S06.E22: Echo Valley Meats, EmazingLights, AquaVault, Naja

[yeswedo]

A cattleman from Peoria, Ill., returns to show the Sharks what he has learned about the gourmet meat business since he first appeared on the show during Season 4. Also: a lingerie line that's sewn by women in need; and an update on Barbara Corcoran's Season 6 investment in Pipcorn.

 

According to my DVR it's on at the usual time of 9pm.

[cooksdelight]

I'm so glad the meat guy is doing so well and got a deal. And I WANT a pair of those gloves. I don't dance much, but it would be a hoot to go downtown at night and wave at people as they drive by!

[Shibori]

We need to start a Hall of Fame for obnoxious tank-ers. Because lingerie lady would have to be near the top. I hated that they ended on her, because now I feel stabby.

[DB in CMH]

We need to start a Hall of Fame for obnoxious tank-ers. Because lingerie lady would have to be near the top. I hated that they ended on her, because now I feel stabby.

I don't know if obnoxious is even strong enough for her. Has there ever been anybody worse?

[designing1]

 

I don't know if obnoxious is even strong enough for her. Has there ever been anybody worse?

 

It takes enormous brass shiny ones to stand in front of a group of millionaires and billionaires and tell them how wrong-thinking their business sense is. Too bad for her, because she probably would have had an ideal investor in Daymond. Some of her stuff was nice, but I'm pretty sure I don't want inspirational quotes on the crotch of my undies.

 

Good for the glove guy for practicing what he preached and going with (what I agree was) the better investment partners over the greater amount of cash. 

[atir]

I don't dance much either, but I covet those gloves! Where couuld I wear them? I'm wondering if my kid who goes to Burning Man every year would dig them.

[KaveDweller]

It takes enormous brass shiny ones to stand in front of a group of millionaires and billionaires and tell them how wrong-thinking their business sense is. Too bad for her, because she probably would have had an ideal investor in Daymond. Some of her stuff was nice, but I'm pretty sure I don't want inspirational quotes on the crotch of my undies.

 

Yes, I also have no desire for inspirational quotes down there.  That's just weird.

 

Some people surprise me by how they have clearly never watched the show.  The Sharks hate when people correct them about how business works, and they always measure the evaluation by its current value.  I can see why an entrepreneur would want to do it off future value, but these Sharks never agree to it.  Know your audience.

[LittleIggy]

Did she say $60 for a bra?

[zxy556575]

Interesting that Echo Valley Meats is already the distribution partner for the Cooke Dough Cafe products.

[anonymiss]

The gloving thing I hate but the guy behind it went over with me better than I expected. He was very earnest. I would have gone with Mark & Daymond, too. Pretty much always if Mark has an offer, he makes it the best.

 

"I'm really surprised you didn't squeeze their hand further." Heh. Never change, Kevin.

 

Funny how Mark seemed to relate when they were ragging on bra lady about her getting a grossly inflated valuation.

[cooksdelight]

I'm pretty sure I don't want inspirational quotes on the crotch of my undies.

I'll second that. And third it. And fourth it.

I want to see where Robert takes the beach safe thing. I could see that being used in a lot of places provided you have a way of attaching it to a variety of things. It looked like it hooked to the arm of a chair or a golf cart.

[readster]

 It is so funny watching the show and how a few weeks ago they were arguing over how one of them jumping in without giving them a chance to ask good questions on the products. Yet, here we have: "I want an answer now!" "Don't go waiting, that is certain death in the tank!" I love these guys and what Kevin will say next but they go against each other all the time with: "Give me an answer or I'm out!" That woman at the end was really bad, sometimes I do wonder why these people act like they know more. When the Sharks don't know more they admit it many times. I remember the dog treat woman during the vet episode. Mark went in saying she was doing things right but it was an area he knew zip about and didn't have the time to learn with her and was out. Does anyone watch the show before they come on?

