S08.E03: Raising Wild, The Cookie Kahuna, TekDry, Night Runner

[yeswedo]

Quote

 

Cookie legend Wally Amos hopes his new brand of cookies duplicates his past success; two sisters share an emotional story while pitching their swimsuits for moms; two men drop their own cell phone into a toilet to prove their invention can save damaged tech devices; and a bidding war ensues among the Sharks with a married couple who stumbled upon the bright idea of putting safety light clips on running shoes.

[NYGirl]

Wow!  Barbara doesn't even look like Barbara.  Her face looks so nice and smooth and young.  I bet she had work done.

[Eolivet]

Lori's dress -- MY EYES! Who told her black and bright orange was a good look? Somewhere, Tim Gunn is clutching his chest.

[Quickbeam]

The Wally Amos thing just made me sad. All that mega success and he's scrambling now? Boy, he did not get or take decent advice along the way. I had to turn it off. 

[mjc570]

Sorry, that was one of the worst episodes.  I really hated those super-moms, especially when the one teared up about her ADAH son.  What was worse was Barbara offering them a deal.  Does the world really need more swimsuits?  There are millions out there,  for all shapes and price ranges.  On the other hand, I guess it was pretty shrewd of them to come prancing out in their bathing suits, which was guaranteed to get the sharks attention. 

I kind of liked the teckdry guys (with their DRY sense of humor, ha ha), and am glad they got a deal.  I don't think their retail is at all sustainable, but perhaps marketing to or operating an on-line tech disaster recovery service might work.

The Famous Amos thing was both sad and horribly boring.  Better editing (or maybe giving him some hyper-caffeinated coffee) might have helped.

While I think the shoe light idea was a good product, for some reason the excessive jockeying among the sharks just didn't hold my interest.  It did seem like they were able to take advantage of Robert's desperation.

Speaking of Robert - I do like his new hair style.

Also:  The new intro takes WAY TOO LONG.  Thank goodness I DVR it.

Edited October 8, 2016 by mjc570
more thinking

[augmentedfourth]

The color blocking on Lori's dress made it look like she had underboob sweat, to the point where I actually spent most of the episode trying to figure out if that was the case, or if it was just the design. I couldn't tell for sure until she stood up.

 

The bathing suit mommies annoyed the crap out of me, and I'm even more annoyed that Barbara gave them a pity deal. (Especially after she yelled at a woman last season for crying during her pitch.) The suits didn't look flattering or supportive, and if I'm going to be shelling out that much money for a bathing suit, it had better have my chest on lockdown. Also, one of my toddlers is getting glasses next week (hopefully temporary!) - does wrangling an 18-month-old and convincing her to keep her glasses on suddenly qualify me to be the CEO of a Fortune 500 company? Just curious.

 

There's been a recurring character on SNL's Weekend Update called Willie, whose schtick is that no matter what terrible, awful, horrendous things keep happening to him, he always maintains a positive outlook and a cheery demeanor. Mr. Fourth and I remarked that Famous Amos is now the real-life Willie. That might have been one of the saddest things to ever air on this show.

 

The phone thing and the shoe lights - sure, why not? Reasonable people with reasonable products, while sometimes refreshing, do not always make for interesting TV.

[BusyOctober]

Haaaaaattted the swim moms.  Hated the yawn inducing bathing suits styles. Hated their backstory and their pitch.  Especially hated the damn sob story and tears.  I'm sorry her son has struggles,  and good for her pressing so hard as his advocate to help him be successful.  However, as we all know, EVERY DAMN ONE of us has issues and obstacles and hardships. We wake up and manage to get through the tough days without crying  in front of a room full of strangers. In the real business world, I don't think I'd get a promotion, or a raise or an investment by sniveling all over the place. If I were one of the Sharks, I wouldn't care if the next cry baby in the Tank has the most revolutionary product to hawk. If  I see one tear or hear one whimper, my money stays in my wallet and you get a helpful kick in the butt to move you out of my sight.

