Whiskey Hue

Millions of followers. Massive sales. But where are the profits?

How do you build a BILLION-DOLLAR beverage phenomenon almost overnight, only to watch sales come crashing back down?

Welcome to PRIME HYDRATION, where influencer power meets the unforgiving reality of consumer economics.

Over a pour of Basil Hayden, we unpack the rise of PRIME, the revenue curve behind the hype, and why HEADLINEVALUATIONS aren't CASH IN THE BANK.

From shrinking sales momentum and fixed-cost traps to the sister brand that secured an exit, we examine what happens when CULTURE MOVES FAST but RETAIL COMMITMENTS MOVE SLOWLY.

Plus, hilarious takes on a recent Theo Von and SophieCunningham podcast conversation, and 3 essential VC lessons every investor should know before writing a check into ANY business.
This podcast is the Audio Version of the Sava360 Ventures Investor Report, 88 Prime Hydration, The Billion-Dollar Trap.*

00:00 Intro / WOTD: Basil Hayden

01:51  Current Events: Theo Von + Sophie Cunningham / HILARIOUS

09:00  Prime Hydration: Sales We’re Up + then Downnnnn

10:36  When the Influencer’s Brand Doesn’t Sustain Sales

11:32  Act 1: The Launch that Broke the Playbook

14:58  Act 2: Customer Acquisition Was the Superpower

17:35  Act 3: The Revenue Curve Tells the Real Story

20:20  Act 4: The Profits Were Not As Big As The Hype

22:45  Act 5: The Fixed-Cost Trap

25:25  Act 6: The Sister Brand That Got The Exit

28:20  Act 7: What I Would Ask Before Writing A Check

31:00  Act 8: The Bigger Cultural + Public-Market Lesson

33:10  Three Investor Takeaways

For more info on:

1. Venture, Tech, Sports and Investing, visit: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AtulPrashar|LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. *DM for the entire Investor Report.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠2. Learn Venture Capital Investing for less than a dinner in NYC: “VC: Ideation Through Execution”: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/APsVCCourse⁠⁠⁠⁠

120-hour IB weeks. High-stakes M&A deals. Private equity. AI entrepreneurship. And a surprising journey from fashion model to spiritual capitalist.

Linda Chen, Founder & CEO of StarLogic AI, joins to discuss what Wall Street taught her about creating value, why most AIstartups lack defensibility, and how distribution can make or break a billion-dollar business.

From AI commercialization and investor psychology tobuilding wealth and betting on yourself, Linda challenges conventional thinking about business and success.

But the conversation goes deeper: Can intuition, spirituality, and personal conviction become your greatest competitiveadvantages?

Recorded live with my Fordham University VC students,this episode of Whiskey Hue explores the intersection of Money, Technology, Purpose and the courage to redefine success on your own terms.

00:00 Intro

00:38 Linda Chen: IB, PE, Founder Starlogic.Ai

05:13 +Fashion Model to Spiritual Capitalist

11:22 Disconnect in Investor Value

15:30 Distinguishing GenAI Businesses w/ Real Value Creation

23:34 AI Wrappers Are No Longer Enough

27:21 Experiences can be AI Proof
Student Questions:

27:55 Lily: Transition from IB to VC?

31:32 Prof P: One Thing To Help Move a Room In Your Direction

34:21 Carlos: Linda- How Would YOU Redo Your Journey?

39:07 Emily: Personal Belief Leads To YOUR Journey of Success

40:50 Roxanne: Spirituality in Decision Making

44:09 Transcendental Meditation

45:25 Brooke: Starlogic.AI, Guided Intuition

49:58 Luca: Book Recommendations?

