01x07 - Episode 107

[bunniefuu]

Tonight, hopeful entrepreneurs

who believe they have

the next big business idea

will enter the shark t*nk

seeking the financial backing

to make their dreams

come true.

There. that's called kick butt.

This is one of our movements.

- This is how I keep
- my Adonis figure in shape.

- You are definitely
- built like a god--

Buddha, to be exact.

The sharks are ready to invest

using their own money,

but only for the right person

with the right idea.

How much do you love money?

Do you love it as much as I do?

Probably not.

But first, the entrepreneurs

must convince a shark

to invest the full amount

they're asking for...

- Mommy! - Or they'll walk away
- with nothing.

- I'm getting this strange feeling
- you don't like me.

I do like you. I just don't

know that I can work with you.

And if the sharks hear

a good idea,

- they'll fight each other
- for a piece of it.

I was sort of tenderizing you

for my offer.

I can b*at the offer.

Ooh!

Wait, wait, wait, wait.

I would like to come in half.

Leslie, I want in

on that deal.

Oh! oh!

Who are the sharks?

Kevin O'Leary

is a venture capitalist

who started a software business

in his basement,

which he eventually sold

for $3.2 billion.

Barbara corcoran

is a fiery real estate mogul

who turned a $1,000 loan

into an empire

worth hundreds of millions.

- Kevin harrington
- is the king of infomercials.

His genius marketing

of products

- has amassed
- billions of dollars in sales.

- Daymond John
- turned rags to riches

with his clothing brand fubu,

which has grossed

over $6 billion.

And Robert herjavec,

a technology tycoon

who sold his Internet companies

for over $350 million.

♪♪♪

♪ the best things

in life are free ♪

♪ but that ain't really

good enough for me ♪

♪ I need money ♪

♪ that's what I want ♪

♪ that's what I want ♪

♪ that's what I want ♪

♪ that's what I want ♪

♪ that's what I want ♪

♪ what I want ♪

♪ that's what I want ♪

First into the shark t*nk

is Leslie Haywood,

a Southern housewife

with a charming idea.

♪♪♪

Hey, honey, I'm home.

I am Leslie Haywood,

stay-at-home wife and mother,

and I created a product

for anyone that loves grilling.

With all of this going on,

it is hard to keep track

of everything on the grill.

Okay, who had

the spicy chicken?

But my product is the solution

to every griller's problem.

When I am not busy being

short-order cook,

head nose-wiper, taxi driver,

I am very busy

being founder, president,

c.e.o., marketing guru

and bookkeeper

for my grilling gadget empire.

I actually have been out

to "shark t*nk" once before,

and right before I was getting

ready to walk in the shark t*nk,

I got a call from my mom.

And my father

had passed away very suddenly

and unexpectedly.

As a matter of fact, um,

one of the last things

he said was,

- he asked my mom
- not to call me...

Because he didn't

want to be the reason

why I missed out

on this opportunity.

I had to come home,

and we had to bury him.

It was

the most devastating thing

I had ever been through.

A few weeks later,

I got this call

from the "shark t*nk,"

saying that I got

this second chance.

When I walk out there,

I know that he will be with me,

and he will be cheering for me

the whole way.

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

Hi.

I'm Leslie Haywood,

creator of grill charms.

I'm seeking $50,000

in exchange for 25% equity

in my company.

Where I come from,

we grill year-round.

Now I don't know if you've

ever had this problem,

but when you go to a cookout

or a barbecue,

and you serve a platter

full of food,

a lot of times, you can't tell

which is which.

- You can't tell which one is rare
- and which one's medium rare.

- Or maybe you have
- a spicy piece of chicken,

but you weren't prepared for it,

and it lights you on fire.

Or maybe you have health

or allergy concerns.

Well, I have invented a product

called grill charms

- that solve all of these problems
- and more.

- They are
- solid stainless steel charms

that you put in your food

before you grill.

There's four collections

for different purposes.

The steak collection, which is

"mr" for medium rare,

- then you have medium well,
- et cetera.

- Then for the spicy collection,
- you have a picture

of a pepper on fire

if you like it hot.

And then there's

two other collections

- for different purposes.
- Where do you sell them?

I'm in, uh, 103 independent,

uh, retail stores

across the U.S.,

Canada and Sweden.

Who does the selling?

I'm doing the selling.

She could sell anything.

You're--you're a sort of

one-man shop, so to speak.

I am.

Could we see a sample

while you're speaking to us?

Oh, absolutely. Sure, sure.

What are your sales today,

Leslie?

Well, I just started here, so

this past year we did $60,000.

And just to give you an idea

about the passion

and determination,

- I went from
- spicy lightbulb moment--

literally at a dinner party

that I hosted--

- to having my product on store
- shelves in a year and a half.

