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00:00Tonight on Dragon's Den.
00:05Whoa. Oh, man.
00:08And this time you take the deal.
00:10All right.
00:11Don't mess with our new dragon.
00:13Just hold on a second, okay?
00:15I raised four children as a single mom without a job and built a business.
00:22Do not stand in front of me and tell me that it's too hard.
00:26I started a business with $30,000.
00:29Where'd you get that from?
00:30My whole savings and...
00:32Your entire life savings.
00:33Entire electrical savings.
00:34Wow.
00:35First up, let's see if these jiu-jitsu sweethearts can tap out the dragon's heat with their frosty treat.
01:03Hello, dragons.
01:04Hello.
01:05Hello.
01:05Hi.
01:05My name is Fernando.
01:07That's my wife and business partner, Raquel.
01:09Hello.
01:09We are from London, Ontario, and today we are asking for $150,000 in exchange for 15% of our business, Hyper Açaí.
01:18Originally, we are from Brazil, and as Brazilians, we have two passions, jiu-jitsu and açaí.
01:24When I was training to become a Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighter, that's when I was introduced to the açaí.
01:32It was the perfect after-workout snack.
01:35But when we moved from Brazil to Canada, açaí here in Canada was being watered down, blended with other fruits, and nothing like what we grew up with.
01:45So, just as in jiu-jitsu, we earned the position.
01:49We decided to take açaí from Brazil to Canada, take the market to the mat.
01:55And someone's in trouble.
01:57Uh-oh.
01:57Oh, he gotcha.
01:59And win the competitors into submission.
02:02Whoa.
02:03Wow, well done.
02:04I mean, I was a national champion with Shotokan for many years.
02:07Do I need to get on the mat and show anybody anything?
02:09Oh, let's do it.
02:09Yes, you do.
02:10Let's do it.
02:11All right.
02:12Come on.
02:12Here, show me this.
02:14Here, let's do it.
02:15Guys, all right.
02:16All right.
02:16These are tight pants.
02:18You're wearing purple just like açaí, so.
02:22Oh, yeah.
02:23Look from behind, Jen.
02:24Your four-finger go.
02:25My forearm squat.
02:26Squat a little bit.
02:27Lift to me.
02:27Whoa.
02:28Oh, man.
02:30Hey, next time, you take the deal.
02:32All right.
02:33Guys.
02:34Whoa.
02:35Don't mess with our new dragon.
02:37Well done.
02:39Good job.
02:40Look at you.
02:41What dope you do, Drew.
02:42I know, right?
02:43That was really cool.
02:44I'm mad at many talents.
02:45We derailed you a little bit here, but I want to focus on what's underneath the...
02:49We?
02:49No, you put up meat hyper açaí.
02:53Oh.
02:54It's real, authentic açaí sorbet that it's gluten-free, vegan, full of antioxidants, and it's delicious.
03:04We'd love for you, dragons, to have yours.
03:06Absolutely.
03:06Oh, hey.
03:07Yeah.
03:07It's frozen.
03:08Hey.
03:09That's how we have açaí in Brazil.
03:11We keep the Brazilian tradition to have, like, a sorbet.
03:14Oh, wow.
03:15Yeah.
03:15Oh, wow.
03:15That is delicious.
03:16Because you're right.
03:17Usually, it's a more watered-down taste.
03:18Yeah.
03:19The difference between us and our competitors is because we have the highest amount in açaí
03:23in the sorbet.
03:25That's our number one ingredient.
03:26But if you compare to most of our competitors, they go below 20%.
03:31Yeah.
03:31I like the taste of it.
03:32I mean, I can see adding this to a smoothie as well, not just eating it like this.
03:35I like the texture.
03:37I think I find it a little too sweet.
03:39Yeah.
03:40Well, how much of the sugar is natural sugars, and how much of it is added sugar?
03:46Most of them, it's natural sugar.
03:4813 grams is added.
03:5013 grams is added?
03:51Yes.
03:52Okay, that's quite a bit.
03:55How much does this sell for?
03:56Yeah.
03:56Right now, we sell for $3.75 for the...
04:00Wholesale.
04:00For wholesale, and $5.99 for the B2C.
04:03It's suggested retail.
04:05Do you get pushback on the price, like $6 for this tiny little pile?
04:08I don't think it's that much.
04:08200 mils?
04:09Like, açaí only grows in Brazil.
04:12So for...
04:13Well, I get that it's an expensive ingredient, but I'm asking the customer.
04:17Like, there's a lot of pressure on people right now on their grocery bill, their household,
04:22you know, expenses.
04:23I completely agree.
04:24Dude, an açaí bowl is like $15 to $20 now.
04:28I actually think this price point is very competitive.
04:30Where would I go buy this?
04:32We are in 60 locations right now, and we achieved this number in less than one year.
04:37And so you're in the frozen section in there?
04:39We are in the frozen section, yes.
04:40That's a very hard space to get into.
04:42It is.
04:43Maintain your sales, to stay in there, too.
04:46Like, just the logistics of making sure this never unfreezes for the price point you're
04:51doing it is really difficult.
04:52But the frozen section is the largest growth section in grocery today.
04:59It's a great category if you do it right, because the big kids are very, very competitive in terms
05:05of buying shelf space.
05:08The last 10 months, what were your revenues?
05:10$200,000.
