02x05 - One Pitch Away

[bunniefuu]

Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh-la-la ♪

La-di, da-di, da, ooh-la-la ♪

I'm the queen of the kingdom now ♪

ASHLEY:

Ah, the final pitches are happening soon.

I'm a little bit nervous.

Oh, hey, girl.

(Iaughing)

-Mwah. Mwah.

-Mwah. Mwah.

This is where everybody's life

can either change drastically,

or you learn that you have a ways to go.

-What a ride we are on right now.

-I know.

How are your hustlers doing?

Well, all right, so let's start

at the top. Brune Kitchen.

I mean, Tania and Jahan

they are everything you want

from two entrepreneurs.

These girls are golden.

So, I think we have a little bit of time

to do Brune stuff

-before we have to go back.

-Yeah.

EMMA:

For Tania and Jahan,

what is going to be so difficult

is to leave their jobs.

These two come from families

where you don't make cookies for a living.

But at the end of the day,

it's going to be really key for me

to know that they are not questioning

the plan,

and that they're going to go full force

into what they know

is a business set up for expansion.

Tania, we are so close.

Like, I know

this has been the hardest time

ever, probably,

but we're getting to what we've envisioned

-for, like, the past five years, really.

-I know.

This is actually about to happen.

Like, we would

quit our jobs and go full-time with Brune.

Pretty much immediately,

everything might change.

Totally.

Honestly, I love them.

-But it ain't

-However

-It ain't all like that. (laughs)

-(laughs)

-However, dot, dot, dot.

-Okay, so, All Better Co.

Here's the thing.

Product aside, I think so much

of this, like, entrepreneurialism is

about the individuals, right?

-Mm-hmm.

-So you go from these two women

that are such self-starters

that are doing things, calling me,

asking questions,

to essentially two people

-that are like, "What do we do?"

-Mm.

EMMA:

Oh, my God. All Better Co.

It's been a frustrating one

because I really love this business.

But at some point,

they have to get true to the vision

and start putting their money

where their mouth is,

put the product development in line

with the mission statement of the company,

and actually fulfill their potential.

Are they expecting you to come in

and just be the savior?

I think that is exactly

what they're expecting,

and I'd so want to help them,

and I so want it

to be like a turnaround story,

but I'm starting to worry.

Okay, so I have Fay with Bonbuz.

Bonbuz tastes so good.

-It does.

-But it's such a crowded category.

-She's got two SKUs of cans.

-Mm-hmm.

-And I'm like, "Pick a lane.

Are you going mocktail,

or are you going, like, functional drink?"

-Totally.

-But here's the problem.

She's really, truly both.

We need to know why Bonbuz.

Looking at this, is it clear what it is?

Like, these call-outs, like 900

milligrams of nootropics and adaptogens.

Like, can we call out

the active ingredients versus

just put them under an umbrella where

no one knows what those terms are anyway?

To make it more clear,

to give people a reason to purchase,

-a compelling reason.

-Yeah.

My only hesitation in Fay is that

this is really an oversaturated market.

And I believe that this drink

is set apart because of the flavor.

But I also really need to know

that the business aspect

behind the liquid is really there.

And then, of course

-Gloria.

-Oh. Gloria.

I think of everyone I'm working with

right now, you know, she is less typical.

-Yeah.

-Like, she's a little shy.

She's very humble, which I love about her.

I know.

Tomorrow's a big final pitch.

I have to show up as Gloria 2.0 because

Emma and Ashley want

to see a confident woman.

They want to see a woman

who believes in herself.

If this doesn't work out, I will feel

like my dreams would be shuddered.

You only get confident

when you say it enough.

I feel like she's got a little ways to go.

-Time is a-ticking, honey.

-Time is ticking.

Time is really, really ticking.

Beat of a drum ♪

JAHAN:

Hi!

-TANIA: Hey!

-Oh.

-How are you?

-Good. How are you?

-Hi. Hi, Jahan.

-It's so nice to see you.

Nice to meet you.

We're having dinner at my mom's house,

and I'm just really excited that we get

to have Tania's parents come over, and

to share this moment with them

before the big pitch.

This week is one of the biggest weeks

that we've had in a while,

and we're thinking

that it might be time to

take a little bit of a step back

from the legal world for a bit

and divert our energy towards Brune

to make sure

that it gets to that next level.

-Mm.

-JAHAN: And that's something that

we just can't juggle when we're also

working on our legal work all day.

TANIA: Growing up,

I saw my dad build his own business

from the ground up, and

I respect his advice so much

because he's someone that

has accomplished

more than I could ever dream

to accomplish.

Are you keeping your job?

-Are you doing part-time? Are you?

-(Tania laughs)

What's-what's the plan on that?

