S07.E16: R. Riveter, BearTek, Major Mom, Combat Flip Flops

[yeswedo]

Veteran and military spouse entrepreneurs try to enlist the Sharks' investments. Two military spouses have built a handbag empire using upcycled military materials and piecework from other military spouses. A former Marine and his business partner cousin try to sell the Sharks on their gloves that put wireless control of your phone at your fingertips. A former Air Force Major looks to franchise her personal organization business. Two veteran army rangers tout their product line, which empowers locals who make “cool products in dangerous places”. “Shark Tank” revisits Air Force veteran owner of Turbopup, the canine meal bars, in which Daymond John invested last season.

[starri]

Well, perhaps I should sit in Godless New York and watch something else because I Hate America.

[roctavia]

Maybe it was just me... But this episode was Booooring with a capital B...

Organizing franchise? What? Gloves that control things? I don't see a huge market for that, the gloves looked super bulky to me.... Though I do admit not being into the slopes or bikes ( or whatever it was they were ding while wearing gloves) while needing to control electronics. I also don't understand what their other idea was beyond gloves and vague military stuff.

More bags.. Do we need more bags? And the sandal thing sounds like it's for a good cause but I don't know what was so special about the product....

All in all I thought this ep was a snooze.

[bilgistic]

Well, perhaps I should sit in Godless New York and watch something else because I Hate America.

Except for MILITARY WIVES!!!!! and organizing woman, I felt the others were like, "I'm on Shark Tank pitching my doohickey, and oh, I'm a veteran." I think the producers laid it on a little thick with "VETERANS' NIGHT!?!?!" I am gathering that sells in some crowds.

I should say here that my dad is a Vietnam vet and I don't at all belittle his service and sacrifice. I think it's gross that military service is being used to promote the show.

The R. Riveter bag situation bothered me for a few reasons. I'm guess I'm glad they are giving "military wives" (are there no military husbands? or wives of wives?) something to do instead of staring off into space for 2.9 years, but I have a sneaking suspicion they are making out like that knit bag lady, who we figured out was paying her knitters third-world wages.

If they are moving every 2.9 years, how are they maintaining their brick-and-mortar store?

My feminist hackles just kept raising at "we're giving these women something to do!" and "I have xyz degree, but I follow my husband around the world!" I guess if that's the reality you've known, good on ya, but my "birth father" (because all he gave me was his DNA) was in the air force and I wouldn't follow him to the mailbox at the end of the driveway.

Edited February 6, 2016 by bilgistic

[bilgistic]

Gloves that control things? I don't see a huge market for that, the gloves looked super bulky to me.... Though I do admit not being into the slopes or bikes ( or whatever it was they were ding while wearing gloves) while needing to control electronics. I also don't understand what their other idea was beyond gloves and vague military stuff.

I kind of checked out beyond the biking and skiing examples, too, but my thought is can we now not be unplugged and enjoy nature when we are fucking skiing?? Skiing is hard and terrible in my opinion, but standing still in the quiet snow is really nice. Nature!

[Primetimer]

Who's ready for another military veteran-themed episode of Shark Tank? Last one of you to answer with sufficient enthusiasm hates America.

Read the story

[Jesse]

I really like those purses, and the idea of a job a mobile person can take where they go. (And they did say "military spouses" pretty consistently, I thought.) I imagine their husbands are actually retired, so the two of them are stable at this point. 

[zxy556575]

I appreciated that Lisa and Cameron were dressed professionally.* So damned tired of the t-shirts, knit polos and tennis shoes. Maybe the producers encourage variety because they think a never-ending parade of suits would be boring, but this is a critical business meeting for the entrepreneurs and we know the sharks sometimes invest in the people rather than the products. Present yourselves well!

 

If I was going to buy one of the handbags I'd be more interested because of the upcycled materials than because military spouses sewed parts of it, but that part wasn't discussed that we saw. Lisa and Cameron focused on the names of the people who worked on the bags being included on the tag, but I still don't know if an explanation is included about what the bag used to be (tent, uniform, etc.) The R.Riveter site also mentions custom bags that they'll make out of personal materials the customers send them, which is a nice idea.

 

It was good to see that the nice TurboPup lady is doing well. But dang, Daymond is sticking to those huge diamond stud earrings long past their expiration date.

 

 

 

* And that I have no idea whether or not they're moms

Edited February 6, 2016 by lordonia

[Eolivet]

The R. Riveter bag situation bothered me for a few reasons. I'm guess I'm glad they are giving "military wives" (are there no military husbands? or wives of wives?) something to do instead of staring off into space for 2.9 years, but I have a sneaking suspicion they are making out like that knit bag lady, who we figured out was paying her knitters third-world wages.

 

I don't know about that -- I thought they came off a lot better than the nursing home sweatshop. Namely because it seemed clear the "military spouses" were just doing the handle of the purse or one component, and they just had their one component and that was it. So, not so much a nursing home sweatshop as a...cross-country military spouse assembly line?

