Watch Shark Tank - Week 1/Episode 2 - First Defense Nasal Screens

The following are actually REAL negotiations between entrepreneurs and investors (Guppies & Sharks). The sharks invest their own money at their discretion. The guppies get devoured into a belly of finance, or spit back into the ocean of hard knocks to fend for themselves. The entrepreneurs must convince the sharks to invest the FULL AMOUNT, or walk away with NOTHING.

THE SHARKS: Barbara Corcoran, Daymond John, Kevin O'Leary, Mark Cuban, Robert Herjavec

THE GUPPY: Joe Moore

THE COMPANY: First Defense Nasal Screens

WEBSITE: filteryourlife.com

SYNOPSIS: A unique solution to protect against germs and allergens 

SEEKING: $500,000 for a 10% stake

PRODUCT/SERVICE: A self-adhesive peel and stick nasal screen

WHAT'S THE SKINNY?: First defense nasal screens are the first and only, lightweight non-asserted, almost non visible nasal screens ever invented and clinically proven to reduce the inhalation of allergens, pollens, pollutions, moles, viruses and more. He has a contract with a Saudi Arabian distributer who guarantee's to order  1.5 Million sets. Guaranteeing  $8 Million over next 6 years. He has a patent pending in United States, Canada, and Europe for 3 years. He needs the investment to make the order and keep producing it. He already has about $1 Million invested in it from himself, friends and family.

BUSINESS MODEL/HOW DOES IT MAKE MONEY?: He has an order for $8 MILLION over the next 6 years. 1.7 Million units sold. Need we say more?

STATS:  At first glance the waters appear very still and calm when this guppy swims into the tank, but who would ever expect what appears to be a band-aid with holes in it for your nostrils to turn these turbulent waters into an all out shark-feast fit for a king. Barabara is the first shark out due to the cost of educating people about the product. Kevin smells money in the water and is the first to take a nibble with an offer of $500K for a 20% stake + a 15% Royalty on every unit sold until he recoups his $500K. Mark wants to work together on Kevin's offer and decides to join him and split it. Daymond also smells cash money floating in the tank and jumps in with an offer of $800K for a 30% stake with + 10% royalty. No sooner than that offer leaves Daymond's lips Kevin offers to buy the whole company for $1 Million as the waters begin to shake. But this guppy also has an appetite like a shark and Joe politely turns down the million dollars. Daymond comes back and offers $1 Millon for a 30% stake + 10% Royalty until he recoups his million. Robert wants to also buy the company and immediately jumps in with an offer of $2 Million + 10% Royalty (to Joe) for a 100% stake. Joe turns down the $2 Million dollars. Robert counters with $4 Million!!! The biggest offer in Shark Tank history! But this is not your average guppy! Joe counters and ask Robert to raise his offer to $5 Million + a 15% Royalty. Robert refuses to give him the extra million dollars and drops out. That order for $8 Million over the next 6 years has made a ferocious appetite for the Bullshark, because at this point, Kevin asks Joe to leave the room and excuse them for a moment to bring his competitor Daymond into the deal, instead of letting it go any further and get out of control. When Joe returns Daymond has joined Mark and Kevin by raising the offer to $750K with a 30% stake + a 10% Royalty in perpetuity. Joe counters and ask them to raise the offer to $1.2 Million but the Sharks advise him that they will not loose their equity if the company needs more money and that he doesn't really need any more cash.  Joe decides to get some season tickets to the Dallas Maverick's games thrown in for good measure before he agree's to do the deal. Mark agree's and Joe walks away with the investment. 

CAME IN SEEKING: $500K for a 10% stake

WALKED WITH: $750K for a 30% stake + a 10% Royalty

GRADE: (Guppy): A

GRADE: (Sharks): A

COMMENTARY: This one kind of crept up on me. Who would of ever thought a guppy would walk into the tank and have the balls to turn DOWN $4 Million Dollars in cash!?! But this was not your average guppy. He obviously researched his product, knew his market and realized there were BIGGER fish to fry in the long haul (no pun intended). He managed to get more money than he asked for and still own 70% of his company. Great job Joe! You are better than me my friend, ..... because I'm not sure I would have had the cahunas to turn down a quick $4 Milli! LOL. You've just earned your teeth. You're about to be a SHARK!