I feel really sad about Wally. 

Was Lori smuggling pumpkins under her dress?  Wowza.  Almost made me miss that shiny royal blue dress with the cut out that she wears so often.

[rhys]

Ah the stupid mom whose son was DXed with ADHD. BFD. that is not a horrible diagnosis& surely didn't warrant tears. So disappointed in Barb that mom swim suits are so investible (word?). Did Barb learn nothing in her last swimwear investment?

[LittleIggy]

I liked the segment about Daymond. He seemed genuinely moved.

[windtrix]

Wow, those were the ugliest bathing suits I have ever seen. the colors were so unappealing. And, they are selling them for more than twice the price as the average? Barbara apparently has super bad taste. Also, isn't she really old to have a 10 yo? Just checked...she is 67. Unless it is really her granddaughter, that shows some questionable judgement right there.

Loved Daymond's segment. It made me tear up a little.

[UsernameFatigue]

49 minutes ago, windtrix said:

Wow, those were the ugliest bathing suits I have ever seen. the colors were so unappealing. And, they are selling them for more than twice the price as the average? Barbara apparently has super bad taste. Also, isn't she really old to have a 10 yo? Just checked...she is 67. Unless it is really her granddaughter, that shows some questionable judgement right there.

Loved Daymond's segment. It made me tear up a little.

Barbara's 10 year old daughter is adopted. Why someone would want to adopt at 57 is beyond me. And why an agency would adopt to a 57 year old is also beyond me but I guess if you have enough money you can do anything.

Barbara really bugged me in this epi. Those bathing suits were butt ugly - both the styles and the colours. And I am so tired of moms who cry. I bet my hubby when they were walking into the tank that one of them would cry. And having a kid with ADHD along with three others to me would mean you have a lot on your plate, and while that doesn't mean you won't be successful in business the fact that you have zero experince in anything other than motherhood makes it unlikely. And no, being a mother does not make you an expert on everything. Blech.

So besides giving the crying mommy a deal, Barbara bugged me when she declared that because she doesn't see runners at night in NYC she doesn't see a use for the light clips on running shoes. Apparently she is unable to see where anyone else in the country (or any other country for that matter) would have a use for them. I am not a runner but I am a walker, and often walk at night in the dark. Because I live in a town and neighbourhood where it is safe to do that. I would buy the lights in a New York minute. Barbara is a moron.

[Primetimer]

An icon of the cookie industry has to hit up the Sharks for pocket change, but the real winner this week is a husband-and-wife team who manage to get four Sharks trying to outbid each other.

View the full article

[Eolivet]

One interesting thing I noticed about the swim sisters is that when Barbara made her counteroffer, sister-in-red looked excited, while sister-in-white looked wary. Methinks the overpriced bathing suits (with the world's worst brand name that tells you nothing about the product) contribute substantially to sister-in-white's family income, while sister-in-red does it for fun money.

[bilgistic]

Those swimsuits looked to have zero breast support. A lot of moms have breasts that enlarge when pregnant and if they breastfeed. I'm not a mom, so I'm clearly not an expert on swimsuits, but I have to buy a bra-sized top (tankini with built-in bra) and bottoms separately. I end up paying about what they were quoting for their suits, but that's life with bigger boobs. I'm not bragging. I'd love to be as lithe as those ladies are after FOUR kids apiece. I have only a cat and I look a mess.

[Jesse]

I don't even have big breasts, but I pay that much for supportive bathing suits! Slenderizing, underwire, the works. Those looked sloppy on trim people. 

[starri]

I think I've made my feelings on both tears and women who list their qualifications as "mother" perfectly clear, but even I was surprised how quickly my urge to throw something at the TV rose with those two.  I'm a little disappointed in Barbara for falling for that schtick.  I'm glad she insisted on so much equity, but there was really no business there yet.

