

Why discipline was his real competitive advantage and how his chaotic childhood shaped every habit he built

Why the next generation of billionaires will be built in boring industries that nobody thinks are glamorous

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(00:00:00) Introduction: The Cleveland Massacre
(00:02:06) The Bookkeeper: Do the Plumbing
(00:04:02) The Greatest Borrower: Opportunity Has a Clock
(00:06:18) The Edge Nobody Saw: Control the Choke Point
(00:10:06) The Cleveland Massacre: Negotiate with Numbers, Not Opinions
(00:12:48) The Monopoly and the Mask: Control What You Can Control
(00:15:13) The Reinvention: Build Freedom, Not Just a Business
(00:17:43) The Real Playbook: Build the Machine That Buys Companies
(00:19:07) Closing: The Framework for Buying Boring Businesses

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What if the skill that changes everything isn't marketing, networking, or even hard work? What if it's just learning how to shut up and listen? Sales isn't manipulation. It's communication with intent. And the people who master it never go broke.

Shelby Sapp went from knocking doors at 18 to training tens of thousands of closers who now pull in $20K to $60K a month. She built her foundation in door to door pest control, got the cops called on her, had water thrown in her face, and came out with skin so thick that internet hate doesn't even register. Now she teaches women how to sell luxury, close rich people, and never discount their worth. In this conversation, she breaks down the exact frameworks, tonality shifts, body language cues, and objection killing strategies that separate amateurs from killers.

You'll learn:

Why door to door sales builds thicker skin than any other job on the planet

The 80/20 rule that flips every sales conversation and why you should be talking less

The three question framework: probing, provoking, and future state questions that close deals

Why you should never outshine the master and how to dress when selling women vs men

The door frame reset that removes physical objections in real time

Why networking is a trap and building yourself beats begging for connections every time

How to sell luxury clients without dropping your price and why rich people test you

Live rapid fire objection responses to every no you've ever heard

The four rules to change your life: delusional goals, work ethic, consistency, and urgency

The best closers aren't chasing new leads, they're compounding on existing relationships. Newsletter growth works the same way: own the relationship, don’t rent attention. That’s why creators are switching to beehiiv → https://beehiiv.link/8e4jqq

Better quality sleep = better focus. Head to https://eightsleep.com/bigdeal and use code ‘DEAL’ to get $350 off the Pod 5 Ultra.

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(00:00:00) Introduction
(00:00:25) The Thick Skin Factory: Why Door-to-Door Sales Built My Foundation
(00:10:51) Shut Up and Listen: The 80-20 Rule That Closes Deals
(00:11:52) The Three Question Framework: Probing, Provoking, and Future State
(00:13:33) Never Outshine the Master: The Dress Code for Selling Women vs Men
(00:25:12) The Door Frame Reset: Removing Physical Objections in Real Time
(00:28:42) Networking Is a Trap: Why Building Yourself Beats Begging for Connections
(00:33:26) Communication Is Currency: How Sales Makes You Wealthy
(01:16:16) Selling Luxury: How to Close Rich People Without Dropping Your Price
(01:13:12) The Objection Killing Spree: Live Rapid-Fire Responses to Every No
(01:22:19) Four Rules to Change Your Life: Delusional Goals, Work Ethic, Consistency, and Urgency

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What if the people who told you no weren't protecting you at all? What if they were protecting THEMSELVES from the discomfort of watching you try something they never dared? The gatekeepers never guard the gate for your benefit. They stand there because they can't bring themselves to walk through it.

In today’s episode, I’m giving you the raw truth about what it takes to come back when everyone counts you out. From Wall Street to laundromats, from golden handcuffs to real freedom, this is the story of how the chip on your shoulder becomes your greatest asset and why the loneliest moments are where everything gets built.

You'll learn:

The ladder trap and how to know if you're climbing against the wrong building

The Mitt Romney lesson on why you don't have to leave your job to win big

Why cynics get to be right but optimists get to be rich

Why money is the sword of the 21st century and how to wield it

The comeback playbook from Michael Jordan, Dana White, and Sylvester Stallone

If you've ever been denied, rejected, or pushed away, this episode is your counter punch. Because the only person who gets to decide when your comeback starts is you.

Ready to turn your newsletter into your career? Head to https://beehiiv.link/h31sfy and use code CODIE30 for 30% off your first three months.

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(00:00:00) Introduction
(00:00:20) The Chip on Your Shoulder: Why Being Counted Out Is Your Advantage
(00:01:17) The Ladder Trap: When Success Feels Like Failure
(00:02:49) The Loneliness of Leaving: When Everyone Disappears
(00:03:47) You Don't Have to Burn the Bridges: The Employee Path to Wealth
(00:07:54) The Ugly Middle: Where Everything Gets Built
(00:09:39) Buy Boring, Build Quietly: The Wealth Nobody Talks About
(00:10:18) Cynics Get to Be Right, Optimists Get to Be Rich
(00:13:14) The Comeback Is Personal: Your Laundromat Moment
(00:14:01) Money Is the Sword of the 21st Century
(00:17:57) The Michael Jordan Energy: Use Doubt as Fuel
(00:19:58) The Stallone Story: Selling Your Dog to Buy Your Dream

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📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/codiesanchez
📽️ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@realcodiesanchez

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🏠 Resibrands: https://resibrands.com/
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🏦 Main St Hold Co: https://contrarianthinking.biz/3YfGa8u
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What if the most powerful moves in business happen BEFORE you even walk into the room? Jeremy Zimmer built one of Hollywood's most dominant agencies from a boutique small business to a global empire by understanding one thing: deals are won or lost long before anyone sits down to negotiate.