 WATCH SHARK TANK WEEK 1/EPISODE 2 - FIRST DEFENSE NASAL SCREENS

"Money was never a big motivation for me, except as a way to keep score. The real excitement is playing the game."
-Donald Trump 

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WHAT DO YOU THINK? COULD HE HAVE GOTTEN THE SAME CAPITAL (OR HIGHER) WITH A LOWER STAKE? WHERE THE SHARKS FAIR IN THEIR NEGOTIATIONS? DID BOTH PARTIES COME OUT ON TOP? POST YOUR COMMENTS AND TEST YOUR NOODLE AT THINKING LIKE A BILLIONAIRE...........

Shark Eyes: The Science Of Getting Rich by Wallace D. Wattles

THERE IS A SCIENCE OF GETTING RICH, and it is an exact science, like algebra or arithmetic. There are certain laws which govern the process of acquiring riches, and once these laws are learned and obeyed by

anyone, that person will get rich with mathematical certainty. The ownership of money and property comes as a result of doing things in a certain way, and those who do things in this certain way — whether on purpose or accidentally — get rich, while those who do not do things in this certain way — no matter how hard they work or how able they are — remain poor. It is a natural law that like causes always produce like effects, and, therefore, any man or woman who learns to do things in this certain way will infallibly get rich. That the above statement is true is shown by the following facts: Getting rich is not a matter of environment, for if it were, all the people in certain neighborhoods would become wealthy. The people of one city would all be rich, while those of other towns would all be poor, or all the inhabitants of one state would roll in wealth, while those of an adjoining state would be in poverty. But everywhere we see rich and poor living side by side, in the same environment, and often engaged in the same vocations. When two people are in the same locality and in the same business, and one gets rich while the other remains poor, it shows that getting rich is not primarily a matter of environment. Some environments may be more favorable than others, but when two people in the same business are in the same neighborhood and one gets rich while the other fails, it indicates that getting rich is the result of doing things in a certain way. And further, the ability to do things in this certain way is not due solely to the possession of talent, for many people who have great talent remain poor, while others who have very little talent get rich. Studying the people who have gotten rich, we find that they are an average lot in all respects, having no greater talents and abilities than other people have. It is evident that they do not get rich because they possess talents and abilities that others do not have, but because they happen to do things in a certain way. Getting rich is not the result of saving, or thrift. Many very penurious people are poor, while free spenders often get rich. Nor is getting rich due to doing things which others fail to do, for two people in the same business often do almost exactly the same things, and one gets rich while the other remains poor or becomes bankrupt. From all these things, we must come to the conclusion that getting rich is the result of doing things in a certain way. If getting rich is the result of doing things in a certain way, and if like causes always produce like effects, then any man or woman who can do things in that way can become rich, and the whole matter is brought within the domain of exact science.

Excerpt taken from The Science Of Getting Rich by Wallace D. Wattles

Visit the SHARK EYES section for recommended must reads.

Watch Shark Tank - Week 1 /Episode 2 - Vurtego

The following are actually REAL negotiations between entrepreneurs and investors (Guppies & Sharks). The sharks invest their own money at their discretion. The guppies get devoured into a belly of finance, or spit back into the ocean of hard knocks to fend for themselves. The entrepreneurs must convince the sharks to invest the FULL AMOUNT, or walk away with NOTHING.

THE SHARKS: Barbara Corcoran, Daymond John, Kevin O'leary, Mark Cuban, Robert Herjavec

THE GUPPY: Brian Spencer

THE COMPANY: Vurtego

WEBSITE: vurtego.com

SYNOPSIS: Vurtego pogo stick is the next evolution in action sports

SEEKING: $500K for a 20% stake.

PRODUCT/SERVICE: Vurtego is a niche market pogo stick re-invented to jump at depth-defying heights and performing amazing stunts.

BUSINESS MODEL/HOW DOES IT MAKE MONEY?: Sold about 7,000, it retails for $330 and costs about $100 to make it. Brian wants to go mass market.

STATS: Hurry-hurry, step right up! Guppies hopping up out of the water on pogo sticks flipping in mid-air like dolphins turning the tank into Sea World! Hard to believe that a good product such as this was passed up. Barbara is the first shark to back out partially because the product isn't mother approved. Robert thinks $300 is cheap for a specialty product. Vurtego wants to go mass market, but the sharks seem to all collectively think he should increase the price 100% up to $600, which was Kevin's suggestion, and gain control of his niche market. The sharks don't think that Brian really needs them but gave him some great advice about his marketing strategy. Mark is out, Kevin is out, and so is Daymond and Robert. Like dominoes they all drop. Brian walks away with no investment. 

