S10.E14: Zookies Cookies, CurlMix, GOGA Goat Yoga, Shower Toga

[GoldenGirl90]

March 3, 2019

Bake-at-home, all-natural treats; a beauty product made specifically for women with curly hair; a unique twist on yoga with help from a surprising source; a product for showering in public with privacy; Alli Webb guest judges.

[Diana Berry]

Wonder why the dog guys don't find a way to sell the biscuits premade.     Cute idea but agree most of us aren't going to have a set schedule to bake dog biscuits.

I like the last lady's idea of marketing the toga drape to senior facilities.

The hair shark didn't bug me that much but needs to stop name dropping her business.

[Gregg247]

I've been watching Shark Tank since S1, and I must say that this was probably the worst episode they've ever done.  The baked dog treats was ridiculous.  As Lori said, it was a gimmick product that people would buy (once) as a gift for someone, and that was about it.  I couldn't believe they got a deal.

The Shower Toga lady had not one, not two, but THREE sob stories at the ready for when the sharks started to bail on her.  She was a cancer survivor.  Her family's home building business in Atlanta failed.  Her job raising horses dried up.  Plus, did she say that all four family members lived in the fifth wheel on the back of their truck, traveling around the country to participate in mud runs?  That must be some tight quarters, especially with 2 adult children (thank goodness they can use the Shower Toga every night!)

Goat yoga?  I would have been Out before the introductions were finished.

The curly hair thing may be an actual product,  I thought it was funny how Robert, who knew nothing about the problem or the "solution" was the eventual investor.

I really felt like I wasted an hour of my time tonight, and I've never felt that way about Shark Tank before.

[LittleIggy]

Goat yoga was a fad a couple of years ago, wasn’t it?

[theatremouse]

Shower toga lady was too intense for me. Even before she started her sob story she was aggressive, but not in a confident aggressive way, in a "I might burst any minute" aggressive way. It was uncomfortable to watch. Glad some of the sharks liked it, but she put me off pretty quickly.

With CurlMix, I was gobsmacked Robert genuinely couldn't see which side was which. Like, dude, do you have eyes? Even if he didn't understand which one was the "good" side how could he not see that they were clearly different.

[CrazyInAlabama]

The dog cookies seemed like another fad item, that will get a bump in sales from the show, but it's not going to be a strong product for long.  

I think the Curl Mix people only came on the show to get the publicity, and maybe an investor if they could get it on their terms.       I wasn't surprised they walked, but really thought Ally Webb would make a strong offer.    The product looked great.

Goat yoga?    That was big several years ago.    Not a long term yoga activity in my view.   I'm glad they didn't get an offer. 

Shower Toga-I didn't even watch this to the end, once they started the sad stories I turned it off.   I agreed with Kevin, a tarp or garbage bag would work.  

[basiltherat]

Goat yoga has been prominent for a few years now and you would have to be living under a rock not to know that!  Its got maybe one more year left.  You wouldn't start a business just for the goat aspect (just because mommy raises goats!) but you would be a yoga instructor who added a class or two with the goats as a highlight.  After next year, those goats would be ready for Mr. Wonderful's barbecue.

Dog biscuits are already covered by Barbara's business with Ryan's, so we have seen pre-made healthy biscuits.  Doggy won't wait for them to be baked AND COOlLED!  And why do you cook for your dog and not for your family?

And we've seen cover-ups with Lori's Disney terry towel thing.  She should have jumped on the plastic bag shower thingy (hi Mr. Wonderful again) and had it branded with campground logos and/or Lollapaloozas.

The hair chick looked like she could be Jennifer Garner's sister, but her hair color was annoying.  I don't get the name "Dry Bar" -- it sounds like a refreshment stand at an AA meeting!  Is it another way for social media-addicted millennials to part with vast quantities of money?

[CrazyInAlabama]

I was curious about the Dry Bar name, and was amazed at how much a blowout costs.   They even have memberships.     

I bet even though the Curl Mix people didn't get a deal, I'm sure the Dry Bar lady would be interested in selling their product, or using it at the shops.

[Moose135]

2 hours ago, basiltherat said:

Goat yoga has been prominent for a few years now and you would have to be living under a rock not to know that!

I've never heard of it before.  Who knew goats could do yoga?