We have discussed, you know,

going full-time with Brune

and potentially reducing our hours

first at our law firm.

But I think once we get on the shelves

of one of these bigger retailers,

-we'd need to fully

-TANIA: Yeah.

quit our jobs and transition

to running Brune.

JAHAN:

I think once

we get on the shelves

of one of these bigger retailers,

-we'd need to fully

-TANIA: Yeah.

quit our jobs and transition

to running Brune.

Every new business

it will take a few years

to get it off the ground.

It's going to be a couple of years

of probably hardly any income.

Are you ready for that?

It's definitely scary.

It's not something

that we're taking lightly, but

I think what is motivating is,

we have these markers that are

all pointing in the right direction.

Every entrepreneur,

every story that we've heard,

there is a period

when they have to forego earning money

in order to grow their business,

and we are ready to do it, I think.

KAMAL:

You're lawyers, you're doing great.

You're doing

You're making good money

and prestigious and all that stuff, but

It makes sense. You know, you have proven

that this product is in need.

It's doing very well,

and I believe that you could do

whatever you put your mind to do.

So, we support you 100%,

and I have no doubt in my mind

that's going to lead to a very

successful product and business.

-Thank you.

-Your vision is coming true, so,

I'm proud of you guys,

and we support your decision,

and inshallah, it will happen.

-Thank you guys so much.

-Thank you.

This is exactly what we needed

before the big pitch.

-This is so nice.

-Cheers.

-Congratulations, Brune. Cheers.

-Thank you.

To Tania and Johan and to Brune's success.

-Yes.

-TANIA: Aw.

-Yeah.

Cheers.

City of lights ♪

Millions of faces ♪

Filling up every street ♪

Everything bright ♪

So many places ♪

EMMA:

Today is the final pitches,

and I am ready to do some business.

What I'm looking for

is progress. Have they been able

to take what they came to us with

and what they pitched us

in the beginning and move it on?

So all they've got to do now

is come through in that final moment,

and I'm so rooting for them.

ASHLEY:

These last few weeks of mentoring

have been equally exhausting

and rewarding.

But now, it's go time.

These final pitches are the make-it

or break-it for each of the hustlers.

I think I'm just feeling, like, nervous.

Ashley and-or Emma could

change my life.

I can see you want it, want it ♪

Said I'm okay, I'm okay,

but I'm not okay ♪

On the inside,

there's a deer in the headlights ♪

I'm just getting in my head.

I can't do this interview right now.

(sniffles, sighs)

(sniffles)

(sniffles, sighs)

Out of the shadows ♪

Over the sea ♪

I don't know what to expect, but

I know my business.

You are the light ♪

Torch and the flame ♪

(sighs)

Let's do this!

Fighting away how to get through ♪

This is the biggest moment of my life.

I've never been so nervous.

I've worked so hard on this.

I'm just going to give it my all,

and hope that they see the vision

and the opportunity

to make a lot of money in the journey.

-Hi, Fay.

-Hi.

-Hi. How are you?

-Got two cold ones for you.

-EMMA: Oh!

-Yes.

-Thought you might need a pick-me-up.

-Thank you, Fay.

-Thank you, darling.

-Of course.

-Cheers, darling.

-Cheers, darling.

-Oh!

-I do love this. It's so good.

ASHLEY:

Oh!

FAY:

Thank you. Yeah. As you can tell,

-I am a little nervous.

-ASHLEY: That's okay.

-FAY: And, um

-That's all right. It matters.

-Yeah!

-That's why you're nervous.

-Yeah, it really does matter.

-ASHLEY: You're pitching.

-You're pitching your baby.

-FAY: And just to refresh,

you know, Bonbuz is an alcohol-free

mind and mood-enhancing beverage

that's pioneering the future of drinking.

Bonbuz uses

naturally stimulating ingredients

to give you a bit of a pick-me-up

when you need it most,

but without the comedown

-or hangover ever.

-Love that.

And, Ashley, you kind of took me

out of the weeds

'cause I've been so focused on the,

just operating the day-to-day

and keeping Bonbuz afloat,

and you gave me

this higher-level critical thinking

to allow me to really look at the business

as a whole

and make sure that what we're doing

is resonating with the masses.

Are they non-alc?

Are they functional?

Or are they a mixture right now?

We did the blind taste test,

which was really

to identify what people think

of our product

and the taste of our product

against competitor brands.

What we found out is,

98% of the time, people chose

Bonbuz on a blind taste test.

So our product tastes amazing,

the functionality is there

and then a very small percentage of people

would use it strictly

as an alcohol replacement.

You need to follow

what the market's telling you.