 

I suppose I also saw it differently because I feel like the prime reason someone would buy that bag is it was made out of military-related materials (i.e., pants or a coat or someone's duffel) and that would have value more than the "we're employing military spouses to make the components" element. With the nursing home sweatshop, I saw "Here is an overpriced bag, that is absolutely no different from any other overpriced knit bag except it was knit by a grandma!" I loathe products like that (businesses that want you to buy a product based on ~story, even though it's no better/is in some cases worse than comparable products), and wish Kevin would crush them like the cockroaches they are.

[Jamoche]

I like the military upcycling style too. I had an iPad case/satchel from a company that uses WWII era materials.

 

The main downside to those purses is that I want zippers to keep my stuff in - surely I can't be the only person who sometimes tips their purse upside down?

[starri]

So, taking an icon of 20th Century feminism and using it to sell purses?  #AintThatAmerica

 

With that said, I didn't really hate the women, and I guess good for them.  However, being a former resident of a very military community, it's a bold-faced lie that it's difficult for military spouses to find a job.  I don't think I ever worked anywhere that didn't have at least a few.  Maybe that's not the same as being able to be upwardly mobile at a single company, but it's not exactly the unemployment line.  I'm all for helping military families, but another way of doing it would be for the government to spend money on benefits instead of on fighter jets that the military doesn't want or need but Congress keeps paying for.

 

I did like the flip-flop guys.  There seems to be a very thin line between these products with some kind of social mission that makes me either love them or despise them, but this was firmly on the better side of it.  If I was the kind of man that wore jewelry, I might actually buy one of those land mine bracelets from Laos.

 

I really liked the TurboPup woman, and was glad to see she was doing well.

[Missy Vixen]

I just bought one of the Combat Flip-Flop land mine bracelets. Imagine my surprise to learn that they're from Issaquah, WA.

 

If the organizational group was in our area, I would have been calling to make an appointment today.

[slowpoked]

With that said, I didn't really hate the women, and I guess good for them.  However, being a former resident of a very military community, it's a bold-faced lie that it's difficult for military spouses to find a job.  I don't think I ever worked anywhere that didn't have at least a few.  Maybe that's not the same as being able to be upwardly mobile at a single company, but it's not exactly the unemployment line.  

 

I don't think they said that there are no jobs or it's hard to find jobs for military spouses, but more like it's hard to stay rooted in a job because of the constant move, and that's what makes it hard for military spouses to build a career for themselves. I think that's perfectly understandable, and I can imagine it's pretty frustrating for a person who is just starting to love his/her job, being friendly with co-workers/peers, etc., and then all of a sudden you have to move and start over again. I have a friend who is a military wife and that is one of her main reasons why she just didn't work at all and took care of the kids instead - the constant move just makes it hard to find a job that you know you'll love and be with for a long time. Not to mention, looking and applying for a job takes time. It doesn't happen in a week.

 

I think that's why the company selling the concept of mobile employment is a smart idea. Because at least spouses won't have that fear of losing their job when needed to be on the move, and they feel like they can finally have some sense of normalcy and stability in their careers.

[Latverian Diplomat]

I was kind of suprised that patents didn't come up during the glove pitch (possibly it did and was edited out). If these guys were really getting partnership offers, and they had patents lined up, I don't know why they couldn't wait. It seems like they really regret getting into the glove business at all. 

 

Their valuation was just crazy high though.

[LittleIggy]

I loved the Flip Flop guys giving the "dead" glowstick to Kevin!

I moved approximately every two years as a kid due to my father's job (not military). The ones constant moving is hardest on are the children.

[nobodyyoucare]

Here is an article on the flip flop guys. https://www.funker530.com/us-army-rangers-saving-afghanistan-one-flip-flop-at-a-time/

"As of today, February 6, 2016, their flip flop production has cleared 1,533 square feet of landmines and UXO, as well as putting Afghan women in secondary school for 60.20 years."

[ae2]

I loved the Flip Flop guys giving the "dead" glowstick to Kevin!

My favorite part about that was that one guy looked to the other with a nervous look before doing it. "Is now the time? Are you sure you want to actually do this or was it just something we joked about?"

[candall]

Hey, thanks, recapper--I obviously fell asleep much too early.

 

As a rescuer, I thought those handy dog meals in bar form were TERRIFIC and had so much more potential than the picnic/hiking convenience she originally promoted.  It's really my favorite product from The Tank; too bad I missed the update.  Go, Turbopup!

 

I just googled to see about buying a Laotian land mine bracelet and the company didn't jump off the page at me, because of all the articles about their product(s), so that's a good thing.  We're still working on those landmines, Diana.

 

(P.S>whoever snarked Daymond's giant diamond earbobs gave me snickers.)