Shark Tank Chronicles Part 1: Getting on Shark Tank

Fifteen years ago, I was at Boston University excelling in my business program. My mom was so proud of me — I was thriving academically after many years of feeling “meh” about school.

One day, back home in San Diego, my mom flipped on the TV and Shark Tank was on. She pointed to the TV, and I’ll never forget her saying, “Look, honey! That could be you one day.”

I am a strong believer in the power of manifestation, so I give my mom partial credit for manifesting this amazing opportunity all those years ago, and reinforcing that it was possible.

Fast forward to 2020, and I'm running a thriving e-commerce business. Shark Tank was always on my radar, but I decided it was finally the right time to apply. I went to the website and filled out an application to be on the show. Soon after, I got a call saying I had made it to the next round in the process! I spent a whole day creating my audition video, only to get eliminated. Even so, the producers encouraged me to apply again next year.

In February 2021, I re-applied. After several rounds of auditions, I got a call from the producers one afternoon while I was on a run. I got on the show!!! I was so excited. My SharkTank tape date was originally scheduled for late July. The week before, I was laser-focused and put all of my energy into preparing.

As I approached the taping date, I prepared like an athlete going to the Olympics. I spent over 40 hours writing and practicing my pitch, designing my set, practicing some more, purchasing props, and picking my outfit. I was READY.

Then, the night before I was supposed to go in and tape, I got a call from my producer. My tape day had been rescheduled.

I was devastated. I felt like the rug had been ripped out from underneath me. I was so bummed. I felt foolish for putting so much effort into preparation and for telling so many friends and family members about it — I felt like I’d let them down.

The following three or four weeks were really hard. I felt depressed and aimless.

Having dealt with some heartbreaks and setbacks in the past (I am an entrepreneur, after all), I knew what I needed to do to get myself out of this slump. I did some therapy, journaled regularly, and gave myself time to recover from this major let-down. I used what I knew was helpful to me and went all-in on self-care.

Then, just as I started to feel better, I got engaged! Josh’s proposal in August was the most exciting, wonderful moment of my life. It breathed life and energy back into me — it’s no coincidence August was Curie’s best month of the entire year.

The reality was: I had everything I needed to make my company successful. I didn’t need Shark Tank — it was a big opportunity, but not our only opportunity.

Stay tuned for Part 2: The Hike!