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S08.E18: Sand Cloud, Ora Organic, DARTdrones, The Elephant Pants


yeswedo
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A former tech consultant-turned-chef and a former strategy and operations consultant from San Diego, California, who believe their tasty, artificial-free nutrients are the future of food supplements; a woman from Scranton, Pennsylvania, who comes from a family of entrepreneurs, needs a Shark to propel her training and educational courses for would-be drone pilots; two college friends now living in Brooklyn, New York, seek to help the animals that inspired their company with elephant-themed apparel; and three beach lovers from San Diego, California, introduce a stylish option to the standard beach towel, with proceeds helping to preserve marine life. Also, an update from Bombas, a sock company with a social mission which Daymond John invested in during season 6.

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8 minutes ago, yeswedo said:

A former tech consultant-turned-chef and a former strategy and operations consultant from San Diego, California, who believe their tasty, artificial-free nutrients are the future of food supplements

How many biohackers does that make this season?

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I hope Day doesn't lose his shirt (pants?) with those clothiers . only Kevin has 40 pairs of something similar. Of course.

Floved the drone business woman.

The vitamin boys--blergh. 

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I thought that was the most interesting episode in a while, not that I personally would buy any of the products.  The young woman from Scranton was most impressive, and had a very well-thought out business.  I'm glad she took Mark's offer immediately, although I am not usually a fan of the sharks manipulative ultimatums.  Much as I liked the elephant guys (and, indeed, a worthy cause), I guess I just don't understand the business - they sell one type of pants? 

I was somewhat disappointed in the food supplement guys - their presentation was good, and the food products looked tasty.  But, aren't there a million supplements out there?  I understand their point is the quality of their ingredients but, Lori was right, their packaging doesn't really convey that.  I guess there must have been some major editing or something, because she has invested in businesses and completely revamped their packaging (I'm thinking of the paint covers, but I wouldn't be surprised if there were others).

The untowel guys seemed cool, but I realize I am NOT their target market - I'm old and rarely go to the beach (or anywhere I have to take a towel).  I agree the towels/sarongs/scarves were nice looking and a good price, but I think marketing such a crossover item would be a challenge.  There are lots of lightweight, super absorbent towels already, although I can't remember any that had such nice patterns. 

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Oh my god, Mark Burnett -- cool it with the millennials already! We get it: you think they're really interesting, and you're totally going to do Celebrity Millennial Apprentice next. I suppose at least this focused on good millennial stereotypes, like social activism, globalism and being environmentally conscious (because if I had to hear one more thing about trophies or texting or doing things "millennial style" -- whatever that means -- I don't even know what).

But after this season, I kind of never want to hear anything about different generations ever again!

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I actually found this episode kind of dull... I guess the towels looked nice, and they are pretty... but eh.. not that exciting.

Supplements are all a sham- how about you eat the foods that are good for you instead of pureeing them down into supplements?

The drone school.... I just couldn't care, I skipped everything after her initial presentation, but I'm not into drones.

I was very surprised with the sales numbers on the pants... but they do look comfy and similar to the palazzo pants that have been more in over the last couple of years.

But nothing fun or exciting or even crazy to make it interesting.

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I have a Turkish cotton towel and I love it. I picked it up on sale.  I did not understand what was different about their's.

Mr Lake has a drone.  I gave it to him for Christmas a couple years ago.  He didn't need a course on how to use it. 

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Just search Turkish cotton towels. You can find 6 on Amazon for $50. They also show up at Marshall's/TJ Maxx/Home Goods once in awhile. 

If only the guys running that company had any idea why Turkish cotton is better for towels they might have impressed the sharks a bit, or maybe made a few more sales to home viewers. They didn't seem to have any idea. They seemed dumbfounded when they were questioned whether it works very well as a towel since it's so thin.

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I looked at the Elephant Pants website.

...I could actually picture myself purchasing them.  They have a couple styles that are basically a solid color with a patterned pocket on the side of one of the legs that I really like.  And frankly, I was expecting the two dudes to be completely obnoxious and yet they somehow weren't.  Or maybe the knowledge that I'm decamping to Queens in a few months has given me premature Brooklyn homesickness.

I didn't hate the towel guys either.  It may have been because 2/3rds of them were pretty attractive.  I hate the beach, so I'm not their customer, but they had nice patterns and I could also see them used as pashminas or like, very thin throw blankets.

The drone lady seemed perfectly competent, but I hate recreational drone use with the white hot intensity of a thousand nuns, and so get off my screen.

