15x02 - Episode 2

[bunniefuu]

Narrator: Tonight,
Michael Rubin, founder of

the multi-billion dollar sports
retail behemoth Fanatics,

joins the t*nk.

I want to give the
opportunity to the consumer,

to the fan.

We prep. You bake.

There had to be a better way.

And now there is,
because I invented it.

O'Leary: You have to
change your business model.

You're cheating.

We're helping the common person.

I like business. I
like making money.

There is no goofing
off in this business.

Get realistic about this.

No, I like this. I want
these guys all to myself.

Guys, do not be bullied by him.

You got me. That's a
better Shark, anyway.

Ooh. It's the battle of
billionaires. Let's go.

♪♪

Narrator: First in the t*nk is a
way for the everyday consumer

to compete with technology.

♪♪

Hi, Sharks. My name
is Maurice Bachelor,

and I'm from Cleveland, Ohio.

And my name is Joel Griffith,

and I'm from
Trenton, New Jersey.

And together we founded Bot-It,

a website and mobile app

that uses artificial
intelligence

to complete online tasks.

We're seeking a
$150,000 investment

for a 10% stake in our company.

So, Sharks, have
you ever gone online

to reserve a dinner reservation,

book a golf tee time,

or buy concert tickets,

and notice that they're
gone in seconds?

Well, that's because
an online robot,

also known as a bot,

probably just outbooked you.

Bots now control


for things like
booking reservations

and making online purchases.

But how can humans compete?

It's almost impossible
to click as fast as a bot.

And it's annoying to
have to sit at a computer,

keep clicking
refresh... [ Laughter ]

hoping that you're the lucky one

to buy those concert
tickets before they disappear.

Or having to set your
alarm for the cr*ck of dawn,

hoping to book a reservation for
a popular restaurant... [ Laughter ]

only to find that a bot
has already b*at you to it.

Let's say, for example,

you're looking to
book a reservation

at one of our
favorite restaurants,

Mr. Wonderful's Fish and Chips,

one of the best
restaurants in the world.

You can select from
one of our pre-built bots

to start automating in seconds.

Or you can customize,

and we'll build one for you.

It's that simple.

So, Sharks, next
time you're looking

to book a golf tee time...

Bot-It.

Need tickets to a
popular concert?

Bot-It.

Want to impress your friends

by having a reservation

at the hottest
restaurant in town?

Bot-It. Bot-It.

So, Sharks, now that you got it,

let's Bot-It. [ Laughter ]

Good presentation.
That's a great start.

If you don't mind, gentlemen,
help me understand

why a bot beats you
to the reservation,

why it has such an advantage.

And I'm sure not everyone knows,

what is a bot?

A bot is... well, it's a robot.

It's going to automate
a manual process.

So it's a program? Yeah, yeah.

We built an application
that allows you to be able

to go on any website
and be able to say,

"Hey, step one,
click this button.

Step two, log in.

Step three, type
in this information."

Our back-end system
then takes that information

and automates
that process for you.

So, it just does it over and
over and over and over again

until it gets through?
As many times...

You can set the schedule,
you can do anything you like.

So a popular female singer
that sells out in seconds.

If you have Bot-It, you
can be in that stack, too.

Absolutely. Absolutely.

Okay, so, humans don't
really matter anymore.

This is good. [ Laughter ]

This is a real issue.

We have probably billions
of dollars of products

that bots try to buy
from us each year.

We, at Topps, when
we make a card release,

bots come to get everything.

When we release a new
Mitchell & Ness jersey,

same thing... A
bot tries to come in.

We've built software
to eliminate that.

And aren't all the
bigger companies

gonna build something to really
eliminate a bot from being able

to successfully do
what it's supposed to do?

That's a great
question, Michael.

So, we've built our technology

to now be able to
be undetectable.

So we can get on any
website that we need to

in order to run our software systems.
Cuban: So what you're saying...

"I can get whatever I want from
a drop at Fanatics." [ Laughs ]

So, yeah, that's the beauty.

But we're doing it in...

We follow all the
standard practices

when it comes to automation,

and we make sure that
we don't do anything

that's outside of
what's regulated.

What are your sales?
You making any money?

So, right now, we have a
subscription-based model.

So, currently, we have
over $30,000 in sales.

We just started
three months ago,

and we have over


And one thing that
Joel didn't mention...

We also do B2B.

So, we signed up the largest
shipping logistics company

in Turkey using our service.

What does it cost
for a subscription?

The cost for one subscription

will be up to $40 for
our standard package,

then up to $300
for our pro package.

And then we have a
couple upsell items.

You can run a bot
every 15 minutes

to pick up canceled tee
times, anything like that.

Like, if I want to do
this as a consumer,

if I want to go buy a
Travis Scott release at Nike,

how quick is it
for me to sign up?

Seconds, seconds. Seconds?

Our bots build themselves.

Sometimes we do have
to set it up manually.

Yeah. An example. So, this is
the process of setting up a bot,

and all of our technology
is custom-built by my hands.

So, I'm a... My background
is in software engineering.

We want to hear more about you.
So tell us about you, tell us about you.

- Yeah, yeah.
- Yeah.

So, like, over
the last 15 years,

I've been starting and
scaling businesses.

I helped start the mobile
division at LegalZoom.

How did you guys get together?

So, we met through a
mutual friend playing golf.

I'm originally from
Trenton, New Jersey.

After graduating from
Morehouse College,

I spent 10 years working
in social media advertising

for companies like
LinkedIn, Snapchat,

Amazon advertising,
and most recently, TikTok.