In between that time,

I had a little run-in with

breast cancer at the age of 34,

so that slowed me up

just a little bit.

- Whoa! that slowed you up
- just a little bit.

- Yes, but even that
- didn't stop me.

- Leslie,
- what does this sell for?



in stores for $19.95.

It's the perfect gift item.

So you've got

the grilling industry,

the gifting industry,

then we have the licensing.

Every sports team,

every tailgater,

needs their own set.

Do you know how many grills

George foreman sold,

by the way?



Okay? so grilling is--

is huge, right?

It is huge.

It is huge.

What are you gonna do

with the $50,000?

I am gonna use that to really

whomp up at trade shows,

'cause if you want to run

with the big dogs,

you have got to--

you gotta bark.

- And that's
- what I need to do.

Either that, or oh, direct

to TV, you know...

I got my--

I got my eye on you.

You're the real deal.

You got something here.

The challenge--

it's--it's not a--

- it's--it's not really
- a company yet.

- It's a product,
- and one that's working.

Well, it's funny. I know

a guy who's good at that.

So...

But wait a second, Robert.

- You interrupted me, and I was
- about to make an offer.

- Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean
- to get in the way of your offer.

- Go ahead and make the offer.
- Silence, please.

Um, I was sort of tenderizing

you for my offer.

I think what I would do

is I'd give you $50,000

for 50% of the business

or the product,

which is

all it is right now.

Mm-hmm.

Um, I'm gonna put

a 7% royalty on it.

- Leslie.
- Yes.

I wouldn't take his offer.

I can b*at the offer.

I can bring more to the table.

Okay? 'cause he's--

he says, "it's not a business,

it's a product."

Right. right.

A product is a business.

- Right.
- My offer is--

you need the money,

but you need the expertise.

And I have the expertise

in developing the television,

the infomercial side.

But I would say I would

give you the $50,000.

Forget the royalty. But I do

want 50% of the company.

Leslie, I want in

on that deal.

Kevin, I'm not sure

you need me,

but maybe I could put up

more than half the money,

'cause I think this is one of

the best ideas we've seen.

So, Kevin, will you let me in

on that deal if I put up...

$30,000 of the money

and we each get 25%?

- Wait, wait, wait,
- wait, wait.

Before they start

colluding together on the deal,

um, I do believe

that Kevin--the nice Kevin--

is--

you're talking about me

again?

Is the best person

to do the deal.

- Robert has no idea
- about how to sell to retailers.

You know, you ever go into

a store and you see

- "as seen on TV"?
- Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.

Okay. so that is where

my ability is.

- So this could be
- in stores as well.

So I would like to come in half,

and, um,

you don't need bad Kevin

or pretty Rob...

In the deal.

Why, thank you for

calling me pretty, daymond.

- Thank you for calling me bad.
- Wow.

I'd like to get--

I just want

to clear the field a little.

I love the idea. You have

four grown men romancing you,

half because your product

is great,

and half because

you're so damn pretty.

- Barbara, I didn't even notice - how pretty she was.
- I'm sure not.

- I am just enamored
- with the product. So, Kevin...

I'm out.

Harrington.

- Yes. - I just want to be clear. You've
- kicked me out of the deal?

Is that what you've done? 'Cause

I would love to participate.

Um...

I want part of this deal.

I have to say this, okay?

I'm gonna do the television.

Daymond can do the retail.

And it--and I don't think

a third partner

is gonna make sense here.

Oh, forget that.

Leslie, I'll give you

the 50 grand for 25%,

exactly like you asked.

And no assistance.

He will give you

no assistance, Leslie.

Oh! oh!

Leslie, there's other

TV guys out there.

He doesn't own the monopoly

for stuff to flog on TV.

So you get 75% of a small pie

with Robert.

You get 50% of a big pie

with me and daymond.

They barely let him

in retail stores to shop...

- Let alone--let alone
- put some product in there.

- I am disgusted
- by your greed.

- I am disgusted by it.
- What happened to my offer?

What am I, chopped liver

over here?

I don't like the royalties.

Leslie, let me ask you

a question.

- When you started - your business...
- Yes.

Did you start it

to give up half of it?

- I built my business
- out of my house

with credit cards by myself...

Right.

And sold it for $150 million,

which may be small to Kevin,

- but I owned 100% of it.
- Leslie, we all did that.

Leslie, listen to me

for a second.

- These numbers
- are rounding errors.

I sold my business

for $3.2 billion.

And that's why he's trying

to screw you on a royalty.

Absolutely not. Noise, noise.

This stuff is rounding errors.

All right, Leslie,

we have two deals...

Okay.

'Cause we all know

Kevin's deal is a waste of time.

No, it isn't.

We all know Kevin--okay.

So we have three deals.

Well, this is--

this is unbelievable.

