AS SEEN ON SHARK TANK...OR NOT?

by Peter Johansen

Since we formed SmartFelt Toys a few years ago, A LOT of people have told us:

"You should go on Shark Tank!"

We hear it everywhere we go; from trade shows to conferences and dinner parties.

From parents and educators to Toy Biz Experts and Specialty Toy Store owners.

Whatever the reasoning behind it (our inspirational origin story, unique patented, award-winning products or the fact that we are literally a mom and pop shop) the chorus has been a consistent one.

"You should go on Shark Tank."

So we decided to apply.

The first step in the application process was the written application, where we got to tell our story and answer a million questions.

We passed.

And moved on to the next round: The Phone Interview

We talked to a Casting Producer for a half hour.

We passed.

And moved to the next phase: The Video.

This was for all the marbles. The Shark Tank producers would get the chance to see what we look like, assess our energy and decide whether we'd be good television.

The Casting Producer told us to have "over-the-top infomercial energy" which, frankly is out of our comfort zone.

But we gave it the old college try.

The initial feedback on our video was promising. We got this email from the Casting Producer:

Great video! I have everything I need for now. Give us 3-4 weeks to decide and if the producers want to move forward, I'll reach out with next steps. 
Well, unfortunately, the producers did NOT want to move forward with us. We had to track them down to get the verdict.
So why did they pass? Were we too old? Too stiff? Too boring? The Casting Producer wouldn't give me any feedback.
We were crushed. This could have been an enormous break for SmartFelt Toys, but we'll soldier on as we have since the beginning.
Here's our Shark Tank submission.

Let us know if you would've booked us on the show! Let us know what you think.

xo

Peter and Yvonne

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