Guys, is there another
competitive product to this?

Is somebody else
doing this for consumers?

So, on the B2B side, yes.

Can individuals use it?

If I just want to buy
one Taylor Swift ticket

or I want to buy
one... No, as far as...

It's only for businesses?
That's what separates us,

is that we have the B2C side.

No, you can, they just...
It's just not pre-configured

for typical consumer things.

Let me ask you a
different question.

In society today,

the use of bots is
becoming a moral issue.

If you think about it from
being a very public investor...

Sure. what does it say about
us if we're supporting this

for those that think
you're cheating?

So, that's part of the
reason why we're here today.

We want to help change the
perception of bots amongst consumers.

Bots aren't always the bad guy,

and you can have one, too,

and it can do the
same thing to help you.

See, we're trying
to eliminate them,

to be honest, at Fanatics.

You may say it's
a moral dilemma.

I'd much rather an individual
try to get us with a bot,

than a business try to get us
with a bot. Corcoran: For sure.

So at least, you know,
they're supporting...

O'Leary: Well, how do you
feel about the world knowing

that Michael Rubin invested
in bots? I-I don't know.

I'd be fine with it... for
me. I'm thinking about that.

But I'd rather disrupt myself

than have someone else
disrupt me. Always. Always.

And so, right now, I
know we're fighting.

We're doing everything we can
to stop B2B bots, because, for us,

we want to give things
to the actual consumer.

So, in a lot of ways... Right.

We're helping the common person.

That's exactly what...
In a lot of ways...

Well, it's already existing.

Being a common person here...

You're not common,
Lori. I'm not super tech-y.

I actually think
I'm pretty normal.

I am not super
tech-y. Yeah, right.

And I'm thinking,
like, restaurants.

A lot of people, they
go, "Oh, you know,

I want to go to my favorite
X, Y, Z restaurant tonight.

Can't get in."

This is not gonna really
help you for that, right? No.

But where there's contention

is when something opens
up at a specific time. Right.

So, they're going to say,

"We have 62 tee times
at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday,"

or, "We're opening
up online reservations

to our new restaurant..."
And they immediately grab it.

But it's future site things.
Griffith: It immediately grabs it.

There's nothing that you
have to do from your end.

It's interesting to me,
because I think there's a lot

of different
directions you can go.

But then, with all the new

AI stuff that's
coming out... Exactly.

People are going
to be more aware

and more interested in
doing these types of things

if you can create the
right user interface.

Oh, yes. Exactly.

So, I'll give you the


Rubin: Hold on.

Before you guys
respond to that...

Mark, would you have
me as your partner?

No, I like this.

I want these guys all to myself.

[ Bachelor and Griffith laugh ]

What did you offer 'em?

$150,000 for 20%.

Great. I'll do $150,000
for 15%, then.

♪♪

- Yeah.
- Whew.

So, you can work with a
guy who doesn't understand it

or a guy who does.

He makes a fair point.

But if someone's
going to use a bot,

I'd much rather be the
consumer. I want to learn from you,

the way you guys can learn
from me. O'Leary: It's a Shark fight.

I offered to partner with you,

which I thought was
smart. Eh, you know.

Listen, if you're better than
me, you don't want a partner...

I didn't say that. I didn't
say that. No, it's fine, it's fine.

Hey, listen, I love it.

It's the battle of
billionaires. Let's go.

You know me, I
don't stick around.

I got that 24-second
clock. Just a second, Mark.

Just give us a second, please.

Guys, do not be bullied by him.

You got me. That's a
better Shark, anyway.

So, guys, what
do you want to do?

♪♪

♪♪

Narrator: All
Sharks are still in.

Maurice and Joel have
two offers on the table

from Mark and Michael

for their bot service
for consumers, Bot-It.

So, what do you guys want to do?

So, we appreciate the offer,

and we wanted to see
if anyone, other Sharks,

had any opportunities
to jump in as well.

Griffith: Just to
give them a chance.

I love the fact that you
kind of level the playing field

between the little guy
and the big guy. Exactly.

And I think that's
respectable and honorable.

But I won't compete
with these big guys.

They got the billions. I've
got the millions. I'm out.

Cuban: Guys, what do
you want to do? Thank you.

Because if you don't want
to work with me, that's fine.

No, no, that's
not the case at all.

We just want to be respectful
and hear everyone's offer.

But it's the Shark t*nk,
it's not the Respect t*nk.

You don't have to be respectful.

And, very often, you
lose a deal that way.

What would you like to
do? Greiner: Well, you guys,

the thing is, I will say this...

I do think that there are
some better Sharks here

that understand what you're
doing better than myself.

And therefore, to give
you a better chance,

I am taking myself out,

and I would make
a decision quickly,

because one of them
can swim away fast.

Yes. Yeah, we don't want that.

Guys, I look at it
from the moral issue,

and I'm highly regulated

in every financial
market I work in.

They don't all agree with
the idea that it's fair ball.

I'm out. Sure.

Rubin: And by the
way, I want to say,

I don't agree with
part of this, as well,

but I'd rather... again,
as I always say...

I'd rather disrupt myself...
Yeah, you... always.

Than have someone
else disrupt me.

I'd like to see you kick
Cuban under the bus.

And for me, I really
hate when businesses

take all the inventory,
because I want

to give the opportunity to
the consumer, to the fan.

We love both offers,

and we appreciate
everybody's feedback. Yes.

We would love to
have both of you guys.

Mark said no. Mark,
you know what?

For the greater good of
their business, let's partner.

If there's two of us, right,
there'd have to be more equity.

