S14.E19: Parting Stone; Cincha; Burlap and Barrel; Milkify

[JTMacc99]

Quote

Guest Shark Gwyneth Paltrow, Goop CEO and founder, returns to the Tank. First into the Tank is an entrepreneur from Santa Fe, New Mexico, who presents his comforting alternative to remembering past loved ones with his unique cremation service. Entrepreneurs from Oakland, California, hope to secure a deal with their functional travel accessory for the stylish traveler; while two newly turned entrepreneurs from Brooklyn, New York, who introduce their spice company aimed at ending inequality for farmers while providing an array of rich flavored spices. Last into the Tank is a husband and wife from Houston, Texas, who present their safe and convenient service for nursing mothers aimed at revolutionizing the way breastmilk is stored.

 

Quote

 

After securing a deal with Shark Daniel Lubetzky, Joe Denim and Rachel Connors from Venice, California, update us on their hammock business, Yellow Leaf Hammocks, a line of lightweight, feather-soft, handwoven hammocks aimed at empowering the craftswomen of Thailand.  

The Sharks in this episode are Mark Cuban, Barbara Corcoran, Lori Greiner, Kevin O'Leary and guest Shark Gwyneth Paltrow.

 

 

[Welshman in Ca]

FFS Gwyneth fucking Paltrow is not a fucking business magnate, she is a shill who sells crap to  unsuspecting people who don't know better. If she came on the show looking for a deal Mark would hound her off for making baseless claims the way he usually does with people who claim to have pills & potions with magical powers.

Edited April 6, 2023 by Welshman in Ca

[jcbrown]

I've actually bought from Burlap and Barrel a couple of times--looking forward to seeing how they do!

[CrazyInAlabama]

Sharks-Guest Gwyneth Paltrow, Barbara, Lori, Mark, Kevin

Parting Stone- Alternative to cremation services for humans and pets.   They turn ashes into stones.  He thought of this idea after being given a plastic bag of his grandfather’s ashes.   After the cremation, the ashes are turned into stones.    He wants $400k for 5% of his business.  His primary business model is working directly with the funeral home.   Humans usually turn into 40 or so stones, cats are 3 or 4 stones. 95% are human remains, with 5% pet remains in their business.

He loans stones that were made from his grandfather’s ashes to the Sharks.

Seller expects to lose $800k this year, with revenue of over $1 million. Seller says he’ll be profitable in two or three years.   I hate those numbers. (What do you do with the stones after you get them?  I find the stone idea useless, and I never heard of a funeral home handing you a plastic bag. The ashes are in a bag, but in some kind of cardboard box, or if you buy a wooden box or urn, they're in that). 

Mark is out, Barbara is out, Gwyneth is out after a long winded ramble about the product.   Kevin and Lori are still in.   They offer 20% for $400k, counter offer is 7% split between Lori and Kevin.   Barbara wants a royalty, and 10%.  Lori and Kevin go with a royalty deal at $400k, and 10%.  Seller counters with a higher royalty on direct to consumer, and

Deal with Lori and Kevin, and I’m shocked they made the deal.  (Mark is going to take the idea to his memorial diamond company, and see if they can do that too).

Cincha- a travel belt that secures a small bag to a larger one, a stylish travel accessory.   $200k for 15%.  Connects your small bag to the handle of your big luggage securely.   Very heavy duty, and durable.  What a wonderful history for James Baker.   Margins are good, but customer acquisition costs need to be much lower. The two owners are the only staff for the company.  Gwyneth is out, Mark is out, Lori is out.    Barbara offers $100k in equity, $100k in credit for 33%.   Kevin 20% and a royalty deal, for $200k.

Barbara makes the deal for 25%.  Jokingly, Barbara asks for woman to throw in her fiance in the deal, and they agree.

Burlap and Barrel Single Origin Spices-Organic cooking spices.  They buy directly from the farmers, cutting out the middlemen.    They want $500k for 5%.  Cinnamon, Black limes, Wild Cumin, and Peppercorns (very hot).  85% direct to consumer, the rest through stores.  Ethan brought some spice back home, sold to friends in the restaurant industry.  75% margins, lifetime sales $12 million over 6 years.    2021 $5.1 million.    Mark is out, Lori is out, Barbara is out, Gwyneth is out. Sellers pitch a royalty deal to Kevin.   $500k with $2.39 royalty on each sale , 10% until he gets $1 million back, plus a special Mr. Wonderful set of spices.

