Big Hitters with Larry Weidel

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What if the defining difference between average business owners and elite entrepreneurs isn't their product—but their exit strategy?

In this episode of Big Hitters with Larry Weidel, host Larry sits down with Gregory Scott Kovsky, President of International Business Associates (IBA), to explore why business is the ultimate competitive sport, how to clean up your operations for a massive payout, and the critical adjustments required to work on your business instead of in it. Whether you're a seasoned founder planning your retirement or looking to optimize your enterprise's valuation, this conversation cuts through the noise to reveal the real processes, financial discipline, and mindsets that separate struggling operators from successful exit winners. Gregory shares actionable strategic blueprints developed from executing over 300 successful M&A transactions, revealing the exact operational traps that destroy valuation—from bloated commercial leases to cooked financial books. Tune in to discover how to build an independent enterprise, why sales cures all operational ills, and how to position your company to attract high-value buyers. 

What You’ll Learn:

• Why Business Is the Ultimate Competitive Sport (And Why You Have Time for Corrections)  
•  The Golden Rule of Valuation: Working On Your Business vs. In Your Business   
• How to Build an Independent Organization by Delegating to High-Caliber People   
• The Brutal Truth About Commission-Only Sales Teams and Eliminating Retainers   
• How to Avoid Major Valuation Disasters: Bloated Leases and Over-Committed Equipment   
• Learning From the Lows: Transforming a Recession Fallback Into Digital Marketing Success  

Gregory Scott Kovsky is an M&A expert, business broker, and the President of International Business Associates (IBA), the oldest business brokerage firm in the Pacific Northwest. Over his illustrious 26-year tenure at the helm of IBA, the firm has successfully negotiated the sale of over 4,400 companies, with Gregory personally executing more than 300 of those transactions. Bringing a unique competitive background that spans Division-I college basketball management at the University of Texas to coaching youth athletics, Kovsky views the business world through the precise lens of high-level sports strategy. His firm specializes exclusively in the seller side of transactions, guiding hundreds of elite winners through retirement sales, partner transitions, and strategic business exits. For serious entrepreneurs aiming to maximize their valuation and architect a seamless, lucrative handover, this conversation provides the tactical and psychological blueprints necessary to successfully climb to the top of the mountain. 

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What if the trauma that shaped you could become the foundation of a billion-dollar vision?

In this episode of Beginners with Larry Weidel, host Larry sits down with Mick Hunt, entrepreneur, author, and leadership strategist, to explore how a traumatic childhood promise transformed into a relentless business philosophy that generated a $60M exit, scaled another company from $35M to $70M in four years, and ultimately created a leadership framework for building world-class organizations.

What You’ll Learn:

• The "Plan A Only" Operating System
• The Decision Tree Method for Bulletproof Execution
• Why Visualization Without Preparation Fails
• The Daily Reflection Protocol That Separates Winners From Busy People
• How to Build Mentor Relationships With Elite Operators
• The Stewardship Mentality That Stops Financial Plateau

About the Guest:


Mick Hunt is a bestselling author, executive advisor, and leadership strategist known for his expertise in building and scaling high-performance organizations. With a background in insurance and financial services, Hunt transformed a startup agency into a $60+ million enterprise in just three years and later grew an inherited $50 million revenue brokerage to $70 million in four years. He is the founder of an advisory firm that works with Fortune 500 companies and entrepreneurs and authored How to Be a Good Leader When You Never Had One—a leadership blueprint recognized by mentors including Damon John, Les Brown, Robert Irvine, and Chris Voss. In this episode, Hunt shares his uncompromising "Plan A" philosophy, decision-tree methodology, and frameworks for transforming vision into exponential growth. His insights on preparation, visualization, and relentless execution provide actionable strategies for high-net-worth entrepreneurs and business leaders looking to compress timelines, eliminate excuses, and scale from millions to billions. His work across multiple industries has helped executives and founders master the emotional intelligence and strategic clarity required to lead at elite levels, making this conversation essential for those ready to build generational wealth and lasting organizational impact.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts. Instructions on how to do this are here.