If we go 20%...

No, 20% is what I want.

$150,000 for 20%.
O'Leary: Whoa-wee.

Mark, why don't we give
them $175,000 for 20%?

What we want is both of you
guys in at $300,000 for 20%.

Yeah, that's not happening.
You went up in money.

Yeah, now you're
quickly going to lose us.

Why don't we talk
about a higher price

for 30% or 40%?

Cuban and Rubin...
Come on, y'all be great.

Cuban and Rubin. [ Laughs ]

Mark, what do you
think is reasonable?

So, make us an
offer we can't refuse.

So, we can make
an offer of $500,000,

and we'll do for 25%.

Okay, now you've gone
way backwards very quickly.

You're actually...
You're about to lose us

'cause your math
isn't making sense.

No. You didn't mean
$500,000. No? No, no, I'm sorry.

I did mean $350,000. Sorry.
So $300,000 for... for 25%.

You're not giving us
a whole lot. So... So...

Because you asked
$150,000 for 10%.

To get both of us in...

'Cause I like Michael, right?

Why don't we do 30%, go


If you guys can meet
us at 20% with that,

then you have a deal.

No, it'd have to be... It
was $150,000? Go ahead.

I think that's a fair
offer, personally, but...

So tell us what
offer you'll accept.

[ Both speaking indistinctly ]

I think this is our final,
Mark, from our end.

♪♪

Alright, let's do
a deal. Let's do it.

Okay, tell me
exactly, so we know.

Tell us. Sorry?

Tell us the number that we
agree. 30% for $300,000, correct?

Yes. Yes.

- There you go.
- Good job.

Cuban and Rubin, baby, let's go.

Cuban and Rubin, that's
what's up right there.

Thanks, man. Rubin:
Let's go k*ll it, man.

Yeah. Thanks a
lot. Let's go k*ll it.

- Thanks, man.
- Thanks, man.

Congrats, guys. It'll
be good. Thanks, guys.

Excited. Thanks, guys. Kick ass.

Thanks, everyone. Hey.

Let's go. Let's go.

This is the most important
day of the Bot-It life.

We've been working so
hard to get to this point.

To have both of those
Sharks on our team right now

is going to take
us to the next level,

and we're going to
be at a global scale,

and you're going to hear
about Bot-It everywhere.

Cuban: Just an aside...
When I opened my bar

when I was a senior in college,

the first sandwich
we ever served,

the Cuban Reuben.

Really? [ Laughter ]

I like. And this leads
to our new partnership.

Right? The Cuban Rubin, Inc.

Mark, you do all the work,

and we'll just add
a little bit of value.

Right? That's what I always do.

♪♪

I was born in
suburban Philadelphia.

I came from a very
middle-class background.

I was never a good athlete.
I was never a good student.

The only thing I was
good at was working.

At 12 years old, I
started a ski-tuning shop

in my parents' basement.

First year, I did $2,500.

Next year, there was
something called a ski swap

where a bunch of
other local ski shops

took all their last
year's inventory

and put it on consignment.

And I said, "Hey,
why don't you lend me

some of the skis,

and I'll pay you
for them as I go."

The next year, at 13 years old,

I did $25,000 in business.

After that, I opened
my first ski shop.

The first year was
amazing. I did $125,000.

By the time I was 15,
I started getting cocky.

I actually went out
and bought a Porsche

before I was old
enough to drive it.

At 16 years old,

I had a major
problem... It didn't snow.

So, the first time I
almost went bankrupt,

I was only 16 years old.

I had $80,000 of inventory left.

So I literally went
through the yellow pages

finding different ski shops

that could sell
this inventory to.

Now, the great
thing about that story

is that taught me about
the close-out business.

Now, by the time
I'm 21 years old,

I've got a $100 million-plus
closeout business

buying and selling
excess sneakers and skis.

What I learned
there is every failure

turns into your
next opportunity.

Now, 1998 comes,
and I asked everyone,

"What are you doing
about this Internet thing?"

Everyone said the same thing...

"We don't really
have an answer."

And that's what led me
to start GSI Commerce

to reinvent my company.

GSI Commerce became the
leading provider of e-commerce

for the biggest
retailers in the world.

EBay acquired GSI Commerce
in 2011 for $2.4 billion.

Fanatics was started
within GSI Commerce,

but by the time eBay bought
it, they didn't want Fanatics,

they asked me to buy
it, I did exactly that.

Fanatics today is the
largest retailer in the world

of licensed sports merchandise.

That means, you want to
buy any player merchandise,

team merchandise,
we've got it all.

Today, Fanatics has


We're a company that was
last valued at $31 billion.

We have over $8 billion
of revenue this year.

I use that craziness to,
like, be more focused.

Was I ever afraid
of failure? Hell no.

So many people in this world,

they're scared to fail, and
that's why they never get ahead.

I mean, if you sit there
trying to figure out,

"Is this going to work,

am I going to fail?"
then guess what?

You've kind of failed
before you even started.

I want to take my
sh*t all the time.

I'm the person
who wants the ball.

I want to go for
it. That's who I am.

I'm a true entrepreneur. I
was born an entrepreneur.

It's the only thing
I've ever been good at.

For me, to be part
of "Shark t*nk,"

it's an honor, it's a privilege.

I can't wait to see
all these bright faces

who want to come in
and show us their ideas.

And I can't wait to
invest in some of them.

♪♪

♪♪

Narrator: Next up
is a convenient way

to enjoy a luxurious
but labor-intensive dish.

♪♪

Hi, Sharks. I'm Arya.