05:12We are only in southern Ontario, so Fernando does the distribution by himself right now,
05:18from Windsor to Kingston.
05:20Fernando, you drive these around yourself?
05:22You're the distributor?
05:23Yeah.
05:23When we started, we didn't have the event.
05:25I put a freezer in my truck with a generator, and I say, I drive around Canada.
05:30So far, our clients are fitness centers.
05:33We have this freezer program where we lend the freezer to jiu-jitsu places, for example,
05:39and they are able to provide a pre-post-workout snack to their clients.
05:44Why didn't you put protein in it?
05:46Oh, that's also another one that we are developing right now.
05:49We have it with protein.
05:51We're going to have one with creatine.
05:53But the thing that doesn't make any sense to me is that added sugar, because the whole
05:56point of somebody, especially in a fitness facility, whether it is a martial arts studio
06:00or a gym, the point is to have something that tastes good that is actually healthy and
06:04not just a bunch of added sugar.
06:06Well, I just developed the zero sugar that will be launched, but for now, that was our first
06:12product, because we want people to understand what is the real taste of the acai.
06:17Right.
06:17Fernando, frozen, ethnic, high protein, high fiber, and superfoods.
06:27This could be a home run for you.
06:30You need to reformulate, and for those reasons, I'm going to be out.
06:35Fernando, I'm going to go next, and just, I'm going to say, what Arlene is saying there
06:39is absolute gold.
06:40I think it's, you go back and you retool, you're too early for an investor, I'm out,
06:45but I wish you success.
06:48It does, I just can't get past the fact of your go-to was added sugar, and that's the
06:52opposite of what you should be doing with a healthy product.
06:55So, for those reasons, I'm out.
06:56All right.
06:57I believe that you guys can bring a lot in, and if you guys come in early, that would
07:04be like...
07:04Raquel, we don't want to build businesses from scratch.
07:07You've got to do the hard work.
07:08The dream is free, but the hustle is sold separately.
07:11What we do is come and put fire on it.
07:15I'm out.
07:17I'm not going to sit here and say you guys are not doing the work.
07:19You guys are doing the work.
07:21The fact is, you're not ready for an investor yet.
07:24I'm going to be out.
07:25Thank you, Wes.
07:27Frozen's the hardest aisle.
07:28You need to reformulate, and until then, I'm going to be out.
07:33For sure, we're going to take this very seriously.
07:36I'm going to make some calls right now to reformulate it there.
07:40I can feel that energy.
07:41The thing in my mind that's good for you is, you already got the fight in you because
07:44you wouldn't be in jiu-jitsu if you didn't.
07:46Guys, did you hear that?
07:47He was just like, I'm going to go call them right now.
07:49Right now.
07:50Like, that is a good entrepreneur.
07:52He's going to come back in the den.
07:54I hope he does come back in the den.
07:55I hope he does, too.
07:56They're on to something.
07:58You are asking people and telling people that it is going to change your physical body.
08:04Do you know the liability and risk in that?
08:06There is some liability and risk.
08:08Not some.
08:08There's a lot.
08:09There's a lot.
08:20Next up, this entrepreneur is ready to share a product she's been holding close to her chest.
08:31Hello, Dragons.
08:32My name is Jillian, and I'm originally from Hamilton, Ontario.
08:36And today, I'm looking for $75,000 in exchange for 25% of my company, Booby Grow.
08:43You see, many years ago, I went through a massive weight loss transformation, lost over 40 pounds,
08:48and with it, my breasts went completely.
08:51With four years of herbal medicine education in California and years working as a holistic nutritionist,
08:56I wanted to do something about this.
08:58That's when I created Booby Grow.
09:02So, Booby Grow is an all-natural program designed to help the look, feel, and shape of the overall breasts.
09:09And I'm so, so grateful to have four of just some of the beautiful women who have had the chance to benefit from this program.
09:14After breastfeeding my son, I felt sad that I had lost my pre-baby body, especially my breasts.
09:22And so, after taking Booby Grow for a few months, the results were transformational.
09:27After the first month, I noticed significant fullness changes around the bottom and sides of my breasts.
09:34And then at around the four-month mark, I noticed significant changes in my cleavage, which was amazing.
09:41I now invite you to have a look at the products beside you.
09:46Oh, so it's a pill supplement.
09:48It is.
09:49These are natural things.
09:51Fenel.
09:52Thistle.
09:52I studied kinesiology for four years, and that's the study of the body.
09:56And so, at first, I'm thinking, like, what are you pitching?
09:59Because you can't spot focus your fat reduction or anything like that.
10:04So, what exactly is it in here that it's adjusting?
10:07It is phytoestrogenic in nature, meaning that it's helping to adjust estrogen levels,
10:12as well as the fats in this blend are really balancing to the overall hormonal system.
10:16Are there any side effects in this?
10:18Yeah, so as far as side effects go, we've had a couple of women where they had instances where they were sweating.
10:24One woman had, like, a breakout on her chin.
10:26Jillian, that's kind of anecdotal, though.
10:29Tell me about the science.
10:30There is some different background research into some of the different herbs around increasing the overall weight and density.
10:35What I would like to do with the funding is to be able to help support our own clinical research studies,
10:39specifically into my product.
10:40So, you haven't done any yourself.
10:41What you have done is created a mix based on publicly available research.
10:47Correct.
10:47And is this Health Canada proof?
