Snapshot
- Every Shark Tank judge thinks from their minds, not their hearts.
- Even the toughest Sharks get emotional when the pitch is loaded with emotions.
- Viewers love the episodes which are filled with raw and real emotions.
Are you an avid viewer of Shark Tank? If yes, you must have observed that every Shark brings something new to the show. Hailing from different business fields, they have managed to create their unique identities in the eyes of the viewers who love them for their unique personalities. Be it “retail queen” Lori Greiner or “Mr Wonderful” Kevin O’Leary, every Shark adds a bit of spice to the show with their distinctive character traits.
Despite possessing different character traits, one that’s common for each of them is that they think from their minds, not their hearts.
Stalwarts of their field, bearing impressive experience, the Sharks assess every single nuance related to the pitches brought to them by aspiring entrepreneurs. One single fault and you’ll miss your chance. And not just this!! There have been episodes where the Sharks have not just blatantly criticized contestants and their pitches but have also had arguments amongst themselves. This is what compels an entrepreneur to be at their absolute best and captivate the Sharks’ attention.
Despite all seriousness and ‘strictly business-based’ talks, there have been numerous instances when even the hard-to-please Sharks have revealed their emotional side to the world. They have publicly shown their relatable humane side, which somewhere hides behind their strong business demeanor.
Shark Tank Viewers and Their Love for Emotional Pitches
In a space where everything revolves around money, both the entrepreneurs and the Sharks make the best use of their business sense to expand their horizons. However, viewers are more attracted towards their real personality, not their business personality. Episodes that air relatable stories based on emotions have always managed to generate a higher viewership than the others. Stories that talk about love, friendship, camaraderie, etc., and hold volumes of emotions find a way to tug at the hearts of even the strongest of them all.
Here are a few tear-jerking, most emotional pitches that touched the viewers in Shark Tank:
1. Cup Board Pro
Cup Board Pro was all about three siblings who came together to pitch their late father’s invention at Shark Tank. Keira, Christian, and Kaley Young sought $100K for a 10% equity in their dad’s business idea, who was a firefighter and died of cancer related to cleaning the World Trade Center during 9/11.
To explain better, Keira played a demo video in which their father, Keith Young, was showing the process of his newly invented cutting board capturing food and liquid scraps in a far more efficient way than a standard cutting board. In the video, Young introduced himself as a firefighter, father, and widower, who made this invention so as to simplify the mealtime of his kids.
Seeing the pitch, Daymond John couldn’t hold back his tears as he remembered his many loved ones who died during 9/11 and how he was raised by a single mom. But the most amazing part of the episode came when all the five Sharks wanted to invest $100K for 20% equity. Furthermore, they stated that all the individual profits would be offered to charity works concerned with every firefighter victim of 9/11.
“Post the episode, Sony Pictures Television revealed that 26,000 Cup Board Pros worth over $1 million had already been ordered within 16 hours of the episode being aired.”
2. Benji Lock
Robbie Cabral, a budding entrepreneur, came up with his business pitch for $200K for a 10% stake for Benji Lock, the world’s first innovative padlock equipped with fingerprint technology. The lock could be opened with both ease of fingerprinting and traditional keys. Soon after explaining his business plan, Cabral started crying and shared his struggle story that he got laid off overnight and on the same day his daughter was born.
Despite the emotional nature of his story, the Sharks didn’t seem to have moved much. But to everyone’s surprise, Kevin O’Leary came up to him, hugged him, and shared his interest in striking a deal with a 15% equity stake in his business.
“The latest update about Benji Lock is that it’s still active and entered into an agreement with Fingerprints Card AB in 2023 to offer enhanced biometric security. Plus, the company’s worth is a massive $5 million.”
3. Mee-Ma’s Louisiana Gumbo Brick
Carol Foster, a typical, endearing Louisiana native, came up with her product – a frozen gumbo base that the judges tasted and relished. Some talked about its Jalapeno kick, while others were lost in its rich flavors. However, things took a backseat for Carol when each of the Sharks started backing out one by one stating its problematic business structure.
Viewers soon became emotional upon hearing Carol’s story when she started telling that she’s homeless and how solely her business supports her family of six. “We’re living off it. That’s all we have. I have six brothers and sisters,” she explained in a dejected manner.
Interestingly, Kevin O’Leary, who is famously known to be harsh in terms of giving feedback, teamed up with Lori Greiner and made a joint offer to Carol. Further, he even had an emotional moment with Carol after she accepted the offer.
“With no new updates on any of her social media accounts in the past two years, the status of Gumbo Brick appears in the dark. However, Foster had managed to earn $5 million before all this happened.”
Bottomline
Shark Tank is a show that is primarily related to the discussions and partnership deals between aspiring entrepreneurs and experienced Sharks. To secure a favorable investment deal, everyone makes strong use of their business acumen so as to reap the maximum benefits. When it comes to the viewers, they too are always excited to find out about new inventions and businesses that could transform today’s fast-paced growing tech and business world.
But everything else takes a backseat when the real emotions emerge. The reason why each of the companies discussed above not only earned investment but also grabbed the attention of viewers & judges was due to their realistic and relatable nature. Each of them had a story to tell, a story that seemed to be one of their own, be it for the viewers or the judges.
References
- Robbie Cabral, Crunchbase
https://www.crunchbase.com/person/robbie-cabral
Entrepreneur, auteur, raconteur. Rob Merlino is a blogger and writer who enjoys the Shark Tank TV show and Hot Dogs. A father of five who freelances in a variety of publications, Rob has a stable of websites including Shark Tank Blog, Hot Dog Stories, Rob Merlino.com and more.
Speak Your Mind