[Whimsy]

3 hours ago, basiltherat said:

Goat yoga has been prominent for a few years now and you would have to be living under a rock not to know that!  Its got maybe one more year left.  You wouldn't start a business just for the goat aspect (just because mommy raises goats!) but you would be a yoga instructor who added a class or two with the goats as a highlight.  After next year, those goats would be ready for Mr. Wonderful's barbecue.

Dog biscuits are already covered by Barbara's business with Ryan's, so we have seen pre-made healthy biscuits.  Doggy won't wait for them to be baked AND COOlLED!  And why do you cook for your dog and not for your family?

And we've seen cover-ups with Lori's Disney terry towel thing.  She should have jumped on the plastic bag shower thingy (hi Mr. Wonderful again) and had it branded with campground logos and/or Lollapaloozas.

The hair chick looked like she could be Jennifer Garner's sister, but her hair color was annoying.  I don't get the name "Dry Bar" -- it sounds like a refreshment stand at an AA meeting!  Is it another way for social media-addicted millennials to part with vast quantities of money?

I agree- goat yoga is no longer a unique, novel idea.  I, personally, would never want to do it.  I love goats.  We even raised goats for awhile when I was a kid, but trying to do something physical fitnessy with a goat on me does not sound like fun.

I guess I'm the weirdo here because I don't think the dog biscuit mix is that bad of an idea.  There are TONS of people who treat their pets like actual children.  You bake for your children, why not your pet?  I probably would, if it weren't for the pricetag. I've made dog friendly cupcakes to celebrate the dogs birthdays (at the request of my daughter.  I would not have done it otherwise).  I have one dog with a sensitive stomach so sometimes treats cause her to not feel well.   I just know what treats to buy her now, but I could see some owners thinking that making the treats themselves would be healthier, safer, etc.  People do really ridiculous things for their pets.  Baking a treat from a mix isn't the most out-there idea. 

[Amarsir]

There's a hotels.com ad right now that features their mascot getting "goat yoga". I think it's fair to say that an idea is no longer new when it's being parodied by a character named "Captain Obvious."

Edited March 4, 2019 by Amarsir

[mjc570]

I guess I'm kind of an outlier here, because I really liked the baked dog treat product.  I'd love to bake treats for my furbaby and her friends, but I am not a baker, and don't want to have to deal with obtaining and measuring ingredients.  I use a lot of mixes when I'm forced to bake, so I can see using one for treats.  In fact, I'm pretty sure King Arthur flour has a mix for treats.   So what if it takes some time?  You bake them and have them ready.  It's not like any dog parent doesn't have a supply of treats at hand.    I agree the packaging and marketing (should come with a dog biscuit cookie cutter?) needs to change. 

Loved the goat idea, especially their little shark costumes.  I put it in the same category as the painting/drinking parties.  As an (ahem) somewhat older woman, I know quite a number of people who really enjoy going to such places, as long as the wine is drinkable.

The shower toga seems like a good idea, with lots of expansion potential.  That woman was just way too intense, although the fact that she persuaded her husband to wear that ridiculous get-up, and her son and daughter to give up any semblance of a "normal" life to live excursively in the mud circuit shows her determination.  Too many sob stories from her, though.  I can't even remember if she got a deal (I think she turned it down?) and I just watched it a few minutes ago.

Liked the hair product, pretty sure they just came on for the publicity, unless they were hoping that the hair shark (love it, Diana Berry) would come up with something.

Speaking of her - I'm not in the least a fan of guest shark like her.  She's not any kind of all around investor, just someone who developed a successful niche business for which she is receiving some advertising.  No question Kevin as a partner is certainly worth a premium over her offer,

[Jal]

I'm not surprised the Curl Mix folks didn't take the deal.

And even if they ended up liking the percentage, why take a deal with a guy who can't see something as obvious as what side of the head had defined curls and which side didn't? It was ridiculous.

Edited March 5, 2019 by Jal

[Angeltoes]

A local studio has cat yoga.  The animal shelter sends over a couple of adoptable cats who schmooze with the participants.  Instant love matches are made and kitty gets a furever home.

[LittleIggy]

What annoyed me about the dog biscuit mix presentation is that the Sharks acted as if mixing the ingredients with water then baking it was such an onerous chore.

[rhys]

I should just check the web but I was trying to figure out the "I" in Curl Mix. It looked like a wooden spoon... That makes no sense, so hair brush?