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What if the difference between a seven-figure exit and a billion-dollar empire came down to how you learn?

In this episode of Big Hitters, host Larry Weidel sits down with Neal Bawa, technologist-turned-real estate mogul and founder of Multifamily University, to dissect how data-driven decision-making, relentless learning, and strategic positioning can transform you from a single-industry expert into a diversified powerhouse controlling hundreds of millions in assets across tech, commercial real estate, and build-to-rent developments.

What You’ll Learn:

• The Data Principle That Separates Winners From Everyone Else:
• How to Rewire Your Brain to Make Learning Non-Negotiable
• The Teaching-as-Leverage Framework
• How to Identify and Exploit Market Timing Windows
• The Executive Assistant Multiplication Model
• How to Build Moats Through Radical Differentiation
• The Market Reality Check on Housing
• From Introvert to Stage Presence

Neal Bawa is a data-driven real estate entrepreneur and Chief Investment Officer of a diversified portfolio exceeding $660 million in commercial and multifamily assets. With a background in computer science and technology—having built and sold a successful Silicon Valley tech company scaling from 10 to 400 employees—Bawa has applied rigorous data methodology to transform the real estate industry, creating what he calls "location magic," a proprietary system for identifying optimal investment markets across America. In this episode, Bawa shares the foundational principles that enabled his transition from tech executive to real estate mogul, revealing how systematic learning, data-driven decision-making, and strategic differentiation compound into generational wealth. His work through Multifamily University—a free educational platform serving over 20,000 investors—has democratized institutional-grade real estate insights, while his build-to-rent developments in emerging markets demonstrate his commitment to solving America's affordable housing crisis. For high-net-worth entrepreneurs scaling toward billion-dollar enterprises, this conversation delivers actionable frameworks for portfolio diversification, market selection, and leveraging knowledge infrastructure as a competitive moat in wealth creation.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts. Instructions on how to do this are here.

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What if the difference between staying trapped in an eight-figure business and building genuine impact was a single decision to know who you really are?

In this episode of Big Hitters, host Larry Weidel sits down with Mike C-Roc Ciorrocco, founder of That One Agency and creator of The Woody Made Up Show podcast, to explore how strategic visibility, intentional network-building, and unwavering authenticity transform careers and create billion-dollar opportunities. From logging 1,200+ podcast appearances in five years to building one of North America's premier podcast booking agencies, C-Roc reveals the exact systems that elevate you from commodity to irreplaceable.

What You’ll Learn:

• The Difference Between "Number One" and "That One"
• How to Build Omnipresence Without Diluting Your Brand
• The Communication-Agreement-Affinity Formula for Network Expansion
• How to Transition From Transactional Success to Fulfillment-Based Growth
• Why Your Environment and Aesthetic Directly Impact Your Network's Growth
• The Rocket Fuel Law: Converting Setbacks Into Unstoppable Momentum

Mike C-Roc Ciorrocco is the Founder of That One Agency, North America's premier podcast booking firm, and creator of That One Quantum Expansion, a transformational network for elite entrepreneurs and thought leaders. With a background spanning nine years in home sales, a decade building an 8-figure mortgage lending operation from Philadelphia to Miami, and over 1,200 podcast appearances in five years, Ciorrocco has positioned himself as a master connector and personal brand architect. He is the author of *Rocket Fuel: Convert Setbacks, Become Unstoppable*, which distills his philosophy of transforming adversity into momentum through what he calls the "Rocket Fuel Law." In this episode, Ciorrocco shares the framework behind becoming "that one"—an authentically differentiated leader—and reveals how to leverage strategic visibility, genuine service, and intentional networking to scale from millions to exponential impact. His work has helped seven-figure earners and ambitious entrepreneurs unlock their belief ceilings, build omnipresence through content strategy, and transition from transactional success to fulfillment-driven empire building, making this conversation essential for those ready to break through the next threshold of growth.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts. Instructions on how to do this are here.

