"Forgive me for saying this" — When Barbara criticized Sheets Laundry Club's founder on Shark Tank

On Shark Tank season 13, military veteran Chris Videau and business partner Chris Campbell pitched their eco-friendly Sheets Laundry Club, seeking $500,000 for 5% equity. After demonstrating their dissolvable detergent sheets, they revealed $2.04 million in 2020 sales with a 24% profit margin.

Kevin O'Leary stepped away citing conflict with his Blueland investment. Mark Cuban expressed concerns about global expansion costs.

"Forgive me for saying this, I don't think either of you sell. You could have the best product, the best production, you could run the best company, make people happy, but if you don't have that aggressiveness hunger on the front end of your business, it doesn't really go anywhere," Barbara Corcoran said.

After all regular Shark Tank investors withdrew, guest Shark Daniel Lubetzky made an offer that the entrepreneurs accepted.

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Barbara withdrew from Sheets Laundry Club deal citing founders' presentation style on Shark Tank

Chris Videau drew from his experiences as a Blackhawk pilot in Iraq, where he witnessed the environmental damage from burning plastic waste that affected his lung health. This personal connection fueled his partnership with Chris Campbell to create their eco-friendly laundry solution.

The Sheets Laundry Club company founders demonstrated their product's effectiveness by dissolving detergent sheets in water bottles, demonstrating immediate results that impressed all Sharks. The financial presentation revealed strong market performance. Their 2020 sales reached $2.04 million, with projections indicating $7 million for 2021. The company maintained a healthy 24% profit margin through the direct-to-consumer model.

A key business asset emerged in their agreement with Kimberly Clark, which provided exclusive patent rights for the dissolvable sheet technology. Their product range expanded beyond laundry solutions to include 46 different items across cleaning categories.

The founders explained their production processes, cost structures, and marketing strategies. They highlighted their focus on social media marketing and word-of-mouth growth, which helped build a base of 21,000 subscription customers.

Each subscriber generated consistent monthly revenue, contributing to their stable financial performance. The Shark Tank company’s retail strategy included plans for Target store testing, highlighting potential for traditional retail expansion alongside their strong online presence.

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Sharks' reactions

Kevin O'Leary withdrew from consideration due to his existing investment in Blueland, a competing eco-friendly cleaning products company. Mark Cuban expressed reservations about their global expansion goals, stating the capital requirements would exceed the proposed investment amount. Lori Greiner praised the product concept but stepped back due to concerns about the company's valuation.

Barbara Corcoran then gave three-part feedback. She directed her attention to the business structure and pointed out the upcoming expiration of their Kimberly Clark patent agreement in 2024 as a significant risk factor.

Her second concern targeted their broad product range of 46 SKUs, suggesting this diversification might spread their management attention too thin. The third point focused on their sales presentation style, where she noted their lack of aggressive market approach.

The entrepreneurs responded to her critique with their growth plans in Shark Tank. They highlighted their projected revenue of $7 million for 2021 and emphasized their successful digital marketing strategy. The founders also shared their upcoming retail expansion plans, yet these responses did not change Barbara's decision to step away from the investment opportunity.

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Aftermath

As per Shark Tank Blog, their subscription customer base expanded from 21,000 to 75,000 members by 2024. The retail sector proved challenging, as their trial run with Harris Teeter's 200 stores did not result in permanent placement. Annual revenue stabilized between $2.5 and $3 million.

Daniel Lubetzky's offer of $500,000 for 8% equity plus 2% advisory shares marked the conclusion of their pitch. However, post-show developments revealed the deal did not close. The company maintained its presence on Amazon and Walmart's online platforms while focusing on direct-to-consumer sales through their website.

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Fans can watch new episodes of Shark Tank on ABC network.