10:49That's what I want to get it to.
10:51So, you're not.
10:54I know that there are steps to the process.
10:56You are asking people and telling people that it is going to change your physical body.
11:02Do you know the liability and risk in that?
11:04There is some liability and risk.
11:05Not some.
11:06There's a lot.
11:07You need to figure out a way to get some of that clinical trial and get that designation before you would even step foot into this arena.
11:14Because any time I see somebody claiming something but you literally have no research,
11:18even though there's public research on individual ingredients,
11:21that, to me, is still sort of big red flags.
11:23So, I'm out on this.
11:27With the right funding, I would be able to get that clinical research to show,
11:30hey, this blend is amazing for all of these different people.
11:31But don't you think you should have done all of that before you brought this to market?
11:35Because it's a mix of garbage.
11:37The biggest problem is that when it comes to being able to get to market and get to that level,
11:41that I would love to be able to be there, Minjit.
11:43I really would.
11:44Is there's a huge amount of funding that's needed.
11:46And that's truly why I'm in front of all of you today.
11:48I am all for do what's going to make you feel good in life.
11:51But I am not for anyone making claims that are health benefit related that do not have proof behind them.
12:00I think we can say that, guys.
12:02But I think there's a lot of supplement companies.
12:04Like, you can go to a Chinese medicine doctor and they're giving the next 16 types of herbs.
12:09It's not that different.
12:11It's not that different.
12:12I'm saying that a lot of entrepreneurs get started and there's a lot of selling of supplements that are combined to do different things before people can get to the stage where they're doing research.
12:22We haven't even talked about sales yet.
12:24We can get into that.
12:25But Drew respectfully said, I don't even want to know sales numbers.
12:29I'm out.
12:29It does make a difference to me at this point.
12:31Is this selling?
12:31Do you have a market here?
12:32Absolutely.
12:33We've done $13,000 in sales this year, $43,000 in sales the last year, and in the last four years, $108,000.
12:40You probably have pretty low liability risks because you have pretty small sales right now.
12:46How much do you think it is going to take for you to become, like, a legitimate supplement with research?
12:52With research, I believe that it's probably going to take close to $125,000, of which I'm happy to bring forward the money as well.
12:59Don't you think that your first step would have been to do all of that hard work up front before you launched a product?
13:07With what money?
13:08Beg, borrow, and steal.
13:10Entrepreneurs got to figure out a way.
13:11That's such a beautiful thing to say, but the challenge is when you have worked for yourself as an entrepreneur from day one.
13:17Which we all have.
13:18The access to money is very limited.
13:21It's not as easy as getting a loan for $100,000.
13:23If I could do that, I would have already done that.
13:25I wouldn't even be in front of you.
13:26Jillian, just hold on a second, okay?
13:29I raised four children as a single mom without a job and built a business.
13:36Do not stand in front of me and tell me that it's too hard to raise money because it's hard.
13:43That is absolutely you telling me that you're not an entrepreneur who can figure it out.
13:48I'm out.
13:50Jillian, I like reading fairy tales, not investing in them.
13:53I'm out.
13:54Health Canada needs to approve this in order for you to take it to market and in order for you to have confidence that people can put it in their bodies without the massive lawsuit.
14:07So for that reason, I'm going to be out.
14:10Without any research and without going through the proper Health Canada channels, I'm out.
14:15I absolutely agree with all of you that Health Canada is the destination.
14:22And I'm excited because I know whether it's one of you or it's someone else that I'm going to be able to figure this out and bring that to market in a really big way.
14:29You've got lots of fight.
14:30I do.
14:31You have to think about how you scale, how you test the market, and how you do that safely.
14:37And balancing those three things is never easy.
14:39And so you're just on that journey, but it's too early for an investor now.
14:43So I'm out.
14:47I don't understand pitching something when you have a safety angle.
14:50Let me just mix ten things together and see if it works.
14:54What the heck?
14:56When you look at the testimonials and hear the women's feedback, you can tell, like, this is the real deal.
15:00So I know that I can defend these claims.
15:03Coming up.
15:05They're so tiny.
15:05I am so confused.
15:06Now I'm a high school dropout.
15:07You 3D printed soil?
15:09Correct.
15:10Wow.
15:10Entering the den, a scientist from Toronto, hoping the dragons think his soil alternative is groundbreaking.
15:36Hi.
15:36Hi.
15:37I'm Adnan, and I'm not here to bring another indoor farming company to you.
15:40Excellent.
15:41Well done.
15:41I'd like you to come join our journey today.
15:44I'm here to bring a new innovative disruptive product in exchange for $200,000 for 10% of our company, Lairada.
15:51This is rock wall, wall insulation that is the global standard for grow media, soil within indoor farming and hydroponics.
15:59It's made using mine rock and energy intensive processes, making it almost as polluting as cement, one of the most carbon intensive materials to make.
16:07We, in exchange, have created Smart Soil, a 3D printed grow media that instead of rock is using biopolymers and is fully reusable, meaning that we have cut carbon emissions by up to 65 times than our incumbents.
16:23Wow.
16:23We've proven this tech.
16:24We have three urban farms in Toronto that we have created and have been servicing large clients such as U of T and Michelin star restaurants using our Smart Soil technology.
16:34Wow.
16:34And today, dragons, we're here today to bring this from farms into people's homes.
16:40Sorry.
