Power Players

Andrew is the CEO and Co-Founder of Buena Fé, a ready-to-drink (RTD) tequila-based cocktail.

Before founding Buena Fé, Andrew worked as a Director in the Savills Capital Markets Group, and before that he spent eight years as a development manager at The Blackstone Group where he managed the development and repositioning of over $6BN worth of real estate assets in Europe and Asia.

In our chat, Andrew spills the beans on how he and his fiancé started Buena Fé during the lockdowns. He shares the lowdown on the creation process, from picking flavors to bottling. And hey, he also gives us a quick and dirty rundown of the US liquor industry.

He's got some interesting thoughts on why they're going for crowd-funding to grow Buena Fé, and his plans for the future of the brand. Plus, he's got some golden advice for all you dreamers out there looking to start something of your own.

Listen in as Andrew talks about his journey, his ambitions, and the legacy he hopes to leave.

Show notes:
 
(0:00) Intro 
(1:16) What are Americans drinking
(3:26) Stricter liquor rules in in US compared to Europe
(5:10) Childhood & growing up
(8:29) London vs New York
(9:20) How the idea for a tequila brand was born 
(15:05) What’s a quencher
(15:52) Production process
(19:18) Mixto vs 100% agave
(22:32) Why are so many people drinking tequila
(23:16) What is the healthiest alcohol
(24:08) How did you decide flavors
(25:12) What is RTD alcohol and why are people drinking it 
(27:32) White Claw’s vodka
(27:53) What liquor is White Claw
(30:04) Big brands entering the market
(32:37) Current can sales
(33:38) Split between online sales and distribution partners
(34:46) Marketing strategy
(35:55) Tastings at liquor stores
(37:18) Why looking to raise capital
(39:05) Why should someone invest in Buena Fé
(40:31) 8 new flavors
(42:44) Barriers to entry in industry
(44:08) Rewarding part of growing Beuna Fe
(44:17) Timeline to exit
(44:27) QSBS qualified small business stock
(45:18) 5-year goal
(46:31) 300k cases in terms of revenue
(47:46) Why exit and not just hold Buena Fé
(49:05) Advice for entrepreneurs
­­(52:20) Rapid fire questions

Invest in Buena Fé: https://www.startengine.com/offering/purebrandscompany?utm_source=powerplayers

Andrew Bushby links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-bushby-b3033289/
Beuna Fe website: https://drinkbuenafe.com/

My links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haroonbokhary
Twitter: https://twitter.com/haroonbokhary
Blog: https://www.haroonbokhary.com/

Fares Ksebati is the founder and CEO creator of MySwimPro, the #1 fitness app for swimmers. It has gotten over a million downloads and won Apple Watch App of the Year in 2016.

Fares is also a YouTube creator with over 2 million subscribers. He has written two books: (1) Swim Like a Pro and (2) How to Invest in Startups.

Fares founded the World Swim Day in 2018. He is an active angel investor and also founded the Startup Investor Academy. Fares made it to the Forbes 30 under 30 list in 2020.

In our conversation we talked about what inspired him to create MySwimPro, building a team and scaling to over seven figures in revenue. Fares shares how making the Forbes 30 under 30 list impacted his life, and gives plenty of advice for aspiring entrepreneurs. He tells us the story of how he wrote a book in 30 days and his plans for the future. 