- I mean, of course
- I came out here,

and I was gunnin' for you.

I-I mean, really.

I'm very sad to hear that.

That is who

I initially thought

my product would be

a perfect fit for.

But, you know, I mean,

you guys have just really,

really given me

a lot to think about.

- I think I do
- need to step outside

and mull this over

just for a minute.

Okay, please do.

Okay.

We want you to make

the right decision.

You're pressuring her.

That is one tough woman.

Hello?

Hi, hon.

Good news, I think.

I've got, um,

all of the sharks,

uh, but one

fighting over me.

A couple of 'em want



and I just don't know

if I'm willing to give up

that much control.

- And then I've got another shark
- that will give me

exactly what I'm asking for,

but he doesn't bring

enough to the table.

Even though they say

that they're not gonna budge,

I gotta give it one more sh*t.

- I need that number to come down
- just a little bit.

- You're like
- little high school boys

giggling about the pretty girl.

That is

absolutely not true.

I still--i really have

a problem with the 50%.

Leslie, hang on. Are you

saying no to my offer?

No, no, no.

But I do want this offer.

It's the 50% that's k*lling me,

'cause I really--the expertise,

it is there.

- It really is there. - I'm getting this
strange feeling - you don't like me.

I...

I do like you.

I just don't know

that I can work with you.

Oh!

Are you kidding?

I like her even more!

- Finally, somebody's
- being honest.

- Come on.
- You gotta be kidding.

No. y-yeah.

My offer is--is 50%.

There is no other offer.

There is no other offer?

No. that's the deal.



No, I can't.

It's 50 or no deal.

I would be the same--



You've gotta make a decision.

What's it gonna be?

♪♪♪

Le.

Robert is offering

what she asked for--

$50,000

for 25% of the business.

Daymond and Kevin harrington

are also offering $50,000,

but they want

half of her business.

- However, Leslie had
- her heart set

on making a deal

with Kevin harrington,

who's sold billions

with his infomercials.

My offer is--is 50%.

I would be the same--



Wow. this is interesting.

♪♪♪

My offer still stands, Leslie,

'cause I believe in you.

I think you're gonna do it.

- Anybody that comes from
- their house as a housewife,

starts all this,

beats cancer along the way,

you're gonna do it.

This is all noise.



we're--we're equal partners.

Don't--don't let 1%

blow the deal.

Harrington's gonna dump you

like a cold potato

if the product doesn't sell.

You know that.

- Enough chatter.
- Let's do it.

Wait. just before...

Just before

you make your decision...

You're out.

No, no. I'm not finished.

I'll give you the $50,000

for 20% of the business

with my royal--

ooh!

With my royalty structure

in place, and you're--

the full confidence, because

I will not be a control partner.

- Leslie, why don't you tell
- this guy he's out?

You can't stand him.

Get rid of him.

Oh, I d--

Leslie, you know

what she said about you

while you were out there?

She said the only reason

- we're talking to you is
- 'cause you're a pretty woman.

- And I found that insulting. - I found that insulting.
- She's sexist.

Barbara!

You believe in yourself.

- Make a decision.
- You know you can do it.

I do. I do.

I just--i didn't get

this far giving up my baby.

And I just can't give it up.

♪♪♪

I'm gonna go...

With Robert.

Whoo!

What a surprise.

It's the right decision.

Oh.

Unbelievable.

- Ohh.
- Unbelievable.

- You did the right thing. - Congratulations.
- Thank you. Thank you.

You should never give up 50%.

I know, I know.

I just can't. I can't.

You know what?

You can't do it.

Unbelievable.

What a surprise.

Thanks, Leslie.

Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you so much.

That's what happens when you try

to screw me over, harrington.

Ohh.

I went in there

going for Kevin harrington,

'cause I--he's the TV guy.

- That's--that's who--
- who I thought that I needed.

But then Robert, uh,

I just connected with him,

and I really think that he has

my best interests at heart,

- and, uh, I so look forward
- to working with him.

It's gonna be great.

She made a crazy,

wrong decision.

She did not make

a poor decision.

- Do you understand
- that I have sold

$6 billion worth of product

around the world?

And, what, I'm supposed

to be impressed by that?

You're both bozos. I'm gonna

call her up and do it for 10%.

Just weeks ago,

we met entrepreneur

Susan knapp

and watched her strike a deal

with the sharks.

I-I will... say yes.

Yes.

Aha. she's gonna say no,

huh, daymond? Huh?

She's gonna regret it.

Here's what she's up to now...

I am happy to report that after

going into the shark t*nk

to save

my gourmet food business,

sales have skyrocketed.

The sharks even got me

on the home shopping network.

We had 1,600 units sold

in one day.

I made the cinnamon pear jelly

for family and friends.

I mean, it was great.

Oh, my gosh.