Edited March 14, 2015 by readster

[starri]

I don't know if obnoxious is even strong enough for her. Has there ever been anybody worse?

Copa di Vino guy.

[Eolivet]

I had no problem with the woman. Did she come on strong? Yes. Was she grossly overvalued and refused to listen to reason? Yes. But I can think of a number of dudebros with their Harvard Business School or Wharton degrees who've come on the show and gotten deals for marginal products, ostensibly because of their background. Her background was equally as strong, and Mark seemed to be the only one who could relate to her.

 

I thought she had a good, but grossly overvalued product. I wouldn't pay $60 for it, and the inspirational messages were a little much, but I can see why Damon went nuts over the designs. It was lingerie that looked like it belonged in a museum, not a porn video -- and given the choice, I'll take the former any day. It wasn't a great business, business-wise (14% reordering is bad), but I thought a couple sharks were treating her like the "Arcade-Keg" guy, which she did not deserve at all.

 

In a woman-pitch-to-woman-pitch comparison, I found the Lumi person several weeks ago (it's screenprinting, fer crying out loud!) far more intolerable, or any number of the "invest in me because I'm a Mom!" pitches far worse. Had she come in with a reasonable valuation and been willing to negotiate, she might've actually gotten a deal. But her product wasn't bad. She might've made a nice niche business for herself with the right partner.

 

I suppose I found her pitch more frustrating than obnoxious. Good idea -- wrong approach.

[Amarsir]

If you want to dispute the Sharks' historic valuation, IMHO the best way to do it is tell them the payback period based on demonstrable growth rates. Saying "You'll get all your money back within 2 years" is a lot more compelling than "well it's a big market and I have other investors".

 

More importantly, where are these investors who threw money at her without even asking for projections? Can I make them a pitch too?

[marny]

Did she say $60 for a bra?

That's not an unreasonable or unusual price for a quality bra.  However 10 million dollars or whatever for an unknown lingerie company? That's insane.  And I rolled my eyes hard at the fact that she announced everything was sewn by single mothers.  I had to do a little googling to find out what she was talking about with the "giving back" claims, and it does appear the goal is to help women in Colombia, but she did a terrible job describing it.  I'm sure she's an intelligent businesswoman, and she probably does well in corporate boardroom environments, but her attitude was off-putting and she made no effort to get the sharks to want to work with her on a human level.

[Jaded]

Did she say $60 for a bra?

That and a few other words was my reaction too. 

[Primetimer]

The Sharks hear from one entrepreneur who wants to put lights in your gloves and another who wants to print aphorisms on your ladies' underwear. One entrepreneur too many walks away with money.

Read the story

[bilgistic]

$60 is within the range of what I pay for my bras. I have to pay more because I'm "well-endowed". I buy mostly UK and European brands online. They are also much better made than say, Bali and (shudder) Victoria's Secret.

[Jaded]

$60 is within the range of what I pay for my bras. I have to pay more because I'm "well-endowed". I buy mostly UK and European brands online. They are also much better made than say, Bali and (shudder) Victoria's Secret.

With the poor return business rate for the woman last night I really question the $60 for one of her's. 

[cooksdelight]

A really well-made bra will last longer than a poorly-made one. I can't remember how long she's been in business, but one or two of them may be all someone orders for a long stretch.

[atir]

I would think buying a bra online would be dicey size/fit wise. Once you get a bra from that company that does fit properly, you would order again. That was the huge red flag to me WRT customer reorders being only 14%.

[bilgistic]

I was first properly fit in a department store a few years ago, and bought from the same brand online for a while. I've branched out since then, but Bare Necessities has a fast/receptive exchange/return process. They are the best.

[candall]

I love cold weather because, with a sweatshirt and a colorful Turtle Island sarong around my neck as a muffler, I can skip the damn bra all together.

 

But I used to wear satin-y little scraps of Perla and I thought her lingerie was knockout.  Beautiful prints, price point as expected, the whole "put the pretty part against your skin" conceit.

