What Really Happened on Shark Tank?!?

It’s been exactly 2 months since I aired on Shark Tank…and since you’ve been riding shotgun with me on this whole crazy journey, you deserve to know the story behind the story.

So, without further ado...here are some of the most common questions people have been asking...

How did you get on & when did you film? 

I launched my Kickstarter on May 30 of last year…and we exceeded our goal of 25k in pre-orders in just 2 days, thanks, in large part, to you guys!

On June 5, just 1 week after launching, the head of casting from Shark Tank reached out to me…actually tweeted at me that she wanted to talk. I thought it was a joke. It wasn't...and she was & is awesome.

By middle of September, I was in LA shooting.

I aired on January 14.

Is it hard to get on the show?

The number of entrepreneurs trying to get on Shark Tank is simply astounding.

40,000 people apply each year. 

160 people are selected to go to LA to film. 

100 or so get on air.

To put it in perspective, Harvard is the hardest school in the country to get into…and it accepts 5% of students. Shark Tank accepts one-quarter of 1%.

That’s right…Shark Tank is 20 times harder to get into than Harvard!

Did you expect to get a deal? 

I did NOT expect to get a deal. In fact, when I left for LA I told my wife Lisa that I thought I had a 25% chance to get a deal because the company had literally just started and no customers had even received the product yet.

Before they reached out to me, Shark Tank was not a thought in my head. As an entrepreneur, sure, it was on my bucket list (how could it not be?), but I did not think that DudeRobe was anywhere near ready for that.

Since customers did not get their DudeRobes until the end of December (3 months after we filmed), I didn't have all of the great reviews I received AFTER you guys got your DudeRobes…AFTER we filmed. It's a shame because the reviews have been so damn good!

Did you really turn down Under Armour stock back in 1997 after negotiating their first licensing deal? 

Yup. True story. Next question? ??

Why did you promote it knowing you didn’t get a deal? 

Being on Shark Tank is the dream for most entrepreneurs. And it’s a big deal, whether you get a deal or not.

It’s like losing in the Super Bowl.

Of course you’d rather win but who cares…you were in the freakin' Super Bowl!

What really went down...and did you like how it came out? 

Honestly, the edit was not great for me. There were a few specific things I would have preferred them to show differently.

For one, in the edited version, it seemed that the robe itself cost over $200. As you guys know, that’s not true. The robe was $75...the whole collection of 4 pieces (robe, hoodie, pants, shorts) was a little over $200.

Also, Mark, Lori & Daymond all commented how nice the product was…how well made and what great quality. And Lori LOVED the branding, etc. Of course I would have liked that to have aired.

That said, I don't have an issue with how they edited it. They had to show the whole opening pitch, plus they really wanted to tell the Under Armour story...and they had to show each of the Sharks going out...so there wasn't really time for a bunch of the other good things.

Why didn’t you respond to their points? 

Of course I responded. You guys know me well enough to know that I had an answer for everything they raised. But it's Hollywood baby & they have to edit it to fit the storyline & the timing they have for my particular segment.

We had some great interaction…about my background as a sports agent and some of the products I invented and licensed, but that wasn't an important part of the story for them.

We had some great back and forth & some laughs...and to be honest, I'd love to see the unedited version.

What was with the butler? 

Hahaha, that was the producer's idea...no idea if it made much sense, but my best buddy from law school Anthony Guardione was the best butler a guy could ever ask for. Hot cocoa with marshmallows, turn down service at night...I was just glad he was there to experience it with me!!!

Now what? 

DudeRobe is doing great. There's something called The Shark Tank effect and it's real. Sales have been terrific...we've even sold out of certain items. It's been crazy!

And DudeRobe customers have been absolutely amazing...they've been emailing me how happy they are with their DudeRobes & have been re-ordering other styles & colors.

Reaction from around the world has shocked me. I thought people would like it...would think it was good or fine or whatever. But the response from random dudes around the world has been mind boggling. Guys have been emailing me thanking me for inventing it, telling me it's their favorite piece of clothing they've ever owned, they're wearing it every day...really crazy. Guys who have never worn a robe before are loving their DudeRobes!

And now I'm planning new styles and a DudeRobe for Her. Because women are stealing their boyfriends' & husbands' DudeRobes...and women are emailing me asking why we don’t have a robe for them. 

Well, guess what...it's coming soon! Remember, being a dude is way more about your attitude & personality than your gender.

So, if you ever get tweeted at by someone who says they're the head of casting of a tv show, answer it...they probably are!

Any other questions...fire away!