Before being on "shark t*nk,"

my sales

were only $8,000 a month.

Now they're

over $80,000 a month.

Susan is a real professional.

- She's built
- a heck of a business.

- And this business
- is gonna take off.

Next up are David adamovich

and Todd Robbins,

who want to bring

good, clean fun

to New York City's

Times Square.

♪♪♪

I'm Todd Robbins.

And I'm David adamovich.

We're here for $300,000

at a 20% equity

in the funhouse.

You know,

when you have an idea

- for something new
- and exciting,

- I wish
- finding the money for it

would be as easy as,

well, like that.

But, of course, it's not,

so that's why we're here.

Now as you can guess, I have

a little background in magic.

I'm also

a sideshow performer.

And, David, why don't you

let them know who you are?

I'm known

as the great throwdini.

- I am the world's fastest
- and most-accurate Kn*fe thrower.

So I'll just give you...

Wow.

A little sample

of what I do.

Jeez.

Wow. that's impressive.

Wow.

Thank you.

I want to do that? Can I

stand there and you do that?

Sure.

You're gonna stand there?

- [Todd and David - speaking indistinctly]
- You are nuts, daymond.

Wow.

Look at him.

Let's go.

Oh. aah!

Oh! mommy!

More!

Uh-oh! yeah!

Oh.

Ooh!

- I like that. I like that.
- You did great.

Scary.

[Harrington speaking

indistinctly]

You are a major nut ball.

Throwdini,

that was impressive.

Thank you.

Last year, 35 million people

came to the Times Square area

in New York City.

So we are starting up

a 25,000-square-foot,

uh, live entertainment

and amusement attraction

called the funhouse

in the Times Square area.



in the middle of New York?

Yeah, yeah.

Are you guys nuts?

Unh-unh. no.

No.

There are five areas--

venues going on

- in the, uh, funhouse
- that have live entertainment.

- And we have
- a vaudeville café.

This is a 200-seat restaurant

that features a stage

with, uh, world-class

variety entertainers--

jugglers, plate spinners,

acrobats, Kn*fe throwers.

- We have an old-style sideshow
- featuring sword swallowing,

fire eating.

A lounge area that has

- magicians doing close-up magic-- - cards, coins, tricks--
- okay, we get it.

- How much is it gonna cost?
- How are we gonna make money?

- Okay,
- it's very, very simple.

We are going to give that

all for a $15 admission price.

We anticipate that in

the first year of operation,

it's gonna gross

$9.4 million.

How are you going to

attract customers?

It's very simple.

- First, the--the exterior of
- the--the venue will be such

that people will be able to

find it if they know about it.

So walk-by traffic?

Yeah, it's all foot traffic.

What's it gonna cost you

to build that whole fa--



We've capitalized the start-up

on it as about $1.5 million.

Wow.

What is it gonna cost you

to stay open each month

- once that 1 and a half
- is in?

Well, the--the annual expense

is... it's sizeable. It is--

what is it?

$7.4 million.

- Yowza.
- Wow.

- Yeah. yeah.
- Whoa.

- The pitch
- is to buy into a business

and just hope like crazy

they buy the tickets.

Yeah.

Like, you could just sit there,

huddle around the fire and go,

"please make it happen.

Please. I believe! I believe!"

And it's going to happen.

In today's market?

You should just throw knives

at each other, really.

I'm out.

- It--it's not actually
- a million and a half, Kevin.

Barbara uncovered it.

You have to give them

the million and a half,

or they have to get it,

then you're on the hook

for the $7.4 million.

This is a huge risk,

and not knowing whether

the model works or not,

is--is just way too risky

for me. I'm out.

To me, it's a coin toss.

I don't like to take

that kind of a risk,

so I'm out.

I think

you're underestimating

a large cost that we haven't

discussed here at all.

I've heard nothing about

the branding of it,

which I think is key,

so I'm so fearful you're gonna

lose a lot of money.

So I'm out.

You know,

there's an old saying--

the higher

a monkey climbs a tree,

the more you see his ass.

I'm out.

Well, thank you very much

for listening to us.

- David, you had a Kn*fe
- in front of you.

Of course we would listen.

Exactly, yeah.

Ah, well.

Good luck.

They were scared. It seemed

like they were scared.

- I may be reading that wrong,
- but...

- Uh, they seemed wimps.
- I'm sorry.

- Boy, that was so risky.
- Can you imagine that?

- You put up a million
- and a half dollars,

- and the next day,
- it's gone.

I did learn something, though.

I learned how to throw knives.

What was the key, Kevin?

I'm gonna show you now,

Robert, what I figured out.

Barbara, please,

be my guest.

No, thank you. Practice.

You know those earrings?

I'll pin them to the wood.

Whoa!

I'm dede barbanti.

And I'm Kathy lamm.