16:41My bad.
16:42And everybody run.
16:43Oh, sorry.
16:45No, I won't explode on you.
16:46But I'd like you to open up your boxes.
16:49Okay.
16:49Great.
16:51They're so tiny.
16:52I am so confused.
16:52Now I'm a high school dropout.
16:53You 3D printed soil?
16:55Correct.
16:56And I think it's essential for us to do a demo.
16:58To demonstrate, the first indoor growing unit has lettuce planted in rock wool.
17:03The standard grow media, or material, plants grow in instead of soil.
17:08Now how does it feel?
17:09Yeah.
17:09Like brittle?
17:10Yeah.
17:10Right?
17:11It does.
17:11Do you think that we could reuse it?
17:13No.
17:14Garbage.
17:14Yep.
17:16And here we have Smart Soil.
17:18Oh.
17:18Next, Adnan's Smart Soil, a reusable, low-carbon alternative to rock wool, is the material used
17:25for the second wall of greens.
17:27And instead of rock wool, this actually biodegrades.
17:30Its main constituent is a material called polylactic acid.
17:33So it's completely natural and derived from plant-based materials.
17:37With a wash, the Smart Soil can be reused for up to a year.
17:42It's a little more labor-intense than traditional, but it's not that crazy.
17:45Doing this is much better than that.
17:48Correct.
17:49Yeah.
17:49So you can head back into your seat.
17:52So on the left side, you'll see the piece of rock wool.
17:55And I want to show you the test tube of Smart Soil that's also there as well.
17:59That volume of rock wool, we can do the same amount of work with just 10 to 12 of these
18:05pellets.
18:06Adnan, where'd you go to school?
18:09I went to UFT.
18:10UFT.
18:10I did my undergrad there, and I actually invented this during my fourth year as a research project
18:15there.
18:15Do you know you're looking at the chancellor?
18:17I do know.
18:18Do we need to talk anymore?
18:19Do you want to just make an offer now?
18:20Yeah.
18:20And so when you say you're 3D printing soil, you're 3D printing the plastic that the plant
18:26is using to secure the seeds and grow from.
18:31Okay.
18:31Are you going to get better produce out of this?
18:33So we also have proprietary coatings that we put onto it that can actually make it grow
18:37faster.
18:38So you could add nutrients to it as well?
18:41Correct.
18:42Yeah.
18:42We can infuse nutrients.
18:44We've also received funding to also get into a biopesticide project, which we'll be able
18:49to coat our soil with very specific compounds to keep plants much more healthy in really
18:54stressful conditions.
18:55Adnan, are you an entrepreneur or a scientist?
18:59I would say both.
19:00So I've been running this company for five years now.
19:03I've raised more than $1.3 million in capital, mainly in non-dilutive.
19:07We plan to take this into market in the consumer market specifically right now.
19:11So you haven't sold this to anybody yet?
19:13We have not sold the soil.
19:16How much do you want to charge consumers?
19:18Rock wool or many of the refill plant pods on the market go for around $2 to $3 per pod.
19:26Okay.
19:26We want to charge around $9.
19:30So this is more expensive.
19:31This is a better version of this, but more expensive.
19:34Yeah, but that's where the reusability comes into play.
19:37So in one year, you'd be growing about six heads of lettuce based on the time it takes
19:42to harvest, which means you'd be going through six blocks of rock wool.
19:47So essentially, you're half the price then, you're trying to say.
19:50Correct.
19:50Right.
19:51Can you sell this not just to the consumer, but also to the big farms?
19:54Yeah, and we've designed our sort of go-to-market strategy in this way, where it's essential
20:00for us to get this out to consumers first.
20:02I'm going to just push you a little bit about why you want to go to the consumer when you
20:05have a market that would be dying for something that would actually help them.
20:09I mean, the end goal is to be able to take a large global share of the market.
20:15That's the end goal, but the path to get there, the strategy is what we're wondering.
20:20There's different ideas up here, but we're asking, what is your plan?
20:23After doing this business, I do know that getting my product into my customers' hands
20:28easily, which I can do through the consumer market, which is a low-hanging fruit, I'd be
20:32able to get essential feedback.
20:34So, Adnan, first of all, you're solving the problem of food insecurity, which is a massive
20:39problem for the world.
20:41I don't think he's solving that problem.
20:43Well, you know, you can say what you want when it's your turn.
20:46So, you're a smart guy, but your valuation is not very smart.
20:51I'm going to offer you the $200,000, but I want 33%, right?
20:58So, but I know that there's going to be follow-on capital that you're going to need to do this.
21:01Oh, yeah.
21:02And also, you're going to need my kind of resources, especially the additional resources
21:06from the University of Toronto.
21:07It's a great offer.
21:09It's an offer.
21:10Hmm.
21:11It's an offer.
21:12Is there any other dragons who would like to counter-offer or have another offer?
21:16No?
21:17Well, maybe.
21:18Just hold on.
21:20So, Adnan, I put an offer on a table, right?
21:24And, you know, I'm still waiting.
21:26I feel offended here because none of these people put an offer.
21:30We got five more voices to be heard.
21:30None of these folks put an offer on a table.
21:33No, no.
21:33I'll hop in.
21:34So, again, I love the idea of less waste.
21:36I mean, we put a lot of that rockwell in our walls for insulation with what we do.
21:40But I just think, for me, your costs are too high.