I just felt really bad for Famous Amos.  I believe he came to my middle school when I was in 7th grade.  I was also really impressed that Mark knew so much about his story.

Now that I can shower with my iPhone, I don't know if schlepping to my nearest...let's just call it Schmest Schmuy...if I get it wet is something I would care about.  Also, if you want to know what works if you drop your phone in the toilet, just don't use your phone on the toilet.

My first thought about the shoe lights was "I wonder how much money they got from their Kickstarter."  Answer:  $42K.

[LotusFlower]

So Barabara has a young daughter with a learning disability, and she just happened to ask the moms with no business experience to describe a hardship or obstacle in their own lives, and what do you know - mom #1 has a son with a learning disability.  What a coincidence!  

[chocolatine]

I just started watching the show this season because I recently started my own business and several people in my life keep telling me how "educational" Shark Tank is. I think Robert and Kevin occasionally make good points about finances, but overall I find the show more annoying than helpful. The way the sharks tried to jerk the shoe lights couple around by changing their offers, then changing them back, was appalling. In a real life scenario, I wouldn't want to go into business with someone like that.

And don't get me started on the swimsuit moms who've apparently never held real jobs and think ADHD is a terrible disability. Their swimsuits won't work for anyone who's heavier than 120 pounds / bigger than a B-cup.

I've never dropped my own phone in water, but my understanding is that a Ziploc bag filled with uncooked rice accomplishes the same thing as the Tecdry guys' $$$ device. What am I missing? And yes, the new iPhone is supposed to be waterproof.

Edited October 8, 2016 by chocolatine

[krawz555]

As soon as mom started sniffing and tears started to come, I muted the tv. Why do they think we want to hear it???? "And then, and then my baby was born with two heads..." yawn.

And I can see using the shoe lights when I walk my dog at night. I tried the lights that go around the collar but my dog hated it and it was a pain putting it and taking it off. I may try the shoe lights if I see them in stores.

[MakeMeLaugh]

Barbara is getting a makeover on this show--she was the mean one up until now, and now she gets soft lights and gentle music and angels flying around her head when she speaks. Gah. And yes re Laurie's wardrobe choice--not a good look. And why the heck did the swimsuit moms get such a pass on their apparent lack of a work history or even education that would benefit their company? So all full-time moms can be successful entrepreneurs because it's such a hard job (I've been there and I sure couldn't be a successful entrepreneur): As Mark commented when the TekDry guy started bragging that they have the best employees ever (similar to the swimsuit moms' argument why they would be good partners and work harder than anyone else in the history of Shark Tank because they run their family), doesn't everyone say that when they're trying to get money?

How high is the barrier to entry for those shoe lights? I bet I could whip up a pair in about ten minutes using stuff from a big box store. Wasn't that always one of the criteria, that the product had to be hard to duplicate by a competitor? And did any of the pitchers get asked if they have a patent on their products?

I don't think cel phones are as special as they used to be in terms of damage--not a big deal or that expensive to just get a new one, and most people's stuff is on the cloud somewhere (or could be; and should be, if it's a business phone) so not that hard to restore your phone files to a new one vs spending $60 to get your old one dried out (without any guarantees it sounds like). 

Famous Amos--I can't believe no one threw him a deal, really.

I do love this show, though :)

Edited October 8, 2016 by MakeMeLaugh

[Charlesman]

Ugh, Barbara basically said "You bore me and your idea sucks, but, maybe you could tell me a sob story to get me interested in you again"

Cripes, this show.

 

And, sorry, but shoe lights are dumb. How is there a market for this, in either runners or workplace safety, that isn't served by headlamps already? I'd think a headlamp would actually perform better than a constantly moving, low, beam that is much harder to point at what you're looking for in the dark. How often do you try to figure out what's in that shadow by pointing your toe at it? Don't you turn your head instead?

I think Kevin even said "I'd be great to get miners to wear these!" Yeah, if it wasn't for the giant friggin' lights they already have on their helmets.