And I'm Tasha.

We're seeking $200,000

for a 10% stake in our business.

Sharks, we all
know that great food

makes for even better days,

and we can all
use more of those.

That's why we... Sharks...

That's why we created...

Wellingtons! Wellingtons!

Sharks, a traditional
beef Wellington

is a filet mignon wrapped
in a flaky puff pastry.

It's a mouthwatering,
luxurious dish.

Question is, have any of you

ever tried making a beef
Wellington? [ Chuckles ]

If you have, you'd know
that it's incredibly complicated

and time consuming,

which is why most people
only have it at a restaurant

or on a special occasion.

We thought, there
has to be a simpler way

to enjoy our favorite
dish at home.

So, we set out to
create Wellingtons,

incredible frozen
beef Wellingtons

shipped directly to you.

We do the legwork

on a traditional beef Wellington

so you don't have
to spend the time

prepping or reading
a difficult recipe.

We prep. You bake.

[ Greiner chuckles ]

Here, we have our classic
full-size beef Wellington,

which we prepare in
our commercial kitchen

here in Los Angeles.

All you have to do
is pop it in the oven

for 35 minutes, and
boom, you're ready to serve.

We've pretty much Wellified
all your favorite dishes.

We have our classic beef Welly,

our cheeseburger Welly,

our breakfast Welly,

and our hazelnut
chocolate Welly.

My personal favorite.

We also have our
new bite-size line.

We have the buffalo
chicken Welly bites

and our cheeseburger
Welly bites.

Corcoran: Oh. Wow.
That's a lot of product.

So, Sharks, are you
ready to join us and get...

Wellified?! Wellified?!

Sharks, time to get some
Wellies in your bellies.

Dig in. Wah-wah-wah-wah!

We would love to
hear your feedback.

Greiner: Thank you.

♪♪

Are you vegan-ish
today or... Mm, wow!

Not vegan, Mark?

Cuban: Oh! Is it
good? Do you like it?

Oh! We tried really hard.

[ Both laugh ]

O'Leary: So, guys, I'll have
you know that... Oh, my God.

Chef Wonderful makes
beef Wellington. Mmm!

And I must attest to one
fact you are correct on...

It is extremely difficult
and time consuming.

It is. Michael,
what do you think?

Really good.
That's... You love it?

Great, not good. Arya:
Welcome to "Shark t*nk."

I'm so happy to hear that. Oh!

Well, let's get to
the economics.

By the way, that's delicious.

Ooh! Let's just take us right
through the number-one seller.

It's gotta be the
classic Welly, right?

For sure. Yes.

So, we sell the
classic Welly for $35.

That's all? Our food costs,

including our kitchen
and labor, is $9.41.

And when you
say you sell for $35,

is it all direct to consumer?

How do you... Where
are you selling it?

So, we actually
sell on Goldbelly

and, more recently,
on our own website.

So, now we're selling
direct to consumer.

Is that where you sell
most of it now or all of it?

We still have... A majority of our business
is on Goldbelly... Less than 2%. Yeah.

Especially during the holidays.

Am I going to look really dumb
when it ask what Goldbelly is?

It's like Postmates, but
with overnight shipping.

It's all direct to consumer.

So, on Goldbelly, they sell a
four-pack of the classic Wellies

for 169 bucks. Greiner: Wow.

Cuban: Does that
include shipping?

That includes shipping to
the customer. Tasha: Yep.

So, for the four-pack
on your website,

$140. It's 140 bucks.

Yeah, but... And our
cost on it is about $37.

Okay. Rubin: Plus shipping.

Plus $27 shipping. Right.

Yeah. Plus $9 for
the box and dry ice.

Are you trying to move
away from Goldbelly

onto your own website
for all of your orders?

Is that your goal?

That's kind of...
that's the goal. Yeah.

You know, we were thinking about

going straight
into grocery stores

and go national and try
to get into 1,200 stores,

but I just think it's premature
for that. There's competition.

Cuban: What are your sales?

Last year, we did
$313,000 in sales.

Wow. About $240,000
of that was Goldbelly.

O'Leary: Are you
making any money?

No. Last year... How
much did you lose?

We lost $260,000.

So, you really
need to shift this

direct to consumer
from your own site

or you'll never make
money. Exactly.

So, guys, I can't do your deal.

I'll tell you why... I
also sell sous vide,

including prime
rib and filet mignon

and lots of other meats
on QVC as Chef Wonderful.

Okay. I'm your competitor.

Yeah. While you have to...

You're not gonna try to do
Wonderful Wellies, are you?

Greiner: Oh! [ Laughter ]

Better not, Kevin.

You have to change your
business model. You really do.

You'll never make
money under this structure.

But good luck to you. I'm out.

Thank you.

Guys, I think you have
tremendous potential,

but I don't think it's working.

You need to turn this

into your own
direct-to-consumer business.

I think the business is
just so young and so small.

And for that reason, I'm out.

Thank you, Michael.
We appreciate your time.

This is a hard business,
and you're in between,

where you have a great product,

but it's really
expensive to ship.

You've got to find a
different way to sell, seriously.

You know, whether it's
going to event services,

whether it's working
up with party planners.

Because, otherwise, you're
never going to find a way to scale.

So for those reasons, I'm out.

So, thank you, Mark.

We actually just
closed our first PO

with a food service business.

I think the food service
business is actually gonna be

a really good route.
That's your best business.

Yeah, we just closed
it. Yeah, so, it's a 70...

And could you give me
an example of what that is?

Yeah, so, for this
hotel in particular,

the product that's
going to resonate

with their customer
base is the Welly bites.