21:43I don't know enough about this area.
21:45And I think the valuation is a little off for my liking.
21:48I'm out.
21:50I love that you are getting the entrepreneurship side and the science side.
21:55I don't think I know enough about the space clearly to be able to properly help.
21:59So, for that reason, I'm out.
22:00Adnan, you get an A for innovation and Canadian innovation.
22:05But for me, you get an F so far in execution and strategy.
22:10I'm out.
22:12This is the space I live, breathe, eat every day.
22:15I'm in the consumer market.
22:17I know almost all of the vertical farms.
22:19I've either looked at investing in them or examined them or have invested in them.
22:24My offer would be $200,000 for 15%.
22:28$200,000 for 15%.
22:30Okay, wow.
22:31Trying to take the chancellor out from the knees.
22:36You can compete.
22:38There should be a U of T discount.
22:43I don't like to pretend that I'm an expert in things that I don't know as much about.
22:48So, I'm going to bow out.
22:49Got it.
22:51I know you're looking over here, right?
22:52I know, chancellor.
22:53So, I am going to take my number down.
22:55$200,000 for 20%.
22:57Arlene's offer is technically on paper better than mine.
23:04But you know what I can bring to you?
23:06Well, I've invested close to $200 million in the space.
23:10Wow.
23:10So, I think I know the space better than anybody up here does.
23:15Well, dragons.
23:16I will have to take Wes's offer.
23:22Mainly because I've been working with U of T for a very long time and do need their resources.
23:27Done.
23:28Right.
23:28Thank you, Wes.
23:29Congrats, guys.
23:30Looking forward to working with you.
23:31Congratulations.
23:32Take care.
23:32Well done.
23:33Congratulations.
23:34Good luck.
23:34Arlene, let me pitch you another 3D printed soil offer.
23:38Does the U of T tie-in, will it help them that much?
23:40You can't do anything.
23:41A hundred percent.
23:42Just do your chancellor.
23:42You can't make it happen for him.
23:44Well, you'll see.
23:44I'm Phil.
23:58I'm Brutal.
23:58I'm Anthony.
23:59I'm Rob.
24:00And we're man-made.
24:01Woo!
24:02In season 17, we went on The Den, and we were only eight months into our business.
24:08Woo!
24:10Ouch.
24:11Thank goodness it wasn't a full Monty.
24:13Our first product was the boxer brief.
24:15Then we had socks, t-shirts, caps.
24:19They feel really good.
24:20Michelle actually challenged us on the unit economics.
24:23$60 average order value.
24:25What's the product cost on that basket?
24:27It's a 25% cost of COGS soda.
24:29You might not be making money on your first order here.
24:32We knew that we had a lot of room to correct it and to really go for the economies of scale.
24:38And we had a lot to learn still.
24:40We mentioned that we had $380,000 or $400,000 of sales.
24:43What do you think you're going to do next year?
24:45$7.2 million.
24:47$7.2 million?
24:48What?
24:49They all were like, whoa!
24:50$7.000!
24:52Well, not only did we hit it, but we doubled it that year.
24:56And fixed our unit economics.
24:58Big time.
24:58Dragon's Den will be forever stamped in the history of man-made.
25:05Wow.
25:06What a line.
25:08What a line.
25:10This is nice.
25:11We've known each other since we were little kids.
25:13And we all knew we had that entrepreneurial itch.
25:15And when your back's against the wall and you quit your job, you have a family, a mortgage,
25:19you only have one shot at this.
25:21When we first started the business, it was really just the four of us.
25:23Since then, we've grown to a team of 70.
25:26We ship across the country, and we have now over 500,000 customers, all from right here
25:32in Canada.
25:33One, two, three, let's go!
25:38And now with the projections that we have going forward, we know that we need a new space
25:42that's nice and big.
25:44It was really important for us to find something in the Montreal Garment District, and we did.
25:47We're going to have certain sections like customer service, fulfillment, marketing.
25:53You get the idea.
25:54Yeah!
25:55Coming into the 20th season and being part of the Dragons Den alumni honestly means so
26:00much for us, because me, as kids, used to watch it and dream of one day being on there.
26:05Truly blessed to build this company with my three best friends, and especially to bring
26:10it to the point where it is right now.
26:11And I feel grateful to be doing it with you guys.
26:15Let's build it, baby!
26:16Fire!
26:16Let's build this empire!
26:17Like on the show.
26:18Hey!
26:19Hey!
26:20Hey!
26:20Hey!
26:20Hey!
26:21Hey!
26:21Hey!
26:21Hey!
26:21Hey!
26:22Hey!
26:22Hey!
26:23Four middle-aged men with bad backs.
26:25But the kids.
26:43Next in the den.
26:44When I started Dynamic Downsizers, I actually started following Brian Scudamore and his businesses
26:53and just to emulate his style.
26:58Let's see if these downsizers can prove that less really is more.
27:04Hello, Dragons.
27:05My name is Leanne Masellis.
27:06My name is Leanne Masellis.
27:07My company is Dynamic Downsizers and I'm from Markham, Ontario.
27:12My name is Lori Willison.
27:14I'm from Palgrave, Ontario.
27:16And I am the Operations Manager at Dynamic Downsizers.
27:19We are here today to ask for $100,000 for 10% equity in my business.
27:26Dragons.
