'Shark Tank' contestant taunts Kevin O'Leary for being bald — still ended up getting a $75,000 deal
Entrepreneurs who are seeking a deal on "Shark Tank" are usually wary of offending Kevin O'Leary because of the way he can lash out. Mr. Wonderful isn’t afraid to speak his mind, and his brutal honesty can be deflating for entrepreneurs. But one contestant managed to seal the deal even after calling him bald on TV. It was Liz Martin, who came seeking $75,0000 for a 35% stake in their company, Tangle Pets.
The product was a hairbrush with a children’s plushie attached to the top of it. The entrepreneur, being a mother of three, understood the struggle parents across the country go through to brush their kids’ hair. This new product would make that less of a struggle, as kids would be fascinated with the toy attached to their brush. The idea behind it was simple, but it made sense. Unfortunately, Mr. Wonderful said, “But this is an ordinary brush with a hippopotamus attached to it.” Martin clapped back, saying, “Because it’s a hippo, the kids like the fact that it’s a toy, because it’s a brush!” before adding, “I get that you’re looking, but you’re not feeling it, and you don’t have hair to brush it with.”
The problem was that, like Mr. Wonderful, most of the sharks did not understand the product. Another problem was the contestant herself. Martin was perhaps one of the most expressive people to have ever stood in front of the sharks. At one point, everyone was simply exhausted with it. “I don’t think anybody’s gonna work the long-distance run with you,” she said.
Martin claimed that she knew when to turn it down and was overenthusiastic on the show to stand out from other entrepreneurs. Her sales weren’t great either, with only $8,000. The reason for that was her husband’s brain disease, which prevented the business from taking off. Now that everything was fine, she could fully focus on her business and make it grow.
Yet, most of the sharks said no to a deal. The only one remaining was Lori Greiner, who understood exactly what the product was about and how valuable it could be. “This is what you call a wet/dry brush, the best brush in the world to brush through any kind of hair. And it goes right through, and it doesn’t rip it out, and it doesn’t hurt it,” she said, adding to Martin’s confidence.
“And this is great quality plush. So you have taken a beautiful plush toy, put it into the smartest, best-working brush there is, I love the name, that’s adorable, you have like the perfect pie here,” she added. The shark, however, wanted to be an equal partner in the business for $75,000.
It was a lot to give up, but with a partner as influential as Greiner, the sky is the limit. The entrepreneur agreed to the deal and became an equal partner with the shark.
More on Market Realist:
'Shark Tank' judges boo Kevin O'Leary for telling contestants that he 'hates' their product
'Shark Tank' judge Mark Cuban calls Kevin O'Leary 'an idiot' — moments before closing a $180k deal
'Shark Tank' contestant who dropped out of school to make lip balm rejects Kevin O'Leary's offer
