Highlights
- Jim O’Brien pitches Man Medals, his novelty business offering humorous medals for men who complete household tasks, seeking $10,000 for 10% equity on Shark Tank.
- Despite a humorous pitch, Jim leaves without a deal as the Sharks express doubts about the business’s scalability and sales potential.
- Although the business initially gained traction with the help of comedian Kevin Brown, by August 2021, the website was down, and the business appeared to be closed.
Overview
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Name | Man Medals |
| Founder | Jim O’Brien |
| Industry | Novelty Products |
| Product | Humorous medals for men, awarded for completing household tasks |
| Funding | Seeking $10,000 |
| Investment Ask | $10,000 |
| Equity Offered | 10% |
| Valuation | $100,000 |
Man Medals is a business literally born from a sarcastic comment and entrepreneur Jim O’Brien will pitch his fun business concept to the Shark Tank panel in episode 505. Jim created the Man Medals business one day after announcing to his wife of 20 years he’d just finished taking out the trash. She said, “what do you want, a medal?” Jim said “yes, I do,” so he set out to create Man Medals – small pins with an “award” for doing little household tasks that men are constantly being asked to do.
There are currently six Man Medals for putting the toilet seat down, running the vacuum, asking for directions, picking up dirty clothes, putting the toilet paper roll on, and taking out the trash. There’s also a military themed “coming home to be a daddy” medal; 10% of each sale of these medals goes to the Fallen and Wounded Soldiers Fund. Each Man Medal costs $5.00 and you can get all six for $25. O’Brien ships his Man Medals worldwide and he’s hoping the Sharks will sink their teeth into this fun business.
Man Medals Shark Tank Recap
Jim enters with a buff male model who gets Lori a bit hot and bothered and claims he’s his “exact body double” to re-enact how he came up with the idea for Man Medals. He’s seeking $10K for 10% of his business. The Sharks get a chuckle out of the presentation. He tells the Sharks he’s sold Man Medals all over the world. Kevin calls the pitch “good bad theater.” Lori is thankful for the male model, since many pitches feature bikini-clad models.
Jim reveals he’s only sold $2500 worth of medals. The margins are huge, but Lori is out. Kevin doesn’t like the valuation, so he’s out. Robert thinks the presentation was cute, but he’s out too. Jim compares Man Medals to the Pet Rock, but Mark says it’s not a business and he goes out. Kevin forbids Jim to proceed with the business and goes out. Daymond doesn’t have a problem with the low sales, but he’s out too. Lori once again gives thanks for beefcake in the Tank, but she is out and Jim exits without a deal.
Man Medals Shark Tank Update
Although O’Brien couldn’t get the Sharks to bite on his idea, the show brought his product national attention, and one very important investor. Kevin Brown, a comedian known for his work in the television series, 3rd Rock, approached O’Brien about the product and ended up investing in the product himself. With Brown’s support and promotion, the medals have taken off as a novelty product.
While the collection includes the basics, like “I picked up my dirty clothes” and “I asked for directions,” it also includes more seriously themed medals like a military image captioned “Coming home to be a Daddy.” The product line isn’t limited to medals. Mugs and insulated can holders round out the line, providing a variety of gifts to choose from. The company might not have excited the Sharks, but it has proven to be a rewarding business for O’Brien and his wife.
As of August, 2021, the website is down and social media hasn’t been updated since February, 2020. It looks like they are out of business.
Posts About Man Medals on Shark Tank Blog
Man Medals Update Interview – Jim O’Brien
Company Information
Jim announced in 2018 that he was closing the business. Apparently there were complains about the messages.
In 2023 he asked his audience on Facebook if he should bring them back.