[Whimsy]

9 minutes ago, rhys said:

I should just check the web but I was trying to figure out the "I" in Curl Mix. It looked like a wooden spoon... That makes no sense, so hair brush?

It's definitely a spoon.  That makes zero sense.  I get that the word is mix and you associate a spoon with mixing, but it's a hair product.  

[seacliffsal]

At times I think the show is scrapping the bottom of the barrel with products, but with this episode I thought they were scrapping the bottom of the barrel with guest sharks.  Granted she is successful, but there was no name recognition for me of her product/business.  Are the regular sharks not interested in being on the show or do the producers think viewers want relatively unknown sharks taking the places of the regulars?  At least she jumped in and made some offers.

A couple of seasons ago there were goat yoga contestants on the Amazing Race, so the goat yoga presentation is definitely behind the trend.  And, no, I'm not interested in having a goat with hooves climbing over me while I'm trying to do something else, and I'm REALLY not interested in the possibility of said goat relieving itself on me-I was wondering if Robert was going to get a surprise from that goat... Having said that, I love goats and have even thought about having some (and, no, not in the way Mr. Wonderful advocated...).

I think Curl Mix will be sorry they didn't accept Robert's offer.  Although he didn't get it at first, I think he would have helped them grow.  He has been successful with other products he didn't really get.  And, I like that attitude rather than the attitudes we get from some of the other sharks (especially Lori with her "I wouldn't eat it so it's not for me").  It's about business decisions and investments, not one's favorite food or flavor.

[Moose135]

57 minutes ago, seacliffsal said:

And, I like that attitude rather than the attitudes we get from some of the other sharks (especially Lori with her "I wouldn't eat it so it's not for me").  It's about business decisions and investments, not one's favorite food or flavor.

But she has to be passionate about something if she is going to invest it in... 😜

[rhys]

3 hours ago, Whimsy said:

It's definitely a spoon.  That makes zero sense.  I get that the word is mix and you associate a spoon with mixing, but it's a hair product.  

Ha! Thanks for looking that up & taking one for the team! It really doesn't make sense to me either except as you say for mixing ingredients with a spoon but, crikey, what a stretch for a hair product. I'm surprised Lori didn't pick up on that nonsense.

[lynxfx]

On 3/4/2019 at 9:19 AM, CrazyInAlabama said:

I bet even though the Curl Mix people didn't get a deal, I'm sure the Dry Bar lady would be interested in selling their product, or using it at the shops.

Yet she said multiple times that she straightens hair at her business. I agree that it sounded like a much better match for her and potentially expands her customer base by catering to curly haired people that want curly hair. I really don't like guest sharks that were successful with one idea and continue to name drop it throughout the show. 

I honestly thought the dog treats were the best product. It isn't that much trouble to bake treats and you don't have to do it every time. Make a bunch and put them in a jar. Dog and cat food has been going towards more all natural ingredients so I could see people eating up the idea of baking their own. You could make them into whatever shapes you want as well, take them to dog parks etc. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

I think the Curl Mix products would have been a great product for QVC.     

I like the Dog Cookies, but when I bought something like that, it was either at a dog bakery or a treat bar at a store.    Honestly, I bake so seldom that they probably would have ended up too hard to eat.    I did think it was funny that they fed the cookies to the sharks, and then said they were dog biscuits.   

I think some of the guest sharks just come on for publicity, so they do name drop a lot.  

Edited March 5, 2019 by CrazyInAlabama

[basiltherat]

If dogs eat scraps from YOUR table, you have to occasionally eat from theirs !!

[hoosiermommy]

2 hours ago, rhys said:

Ha! Thanks for looking that up & taking one for the team! It really doesn't make sense to me either except as you say for mixing ingredients with a spoon but, crikey, what a stretch for a hair product. I'm surprised Lori didn't pick up on that nonsense.

If I had to guess, the mixing spoon "i" is a reference to the fact that before their product, people would have to mix their own...flax seed gel??? (I have hair that is straw strait...I wan't really paying attention)....before the CurlMix product.

Regarding the potential for the toga cover up thing (again...not really paying attention)...I understand the appeal of the toga for people who don't want to undress and bare all, but as I understood it, in a mud run, the parts that needed to be really cleaned were those not covered by clothes, so getting undressed and hosing off your exposed arms, legs and head while covering your torso made sense.  Then dress again in clean clothes and you feel like a new person.  But in a nursing home, the toga kind of makes actually washing one's torso more difficult than getting naked.  It just doesn't actually seem like a practical option for nursing homes.

