Is "Shark Tank" the Only Way to Make Easy Money?
By Jason Cochran, WalletPop.com and AOL Small Business
Survivor creator Mark Burnett created a new legion of devoted fans with his latest production, Shark Tank, the American answer to Dragon's Den. Each week on ABC, budding entrepreneurs went before a panel of self-made millionaire "Sharks" and tried to convince them to invest their own money in their ideas.
It's the moment of truth for eccentric Iowan inventor Cactus Jack. When he was on the show, Barbara Corcoran offered him $180,000 for his Body Jac weight-loss device, which helps overweight people do push-ups, provided he drop 30 pounds. WalletPop's Jason Cochran was at Corcoran's penthouse office in New York City the day Cactus Jack arrived for his fateful weigh-in. Did he drop the weight, or did she drop the deal?
For more info, see ABC's Shark Tank site, and also read Entreprenuer.com's 5-part series of interviews with the Sharks. You can also check out past episodes online, as well as our incisive show recaps. Most importantly, be sure to check back here for more interviews with the millionaires, advice and updates from the entrepreneurs, and post-show coverage of who hooked a major deal -- and who wound up in the chum bucket!
Sandy Hyun & Roman Peters, Mr. Poncho
(AOL)
They're not trained in business (she makes jewelry and he's a graphic designer), but they took a home-made product to the big time on national TV. What happened to them since they went swimming with Sharks? Click to hear how they're making money now!
Adam McCombs & Brian Duggan, JumpForward.com
(AOL)
Their software, which makes it easy for colleges to recruit high school athletes, set off a feeding frenzy in the Tank, and these whiz kids sauntered out with $600,000 of the millionaires' money. Click to hear their business secrets!
Gayla Bentley
(AOL)
Her dream to create the first globally successful luxury fashion line for women of size 12 or larger convinced mogul Daymond John to invest his own cash. Watch this lady, because you'll be hearing from her again. Click to hear her business secrets!
Dan Mackey, Chill Soda
(AOL)
Dan Mackey had a good idea for a product, but when it came time to make the pitch to the Sharks, he nearly cracked under the pressure. Has his low-glycemic soda brand gone flat? Click to hear his business secrets!
Ava the Elephant
(AOL)
WalletPop's Jason Cochran talks with Tiffany Krumins, inventor of Ava the Elephant, via Skype the morning after she got a huge investment in her company from Barbara Corcoran. Click to hear her business secrets!
Danon Beres, Washed Up Hollywood
(AOL)
Danon Beres dared to bring his trendy accessories line to the Shark Tank and was called a "lying pig" for his efforts. Ouch! Did he buckle from the rejection? Click to hear his business secrets!
Lisa Lloyd, Treasure Chest Pets
(AOL)
Lisa Lloyd went to the Shark Tank to ask for investment. But when she got there, she realized she wanted someone to take her business off her hands. How did she get in so far over her head? Click to hear her business secrets!
In Depth with Barbara Corcoran, Robert Herjavec & Kevin Harrington
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In our four-part, in-depth interview, three of the Sharks sit down with our own Jason Cochran to dish about "trophy wives," self-promotion, good business ideas, and how they appraise the entrepreneurs. Click to hear the business secrets of these self-made millionaires!
Leslie Haywood, Grill Charms
(AOL)
Leslie Haywood used her Southern charms to try to get $50,000 out of the Sharks for her Grill Charms barbecue invention. Is her business plan still cooking?Click to hear her business secrets!
Kimberly Cayce, KALYX
(AOL)
Jason catches up with Kimberly to find out whether she has been able to pick up the pieces after leaving the show empty-handed and in tears. Has she found the support she needs for her sports bra endeavor?Click to hear her business secrets!
Jonathan Miller, Element Bars
(AOL)
Jonathan Miller, the 29-year-old guy who did what few others have done on ABC's Shark Tank: He rebuffed lopsided offers and not only lived to tell the tale, but he also got the Sharks to show their weakness. Click to hear his business secrets!
Sawyer Sparks, Soy-Yer Dough
(AOL)
Sawyer Sparks, a 22-year-old college student from Purdue University, walked into the Shark Tank last night with a bright idea: modeling dough that kids with wheat allergies can use. Click to hear his business secrets!
Kevin O'Leary and Robert Herjavec
(AOL)
This is no bogus drama staged just for the cameras: The deals are real, the commitments iron-clad, and the money's truly from the Sharks' own pockets. Click to hear the business secrets of two of the men giving out the cash!
Daymond John, Shark
(AOL)
Daymond John, founder of FUBU, started with nothing and now is sitting on a stack of cash to invest wisely in the businesspeople who come before him on the show. What's the secret to impressing him? Click to hear about how he went from Red Lobster to Easy Street.
Kuame Kuadey, GiftCardRescue.com
(AOL)
Kuame Kuadey moved to the United States from Ghana 12 years ago, and not long ago, he found himself laid off and low on options. What happened when he put everything on the line and strolled into the Tank to get $150,000 for his growing business? Click to hear his business secrets!
Paul Watts, Graffiti Removal Services
(AOL)
It was one of the most electrifying confrontations of the Shark Tank season. Paul Watts of Sacramento brought his Graffiti Removal Services, a franchised fleet of mobile removal units, in front of the Sharks to see who would bite. Click to hear his business secrets!
Rodolfo Saccoman, MyTherapyJournal
(AOL)
When he went into the Tank with his brother, the Brazil-born Saccoman seemed even hungrier for mentorship than he was for cold, hard cash. How did that tactic work out for him? (And what the heck was that whooshy fist bump all about?) Click to hear his business secrets!
Bryan Parks, Chopstick Art
(AOL)
Bryan Parks, the guy whose improbable Chopstick Art business - making bowls and wine racks out of used chopsticks -- was laughed out of the famous Shark Tank.Click to hear his business secrets!
Marion Cruz, TurboBaster
(AOL)
Marion Cruz is still mulling over her possible deal from the Sharks. How can that be?Click to hear her business secrets!
Susan Knapp, A Perfect Pear
(AOL)
Susan Knapp scored a big hit on Shark Tank with her gourmet food business. Her product set off the first feeding frenzy of the show and she walked off with a big pile of cash. Click to hear her business secrets!
Craig French of Crooked Jaw
(AOL)
Although Craig French didn't get a check from the Sharks, he did land a deal with a major retail chain, and the exposure on network television pulled in some 50,000 visitors to the Crooked Jaw website in less than 24 hours.Click to hear their business secrets!
College Foxes Packing Boxes
Nick Friedman and Omar Soliman got torn to shreds on Shark Tank. "You're pigs," spat investor Kevin O'Leary. "And pigs get slaughtered." What do they have to say about it? Listen to our interview on BlogTalkRadio and find out.
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