CAME IN SEEKING: $500K for a 20% stake. 

WALKED WITH: Some great advice.

GRADE: (Guppy): C -

GRADE: (Sharks): Not Applicable

COMMENTARY: Although Brian didn't walk away with the investment he had hoped for, he walked away with some great advice on how to market his product efficiently. He failed to secure hid investment but he was pretty prepared and seemed to know his product and competitor well enough to survive. 

 WATCH SHARK TANK WEEK 1/EPISODE 2 - VURTEGO

“Very seldom does anyone create an idea or anything else absolutely new. Nearly everything known to civilization is but a combination of something that is old.” - Napolean Hill


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WHAT DO YOU THINK? COULD HE HAVE GOTTEN THE SAME CAPITAL (OR HIGHER) WITH A LOWER STAKE? WHERE THE SHARKS FAIR IN THEIR NEGOTIATIONS? DID BOTH PARTIES COME OUT ON TOP? POST YOUR COMMENTS AND TEST YOUR NOODLE AT THINKING LIKE A BILLIONAIRE...........

Shark Eyes: Beleive You can by John Mason

Persistence Prevails When All Else Fails

A man who meets a guru on the road asks, "Which way is success? The bearded sage doesn't speak but instead points to a place off in the distance.

The man, thrilled by the prospect of quick and easy success, rushes off in the appropriate direction. Splat!

He limps back, bruised and stunned, assuming he must have misinterpreted the message. He repeats his question to the guru, who again points silently in the same direction.

He obediently walks off once more. This time the splat is deafening, and when he crawls back, he is bloody, broken, and irate. "I asked you which way is success!" he screams at the guru. "I followed the direction you indicated and all I got was splattered! No more of this pointing! Talk!

Only then does the guru speak: "Success is that way. Just a little after the splat."

All of us has experienced "the splat." It's what we do after the splat that makes all the difference. Many times this is what separates high achievers from non-achievers. Whatever you want to accomplish in life will require persistence. Champion racer Rick Mears said it well: "To finish first you must first finish."

Do you want to accomplish something in life? Be like the stone cutter.

Look at the stone cutter, hammering away at the rock, perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first blow iy will split in two, and I know it was not the last blow that did it, but all that had gone before. - Jacob Riis

All things come to those who persistently go after them. Perseverance is the result of a strong will; stubbornness is the result of a strong won't. Baron de Montesquieu said, "Success often depends on knowing how long it will take to succeed." This is the secret of success: Never let down, and never let up. Consider what proverbs says: "Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings" (22:29 KJV).

• You may be whatever you resolve to be. determine to be something in the world and you will be something. "I cannot" never accomplished anything; "I will try" has wrought wonders. - Joel Hause

Herbert Kaufman adds, "Spurts don't count. The final score makes no mention of a splendid start if the finish proves that you were an 'also ran'".

Excerpts taken from Believe You Can by John Mason

Visit the SHARK EYES section for recommended must reads.

Watch Shark Tank - Week 1 /Episode 2 - Wake N' Bacon

The following are actually REAL negotiations between entrepreneurs and investors (Guppies & Sharks). The sharks invest their own money at their discretion. The guppies get devoured into a belly of finance, or spit back into the ocean of hard knocks to fend for themselves. The entrepreneurs must convince the sharks to invest the FULL AMOUNT, or walk away with NOTHING.

Wake N' Bacon - Rise and Swine

THE SHARKS: Barbara Corcoran, Daymond John, Kevin O'Leary, Robert Herjavec, Mark Cuban

THE GUPPY: Matty Sallin

THE COMPANY: Wake N' Bacon

WEBSITE: mattysallin.wordpress.com

SYNOPSIS: The world's first alarm clock that wakes you up with the smell of bacon

SEEKING: $40K for a 20% Stake

PRODUCT/SERVICE: You place a couple slices of pre-cooked bacon into an alarm clock before you go to bed, you set the alarm to wake you up in the morning, for example, let's say 7:00 am. The next morning at 6:50 am the clock heats up the bacon placed inside the night before, then you can roll over in bed, open the clock and eat the cooked bacon. Literally. 