Eh, I'd bake treats for my dogs.  But maybe just once a year.  As a Christmas present/reward for putting up with the sweaters I'd put him in.  But I believe that, present company excluded, if people were committed enough to bake for their dogs, they would want to mix it themselves.  It seems like a really small market segment of people who are interested in baking dog treats, but not that interested in doing so from scratch.

[KaveDweller]

On 3/4/2019 at 9:40 AM, theatremouse said:

With CurlMix, I was gobsmacked Robert genuinely couldn't see which side was which. Like, dude, do you have eyes? Even if he didn't understand which one was the "good" side how could he not see that they were clearly different.

I was also shocked Robert couldn't see a difference.  I was impressed that he went from that to wanting to invest, just based on believing what the new investor told him about the hair industry.

On 3/4/2019 at 1:20 PM, Moose135 said:

I've never heard of it before.  Who knew goats could do yoga?

I'd never heard of it either. People really do yoga with goats on their back? 

For the dog biscuit people, I think people would definitely bake for their dog. But I would have been out as soon as the tricked me into eating food meant for a dog. What was the point of that?

[DEL901]

[Whimsy]

16 hours ago, KaveDweller said:

For the dog biscuit people, I think people would definitely bake for their dog. But I would have been out as soon as the tricked me into eating food meant for a dog. What was the point of that?

To prove how it was people grade- ie not bad for your pets.  But, I agree.  It was a dumb gimmick.

[Moose135]

17 hours ago, KaveDweller said:

But I would have been out as soon as the tricked me into eating food meant for a dog. What was the point of that?

The dog biscuits are probably healthier than those for humans, although the taste probably wouldn't be appealing to a person.

[KaveDweller]

6 hours ago, Moose135 said:

The dog biscuits are probably healthier than those for humans, although the taste probably wouldn't be appealing to a person.

They may be healthier, but I still like to know what I'm eating. It seemed deceptive.

[TVbitch]

If people are wanting to go to the effort of baking biscuits for their dogs, they can just google a recipe and make it truly homemade.

Read my lips Shark Tank: No New Sharks!!  

[nlkm9]

On 3/4/2019 at 9:40 AM, theatremouse said:

Shower toga lady was too intense for me. Even before she started her sob story she was aggressive, but not in a confident aggressive way, in a "I might burst any minute" aggressive way. It was uncomfortable to watch. Glad some of the sharks liked it, but she put me off pretty quickly.

With CurlMix, I was gobsmacked Robert genuinely couldn't see which side was which. Like, dude, do you have eyes? Even if he didn't understand which one was the "good" side how could he not see that they were clearly different.

OMG she was such a loud talker!!!!! I had to turn the volume down, I wonder (Im an audiologist) if she has hearing loss. theres no way I could work with her if that is her normal volume of speaking. super annoying

[BusyOctober]

Late to comment on this episode...

I agree that these were all kind of boring businesses.  The Goat Yoga thing has been around for at least 4 years where I am.  My cousin was doing it at a farm near by.  It was outside, next to the goat pen.  The goats were free to roam between their pen and the field where the class was.  This meant that their little hoofs were covered in mud, hay, poop and poop-riddled muddy hay and God knows what other stuff as the climbed on the backs of my cousin and her fellow new-age hippies with money.  The classes were expensive and I imagine all these well to do hipsters wearing their Athleta & LuLuLemon "workout" fashions while goats pooped and peed on them (my cousin was peed on a few times).  I haven't done regular yoga in years, but I thought the main tenets are mindfulness, getting in tune with one's body, peace and  achieving zen-like state of being.  I don't think I could be 'mindful' or 'zen' if I've goat a dirty goat on my back or a cute little baby goat trying to nuzzle with me.

The toga thing did solve a problem and was the only product I could kinda relate to.  I don't have pets to bake for and my hair goes from pin-straight or ball of frizz depending on the weather, so Curl Mix wasn't for me. 

I did not like Dry Bar lady.  I found her incessant name dropping of her company annoying as Hell.  And if she's been in the hair industry for all this time, why did her own hair coloring and styling look so awful? Was she going for a combo of (out-dated) trends; showing dark roots & ombre color fade?  

