E172: How Cannabis Beverages are Disrupting the Alcohol Industry w/Sasha Pieterse

Sasha Pieterse might be best known for her acting career — but behind the scenes, she’s been building a beverage empire. In this episode, we dive deep into how Sasha's personal health journey led her to launch Hippie Water, a hemp-derived THC beverage brand that’s now in 140+ stores across 9 states. We talk about what it takes to transition from Hollywood to the CPG world, why Gen Z is drinking less alcohol, and how Sasha is redefining what it means to be a “celebrity founder.” This conversation goes beyond cannabis — it’s about leadership, authenticity, and building brands with staying power. Highlights: Why Sasha stopped drinking alcohol — and how cannabis changed her life The inspiration behind Hippie Water and how it fills a social gap How she scaled to 140 stores in under 9 months The science vs. stigma behind cannabis and hemp-derived THC Gen Z’s changing relationship with alcohol What it’s really like to fundraise as a first-time, celebrity CEO Why Sasha believes your team is your real moat How she balances acting, entrepreneurship, motherhood, and hosting her podcast Women in the Nude -- Guest Bio: Sasha Pieterse is an actress, entrepreneur, and co-founder of Hippie Water, a hemp-derived THC beverage brand. She rose to fame on the hit TV show Pretty Little Liars and now splits her time between entertainment and building her consumer goods startup. She’s also the host of the Women in the Nude podcast, where she tackles taboo topics in women’s health, business, and identity. With 21 million followers across platforms, Sasha brings a unique voice to the cannabis space — combining influence with authenticity and mission-driven leadership. Our Podcast now receives more than 300,000 downloads a month. Are you interested in sponsoring an episode? Please email David Weisburd at david@weisburdcapital.com . #VentureCapital #VC #Startups #OpenLP #assetmanagement -- Stay Connected: Twitter: David Weisburd: @dweisburd LinkedIn: David Weisburd: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dweisburd/ Sasha Pieterse-Sheaffer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sashapieterse/ Links Hippie Water: https://www.hippiewater.com/ -- Questions or topics you want us to discuss on How I Invest? Email us at david@weisburdcapital.com . (0:00) Episode preview (2:31) The science, politics, and decline in alcohol consumption among younger generations (7:49) Hippie Water's journey from prelaunch to commercial success (9:54) Insights into the day-to-day life and challenges of a CEO (15:46) Understanding the target demographic and celebrity founder dynamics (21:04) Authenticity, competitive advantage, and the industry potential of Hippie Water (23:24) Navigating the regulatory landscape for hemp beverages (26:30) Key lessons and best practices for new CEOs (30:22) Merging corporate experience with cannabis entrepreneurship (35:22) The transition from acting to podcasting and entrepreneurship (39:43) Closing remarks