The Octus Download

Octus Podcast Network
  • 4.3 (12)
  • INVESTING
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY
The Octus Download

The Octus Download delivers bold, unfiltered conversations that break down complex financial markets while connecting them to the world we actually live in. Hosted by Jason Sanjana & Kevin Eckhardt, this bi-weekly podcast cuts through the noise with insightful analysis, expert interviews, and just the right amount of personality. Each episode explores major trends in credit markets, dives deep into corporate finance, unpacks financial chaos, and examines how these developments impact both Wall Street and Main Street. But we don’t stop at the numbers we also explore the cultural forces shaping business decisions and the occasional bizarre intersections of finance with everyday life. Whether you’re tracking market movements, curious about investment strategies, or just want smart financial conversation with some pop culture thrown in, The Octus Download delivers market intelligence that’s both valuable and entertaining. Join us every other week as we connect the dots between money, markets, and modern life one episode at a time.

Episodes

  1. JUN 3

    EP08 | Klarna Bought the Groceries, Saks Lost the Plot, TikTok Called a Recession

    This week’s economy? Klarna-fried. Retail? Collapsing in real time. Streaming? Somehow deep. Let’s go. [00:57] Buy Now, Cry Later The Klarna-core economy is here. Jason and Kevin unpack how buy-now-pay-later went from sneakers to cereal—and what that says about consumer debt, regulators, and late-stage capitalism. [07:56] Debt Securitization & Swedish Financial Trust How Klarna’s securitized burrito model mirrors the U.S. Treasury—and why nobody’s ready for what happens when the music stops. [13:06] Saks Is in Trouble Octus Senior Distressed Debt Analyst Krishan Sutharshana joins to explain Saks' collapsing bond prices, vendor pullouts, and whether 3G’s debt-fueled luxury empire is headed for restructuring. [28:18] Streaming Therapy: Netflix’s Sirens Is it patriarchy in linen? Trauma-core prestige TV? Or just weirdly good? Jason and Kevin dig into gender, power, and why Kevin Bacon still has it. [38:51] TikTok Recession Indicators Frozen pizza, self-checkout scams, tipping fatigue, Klarna memes, and churches locking their doors. Honestly? The vibes are right.----more----   Hosts: Jason Sanjana & Kevin Eckhardt Guest: Krishan Sutharshana (Octus Credit Research) Produced and Edited by: Tanya Hubbard A Production of The Octus Podcast Network

    44 min

  2. MAY 24

    EP 07 | Bourbon Is Aging Poorly, Bayer’s In Trouble, and The Pope Might Be a Sox Fan

    [01:11] Bayer is back in the headlines, and not for aspirin. Jason and Kevin dive into the $11 billion Roundup litigation mess, Monsanto’s haunting legacy, and the legal gymnastics happening in courts (and potentially Chapter 15). [12:13] Then it’s bourbon time. Patrick Mohan joins to talk about the collapse of Kentucky Owl, bourbon’s overinflated valuation, and why the industry might be aging out of relevance. Tax issues, oak risk, and a distillery theme park. It’s a lot. [27:47] Let Me Explain: LMEs returns. Kent Collier and Julian Bulaon break down how Hertz is rewriting the LME rulebook with a sophisticated revolver amendment. Is this LME 3.0? And did Octus see it coming? [36:36] “Made in the USA” gets the treatment it deserves. From tariffs to Etsy-core nationalism to Doc Martens pricing strategies, this segment cuts through the nostalgia and manufactured scarcity[51:22] Andor might be the best metaphor we have for late-stage institutions and bureaucratic decay. The guys reflect on why it hits harder now than any Jedi ever could. [57:10] We wrap with the new American Pope, Chicago sports drama, and Ryan Murphy’s upcoming legal show starring Kim Kardashian. There’s screaming. There’s tight outfits. There’s a $25K GoFundMe just to watch the pilot. ----more---- Hosted by Jason Sanjana & Kevin Eckhardt Segment Guests -  Kent Collier, Julian Bulaon, Patrick Mohan Produced and edited by Tanya Hubbard A Production of The Octus Podcast Network