[slowpoked]

On 3/4/2019 at 7:27 AM, basiltherat said:

And we've seen cover-ups with Lori's Disney terry towel thing.  She should have jumped on the plastic bag shower thingy (hi Mr. Wonderful again) and had it branded with campground logos and/or Lollapaloozas.

I was just going to say this. I wonder if Lori name dropped that company during her pitch and it got cut out of the final edit. Side note though: the deal with the towel lady and Lori seemed to have ended in bad blood. She already closed out her business and implied that throughout the process, Lori was of no help. 

[LuvMyShows]

On 3/11/2019 at 7:19 AM, BusyOctober said:

Late to comment on this episode...

I agree that these were all kind of boring businesses.  The Goat Yoga thing has been around for at least 4 years where I am.  My cousin was doing it at a farm near by.  It was outside, next to the goat pen.  The goats were free to roam between their pen and the field where the class was.  This meant that their little hoofs were covered in mud, hay, poop and poop-riddled muddy hay and God knows what other stuff as the climbed on the backs of my cousin and her fellow new-age hippies with money.  The classes were expensive and I imagine all these well to do hipsters wearing their Athleta & LuLuLemon "workout" fashions while goats pooped and peed on them (my cousin was peed on a few times).  I haven't done regular yoga in years, but I thought the main tenets are mindfulness, getting in tune with one's body, peace and  achieving zen-like state of being.  I don't think I could be 'mindful' or 'zen' if I've goat a dirty goat on my back or a cute little baby goat trying to nuzzle with me.

I did not like Dry Bar lady.  I found her incessant name dropping of her company annoying as Hell.  And if she's been in the hair industry for all this time, why did her own hair coloring and styling look so awful? Was she going for a combo of (out-dated) trends; showing dark roots & ombre color fade?  

Preach!

[aemom]

I could definitely see some people baking treats for their dog.  Some people will go to great lengths for their pets including fancy birthday parties.

I think goat yoga is nuts and I'm surprised that they are only jumping on this train now which surely must be moving on to the next fad soon.  I can't fathom who wants a goat walking all over them when they are trying to exercise.

The shower toga seemed like a useful tool in a few circumstances.  I think she can sell some, but I can't imagine that they are living their lives going from town to town living out of a Fifth wheel.  Her kids should be at university or working real jobs where they can make a decent salary.

I've always wanted curly hair so I can't comment on the product.  I have never heard of Dry Bar or Dry Bar Lady but I cannot believe what they charge for a blowout - and in $US to boot.  My salon charges half of that for a wash and set.  Clearly people are willing to pay that or they'd be out of business.  I wash my hair daily, so it would be a waste for me unless I wanted something fancy for a special occasion (which I would probably still do myself).

I think that part of being a guest shark is that you're allowed to shill your company X times per episode because we see all of them do it every single time.  If I have to choose a guest lady shark, I will take Alli over rigor mortis smile Spanx lady or loud and obnoxious Bethanny any day.  However, I was really surprised to see her wearing an ombre hairstyle.  Hasn't that one come and gone already (thank God!?)

Edited March 13, 2019 by AEMom
Typo

[Kiss my mutt]

I would make the dog cookies but it wouldn’t be a regular purchase due to the price for one batch. 

[ljenkins782]

On 3/11/2019 at 8:57 PM, slowpoked said:

I was just going to say this. I wonder if Lori name dropped that company during her pitch and it got cut out of the final edit. Side note though: the deal with the towel lady and Lori seemed to have ended in bad blood. She already closed out her business and implied that throughout the process, Lori was of no help. 

I just looked it up, this quote stood out:

Quote

“When my ‘Shark Tank’ deal turned to crap. I felt like such a huge failure.”

“I once cursed my ‘Shark Partner’ for kicking me to the curb. But now I thank her. She taught me so much more than she thought she did and none of it was about business. All lessons are blessings. When we embrace them, we receive the gift!”

LOL, definitely does not sound like a happy ending. 

Quote

I could definitely see some people baking treats for their dog.  Some people will go to great lengths for their pets including fancy birthday parties.

It just seems like too much of a novelty. I could see someone doing it once or twice (like for a birthday party), but it doesn't seem like the sort of thing that would be a routine and thus a recurring purchase.