Shark Tank: Erin's Experience

Do you have any idea how hard it is to keep something as fantastic as Shark Tank a secret for 5+ months? Especially when it includes an outcome such as ours? Well, I can tell you.

Near Impossible.

But we did it. Which means that we have 5 months of catching up to do! To start, I thought I'd give my version of preparing and being in the Shark Tank.

In June 2009, Tim saw a post on Twitter about a tv show looking for new companies. He sent in an application, and then got a request for an audition video. That video will probably pop up at some point, but basically - Tim & I filmed while on our bikes, conversing about our company. The timing was great because I would have to ship my bike off to Idaho for my first Ironman Triathlon a few days later. The producers liked our video and sent us a more detailed application. To be honest, I never entertained the fact that we might be chosen until we received an email saying we were a semi-finalist. At this point, we got excited.

A few weeks later, Tim got the call saying we were chosen to go to LA and film for the show. When Tim let me know, I was so excited that I jumped around the parking lot outside my gym for about 5 minutes. I'm sure I looked pretty crazy to anyone driving by, but little did they know I had just gotten one of the most important phone calls of my life!

Soon after, we had our first conference call with our amazing producers, Bill & Matt. This is when the work began. Tim & I have been running Grease Monkey Wipes for over a year and felt like we had a good idea of our market and a good grasp on our company. However, we wanted to be sure we had answers to everything the sharks might ask us. You might remember that Robert said we had all the answers to his questions. That was not a mistake. We researched and practiced and researched more. In fact, I felt like I was back in business school doing case study after case study. Of course, this case study would be the most important one of my life.

Then there was "the pitch." We knew we had to have a solid, compelling pitch to interest the sharks. Producers Bill & Matt gave us so much important feedback. They listened to us for weeks until they felt we had the best pitch possible. I can still remember Tim & I practicing it over and over. We paid attention to the smallest details, even taking note of where each of us felt most comfortable standing relative to one another!

Before we knew it, our big weekend arrived. Everything sunk in once we arrived at our hotel and were given instructions on how to proceed for our stay. Meetings + practice + post-practice meetings. Tim & I continued to rehearse our pitch and go over all the possible shark questions we could think of. I will say - we were ready!

Fast forward to us waiting behind the big wooden doors... opening them... and walking down the hallway towards the sharks. I never really had time to get nervous until we stood before them and waited for our cue. My heart slowly made its way up towards my throat and I was sure the microphones could hear it thumping! We heard the cue, and Tim started our introductions. Believe it or not, all the sharks were smiling at us! At that point, I realized, "this is fun!" and the nerves started to fade. As we continued our pitch, I became completely focused on showing the sharks just how great Grease Monkey Wipes are. Tim was phenomenal at answering the shark's detailed questions, and together we did our best to prove ourselves and our business.
Yes, it was disappointing when Kevin O said he was out. Then Kevin H also said he was out, followed by Daymond. At least Daymond said that he like us and he liked the company. Then Barbara said no. Still disappointing, but at least so far, no one thought Grease Monkey Wipes was bad business - instead, we just weren't the business for them.

At that point, all our hope was on Robert. I felt deep in my gut that he wanted to be part of our team, but I knew we had to prove to him that WE were worth the investment. We had proven our business acumen, but now it was time to prove our HEART.
Robert asked, "Erin, in one sentence, why should I give you the money?"

I will take that question with me to the grave! This is when I gave it my all, and Tim backed me up. Then we waited as Robert thought and thought... and then we heard "I'm on board."

YES!!!!! We did it!!! But it got better.... before we could even realize what was happening, Barbara was on board too! We had hoped for one investor, but to get two? It was all I could do not to jump around again! We shook their hands and then made the return trip down the hallway. It's possible that Tim and I were so excited that we actually floated back down that hallway.

Fast forward again to this past Friday night. Tim and I held a watch party in Austin. It was surreal to see ourselves on TV, and yet we still couldn't share what happened. Our friends cheered and cheered (and boo'ed whenever a shark said no.) Then it was over, and we could FINALLY talk about our experience and celebrate!
Here we are thanking the 130+ people that came to the watch party. Meanwhile, our website was crashing because we had so much traffic. (A 4700% increase to be exact!) Emails & orders were piling in!

It's been 2 days since the show, and I am still floating on air. The response and feedback has been amazing. When Tim told me about Shark Tank, I never thought in a million years what it would mean for us. Now, we have two amazing partners that will help us create the "Global Wipes Empire" we have always wanted. (So much thanks goes to Barbara & Robert for believing in us!)

So... thanks for sharing this experience with us! Please continue to follow along and see what happens in Grease Monkey World! Expect Grease Monkey domination soon!
Cheers & Thanks
-Erin

Lastly, if you haven't checked it out yet, please visit us at http://www.greasemonkeywipes.com/!