If a retailer is ready

and they're looking at this space

of, like,

non-alcoholic drink replacements,

then you'll go that way. But you also have

this huge opportunity, and you don't want

to close yourself off to either.

Yeah. And then outside of that,

you know, the education, Ashley,

which I know

has been a huge thing for you.

Look at all this stuff on here.

-(chuckles)

-It's hibiscus, yuzu, lime,

and it says that it's a functional fizz.

I have been telling Fay

I want to have the education

on social media.

So, just in terms of the actual marketing

and messaging on the cans,

we're updating that as we speak.

We've brought on Dr. Buz

to add to, kind of, the credibility

of being this, like, function-forward,

science-backed brand.

Okay. Great.

-Yeah. Yeah.

-Talk to me just about your financials.

Like, where are you

in the life cycle of this business?

Year-to-date, we're at 330K.

We're projected to hit 800

by the end of the year.

Good for you, girl.

Thank you.

Fay, honestly, like,

ever since you pitched,

I have fallen in love with you.

I love people that are different,

that are set apart from the norm.

I am attracted to businesses that help me

as a mom, as a businesswoman,

as a woman in general.

But with all of that,

I think that this is

an incredibly crowded space.

I think this has a lot of hurdles

that it has to go over.

And I want to challenge you

to take constructive criticism

or any just

honestly, sometimes free advice

and go and implement it.

You're right, Ashley.

You know how ready I am. Like, I spend

200% of my time on Bonbuz,

and I never had those role models

growing up

in my family of women who are self-made.

So I was intimidated.

I have spent the last several weeks

mentoring you.

And now it's time for me

to make a decision.

♪

♪

ASHLEY:

I have spent the last several weeks

mentoring you.

And now it's time for me

to make a decision.

Hold on.

(whispering indistinctly)

-Mm-hmm.

-Okay.

So, right now, what I want to do,

I really would like to start off

with a joint investment, actually.

(squeaks, laughing)

(laughing)

-RACHEL: So

-Sick!

-(laughing)

this is just the beginning. Um

but Emma and I want to go in

and give you $100,000.

-Oh, my God.

-I think that we can talk

about equity later.

This is just one phase of the investment.

This is gonna go so much farther.

And I want to help you.

I want to mentor you.

-Thank you so much.

-Ah!

-So excited!

-Yes. (laughs)

It's a celebration. ♪

-Well done, my darling.

-(laughing)

FAY:

I definitely feel that this experience

got me closer to feeling

like I am the successful, powerful

female leader and role model

that I want to be.

The goal is for Bonbuz to really grow.

And

with Ashley and Emma coming on,

I know we're gonna get there really soon.

(laughing)

-(chuckles, squeals)

-(squeals)

Yes.

(laughing)

Babe! They both invested!

(giggles)

Can you believe it?

And they're like,

"Yo, this is just the beginning."

Oh, my God.

It's the best day of my life.

And I can't wait for us

to take this to the moon.

Like, seriously.

Let's make magic, baby!

(laughing)

Reach up.

And now you're gonna push

energy down.

Overwhelmingly, we feel really proud

of what we are walking in with.

But when we walked into our first pitch,

we walked in with a full business

that has been underway for a year,

and now we're faced

with the next iteration

of our business.

But we have not made

physical products yet.

I feel ready.

I don't feel ready

if they ask for projections.

Well, the answer is,

we don't have projections.

We have use of funds.

We don't have projections.

We don't have enough data.

STACY:

There's still a lot

of work to be done

to make this a reality.

All right.

But

But this is a really solid start.

It's a great, solid start.

-Hi!

-You look amazing!

How are you two?

We're so great.

And when we sat in front of you weeks ago,

we presented All Better Co.,

a plant-powered first aid brand.

But we were selling you bug bite products,

and we're so much bigger than that.

So, we're gonna give you something.

-Presents.

-ASHLEY: Yay!

-EMMA: Love presents.

-Love presents.

-Thank you.

I would like for you to please take out

your first aid kit.

EMMA:

"All bodies. All days. All better."

This is so cute.

So, you'll see just that.

-Oh, oh, oh. Got it. Got it.

-Okay, so don't, don't.

-ASHLEY: Got it. Got it.

-This is what it will be.

-Yes.

-We're using

-our imaginations.

-MERAV: That's right.

-Okay.

So, in front of you,

you have what we envision as

our first version

of All Better Co.'s first aid kit.

The four products we started

are right in front of you.

So, Soothe Operator

is our replacement

for traditional hydrocortisone

that does the same thing

-of protecting the area, calming the itch.

-Okay.

But without the potential side effects.

-Ouchy Ointment.

-Ouchy Ointment is a replacement

for a traditional

antibiotic oat ointment.

And Witchy Spray is the witch hazel.

