In this episode of The Greatness Machine, Darius Mirshahzadeh sits down with George Barrios, entrepreneur, investor, and former Co-President of WWE, for a wide-ranging conversation about resilience, reinvention, and the power of contrarian thinking. George shares his remarkable origin story as the son of Cuban immigrants who fled Castro’s regime, his self-described journey as a “talented f**k-up,” and how he went from a 0.6 GPA freshman to the boardroom of one of the world’s most recognized entertainment brands. The conversation dives deep into how George and his business partner Michelle Wilson identified a massively undervalued asset in WWE, rebuilt it from the inside out, and ultimately engineered a $20 billion merger between WWE and UFC — the largest sports deal in history.
In this episode, Darius and George will discuss:
- (00:00) Introduction to George Barrios
- (03:04) George’s Origin Story
- (06:05) Family Background and Early Influences
- (08:56) Education Journey and Challenges
- (11:57) Cultural Heritage and Family Values
- (15:12) Reflections on Parenting and Education
- (18:01) Transition to Corporate World and WWE
- (20:51) The Accidental CFO Journey
- (22:48) Discovering WWE: A Surprising Opportunity
- (25:10) Overcoming Doubts: The WWE Reputation Challenge
- (28:51) Transforming WWE: Insights and Strategies
- (33:33) Co-Leadership Dynamics: George and Michelle’s Partnership
- (39:04) Unlocking Value: The Economics of Wrestling
- (42:41) Building the Future: Lessons from WWE’s Success
Meet George:
George Barrios is a business leader, investor, and operator at the intersection of sports, media, and technology. He is Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Isos Capital and an investor and director with Global Sport Group. He previously served as Co-President and Board Member of WWE, helping expand the company’s digital, global, and direct-to-consumer businesses and leading its merger with UFC to form TKO Group. Earlier in his career, he held senior leadership roles at The New York Times Company, Time Warner, HBO, and Praxair. A first-generation Cuban American raised in Queens, George holds an MBA from the University of Connecticut and is the author of “Sometimes Wrong But Never in Doubt”.
Meet Darius:
Darius is your host of The Greatness Machine. Darius is a mad scientist, high-growth CEO, serial entrepreneur, author, conscious capitalist, speaker, and entertainer. Darius is on a quest to create 1,000,000 Core Value Driven Organization by 2030. He is calling this “The Core Value Revolution.” Darius is an alumni of the Birthing of Giants Entrepreneurial Program at MIT and Stagen Integral Leadership Program. Darius’s accolades include being ranked #9 Top Rated CEO in America on Glassdoor, has won numerous Stevie Awards, and has founded and grown organizations that have been ranked #40 in the Inc. 500 and were ranked #3 Best Places to Work By the San Francisco Business Time. He is all about the P’s: Passion, Pizza, Puzzles, and, especially, Pink Unicorns. His book, The Core Value Equation, is an Amazon #1 Best Seller and is available at www.thecorevalueequation.com.
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My team and I are on a mission to help YOU create a cultural revolution. I want to teach you how to build a core value driven organization.
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