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How do you build a national powerhouse in an industry known for "con men" and "wild west" tactics? For Joseph Shalaby, the answer wasn't better math—it was a better mission.   

In this deep-dive conversation, Joseph shares his journey from fleeing religious persecution in Egypt to dominating the U.S. mortgage market. He breaks down his "Phil Jackson" leadership style, explaining how he recruits creative, coachable talent to manage over 900 loan officers across 40 locations.  Beyond the mechanics of the mortgage business, Joseph provides a chilling yet opportunistic look at the future of AI. He explains "AI Indexing"—the process by which every podcast, video, and post is being permanently recorded by reasoning models to determine your future reputation.   

Whether you are an entrepreneur looking to scale or a professional trying to protect your legacy, this episode offers a masterclass in combining ancient faith-based principles with cutting-edge digital dominance.

What You’ll Learn:

• How to pivot from adversity into empire-building
• The AI Indexing Framework that determines your 2026 viability
• Why personal branding beats corporate branding in a post-AI world
• The Closer's Mindset beyond sales
• How to build a scalable organization without creating dependency on your presence
• The early adopter advantage in a rapidly shifting market

Joseph Shalaby is the CEO of EMortgage Capital and the host of the Coffees for Closers podcast, which reaches over 2 million people across social platforms. After immigrating from Egypt at age five, he built a mortgage career that survived the 2008 crash by pivoting into loss mitigation and eventually founding his own national powerhouse. Today, his company is ranked among the top five in the country, boasting over 900 loan officers. Joseph is a proponent of personal branding and AI integration, using his platform to teach the "art of the deal" while running the Shalaby Foundation to serve the impoverished and orphaned.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts. Instructions on how to do this are here.

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Big Hitters with Larry Weidel is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

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What if the difference between a six-figure grind and a seven-figure empire came down to seven deliberate pillars?

In this episode of Big Hitters with Larry Weidel, host Larry Weidel sits down with Darnyelle Jervey Harmon, Inc. 5000 CEO and creator of the Move to Millions method, to discuss how entrepreneurs collapse decades of hard-won lessons into a replicable framework—and why most seven-figure businesses fail to become eight-figure companies.

Harmon's journey from the projects of Wilmington, Delaware to leading a multimillion-dollar scaling operation reveals what separates those who build sustainable legacies from those who remain trapped in the hustle. The conversation cuts through the noise on what actually separates winners from dreamers: systems, mindset, and the willingness to admit when you don't know.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why bankruptcy was Darnyelle's greatest education
• The Seven Pillars framework that generates predictable seven-figure revenue
• How to identify the gap between "growing" and "scaling"
• The brutal truth about your expertise
• How to move from the primary service provider to the CEO who works ON the business
• Why words shape destiny—and how to weaponize language for wealth building
• The playbook for building generational wealth through business, not employment

Darnyelle Jervey Harmon is a CEO, Inc. 5,000 honoree, and architect of the Move to Millions Method—a transformational scaling framework that has guided entrepreneurs and established business leaders from six to seven and eight-figure revenue. With 18 years in business and a background spanning corporate leadership, foundational entrepreneurship, and high-level executive coaching, she has built and scaled her own eight-figure legacy organization while mastering the intersection of business strategy, sales systems, and mindset transformation. In this episode, Harmon reveals the precise infrastructure and psychological shifts required to build sustainable seven-figure businesses and companies—sharing candid insights from her own journey through bankruptcy, reinvention, and ultimately, explosive growth. Her methodology, documented in her bestselling book *Move to Millions* and expanded through her popular podcast of the same name, provides actionable frameworks and proven case studies that have enabled clients to collapse decades of learning into months of accelerated results. For high-achieving entrepreneurs ready to transition from operational chaos to strategic leadership and position their businesses for billion-dollar potential, Harmon's work offers the blueprint and mindset calibration necessary to move beyond survival mode into sustainable, predictable, exponential growth.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts. Instructions on how to do this are here.

