"Want to save you" — When Shark Tank's Barbara made an offer to prevent Mural Painter Inc. from accepting Kevin’s deal

Emily Strauss pitched Mural Painter Inc. on Shark Tank season 11 episode 21, seeking $300,000 for 15% equity in her mural painting agency. Founded in 2009, her company connected commercial clients with artists for large-scale murals and has completed over 3,000 projects across 27 cities.

Strauss projected $800,000 in annual sales with $100,000 profit, operating with 40-50% margins. After Mark Cuban, Daymond John, and Lori Greiner declined to invest, Kevin O'Leary offered $300,000 for 35% equity.

When her turn came, Barbara Corcoran immediately positioned her offer as a rescue mission, stating:

"I do want to make you an offer just so you don't get in bed with this creepy guy cuz that would be a mistake cuz there's nothing he could do for your business. I'll give you the $100,000 of the 300 as cash okay and I'll give you a $200,000 line of credit that's the only way the numbers actually make sense for 15%.

She continued:

I was going to ask 20 but I really want to save you from this character. Okay really I mean it you wouldn't like him to do business with him."

In the end, Barbara’s offer was accepted by the Mural Painter founder.

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Mural Painter accepts Barbara's rescue deal over Kevin's on Shark Tank

During her presentation, Strauss showcased her business with a custom Shark Tank mural that caught the investors' attention. She explained that her company had completed over 3,000 murals across 27 cities, working with various commercial clients. A typical mural, like the Shark Tank example, would cost clients approximately $15,000.

Strauss detailed how artists started at $16 per hour, with larger projects requiring two artists to complete the work efficiently. She projected finishing the year with $800,000 in sales and $100,000 in profit, figures that impressed several Sharks despite concerns about scalability.

Mark Cuban was the first to withdraw, expressing doubts about scaling the business model effectively to match Strauss's growth ambitions. Daymond John followed, citing concerns over potential artist turnover as his primary reason for stepping back.

Lori Greiner initially showed curiosity and asked about Emily's background. Strauss shared her story of overcoming serious illness and pursuing art education after earning her GED. Despite this personal narrative, Greiner ultimately decided the business wasn't aligned with her investment strategy and withdrew.

Kevin O'Leary, seeing potential in the business model, made the first concrete offer: $300,000 for 35% equity in Mural Painter. This valuation significantly reduced the company's worth from Strauss's proposed $2 million to approximately $857,000. The equity demand was substantially higher than what Strauss initially offered to give up.

Barbara directly challenged O'Leary's offer. She structured her offer differently from O'Leary's: $100,000 in cash plus a $200,000 line of credit for 15% equity. This allowed Strauss to retain more ownership while providing financial flexibility.

While Barbara Corcoran had originally considered asking for 20% equity, she decided to match Strauss's 15% offer to make her proposal more attractive compared to O'Leary's terms. After weighing her options, Strauss accepted Barbara's offer on the show, citing mentorship value and better equity terms as decisive factors.

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Post-tank journey

Despite the handshake agreement on television, Shark Tank Blog reported that the deal never closed after filming. Nevertheless, Mural Painter continued to grow without Shark investment.

The company expanded its operations to Florida, New York, and Los Angeles from its original base. Strauss secured contracts with major clients, including Netflix, Amazon, Sony, Google, Facebook, and Etsy. By 2024, Mural Painter reached $1 million in annual revenue, demonstrating significant growth from the $800,000 projected during the Shark Tank appearance.

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Interested viewers can watch new episodes of Shark Tank on the ABC network.