Edited October 8, 2016 by Charlesman

[Racj82]

Can't say I cared about Lori's dress at all. I'm a straight male so what do I know. She a nice tight dress on. Don't get the reactions to that.

 

Someone throw my man Famous Amos a deal. That was hard to watch. Work with him to get the costs down and work around using him without saying he's famous Amos straight out.

[seacliffsal]

I, too, teared up during the update about Daymond-especially when he was talking about starting with nothing and now participating in global entrepreneuer programs.  

I was saddened by the man formerly known as Famous Amos.  I really was wishing that Mark was going to give him $50,000, because as Mark has said before, it's really nothing to him.  I looked up his cookies on Amazon and they are $14.99 for a 7.8 oz bag, so I passed as it was just too expensive.  However, I have noticed the change in the taste of the Famous Amos cookies, so believe that these would be closer to the original recipe and probably pretty good.  Just didn't want to spend that much on them.  I hope that he does increase his business after this appearance.  I wish him well.

The moms?  Could not stand them.  And, in responding to the question about business/retail backgrounds, I hated it when the one responded "we're moms so we are good at everything."  Um, no.  And then the story about ADHD; not an uncommon disability that is increasing in numbers every year (I'm a teacher so have observed the increase and have worked with many students with this diagnosis).  NO, that does NOT mean you are able to create and run a successful business.  I also noticed that the other sisters who were wearing the swim suits all had some type of cover-up placed somewhere.  The one in the gray one piece had a cover up that covered the sides and back, another sister had something wrapped around her waist.  So, they weren't really showing off the suits as much as they were covering up unflattering fits, etc.  Like others I didn't think that the suits fit well.

Maybe it's just me, but when presenters start by standing by a prop toilet and then throwing something into it, I'm probably not that interested in the product.

I already found the Night Runner lights on Amazon and will be buying some for some people who are out at night either running or on the job.  Hopefully, they will work out for them.

[Latverian Diplomat]

8 hours ago, starri said:

I think I've made my feelings on both tears and women who list their qualifications as "mother" perfectly clear, but even I was surprised how quickly my urge to throw something at the TV rose with those two.  I'm a little disappointed in Barbara for falling for that schtick.  I'm glad she insisted on so much equity, but there was really no business there yet.

She didn't fall for a schtick, though. She demanded misery porn in return for an investment, and she got what she wanted, I guess.

23 minutes ago, Racj82 said:

Someone throw my man Famous Amos a deal. That was hard to watch. Work with him to get the costs down and work around using him without saying he's famous Amos straight out.

I thought Mark might have thrown him a pity deal, except for the conflict of interest issue? Or maybe Mark was just happy to have the excuse?

That said, it's a nonstarter as an investment. The guy is 80, one serious illness and most likely the business collapses.

6 hours ago, chocolatine said:

I just started watching the show this season because I recently started my own business and several people in my life keep telling me how "educational" Shark Tank is. I think Robert and Kevin occasionally make good points about finances, but overall I find the show more annoying than helpful.

I've never dropped my own phone in water, but my understanding is that a Ziploc bag filled with uncooked rice accomplishes the same thing as the Tecdry guys' $$$ device. What am I missing? And yes, the new iPhone is supposed to be waterproof.

Math is not entertaining, (but sob stories are, apparently).

I can believe their gadget works better than rice, but the rice think is a) fast and b) cheap. And as phones move to being water resistant/waterproof, this problem goes away anyway. I'm surprised Barbara was the only one to allude to that.

The fact that they took one of Kevin's elaborate equity/loan deals makes me think they were a bit desperate.

10 hours ago, Eolivet said:

One interesting thing I noticed about the swim sisters is that when Barbara made her counteroffer, sister-in-red looked excited, while sister-in-white looked wary. Methinks the overpriced bathing suits (with the world's worst brand name that tells you nothing about the product) contribute substantially to sister-in-white's family income, while sister-in-red does it for fun money.