WHAT'S THE SKINNY?: Wake N' Bacon has been posted on Matty's website an received hundreds and hundreds of emails requesting orders. It has allegedly went VIRAL!

BUSINESS MODEL/HOW DOES IT MAKE MONEY?: At $13/unit, Matty wants to raise money to pitch it to retail and manufacturing partners as a novelty item. He has absolutely no projections of how many units it will sell. He wants the minimum production run to be launched at 10,000 units. At $13/unit he would need another $130,000 as opposed to the $40K he originally asked for totaling $170K! He's expecting to partner with a retail, manufacturer or investor for the remaining $170K. So once again, ...... how is he gonna make MONEY?

STATS: Little pig, little pig - let me in! Not until you finance  my in-ven-chen. Well one shark that won't be huffin n' puffin to blow the house down is Kevin O'Leary. Kevin thinks the product is unsafe and that it will burn the house down. He asks about projections on sales that aren't there because they where never thought of, and therefore he is the first shark to back out, but still offers $100 for the pigbox. Robert bids on the box also, but backs out the investment opportunity. Barbara backs out. Daymond likes the bacon, but prefers to bring home the bacon in large amounts and also backs out. 4 sharks down, 1 to go. Mark seems a little interested at first, but wants to know why he only asks for $40K when he really needs $170K. He actually appears to like the IDEA, but thinks it would only make a nice gag gift. Then he backs out. None of the sharks have a taste for Wake N' Bacon, but Kevin offers up to $300 for the pigbox, but unfortunately it's not for sale. The guppy is then spit back into the ocean to sink or swim, but vows to find a way to get Porky on every nightstand in america. Looks like the sharks don't have an appetite for tasty swine today, but I'm willing to bet the little piggy in a blanket is gonna eventually wind up at every Cracker Barrel in the nation if our little guppy here is driven enough to persevere. Oink-Oink. That means good luck in Pig Latin. 

CAME IN SEEKING: $40K for 20% Stake.

WALKED WITH: High Cholesterol 

GRADE (Guppy): D

GRADE (Sharks): N/A

COMMENTARY: Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance. He could have at least had a sales forecast, maybe it would have slapped some sizzle into the sharks saliva and gave him an advantage. In the Shark Tank, all of the prospecting, contacts, and qualification is done for you, but you STILL have to handle presentation, objections and closing. I know that sounds like big sales talk but Tom Hopkins said in his bestseller, How to Master The Art Of Selling, that selling is the highest paid hard work, and the lowest paid easy work. At the end of the day you are SELLING AN IDEA to an investor for funds and muscle. You're also selling them on yourself. they are actually buying into YOU and your business. So there's gonna be a little WORK involved here. Therefore you must conjure up EVERY single thing in your mind that you can possibly think they will object to. And I believe not having a PROJECTED FORECAST OF SALES  (or at least a wild guess) is definitely the quickest way NOT to entice a multi-BILLION-dollar tycoon shark that swallows WHOLE COMPANIES for a living to take a bite. Take notes people. Season 3 is just around the corner...........Good luck Wake N'Bacon,..... Cracker Barrel is just around the corner. Neat idea, .... poor preparation.

WATCH SHARK TANK - WEEK 1/EPISODE 2 - WAKE N' BACON

"Creativity comes from zeal to do something. Generally it is to make some money." - B.J. Gupta

CHECK OUT THE SHARK FINS SECTION FOR ARTICLES AND INTERVIEWS. ALSO CHECK OUT THE SHARK TEETH SECTION FOR HELPFUL TOOLS OF THE TRADE.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? COULD HE HAVE GOTTEN THE CAPITAL (OR HIGHER) WITH A LOWER STAKE? WHERE THE SHARKS FAIR IN THEIR NEGOTIATIONS? DID BOTH PARTIES COME OUT ON TOP? POST YOUR COMMENTS AND TEST YOUR NOODLE AT THINKING LIKE A BILLIONAIRE...........