54:00 Linda: 1 Key Takeaway For An Enjoyable Life Experience. For more info on:

1. Venture, Tech, Sports + Investing, visit: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AtulPrashar|LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠2. Learn Venture Capital Investing for less than a dinner in NYC: “VC: IdeationThrough Execution”: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/APsVCCourse⁠⁠⁠⁠

What does it take to walk away from a billion-dollar opportunity when everyone else is investing? Rhodes Scholar, corporate strategy executive, and world-class shooting champion ROOPA UNNIKRISHNAN joins The Whiskey Hue for a fascinating masterclass in Corporate Venture Capital, due diligence, and investment conviction.

From the growing influence of corporate VC across the S&P 500 to her firsthand experience evaluating and rejecting Theranos, Roopa reveals why discipline, pattern recognition, and the courage to stand alone separate exceptional investors from the crowd.

This recording was taped live with my Fordham Venture Capital students, many of them highlighted in the timestamps for asking incredible questions for our Guest Speaker Roopa. In this dicussion, we explore founder evaluation, strategic investing, leadership, and the fine line between visionary ambition and outright fraud.

Sometimes the most profitable investment decision is the check you DON'T write.

00:00 Intro

02:30   Placing Bets

03:30   Partnering With The Right Leaders

04:15   SP500 – 30-50% Have Corporate Venture Arms        

08:30   Benefits of Corporate Venture for Startup Founders 

11:30   Actual Corp Venture Dollars Being Deployed

11:30   How Corp Venture Analyzes a Startup + Founder

17:46   Venture: Proving Your Market Into Existence

19:15   Analyzing the Investment: Theranos l Elizabeth Holmes      

30:30   Rifle Shooting Global Champion

32:30   Wearing the Burden of Your Decision For Years Until Proven Right

34:42   Fake It Til You Make It: Unless It’s Fraud

36:30   Corporate Venture Arms Capital Comes From Where?        
FORDHAM GABELLI STUDENT QUESTIONS:
40:22   Piper: Evolving Definition Of Success

44:06   James: What Do Investors Over + Underestimate

45:58   Linh: Why New York Over Other Markets?

48:37   Rahul: Due Diligence

50:58   Roxanne: Convincing Senior Leadership On Investments

53:16   Emily: Elevating Speaking To Match The Listener

55:50   Zachary: Investment Conviction        

57:50   Nurturing Relationships

59:55   Carlos: Subject Matter Specialist Investing

Please Rate, Review, Subscribe and Share with a Friend! Means a lot to us - thank YOU!
For more info on:

1. Venture, Tech, Sports and Investing, visit: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AtulPrashar|LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠2. Learn Venture Capital Investing for less than a dinner in NYC: “VC: IdeationThrough Execution”: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/APsVCCourse⁠⁠⁠⁠

What Happens When You Predict The Future, Raise $1.75 BILLION, And Go Out of Business in Just 197 Days? Welcome To QUIBI, Where the IDEA Was Right, But The BUSINESS MODEL Was Spectacularly Wrong.

Fast-Forward 6 Years, And MICRO-DRAMA Is Booming. We Unpack the Explosive Growth, Flawed Unit Economics, And Why Raising MORE Money Can Sometimes Create BIGGER Problems.

Over A Pour of KOVAL Oat Whiskey, We Explore the Intersection of Hollywood, Technology And VC, Revealing 3 Powerful Investor Lessons About Product-MarketFit, Timing And What Actually Creates Lasting Value.00:00  Intro

00:32  Koval Oat Whiskey: Chicago’s Finest

01:10  QUIBI. Gone in 197 Days.  

02:32  Why It Matters Today.

04:23  Questions

05:02  The Idea was not the problem

05:53  The Numbers: Revenues and Spend

07:23  The BIG MISS

10:26  Mo Money, Mo Problems

12:26  The VC Lesson + Content Budgets

14:43  Content: The Conversion Asset

17:22  PMF à Growth Curve

19:33  The Business Model Keeps Changing

21:35  What is the Asset?

|23:10  3 Key Investor Takeaways

26:49  In ClosingThis podcast is the audio version of the Sava360 Ventures Investor Report “Quibi's $1.75B The Most Expensive Format Test in History”.
Please Rate, Review, Subscribe and Share with a Friend! Means a lot to us - thank YOU!