And they want to
do about 200 units.

The PO's for 200
units at two hotels

to start per month.

And that's just, you
know, just to get started.

So, make sure you guys
get rooms at that hotel,

and all your friends,

and you go and buy
all the bites, right?

Exactly. Exactly.
[ Laughs ] Mark.

Rubin: Yeah, I think
that'll work... Hell yeah.

Control your own
destiny, right? I like that.

[ Laughs ] You've
done that, right?

Of course. Gotta get it started.

Buy them all. Of course.

Listen, you guys,
everything here was great.

The problem for me is, is when
I'm an investor in something,

I feel I have to be passionate,
not only about the people,

but also about the product.

I eat meat, but I don't
eat very much meat.

So, I wish you
guys both good luck,

but I'm sorry, I'm out.

May I ask you what you're
looking for in a Shark?

We're looking for a partnership.
We're looking for support.

We're looking for a partner.

To do what specifically?

We need mentors. Access
to distribution channels...

Mm-hmm. Co-packers.

We're really wanting to invest
in our own operational setup.

I'm kind of on
the fence about it.

I'm in a lot of food businesses,

but I'm not sure I can deliver
what you need, honestly.

I've gone the co-packing route.

We've had as many disasters
as we've had successes.

I feel almost like building a
food business is try everything.

It's not an accurate
business, by any means.

Well, you have two
passionate founders right here.

I think, um...

And we're ready to learn. I
think we can work together.

Yeah.

We just... We need mentorship.

And we're ready.

♪♪

I think... I think I'm
going to pass on this.

I like to feel like I'm
making such a difference

to my partners, and I do,

but I'm afraid I
might disappoint you.

So I'm going to say I'm out.

Okay. Okay. Thank you.

Thank you.

Greiner: Thank you for giving us
your food... Cuban: Good luck, guys.

Thank you, guys.
The food was amazing.

Thank you, guys.

Take care. Take care.

- Thank you.
- Good luck.

Thank you.

Tasha: I think they
were just a little scared,

I'm not going to lie.

But we're a young company,

and we're not playing it safe,

and we're ready to take risks.

And I'm excited to see what
the future has in store for us

and Wellingtons. Yep.

My old company, GSI Commerce,

we were in the business,
we ran Godiva's business.

And it is hard, to Mark's point,
from a shipping perspective.

But it's just, I look
at this and say,

"For every one of these,

there might be five
successful businesses

that are more than $100 million

that sell these
type of products."

And I think 99% don't work.

And so, I just
think it's too hard.

Kevin, you make
those? I make them.

I can't make toast,
so you're k*lling it.

No, no, I can make them.

It's all day. Greiner: Yeah.

You spend all day making this.

I mean, this is a crazy day.

But, God, is it good.

Narrator: For our
milestone 15th season,

we're counting down the top


with the highest
total retail sales.

Number 9 is Lovepop,
with $304 million.

Number 8 is Tipsy
Elves, with $317 million.

And number 7 is Dude Wipes,

with $341 million
in total retail sales.

Tune in to next week's episode

for the next three.

♪♪

Narrator: Next into the t*nk

is an easier way to
prepare for the big game.

♪♪

Hi, Sharks. I'm Gavin.

[ Laughter ]

And I'm his big sister, Morgan.

And I'm their dad
and coach, Jon.

We're from Orange
County, California,

and we're here seeking $50,000

for 20% of Gavin's business.

Sharks, I love playing baseball,

and I learned that the
secret to catching a ball

is by breaking in and
shaping your glove.

Because when you
buy a brand-new glove,

it's so stiff, rigid,
and so hard to close.

So, whether you play tee ball

or you're in the pros,

you have to break in
your glove somehow,

unless you like
dropping the ball.

Players do the craziest things

to try and break
in their gloves.

Like driving a car over it.

Poor glove!

Or covering it in shaving cream

and throwing it in the oven.

What in the world?!

[ Laughter ]

When I was growing up,

we'd even put it
under my mattress.

There had to be a better way.

And now there is,
because I invented it.

Introducing...

Together: Glove Wrap!

Gavin: Glove Wrap
is the elastic band

with exact width,
length, and thickness

needed to break in and
shape your entire baseball glove

while forming a perfect pocket.

Sharks, there's
nothing else like it.

Just place a ball in a glove

and wrap it up with Glove Wrap.

That's literally it.

So, which one of you Sharks

want to join us and
make this business...

Together: A grand slam?

Good job, guys.
Sharks, each one of you

have a glove in front of you wrapped
with Glove Wrap. Greiner: Good job.

Awesome.

Gavin would love to
demonstrate for all of you

how to wrap your glove.

Sharks, first, place
a ball in the pocket.

Next, begin wrapping
the entirety of the glove.

No other product on the market

wraps the entirety of the glove.

When you get to the end,

simply tuck it into itself,

and it sticks together in place.

Gavin, How did you
come to figure this out?

So, my dad and I just
bought me a new glove,

and we were going to
use the old-fashioned way

to break in it,
with rubber bands,

but we didn't have enough.

So I found a piece of rubber

that my dad used
when he hurt his leg,

and I asked him if we can wrap

the entirety of
the glove with it.

And he looked online,
there was nothing else like it.

And that's when
Glove Wrap was born.

How do you feel, that you have
invented a product that works?

I feel great.

[ Laughter ] Are you
selling it already?

You making any sales?

We have sold over




Lifetime sales are over $19,000.

How much do these
Glove Wraps sell for?

And what do they
cost you to make?