Shark Eyes: The Strangest Secret by Earl Nightangale

Have you ever wondered why so many people work so hard and honestly without ever achieving anything in
particular, and why others don’t seem to work hard, yet seem to get everything? They seem to have the “magic touch.” You’ve heard people say, “Everything he touches turns to gold.” Have you ever noticed that a person who becomes successful tends to continue to become more successful? And, on the other hand, have you noticed how someone who’s a failure tends to continue to fail? The difference is GOALS. People with goals succeed because they know where they’re going. It’s that simple. Failures, on the other hand, believe that their lives are shaped by circumstances ... by things that happen to them ... by exterior forces. Think of a ship with the complete voyage mapped out and planned. The captain and crew know exactly where the ship is going and how long it will take — it has a definite goal. And 9,999 times out of 10,000, it will get there. Now let’s take another ship — just like the first — only let’s not put a crew on it, or a captain at the helm. Let’s give it no aiming point, no goal, and no destination. We just start the engines and let it go. I think you’ll agree that if it gets out of the harbor at all, it will either sink or wind up on some deserted beach — a derelict. It can’t go anyplace because it has no destination and no guidance. It’s the same with a human being. However, the human race is fixed, not to prevent the strong from winning, but to prevent the weak from losing. Society today can be likened to a convoy in time of war. The entire society is slowed down to protect its weakest link, just as the naval convoy has to goat the speed that will permit its slowest vessel to remain in formation......

Excerpt taken from The Strangest Secret by Earl Nightangale

Visit the SHARK EYES section for recommended must reads.

Watch Shark Tank - Week 1 /Episode 2 - Toygaroo

The following are actually REAL negotiations between entrepreneurs and investors (Guppies & Sharks). The sharks invest their own money at their discretion. The guppies get devoured into a belly of finance, or spit back into the ocean of hard knocks to fend for themselves. The entrepreneurs must convince the sharks to invest the FULL AMOUNT, or walk away with NOTHING.

THE SHARKS: Barbara Corcoran, Daymond John, Kevin O'Leary, Robert Herjavec, Mark Cuban

THE GUPPY: Nikki Pope, Los Angeles CA

THE COMPANY: Toygaroo

WEBSITE: www.toygaroo.com

SYNOPSIS: Toygaroo offers a cost effective way for parents to de-clutter their homes and keep their children challenged and entertained.

SEEKING: $100K In exchange for 10% Stake.

PRODUCT/SERVICE: Toygaroo is the NetFlix for toys. Consumers can visit the website, pick a plan that's right for them, fill their wishlist with toys they'd like to receive for their little spoiled snotty-nosed brats, and have them shipped to their doorstep. The added bonus is that when the kids get bored with or outgrow the toys, they can throw them in the box, use the provided return label, send them back to the company, and the company will send them their next box of toys.

WHAT'S THE SKINNY?: There are over 300 different types of toys in the catalog. Toys get sanitized and shrink wrapped upon return, and there are no competitors in the field. As far as damage control, 0 toys had to be replaced in 6 months. If a child does break the toy, it's sold to the member at a discounted cost.

BUSINESS MODEL/HOW DOES IT MAKE MONEY?: All members have a membership fee of $35-$85/Month. At a test launch, 500 members paid $42/month for a box of toys worth over $200, but it cost the company $50-$90. In about 2 1/2 months the company breaks even on each customer. Nikki wants more marketing and exposure. She has got a waiting list of over 1,000 people just through word of mouth in a small amount of time. For every $1,000,000 in sales there must be $64,000 reinvested in toy inventory to cover 1 year of toys. Kevin tells Nikki she doesn't have a $1 Million Dollar Business, but nevertheless he still wants to invest.

STATS: Nikki owns 10% of the company, but has power to make decisions.

Kevin offers $100K for 35% Stake. Mark & Robert offer $200K for 40% Stake.

So Kevin offers $100K for 35%. Nikki came in targeting Kevin for his experience with big toy companies. Nikki wants Kevin, a self-proclaimed 'control freak' to RAISE HIS CASH OFFER without raising the equity percentage. Robert then turns to Mark and offers to SPLIT a deal with him offering $200K  for a 40% Stake to trump Kevin's offer of $100K for 35%. Experience (in the toy industry) vs. Capital. But Mark and Kevin also have experience with internet growth and social networking. What a shootout. The palms might be a little itchy as Nikki asks Kevin to MATCH Mark & Roberts $200K in order to close the deal with her. But no sooner than Kevin agrees to Nikki's terms, he turns to Mark and makes him an offer to SPLIT the deal with him instead, cutting Robert out in less than 2 seconds!,  As the murky waters of equity are shaken and stirred in the SPLIT-SECOND DECISIONS of this foaming financial feast! Nikki finally closes the deal with Mark & Kevin for $200K in exchange for 40% Stake in the company, as the jaws of the Great White & the Bull Shark, sink their teeth into the flesh of the 'fresh meat' of Toygaroo, ........ another guppy digested in the capitalistic waters of th SHARK TANK, all in a days work.