Oh, no!  Things are made with chemicals and they may not contain superfoods.  I hope those two douches start advertising on the Food Babe blog, because they're perfect for each other.

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It is ironic that the elephant pants guys thought they were marketing to "18-24 year old females." Either of the outfits those guys were wearing, I could EASILY picture my 66-year-old mother going crazy for them. And she is an old hippie, haha :) They should rethink their marketing plan.

Thanks for the tip about the Turkish cotton on Amazon, I checked and they have some nice stuff on there that is WAY cheaper. My mom would, again, totally wear the shit out of those as wraps in the wintertime.

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11 minutes ago, ClareWalks said:

Either of the outfits those guys were wearing, I could EASILY picture my 66-year-old mother going crazy for them. And she is an old hippie, haha :) They should rethink their marketing plan.

Remember that episode of Six Feet Under where Claire was rolling on molly and made Ruth a pair of pants?

Edited by starri
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I agreed with Mark--when he first got a few dollars together, the first thing he bought were the thickest, fluffiest towels he could find.  Me, too!  It feels like luxury but at a (relatively) cheap price.  The towel company guys were selling towels that looked useless for actually drying yourself (although they were stylish, which is fine when you're dry).  I'll bet they make up for their thinness by being extra scratchy and rough, too.  We had those kind of towels in college.  They didn't dry very well, and you got really sore from using them pretty quickly!

Elephant pants: Here's what I hate about these kinds of companies - If I want to donate to an elephant charity, I'll donate to an elephant charity.  If I want to wear elephant pants, I'll buy elephant pants.  Why do these "millennial" companies always try to merge these things under one roof?  Just be a charity and do really good charitable work, or be a for-profit pants company and make the best elephant pants out there.  Trying to do both almost insures mediocrity at both.  (I like the cause; I hate the pants.)

I usually don't root against any entreprenuers on this show, but I hope the nutritional supplement guys get "a little seasoning" during all the difficulties they're going to have in building up their company.  They were so smarmy and dismissive of the Sharks' good advice.  You don't like the deal the Sharks are making? Fair enough; turn around and walk away.  But don't act like those experienced professionals are a bunch of clueless losers just because they raised some legitimate objections to your business plan.

I thought the drone lady was a little full of herself, until it turned out she could back it up!  Her business was a great idea (especially with the pivot towards commercial users).  I think she and Mark are going to work great together.  In fact, I'll bet she turns out to be one of his best partnerships on the show.  She anticipated every question he tossed her way and was obviously heading straight down the path he would have chosen as well.

Very weird episode.  All 4 companies got offers, which I think I've only seen happen once or twice. 

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7 minutes ago, Gregg247 said:

Elephant pants: Here's what I hate about these kinds of companies - If I want to donate to an elephant charity, I'll donate to an elephant charity.  If I want to wear elephant pants, I'll buy elephant pants.  Why do these "millennial" companies always try to merge these things under one roof?

EXACTLY. I said to Mr ClareWalks, "why not just buy a $20 Turkish cotton thingy on Amazon and donate the $40 difference to a charity?"

9 minutes ago, starri said:

Remember that episode of Six Feet Under where Claire was rolling on molly and made Ruth a pair of pants?

Never saw that show!

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I liked the drone lady. She was clear, business like and not emotional. Need more of that.

As an aging hippy I went to the elephant pants guys web site. All the pants have a 29" inseam which makes them long shorts on me. No talls, no other inseams possible. Pass. They also try and sell them as yoga pants.

The towel thing was so odd; you can find similar products of better quality for far less just about anywhere. I know my textiles and theirs were really nothing special. I also checked their website and there is very little product info....fringe? Dimensions? Not listed. 

Edited by Quickbeam
Typo
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4 minutes ago, Quickbeam said:

As an aging hippy I went to the elephant pants guys web site. All the pants have a 29" inseam which makes them long shorts on me. No talls, no other inseams possible. Pass. They also try and sell them as yoga pants.

WHAT?! That is ridiculous. Those don't even qualify as pants. Those are a petite inseam. I wear a 35, granted I am 5'11" and all legs but lord, that is short.

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Having $7M in sales and still being financially unsound enough to need additional cash? Should be an automatic disqualifier due to overall ineptitude.

Most of the entrepreneurs just need to get a damned business loan, already, especially the $50-75K askers. If they weren't on TV, the sharks in real life would only invest in maybe 15% of the pitches.

It's also possible I'm getting Tanked out.

