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Dads had their day in the Shark Tank when three-quarters of the business pitches in the Shark Tank came from fathers who were inspired by their children to help create their business ideas. Tough Tie, Lord Von Schmitt, DadWare, and Potty Safe joined the Sharks in the tank in hopes that they would secure a strategic investment partner that would be willing to help them grow their businesses. Although all of the presentations thoroughly entertained the Sharks, only two of these businesses would go home with investment deals with the Sharks.

Robert Herjavec Invests in Tough Tie

Arizona natives Skylar Bennett and Kevin Shoemaker came to the Shark Tank to showcase their apparel company, Tough Apparel. The pair specifically highlighted their signature Tough Tie in the Tank with an engaging and entertaining investment pitch. Their unique tie design is machine washable, contains five times as much stitching as a typical tie, is stain and liquid repellant, and features microfiber tipping to clean phone screens or glasses. They are seeking $100,000 in exchange for 15% equity to help them grow their brand and acquire new customers.

The Sharks really liked the energy and enthusiasm that Skylar and Kevin brought to the Tank. While they are impressed by the quality and features of the Tough Tie, they were concerned that ties are a trend that is moving out of popularity and therefore may not be successful long term. Because Tough Apparel has additional products such as socks and belts, the Sharks feel more comfortable with an accessory line rather than a single product. Robert Herjavec offers Tough Apparel $100,000 in exchange for 35% ownership of the company. Although they tried to counter to be equal partners, Robert would not budge and they ultimately agreed to his offer.

Lord Von Schmitt Does Not Secure a Partnership

Schuyler Ellers came to the Shark Tank seeking $100,000 in exchange for 10% equity of his unique and artful fashion company, Lord Von Schmitt. Every apparel item offered by Lord Von Schmitt is handmade using the yarn from recycled afghans and other crocheted items. These bright and vibrant pieces are true works of art and are available in limited quantities per design. Although Schuyler’s creations are an acquired style and taste, they have gained popularity in the LGBTQIA+ community prompting Ellers to move from having an Etsy shop on his own to creating a Lord Von Schmitt and outsourcing some of the labor.

Although the Sharks enjoyed doing a fashion show in the pieces that Schulyer created for them, they were all hesitant to invest in Lord Von Schmitt. Because product sales were only $37,000 the Sharks feel that the valuation is too high and it would be very difficult and take a long time to get their investment back. With no clear cut growth and business plan, the Sharks decline to partner with Lord Von Schmitt, but Mark Cuban does offer advice to greatly increase the cost of each item as they are works of art and they should be sold as such.

DadWare Strikes Out in the Shark Tank

Nick Baker moved to LA nine years ago to try his hand at becoming an actor and comedian. It was during this time of trying to make ends meet by finding the next gig that Nick became a father. While his wife was recovering from the delivery, Nick provided skin-to-skin contact with his newborn child to help regulate the baby’s body temperature. After learning more about the benefits of skin-to-skin contact with newborns, Nick decided to create a line of men’s apparel that would make it easier for dads to enjoy this critical time with their children.

DadWare came to the Shark Tank in hopes of finding a strategic investor that can help supply inventory and assist Nick with educating the market and generating new customers. He is seeking $100,000 in exchange for 20% of Dadware. Although the company has sold $110,000 of specialized apparel in the last year, the Sharks are struggling to connect to the product. They think that Nick is a compelling and entertaining entrepreneur, however, his company does not easily fit within their business portfolios. Although he leaves the Shark Tank without a deal, Nick is optimistic about the future of DadWare.

Potty Safe Snags a Last Minute Deal With Lori Greiner

When Colt and Stacy Hall of Missouri were potty training they realized that there was a gap in the toileting market for toddlers. After their over-zealous child made several messes trying to dump the contents of their potty insert into the toilet, the Halls began the hunt for a child-proof potty chair and were not able to find an existing product on the market. Colt went to work fabricating a prototype product that they used to potty train their child and later decided to commercialize their product.

Potty Safe came to the Shark Tank hoping to land an investment of $50,000 in exchange for 15% of their company to help them get into the retail space. The Sharks are very concerned about the low sales volume (approximately $17,000 for 2019) and feel that their lack of sales shows that there is not a clear demand for their product. Although the Sharks had initially declined to extend an offer to Potty Safe, Lori Greiner decided to call Colt and Stacy back into the Shark Tank to offer them $50,000 in exchange for 20% equity as she felt she could partner them with Squatty Potty. They agreed to her offer and partnered with Lori Greiner.

If you were a Shark, which of these businesses would you have invested in? Do you feel that the Sharks missed any opportunities in this episode of “Shark Tank?” begin the conversation in the comments below.

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