‘Shark Tank’ preview: SwimZip, LifeCaps, and a Daisy Cakes update
Before we get to Friday night’s “Shark Tank” episode, it’s time for the weekly preview! We’ve hand-picked a pair of products to highlight here (for entirely different reasons, mind you), and we also have the general scoop as to what is going to be taking place across the tank overall over the course of the episode.
Before we really do anything else, let’s just start off with the basics. The sharks for this week are everyone other than Barbara Corcoran (sad news, given that she is a personal favorite), and the full synopsis below also lets you know that we are seeing the return of Daisy Cakes to the broadcast:
“When Mark Cuban hears how a Mom from Provo, UT funded her idea to design stylish baby shoes, he proclaims that hers is the best story he’s heard on how to start a business. Also, a man from Salt Lake City, UT hopes the Sharks will swallow his idea for a pill that anyone can take in a situation when food is not an option; two siblings from Prairie Village, KS hope they can zip up a deal with the Sharks with their children’s swimwear line that keeps kids sun safe; and an accomplished entrepreneur from San Diego, CA has a simple way to stay fit with a custom deck of playing cards that makes exercise convenient and fun. In a follow up segment, Kim Nelson from Pauline, SC gives an update on her dessert company, Daisy Cakes, which Barbara invested in during Season Two.”
The first product here we want to discuss is SwimZip, mostly because it is one that feels almost perfect for the tank. You have a designer by the name of Betsy Johnson (a different one, but still a great name for that reason) who is creating clothes that are both innovative, and designed to protect children in the sun. Sometimes, child safety products require a little bit of brand education, but our research online suggests that this is a woman who has already started that process courtesy of really pounding the pavement, making TV appearances, and pitching to retail.
Now, you also have LifeCaps … which we would be stunned to see get much of an offer from anyone. We’re not going to sit here and talk about the validity of some sort of “survival pill” designed to provide nutrients akin to a meal. The problem is that if there is one sort of product that tends to routinely tank out on this show, it is the ones that are in this sort of health / supplement space. You’re working with the FDA and there are just so many different hurdles; the last thing that any shark wants to do is get saddled with various liability issues or trying to prove validity of something when they can take their money elsewhere. There’s just nothing as cool about having a supplement in your portfolio.
We’ll be back tomorrow with our full review, where we will also figure out whether or not these bold predictions are right. For now, just click here if you do want to see other highlights from this season, or here to get some updates via email about everything that we cover.
Photo: ABC