No deal.  I’m surprised no one made the deal with the margins, and profits.

Milkify- freeze dries milk for nursing mothers.   $400k for 10% equity. Freeze dried milk lasts longer, takes very little space, instead of filling your freezer.   Freeze dried breast milk stays viable on the shelf for three years.   The label on the back of the pouch says how much water to mix with it.  Milk stays comparable to fresh milk in nutrients.   They ship a kit to the mom, with instructions, and a cooler.  About $1.60 an ounce.   Some women have employers who pay for this.   This year they hope to break even at $500k this year, they have had to invest a lot in processing facilities.   Customers are finding the sellers.  60% of their sales come from lower, and middle income households. Mark is out, Kevin is out, Barbara is out.  At $475 or so a month, I don't see how this appeals to anyone who doesn't have a lot of money.     Seller wants Lori and Gwyneth to join with them.    Lori and Gwyneth offer $400k as a  loan, at 20%.  They want a convertible loan in three years.

Lori and Barbara make the deal.

Update:  Yellow Leaf Hammocks.   They made a deal with Daniel.   Very successful, and created a more portable version.  Their weavers get great profits too, and they employ many women making the hammocks.  They sell hammocks to a cruise line too. 

Edited April 8, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[Tango64]

Milkify: Did I hear correctly that it’s about $475 a month?? To their credit, Mark and others pointed out that this was a product aimed at the Paltrow crowd, and that’s very  limited. 

 

[DEL901]

1 minute ago, Tango64 said:

Milkify: Did I hear correctly that it’s about $475 a month?? To their credit, Mark and others pointed out that this was a product aimed at the Paltrow crowd, and that’s very  limited. 

 

It is also a product with limited interest outside the US since maternity leaves are so much longer elsewhere.   

I was a) surprised Gweneth actually made a deal…the first one in two appearances and b) she didn’t make a deal on the spices or the stones…I thought they would suit the Goop crowd.  

[DrSpaceman73]

So who else was waiting for gwyneth to ask if the death stones could be stuck in your vagina?  

$500 a month for breast milk?  No.  

Glad the hammock people are doing well. Product looks great. 

Gwyneth to the spice people 'well I've never heard of you so you must not be that great.  '  f*** off quack

And that yellow dress of barbara is hideous. 

Not only that with that triangle on it, that looks like something from a star trek uniform.  Push the triangle to beam up and talk with captain picard

[Quickbeam]

I loved Cuban’s face when the guy said the stones were his grandfather. 
 

if the milk dehydrator had been something people could do at home, it’d be a hit. Too much shipping and chain of custody issues. 

Edited April 8, 2023 by Quickbeam

[EtheltoTillie]

I really thought the freeze dried dead bodies would get a deal but not the insane milk thing. 
I like the idea of the luggage belt but I’d like to see proof of concept. Any similar belt or strap we have had does not work, and the top bag always flips around. 

Edited April 8, 2023 by EtheltoTillie

[EtheltoTillie]

I would love to try those spices. I’m surprised they didn’t get a deal.

Edited April 8, 2023 by EtheltoTillie

[Msample]

Funeral stones - I’d want to be able to get back one big ass brick , like Marva Andor on ANDOR. 

[DEL901]

The travel accessory was dumb. $45?   For the long walks through the airport…they happen AFTER you have checked your luggage. Cabin space is limited.  You aren’t going to b3 able to take on both that big bad and a wheeled bag.  

[tired and hungry]

Oh gosh! Just watched the episode and where do I even begin!!!

Personally. I thought the first product was too much. It may be a good idea for pets but pushing that kind of "you need to get this done after cremation, so try our service!" type of thinking on people that are grieving just does not sit well with me. Mark was right he can go to his competitor business and do the same thing. I'm not sure why any of the sharks wanted to make a deal...

Also, can we just buy a product or service without constantly getting related products shoved down our throats? Kevin's whole shtick is selling his customers data from all his previous investments to drive traffic into his new investments. Data Privacy is a joke nowadays..