 

I was even on board with the inspirational panty quotes--it's like Celestial Seasonings Tea!

 

 

[basiltherat]

I think Bra Lady's "napkin investor" wanted to get into her panties to read those wonderful quotes.  She got a sugar daddy to back her without throwing any numbers at him.  No wonder she thought the sharks would be buying her business model!

[bilgistic]

I didn't hate the quotes. They weren't printed on the crotch panel, for pete's sake. I do wonder about how long they would last after many washings, but then, I wear Hanes and Fruit of the Loom drawers. Buy good bras, but matchy-matchy underwear? I'm not a millionaire!

[marny]

The quotes were printed on the crotch panel. While I get the concept in theory, it's just strange. And her 14% repeat customer rate is low. When women find a bra they like, they become loyal to it. If only 14% of her customers liked the product enough to buy again, that doesn't sound good. It seems like a fashion product, but not a utilitarian product. And while women like pretty bras, the utility is the higher priority when you're buying for everyday use.

[piewarmer]

The lingerie was pretty, but I may have to watch the segment again to enjoy the delicious slow Shark burn as she tried to explain to them how business works.

 

[bilgistic]

OK, I thought they were printed on the inside back. On the crotch is just weird.

[starri]

OK, I thought they were printed on the inside back. On the crotch is just weird.

One of them even even appeared to have a picture of a Pomeranian on it.

 

I'm clearly not Naya's target market, but I don't know if I'd want o have something like that shoved in front of my nethers.

 

I did like Lori's incredulous "What was on the napkin?" as the woman was explaining the insane valuation.

[Jamoche]

That's not an unreasonable or unusual price for a quality bra. 

I've seen the website, though - $60 for what goes for $45 at Victoria's Secret, and $45 for those cupless wisps of lace that can only be worn by people not big enough to even be an A. And $28 for *one* panty, when VS has the 7-for-$28 sales on a regular basis.

[EAG46]

"Flea-Farting around" hee! Am I alone in thinking those lighted gloves would be good for police officers that have to direct traffic? And I don't want to see anything printed in my underwear other than "Machine Wash Warm, Non-Chlorine Bleach, Tumble Dry."

[atir]

The dog wasn't printed on the crotch piece. That would have been extra weird. What woman wants a dog's head ~there~?? Aiyiyi.

[leighdear]

Unfortunately the Aqua Vault is only good for places that have stationary furniture or something heavy enough to not be movable.  Absolutely worthless if you take a blanket to the beach, throw it on the sand, drop your stuff, then head to the waves.   Their only market is cruise ships and hotels with pools. 

 

I thought the gloves were a ridiculous novelty.  "Gloving" is a "sport"?  Seriously?  I do see the idea of using them for traffic cops, though.  And stadium parking attendants.

[Miss Scarlet]

I get that it had a lot of sales, but the I thought the whole gloving product was stupid. And not that original. There are lots of light/glo-stick props that are used in performance art these days. Just check out the top 12 acts on America's Got Talent every year.

[sadiegirl]

I finally saw the gloving part and I was not impressed.  I'm surprised how eager all the sharks were for that product.  I too see it more for traffic cops than for a sport, or even clubs.  It just wasn't that impressive from where I'm sitting.

[retrograde]

$60 seems pretty reasonable to me for a well-made bra from a small outfit. Victoria's Secret stuff is cheaper because a) it's being produced on a massive scale, b) it's not very high-quality, and c) it's made in third-world sweatshops and US prisons.

 

I liked (some of) the underwear, but the woman did not pitch well. I'm not surprised some silicon valley VCs gave her a crazy amount of money based on nothing, because that is pretty much how silicon valley works, but I'm surprised she didn't realise that that valuation wouldn't fly outside of silicon valley. I mean, you'd just have to watch one episode of the show to know that the sharks only care about how much money your company has actually made.

