How to Make Your First Private Investment (A Blackstone Insider Explains Every Step)

You've heard about private investing, but nobody's walked you through how it actually works — until now. Dana Auslander spent a decade at Blackstone, turned her first $10,000 private investment into a 10x return, and now runs Luxus, a luxury-focused wealth management and alternative asset platform. She's breaking down every step so you can invest with confidence. Subscribe for weekly conversations about building wealth on your terms. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN ✔ The difference between fund investing and direct private deals — and which is right for your first allocation ✔ What a SAFE is, how priced rounds work, and why the terms of your investment matter more than the amount ✔ QSBS: the tax advantage most women have never heard of that could mean zero capital gains on your private investment ✔ The three-tier filter Dana uses before putting money into any deal — passion, market timing, and founder quality ✔ Red flags to watch for: advisor kickbacks, missing governance, and founders who won't invest alongside you Dana Auslander is the CEO of Luxus, a luxury-focused wealth manager and alternative asset platform backed by Christie's Ventures. Before founding Luxus, Dana spent a decade at Blackstone — the world's largest alternative asset manager — and began her career in hedge fund law at Schulte Roth & Zabel. She has been investing in private markets for nearly 30 years. In this episode of Graceful Investor, Dana sits down with Tasia to demystify private investing for women who are ready to go beyond the stock market. Dana explains the full lifecycle of a private company — from pre-seed friends-and-family rounds to Series A institutional funding — and breaks down concepts like cap tables, dilution, bridge rounds, and the LP/GP relationship in plain language. She shares why she requires founders to invest at least 10% of their own capital, how AI is reducing burn rates for startups and what that means for your returns, and why the best deals often come from trusted peer networks rather than financial advisors. Whether you're exploring your first private allocation or evaluating your next one, this conversation gives you the vocabulary and the confidence to ask the right questions. TIMESTAMPS 0:00 - Why founders should invest their own money (10% rule) 0:49 - Introduction and Dana Auslander's background 3:06 - Her first private investment (10x return story) 5:08 - Fund investing vs direct private deals 7:03 - How to evaluate a private investment (3-part framework) 9:04 - How long your money is locked up (5–10 year reality) 9:44 - How much of your portfolio should be private 10:14 - Why founder “skin in the game” matters 12:08 - QSBS explained: how investors pay $0 in capital gains 16:48 - SAFE agreements and early-stage investing basics 18:40 - Pre-seed, seed, and venture rounds explained 22:56 - The lifecycle of a startup investment 25:46 - Dilution explained (what happens after you invest) 29:07 - What Carta is and why it matters for investors 30:12 - Governance: boards, advisors, and control 32:37 - The 4 types of private funds (VC, PE, real estate, hedge funds) 35:09 - Lessons from 30 years in investing 39:53 - How AI is changing private companies and returns 41:20 - Biggest mistake: no one looks out for your money 44:21 - Red flags to watch for in private deals 47:00 - “No is a full sentence” in investing 48:08 - How to find deals without a financial advisor DISCLAIMER The content shared on this channel is for educational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered financial, legal, or investment advice. Always consult with a qualified financial professional before making investment decisions. The host is not a licensed financial advisor. All investments carry risk, including the potential loss of principal. CONNECT WITH GRACEFUL INVESTOR https://gracefulinvestor.com/ https://www.instagram.com/gracefulinvestor/ #GracefulInvestor #WomenInvesting #PrivateInvesting #WealthBuilding #AlternativeAssets