It's a witch hazel spray.

And then Better Bandages are our

first version of better-for-you bandages.

They're bamboo bandages

that are biodegradable,

that are cleaner and easier on your skin.

So, I love what I'm seeing here.

Like, love, love, love, love, love.

Because when I think

about a plant-powered first aid kit,

this is exactly it.

What I'm reacting to right now

is that it doesn't include

any of the products

that are in your current product range.

And I'm wondering,

where does that leave you guys today

in terms of current business?

Because none of these products yet exist.

And I'm assuming that you've not been able

to suddenly fast-track them

in the last couple of weeks.

So the idea is that we are going to

almost reintroduce ourselves to the world

as a first aid brand with the offering

that you see in front of you.

These products are not gonna go away,

but they will be reintroduced

through the lens

of an existing line of products that

clearly sit within the first aid category.

ASHLEY:

I do wonder about the numbers.

What is it that you guys

have actually sold year-to-date?

So, in our current model,

we've sold about 55,000 year-to-date.

You guys have made some sales,

but you raised a bit of money

to get there, right?

You've raised $300,000.

At the end of the day, you took that money

to be able to return at some point

-down the line to your investors

-At some point. Yes.

-hopefully ten times that amount.

-Yeah.

And right now, you're not in a position

to return, because you're restarting.

So, where are you now? Because right now,

we're talking about a pretty big pivot.

Do you have any, you know, presumptions

or calculations or forecast on what you

need to do to get the first aid kit out?

So we went under the assumption

of trying to raise around $500,000.

$500,000 would take us

from this point

through the middle of the next year.

Wow.

MERAV:

And that would be launching

these four SKUs.

EMMA:

Merav, why is why is that run rate

so quick?

Why d why does that only get me

halfway through next year?

Because that was the number we picked

and we looked at what we've got.

♪

EMMA:

Half a million dollars

is half a million dollars.

So I want to be totally real

with you guys.

-Yeah.

-You ask for half a million dollars,

you've got to expect the question

that is like, what are you gonna do

with the half a million dollars

and how are you gonna spend it?

I-I look at this and I go,

"When do the investors start to see

either some scalable growth

or something on the horizon that tells us

this brand is starting to check?" Right?

It's one or the other.

Your mission is amazing.

You're an incredible business.

On paper.

Literally, like, in paper.

Because it's not a real thing

at this point.

It's like, anyone can have an idea,

but we need proof of concept.

It's like cart before the horse, right?

It's like, why is anyone gonna give you

anything when you're giving nothing?

♪

EMMA:

Anyone can have an idea,

but we need proof of concept.

It's like cart before the horse, right?

It's like, why is anyone gonna give you

anything when you're giving nothing?

And I am really concerned that if I invest

in you guys today, you've got to go make

those products.

Those products need to test.

Then they've got to get out

in the marketplace.

Then they've got to start working.

And at the moment, we're sitting here

with a fantastic-looking presentation,

but it doesn't actually tell me

where you're going to track.

Here's what I honestly, honestly think.

You two are fantastic ideas people,

and you can run marketing.

It's, like, clear to me

what you actually need is somebody

who is going to be able to be

almost like a third partner

that can think

about the mechanics of the business.

Like, how do we create

a credible commercial opportunity

that is going to work?

But you know what we also need?

-Money.

-Yes. We also need

someone that is gonna

is going to take a chance.

And it doesn't have to be $500,000.

But we need someone that's gonna write us

some sort of infusion, lump sum,

and go to work and collaborate with us

-and help us and guide us.

-Yes, you do.

-Stacy, I-I agr I agree with you.

-And the challenge

-is the access.

-ASHLEY: Mm-hmm. You do.

-You do.

-You need that.

-You do. And-and I get that.

But I'm not giving away

someone else's money.

It's my money. I made my money.

I went to work every day.

And so for me to part with money,

I better be absolutely certain

that I believe in those people

and I think that they have a path

to creating something.

Not a path to making me

a billion dollars

I'll do that myself.

But I need to know

that you are thinking about it,

and you haven't demonstrated

that thinking.

♪

I don't disagree with anything

that you've said, but I also feel like

we followed the direction

the best we could

with the information we've been given

with the time fr

the time frame we've had

and the things

happening in our own lives

It's-it's emotional.

Listen, I totally I actually understand.

This means a lot to you.

You put so much in this, right?

I get it. I get it.

You're not supposed to be all things,

and I know

that everywhere you go,

there's a roadblock, right?

I understand how you feel.

But that's business.

If it were easy, everyone

would be out here k*lling it.

-Yeah.

-It's really difficult

to be an entrepreneur.

The only thing that you can't do

is just give up.