It costs us $3 landed to make.

We sell it for $19.99
retail and $10 wholesale.

Greiner: Wow! Good for you.

What a great price. Wow.

And, Gavin, where
do you sell these?

Amazon and our website,

and in six mom-and-pop shops.

But I just presented
to a major retailer,

and we're going to meet
with him in a few weeks

and they want to put Glove Wrap

right next to where
they sell their gloves.

O'Leary: Who's the major
retailer, Gavin? Oh, that's a real win.

Who is it? It's Big 5.

Big 5.

You know, the first
retailer I ever sold to

was Big 5 Sporting Goods.

That's where it all started
for me. That's awesome.

Morgan, how do you
fit into the business?

What do you do in the business?

I keep everybody on track.

There is no goofing
off in this business.

We are a very serious company.

[ Laughter ] Tell me, Morgan,

do you guys ship
the orders yourself?

Are you helping
to ship the orders?

I help pack, label,
and ship orders

every morning
before I go to school.

Wow, that's great. Dang.

Mr. Mark, I know you know the
people at d*ck's Sporting Goods.

Yes, I do. [ Laughter ]

Glove Wrap would
be good to go right next

to where they sell their gloves.

- Yes, it would.
- That's right.

But, you know,
what I was thinking is,

all the baseball
teams in the country,

minor league and
professional in particular,

would want their own
to give to their players

and to give away to their fans.

So, instead of having to
sell them one at a time,

you could sell them
a bunch at a time.

Instead of having bat day,

you know, you can
have Glove Wrap days

to give away to kids.

I think they would go for it.

That's a great idea.
Corcoran: Wait a minute.

I have a question
about the tape itself.

I work out a lot. Yes.

And I feel I have an
identical band in my closet

that I use all the time.

So, I don't want to throw
water on your product,

but what is the difference?

I would think I would just
go out and buy one of these,

and I wouldn't need
to buy your product.

So, we've figured out

the exact width,
length, and thickness...

Mm-hmm. that can be used
effectively with any glove.

So, guys, this
pitch is fantastic,

because it's a simple
product that really works.

My problem with your deal is,

and I insist on this in any
deal from an 8-year-old,

you gotta drop out

and you gotta work
for me full time.

♪♪

How do you feel
about that, Gavin?

No. No.

I don't want you to do that.

But for that reason, I'm out.

[ Corcoran laughs ]

Thank you for your time.

Listen, I think, super clever.

You are amazing.

But I do think that there are
some more sporty Sharks up here

that could help
you more than me.

I will be rooting for
you. But on this, I'm out.

Thank you so much
for your time, Lori.

I think Mark is your
partner for sure.

I wouldn't invest in this

'cause I am afraid... Why would
Mark be the partner and not me?

Oh, well, he'd make
a better partner.

I think I'd be a better
partner. Why do you say that?

I could tell...
I-I... I mean, wow.

I hardly know
you, but I could tell.

- I mean...
- Oh!

O'Leary: Look at that.

But I do believe,
anyone watching, I think,

would just go out and buy
what I have in my closet.

I'm out.

So, Gavin, I think
this is an idea.

I don't know how
big this could be.

I'm just being completely
honest with you.

But here's why I
want to invest in you,

is because I believe
you're going to be a winner,

and I want to be able to invest

in anything you
do in the future.

I own Fanatics. It's the
largest retailer in the world

of licensed sports merchandise.

So, we sell all the
baseball jerseys,

the football jerseys,
the basketball jerseys.

MLB Store, the NFL Shop.

We also own Topps.

We own Lids, the leading
headwear retailer in the world.

I live in this business,

so, for us, we'd
love to introduce you

to some of the best
baseball players in the world.

We'd love to introduce you to
some of the biggest retailers.

So, Gavin, I'll make you
an offer on one condition.

Mark, I want you to
be my partner with me.

Yeah, I'll come in on that.

How much equity
should we get from him?

You guys asked for


♪♪

We have to be
Sharks. You realize that.

$50,000 split between
Michael and I for...

♪♪



You got a deal. Deal!

Let's go! [ Laughter ]

Rubin: Now, one more thing
I want a commitment from.

I want to make sure,
anything you do in the future,

you give us a
chance to invest in.

Because I know you're
going to be a giant.

There you go. Thank you so much.

Of course. What
position do you play?

I like first base the most.

Oh, I can tell.

Jon: Thank you for your time.

- Great presentation.
- Great job. Great job, guys.

[ Laughs ] Oh, my gosh!

Morgan, good job!

When Mark said, "I
have a Shark-y deal,"

I was expecting


I was doing millions
of dollars in business

when I was 18 years old.

He is a young me.

I want that kid running
Fanatics in 10 years.

♪♪

♪♪

Narrator: Next up,
an entrepreneur

looking to spread the love.

♪♪

Hi, my name is Blaine Anderson,

and I am the founder and
CEO of Dating By Blaine.

I am here seeking $100,000 in
exchange for 2% of my company.

Y'all may have found
your other halves,

or in a few cases,
better halves.

But in the day and age
of swiping and texting,

for many people, finding
love is not so easy.

Let's take Mark, for example.

And let's say Mark was single

and Mark meets
a girl... I'll take him.

Like Barbara. [ Chuckles ]

Yes, thank God!

But how does he flirt?

What does he text her?

Mark feels confused.

He hesitates, and, ultimately,
he texts something awkward.

Mark, can you...?

"Hey, Barb, what's up?

Want to meet on my
private jet next week?

Or maybe my yacht?"