    1h 2m

  3. MAY 8

    EP 06 | Vegas Has an Identity Crisis and Cruise Ships Won’t Die

    Las Vegas is booming on paper—but something feels off. Meanwhile, cruise demand keeps soaring, and Red Dye No. 3 has entered the chat. At [00:25], Jason and Kevin break down why the Vegas Strip feels more like a branding experiment than a destination. By [10:23], they unpack how nostalgia, real estate shifts, and declining food service are reshaping the city’s core. Then it’s all aboard: At [11:24], Jason reports back from a 10-day cruise and explores why ships that were once on bankruptcy watch are now overbooked. By [20:00], the duo dives into the bizarre culture of cruise loyalists—towel clips, door magnets, and all. At [29:09], they reveal this week’s sponsor: the controversial Red Dye No. 3. That leads into a discussion at [31:10] about food regulations, American nostalgia, and why Kraft mac & cheese doesn't exist in Sweden. Then, in Let Me Explain: LMEs at [36:23], Kent and Julian take over to explore how AI is being used (and misused) in LME analysis, what AI still gets wrong about credit agreements, and where lawyers remain indispensable. Finally, at [51:22], they turn to Star Wars—because Andor might be the best metaphor we’ve got for institutional collapse.

    58 min

  4. APR 22

    EP 05 | Coachella on Installments, Tariff Tumult, and My Friends and Neighbors

    This week on The Octus Download, Jason Sanjana and Kevin Eckhardt tackle the financial storm building around tariffs and why they’re breaking more than just trade. At (00:57), they dig into how tariffs are freezing capital markets, stalling M&A activity, and forcing companies to shelve sale processes. By (06:00), Jason lays out why the current moment feels more like 2007 than 2008, backed by a war story from the Lehman era. At (11:00), Kevin proposes a bold strategy: using Chapter 11 as a pricing reset. By (13:00), they’re deep in the weeds of EBITDA rewrites, tariff add-backs, and the brutal math of restructuring when goods can’t clear customs without cash. At (20:00), the conversation shifts to LME optimism versus bankruptcy realism. By (23:30), they’re dissecting My Friends and Neighbors, a suburban fever dream of Westchester angst. TikTok’s recession indicators show up at (30:30), including Coachella on installment plans, empty Starbucks, and Club 33 advertising for members. By (36:00), it’s Gen Z sobriety and the absurd economics of six-thousand-dollar couches. They wrap at (42:00) with gym Google reviews, questionable sauna etiquette, and a strong case for never wearing street shoes into a steam room. ---more—  Hosted by: Jason Sanjana & Kevin Eckhardt Edited by: Tanya Hubbard Produced by: Tanya Hubbard A Production of: The Octus Podcast Network

    47 min

  5. APR 8

    EP 04 | Tariffs, LMEs, Hooters & White Lotus Walk Into a Market

    In Episode 4 of The Octus Download, hosts Jason Sanjana and Kevin Eckhardt tackle a volatile week in credit markets, corporate scandals, and cultural reflections. They begin with a breakdown of the unexpected ruling in the Johnson & Johnson talc case, before analyzing the financial restructuring behind Hooters’ bankruptcy and the executive pay scandal brewing at Macy’s. Market volatility sets the backdrop for these events, raising questions about investor confidence and business model sustainability. The core of the episode features “Let Me Explain: LMEs”, a deep dive into liability management transactions led by Octus Founder & CEO Kent Collier and Head of Liability Management Julian Bulaon. Together, they unpack the nuances of Omniblockers, the critical role of deal size, and the rise of consensual LMEs, offering a masterclass on how these transactions are reshaping modern credit strategies. To close, the conversation shifts gears with a cultural lens, reflecting on the moral complexity and wealth dynamics in The White Lotus finale—and how prestige TV sometimes mirrors the drama of the financial world.   ----more---- Hosted by Jason Sanjana & Kevin Eckhardt Segment Guests Kent Collier, Julian Bulaon Edited by Tanya Hubbard Produced by Tanya Hubbard A Production of The Octus Podcast Network