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What if the difference between mediocre success and elite achievement came down to one simple decision: moving fast?

In this episode of Big Hitters with Larry Weidel, host Larry Weidel sits down with Lamar Tyler, founder of Tyler New Media and Traffic Sales and Profits, to explore how hesitation kills momentum, why opportunity exists in economic contraction, and how to build one of America's most successful Black-owned business ecosystems while most competitors are still deliberating.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why "friction points" separate scalable founders from those who plateau
• How AI transforms small business advantage from pipe dream to competitive reality
• The counterintuitive opportunity hiding in market contraction
• How to reverse-engineer success by eliminating what doesn't work
• The hidden cost of sitting on ideas and moving too slow
• How to build an $8-figure business ecosystem by listening to your audience

Lamar Tyler is a serial entrepreneur and business strategist who has built two multimillion-dollar companies—Tyler New Media and Traffic Sales and Profits—creating one of the most successful Black-owned business ecosystems in America. With a background in information technology and digital media production, Tyler has scaled his enterprises from a husband-and-wife operation to a thriving organization that has trained thousands of entrepreneurs across multiple income levels, from six to eight figures annually. In this episode, Tyler shares candid insights on overcoming friction points in business growth, leveraging artificial intelligence for competitive advantage, and the critical importance of execution over perfection. His work in entrepreneurial scaling and business acceleration has helped countless high-achievers break through plateaus and compound their success, making this conversation essential for accomplished business leaders seeking to accelerate their trajectory toward the next level of wealth creation and market dominance.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts. Instructions on how to do this are here.

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What if the secret to scaling beyond seven figures was pioneering a training system that nobody else could replicate?

In this episode of Big Hitters with Larry Weidel, host Larry Weidel sits down with Brad Lea, founder of Lightspeed Virtual Training, to explore how he built a multi-million dollar software company that now operates in 92 countries, why the four pillars of effective training—content, repetition, practice, and accountability—are non-negotiable for scaling teams, and the exact framework he uses to manage multiple eight-figure enterprises. Whether you're looking to transform your training infrastructure, build unstoppable sales teams, or break through the scaling ceiling that stops most entrepreneurs, this conversation delivers the blueprint for moving from millions to billions. Tune in to uncover how fixing your mindset, skill set, and habits unlocks unlimited earning potential and world-changing impact.

What You’ll Learn:

• The Four Non-Negotiable Elements of Effective Training
• How to Build a $325 Billion Solution When Nobody Believes in It
• The Sales Move That Built an Empire
• How to Acquire Your Competitive Advantage Without Capital
• Why Looking Inward First Accelerates External Results
• The Hidden Leverage in Training at Scale

Brad Lea is a software entrepreneur and founder of Lightspeed Virtual Training, a revolutionary interactive training platform operating in 92 countries. With over 25 years of experience building scalable training solutions, Lea transformed the online learning industry by pioneering the integration of four critical training elements—content, repetition, practice, and accountability—into a single software ecosystem that has generated multiple eight-figure companies. Starting from a foundation in enterprise sales and team leadership, he identified a critical gap in how organizations approach employee development and built the first truly interactive training software on the market, white-labeling it to industry titans like Grant Cardone, John Maxwell, and Zig Ziglar. In this episode, Lea shares the blueprint for building billion-dollar businesses through personal development, vibrational frequency alignment, and systematic skill mastery—offering high-achieving entrepreneurs actionable strategies for scaling operations, building unstoppable teams, and compressing timelines to unprecedented success. His work in corporate training and software innovation has fundamentally reshaped how enterprises develop talent, making this conversation essential for those committed to transcending multi-million-dollar businesses into transformational, billion-dollar empires.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts. Instructions on how to do this are here.

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What separates the entrepreneurs who build billion-dollar empires from those stuck at the hundred-million mark?