- And we are from
- ladera ranch, California.

I want to go on your back.

After having

my--my third baby,

I weighed over 200 pounds,

and, um, I separated

from my husband.

It was a really,

really bad time in my life.

Elbows are out.

I need a way

to support my children,

so I took all my training

and dancing

- in martial arts,
- as a choreographer,

and I put together

boogie box fitness.

It's Kathy from boogie box.

I was introduced to dede

by a mutual acquaintance,

and I immediately

fell in love

with what she had

put together,

and I wanted to get

boogie box fitness out

to the rest of the world.

Here we go.

We want to show the world

that if two moms

can fulfill their dreams

and provide

for their children--

- if we can do it,
- anybody can do it.

Anybody can. Yeah.

♪♪♪

Hit it!

Boogie jump. Let's go.

♪♪♪

Boogie pump. Huh.

♪♪♪

Hit it!

Whoo!

Move it back.

Ho!

♪♪♪

Whoo!

Yeah.

Yeah.

All right.

Hi, I'm dede.

I'm the c.E.O. And creator

of boogie box fitness.

- And I'm Kathy.
- I'm dede's business partner

- and I am
- the chief operator officer

of boogie box fitness.

We are looking for $700,000

to launch our home DVD line.

In exchange for that funding,

we are prepared to offer

a 70% share

in our home DVD business.

What you just saw was

a very small sample

- of a boogie box fitness
- workout.

It's a fusion of hip-hop,

Latin dance, kickboxing,

plyometric movements

and hard-core

resistance training all in one.

- So you're getting twice
- the workout in half the time.

- Dede, that doesn't look
- that easy to do.

- Come over here,
- and I'll show you right now.

Absolutely.

Okay, I'm gonna

show you something.

I'm a fit guy. I was on

the bike this morning.

Oh, okay.

These sharks were not.

And I'm gonna show you

what makes this special,

- about applied muscle resistance, - okay?
- All right.

We're using

your own body weight...

Yeah.

- In an applied manner-- - boy, you are really built.
- Whoa.

- Don't touch the talent, Kevin.
- Okay, what I want you to do...

- Okay. - Abs tight.
- I want you to pretend

you have weights

in your hand, okay?

Yeah, I've got it.

Okay, grab those weights,

and what I want you to do

- is the same thing--
- put your elbows out,

- and squeeze 'em back down.
- Yeah.

- Put 'em out - and squeeze 'em back down.
- All right.

- Let's go faster.
- And up and down. Up and down.

- Dede, it looks so much better
- when you do it.

There you go. Whoo! There.

That's called kick butt.

- This is how I keep
- my Adonis figure in shape.

- You are definitely built like
- a god--Buddha, to be exact.

I'm gonna go sit down

and talk about money now.

- That was fun...
- Okay, go sit over there.

But now it gets tough, dede.

But I just proved

that you can do it.

Do you have any sales

right now?

Not for the DVD portion

of our business, no.

We do not actually have

a d--

for any portion, any portion.

There is another part

of our business

that is certifying instructors,

teaching live classes,

doing workshops

for our students.

That part of our business, yes.

We have been growing that.

We launched that

in October of last year.

Kathy, I want to be clear.

You're selling me only the DVD.

'Cause you--you said that

very specifically.

Yes, yes.

- Okay.
- And the reason we did that

is that we believe 80% to 90%

of our overall revenue

- is going to come
- directly from the DVD sales.

- And what--what revenue,
- if any,

comes from the other side

of the business today?

Uh, year to date,

our revenue is $15,000.

What kind of following

do you have?

Because this is, as of

right now, another dance format.

Where is the following

and/or proof that you have

that this works?

Can I show you something

that'll help prove...

This is Brenda. Brenda was

a member of our test group.

Hi, Brenda.

Brenda has lost



- within six months - of doing boogie box.
- Wow.

- Wow.
- And if that doesn't...

That's impactful.

She fits in one leg now.

That's amazing.

That is great.

Let's talk about money

for a minute.

Okay.

If I was going to be

putting out $700,000--

I like that

just flowing off my lips,

- 'cause it's a huge amount
- of money--

yes, it is.

I'd have to understand

how I'd get that back.

Our sales, conservatively,

we have estimated to sell

one million units

over three years.

- We've compared that to what
- our competitors have done--

but stop right there.

They spent a fortune

preparing an infomercial

- and then buying
- the media time--

- and that's where the $700,000
- comes in right there--

the media time.

Yeah, but you want to move

a million cds.

Some of the top

record artists today

- are not moving
- that amount of cds,

and that's just music

to listen to.

$700,000--it's a very hard

number for me to hit

not knowing this business.

So I would unfortunately

have to say...

That I'm out.

- How much is the production
- of the infomercial?

$175,000.