CAME IN SEEKING: $100K for a 10% Stake.

WALKED WITH: $200K for a 40% Stake.

GRADE: (Guppy): B

GRADE: (Sharks): A

COMMENTARY: I think Nikki could have pressed  for and gotten $200K for 35% if she would have negotiated a little tougher. That's actually what I thought she got at first until I realized Kevin said he'd MATCH their offer. But still all in all, she got more finance than she came for. But at what cost? Well, ... in the end she still pretty much came out on top. She accomplished her goal of securing more finance. Good job Nikki!

WATCH SHARK TANK WEEK 1/EPISODE 2 - TOYGAROO

"We make money by making friends, and we enlarge our circle of friends by making money for them, by helping them, by being of service to them. The first Law of Success then is SERVICE. And this in turn is built on integrity and justice." - Charles F. Haanel


CHECK OUT THE SHARK FINS SECTION FOR ARTICLES AND INTERVIEWS. ALSO CHECK OUT THE SHARK TEETH SECTION FOR HELPFUL TOOLS OF THE TRADE.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? COULD SHE HAVE GOTTEN THE SAME CAPITAL (OR HIGHER) WITH A LOWER STAKE? WHERE THE SHARKS FAIR IN THEIR NEGOTIATIONS? DID BOTH PARTIES COME OUT ON TOP? POST YOUR COMMENTS AND TEST YOUR NOODLE AT THINKING LIKE A BILLIONAIRE...........

Shark Eyes: Believe You Can by John Mason

Thomas Edison Was Afraid Of The Dark

Yes! Edison was afraid of the dark --- yet he overcame that obstacle in a big way and invented the light bulb. 

• Times of general calamity and confusion have ever been productive of the greatest minds. The purest ore is produced from the hottest furnace, and the brightest thunderbolt is the one solicited from the darkest storm. - Charles Caleb Colton

• The door to opportunity swings on the hinges of adversity. Problems are the price of progress. The obstacles of life are intended to make us better, not bitter. Adversity has advantages. - Alfred D. Souza said,

For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin --- REAL LIFE. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, and a debt to be paid. Then, life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life. 

Obstacles are merely a call to strengthen, not quit. Ann Gimenez says, "Between you and anything significant will be giants in your path." You cannot bring about change without confrontation. The truth is, if you like things easy, you will have difficulties. If you like problems, you will succeed. The biggest successes are the people who solve the biggest problems. If you have a dream without problems, you don't really have a dream. Have the attitude of Louisa May Alcott: "I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship."

• Circumstances are the rulers of the weak; but they are the instruments of the wise. - Samuel Glover

Excerpts taken from Believe You Can by John Mason

Visit The SHARK EYES section for recommended must reads.

Watch Shark Tank - Week 1 /Episode 1 - Copa Di Vino

The following are actually REAL negotiations between entrepreneurs and investors (Guppies & Sharks). The sharks invest their own money at their discretion. The guppies get devoured into a belly of finance, or spit back into the ocean of hard knocks to fend for themselves. The entrepreneurs must convince the sharks to invest the FULL AMOUNT, or walk away with NOTHING.

THE SHARKS: Barbara Corcoran, Daymond John, Mark Cuban, Kevin O'Leary, Robert Herjavec

THE GUPPY: James Martin

THE COMPANY: Copa Di Vino

WEBSITE: www.copadivino.com

SYNOPSIS: Copa Di Vino allows wine makers to package wine in ways they've never been able to before.

SEEKING: $600K for a 20% stake

PRODUCT/SERVICE: Copa Di Vino is america's first premium wine by the glass. It's designed and packaged to be conveniently opened and enjoyed anywhere. Copa Di Vino is a winery that makes and packages it's own wine in a revolutionary packaging system. 

WHAT'S THE SKINNY?: Copa Di Vina's winery makes about 2,500 cases of  wine a year. In the first 6 months they've sold products into 26 states with the largest distributors in the country. He buys fruit from his friends with vineyards. They have 3 different revenue streams: The ability to license, bottle for an industry, and launch their consumer brand. Copa Di Vino's consumer brand is bringing in sales. It has been in the market for 5 months, and had $1/2 Million in sales, and over $800K worth of orders. It's selling at all the Kroger chains, Ralph's and other chains. The wine stays fresh for approximately 1 year and the package is patented. They are working on projects with 2 of the 9 largest  wine companies in the world. Estimates next year are between $3-5 Million of sales.