I got a slightly different impression. sister-in-red understands they need the investment and just happy to stay in business, sister-in-white wants feels threatened at losing majority stake because she's the boss.

[Jamoche]

46 minutes ago, seacliffsal said:

I, too, teared up during the update about Daymond-especially when he was talking about starting with nothing and now participating in global entrepreneuer programs.  

I was saddened by the man formerly known as Famous Amos.  I really was wishing that Mark was going to give him $50,000, because as Mark has said before, it's really nothing to him.  I looked up his cookies on Amazon and they are $14.99 for a 7.8 oz bag, so I passed as it was just too expensive.  

Amazon must be marking them the hell up, because they're 5.99 for a 6 oz bag on his website.

[maxineofarc]

1 hour ago, Charlesman said:

And, sorry, but shoe lights are dumb. How is there a market for this, in either runners or workplace safety, that isn't served by headlamps already? I'd think a headlamp would actually perform better than a constantly moving, low, beam that is much harder to point at what you're looking for in the dark. How often do you try to figure out what's in that shadow by pointing your toe at it? Don't you turn your head instead?

YMMV, I guess. I run at night and I'm really interested in these. My headlamp is nice but it's on my head, which is way above the ground, so I don't get a great look at what's right in front of me. I'm constantly worried about turning my ankle on uneven terrain. Being able to see what's right in front of my feet would be a big help.

[Spunkygal]

I must admit I am famous for my finger on the FF button....through the intros, commercials and sometimes through the updates. So, I totally missed the Daymond update everyone is talking about. Would someone be kind enough to give me a brief summary? My local paper's watchdog recently slammed him for an entrepreneurial seminar here in town that was pretty high dollar and had his image all over the marketing material, which according to watchdog made people think Daymond would at least show up for a few minutes. He did not appear, but the person conducting the seminar name-dropped Daymond frequently. So I am really curious whether other media is slamming Daymond and he made an apology or what????

[Amarsir]

8 hours ago, chocolatine said:

I just started watching the show this season because I recently started my own business and several people in my life keep telling me how "educational" Shark Tank is. I think Robert and Kevin occasionally make good points about finances, but overall I find the show more annoying than helpful. The way the sharks tried to jerk the shoe lights couple around by changing their offers, then changing them back, was appalling. In a real life scenario, I wouldn't want to go into business with someone like that.

Last week's was better with an actual discussion of how to arrive at a valuation. But I don't think the sharks were jerking them around so much as competing. (Except for Lori, with her "But you have to tell me now ... unless it's no, then think about it.") Grouping up was a response to a perceived willingness on equity, and reverting was responding to their cap of 20%. In real life you should be lucky to have 3 differently-structured offers. There wouldn't be such a time pressure on it, but you should have the skill to determine which of those 4 offers would have suited you the best.

1 hour ago, Spunkygal said:

I must admit I am famous for my finger on the FF button....through the intros, commercials and sometimes through the updates. So, I totally missed the Daymond update everyone is talking about. Would someone be kind enough to give me a brief summary? 

Last year Daymond was asked by the President to be on a committee about global entrepreneurship and this year that hasn't been erased from history. There really wasn't anything to the update other than that Daymond seems legitimately thrilled to be an official representative.

Edited October 9, 2016 by Amarsir

[woodscommaelle]

Those bathing suits were hideous.

Famous Amos are my favorite store-bought cookies. Always have been. I would be exactly like him with his 'numbers on paper/don't ask me any questions' about them. I suck at money and numbers.

I thought that little segment after with Mark was in hopes that someone watching will get in touch with him and help him out. 

Edited October 9, 2016 by woodscommaelle

[Amarsir]

By the way, Wally Amos is also the guy behind Uncle Wally's Muffins, sold all over (including Walmart). And I believe he still owns a big chunk of that one. So I don't think he's doing badly. He just wanted another try with high-end cookies.