Kathy, isn't there

another way you could do this

instead of burning through

$700,000?

- You know, is it a go big
- or go nothing proposition?

We feel that the return

is better for everybody

- if we put that investment in
- upfront on the sales.

You're asking me

to give you $700,000,

and we have no way to know

if it's going to work

until the money's gone.

So I either...

Get my money back

or I get zero.

It's a leap of faith.

And I'm not willing

to risk my money

in that big a leap of faith.

I'm out.

Kathy, is that

the only model--$700,000?

It's like a feature film.

It's a crapshoot.

We have aligned ourselves

with producers

who have worked

with all our competitors.

- They do. - They feel very comfortable
- at what we're gonna sell...

Very.

And very comfortable

at our projections.

I believe there's a crime

called murdering money.

If I gave you $700,000

and you k*lled it,

then I would go

into money hell.

So for that reason,

I'm out.

Okay.

Your workouts are great,

but there is no brand here yet.

So I have to say, I'm out.

How did you even

think of the business?

I'm so curious.

Dede created this.

This is her creation.

After having my third baby,

I was 204 pounds.

I used to be

a professional dancer

- for many years,
- and a choreographer,

and I stopped when I had

my first child.

And I just was not

at happy place in my life.

So, um... I've used all my

training as a choreographer

and a fighter,

and I lost all the weight.

It took me 7 months to lose



It's worked on me,

it's worked on Brenda,

- and it's changing
- everybody's lives--

- not just their bodies,
- but their lives.

Let me tell you what I like

about what I'm hearing.

I love the brand name.

Boogie box--so cool.

I also love the fact

that you're 100% genuine,

from your story

to what you're saying

- to how genuinely
- you're answering the questions.

♪♪♪

Barbara is dede's and Kathy's

last chance to get a deal.

I love the brand name.

Boogie box--so cool.

I also love the fact

that you're 100% genuine,

from your story

to what you're saying

- to how genuinely
- you're answering the questions.

But I think you made

a terrible mistake here,

which is gonna cost you,

and that is,

you asked for too much money.

If you had come in here

and offered us

a bite-sized piece

with a bite-sized test,

you'd have all these guys

all over you.

That's a great point.

But you didn't,

and so I'm out.

Okay.

Okay.

Well, we thank you.

All right, you guys.

♪♪♪

They don't know any better,

- and they want to make
- the perfect product too fast.

- They went
- for the Hollywood approach

instead of the off-Broadway.

If they do it small,

they will grow,

and they will be a success.

Boogie box fitness

does not die here today.

Oh, no, no, no, no.

Oh, no. It gets bigger.

World domination.

Next up is Sawyer sparks,

a college student

with big ambitions

for his small hometown.

♪♪♪

My name is Sawyer sparks.

I'm 22 years old.

I'm from bloomfield, Indiana,

and I'm a college student.

My first year of college,

one of my favorite professors

and her 5-year-old child

mentioned that they had

celiac disease,

- which means
- they were allergic to wheat.

Because of this allergy,

her child could not play with

the traditional modeling Clay,

like play-doh,

that we all grew up with

because they all contain wheat.

- So I created soy-yer-dough,
- a wheat-free, soy-based

modeling Clay.

Welcome to

the world headquarters

- of soy-yer-dough
- in my mom's kitchen.

And this is my mom sue.

She does all the kneading.

This is my girlfriend Sammie,

who does all the mixing.

And I do all the stirring

here at the stove.

And we do this day in

and day out,

every day with orders.

This business

isn't just about making money.

It's about helping

all the people

- in the community - that I grew up with.
- Congratulations.

Thank you very much.

Yes, thank you.

Glad to see you come home.

What I really want to do

is expand my business,

open up a factory

in bloomfield, Indiana,

and create jobs

in my community.

♪♪♪

- My name is Sawyer sparks,
- and my product is soy-yer-dough.

I'm asking for

a $125,000 investment

for 25% of my company.

The traditional modeling Clay

that we all grew up with

is wheat based,

which causes children

with an aversion to wheat

to feel completely left out.

So I invented soy-yer-dough--

the first and only

patented modeling Clay

- that is gluten-free,
- nontoxic and fun-scented.

Oh, it smells like cherry.

- Yes, and it smells best
- if you break 'em apart.

- What percentage
- of the children population

have this problem?

Actually, 1 in 8 children.

Our competitor sells



of this size a year.

- One-eighth of that is
- 12 million containers per year.

- So there's a huge market
- for this.

- How--how much of this
- have you sold so far?

We have sold 8,000 containers

since February.

Uh, that's when this began,

- and we just last week got
- an order for 11,000 containers.

Wow.

The 8,000 you sold were

a result of your online sales?

Online sales.

How proprietary

is this product?

Is there a patent

of any kind on it?