Don't feel down and battled

and, like-like, like, this is so bad.

It's not. You just hit a roadblock.

It's totally normal.

We've had more life in the last weeks.

We've had major floodings.

We've had broken water pipes.

This is just life.

And in truth, again,

while we can't use words

-like "unfair"

-(softly): I know.

I think the ask

in the time that we've had,

it feels unreasonable to have all of that.

And what you're asking for us to do,

we can do.

And in fact,

we can probably do it quickly.

But we're also just trying

to get this to be ready for today,

to have our children,

get them back to school, all the forms.

We've had three jobs

in the last seven weeks.

EMMA:

You are talking to somebody that,

at this very moment,

is sitting in their side hustle.

I have four children,

I have three businesses,

I have two side hustles.

And I do absolutely understand.

I honestly wish you guys the best.

This is just not investable for me

right now.

What's great is that you're gonna be able

to walk away from this conversation

knowing a little bit more.

Emma chose you

because she really believes in you guys.

I think you guys

have a great business idea, 100%,

but th take this for what it is.

You're getting free advice,

and you got your hand held

for the last seven weeks

on what to do and how to do it.

And now you're gonna be able

to take everything that you were just told

-and go and implement it.

-Yeah.

-EMMA: I'm sorry, ladies.

-Okay.

-Thank you.

-ASHLEY: Thank you so much.

STACY:

In a weird way, as hard,

overwhelming and as

especially these last 24 hours

how hard they have been,

I am grateful

that you came on this journey with me.

Stepping into this next iteration

of All Better Co.

"first aid, made better"

is what makes sense,

and that's what we're walking away with.

-And towards.

-And towards.

STACY:

It is

not the end.

This is now the new chapter

and the next chapter,

and we are coming out of this

with something new.

(softly):

Are we coming out of it better?

One could say we're coming out of it

-better.

-Better.

(sighs)

GLORIA:

I'm nervous that I'm going to just shrink

and not come across confident,

because I know they want me to show up,

they want me to believe in my business.

Ashley and Emma

want me to talk like

I know what I'm saying.

All my wishes, hopes and dreams,

all the things I know

I'm capable of accomplishing,

it's just right here.

And it's all for the taking.

All or nothing. I know I'm ready.

I just don't know why I'm so nervous.

(exhales)

-Gloria!

-GLORIA: Hello, Ashley and Emma.

Hi, Miss Shito.

-Gloria!

-GLORIA: Hello, Ashley and Emma.

EMMA:

Hi. How are you, my dear?

GLORIA:

I'm well. How are you?

-I'm so happy to see you.

-This here

ASHLEY:

Okay.

GLORIA:

May I show you a media digital asset?

EMMA:

I'd love to see.

GLORIA:

Three, two, one.

Moving across continents,

I quickly realized my homeland's cuisine

was missing from global culinary spaces.

Yearning to share the rich,

complex flavors of my home, Ghana,

I created Gloria's Shito.

It is the taste of home

with endless culinary possibilities.

Gloria's Shito.

Welcome to an entirely

new world of flavor.

No passport required.

-Oh, my God, I love that.

"No passport required."

-I love

EMMA:

So cute.

So, Ashley and Emma,

I'm here today to present to you

the vision,

the present and the future of my business,

Gloria's Shito,

a beloved Ghanaian chili oil,

and how we are about to take it

on a global domination.

The vision is clear.

-It is

-Who is that?

-EMMA: Sorry.

-Who is that?

-Where did they put Gloria?

-Gloria, is that you?

-EMMA: Where did they put Gloria?

-I'm so excited!

Gloria is confident today!

-GLORIA: The vision is clear.

-Tell us about the clear vision.

It is bringing Ghanaian flavors,

West African cuisine,

to the global forefront.

I have scaled the brand

to commercialization

and are ready to put it on stores

across the country.

Our sales are at 64%

from the previous year,

and just the month of August, hit 562%

in sales compared to the year before.

-Yes, Gloria with

the percentage increases.

-Yes. Get it.

-Get it.

-Okay.

Yes, and

Did you see behind me?

We talked about diversifying,

adding additional SKU.

So, I talked to my manufacturer.

We can quickly do mild, medium, spicy.

And not just that,

I worked on a dry shito.

ASHLEY:

Oh Awesome.

GLORIA:

I am ready to add additional SKUs

on the current shelf landscape.

Ashley and Emma

the vision is grand.

I'm here to ask

for your investment partnership,

because with Gloria's Shito,

we are about to flavor the world.

-Yes, Gloria.

-ASHLEY: Yes!

That was phenomenal.

Your pitch was phenomenal.

And you stopped us in our tracks

-ASHLEY: I know.

-because the woman that we met

was not the woman that just presented.

