Andy DehnartSurvivor South Pacific jury member Edna Ma appeared on Shark Tank last night, pitching her products that minimize pain for bikini waxing, Bare Ease and Numb Nuts (for men!). Her segment came in a strong episode that ended with a dramatic segment that illustrates the show’s greatness, especially now that Mark Cuban is part of it.
Edna’s pitch included her emotional story and fun moments like Edna offering product samples–i.e. plastic panties–to the sharks, and was probably the most polite presentation, rejection, and reaction in the history of the series. “Thank your feedback and time,” Edna told each shark when they rejected her. As she left, Mark Cuban said, “Congratulations on a great start, Edna.”
While the sharks loved Edna, they did not like her low sales and Edna’s focus on the business along with her full-time day jobs–teaching and practicing medicine–and her family. Incredibly, Edna sells her kit for $18 when it costs $2.82 to make. Last year, she sold $45,000 worth, and this year is projecting $62,000. But that meant “it’s a hobby, it’s not a business,” Robert Herjavec told her. Mark Cuban said, “it’s not a company yet.” Edna agreed, calling it “a baby, infant company.”
Watch Edna pitch Bare Ease below, and stick around for the final pitch, Veggie Mama’s Garden Pops, which is incredibly entertaining, especially after the introduction of the worst deal in the tank–the royalty–and the cascading offers. It’s fascinating and dramatic.