[MissSunshine]

On a side note, doesn't Mark look great for his age? He's 57, I couldn't believe it. I always pegged him for late 40s

[Maria Von Trapp]

11 hours ago, chocolatine said:

I just started watching the show this season because I recently started my own business and several people in my life keep telling me how "educational" Shark Tank is. I think Robert and Kevin occasionally make good points about finances, but overall I find the show more annoying than helpful. The way the sharks tried to jerk the shoe lights couple around by changing their offers, then changing them back, was appalling. In a real life scenario, I wouldn't want to go into business with someone like that.

And don't get me started on the swimsuit moms who've apparently never held real jobs and think ADHD is a terrible disability. Their swimsuits won't work for anyone who's heavier than 120 pounds / bigger than a B-cup.

I've never dropped my own phone in water, but my understanding is that a Ziploc bag filled with uncooked rice accomplishes the same thing as the Tecdry guys' $$$ device. What am I missing? And yes, the new iPhone is supposed to be waterproof.

I thought the swimsuit moms looked great for having had 4 kids each , but they and their sisters/models all had a tall/lean body type which unfortunately most of us who have had one or more babies don't have. If they are going to claim to cater to moms they need to have models with more tyical mom bodies ( ie bigger, saggier boobs, muffin tops etc ... ugh) .

Edited October 9, 2016 by Maria Von Trapp
Miss spelling

[Auntie Anxiety]

Quote

And I can see using the shoe lights when I walk my dog at night. I tried the lights that go around the collar but my dog hated it and it was a pain putting it and taking it off. I may try the shoe lights if I see them in stores.

I also immediately thought the lights would be useful when I walk my dog at night. Guess Barbara is unaware that there is the REST of the country, not just NYC, and we do stuff after dark because it's safe in my rural area, my dog needs to pee in the evening not just during the daytime, (daylight savings time ends in a few weeks, folks), and I can't afford to hire someone to do it like she and her rich friends might have.

It is also a safety item. Joggers running during dusk would be far more visible on the side of the road. Not sure I bought the story that the husband is a marathon runner; he's dragging around an awful lot of weight.

For the swimsuit moms, I would trade my entire dumpster full of troubles for an ADHD kid. Everyone in the universe has, at some point been challenged in their life, yet it doesn't make you an entrepreneur. Catalogue stores (like LL Bean) offer tons of bathing suits in an array of styles in an array of fabrics. Why would I want to purchase a suit that looks crappy for $149?

Wally Amos was pathetic. He already lost one fortune and it would idiotic for a shark to sign for that inevitability knowing his track record.

I'm outside the phone dryer demographic. I don't put my life on my cellphone because I actually have a life.

[chocolatine]

19 hours ago, Jamoche said:

Amazon must be marking them the hell up, because they're 5.99 for a 6 oz bag on his website.

I've noticed huge markups for a lot of consumables sold on Amazon. I always google the product and check its prices elsewhere before buying from Amazon (if I can't get it locally).

[hkit]

What can I say about the moms that hasn't already been said? They hit every trigger for me. It disgusts me that their pity story worked (by the way, ADHD is a hardship now? I guess a lot of people are fucked). I'm hoping this deal falls apart in due diligence. I usually don't wish any ill will towards the entrepreneurs on this show, but they need a dose of reality.

I understand the concerns of the phone thing expanding to retail, but who would want to send their phone off via mail to get it fixed? If my phone isn't working, I need it fixed right now. Being without it for 3 days for it to get there, then how many days for them to do their thing, then probably another 3 days for it to be returned is simply not an option. I'd have to replace it before being without it for a week. I'd gladly go to Best Buy or some mall kiosk to try this out, but really, the bin of rice in my pantry will do the same thing and is much closer. I fear that this company will go belly up quickly if it goes to a pure mail order model. 