    52 min

  6. MAR 27

    EP03 | How to Kill a Company and Keep the Brand Alive

    Joanne Fabrics went bankrupt. Forever 21 collapsed again. Walgreens just sold for billions. But the brands? Still alive and kicking. At [01:15], Jason and Kevin break down why profitable companies fail and how private equity pulls it off [03:50]. By [05:45], they explain how today’s retail brands survive without stores—or employees. At [12:00], they dive into why bankruptcy courts keep approving fantasy projections. Then it gets weird: at [20:00], they explore a Mars colony run by a corporate board, and [22:45] ask if corporations are replacing governments. Things wrap with White Lotus guilt spirals [27:30], Miami pickleball feuds [35:00], and a reminder that retail might be fiction—but the consequences are real.

  7. MAR 12

    EP02 | How the Rich Play by Different Rules—LME Loopholes, Purdue’s Endgame & White Lotus Realities

    This episode dives into the latest Liability Management Exercise (LME) loopholes shaking up debt markets (2:14), and why the Fifth Circuit’s ruling in Serta is just the beginning of a wild restructuring playbook (5:41). We then break down the endgame for Purdue Pharma and Johnson & Johnson’s talc saga (15:07)—are these settlements real resolutions, or just high-priced damage control? But that’s not all—are vacations the new luxury investment? (39:22) We analyze why high-net-worth consumers are ditching designer goods for exclusive getaways, and how White Lotus perfectly captures the financial elite’s twisted world (42:05). Stick around for our most unhinged sponsor ad yet (47:53)—because nothing says financial markets like a totally not addictive 24-hour performance pill from the makers of, well, you already know.

    50 min

  8. FEB 27

    EP01 | Trumps $3T Shock, Bankrupt Brands & The Luka Dončić “Fraud” Theory—What It All Means

    Welcome to the debut episode of The Octus Download, where we break down the biggest credit market stories, cut through the financial noise, and keep things refreshingly real. In this episode, we dive straight into the Trump administration’s shocking $3 trillion federal funding freeze (5:00) and its chaotic impact on Medicaid, state budgets, and the broader financial markets (7:06). We analyze how restructuring professionals are already bracing for the ripple effects (9:42) and discuss the latest bankruptcy shake-up. Liberated Brands’ sudden collapse and its connection to Volcom, Quiksilver, and the legacy of liability management exercises (18:51). Plus, a wild theory: was the Luka Dončić trade an actual fraudulent transfer? (24:13). And finally, we dissect the eerie relevance of Severance, the TV show that might be a little too real for corporate life (32:05). Stick around for our closing segment on the most high-stakes parking drama in Miami—can you legally park at the CVS on Grand Avenue during the farmers market? (38:26)

    39 min
  • 8 Episodes

4.3
out of 5
12 Ratings

About

The Octus Download delivers bold, unfiltered conversations that break down complex financial markets while connecting them to the world we actually live in. Hosted by Jason Sanjana & Kevin Eckhardt, this bi-weekly podcast cuts through the noise with insightful analysis, expert interviews, and just the right amount of personality. Each episode explores major trends in credit markets, dives deep into corporate finance, unpacks financial chaos, and examines how these developments impact both Wall Street and Main Street. But we don’t stop at the numbers we also explore the cultural forces shaping business decisions and the occasional bizarre intersections of finance with everyday life. Whether you’re tracking market movements, curious about investment strategies, or just want smart financial conversation with some pop culture thrown in, The Octus Download delivers market intelligence that’s both valuable and entertaining. Join us every other week as we connect the dots between money, markets, and modern life one episode at a time.

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