For more info on:

1. Venture, Tech, Sports and Investing, visit: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AtulPrashar|LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠2. Learn Venture Capital Investing for less than a dinner in NYC: “VC: IdeationThrough Execution”: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/APsVCCourse⁠⁠⁠⁠

What do hand-rolling cigarettes at age six, running international trading on Wall Street, venture investing and Hollywood have in common? Steve Garrow.

Steve joins The Whiskey Hue to unpack a career built on fearlessness, calculated risk and constantly chasing the next big opportunity. From Wall Street to venture investing to Travelin Bone Entertainment, he shares lessons on PMF, hiring exceptional talent, de-risking investments and findingan edge. Today, he’s applying that playbook to bringing Hollywood scripts and IP to the massive South Asian market, creating multiple paths to monetize content and maximize ROI. Plus, how to avoid the “idiot tax,” solve complex problems, bet on great people and why working hard early can ultimately earn you the freedom to choose what you do next.

Special Recording: Steve was a featured Guest Speaker in Atul's Venture Capital Class at Fordham Gabelli School of Business.

00:00 Intro

02:45 Learning bootleg Entrepreneurship

08:25 ‘4 Must Learns’ During College Years

12:45 I Hustled à Became Head of International Trading

16:20 NYU Stern Berkeley Center EIR

17:50 Search + Deploy: Operational + VC Excellence Merge

24:30 Travelin Bone Entertainment

26:15 Stacked Team of Oscar + Emmy Award Winners

27:00 Entering the South Asian Film Market, vetting projects

32:10 De-Risking an Asset - Controlled vs Uncontrolled

33:00 What looks like a “Win’ for TBE?

37:00 Amplify Opportunity to Repurpose + Monetize Content

37:45 Student Questions*. Entrepreneurship + Deal Flow

42:22 Emerging Sectors Where They Have Edge

46:10 Hiring High Caliber Talent

49:44 Avoiding the Idiot Tax

51:18 Identifying Signals Needed to Succeed

54:30 How TBE Decides Which Projects Work in S. Asia.

56:53 Career Trajectory Questions

58:30 Work Hard Early, Enjoy Fruits Later.

*Thank you Gabelli BS, Fall 2026 VC students, Carlos, Patrick, Lily, Hrithik, James, Roxanne, Luca.

Please Rate, Review, Subscribe and Share with a Friend!Means a lot to us - thank YOU!

For more info on:

1. Venture, Tech, Sports and Investing, visit: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AtulPrashar | LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠2. Learn Venture Capital Investing for less than a dinner in NYC: “VC: IdeationThrough Execution”: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/APsVCCourse⁠⁠⁠⁠

MrBeast built one of the biggest audiences on Earth, but his chocolate company may be the real business story. We break down how Beast Industries turns ATTENTION into REVENUE, why a $100M TV show can actually be a customer-acquisition strategy, and what investors see in a $5 BILLION valuation. From Feastables and competitive moats to the risk of building an empire around one person, we ask the big question: Can MrBeast turn internet fame into a company built to last?Timestamps

00:00 Intro

01:15 What is Mr. Beast Inc?

04:45 Valuation Is Not The Same Thing As Value

06:31 The Content Is The Marketing

08:44 Feastables: The Chocolate Bar Is The Business Case

10:34 When The Side Business Becomes The Business

12:03 Beast Games: When A $100M TV Show Becomes CAC

13:45 The Risk: What Happens If The Beast Stops Roaring?

15:40 Is This A24 Or Hello Sunshine?

17:32 The Multiple: What Are Investors Actually Paying For?

20:54 Applying a VC Lens to This Company

22:45 Defensive Moats

24:30 The Valuation Prices the Future

26:06 Final Thesis

Please Rate, Review, Subscribe and Share with a Friend! Means a lot to us - thank YOU!

