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 HEADLINEVAL...

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...

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 first...

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...

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 excepti...

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 b...

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 instituti...

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 ho...

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...

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 underst...

Celine helps us explore the adult industry’s role as an early adopter of emerging tech - from AI companions to no-code app tools, and how it co-exists in family and societal fabric, in a healthy, normalized way.   Adult entertainment platforms provide creators a way to control the narrative, safely, while telling the stories they want to tell, when they want to tell them. We break down the truth b...

From editing Netflix films to building incredible IP with Taboo and Will. I.Am (Black Eyed Peas), Ben has done it all. He has recently launched WeirdBunch Studio with some famed partners, and he continues to dive into tech, community,media turnarounds and shares why your iPhone is already your next studio in the palm of your hand. 🔥 A wild ride from Hollywood to Saudi Arabia—plus a shoutout to ‘P...

This episode is an open letter. I’m blessed to speak at events and this pod throughout the year and share a semester with brilliant students as an adjunct. Bottom line: I want my students — and our listeners — to win. During the final class each semester, I share the lessons learned, the wins, the losses, and the real moments that built me and similarly successful friends and colleagues. This vers...

From viral photographer to impact-driven artist , Ben Von Wong transforms global issues into unforgettable visual metaphors. We dive into his iconic projects like the "Truckload of Plastic" and "Biodiversity Jenga" , and why tech is making us dumber . With Moses-level energy, he literally parts the seas of plastic to spark global awareness. This one’s about legacy, movement, an...

We hosted Angelo Santinelli , VC legend and masterclass-level thinker, for a no-holds-barred convo on AI investing, dry powder drama , and the VC flywheel . Fordham and Harvard alum, he went deep in the paint on his storied career and current and future trends, inspiring all of us. Big shoutoutto our sharp student voices: Brendan Johnson , Cole Bellissimo Benedict , and Bismaad Gulati for stellar...

🔥 On this powerful episode of The Whiskey Hue , Atul is joined by dear friend Anu Bhardwaj - a visionary leader and global force amplifying women’s voices through Sheqonomi and Podcasthers Global , now in 65+ languages! 🌍 We dive into financial literacy , women investors , and women’s sports —bringing essential conversations to the bottom billion girls and women who need to be heard. 🎙️ Anu shar...

You get it all in this episode: 2 friends and on-the field rivals talking ‘trash talk’, 4 Grey Cup wins, numerous records set, and major business moves. From tech startups to athletes positioning themselves as brands ready to take over the world. Plus, hear about the hardest hits, wildest rumors, and how they’re helping athletes & HBCUs monetize. 🚀🥃 Tap in for an episode packed with laughs,...

Pivoting careers from a prosecutor in Brooklyn to a journalist on the West Coast covering megastars like Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey, Madonna, and Prince , Falguni Adams has seen it all. We dive deep into this career evolution to eventual Emmy-winning producer , sharing wild industry stories, authentic life lessons , and a heartfelt reflection on family, aging, and legacy . As the ‘in-between’ g...

With over 17 championships as a player and coach, Digit Murphy is a trailblazer in women’s sports. From building powerhouse teams to launching leagues in China, she’s on a mission to level the playing field—fighting for equal resources, opportunities, and media rights so female athletes can thrive. A visionary leader, fierce competitor, and relentless advocate, Digit is rewriting the future of spo...

🏅 From Ballet to Bronze – Shannon Rowbury’s journey is one of discipline, resilience, and peak performance . From Irish dance to Olympic podiums , she mastered the mental and physical chess game of elite running , securing her rightful London Olympics bronze after doping scandals reshaped the results. Now an entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and author , she shares insights on performance,recovery,...

What happens when AI starts manipulating us instead of the other way around? From digital humans representing us to AI shaping everything from music to our legacy , Abran Maldonado joins Atul to break down the next frontier of tech . We tackle open-source AI’s explosive growth, deepfakes as legal issues, and the billion-dollar question—where do VC dollars land for a 100x return ? Ai levels the pla...

🏈 "Set your goals so high that you’ll have to change who you are to achieve them." These words perfectly embody our latest guest on The Whiskey Hue , Charles Stackhouse Jr. who sits down with our host Atul this week. A former NFL star who played with the NY Giants , Minnesota Vikings , and Houston Texans , Charles made a name for himself as a standout Fullback at Ole Miss , earning a sp...

Taylor Swift Avatar? Right Wing Reggae? AI is revolutionizing music creation and consumption—what does this mean for artists and fans? Gregory B. and Alex L. discuss AI-powered creativity , the blurry ethics of sampling , and the future of compensating creators in a Dolby Atmos world. Hear bold takes on whether music is becoming a passive commodity , the impact on legacy artists, and why new artis...

From Napster to TikTok , Gregory Butler and Alex Luke unpack the seismic shifts in the music industry, sharing untold stories about Death Row Records , Nirvana, and Guns N’ Roses. Explore the roles of DJs turned Producers , the rise of streaming platforms like Spotify , and how AI-generated fan fiction could redefine music narratives. With deep dives into industry legends and insider anecdotes, th...

Mantasha and Atul, in agreement that Punjabi is the ultimate language for "parental (advisory) rants," dive into TikTok's grip on music trends, Pathaan's stellar trio, and why Ambani’s bailout of DreamWorks was a game-changer. They both waxed nostalgic about Sholay , Pakistani serials (and some friends who are currently starring in them), and holiday classics Ryan Reynolds.  An instant classic of...