 

I have no interest in gloving, but the guy's sales and a quick Google prove there is a market and it is something people are doing -- including as a competitive sport -- especially as part of the EDM scene, and that this guy is the market leader. 

Edited March 15, 2015 by retrograde

[bilgistic]

I went to the Naja site and there was no mention anywhere of the inspirational quotes for your hoo-ha. They proudly proclaimed that some of the undergarments were made from PET, which is recycled soda bottles. Now, I say this as the owner of a futon matress stuffed with the material, but...I don't want that against my delicates, even with a cotton crotch panel. Plastic undies--am I a toddler wearing swimmy pants?

[Shibori]

I cringed a little when Robert referenced "silicone" valley. But maybe he was just thinking too much about bras.

[starri]

I cringed a little when Robert referenced "silicone" valley. But maybe he was just thinking too much about bras.

Was that Robert or Kevin?  In any case, I'm better that was actually the place she got her VC money, not so much because of her MBA.

[Kiss my mutt]

I'm usually satisfied to wear my ten year old bra that doesn't support anything anymore and my period panties but after seeing some of the Naja designs I decided to buy a set I thought they were really cool. Never know how these things are going to actually fit.

But yeah, that lady is not doing her company any favors.

[cooksdelight]

inspirational quotes for your hoo-ha.

That wins the Internet for the day!

[zxy556575]

I guess the price of the underwear is justified since she refers to them as knickers on the site. Also, there's a company "Ethos." Because "About Us" is totally plebeian.

 

The photo of a fortune cookie and ice cream cone smack on the crotch are gross, as are the animals (cat in particular). It is odd that Catalina promoted the inspirational text so heavily on the show but her site has none of it that I can find.

[LittleIggy]

The dog wasn't printed on the crotch piece. That would have been extra weird. What woman wants a dog's head ~there~?? Aiyiyi.

The dog head (and koala head) are printed right above the crotch. Gross. Who but a teenager would wear that? And, yeah, the fortune cookie is just tacky.

[retrograde]

I guess the price of the underwear is justified since she refers to them as knickers on the site. 

Actually my hatred of the word "panties" made me like her a little bit more for that.

[Lola16]

I looked for Naja and wound up a different site.  Found the correct site and ... glad she didn't make us suffer through the humanitarianism crap on air ...  bras don't come in large sizes so no go for me.

 

Didn't like her voice or her forced cockiness.  She was way too fidgety to be sincerely cocky.  So to put that affect on when it is a turn-off, that's a no go.  Just like Copa Da Vino dude.

 

Gloves.  Meh.  That took up so much time.

 

Glad food dude got a deal.

[lh25]

It might have been my TV, but I thought the material on the bras/panties looked cheap, like stretch nylon.  I also didn't like all the panels on the panties, too many seams it would, well, seem...I just kept thinking about them rubbing against the skin.

[UsernameFatigue]

I thought that the material looked cheap as well. Just because someone is charging $60 doesn't mean the bra is well made. I believe the pitcher said her cost was $7, so all I can see is that she is paying little for material and labour and charging the custumer almost 9 times her cost. I also did not get her assertion that the designs are made with women (not men) in mind so there is a design on the inside of the bra rather than the outside. Since the design would be against the wearer's skin, I don't see how that is a selling point. But just in general I found the designs fugly and the woman obnoxious. And since she claims to have both a MBA and a law degree I can only assume she is there for the publicity and not really a deal, given her ask.

[LeGrandElephant]

She said all the bras were made by single moms. Is it legal to announce you only hire single moms? I'm pretty sure you would not get away with announcing you do NOT hire single moms, so why is it ok to refuse to hire anyone else? That's discriminating against men, women who aren't mothers, mothers who are married, etc. Or is it the kind of thing that won't get enforced until someone sues?

[Auntie Anxiety]

Those gloves screamed bar mitzvah to me.