For more info on:

1. Venture, Tech, Sports and Investing, visit: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AtulPrashar |LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠2. Learn Venture Capital Investing for less than a dinner in NYC: “VC: IdeationThrough Execution”: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/APsVCCourse⁠⁠⁠⁠

Jay Z famously stated: "I'm not a Businessman, I'm a Business, Man". True for today's athletes.

Athletes aren’t just playing the game anymore. They’re becoming the business. In this episode of Whiskey Hue, I follow the money behind the rapidly evolving Athlete Economy, we begin with NIL, then equity-over-fees to athlete-owned IP, media companies and billion-dollar institutional investment.

We break down Peyton Manning vs. LeBron James, the Kelce brothers’ ownership model, the infrastructure opportunity, and why women’s sports may be one of the market’s most underpriced assets. Then we close with three investor takeaways and one big valuation question: What is an athlete worth without the team?

This is an audio version of our recent Sava360 Ventures Investor Report, "62 Why Athletes Are Becoming Media Companies".

00:00 INTRO

01:35 Everyone is Investing in Athletes

02:45 Athletes: Being the product to Owning the Production

04:27 Old Athlete Economy vs. New Ownership Frontier

05:42 Athletes: Equity over Fees

07:10 Trust: Brand vs. Athlete

08:16 Some Chicago Bears Love 😊

09:03 NIL Changed the Pipeline

11:30 Manning (Omaha Productions) vs. Lebron (Springhill Productions)

14:40 Kelce Brothers: Own the IP

16:10 Institutional Investors Ready to Play

19:12 Infrastructure will control the Markets

19:45 Women’s Sports / TOGETHXR

21:50  3 Investor Takeaways

24:07 Valuation: What is an Athlete worth Without a Team?      

Please Rate, Review, Subscribe and Share with a Friend! Means a lot to us - thank YOU!

For more info on:

1. Venture, Tech, Sports and Investing, visit: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AtulPrashar | LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠2. Learn Venture Capital Investing for less than a dinner in NYC: “VC: IdeationThrough Execution”: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/APsVCCourse⁠⁠⁠

Two cousins. Countless miles. One bold mission: bring whiskey to a new generation - and a new audience.

In this episode of The Whiskey Hue, we sit down with AnnaAxster and Wendelin von Schroder, founders of Lodestar Whiskey, who went from filmmakers turned accidental music execs - running their own label and touring America - to building a whiskey brand that’s rewriting the rules.

They share how green-room pours with country starsturned into a full-blown love affair with the craft: from the viscosity and sweetness of their high-rye bourbon and single-malt blend, to why color, flavor, and texture aren’t accidents.

We dive deep into what it takes to source barrels, launch in Southern California, and build community before chasing sales.

And we talk representation - why it’s time whiskey spoke to women who’ve been left out of the conversation for far too long. It’s smooth. It’s fiery. It’s full of heart - just like the whiskey itself.

Pour a glass, hit play, and discover how these two arelighting a new path in the world of spirits.

EPISODE TIMESTAMPS00:00 Intros

04:30 Lodestar Quick Intro

06:12 But First! Their Music Industry Escapades

13:30 Where the Whiskey Love began – First sips with Dads,    to Green Rooms of Country Stars

17:50 Blended Whiskeys: consistency

20:53 Bringing Women into the World of Whiskey

24:22 Flavor, Color, Texture, Not by Accident.

27:22 What makes a Bourbon a Bourbon?

30:00 Sourcing the Barrels

33:00 Critical Mass for Sales

37:00 Launch a Whiskey, Build a Community First

42:50 Representation Matters To Women Consumers

53:00 Burn some Oak, taste some Vanilla

57:00 Flaviar: Whiskey Club

1:02:00 Anna and Wendelin celebrate their industry peersThis episode is part of the ‘Prof P’ series on the Whiskey Hue Stream. Recorded in part for my Fordham Gabelli students.

Please Rate, Review, Subscribe and Share with a Friend! Means a lot to us - thank YOU!