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I use the cotton waffle sauna towels because a thinner towel dries you better, takes less storage, faster to dry and they look fabulous hanging in the bathroom!  The men with the Turkish towels didn't even touch why they might make a good towel.  Loved the look of them though.  They would make good throws on patio, porch or deck furniture.  I found it an odd choice for Robert.  

I loved Cuban saying, yeah, yeah, yeah, all Millennials come in here with a cause they support. 

I loved the elephant pants and tops!  It brings me back to my wardrobe in the late 60s and 70s.  I already have one pair of pants and 2 tops in my cart!   I love that Kevin has some and wears them all the time.  Who would have thought?  I bet he looks good in them, too.  I could never get my husband to wear anything like that.  Nice that the donate a small amount to elephants but that is not what drove me to that website; I want some.  

The drone course woman was good, professional, had her business in order and filled a need.  Her focus was on professional users so she should do well.  The hobbist will loose interest and we will see many drones on Craigs List and ebay.  

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13 hours ago, mjc570 said:

 I'm glad she took Mark's offer immediately, although I am not usually a fan of the sharks manipulative ultimatums. 

I'm not a fan of ultimatums either, but in this case, I didn't mind. Just because Mark gave her exactly what she asked for, so to me there's really no sense in hearing others, if only to drive up the price. Especially with hearing Mark's questions - it looks like they have the same vision together for the business. So why bother with others if you already have the right partner even if he was the first one to speak?

Edited by slowpoked
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3 hours ago, Gregg247 said:

Elephant pants: Here's what I hate about these kinds of companies - If I want to donate to an elephant charity, I'll donate to an elephant charity.  If I want to wear elephant pants, I'll buy elephant pants.  Why do these "millennial" companies always try to merge these things under one roof?  Just be a charity and do really good charitable work, or be a for-profit pants company and make the best elephant pants out there.  Trying to do both almost insures mediocrity at both.  (I like the cause; I hate the pants.)

Glad I'm not the only one, Gregg247. Maybe it's because I'm not a Millennial, but I've had it up to my eyeballs in seemingly do-gooder companies who overprice their crappy products so that they can make themselves feel better about being capitalists. I think I wrote something similar to your post months ago about the Brooklyn (of course) hipsters who designed expensive T-shirts. Or maybe it was the __________ (fill in the blank) who sold the ___________ (fill in the blank).........you get the picture (Bomba socks, anyone?). If you want to donate to a charity, no one is stopping you from donating. It makes more sense, to me anyway, to research the charity or foundation before donating, just to make sure they use your donations wisely and not on administrative fees or unnecessary travel.

I have to say that I was roaring with laughter over that  photoshopped picture of Kevin in a bathing suit. 

Edited by Auntie Anxiety
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wow the pants looked hideous to me but imagine my surprise, I went on the website and they have all sorts of things!! thanks to the poster who encouraged me to look--Im shocked they didnt show more because my impression last nite was utter disbelief that they got offers and that they had made millions of dollars!!

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I have no problem with Mark stating that his offer was only good if it was accepted immediately. It's *much* better than what Kevin has done several times this season, make an offer then suddenly drop out without warning as the entrepreneur is hearing other offers. I also love that Mark is very concise when he explains why he is or is not making an offer, unlike Lori who bloviates forever before dropping out.

I wasn't impressed with any of the businesses. The Whole Foods supplement aisle is already full of plant-based supplements. Turkish towels - not original and way overpriced. Elephant clothing - not original and not my cup of tea style-wise. Drones - fad that will pass once a new exciting toy hits the market.

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I don't understand when a shark revokes an offer because the person is still talking to other sharks.  Wouldn't the first rule of business be to consider all your options before making a decision?  I haven't been watching for long, but it also seems like Kevin wants the person to start writing him checks from the very beginning.  "Wait?  You aren't already in every store making tons of money with a perfect factory and distribution system?  I'm out."  I am fascinated when Mark makes an offer because he seems to do it so rarely; I agree that his explanations for getting out are short and reasonable to me.

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Fair or not, there's definitely a hierarchy amongst the sharks as far as desirability goes. First, as I've said before on other threads, like her or not, if you come on Shark Tank with a "thing" (as opposed to a service, or even a food product), Lori's a great partner with demonstrable results. I don't blame people who are pitching tech stuff for wanting Mark, and to a lesser extent, Robert. And so on. Next, as the recaps this season have pointed out, in working so hard to cultivate his schtick, Kevin has turned off a ton of people, to the point where it sometimes he seems he can't even give his money away.