Corcoran: Oh,
God. What a [bleep]

[ Laughter ] Anderson:
Oh, God, Mark!

Barbara decides
she's not interested,

and that's that... again.

Mark is so sick
of feeling confused

with the women
he's interested in.

That's where I come in.

If Mark had taken
my texting course,

he would have known
the exact message

to send Barbara to land a date.

Something more like this.

"Barb, great to meet you.

Your podcast 'Business Unusual'

sounds fascinating.

I'd like to hear more
about it over drinks.

I know the best
whisky bar in town.

Want to go Thursday?"

Very good, Mark. Much better.

I knew you would
get there. Thank you.

Sounds great. Thank you.

My work is devoted
to helping single men

build the skills they need

to attract awesome partners

through my online courses
and one-on-one coaching.

So, who wants to
play cupid with me

and get more singles
mixing, mingling,

and in happy relationships?

How many years have
you been doing this...

Yeah. And what are your sales?

Absolutely. So, I started
mid-way through 2020.

My overall sales
are $2.2 million.

[ Sharks exclaim ] Yes.

- God, I didn't expect that.
- $2.2 million?

Good for you. I did $22,000

in the first six months
of my business.



Yeah.



And I'm expecting to
do $1.5 million this year.

Dang!

How's the model work? How
do you charge? Yeah, absolutely.

So, my primary course
is my Dating Masterclass.

I sell this for $1,295.

It is an online course.

It is prerecorded and it
allows the man to watch it

and go at his own pace.

It includes a small amount
of one-on-one interaction.

They get a profile
makeover, for example.

This is just you, or
do you have staff?

I'm the only full-time employee.

I have... I'm in the
wrong business.

Yeah, I have some contractors.

I'm curious to, why are you
not doing this for women?

When I got into it,

I wasn't totally sure I
wanted to work with just men.

But from a marketing
perspective,

I realized very quickly

I needed to narrow
who I was speaking to.

So, what makes you the expert
of love? They need the most help.

Absolutely. I love love.

So, ever since I
was a kid... Amore.

I was so interested
in relationships,

even on the playground...
"Who's going out with who,

who likes who," you know?

I didn't see a career in that.

I was working in
the travel industry,

and then the pandemic hit.

And basically overnight,

I went from employed
to unemployed.

And I thought, okay,
what could I do?

My boyfriend at the time,
who's now my husband,

he suggested, "What
if you made a course?

It's infinitely
scalable, you know,

you don't need any
money to start it,"

which was good,
because I didn't have any.

So, before I ever
wrote my program,

I went on dating apps and
I made a profile of myself,

and I said, "I'm a dating coach.

I'm not here to date.

Message me if you want my
free pandemic dating guide."

What a clever thing
to do. Cuban: Smart.

Really, really smart. Yeah. So,
then, people would match with me.

And I got hundreds of
e-mails this way. Wow.

Is anyone knocking you off?

There are competitors and
there are other dating coaches.

But I am the
leader in this space.

And the question
is, a dating coach

is probably not really
a scalable business,

versus if you could turn
this into a scalable product.

Correct. My courses
are absolutely scalable.

So, I have my texting
course, which is $149.

And how many of those
have you sold at $149? Um...

I'm not sure of actually my
exact numbers on that one.

So, break it down for us, because
we want to know what's scalable, right?

So, one-on-one coaching.

Text... So, yeah, correct.

The one-on-one
coaching is not as scalable.

My one-on-one coaching is $6,295

for six 45-minute
one-on-one sessions.

Well, good for you.
How much did you sell?

Let's just use last year, when
you did over $1 million. Yeah.

Your texting class,
you did how much in?

I'm not sure of the
breakdown exactly

between my $149 and... Ooh,
that's a "Shark t*nk" no-no.

Um...

Okay, so, the rest of it
was in your classes? Yes.

And so, do you have an idea

of how many classes you sold?

Last year, I
sold... Let's see...

Can someone help
me with some math?

$900,000 divided by...

So, 900, yes. Yeah.

Around 900, yeah.
Mm-hmm. Yeah, 900.

Okay, that's cool. Blaine, you're
not too sharp on the numbers.

But what are your margins?

So, last year, in profit,
I had just under 500K.

Good for you. But
I had some very big

one-time expenses last year

that won't be reoccurring.
What were they?

I film on my iPhone in my car.

I bought myself a car to film
in and I built a home office.

Blaine, why do you need a Shark?

The vision I have for my
business is having a Shark

that the kind of men
I work with look up to.

They think, "Wow,
he has the type of life...

He has a family, he has
a successful business."

Or she? It could be a she.

But what I think could be really
valuable is having a guy say,

"It's okay that you
need help dating."

The problem I have is I
think you're a consultant.

Any dating company that sees
you is going to immediately think,

"Well, I should just make
this a product within my app."

And so, I don't see this
as a scalable product.

And for that reason, I'm out.

Thank you.

Blaine, I can see the challenge

and why you need help, right,

because since you're
selling mostly classes,

to go from 900 to 9,000... Yeah.

Would be incredible. Yeah.

But you only offered us 2%.

If you really, really
wanted a Shark,

you would have
come in offering more.

And so, for those
reasons, I'm out.

But, Mark, I would
like to point out

the $100,000 investment

makes it much, much
less downside for you.

$100,000...

When I make an investment,

I'm not worried
about the downside.

I'm investing because I
think there's a lot of upside.

Because if you make $1
million, and I get my 2%...

But what if we make
$10 million together?

$10 million, that's $200,000
on a $100,000 investment.

You know, that's
just not gonna...

Blaine, numbers
is not your strength.