In this episode of Big Hitters with Larry Weidel, Larry Weidel sits down with Greg Selkoe, founder of Karmaloop, FaZe Clan, and XSET, to break down how he's repeatedly identified emerging cultural movements, scaled companies with skeleton crews, and navigated the brutal reality of raising capital at the highest levels. From starting in his parents' basement to generating over a billion dollars in cumulative revenue, Selkoe reveals the non-negotiable mindset required to survive the pain of entrepreneurship—rejection, chronic capital shortages, and the willingness to be all-in when investors are betting on you. This is for operators who understand that scaling isn't about hiring more people; it's about seeing what others miss and having the resilience to execute when 90% of the world says you're wrong.

What You’ll Learn:

• How to identify and capitalize on cultural inflection points before the market recognizes them
• The "Rubber Band Principle" for lean operational scaling
• Why founder capital commitment is the ultimate fundraising asset
• The brutal mathematics of fundraising at scale
• How to build repeatable billion-dollar models without reinventing the wheel
• The non-negotiable trait that separates operators from theorists

Greg Selkoe is the Founder and CEO of XSET, a media company generating content across gaming, entertainment, and youth culture for audiences aged 12-34. With over 25 years of entrepreneurial experience, Selkoe has built three culture-defining brands—Karmaloop (which generated over $1 billion in lifetime revenue), FaZe Clan (a legendary esports and entertainment empire), and XSET (currently scaling toward $50-100 million in annual revenue). His expertise spans content creation, community building, brand partnerships with blue-chip companies like Nike, Spotify, and Amazon, and identifying emerging cultural trends before they reach mainstream awareness. In this episode, Selkoe shares unfiltered insights on the brutal realities of fundraising, building lean organizations that scale without proportional headcount increases, and the non-negotiable mindset required to turn vision into billion-dollar outcomes. For high-level operators seeking to understand how to build authentic brands in emerging markets and maintain relentless momentum through capital constraints, this conversation delivers the strategic clarity and psychological framework that separates unicorn builders from those who plateau.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts. Instructions on how to do this are here.

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What if the secret to scaling your empire starts with asking better questions?

In this episode of Big Hitters, Larry Weidel sits down with Mitch Matthews, a coach to top 1% performers and founder of Dream Think Do, to explore why curiosity beats credentials, how to extract wisdom from mentors without wasting years, and the exact framework that turned his training side-hustle into a multi-million-dollar coaching empire. From his early days at a Schwinn bike shop to coaching CEOs and Oscar winners, Mitch reveals the real mechanics of success: listening more, leading through genuine interest, and the discipline to iterate fast. Whether you're building your next revenue stream or scaling your existing one, this conversation cuts through the noise to show you how proximity to the right people and the willingness to be humble compound into extraordinary results.

What You’ll Learn:

• How to reverse-engineer success by studying the top performer in each specific domain
• The "Be Interested, Not Interesting" framework
• Why proximity to the right mentors is worth thousands in training courses
• The iteration-first business model that works
• How to admit ignorance at scale
• The "proxemics principle" for competitive differentiation

Mitch Matthews is a renowned business coach, speaker, and founder of Matthews Training International, known for his expertise in coaching elite performers, scaling service-based businesses, and building high-impact training programs. With over 50 years of combined experience across pharmaceutical sales, corporate training, and entrepreneurship, Matthews has trained thousands of coaches and speakers to six and seven-figure revenues while coaching titans in the personal development space including Brendon Burchard and Lewis Howes. He is the creator of the *Dream Think Do* podcast, which has inspired millions to pursue their biggest dreams through conversations with Olympic gold medalists, Oscar winners, and New York Times bestselling authors. In this episode, Matthews shares the foundational principles of curiosity-driven leadership, iterative business building, and the art of asking the right questions—lessons learned from a transformative apprenticeship at a bicycle shop that shaped his entire philosophy. His insights on mentorship, humility, and the power of genuine interest provide actionable strategies for accomplished entrepreneurs looking to scale with authenticity, build lasting organizational cultures, and transition from success to significance.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts. Instructions on how to do this are here.

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Big Hitters with Larry Weidel is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so