The bag belt people rolled out their homeless+immigrated parents combo to get a deal I guess. Why can't you just carry that tote bag on your shoulders like I've seen many people do in airports? Do you really need to secure it to your suitcase? If it's that heavy then might as well carry a backpack something similar. No one carries that many "essentials" in a tote bag. Also, it looked like it can easily be knocked off for much cheaper..

And what do I even say about Barbs? She went out coz they had so much losses but then came back and wanted the presenter's fiance in place of less equity in the deal??? Is no one going to acknowledge how wildly inappropriate this is?? You don't hear Kevin or Mark making these kinds of comments to female presenters.. Sheesh..

Spices guys were doing very well. Surprised they did not get a deal. Props to their creativity on the royalty deal and only making a special Kevin spices line on which the royalty is applied. I don't think I've heard anyone make that kind of offer on royalty deals!

Milk people were too expensive. I'm surprised Lori made a deal. Didn't Lori invest in a product previously where a mom came up with silicone baggies for milk to be stored in the freezer instead of plastic bags. Not exactly sure if Lori was the investor in that product or not..

[DrSpaceman73]

Yes I forgot about Barbara's comments about the fiance.  That is actually blatant sexual harassment on national TV. Even 'jokingly'. can you imagine say mark Cuban saying that to a woman?  It's so horrible. 

[tired and hungry]

I'm making another post since previous one was way too long already!

Again I say but WHY was Gwyneth even there?? She's clearly just there to warm the chairs and never intends to make any deals. Even her responses are so wooden and she only seems to asks questions since the producers in her ear tell her to. She's uninterested in all the products so much so that she did not even touch or check them out. I think she ate some of the spices but I don't think she even picked up to see the bag belt or the Milkify packs. I can understand if you don't want to invest but atleast pretend to care about the sample product for a few minutes..

At this point, I'm not even sure why they call her on the show. She was so awkward in the first pitch with her nervous gulps. And went out on the spices guys deal because she's never heard of the brand?? Like whaaat?? The least you can do is give a believable reason to be out.. 

Just like the previous episode she was on, the last product seemed to be called on the show just so she can make a "deal". And again she was so hesistant to close the deal when they made a counter offer. They both had the weirdest awkward laughter & Lori immediately said "It's Good" and then she was like "I'll be good with that" while nervously looking off camera.

I'm pretty sure that this Milikify deal and her deal on the previous episode she was on never went through. I seriously hope they do not bring her on future episodes. There's so many other better guest sharks to have instead of this snake-oil saleswoman.

Also, not sure if my volume was too high or did anyone else hear the conversation Lori and Gwen were having on the last pitch? Especially after Mark made the 60 minute comment and Gwen replied back. I heard Lori whisper "That's right! You tell him". I think I even heard Kevin saying something. Just thought that it was kinda cringe what Lori said. Guess the show did not turn down their mics all the way.

End Of Rants... See y'all in the next episode folks...

[SG429]

14 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

Jokingly, Barbara asks for woman to throw in her fiance in the deal, and they agree.

Started to look more like Human Trafficking than Shark Tank. She just needed an "ah ooh gah" sound effect and eyes popping in and out of her head. Imagine Kevin, "Forget the royalty. Throw in that smokin'  hot wife and you got a deal!"

[Cotypubby]

12 hours ago, DEL901 said:

You aren’t going to b3 able to take on both that big bad and a wheeled bag.  

Sure you are. You get one carry-on roller bag and one personal bag. It is definitely a product I have wanted to use while at the airport, but for $45?! Lol no.

All I could think during the cremation stones was “That looks like a bath bomb. Don’t accidentally put it in a tub or you’ll be swimming in Grandpa!”

Barbara asking to get that woman’s fiancé in the deal was all kinds of cringe. All I could think was that if there was a couple with a hot young woman and Kevin said “I get to marry your wife,” there would be so much outcry about sexual harassment.

Edited April 8, 2023 by Cotypubby

[dogdays2]

I travel all the time and that travel belt thing didn’t interest me at all.  First, many smaller bags have an open space on one side that allows you to slide it over your roller bag handle.  Second, it will be a pain putting it on and then taking it off to go through security. Then back on. Then off if you need something out of your bag, such as a wallet.  Then on. Then off to stow your bags on the plane. Then on when deboarding. Way too complicated.