 
Show notes:
 
(0:00) Intro 
(1:26) Childhood to college
(2:20) Walk-on in college
(4:51) Aspirations to be a professional swimmer
(7:55) How the idea for MySwimPro came about
(11:09) Marketing something that did not exist
(12:50) How to build a team
(14:10) How to find co-founders
(16:21) Being named Apple Watch app of the year
(20:43) Evolution of the MySwimPro app
(22:18) Plans to scale
(23:50) Making Forbes 30u30
(25:00) Secret behind so much content
(28:04) Creative state secrets  
(30:10) Managing many responsibilities
(33:02) Becoming an author 
(36:07) Process to write a book
(41:28) Public accountability 
(43:12) Angel investing 
(45:45) Interviewing entrepreneurs 
(47:54) Mentors
(48:54) One thing that contributed the most to his success
(50:22) The iconic white jacket
(53:15) Advice for entrepreneurs
(54:26) Happiness and purpose: the seasons of life
(56:57) Rapid fire questions
 

Fares Ksebati links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/faresksebati/
Personal website: https://www.faresksebati.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/faresksebati/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FaresKsebati

YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@FaresKsebati
https://www.youtube.com/@myswimpro
https://www.youtube.com/@fksebati

Books:
Swim Like a Pro
Invest in Startups

My links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haroonbokhary
Twitter: https://twitter.com/haroonbokhary
Blog: https://www.haroonbokhary.com/

Matthew Edgar is a former Goldman Sachs. banker that launched a new investment bank in March 2023, catering to middle-market clients.

Edgar was most recently a vice president at Goldman Sachs for five years. Edgar has advised on transactions representing more than $70 billion in deal value.

In our conversation, we discussed his journey to entrepreneurship, what sets his firm apart, reactions to its launch, his personal life, favorite workouts, his relationship, and his desired legacy.

Show notes:

(0:00) – Intro 
(1:01) – How does a 28-year-old start an IB
(3:08) – Idea to execution
(6:56) – How were you able to build relationships with clients at a young age
(9:29) – Partnership with GT Securities
(11:42) – Plan to differentiate Edgar Matthews & Co.
(15:12) – Why is middle market M&A more resilient
(16:43) – Plans to scale
(19:20) – Has anyone looked down on you because of your age?
(20:47) – Bloomberg article reaction
(25:06) – Stress levels
(25:49) – Mentors that have helped you
(29:12) – Boutique vs bulge-bracket
(30:43) – Personal qualities that have lead you to your success
(32:14) – How do bankers take the leap of faith and start their own firm
(34:35) – Workouts and Barry’s bootcamp
(35:56) – Relationship with GF and how its helped him
(37:47) – What do you hope your legacy will be
(38:42) – Rapid fire questions

Matthew Edgar: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-edgar-53a01063/
Firm Launch Bloomberg article: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-04-04/ex-goldman-sachs-banker-matt-edgar-launches-middle-market-investment-bank


My links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haroonbokhary
Twitter: https://twitter.com/haroonbokhary
Blog: https://www.haroonbokhary.com/

Sachin Khajuria is one of the most prolific names in the world of private equity, and is the author of "Two and Twenty: How the Masters of Private Equity Always Win," which has sold 50,000+ copies.

In this conversation we spoke about Sachin's path to Wall Street, why he decided to write his book, the private equity investment process, how to invest a million dollars in the current economy, and his future plans.

Show Notes:

(0:00) - Intro 
(1:11) - Banking crisis - Will it get worse?
(4:07) - Ways to fix the crisis
(6:48) - Sachin’s childhood
(7:18) - How he become interested in finance
(9:02) - Path to Wall Street
(10:33) - Two and Twenty Book
(16:05) - Private equity’s reputation
(18:58) - Is private equity the best asset class for a long term investment horizon?
(19:31) - Where to invest a million dollars
(24:14) - Sachin’s portfolio
(26:21) - Private equity recruiting back in the day
(30:51) - Private equity investment process
(36:11) - Sachin’s personal research process 
(38:23) - LP or GP?
(39:20) - What makes Sachin truly happy?
(42:34) - What Sachin wants to improve
(45:01) - Places Sachin would like to travel
(48:34) - Skills and habits one should pick up in teens, 20s, 30s, and beyond
(53:13) - Money (net-worth) it takes to be comfortable
(57:39) - Sachin’s goal for the next 10 years
(1:00:31) - Health tips 
(1:04:33) - Rapid fire questions