[psychoticstate]

I'm with you, @hkit.  I was just talking with a coworker about this episode and I said that it made me crazy that swimsuit mom started crying about her kid having ADHD.  Big freaking deal.  My kid had/has ADHD.  You don't cry over it, just deal with it.  My co-worker looked at me like I was nuts and said it was okay for her to cry.  I said it's not on Shark Tank.  There should be no crying in business.  Or baseball. 

I liked Barbara better when she would have nothing to do with that.  I'd be thinking if this chick cries over discussing her kid's ADHD, is she going to cry if she can't get the right color for the suits?  Or if sales are down?  And she didn't intend to discuss ADHD?  Yeah, right.  That was her Hail Mary.

Felt sorry for Famous Amos.  Amazed that none of the sharks wanted to partner with him. 

Mark is 57?  I would have put him in my age range - - 40s.

[chocolatine]

4 hours ago, psychoticstate said:

There should be no crying in business. 

I wish I could like this sentence more than once. 

[Kel Varnsen]

On ‎2016‎-‎10‎-‎09 at 5:18 PM, hkit said:

I'd gladly go to Best Buy or some mall kiosk to try this out, but really, the bin of rice in my pantry will do the same thing and is much closer. I fear that this company will go belly up quickly if it goes to a pure mail order model. 

Yea I also think this would work as an in store product much better than a mail order thing. In my local mall there are so many places that sell phones that I don't think there is a single place in the mall concourse where you can stand and not see a cell phone store. With that many different stores (plus all the phone repair places around my city), I can see many of them being really interested in something a little different that might drive people to their business. Especially since if it doesn't fix the phone, sure the customer doesn't pay, but at the same time the store owner has a new potential customer in their store who now needs a new phone.

On ‎2016‎-‎10‎-‎08 at 2:21 AM, UsernameFatigue said:

Those bathing suits were butt ugly - both the styles and the colours. And I am so tired of moms who cry. I bet my hubby when they were walking into the tank that one of them would cry.

As soon as they showed their video I told my wife this was going to be some stupid "by moms for moms" business and one of them would cry. Once they went to the break I told her that Barbara would offer them a brutal deal and they would take it. I would be shocked if this survives due diligence.  I would be super shocked if we ever see an update for this thing.

[ae2]

This is what Barbara asked for that prompted mommy tears:

Quote

Every entrepreneur that comes into the tank is loaded with passion, the earlier in the game the more passion they have. It's never really enough. I totally believe you're committed. Is there anything you can point to in your past that would help me feel as though you have accomplished something in the business world. Even a small thing, [stammer] stuck with some personal journey that you've seen through to the finish line.

At first it sounded like she really wanted to find a reason to invest in them, and she was asking them for a business experience that would demonstrate they had any sort of talent worthy of investment. Then she added in the "personal journey" thing.

My baseless assumption here is that the producers prompted Barbara to ask this. It was phrased so awkwardly, and as far as I can recall a shark has never asked for something quite like that before.* We know that the producers want the tearjerkers because they are good for ratings. More than likely they knew that this story would connect with Barbara.

I don't think that the producers ever encourage a shark to invest in a particular business, as that would likely elicit a whole lot of backlash and probably legal issues.

All of this to say, I actually believe the mom didn't intend on telling her sob story in the tank, but was urged into it. And I'm just not sure what Barbara actually sees in this business.

(I do assume that if a shark were not making enough offers that the producers would tell them to pick it up or they would be replaced.)

* It is fairly common for one of the sharks to ask something like, "why is this business so important to you?" or "what does getting a deal here mean to you?" which often starts the sobbing backstory. I'm fairly certain those questions are always intended to prompt the tears.

[Jersey Guy 87]

I thought the moms with swimsuits had a bad idea.  I have no idea from their pitch why their swimsuits are so much better for "moms" than any other swimsuit.  Plus I think the number of places where people where swimsuits all day long are fairly limited.