The spice thing looked interesting but I’m not enough into cooking.  

When Barbara and Lori can spend whatever they want on clothing, and have good figures, how can both look so awful?

 

 

[seacliffsal]

I think the only reason Gwyneth made a deal was that Lori basically talked her into it.  Like others, I noticed that Gwyneth didn't seem interested in the products as she never looked at them.  I laughed when they showed all of the regular sharks looking at/touching/holding/using the products and then showed Gwyneth just sitting there.  The producers like having guest sharks and especially celebrity guest sharks and so they have Gwyneth.  I think she likes the exposure and promoting herself as a savvy businesswoman, but she seemed very mechanical to me.  She did break out little used vocabulary so there's that.

I thought the best product was the spice selection.  Really surprised that Kevin didn't negotiate a deal as that fits right in with his "chef wonderful" line.

I didn't like the stone presenter-something just hit me wrong with his presentation.  And, it seems very pricey (along with so many other products), so it would be a limited market.  The cost was also on top of the cremation costs, not in place of those costs so the entire process gets expensive.

There are many, many contraptions for attaching a tote to a wheeled suitcase.  I liked the presenters, but their product isn't unique and it's way expensive for what it is.  However, I did like that they started by stating "do you remember when you used to fly commercial..." acknowledging that the sharks no longer live in the 'average/common' world.

[Welshman in Ca]

Well the deal that Paltrow did along with Lori fits perfectly with her line of overpriced tat that she sells to gullible people.

[Tango64]

That travel belt thing is another example of something already out there. Every luggage/doodad shop in the airport has those exact type of belts to put around your suitcase to keep it from popping open and to make it more visible on the conveyor belt. I have one in lime green and it could easily be used in the way they were pitching. 
It didn’t cost $45. 

Edited April 8, 2023 by Tango64

[Welshman in Ca]

1 minute ago, Tango64 said:

That travel belt thing is another example of something already out there. Every luggage/doodad shop in the airport has those exact type of belts to put around your suitcase to keep it from popping open and to make it more visible on the conveyor belt. I have one in lime green and it could easily be used in the way they were pitching. 
it didn’t cost $45. 

I have one in plain black but my suitcase is lime green.

[lh25]

I have never gotten the remains of someone just in a plastic bag.  A cheap wooden box if you don't buy an urn is about it.  Heck, even our cats came back in small boxes.  Not sure I would want those stone lying around.  Seems odd to me.

 

And Barbara's dress was terrible.  The color, the fabric that looked really cheap, the fit and that odd elastic waist.  I did better on a sewing project in 7th grade.

[Cotypubby]

I also thought the spice guys opening was pretty stupid:

”Have you noticed that when you buy spices at the supermarket, they don’t have much flavor?”

Uh, no. 

[seacliffsal]

1 hour ago, Cotypubby said:

I also thought the spice guys opening was pretty stupid:

”Have you noticed that when you buy spices at the supermarket, they don’t have much flavor?”

Uh, no. 

And, quite frankly, my food tastes good/great with the spices I get at the grocery store.  I'm sure if I just tasted the spice alone it would seem strong-just like they had the sharks do.  I'm just fine not paying their premium prices (I think that in most cases I am not in the market to whom these products are pitches [i.e. people with so much disposable income they don't know what to do with it...]).

[eel21788]

10 hours ago, Cotypubby said:

All I could think during the cremation stones was “That looks like a bath bomb. Don’t accidentally put it in a tub or you’ll be swimming in Grandpa!”

It reminded me of Anderson Cooper's story: when his grandparents (Gloria Vanderbilt's parents) died, his family put statues of them in the foyer of their home. Anderson grew up thinking that when everyone died, they turned into stone statues.

Turning someone into a pile of rocks just seems disrespectful to me. Maybe it's a Jewish thing: we're supposed to decompose as quickly as possible to be returned to the dust man was created from.

However, when you visit a grave in a Jewish cemetery, you are supposed to leave a rock on the tombstone as a symbol of leaving a piece of yourself. Even with that in mind, turning someone into rocks just doesn't seem right.

[eel21788]

9 hours ago, seacliffsal said:

I think the only reason Gwyneth made a deal was that Lori basically talked her into it. . .  I think she likes the exposure and promoting herself as a savvy businesswoman, but she seemed very mechanical to me.