For more info on:1. Venture, Tech, Sports and Investing, visit: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AtulPrashar | LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠2. Learn Venture Capital Investing for less than a dinner in NYC: “VC: IdeationThrough Execution”: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/APsVCCourse⁠⁠

Band teacher to NFL coach: Coach Jill Gagliardi breaks down her incredible journey from the classroom to coaching DBs with the Las Vegas Raiders. We talk mindset, game film, earning respect in a male-dominated space, and why every great coach is also a mentor, strategist, and culture builder.
This one’s about leadership, legacy, and showing up with confidence - even when you're the only one in the room who looks like you.

Coach Jill Gagliardi is currently with the NJ HS Lawrenceville Prep, and has also coached with the NFL Las Vegas Raiders

00:00 Intro with Avaan!!

06:18 How Music and the NFL entered her life.

12:30 Pop Warner Advocate for yourself

17:40 Evaluating and honing in Talent as a Coach

19:00 Coaching with an Elite HS + NFL Team

28:20 Brian Urlacher gets love as the QB of Da Bears Defense

29:00 Film Tape and Strategies That Work

35:00 Let’s break down a Play

37:28 Unique Voice in a Common Room

45:00 Short History of the NFL

46:00 National Coalition of Minority Football Coaches

48:00 Executive Decision-Making: Sports + IRL

56:00 Mindset is the Differentiator

1:05:49 Green Bay Packers-loving Security Guard (Booo!!)

1:07:21 Legacy

1:11:00 Make people ‘Feel’ Relevant

This episode is part of the ‘Prof P’ series on the WhiskeyHue Stream. Recorded in part for my Fordham Gabelli students.

Please Rate, Review, Subscribe and Share with a Friend!Means a lot to us - thank YOU!

For more info on:

1. Venture, Tech, Sports and Investing, visit: ⁠⁠Atul Prashar's - Venture Capitalist⁠

2. LinkedIN: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AtulPrashar ⁠

3. Learn Venture Capital Investing for less than a dinner inNYC: “VC: IdeationThrough Execution”: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/APsVCCourse⁠⁠⁠

Dan Levitan (GP, Maveron) and his daughter Elana join The Whiskey Hue to unpack the wild ride from private to public markets. We dive into early wins like taking Starbucks public as an iBanker with his buddy Howard Schultz, then taking eBay, Zulily, and Allbirds and PotBelly (yay for my Chitown!!) public as a VC.  We delve into the 10 lies of venture capital, and what today’s founders must understand about the evolving investment game. Elana brings fresh insight into media, wellness, and impact + a major milestone: Atul finally gets his name pronounced correctly. HUGE win for him, VERY SMALL win for humankind. #LetsRock

00:00 Note To Our Whiskey Hue Family

05:00 Intro

09:30 Maveron Defined

13:00 Vodka + Juice

17:30 Ten Lies of Venture Capital

23:30 Energy Drinks: Lucky Watermelon Candy

28:10 Venture Is Sexy. Venture is Tough.

39:12 Companies Raising Tremendous Capital + Remaining Private Longer

41:55 Secondary Markets

43:45 Younger Generation Influencing Investment Decisions

50:20 PotBelly – Great Early Win. Wouldn’t Do That Now: CapEx(!!)

55:00 Entrepreneurs vs. Larger Platforms

56:30 VC Game is Radically Shifting

1:00:26 Getting Atul’s Name Right.

This episode is part of the ‘Prof P’ series on the Whiskey Hue Stream. Recorded in part for my Fordham Gabelli students.

Please Rate, Review, Subscribe and Share with a Friend! Means a lot to us - thank YOU!

For more info on:

1. Venture, Tech, Sports andInvesting, visit: Atul Prashar's - Venture Capitalist

2. LinkedIN: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AtulPrashar | LinkedIN

3. Learn Venture Capital Investing for less than a dinner in NYC: “VC: IdeationThrough Execution”: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/APsVCCourse⁠⁠