Pure Ayre Entrepreneur, James Mitchell appeared on Shark Tank about a month ago. He walked away from an opportunity to sell his company for $225,000 and a 7% royalty.
Just after the program aired, like many people, I felt foPure Ayre Entrepreneur, James Mitchellr Mitchell. Nobody deserves to get called a cockroach on National TV, well maybe nobody.
You might think that’s harsh, but Mitchell has a product that appears to be absolutely incredible. There is not one negative comment that I can find anywhere. He’s had it tested in labs and his claims are substantiated, yet he continues to hold his own company hostage.
Mitchell actually told the Sharks the company needed him because of his celebrity value. I don’t think anybody is buying the product because of James Mitchell. The product sells because it works.
Mitchell did an interview with Jason Cochran right before his pitch and informed him that another person was involved. He stated this person was a secret inventor who had a stroke and passed away. He refused to provide any more information with a smirk on his face.
I’m wondering if the real person who created the product and had the idea was the inventor, making James easily a one hit wonder that may never hit.
Mitchell hasn’t patented the product; he says someone could chance one ingredient and compete against him. He likens it to the secret ingredients in Coca-Cola. So does he mix all of this himself?
All the ingredients are listed on the package; after all, it’s food grade. Do you think that the major chemical companies could put their chemists on it and figure out the combination?
What Mitchell fails to realize is that you can have the best product, but if nobody wants to work with you and you don’t know how to market the product to the right distributors, it doesn’t matter. It’s like the product never existed. Too many entrepreneurs need to realize that it is more than just the product that determines success.
Mitchell doesn’t have a clue when it comes to marketing strategy, yet he thinks he does. He had his product on shelves and got the boot. He thinks his competitors had him pulled, at least that’s what the store said. I wonder if he was the problem? In a way, he said so much as that when he looked to the Sharks to help him get back on the shelves.
He obviously doesn’t have any PR skills either; he would have been defending his position in his blog and any place else he could get exposure. Unfortunately, he has posted nothing.
People are interested in what’s happening with the company. They want to know if he found a deal, if he’s doing well or if he will survive at all.
If I were Mitchell, I would find an exit strategy, take some time to relax, clear my mind and move on to the next deal. I would bet he could easily get a deal like the Sharks offered and he could watch him company grow while reaping the reward.
Learn more about another Shark Tank Entrepreneur
i think the guy was in shock. he looked like he couldn’t understand what they were saying and he was unable to deduce that the deal he was offered was a great deal. His pride kept him from making a good business decision. too bad, so sad.
Why would he missed an opportunity, he was deeply offended. If anything, i wouldn’t have stood there and be insulted on National TV. Offcourse he made that product therefore, their should be some kind of credit. An example would be Apple company, they got rid of Steve Jobs belittle him, and replace him with a business savvy person.. After a few years later the company begg him to come back. It was his invention that kept the company thriving. It was his brilliant idea.Now even today, Steve Jobs invention are the only thing Apple can rely on, they have no new inventions since Steve died. Although he made future inventions in his notebook, just to keep apple floating, apple will become obsolete.. Another example yahoo Jerry Yang and David Fifo created yahoo, sold away most of their shares. They were replace by Marissa Mayer, she turned a billion dollar company into ruins, 70,000 people got laid off, and she had to sell the company to Verizon. why would you let anyone take your hard earn business away from you?? Have you looked at Pure ayre product now?? They are being sold at Walmart, Petco, Amazon, and Walgreens. He’s laughing his way to the bank.
I agree with you all the way
I think the sharks were downright rude. Even this story is rude. And he proved them wrong and made it a huge success. Sharks are snobs.