27:28Seniors are overwhelmed at the thought of leaving the home that they have lived in for 40-plus
27:33years.
27:34Dynamic Downsizers are their helping hands.
27:37We downsize, declutter, pack, move and set up their new place.
27:41Our dynamic guarantee is to set them up by the end of their moving day.
27:46Now please, come on in ladies.
27:49Hello.
27:50Hello.
27:51As you watch the teamwork, what you're seeing is more than just furniture placement.
27:55Imagine your mother waking up in her home and then at the end of the day arriving at her
28:00new retirement suite to open the door and see her bed is made, her toothbrush is in place.
28:06She is ready for the next chapter.
28:09And this is for people moving from their original primary residence into a home.
28:15Yes, exactly.
28:16Now there's lots of full-service moving companies out there that will do the packing,
28:20the moving, the reset up.
28:22Is this unique just that you're focused strictly on people downsizing and more specifically
28:28just seniors?
28:29The uniqueness really comes in because we specialize in helping seniors with cognitive impairments,
28:34dementia, Alzheimer's.
28:36We partner with the Alzheimer's Society.
28:38We train them in dementia-friendly community training as well as UFIRST training.
28:42The aging demographic seniors is a massive, massive demo and aging in place is one thing, but
28:49as you're saying, anyway, with cognitive decline that needs to move into facility is absolutely
28:52somewhere we've been looking at seeing what we can do to be a part of the solution.
28:56Whereas our competition may focus more on the physical aspect of the move, we focus on
29:00the emotional aspect.
29:01Why did you start this business?
29:03So, for me, I started this business right about the same time that my father got diagnosed
29:10with vascular dementia.
29:12I'm telling you, I feel that my life has kind of went 360 full circle, and this is where
29:18I was meant to be.
29:19How long and how much does it take for a typical house?
29:22I don't know, 3,000, 4,000 square foot house?
29:25Like, how long and how do you charge?
29:27That's not a typical house.
29:28The average 4,000 square foot home.
29:32I came down from my own house.
29:34There's eight Ferraris, what do they do with those?
29:36Okay, okay, okay.
29:38How long and how much?
29:40So, typical package to move a client into a one-bedroom suite, it costs $5,000 for packing
29:46and complete setup by the end of the day.
29:49Let's get into numbers a little bit.
29:50When do you start, and what's the numbers?
29:52Like, for example, last year, the year before?
29:54So, I started this business in November 2018.
29:58Last year, in 2024, my numbers were $155,000 gross, and I doubled that in one year.
30:05We just finished our year-end in February, and I was $334,000.
30:09And what's your profits on $334,000, for example?
30:12My net net was $54,000.
30:15So, how many vehicles do you have?
30:17I just have that vehicle.
30:19And do you have any, like, near-term expansion plans?
30:22Oh, well, I hope by the end of May that I will have hired a salesperson.
30:27But I'll be honest with you, I have high school education, so I feel that I need an investor
30:36in order to sort of take it to the next level.
30:39I want to tell you, I've invested in probably 50 founders, and some of my best founders only
30:46have high school education.
30:48Great.
30:48Do not underestimate that for a second.
30:51I only have a high school education.
30:53I only have a high school education.
30:54I don't even have.
30:54I don't have an interior design.
30:56I don't even have high school.
30:56There you go.
30:57There you go.
30:58So, never, never let that get in the back of your mind, that you are not ready, or you
31:03are not doing it, or you cannot iterate, or you cannot build a business.
31:06I do believe in myself.
31:07I used to competitively dance, and I'm telling you, I can compete.
31:11Do you take it to the next, you know, unfortunate level?
31:16Because when one of our parents passes away, you are dealing with the same issue, but now
31:21you're dealing with grief, and you've got all of theirs.
31:24They're good.
31:24You know, I'm starting to cry.
31:30How do you deal with that?
31:31Yeah.
31:32We take care of everything, and we literally leave the house empty, ready for real estate.
31:36Tell me about your growth plan.
31:39Originally, when I started this business, I believed that franchise was the way to go.
31:44It is so complicated.
31:46We got out of the moving space because there was just too much, the complexity of going
31:50into a big house and trying to estimate how long it'll take, and stuff gets broken, no
31:55matter how good you are.
31:57I think anything can be franchised, but I think being in business for five profitable, really
32:02strong years would be a good foundational move before you look at franchising.
32:07What are you looking to do with the money?
32:09$100,000 won't go very far.
32:11It won't go very far, but really, how could I come in here asking for $200,000?
32:15You did value the company in a million dollars.
32:19It's not worth a million dollars today, but I do hope that somebody sitting here understands
32:25that we are worth investing in.
32:28But we can't value you on a dream and a hope.
32:30I think you're going to have people that will come along and look at your franchise model
32:35and they're going to say, well, yes, I could be here and really connect to people emotionally,
32:39but in reality, my numbers could be a lot better.
32:41If I streamline, I hire movers that are a little bit cheaper and I can make more margin
32:45and you're going to start to lose the quality.
32:47And for that reason, I'm out.
32:48Okay.
32:51So listen, you guys have identified a niche, but you have one vehicle.
32:55Well, you know, there's going to be a lot more than that that you're going to need to
32:58be able to expand this into different markets.
33:00So I'm going to be out because it's just too small right now.
33:07Your presentation was flawless, except the part how you make money and how I make money.
33:14I'm out.