 

This is my long-winded way of saying that if I were on Shark Tank and someone like Mark or Lori (depending on what I was pitching) offered me exactly what I wanted or close to it, but said I had to decide immediately, I'd probably take the deal. If Kevin offered the same exact thing (and as much as it pains me to say it because I generally like him as a person, Robert) with the "decide right now!" bit, I might shop around. I might regret it later when the deals get worse, as some entrepreneurs have done, but there you have it.

 

Anyway. As far as the episode itself, I thought it was boring. Good for the drone woman, though.

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I watch this every week and Dragon's Den (the Canadian version).  On Dragon's Den, the dragons make their offers, and sometimes the pitchers go into the back room to discuss and/or phone someone and then come back and either take an offer, negotiate, or decline.

On Shark Tank, there is so much and more lately of "take my offer now, or I'm out" or other sharks dropping out and the remaining one revising their offer to be better for themselves.  It seems greedy just in the interest of creating drama for ratings.  My son won't even watch ST anymore because of it.

These are businesses that people have worked hard for and the ST approach is ruining my enjoyment of the show.  I much prefer the DD approach.

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1 hour ago, Auntie Anxiety said:

Glad I'm not the only one, Gregg247. Maybe it's because I'm not a Millennial, but I've had it up to my eyeballs in seemingly do-gooder companies who overprice their crappy products so that they can make themselves feel better about being capitalists. 

This. It's why I hate Tom's shoes. On the other hand, I love Warby Parker because they make a good product at a great price and only then also have a charitable component. 

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2 hours ago, Crs97 said:

I don't understand when a shark revokes an offer because the person is still talking to other sharks.  Wouldn't the first rule of business be to consider all your options before making a decision?

I suspect that when this happens (and it doesn't always), the issue in the moment isn't not wanting them to consider the options. It's more like if you go in the tank you must have an idea of who you want to work with and who (if any) you don't. So I get the impression the "choose now" thing happens when the shark basically means "I don't want to dick around if you're really fishing for someone else".

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I have no problem with "choose now" if the Shark is upfront about it, like Mark was in this episode. There are some business situations in real life where you have to move quickly. My problem is when a Shark (usually Kevin) makes an offer, the entrepreneur ask to hear out the other Sharks, and in the middle of another Shark talking, the Shark who'd initially made the offer says, "forget it, I'm out". That's just jerking people around, which I don't appreciate.

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44 minutes ago, chocolatine said:

I have no problem with "choose now" if the Shark is upfront about it, like Mark was in this episode. There are some business situations in real life where you have to move quickly. My problem is when a Shark (usually Kevin) makes an offer, the entrepreneur ask to hear out the other Sharks, and in the middle of another Shark talking, the Shark who'd initially made the offer says, "forget it, I'm out". That's just jerking people around, which I don't appreciate.

I was actually OK with Mark doing that because he offered her what she asked for.

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20 hours ago, hatchetgirl said:

The towels are just Turkish cotton towels, right?  Or am I missing something...

It's social activism!  

Is it bad that I want to punch them?  I mean, I appreciate what goes to a good cause but at the same time, that really seems to be their product.  "We had a failed first attempt at a pillow towel scrapped that and now, look we're saving baby seals with our overpriced towels!"

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I usually don't like it when a shark tells a pitcher to take his/her deal 'right now' or lose it but as someone else posted since Mark was giving her what she asked for it didn't bother me.

I liked the elephant pants and have a few pairs that I wear at home as leisure wear. Not those exact pants but that idea. They are super comfy and I was actually wearing a pair as I watched the show. The price point of $24 was reasonable. I have paid as little as $12 if they are on sale and have never paid more than $40 but those were a beautiful material both in pattern and softness.

I thought the beach towel guys had a better idea with their first invention - the towel that had the built in head rest. What they are selling now can be found pretty much anywhere and for much much less. And if I am taking a towel to the beach I want it to be absorbant and not only thick for comfort when drying off, but also if I am laying on it at the beach I don't want to feel the little pebbles that sometimes sand has if it is course.

I actually enjoyed this epi - I like it when the sharks are pretty much getting along and having fun rather than when they are snipping at each other. I also like Uberguy free epis - likely for the same reason.

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22 hours ago, slowpoked said:

I'm not a fan of ultimatums either, but in this case, I didn't mind. Just because Mark gave her exactly what she asked for, 

I don't like the ultimatums either, because it puts the entrepreneurs in a bind. But if you know who you want to work with, and they offer you what you asked, it's not such a fraught situation.

