Ed Sonshine is one of those people you could speak with for hours and barely scratch the surface of his life. Born in Bergen-Belsen Displaced Persons Camp after World War II to two Holocaust survivors, he immigrated to Canada as a young child. After already becoming a very successful lawyer, he founded RioCan, which, at the time, was the first REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) in Canada. As of this recording, RioCan operates 193 properties, has over 33 million in leasable square feet, and an evaluation of $15 billion. In this episode of Big Shot, you’ll learn what it was like being born in Germany after the war, how Ed built a real estate empire while still being a family man, why he thinks the Jewish community is extremely self-reliant, and much more.

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Where To Find Big Shot: 

Website: ⁠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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In This Episode, We Cover:

(00:00) Welcome to Big Shot and meet our guest Ed Sunshine

(05:40) The early days of Ed’s life and being born in a displaced person’s camp

(10:18) Why Ed’s father was a smuggler after the war and never complained

(14:55) What made Ed want to be successful and change career paths

(19:12) When Ed got the idea to bring the first REIT to Canada

(24:38) What he learned from his father that had a profound impact on him 

(27:20) How Ed built a business empire while being a family man

(31:20) Why Ed finally got a cottage 

(36:40) How Ed defines success, financial security, and purpose

(42:15) Why the Jewish community is self-reliant

(50:51) How Ed defines chutzpah

(52:32) A story you need to hear about Ed’s father

(58:36) What worries Ed about the future 

(1:04:40) Ed’s biggest piece of advice to younger generations

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Referenced:

RioCan: https://www.riocan.com/ 

Bergen-Belsen Displaced Persons Camp: https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/bergen-belsen-displaced-persons-camp 

An Empire Of Their Own: How the Jews Invented Hollywood: https://www.amazon.com/Empire-Their-Own-Invented-Hollywood/dp/0385265573 

Jonathan Wener is proof that nice guys don't finish last. The founder of Canderel, which has developed over 80 million square feet throughout Canada, has a reputation for being one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. In this episode of Big Shot, you'll discover how his bold decisions at 25 turned a $10,000 loan into more than $15 billion, how he always used kindness to create opportunity, and how he approached objections and adversity in his career.

Where To Find Big Shot: 

Website: ⁠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

In This Episode, We Cover:

(00:00) Welcome to Big Shot and our guest Jonathan Wener

(03:40) How Jonathan created $1M in value by 17

(09:05) Where Jonathan’s hard work ethic comes from

(11:45) How Jonathan bought the Student Union building and got the mayor’s attention

(14:38) Integrity over revenue

(20:30) Jonathan’s first deal with $5,000 in his bank account

(29:01) What made Jonathan quit his job overnight and start his own business

(36:17) A story around building a strong business relationship

(43:18) The incredible Royal Trust story

(52:00) The importance of giving back and philanthropy

(55:28) Jonathan’s most significant lessons in life

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Referenced:

Canderel: https://canderel.com/ 

Défi Canderel: https://deficanderel.com/ 

If you have ever wondered if you have what it takes to become an entrepreneur, then listening to Aldo Bensadoun's story could be a life-changing experience. Entrepreneurship is a natural calling for some. For others, it's a destiny that seems to find them. In this episode, Aldo takes us on a journey from his humble beginnings to building a billion-dollar brand that may have never existed if it wasn't for one life-changing decision that turned a loyal employee into a trailblazing founder who still feels like he has something to prove.

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Where To Find Big Shot: 

Website: 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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In This Episode, We Cover:

(00:00) Welcome to Big Shot and our guest Aldo Bensodaun

(03:10) Aldo’s upbringing 

(06:20) How Aldo sold encyclopedias door-to-door

(11:00) How Aldo ended up in retail after all

(14:45) Why Aldo eventually decided to start his own business 

(20:15) Aldo’s business model – be a capitalist and a fair person

(26:30) The key decisions in Aldo’s life

(27:20) Why Aldo stopped working with their biggest partner

(31:38) How Skechers was created on a napkin

(34:00) Cause marketing and Jewish heritage 

(34:98) What makes Jewish entrepreneurs so unique

(37:00) What Aldo wants you to learn from his life

(41:08) Aldo’s proudest accomplishment

(43:06) Why Aldo feels he still hasn’t made it 

(43:56) Would life have been different if Aldo had stayed with his former boss

(44:55) The ultimate discount setup

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Referenced:

Phi Epsilon Pi: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phi_Epsilon_Pi

Le Château: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Ch%C3%A2teau

Dr. Martens: https://www.drmartens.com/us/en/ 

Robert Greenberg: https://about.skechers.com/executive-team/

Tikkun Olam: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tikkun_olam

Some entrepreneurs don't just build businesses, they take bold risks that can shape a country or revitalize a religion. That's Charles Bronfman. On the first episode of Big Shot, hosted by Harley Finkelstein and David Segal, you'll learn about Bronfman’s incredible upbringing, lessons, and experiences that inspired many transformational initiatives. From watching his father build Seagram’s to bringing the Expos to Canada and founding Birthright Israel. Bronfman left a legacy in business, charity, and family with endless lessons for all.

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Where To Find Big Shot: 

Website: 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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In This Episode, We Cover:

(00:00) Welcome to Big Shot. More about our first guest

(02:15) The catalyst behind Big Shot

(04:05) What is the meaning of chutzpah

(05:38) How Charles brought Major League Baseball to Canada

(10:02) The story of Charles telling his father, Sam, about bringing baseball to Canada 

(15:00) The incredible story of building Birthright Israel

(20:18) What makes Jews so unique when it comes to business and entrepreneurship 

(26:31) Charles Bronfman’s three biggest things to consider in your life

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Referenced:

Distilled: Distilled A Memoir of Family, Seagram, Baseball, and Philanthropy: https://www.amazon.com/Distilled-Memoir-Seagram-Baseball-Philanthropy/dp/144345396X 

Sam Bronfman: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Bronfman 

Birthright Israel: https://www.birthrightisrael.com/ 

Seagram’s: https://www.seagramsescapes.com/

Many of the greatest stories of entrepreneurship have never been told. It’s time to change that. Big Shot is an archive and celebration of Jewish entrepreneurs who took risks, overcame the odds, and created legendary businesses that changed the game. Each episode documents the memories, culture, hardship, and chutzpah it takes to become a big shot.  

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Where To Find Big Shot  

Website: 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 

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Production and marketing by https://penname.co/