33:14Listen, my mother went through all this, so that's why I was feeling emotional before
33:20because I understand exactly the pain that you're talking about and how hard it is to
33:26move them into a senior's residence.
33:27But I feel like your business model is wrong.
33:31And I don't know what the business model is.
33:33It's kind of...
33:34It is cumbersome.
33:35I'm sorry, but I'm going to be out.
33:37I'm with Arlene here.
33:40Like, Leanne, I would trust you with my family.
33:42I think you understand the mindset and the business.
33:46Right.
33:47How you monetize this and how you scale this is very, very difficult.
33:51I'm out.
33:55Brian.
33:56Okay, then there was one.
33:57Yeah.
33:58I've spent a lot of time thinking about the space.
34:01Right.
34:01Like years and years and years going, there is a need.
34:04And I think it's up to you to sort of figure out exactly how to make this model work.
34:09And when you do, I do want to talk about franchising.
34:13Okay.
34:14But at this point right now, I'm out.
34:16Oh, I'm going to put a lot of thought into that one and then give you a call.
34:20Keep the passion.
34:21Oh, we will.
34:22We'll keep the passion.
34:24There is a business here, though.
34:26And they're not the only ones confused.
34:28We've had so many brilliant minds on this.
34:30There's a problem here.
34:30I don't know.
34:31If there's a solution.
34:32There's not a solution yet.
34:34Oh, my gosh.
34:41Do we need to call an ambulance?
34:44Well, if you wanted to see Dragon's brief fire, you just helped us with that.
34:47This is it.
34:59Last in the den.
35:00I feel like I'm about to have a heart attack, but it's okay.
35:03An excited entrepreneur from Toronto hoping her hot product will have the dragon's breathing fire.
35:10Hi, dragons.
35:12Welcome to Root Mama, the home of authentic Vietnamese hot sauce that handcraft in Canada using Canadian ingredients.
35:19My name is Viet Anh Nguyen.
35:20I come here asking for $130,000 in exchange of 10% of our equity.
35:25So without further ado, let me introduce you to the family of Root Mama.
35:30Whoa.
35:30Whoa.
35:31Hmm.
35:32Hmm.
35:32So the original one is the rootest of the house.
35:36She make me cry the first time I try her.
35:38For the fruity flavor, we use the same base.
35:42We just add fruit inside.
35:43So in the way they're carrying on the same DNA, which makes the original one the mom of the house and me as the grandma of the brand.
35:50Our mango is our firstborn.
35:54She's the bestseller one.
35:55She's just a diva.
35:57And the pineapple one is our middle chow.
36:00Very sweet, but also have a really short temper.
36:04She hit you the first when you try her.
36:06We assume it's just for attention grabbing.
36:08And our passion food one is the youngest one.
36:13She's a little bit westernite, so she's perilineite with cheese or like a piece of steak.
36:18So with that part, then you can welcome to try her.
36:22Wonderful.
36:23The four flavors come in two sizes and are available online and in stores across Ontario.
36:29Oh.
36:31That's rude.
36:32That's rude, Mama.
36:32A rude boy at this.
36:33Whoa.
36:34That was saying to make her.
36:35The pineapple is spicy.
36:36The sauces retail for $10 per small jar and $15 for the large.
36:41Wait, the original didn't taste.
36:43Oh, no, there it comes.
36:44Oh, yeah.
36:44Oh, it's spicy.
36:45Really good, guys.
36:46The pineapple punches you in the face right away.
36:49Right away.
36:49The original takes a minute and then five seconds later punches you in the throat.
36:53Come on.
36:54You can't take the heat.
36:55You see me crying right now?
36:56My wife loves spice and she's always trying to like trick me into a bit more.
37:00Yeah.
37:01But this would do the trick because just like you said, it doesn't, aside from the pineapple,
37:06it hit me right away, the mango and the passion fruit, I can taste the flavor and it makes
37:09me want to come back for more.
37:10Oh, my gosh.
37:11Do we need to call an ambulance?
37:12It's been a while, hasn't it?
37:15Well, if you wanted to see dragons breathe fire, you just helped us with that.
37:18This is it.
37:19Whoa.
37:20Guys, everyone's here lightweight.
37:22I love this.
37:22My taste buds are gone.
37:23I would eat this every night on my food.
37:25I would have fed this to some of my exes.
37:31Try this, honey.
37:32What's your passion for hot sauce?
37:34I fell in love immediately with the traditional recipe when I try it.
37:40And when I came to Canada, I couldn't find anything I like.
37:44And it's in stores now, right?
37:45It's in stores in over 70 stores now.
37:5070 stores.
37:51Wow.
37:52And what are your sales?
37:53Last year with 120, and then this year we forecast at 300.
37:59On the 120,000, how much did you gross in that?
38:02No, last year we lost 100.
38:06The reason behind that is we have two channels that we have to invest at once,
38:11which is retail and e-commerce to catch up with demand.
38:14What was the hustle that you put in to get you there?
38:16So I started the business from scratch.
38:18I don't have family here.
38:20I started the business with $30,000.
38:23Where did you get that from?
38:24My whole savings.
38:25Your entire life savings.
38:27Entire life savings, yeah.
38:29So back in Vietnam, I have a university degree of finance and banking.
38:35And then when I came to Canada, my experience doesn't transfer.
38:39So I started working in the restaurant as chef.