The Tekdry idea sounds good at first but I don't know how well it will succeed.  There's the whole issue of needing to dry the phone as soon as possible (the mail order side of things seems just stupid to me) plus phones are heading towards better and better water resistance.  And most people have rice or can get a bag of rice much quicker than they'd get to a Tekdry center.  I'm sure their method of having water-absorbing beads combined with heated air is better than the bag of rice solution but I'm not sure it's enough better to make up for the amount of time it would take you to get to one of their facilities.

The NightRunner idea seems like it could be good, they wound up (accidentally, I think) playing the sharks pretty well and got the deal they wanted.

Wally Amos was just sad.  If anyone deserved a sympathy $50K it was him, not the moms.

[sarthaz]

This episode made me angry, like really angry.  It reminded me of the Chris Rock routine about "wanting credit for shit you're supposed to do."

'I take care of my kids.'  You're supposed to, m***rf***r!

Barbara's awkward leading question: "Is there anything you can tell me?  It doesn't have to be related to business.  Just anything at all.  Because either I or the producers have a hidden agenda here.  So, I dunno, perhaps you know I have a kid with ADHD, so could you possibly talk about ADHD in some way so I have an excuse to invest in your shitty not-a-business?  Don't say anything that matters.  Just talk for a bit.  And cry."

"Why, yes, Barbara. As a matter of fact, I'm a mom.  And I love and support my children.  I know, it's crazy!!!"

Seriously, WTF.

(Edit: I just read some of the other responses in this thread, and I see I'm not alone)

[Bookish Jen]

First, how did we get to the point where being a mother made you an expert on everything? I don't recall my mother and her friends thinking any expertise they may have was solely due to having children. Their expertise was often due to education, work, and honing their talents and skills, and these moms of Raising Wild (stupid name) seem to have none of these things. I was really ticked when Barbara gave them an offer on their business, especially after the stupid sob story about one mother's kid having ADHD. Plus, the suits were ugly and clearly cheaply-made.

Famous Amos's presentation just made me sad and uncomfortable.

Tekdry? Nope, a rice solution usually works for me, not to mention the intro of waterproof smart phones.

I did like the idea of NightRunner. I don't run, but I sometimes run quick errands during dawn or dusk and I'd like a little extra light with my walks.

[nutella fitzgerald]

On 10/10/2016 at 2:32 PM, psychoticstate said:

Mark is 57?  I would have put him in my age range - - 40s.

Nope! MC is actually 58. Nothing makes sense to me anymore, either.

[Meushell]

On 10/9/2016 at 8:24 AM, Auntie Anxiety said:

Not sure I bought the story that the husband is a marathon runner; he's dragging around an awful lot of weight.

Maybe he's a marathon walker.

[bilgistic]

Size =/= fitness level

[maxineofarc]

On 10/9/2016 at 11:24 AM, Auntie Anxiety said:

It is also a safety item. Joggers running during dusk would be far more visible on the side of the road. Not sure I bought the story that the husband is a marathon runner; he's dragging around an awful lot of weight.

Hey, I drag around an awful lot of weight and I still run. Not very fast, but I do! And I know some fat folks who do marathons and even ultras. We might not have the speed but we can still have the endurance.

[sasha206]

On 10/8/2016 at 2:21 AM, UsernameFatigue said:

Those bathing suits were butt ugly - both the styles and the colours. And I am so tired of moms who cry. I bet my hubby when they were walking into the tank that one of them would cry. And having a kid with ADHD along with three others to me would mean you have a lot on your plate, and while that doesn't mean you won't be successful in business the fact that you have zero experince in anything other than motherhood makes it unlikely. And no, being a mother does not make you an expert on everything. Blech.

 

I'm late to the party catching up with his show on Hulu but I had to come on this forum to see if there were others like myself that couldn't believe how fucking ugly those bathing suits were and how annoying the moms were.  Those suits were the most unflattering bathing suits I've ever seen.   And I saw far too much nipple poking out from those skinny, irritating, entitled moms.