Episode 007: Larry Cohen

Introduction:


By way of background, Larry Cohen was born in the Bronx and,
given how long he has been a Yankees season ticket holder, one
can say he has played a part in building the Yankee’s new home
since 2009 - although in a manner a bit differently than that of
the way Babe Ruth built that house once known as the old Yankee
Stadium. A happily married father of five kids, professionally
speaking, Larry is partner-in-charge of the Business Management
Hospitality Group of bi-coastal Marks Paneth LLP - a CPA firm
ranked as one of the top 35 in the U.S. in terms of revenue and
the 14th largest in the NY metropolitan area. In his prior real
estate life, Larry was president and CEO of The Griffin Group,
Inc., the investment and management company owned by Merv Griffin
(who, for those not old enough to know or remember, was the
ex-talk show host and successful hotel owner and game show
creator with properties such as The Beverly Hilton Hotel and the
long running and iconic game shows known as Wheel of Fortune and
Jeopardy to his credit). Before joining Griffin, Larry was a
financial executive at Coca-Cola Entertainment and its successor,
Columbia Pictures Entertainment Inc. 


Episode Notes:


At 4:44, Larry Cohen notes that everyone brings something
different to the table and has their own value add. At 6:37,
Cohen explains why he feels efficiency comes from being
organized. At 8:03, he discusses taking opportunity by the throat
when it presents itself and how he ended up working at Coca-Cola
Entertainment, and with Merv Griffin. At 12:57, Cohen tells us
how two weeks on a job turned into a 25-year career. At 14:09, he
said his biggest risk was leaving Coca-Cola to work directly with
Merv. At 15:29, Cohen briefly shares the time he ate lasagna at
3:00 AM with President Donald Trump. At 16:52, he talks about
finding a solution and building consensus. At 18:08, Cohen
informs that the best deal he never did was for a casino in
Nevada. At 21:06, he discusses the importance of making a
difference for those who are unfortunate. At 24:04, Cohen notes
that finding a balance between life and work requires work and
revaluation everyday. At 26:01, he dives into his passion for the
Yankees and his happy place – anywhere bonding with family. Merv
Griffin described in his book that Larry’s one fault is that of
being a Yankees fan. At 29:50, Cohen touches upon technology and
social media and how he is always eager for the next tool and
upgrade. At 31:27, he advises on “closing” in his profession and
the closing mentality of not taking your eye off the ball. At
36:44, Larry Haber asks Cohen a “what would you do in this
situation?” interview question. At 40:27, Cohen explains why “you
can’t make it in business on your own.” At 41:50, he breaks down
the current health of the hospitality industry and at 44:20
describes the impact of Airbnb on the hospitality industry as a
whole. At 48:04, Cohen enlightens us about his “oh my” moment at
Columbia Pictures. At 49:51, Larry Cohen closes out the
discussion Mariano Rivera-esque style.