Like, honestly, like, transformation.

No, I've just been watching you

-(laughs)

-emulating you,

trying to just stick my chest out

-This is what it is.

-It's out!

-You know, like, the power pose,

all of that.

-ASHLEY: Yes.

I love a power pose.

-And it's really working

for you, Gloria

-Yeah.

because you gave a very convincing

and very compelling pitch.

ASHLEY:

Your product is there.

-Yeah, your product is there.

-Your vision is there.

Like, even your branding is there.

-EMMA: Gorge.

-And you have listened

to every piece of advice I have given you.

You have gotten the social media person,

you've given us the numbers,

you have proven that you can change

the recipe within the blink of an eye.

And there's something

that I really enjoy about you, Gloria.

But what do you feel like

your challenges are today?

I need a team to help me.

When I received the $15,000,

I saw how I was able

to quickly hire experts to help me

in areas of my business

that I cannot manage.

Tell me about your main hustle.

How far are you from sharing

your side hustle with your employer?

♪

Uh, that's something

I have to go back and revisit.

EMMA:

Listen, I think that

it's just about finding that sweet spot

of when makes sense,

because at this point,

I feel like you can feel that out

-Mm-hmm.

-and get to that point as it comes.

You know, Gloria, every time

I think about this business, like,

it's an amazing product,

I love what I see.

I think, yes,

you could definitely be successful.

But there is a long way to go

-Yeah.

-before there are any proof points

around this business.

And so, I don't know what's gonna happen

in this business, to be perfectly honest.

♪

ASHLEY:

So, this is what I think we should do.

Because Emma and I

are incredibly passionate

about you and Gloria's Shito chili oil,

Emma and I want to go in together

as we came in, and we want

to invest $20,000 into your business.

You did such an impressive job

with managing that $15,000 I gave you,

I know you even have money left over.

And, yes, it's not this big, grand number,

but it's something big

for how small your business is.

And what I'm excited about

is to talk to you this time next year

and see where you've scaled.

EMMA:

What I'm interested in doing

is you having a sounding board.

The money at this early stage

is secondary.

-Yeah.

-You need some guidance.

You need that mentorship

that we've had over the last month or so

to actually continue

so that you can feel confident

about what you're building.

And I think that that is, honestly,

priceless at this point.

-Yeah.

-The thing that I love that Bozoma said

was that this is the ketchup of Ghana.

-It really is.

-And then she called me,

because she ordered pizza

and she said she cannot eat pizza

without your Gloria's Shito

on top of it now.

And that is speaking volumes,

that you have somebody from your country

who is now elated

with a flavor and a taste

that you've brought here.

So adding to this whole

amazing excitement,

Bozoma wants to invest in you.

She's not sure about what number yet,

but she would love

to have a full pitch from you

and also be a sounding board

for things to come for Gloria's Shito.

So, do we have a deal?

This is what I needed.

I needed people to look up to,

people who have done this before.

And so, having the both of you,

to be able to check in with you,

I know this is what I need.

And I know the vision is grand,

and I am not gonna give up,

I'm gonna keep going.

And with you being in my corner,

I just know I'm gonna succeed.

-Sky's the limit, Gloria. We love you.

-Sky's the limit.

-Congratulations, honey.

-GLORIA: Thank you so much.

I love you, Gloria.

-Thank you so much.

-(laughs)

-So happy for you.

-I'm so happy for you.

-Thank you.

-You're so welcome.

You deserve everything.

You really, really do.

I'm so, so, so happy this worked out.

-Mwah. Go thrive, sis.

-EMMA: Good for you, Gloria.

This is unreal.

EMMA:

I cannot believe the transformation

of that woman.

-I know.

-I mean, it's crazy.

GLORIA:

I honestly didn't think that sharing

something I loved so much

will give me this access

to, um, these brilliant entrepreneurs.

I feel validated.

And knowing that

it deserved the recognition,

it deserved for people to, um

It just makes me feel proud

that I set out with this business

to shine light

on my cultural cuisine and create

generational wealth for my family.

I know I have the work cut out for me,

but I just know it's worth it.

And I'm not gonna give up.

JAHAN:

How are you holding your hands?

Okay, I think I'm gonna do

a combination of this.

JAHAN:

This is going down as one of those

really big days in our lives.

I'd say the bar exam was up there.

-TANIA: Yeah.

-JAHAN: And now we're pitching

Emma and Ashley.

And it's not just money.

It's a partnership with two people

that we really want to have

as part of our company.

When we started off here,

our biggest question was,

are we even going to be able

to make enough cookies to scale?

Brune is at a really critical stage.

We've been saying this since day one,

and we've made a lot of progress,

but we're still so close

to getting to that next step.

