The Octus Download

Every retailer in America named Michael is either printing money or closing stores. Jason Sanjana and Kevin Eckhardt start with a tale of two Michaels (04:59). Michael Kors, the brand not the man, has quietly closed 139 stores in three years while sales dropped more than $860 million, caught in the collapsing middle where near luxury goes to die. Then the resurrection. Apollo bought Michaels, the craft chain, for $3.3 billion, watched the bonds trade at 34 cents, then refinanced the whole thing at par (11:33) after Joann and Party City conveniently burned down next door. There is a bankrupt balloon factory in here too.

From there (19:15), the bankruptcy boys return to the Kawhi Leonard beat. A $28 million endorsement for a green bank that went bust, a creditor list nobody was supposed to read, a 14 year federal sentence, and a frozen trade to Toronto. There is also a scrapped ad campaign so strange it deserves its own segment (27:43).

The show closes with a World Cup edition of Culture Corner (38:39). The final lands at MetLife on Sunday, and the American run was secretly a credit investing story. One text, one very large check, one Griffin (35:52). Producer Tanya road trips through AC refrigerant safety on the way out.

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Hosted by Jason Sanjana and Kevin Eckhardt
Produced and Edited by Tanya Hubbard
A Production of The Octus Podcast Network

Creators and Guests

Host
Jason Sanjana
"Jason Sanjana is Senior Vice President and Head of Legal Analysis for the Americas at Octus, and co-host of The Octus Download. He runs legal analysis for the Americas, including U.S. bankruptcy coverage, and joined the company in 2013 as its first legal analyst. On The Octus Download, Jason covers distressed debt, litigation, and the debt markets generally, and explains them like a normal person would. He is happiest when his passions, like skiing and 90s pop culture, run into distressed debt and bankruptcy. Before Octus, Jason was an associate in the restructuring, insolvency, and workouts group at Latham & Watkins. He holds a J.D. from New York University and a B.A. in economics and international relations from Tufts University. Outside work, Jason lives in Miami, where he spends time with his family and his weekends cycling around southern Miami-Dade County, dodging some of the most creative drivers in South Florida.
Host
Kevin Eckhardt
Kevin is Senior Director and Deputy Managing Editor at Octus, where he covers in-court and out-of-court restructurings and distressed situations across the Americas. Kevin also co-hosts The Octus Download and writes Octus' monthly Americas Court Opinion Review, where he discusses the latest developments in bankruptcy courts with a touch of whimsy, a ton of sarcasm and a few YouTube links. He joined Octus in 2019 after nearly two decades advising clients on complex claims, SEC receiverships, and distressed situations, from Madoff to the Icelandic bank failures. He has a nose for the messy cases and a low tolerance for ""independent"" directors and backstop goodies. He holds a J.D. from the University of Florida and a B.A. in journalism from Syracuse University, which together explain a lot. Kevin grew up in Miami and now lives in New York with his wife and four dogs. He is a lifelong fan of sports and British panel shows."
Producer
Tanya Hubbard
Tanya Hubbard is Director of Podcasts and Social Media at Octus. She built the Octus Podcast Network from the ground up, runs social strategy and oversees production across two studios, one in New York and one in London. Her team took ownership of the company's podcast and social channels, rebuilt them and changed how Octus tells its stories. She came to Octus from CBS Sports, where she spent more than three years running the SportsLine division. Before that she spent three years at The Ringer leading preproduction for NBA Desktop. She's won two Emmys, one for NBA Desktop and one for her work with the TNT crew in Atlanta. Earlier in her career she produced Fair Game for Fox Sports, worked on Mostly Football for Yahoo and Complex and spent two years freelance editing highlights for Comcast SportsNet. After 17 years making shows people choose to watch, she runs the Octus studios with that same show business discipline. Tanya holds a broadcast journalism degree from Temple University and is based in New York. She helped start two employee resource groups at Octus, OWN for women and SERG for sustainability, and still helps lead OWN. Outside work she volunteers at VillageCare supporting elderly residents, is a Big Sister with Big Brothers Big Sisters and spends her downtime with her dog, Lady.

What is 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.