- Yes, mine. It has
- a provisional patent on it.

- Where are you
- manufacturing this?

- Out of my kitchen
- at home, actually.

H-how are you doing that?

Uh, it's my mom,

me and my girlfriend--

- you just cook it yourself? - We just
- cook it ourselves, yes.

We can only make 12 containers,

uh, per 10 minutes.

Have you approached

any toy makers?

We have an offer--

have you tried to

license this to play-doh?

- I have been contacted
- by play-doh, though.

- For what? - About--about this,
- to purchase it.

Wait. wait.

And what happened?

And what did they have to say?

They love it, they want it,

and we're--

we've been negotiating

because they want

this patent.

So the largest player

in the space contacted you...

Multiple times.

To license your patent.

- Sorry. multiple times?
- Multiple times.

And where is that negotiation

at this point?

At this point, I want to

create jobs in my community--

- wait, wait, wait,
- wait, wait.

- You want to sit
- in your mother's kitchen table

- baking this stuff,
- when the number one guy

- in the world is calling you?
- Are you nuts?

- No, he wants
- the whole neighborhood

- to sit in his mother's kitchen
- baking this stuff.

- Why would you bake
- one more cup of this stuff

when the number one guy on earth

is banging at your door?

Because I--

- this is a very important moment
- for you,

'cause it's gonna tell me

whether you're sane or insane.

No, because honestly,

I really feel that if they

purchase this patent from me,

- we would never see it again
- in the light of day.

- Wait, wait,
- wait, wait, wait.

- Sawyer-- - maybe that's true,
- but how much

- are they going
- to purchase it for?

- That's still in negot--
- negotiation.

Is it--do you need some help

in negotiating that?

Yeah.

- Have they made you
- an actual offer?

Uh, through my lawyers,

but not...

What was their price?

There's been

different offers.

The highest has been around

$500,000.

You had an offer for $500,000?

You're a college student--

but I really feel

that in a year,

two years down the road,

I can honestly sell



Are you a wealthy guy,

Sawyer?

No.

- Didn't the $500,000--I'm just
- curious--didn't it tempt you?

- Tempted my parents, yes.
- What about your girlfriend?

Yes.

What's your idea about

employing people?

I just feel like I don't have my

finger on your motivation here.

My motivation

is to create jobs,

- to make sure that there's
- a product for these--

one-eighth of the market--

play-doh can do that.

- Not with
- a wheat-free mar--

- you're sure
- your patent excludes them

- from ever doing - a wheat-free product?
- Yes, yes.

Outstanding, young man.

Outstanding.

- I rarely see an opportunity like
- this from the license front.

This is

a wonderful opportunity.

Thank you.

Sawyer--oh.

Sawyer, I have great news

for you.

Thank goodness we've met.

My whole business career

- was built around
- licensing properties.

Done it hundreds of times.

I'll give you $125,000

for 51% of your patent.

And I'll tell you

why I'm doing that.

I'm doing it...

To take you

out of the equation.

And I promise you,

you'll get a better deal

than the one

you're getting right now

when I sit down

with your friends at play-doh.

Sawyer said no to half a million

in cash from play-doh.

But you're proposing--

he's gonna make much more

than half a million

when I'm your partner--

much more, much more.

But you're taking control.

He's--yes,

because I should sit--

so you could sell it

for $600,000.

I don't--

there's nothing he can do.

Robert, you're just

making noise to me.

- Look, Kevin-- - Sawyer, let me sweeten
my offer, - 'cause this is noise.

I'm tired of listening to it.

Here's a better deal for you.

We'll keep it this way--



and you don't have to close

until I finish the negotiations

with these guys.

If you don't like the deal,

walk away.

I'm gonna be

your advocate right now,

because I know about licensing,

but honestly,

I think he is giving you

an incredible deal.

I'd consider this

what we call a "yolo" moment.

You only live once.

All right?

Yes.

And to make sure

that I don't compete,

- 'cause I think that is
- a really good deal...

I'm out.

I'm gonna get rid

of the clutter.

Um, I think a specialist

in licensing

like Kevin O'Leary is--

is a good partner to have,

so I--I'm gonna bow out.

Okay.

He's the natural partner

for you,

and I don't even like the guy,

so for me to endorse him

is shocking to myself.

I'm out.

So you just want to raise

some cash to do what?

Uh, to build a facility

in my community.

- Let me tell you something,
- my friend,

I've been rich

and I've been poor.

Rich is much better,

and I want to get you there.

You'll find many ways

to create jobs

- when you have the capital
- to build businesses.

Could I ask you a question?

Yes.

How much do you love money?

Do you love it as much as I do?

Probably not.

- I'm still in col--
- I'm a college student and...

I just need money

for beer, I guess,

is what this is.

This is such what I do.

This is in my blood,

what you're doing here.