And getting an investment today

could make a world of difference

for our business.

It can catapult us to the next level.

Is this sacrifice going to pay off?

Or did we just set ourselves back

and waste years of our life?

♪

-TANIA: Hello.

-Hi, girls. How are you?

How are you two?

TANIA:

Well, it's been quite the journey.

We'd love to give you a little refresher

about what we're all about.

-Damn right.

-Yes, please. I know I need a refresher.

We make indulgent, decadent cookies

that have an impeccably clean label,

yet they taste like they just came out

of your grandma's oven.

And that is the sense of comfort

that we want

to bring into the clean eating space.

JAHAN:

When we started off here,

we had a big question.

Are we even gonna be able

to make enough cookies to scale?

But our co-packer run worked,

and we can now

produce enough cookies for any retailer

that comes our way, no matter their size.

TANIA:

The next step is product development.

We are excited to share

N'oatmeal Raisin and Birthday Cake.

Oh, I love birthday cake anything.

We expect to be able to get these

to hit the shelf as early as next quarter.

-We're very excited.

-Great work.

So, this is one of the big things

that I was worried about

is, on the journey to all of this growth,

you have to be

-really mindful of your cash.

-ASHLEY: Mm-hmm.

Like, can you actually afford to scale

at the pace you're going?

Here we have financial projections

that give us a road map

all the way out to 2026.

-You're so good at this type of stuff.

-ASHLEY: This is so cool.

EMMA:

I think that this level of thought

into how your brand is gonna

show up in the world,

it tells me so much about you, too.

In the financial projections booklet,

we have a list of retailers.

Starting in 2024,

we are either in all of the retailers

that are on the list or we have made

positive, meaningful

interaction with them.

They have samples of our product.

We're in contact with their buyers.

You'll see a column where it has

the number of stores and the volume

that we expect to do in each store.

In 2024, we are looking to hit

that $1 million mark.

2025, we want to double that,

get to $2 million.

2026, we are expecting to hit

$5 million in revenue.

ASHLEY:

You've got a projection of $5 million

in essentially two more years.

-How much does the cookie retail?

-$3.99.

ASHLEY:

$3.99.

-It is expensive.

-EMMA: It is expensive.

I'm just curious, like, how are we going

from just like in three years

to $5 million?

JAHAN:

Well, the first step is,

we are going to be phasing out

from our job as lawyers

so we can give our full energy to Brune.

You're quitting your attorney job?

We're definitely ready

to scale back our hours now.

-Oh, wow.

-And any time that we get back

is going straight into Brune.

So we want to make sure we can be there

during business hours

to be able to pick up the phone calls,

make sure everything's running smoothly,

and get it off the ground.

Up until this point, we've shown

that everything that we have

set out to do,

we have accomplished and we are

really a team that's worked together

for now almost ten years.

EMMA:

Honestly, the idea

of investing in two founders like you

is, like, what I wake up for.

Like, that is why I do what I do.

It's where I'm happy to put my money.

It's why I'm happy

that I've been successful,

because I look at you two and I'm like,

you are literally the American dream.

-(chuckles)

-And so I'd be really, really happy to be

a small part of your success story.

And I'd love to give you $100,000

-(whispers): What's going on?

-Oh, my goodness.

to kick it off.

For that $100,000

I'd really like to see

15% of the business.

TANIA:

In terms of your offer

(chuckles nervously)

it is incredibly appealing.

But the way

that our company is set up now,

we are a pre-seed C corp,

and we don't have shares issued

that would translate into equity.

The type of fundraising instrument

that we would be using

is something called a simple agreement

for future equity.

EMMA:

Mm-hmm. Yep.

So we do like a convertible note.

This is about us taking debt

that will convert into equity

as you guys go on the journey

-to start raising more money.

-Yes.

Which is totally normal,

standard start-up stuff.

So I am happy to do this on the basis

that we have an understanding

where we're going,

that as you bring in additional equity,

you will understand that I put the money

into this business first

and we'll work it out.

How does that sound to you guys?

-Am-Amazing. Amazing.

-That sounds amazing.

-A thousand ways to say yes.

-ASHLEY: And I'll tell you what.

I think I want to eat this cookie

with a coffee every morning.

-So I want to invest $15,000.

-EMMA (squealing): Ah!

-Ashley!

-Yeah. And we can talk about the equity

and all that stuff later.

JAHAN:

Oh, my gosh.

-Oh, my goodness.

-This is a dream come true.

-This is great.

-This is a dream!

-I'm so excited about you guys.

I love it!

(Ashley laughs)

-Come on, come on, come on.

-TANIA: We're all part

of the-the Brune family now.

ASHLEY:

Yay!

EMMA:

I'm so happy for you guys.