BUSINESS MODEL/HOW DOES IT MAKE MONEY?: They are the first to do wine by the glass. A huge opportunity and a huge market.

STATS: Wineglasses floating in the Sharktank? Self-contained pre-packaged glasses of wine that is. Who will be the first to sip on the revenues streams of this innovative idea? Daymond is the first shark to back out. Kevin, a wine enthusiast,  likes the patent but dislikes the wine. He would like to pull the patent from the product and sell the packaging system  to wine companies around the world. Mark and Kevin both seem to want to do the same thing. So does Robert, but Robert feels that James doesn't want to separate the wine from the intellectual property, so he's out. Barbara backs out as well. Kevin wants to separate the packaging system (the intellectual property) and leave James the wine company seeing the real profit in the IP (Intelectual Property). James holds out holding on tooth and nail to the whole opportunity he's presenting. He see's the amount of money he'll make on the IP side as far smaller than what he could make with the whole system. But Kevin comes back with a very enticing offer. He wants to isolate the IP and buy 51% for $600K and take his chances on licensing the IP to everyone in the wine industry. He'll still let James run his brand and James will also get 49% of what Kevin will bring in from the licensee's! Mark says he'll never do a deal like that and he backs out. Four sharks are out. This sounds like a sweet deal but James just won't bite. He could take the $600K and use it on his brand, and still make money from Kevin's end of the deal! But James doesn't want to give it up. He wants his company to stay integrated into the other aspects of his business. It's ALL or nothing with James. Kevin asks him to make a counter offer and James counters with a whopping $3 Million!!! Kevin says forget it, he'll never do it and he's out. The Bull Shark then boasts that he's going to go out and buy a $1,000 bottle of wine just to help him forget this guppy. James walks out without the investment.  

CAME IN SEEKING: $600K for a 20% stake

WALKED WITH: Alcohol on his breath 

GRADE: (Guppy): C

GRADE: (Sharks): Not Applicable

COMMENTARY: This was a tough one to call. I would have personally jumped on Kevin's offer but maybe James saw a bigger picture in his vision. Who knows? Maybe the money really was in the whole brand. Only time will reveal. I really don't know if he should get a C or an A!? What do you think?

WATCH SHARK TANK WEEK 1/EPISODE 1 - COPA DI VINO

"We all need money, but there are degrees of desperation." - Anthony Burgess

CHECK OUT THE SHARK FINS SECTION FOR ARTICLES AND INTERVIEWS. ALSO CHECK OUT THE SHARK TEETH SECTION FOR HELPFUL TOOLS OF THE TRADE.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? COULD HE HAVE GOTTEN THE  CAPITAL (OR HIGHER) WITH A LOWER STAKE? WHERE THE SHARKS FAIR IN THEIR NEGOTIATIONS? SHOULD HE HAVE TAKEN KEVIN'S OFFER? POST YOUR COMMENTS AND TEST YOUR NOODLE AT THINKING LIKE A BILLIONAIRE...........

Shark Eyes: Conversations With Millionaires by Mike Litman & Jason Oman - Set A Goal To Become A Millionaire

“Set a goal to become a millionaire for what it

makes of you to achieve it.”

He said, “Do it for the skills you have to learn and

the person you have to become. Do it for what you’ll

end up knowing about the marketplace, what you’ll

learn about the management of time and working

with people. Do it for the ability of discovering how to

keep your ego in check. For what you have to learn

about being benevolent. Being kind as well as being

strong. What you have to learn about society and

business and government and taxes and becoming

an accomplished person to reach the status of

millionaire.

All that you have learned and all that you’ve

become to reach the status of millionaire is what’s

valuable. Not the million dollars.

If you do it that way, then once you become a

millionaire, you can give all the money away.

Because it’s not the money that’s really important.

What’s important is the person you have become.”

That was one of the best pieces of philosophy I

have ever heard in my life.

Nobody ever shared it with me like that before.

Another thing he said was, “beware of what you

become in pursuit of what you want. Don’t sell out.