There's no person

better on earth

to be in your shoes than me.

Believe me. We need to be

partners on this.

Are we gonna be in business

or not?

I love your offer.

And I definitely feel

that I do need help,

uh, with this, and, uh,

but not for 51%.

♪♪♪

Could you do $125,000

for 40%?

Here's the problem--

let me explain the problem.

Um...

The reason I need 51%

is, when I begin negotiations,

the other side has to know

that I have

the ability to close.

But I could still give you

the ability to close on--

- no. you see,
- having negotiated this license

hundreds of times before,

you're gonna have to trust me.

I would never, ever do this

without having the ability

to go in there

and come back with a deal

that's significantly superior.

If you tell me

one of the attributes

- is you have to create jobs,
- I'll get that for you.

- I am willing to bend over
- backwards to get you happy

in the structure of the deal,

but I have to walk in there

with 51%. And I swear,

I'll come out of there

with something

you can't even dream of.

Sawyer, it's a great speech...

- And it's true.
- And you know what, Sawyer?

I almost believed

it for a second.

But I think you did

an excellent job today

- of seeing through
- the fluffiness

- and into what it really is,
- just greed.

I'll give you the $125,000

for the 40%.

So we're--we're--

I'm gonna cry.

I can't take it.

Kevin O'Leary

has offered $125,000

for 51% of the company.

But Robert has outbid him,

offering the same amount

for only 40% of the company.

What's your--

what's your plan?

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

Wait, wait. He's never, ever--

I've done what I've

just described to you

- a hundred times, and the proof
- is in the pudding.

My only problem is that

I need--i need ownership.

I don't want ownership.

- What I want is the ability - to close.
- With 51%.

I--

you can't close if you

own less than 51?

Like, that doesn't even

make sense?

No, it does make sense.

- The reason you don't know this
- is you've never done it,

which is why his offer

is useless to you.

Okay.

You need a guy

that's actually done it.

Sawyer, I'm not--I'm not...

You have

two offers on the table.

I'm not gonna sell you that

hard. I don't feel I need to.

Right.

I think you're a smart guy.

I think you did a good job.

- I think that, uh, you're
- very clear with what you want.

- With that offer, what--what is
- your plans with this business?

I mean, I think

that my plan with it

is to keep doing

what you're doing,

negotiate hard with play-doh

and try to get money.

I'm really impressed

by what you've built.

It's $125,000.

We do both--

negotiate with play-doh,

keep selling it.

- I mean, you sold 11,000 units.
- It's--it's remarkable.

I don't know what to say.

So you have

two deals on the table.

One who wants to control

your company,

- the other one who doesn't know
- about licensing.

You know,

the--the--the problem...

And I understand your concern

about the 51%,

and I'm--I'm struggling,

because--

with the 51%

with you can't change,

then give me

a better money offer.

♪♪♪

- Is my offer off the table,
- Sawyer?

No, I'm not saying that.

What's most important to me

is that

we are going to go down

the path to negotiate a license.

That's what matters to me.

Right.

If you allow him to negotiate

on your behalf with 51%,

then I'll give you $200,000.

Daymond has come back in,

adding $200,000

to Kevin O'Leary's offer

if Sawyer will allow Kevin

to negotiate for him.

I'll go down that road.

I'll put in another $125,000.

Let's do this. Each of us

is going to put in $100,000,

for a total of $300,000

for 51% of the company.

And you know

why it has to be 51%.

That's the offer.

What are you going to do?

The sharks have offered Sawyer

$175,000 more

than what he came in seeking,

but he must give up 51%

of his company.

♪♪♪

We're gonna make a lot of dough

with this dough.

- Congratulations, guys. - Let's do this.
- All right.

Yes. yes.

Wow. one lucky kid,

let me tell you.

Congratulations.

Thank you very much.

Sure.

Very impressive.

Absolutely.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

- I feel better - about that end of the deal.
- Great.

Look, I had to have that.

You guys, you want me

to be really honest?

Yeah.

You guys screwed me out of

one or two deals.

I was just botching it.

I didn't even think

I was gonna get in there.

But I'm in, baby!

Yeah.

It's a great deal

for my community,

- and it's for you,
- bloomfield, Indiana.

- Thank you very much, everybody,
- for your community and support.

You've sold 10,000 belts?

Yes.

- I don't believe that he's sold
- that many units.

- No, I can back that up,
- of course.

Throx likes to do things

in threes.

And we aim to please

in threes.

We're gonna make you

$24 million in 4 years.

- I'll bet
- half my company on it.

- What?
- Wow.

You're just taking our money

and screwing us. You're a pig.

- This guy will eat you
- for breakfast. He's an animal.

- You're gonna corrupt
- these young minds, Barbara.

- I don't think these guys
- are that dumb.