She balked at putting up the $200K for her part of the deal saying it was "a lot of money."

Just like her last appearance, all the items should have been compatible with her marketing herself and her "lifestyle brand;" however, she only went in on one deal, and it involved another snark dragging her in, kicking and screaming.

Let's hope the producers tell her, "For that reason, we're out," when it comes to making future appearances.

[eel21788]

On 4/7/2023 at 7:49 PM, Quickbeam said:

if the milk dehydrator had been something people could do at home, it’d be a hit. Too much shipping and chain of custody issues. 

It is:

https://harvestright.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIuPewvOib_gIV4gutBh2QegYZEAAYASAAEgIN8fD_BwE

Buying their smallest appliance at $2495, it would cost less than 6 months of paying for their service. When you're done with breastmilk, you could use it for other food preservation or recoup some of your investment by selling the machine on Ebay.

I would guess that the overall cost would come out to be less than $1.60 per ounce.

Edited April 9, 2023 by eel21788

[tvfanatic13]

Where would one put those stones? In the garden?? I would be afraid they would be stolen or thrown out 

[DEL901]

33 minutes ago, tvfanatic13 said:

Where would one put those stones? In the garden?? I would be afraid they would be stolen or thrown out 

You could always give them away to complete strangers, the Sharks, for example.  

[Madding crowd]

I can’t imagine what I would do with the stones of a loved one. If I put them in the garden they might get peed on by animals or mixed up with other stones. I also wouldn’t feel comfortable having them in a vase in the house. I have only had a couple of relatives cremated and they want their ashes spread in the woods or by water.

[DrSpaceman73]

Obviously you would put them on the mantle or somewhere around the house so that someone that doesn't know what they are can use them inappropriately and hilariously, as is standard for all movies and sitcoms. 

[dmeets]

That was kind of shitty of Mark to say he was going to ask his competing company to start doing stones now as well.

[questionfear]

On 4/8/2023 at 8:39 AM, DrSpaceman73 said:

Yes I forgot about Barbara's comments about the fiance.  That is actually blatant sexual harassment on national TV. Even 'jokingly'. can you imagine say mark Cuban saying that to a woman?  It's so horrible. 

Many years ago my father and I met Barbara at an event where she was speaking. She hit on my dad. She's really like that. 

(FWIW my mom's take was "yea, your dad is hot, I'm glad the lady from TV agreed") 

[Welshman in Ca]

14 minutes ago, questionfear said:

Many years ago my father and I met Barbara at an event where she was speaking. She hit on my dad. She's really like that. 

(FWIW my mom's take was "yea, your dad is hot, I'm glad the lady from TV agreed") 

Seeing as she seems to hit on every guy who walks onto the show I'm not sure I would be overjoyed with her hitting on me or anyone I know. I have no doubt your mother thinks your father is hot & doesn't need Barbara to confirm it, damn some women even think I'm hot but I'm sure it's just my accent that makes them think that.

[aemom]

On 4/7/2023 at 9:42 PM, DrSpaceman73 said:

And that yellow dress of barbara is hideous. 

Not only that with that triangle on it, that looks like something from a star trek uniform.  Push the triangle to beam up and talk with captain picard

OMG, I thought the exact same thing.

 

On 4/7/2023 at 9:00 PM, CrazyInAlabama said:

Barbara makes the deal for 25%.  Jokingly, Barbara asks for woman to throw in her fiance in the deal, and they agree.

On 4/8/2023 at 8:34 AM, tired and hungry said:

And what do I even say about Barbs? She went out coz they had so much losses but then came back and wanted the presenter's fiance in place of less equity in the deal??? Is no one going to acknowledge how wildly inappropriate this is?? You don't hear Kevin or Mark making these kinds of comments to female presenters.. Sheesh..

I don't even really think that she is joking when she makes these comments.  She needs to stop.  it is REALLY NOT OK.  Why don't the producers do something about her - or my God, at least edit that out from airing?

 

On 4/8/2023 at 12:47 PM, seacliffsal said:

I think the only reason Gwyneth made a deal was that Lori basically talked her into it.  Like others, I noticed that Gwyneth didn't seem interested in the products as she never looked at them.  I laughed when they showed all of the regular sharks looking at/touching/holding/using the products and then showed Gwyneth just sitting there.  The producers like having guest sharks and especially celebrity guest sharks and so they have Gwyneth.  I think she likes the exposure and promoting herself as a savvy businesswoman, but she seemed very mechanical to me.  She did break out little used vocabulary so there's that.