Feelings are my strength.

Passion.

I'm fascinated,

and I can help
you get it out there,

but I'm not doing it for 2%.

Now, I'm not going to
negotiate with myself.

What else can you offer me?

[ Sighs ]

I mean, get
realistic about this.

I'll give you the 100K. Give me... He's the
only man left, so what you would you offer...

Anderson: I'm interesting
in hearing from the women.

I am absolutely open
to women as well.

As are you open
because the two gentlemen

to my left and to my
far right dropped out?

I think so.

Listen, you are
entitled to your opinion

and to what you think
is right for your business.

But Barb and I both
heard you really clearly say

that you wanted to
have a man. Yeah.

I will not lie, I had my
eye on a specific Shark

that I think has shown a
lot of empathy and kindness.

That's got to be me.

[ Laughter ]

I appreciate that.
That's nice of you to say.

You know, I-I-I...

I mean, nobody's more kind
than I am, telling the truth.

You are. I have
some concerns about

business being
the most important...

I like business. I
like making money.

Well, I hope you like business.
Clearly, I'm building a business...

You're in the Shark t*nk.

That's going to
make a lot of money.

But I operate from a place
of empathy and kindness

and really feeling passionately
about helping people.

Empathy and kindness
are my middle names.

[ Laughter ]

I heard exactly what Lori heard,

and I happen to agree with you.

I think to have a happy,
rich, good-looking guy,

whoever you choose... And
he's the best choice here,

of course... I think
it's very clever.

But I don't see what the heck
any Shark could do for you.

You have the whole package.

So for that reason, I'm out.

Thank you, Barbara.

Lori?

Greiner: Well, I'll
be honest with you.

I was listening,
and I heard you say,

"I would like a man."

And I believe that is truly

what you feel is the best thing

for your business.

So for that reason, I'm out.

But I hope that he
gives you an offer.

You know, Blaine,
one thing I would say

about empathy and warmth is

it's very important
to tell the truth,

even when it's something
people don't want to hear.

You are sometimes
forced to tell people the truth

in your business,
too. It's true.

And they may not
want to hear that,

but it doesn't mean
you're not empathetic.

I'll give you the
$100,000 for 15%.

Corcoran: Wait a second.
Before you say anything,

let's just test Mark,

because you're
obviously after Mark.

Would you reconsider?

♪♪

♪♪

Narrator: Four Sharks are out.

Blaine has an offer
on the table from Kevin

for her coaching
service for online dating,

Dating By Blaine.

But Blaine had her heart
set on a deal with Mark,

who wasn't interested in
her offer of only 2% equity.

I'll give you the
$100,000 for 15%.

Corcoran: Before you say
anything, let's just test Mark,

because you're
obviously after Mark.

Would you reconsider?

Look, I'm the luckiest
guy in the world.

You know, I wake up every
day and try to never take

what's happened
to me for granted.

When I die, I want to come
back as me, you know?

But I've also been on
the other side of it, right?

I was the ugly kid that was 16

and, you know,


So, I've been on the can't
talk to girls side either. Yeah.

So I see the value,
and I understand.

But you've got to
tell me a number

that makes it worth my while,

because you know how much time

and what you'd expect from me.

I'm going to do you a favor.

I'm going to be a
matchmaker for you.

How about 15%?
Would you give him 15%?

How about 8%? Ooh.

Well, Blaine, you don't
have to take the offer.

I can't do 15%.

What is your flexibility?

I mean, I offered 8%...

for my special Shark. [ Laughs ]

He didn't take it.

Mark, she called
you a special Shark.

Give her a counter
in the middle. I mean...

Blaine, I'll do it at


You'll do it for 10%? Yeah.

Yeah.

There you go. Let's do it.

Rubin: Let's go.

[ Applause ]

Yay. [ Chuckles ]

Thanks. Thank you.

I think we'll do really
well. I'll help you a lot.

Thanks so much. I
appreciate it. I'm excited.

I want a 6% commission.

[ Laughs ] Thank
you for your help.

Congrats.

♪♪

Whoo!

Mark is the perfect
match for Dating By Blaine.

He is kind, he is empathetic,
and, most importantly,

he is a role model for the
type of men I work with.

And that's really what
I wanted in a Shark.

She'd be just great to talk to.

Oh, for sure. Yeah.

And I had to save
her from you, Kevin.

Listen, I thought I was
absolutely the right partner,

'cause she didn't know
her numbers at all. Oh, God.

You're, like, anti-romance.

Na

Narr

Narrat

Narrator

Narrator:

Narrator: Ne

Narrator: Next

Narrator: Next t

Narrator: Next tim

Narrator: Next time

Narrator: Next time on

Narrator: Next time on "S

Narrator: Next time on "Sha

Narrator: Next time on "Shark

Narrator: Next time on "Shark T

Narrator: Next
time on "Shark Tan

Narrator: Next time
on "Shark t*nk"

Narrator: Next time
on "Shark t*nk"..

Narrator: Next time
on "Shark t*nk"...

Which one of you Sharks
wants to smash a deal?

Boom! James: Oh, it's
a fiesta in your mouth,

and the world's invited.

We're the crazy dog
ladies that started

the wedding pet care industry.

What are your gross sales?

$55.

Uh-oh.

Right now, those sales are low.

The business is
all over the place.

Pickleball is hot, hot, hot.

I think you have
the whole package.

This whole thing is blowing up.

Then show me the money.

Stop right there.
Stop right there.

They're buying your dream.

Oh, my God. It's working.

That's the beauty
of "Shark t*nk."