Don’t sell out your principles. Don’t compromise your

values. Because you might acquire something by

doing so, but it won’t taste good.”
- Mark Victor Hanson

Excerpt taken from Conversations With Millionaires by Mike Litman and Jason Oman


Visit the SHARK EYES section for recommended must reads

Watch Shark Tank - Week 1 /Episode 1 - CBS Foods

The following are actually REAL negotiations between entrepreneurs and investors (Guppies & Sharks). The sharks invest their own money at their discretion. The guppies get devoured into a belly of finance, or spit back into the ocean of hard knocks to fend for themselves. The entrepreneurs must convince the sharks to invest the FULL AMOUNT, or walk away with NOTHING.

THE SHARKS: Barbara Corcoran, Daymond John, Mark Cuban, Robert Herjavec, Kevin O'Leary

THE GUPPY: Shawn Davis

THE COMPANY: CBS Foods 

WEBSITE: www.chefbigshake.com

SYNOPSIS: CBS Foods flagship product is The Original Shrimp Burger offered in 4 flavors of original, teriyaki, cajun and jalepeno. 

SEEKING: $200K for a 25% Stake

PRODUCT/SERVICE: CBS Foods flagship Original Shrimp Burgers. 

WHAT'S THE SKINNY? HOW DOES IT MAKE MONEY?: It costs  87 cents a burger and it retails for $1.63. CBS also has a Lobster Slider which has shipped 300 cases. He has commitments from 2 supermarkets for 600 cases of burgers and 300 cases of sliders. To date he's sold over 26,000 burgers. The dollar amount for the orders is $87,200. He has $30K in sales this year. He would make roughly 53% on $100,000 in orders. 

STATS: Some sharks enjoy lobster, crab, and shrimp especially if it's stuffed with enough cash and rolled in dough. Today's special is Shrimp Burgers, a meal which Mark Cuban enjoys, but he's not experienced in the restaurant business and see's no way he can add value so he backs out. Barbara Corcoran just doesn't even like shrimp at all  so she's out. Kevin O'Leary is concerned the profit margins aren't high enough, the protein supply is vulnerable to price fluctuations, and that it is a risky product so he's out. Robert loves the shrimp, but doesn't think the company is worth it, so he's out also. Daymond is Shawn's last chance and he actually loves the tasty shrimp burger but can't seem to get over the evaluation of the company being worth  $800K. Shawn is willing to re-negotiate his equity giving up to 30% from 25%. No bite. He then brings his offering up to a 40% stake for $200K. Daymond just can't get past the evaluation of the company being worth as much as Shawn says and decides to back out. Most of the sharks love the tasty burger, but the appetite for the dollar is much bigger. The shrimp and the guppy is spit back into the ocean of commerce to sink or swim. Shawn may have a wonderful product, but just can't seem to hook the sharks on the investment. Shawn finally walks away with no investment.

CAME IN SEEKING: $200K for a 25% stake

WALKED WITH: Free Publicity

GRADE: (Guppy): D+

GRADE: (Sharks): Not Applicable

COMMENTARY: He may have over evaluated what the company was worth, but if his product was anywhere near as tasty as it was evaluated by the mouths of the sharks, then he is sure to find an investor out there somewhere. Maybe he can get creative and structure the agreement with a royalty that escalates (or lowers) according to units shipped up to a certain amount. I bet Captain D's & Long John Silvers can use a tasty shrimp burger. With the free publicity of Shark Tank on ABC, some restaurants or grocery store chains out there are sure to be placing orders for one of the ocean's most tasty treats. If I owned a cafe' I surely would. The demand of shrimp lovers won't let him down. Hang in there Big Shake!

WATCH SHARK TANK WEEK 1/EPISODE 1 - CBS FOODS

"Money is only a tool. It will take you wherever you wish, but it will not replace you as the driver." - Ayn Rand


CHECK OUT THE SHARK FINS SECTION FOR ARTICLES AND INTERVIEWS. ALSO CHECK OUT THE SHARK TEETH SECTION FOR HELPFUL TOOLS OF THE TRADE.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? COULD HE HAVE GOTTEN THE SAME CAPITAL (OR HIGHER) WITH A LOWER STAKE? WHERE THE SHARKS FAIR IN THEIR NEGOTIATIONS? DID HE OVER-EVALUATE HIS COMPANY? POST YOUR COMMENTS AND TEST YOUR NOODLE AT THINKING LIKE A BILLIONAIRE...........