You really, really, really deserve it

more than anything.

-ASHLEY: Oh! Come here, love.

-Are you happy?

JAHAN:

Thank you. I'm so happy.

You really have done a fabulous job.

-I'm so happy.

-TANIA: Oh, my God.

-ASHLEY: Cookie time,

-cookie time, cookie time.

-EMMA: Brune for the win.

Bye, girls. Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Well done, you two.

JAHAN:

It could not have gone better.

TANIA:

It literally couldn't have gone better.

Whoo!

I feel like my brain's gonna explode.

(laughs)

(whispers):

My God.

-Emma and Ashley.

-We got Emma and Ashley.

This is two people that are so impressive,

that are so successful,

that understand our brand

and believe in us.

To have those type of strategic partners,

that is more valuable

than the money itself.

JAHAN:

They're not any other investor.

They are the perfect partners for Brune.

(line ringing)

-HAFIZAH (over phone): Hi, Jee-Jee.

-Hi, Ma.

So, Tanya and I just finished the pitch.

And?

And both Emma and Ashley invested

in our business.

-No.

-(laughs)

Oh, my God. When I say it,

it actually makes me want to cry.

I can't believe we just got to do that.

Are you so happy?

I love the numbers.

I love the projections.

I love the confidence.

I love the ingredients.

My boys are gonna be obsessed.

I mean, you just invested

in a cookie company.

-Well, this is my second cookie

-The whole family could be

Yeah. This is my second cookie company

I've invested in.

Oh, once again, greedy Ashley.

I don't know why they call me Ms. Greedy.

-(laughing)

-No idea.

ASHLEY:

This has been an incredible journey.

All these women,

they came with a hustle in mind,

with determination.

-I'm ready to rock and roll, baby.

-Yes.

-Yes. (laughs)

-Let's do this.

And this just goes to show

that we have exactly what it takes

to make this world a better place.

You were meant to be here,

and you worked your a*s off to be here.

With the help of Ally, we really feel like

our side hustlers have come out

on the other side renewed,

refreshed, confident in themselves

and their business.

And I know that I'm gonna be hearing

from some of these side hustlers

in the future

because the grit and the tenacity

that a lot of these women have

is unmatched.

-Oh, hello. (laughs)

-(squeals)

What's so incredible

about this whole process

is that it isn't just about

businesses growing,

but it's about these individuals growing

into who they're going to become.

We should do this together.

And when you give people opportunities

who wouldn't ordinarily have them,

what do they do with that?

We've seen time and time again

that investing in women

is absolutely critical.

The ideas that they're putting

into the world,

the things that they can do,

are completely limitless.

I'm so proud to be just a small part

of any of these women's journeys.

(both laughing)

-Aw

-(exclaims)

I, for the past 15 years,

have worked as a cosmetic chemist.

Gloria's Shito is my 100% commitment.

It's my 100% safety net.

It's what I, um,

commit into and drive in

to continue to make sure

I am not giving up

on bringing the flavors of West Africa

to the global forefront

and creating that accessibility.

♪ Ooh-ooh, ooh, ooh-ooh, hey, hey ♪

♪ Ooh-ooh, ooh, ooh-ooh, baby ♪

Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh, ooh-ooh,

♪ hey, hey ♪

♪ Ooh-ooh, ooh, ooh-ooh ♪

♪ The only way to go is up, yeah ♪

♪ Crash right through the ceiling ♪

♪ Up, yeah ♪

♪ Don't care 'bout your feelings ♪

♪ Ooh-ooh, ooh, ooh-ooh, hey, hey ♪

♪ Ooh-ooh, ooh, ooh-ooh, baby ♪

♪ Me and my girls puttin' in the work ♪

-The only way we go is up ♪

-Ooh-ooh, ooh, ooh-ooh, hey, hey ♪

♪ Ooh-ooh, ooh, ooh-ooh, baby ♪

♪ Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh, ooh-ooh,

♪ hey, hey ♪

♪ Ooh-ooh, ooh, ooh-ooh ♪

♪ Hit a low ♪

♪ But it don't last long, no ♪

♪ No, no ♪

-You know how it goes ♪

-You know how it goes ♪

♪ How we always do the most ♪

♪ 'Cause when you're on the floor ♪

-You know ♪

-You know ♪

♪ The only way to go is up, yeah ♪

♪ Crash right through the ceiling ♪

♪ Up, yeah ♪

♪ Don't care 'bout your feelings ♪

♪ Ooh-ooh, ooh, ooh-ooh, hey, hey ♪

♪ Ooh-ooh, ooh, ooh-ooh, baby ♪

♪ Me and my girls puttin' in the work ♪

♪ The only way we go is up. ♪