Surviving the Shark Tank

There are many reasons I love working with small companies. First, I love learning about the interesting missions, projects, and products of each of my clients. They do some really fascinating work to make our world a better place. I also love that I am constantly encouraged and energized by the determination and passion required to successfully manage a small business. My clients have that determination and passion in spades. And finally, I love being able to work closely with them to design communication solutions with purpose that build their brands and overcome specific business challenges.

I know…that’s a lot of love. But one of my greatest joys is watching my clients succeed, knowing that I had a small part in their accomplishments. One of my longstanding clients, Talia Goldfarb — inventor and founder of Myself Belts — had a tremendous success last week that I wanted to share as an inspiration to you. It certainly inspired me.

First, a little background information. In an effort to effectively help her slender son — whose pants kept falling down — potty train as a toddler, Talia invented a stylish Velcro belt that can be fastened and unfastened with just one hand. These belts are terrific as they can help young children gain their independence and self-esteem by letting them fasten their own belts. It is also great for individuals with physical limitations who may benefit from a one-handed closure on a belt. When Talia was starting out, she and I worked together to create the Myself Belts logo, packaging, seasonal catalogs, marketing materials, and display banners for use at expositions and other trade shows.

Last week, Talia appeared in front of four venture capitalists on ABC’s “Shark Tank” — a primetime show where entrepreneurs pitch their companies to investors for funding to grow their businesses. After the pitch, the entrepreneurs withstand questioning and critique, which can often be harsh (because, let’s face it, that drama makes good TV), before hearing whether they’ve survived the shark tank and will be awarded an investment.

Talia did an amazing job standing up to the “sharks” and secured a $75k investment from Daymond John in return for a 25% stake in her company. Hear Talia talk about her experience “in the tank” here. You can even see some of the packaging and displays that we designed during her pitch, which was exciting to see on national TV and being interviewed at St. Louis Business Journal.

You can also check out Myself Belts on Facebook.

Congratulations Talia! We are so proud of you, and we wish you continued success with Myself Belts.