Jeremy Zimmer is the co-founder and former CEO of United Talent Agency (UTA), representing names like Christopher Nolan, M. Night Shyamalan, Charlize Theron, Harrison Ford, and Samuel L. Jackson. He started in the William Morris mailroom after flunking out of college and getting stabbed working a parking lot. He built UTA into a powerhouse through 19 acquisitions in 13 years, stood up to Harvey Weinstein before anyone else would, and spent decades competing ruthlessly with Ari Emanuel while staying profitable. In this conversation, he breaks down how to spot real talent, how to win deals before they start, and why taste will always matter more than execution.

You'll learn:

Why the best agents can spot creative genius in 10 pages and what separates taste from execution

Why getting rid of toxic high performers makes companies stronger even when it feels terrifying

How competing with Ari Emanuel for decades taught him to emulate the best and ignore the rest

Why talent is becoming landlords and how 50 Cent and Tyler Perry are rewriting the Hollywood playbook

The future of Hollywood: consolidation, AI, and why the platforms are the real competition now

Start your newsletter today with beehiiv! Head to https://beehiiv.link/r6lczt and use CODIE30 to get 30% off your first 3 months. Better quality sleep = better focus. Head to https://eightsleep.com/bigdeal and use code ‘DEAL’ to get $350 off the Pod 5 Ultra.
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(00:00:00) Introduction
(00:01:29) From Rock Bottom to the Mailroom: Jeremy's Origin Story
(00:05:35) The Chair Fix That Changed Everything
(00:06:44) Spotting Talent: The Connectivity to the Product
(00:09:44) Taste Over Execution: Finding Great Writers
(00:14:59) The Pain Before the Win: Getting Lied To, Stolen From, and Cheated
(00:19:46) Standing Up When No One Else Will: The Harvey Weinstein Memo
(00:28:55) Learning From Your Competitors: Ari Emanuel and the Big Agencies
(00:36:06) The 19 Acquisitions in 13 Years: Diversification Strategy
(00:45:39) The Secret to Great Deals: Setup Before the Sit-Down
(01:02:21) Toxic Talent and Culture: When to Cut the Cancer
(01:05:58) What's Coming for Hollywood: AI, Platforms, and the Talent Landlord Model
(01:14:39) Advice to the Next Generation: Develop Your Taste and Read Great Things

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Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if the way you think is costing you everything? Your brain filters 11 million bits of information per second, but only 50 make it through to your conscious awareness. That tiny keyhole shapes your entire reality. And in the age of AI, if you don't learn to control it, someone else will.

Emily McDonald (@emonthebrain) is one of the most followed neuroscientists in the world. She has a PhD in neuroscience, studies how the brain constructs reality, and teaches people how to rewire their brains to win. In this episode, she breaks down the science of how your brain filters opportunity, why discipline makes you more attractive, and why AI is quietly destroying your ability to think critically.

You'll learn:

Why your brain constructs your entire experience of reality and how to reprogram it

Why complaining literally shrinks your prefrontal cortex and what to do instead

Why discipline is nervous system regulation and makes you biologically more attractive

The reticular activating system and how to prime your brain to filter for what you want

Why work life balance is a scam and obsession is actually required for success

How AI is cooking your brain by training dependence instead of intelligence

If you've ever felt stuck, distracted, or like success is just out of reach, this episode will show you exactly why. Your brain is either reinforcing your current reality or creating a new one. There's no in between.

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(00:00:00) Introduction
(00:00:26) Your Brain Constructs Your Reality: The Kitten Study
(00:00:54) AI Is Cooking Your Brain: The Hidden Cognitive Cost
(00:01:11) Discipline Makes You Attractive: The Science Behind Self-Control
(00:02:56) Brain Wave Synchronization: Why You Feel Other People's Energy
(00:06:04) Curate Your Reality: The People and Content You Consume
(00:08:21) Complaining Rewires Your Brain for Negativity
(00:16:32) The Self-Talk Superpower: Performance Enhancement Through Words
(00:37:00) The Body Image Brain Hack: Why You'll Never Love Your Body Until You Love Your Body
(00:44:54) Be Obsessed or Be Average: Why Extreme Wins
(00:33:50) The Reticular Activating System: Programming Your Brain to See Opportunity
(00:26:59) Color Doesn't Exist: Reality Is a Construct
(01:00:56) Talking to Yourself Is a Superpower: Why AI Is Making You Dumber
(01:07:49) Content Creation Without Psychological Tricks: The Energy-First Approach

___________

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📸 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