16 hours ago, theatremouse said:

I suspect that when this happens (and it doesn't always), the issue in the moment isn't not wanting them to consider the options. It's more like if you go in the tank you must have an idea of who you want to work with 

My impression was that Mark was thinking, usually I'm here just to have a laugh and preach the gospel of capitalism, but this is actually a great opportunity. Screw good TV, snap this one up.

I think she's someone who could have pitched to him IRL and gotten an investment. 

On a different topic, is it becoming painfully obvious that no one wants to work with Kevin? I find his personality off putting, and his attempts to push elaborate deals tedious, but is that it? Or does he have a poor track record in his invested in businesses?

Edited by Latverian Diplomat
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10 hours ago, UsernameFatigue said:

 

I thought the beach towel guys had a better idea with their first invention -

I agree, but it didn't sell. My guess is too bulky or too cumbersome to use in any other towel-ish way. The advantages they saw with the Turkish cotton towels were that they didn't take much space and were multi-use. I'd guess these are strengths where their first product had weaknesses.

Of course, the outcome of their extensive talking to beach goers didn't give them a new idea. It seems like they just hopped on something that was already trending. 

On 2/25/2017 at 8:26 AM, Gregg247 said:

Elephant pants: Here's what I hate about these kinds of companies - If I want to donate to an elephant charity, I'll donate to an elephant charity.  If I want to wear elephant pants, I'll buy elephant pants.  Why do these "millennial" companies always try to merge these things under one roof?  Just be a charity and do really good charitable work, or be a for-profit pants company and make the best elephant pants out there.  Trying to do both almost insures mediocrity at both.  (I like the cause; I hate the pants.)

 

The very first episode of Adam Ruins Everything makes this same point.

  • Love 1
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I think my favorite all-time moment of any of these shows..... Mark makes Drone Lady an offer, she takes it, and Lori has this stupid, airhead look on her face, "What happened? What? What just happened?" I never laughed so hard at this show in my life. Maybe if she paid attention to anything besides herself, she'd know what happened.

When the Elephant Pants guys came out and did their little dance... I asked my fiance, "Where's MC Hammer when you need him?" Can't touch this... 

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2 hours ago, cooksdelight said:

I think my favorite all-time moment of any of these shows..... Mark makes Drone Lady an offer, she takes it, and Lori has this stupid, airhead look on her face, "What happened? What? What just happened?" I never laughed so hard at this show in my life. Maybe if she paid attention to anything besides herself, she'd know what happened.

When the Elephant Pants guys came out and did their little dance... I asked my fiance, "Where's MC Hammer when you need him?" Can't touch this... 

They also make Hammer pants!  LOL!  with boots, no less.  

TEP_Product-BalaramaHammer_1200715womens

 

The pants I bought (in pic above) look pretty silly styled with a leather jacket and boots.  With flip flops and a Tee for around the house would have been a better idea and how I intend to wear them.  

I, too, loved the look on Lori's face and her horror at the injustice.  He was just not that into you, Lori.  :^)   

I like the entire cast and their dynamic and I include Lori in that, even though I don't like her (understatement).  

Edited by wings707
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For all Kevin's self-promotion, Mark is actually the one who knows how to creatively structure a deal. They all like to say "Sharks are worth more!" but only Cuban knew how to actually put it in writing that way. Instead of 17.5% to "special" investor, it's 15% to an investor and 2.5% for a partner's experience.  There's no guarantee that prior investors won't see it as a manipulation, but it's a smart way to put on paper what they all wanted to imply.

(My favorite creative financing deal was Mark's backing the Sworkit app, secured by unsold advertising inventory. Apparently the deal fell through on minutiae, but as structured it would have been very clever.

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I, too, do not mind when they say, you have to take this deal right now IF it's exactly for what the entrepreneur asked. Also, I think Mark was the best fit for her, so good for both of them.

Elephant pants: If I were still the size I was up until about 7 years ago, I would be ALL OVER those elephant pants. Not because they donate to charity, either. I donate to plenty animal and environmental charities, as well as ACLU, St. Jude's, Shriners Hospitals for Children and various Viet Nam veterans charities, so since I'm clearly NOT a millennial, my raison d'etre for purchasing crap isn't so I can feel better that they donate something to charity on my behalf because I'm too lazy to seek out things I care about on my own. For me, because I love the look of the pants and it takes me back to my days of wrap skirts made of similar fabrics, the fact that they give part of it to charity is just a bonus.

Daymond! My Friday night is brighter when you're on the show. Also, go Bombas. I like those guys and am glad they've had success with Daymond.

Edited by PepperMonkey
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