When Lori was talking to her, I got the impression that she had no idea how to construct a good deal at all.  She is completely useless on this show and I think that she is just there to promote herself and the useless/dangerous shit she sells on her website.

I'm sorry, but I cannot fathom that the milk people's clientele includes low-income families.  I do ok and I could not afford $500 a month to freeze-dry my milk.

Edited April 12, 2023 by aemom
Typo

[eel21788]

3 hours ago, aemom said:

When Lori was talking to her, I got the impression that she had no idea how to construct a good deal at all.  She is completely useless on this show and I think that she is just there to promote herself and the useless/dangerous shit she sells on her website.

I'm sorry, but I cannot fathom that the milk people's clientele includes low-income families.  I do ok and I could not afford $500 a month to freeze-dry my milk.

She said she has been able to get some employers to pay for the service. I think that is where the low income people come in with wanting to return to the workforce faster than people with higher incomes.

On the same note, Ross Labs provides free baby formula to people who work in hospitals. Everyone always thought of it as a huge benefit, but I couldn't help thinking it was to entice people to return to work faster, as well as use their formulas instead of breastfeeding.

[LuvMyShows]

On 4/7/2023 at 9:00 PM, CrazyInAlabama said:

  60% of their sales come from lower, and middle income households. 

On 4/7/2023 at 9:06 PM, DEL901 said:

It is also a product with limited interest outside the US since maternity leaves are so much longer elsewhere.   

On 4/12/2023 at 11:41 AM, aemom said:

I'm sorry, but I cannot fathom that the milk people's clientele includes low-income families.  I do ok and I could not afford $500 a month to freeze-dry my milk.

On 4/12/2023 at 3:09 PM, eel21788 said:

She said she has been able to get some employers to pay for the service. I think that is where the low income people come in with wanting to return to the workforce faster than people with higher incomes.

The low-income families absolutely has to be related to having employers paying for the service.  $500 a month extra is simply not something that low-income families have.  But even moreso, how on earth would the company know that their customers are low- or middle-income families?  I seriously doubt they ask their customers for their income level, and on the off chance that they did, I can't imagine many people giving that kind of information to a company like this. I also don't imagine the company asking other related questions where you could infer low income, like, whether you have Section 8 housing.

So I started thinking about the return-to-work-faster aspect, and now I'm even more confused.  This product doesn't actually help people return to work faster, because you still have to do the pumping.  The only thing this product does is provide a shelf-stable way to store your milk.  If you view it as being able to stop pumping sooner because you now have the powder, that implies being able to calculate when you will stop giving your baby breast milk.  And that may not go as planned.  One can already store one's breast milk in the refrigerator, so it isn't like this product helps you get back to work sooner because of having another way to get milk to the baby during the day when the mom isn't home.  And if you're producing milk to send off, then that means needing to pump just as often as if you were storing the bottles yourself, which doesn't help you return to work sooner.  I really don't get it. 

On 4/8/2023 at 11:15 PM, eel21788 said:

It is:

https://harvestright.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIuPewvOib_gIV4gutBh2QegYZEAAYASAAEgIN8fD_BwE

Buying their smallest appliance at $2495, it would cost less than 6 months of paying for their service. When you're done with breastmilk, you could use it for other food preservation or recoup some of your investment by selling the machine on Ebay.

I would guess that the overall cost would come out to be less than $1.60 per ounce.

But that implies that there is still some benefit to this that the powder form provides.  Being able to take it on a trip won't cut it, because if you are still pumping and sending the milk off, then you'll still need to bring the pump on your trip.  As I said, the only benefit I can think of is that having the powder allows you to stop pumping sooner, but as I said, you have to have calculated very accurately when you will stop pumping, and how much milk your baby will need after that.  But even with that. most people who are breastfeeding, do it for longer than 6 weeks.  But the pressure to return to work can easily start by then, so again, no benefit, because you'll still be pumping.  Plus, $2495 up front is not feasible for a low-income family, nor many middle-income families.