38:43I have school.
38:46I have three part-time jobs at a time.
38:49Wow.
38:49Three part-time jobs.
38:49Why are you going to school?
38:51Oh, my goodness.
38:52You're hustling in, like, the best ways possible.
38:54I love it.
38:55Yeah.
38:55And so talk to...
38:56Tell us about the name, Rude Mama.
38:58I love the name.
38:59I love it, too.
39:00So on the funny note, Rude Mama, when people ask me, like, if I'm the Rude Mama, I get
39:06to tell them, like, I'm only rude when I'm hungry.
39:08Those are Rude Mama's home.
39:10And 24-7, no break.
39:13Yeah.
39:13But then on a deeper note, I don't have a supportive family.
39:17And then growing up, if I dare to have a dream, I get called paranoia.
39:22If I dare to speak my mind, I get called rude, unmannered.
39:27And if I dare to talk back, I get a straight slap in the face.
39:30So I lean on to the image of strong, independent woman that from my boss, from my teacher, from
39:37my best friend, and those are the one that shaped my upbringing.
39:42I love that story, because I love how you're making those two words, Rude Mama, mean something
39:48totally different.
39:49Powerful.
39:50Yeah.
39:50Empowering.
39:51How does your family at home feel about you and the business success you've had?
39:55I don't.
39:56I haven't told them about that.
39:57You haven't told your family about any of this?
39:59Yeah.
40:00Wow.
40:00I, um, it's a long history of trauma, and so I got connection with them.
40:05Oh, I'm sorry to hear that.
40:07I'm so sorry.
40:08No way.
40:09It happened, but then it built me stronger.
40:12My dream today is to lay a strong foundation for Rude Mama and give, yeah, prosperity for
40:21Canada, which is a country I owe so much to.
40:24Well-behaved women rarely make history, and every part of the Rude Mama brand and what
40:30that embodies for you, I think is, like, an amazing story, an amazing mission.
40:35I can't imagine what you've gone through to get to this point.
40:38But I think, for me, the space is very competitive, and I just can't give you the help you need.
40:45So I'm going to be out, but I'm going to be cheering you on.
40:48No way.
40:49I love this story, and I love you.
40:50I think this isn't a space I have a lot of experience in.
40:53And I think, especially being at a loss still right now, I know you're on a trajectory and
40:58a path that will turn to profit, but I just don't think there's as much I can offer as
41:04they can.
41:05I'm out.
41:05Okay, I'll go.
41:07I, you're, you are a survivor.
41:09You really are.
41:10From an investment perspective, you're way too early for me.
41:14And I think the space is very crowded and difficult, and I wish you well, but I'm going
41:18to be out.
41:19No way.
41:19Thank you so much.
41:22I, too, am rude when I am hungry.
41:23I think my fellow dragons can attest to that.
41:25She's rude when she's not hungry.
41:27I love it.
41:27Yeah.
41:28Like, you figured this out, and you haven't had the easiest path, which is actually amazing
41:33in so many ways, because it shows your resilience.
41:35You're still smiling through all of this, not only the questions, but telling your story.
41:39Like, it's incredible, and I am willing to back a founder like you.
41:45I'll offer you $150,000 for 15%.
41:48$150,000 for 15%?
41:51Is there any other offer in the den?
41:55I'll go.
41:56Yeah.
41:56I love you.
41:57You are funny.
41:58Your story of how you started with your life savings, that's how I started my business.
42:03But I can't compete with Manjeet.
42:04She can turn up the heat on this business and really partner with you.
42:09So, I'm out.
42:10You know, Phila, there's a lot of people going through what you've gone through, and they're
42:15embarrassed to tell their stories.
42:16Yeah.
42:17But it's not the end of you.
42:19I need for you to keep telling that story.
42:21And I'm going to be out, but keep at it.
42:26Manjeet?
42:27We got to do.
42:28Can I do a money shot?
42:29Where's the money?
42:30Money shot?
42:30I love her.
42:31She wants it.
42:32She wants it.
42:33She wants it.
42:33We are going to have so much fun together.
42:36Money shot.
42:38Wait, record this.
42:42That's my TikTok.
42:44Money shot.
42:45Wait.
42:46More money shot.
42:47More money shot.
42:49Get her money shot.
42:51Benjeet's face is like, what is happening?
42:53Thank you, B.
42:53Don't worry.
42:54Bye.
42:55Bye.
42:55Bye, B.
42:56Congrats.
42:58I know.
42:59Oh, my God.
42:59I need somebody to hold my hand.
43:01She's the entrepreneur that I want it back.
43:05Like, talk about resilience, right?
43:06For sure.
43:07I put my juice.
43:08She's my dream dragon.
43:10Coming up next week, Dragon's Den gets into the holiday spirit.
43:14Is this our first holidays together?
43:16Total family Christmas.
43:18Oh, there you go.
43:19Lift her up.
43:20Yeah.
43:20Cheers, dragons.
43:21Cheers.
43:22Cheers.
43:22I saw this when I painted my picture three years ago, that I knew Tootsie was destined
43:33to be on Dragon's Den and work with Arlene.
43:37Cheers.
43:39Cheers.
43:40Cheers.
43:43Put some money in your mouth.
43:45This is all I said that you know is real.
43:50Put some money in your mouth and your hands fly up on the wheel.
43:56Oh, my God.
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