Skip to playerSkip to main content
Terra.Anatolia
  • 17 hours ago
Transcript
00:00Dragon's Den.
00:01Whoa.
00:01Oh, man.
00:03And this time, you take the deal.
00:05All right.
00:06Don't mess with our new dragon.
00:08Just hold on a second, okay?
00:10I raised four children as a single mom without a job and built a business.
00:17Do not stand in front of me and tell me that it's too hard.
00:21I started a business with $30,000.
00:24Where'd you get that from?
00:25My whole savings and...
00:27Your entire life savings.
00:28Entire life savings.
00:30Huh?
00:52First up, let's see if these jujitsu sweethearts can tap out the dragon's heat with their frosty treat.
00:58Hello, dragons.
00:59Hello.
01:00Hello.
01:00My name is Fernando.
01:01That's my wife and business partner, Raquel.
01:04Hello.
01:04We are from London, Ontario.
01:06And today, we are asking for $150,000 in exchange for 15% of our business, Hyper Acai.
01:13Originally, we are from Brazil.
01:16And as Brazilians, we have two passions, jiu-jitsu and acai.
01:20Oh, okay.
01:21When I was training to become a Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighter, that's when I was introduced to the
01:27acai.
01:27It was the perfect after-workout snack.
01:30But when we moved from Brazil to Canada, acai here in Canada was being watered down, blended
01:37with other fruits, and nothing like what we grew up with.
01:40So, just as in jiu-jitsu, we earned the position.
01:44We decided to take acai from Brazil to Canada, take the market to the mat.
01:50Hey, yeah.
01:51He's in trouble.
01:52Uh-oh.
01:52Oh!
01:53You gotcha.
01:54Oh!
01:54Then win the competitors into submission.
01:57Whoa.
01:58Wow.
01:58Well done.
02:00I mean, I was a national champion with Shotokan for many years.
02:03Do I need to get on the mat and show anybody anything?
02:04Oh, that's it.
02:04Yeah, you do.
02:05I'll stop it.
02:06All right.
02:07Here, show me this.
02:09Here, here, here, here, here.
02:10Guys, all right.
02:11All right.
02:12These are tight pants.
02:13Here we go.
02:13You're wearing purple just like acai, so.
02:17Oh, yeah.
02:18Look from behind, Jen.
02:19With four fingers go.
02:20My forearm is squat.
02:21Hold it a little bit.
02:22Lift it me.
02:22Whoa.
02:23Oh, man.
02:25Hey, next time, you take the deal.
02:27All right.
02:28Nice.
02:29Whoa.
02:30Don't mess with our new dragon.
02:32Well done.
02:34Good job.
02:35I think she, what doke did you do, Drew?
02:37I know, right?
02:38That was really cool.
02:39I'm mad at many talents.
02:40We derailed you a little bit here, but I want to focus on what's underneath the...
02:44We?
02:44No, you play not.
02:46Meat, hi, per acai.
02:48Oh.
02:48It's real, authentic acai sorbet that it's gluten-free, vegan, full of antioxidants, and
02:57it's delicious.
02:59Would love for you, dragons, to have yours.
03:01Absolutely.
03:01It's frozen.
03:03That's how we have acai in Brazil.
03:06We keep the Brazilian tradition to have like a sorbet.
03:09Oh, wow.
03:10Oh, wow.
03:10That is delicious, because you're right.
03:12Usually, it's a more watered-down taste.
03:13The difference between us and our competitors is because we have the highest amount in acai
03:18in the sorbet.
03:20That's our number one ingredient, but if you compare to most of our competitors, they go
03:24below 20%.
03:26I like the taste of it.
03:27I mean, I can see adding this to a smoothie as well, not just eating it like this.
03:30I like the texture.
03:32I think I find it a little too sweet.
03:34Yeah, well, how much of it, how much of the sugar is, is natural sugars, and how much
03:39of it is added sugar?
03:41Most of them, it's natural sugar.
03:4313 grams is the added.
03:4513 grams is added?
03:46Yes.
03:47Okay, that's quite a bet.
03:50Well, how much does this sell for?
03:51Yeah.
03:51Right now, we sell for $3.75 for the, for wholesale, and $5.99 for the B2C.
03:59It's suggested retail.
04:00Do you get pushback on the price, like $6 for this tiny little salad?
04:03I don't think it's that much.
04:03200 mils?
04:05Like, acai only grows in Brazil.
04:07So, for...
04:08Well, I get that it's an expensive ingredient, but I'm asking the customer.
04:12Like, there's a lot of pressure on people right now on their grocery bill, their household,
04:17you know, expenses.
04:18I completely agree.
04:19Dude, an acai bowl is like $15 to $20 now.
04:23I actually think this price point is very competitive.
04:25Where would I go buy this?
04:27We are in 60 locations right now, and we achieved this number in less than one year.
04:32And so, you're in the frozen section in there?
04:34We are in the frozen section, yes.
04:35That's a very hard space to get into.
04:38Maintain your sales, to stay in there, too.
04:41Like, just the logistics of making sure this never unfreezes for the price point you're doing it is really difficult.
04:47But the frozen section is the largest growth section in grocery today.
04:54It's a great category if you do it right, because the big kids are very, very competitive in terms of buying shelf space.
05:02The last 10 months, what were your revenues?
05:05$200,000.
05:07We are only in southern Ontario, so Fernando does the distribution by himself right now from Windsor to Kingston.
05:15Fernando, you drive these around yourself?
05:17You're the distributor?
05:18Yeah.
05:19When we started, we didn't have the event.
05:20I put a freezer in my truck with a generator, and I say I drive around Canada.
05:24So, for our clients, our fitness centers, we have this freezer program, where we lend the freezer to jiu-jitsu places, for example.
05:34And they are able to provide a pre-post-workout snack to their clients.
05:40Why didn't you put protein in it?
05:41Oh, that's also another one that we are developing right now.
05:44We have it with protein, we're going to have one with creatine.
05:48But the thing that doesn't make any sense to me is that added sugar.
05:50Because the whole point of somebody, especially in a fitness facility, whether it is a martial arts studio or a gym,
05:56the point is to have something that tastes good that is actually healthy and not just a bunch of added sugar.
06:01Well, I just developed the zero sugar that we will be launched.
06:04But for now, that was our first product because we want people to understand what is the real taste of the acai.
06:12Right.
06:12Fernando, frozen, ethnic, high-protein, high-fiber, and superfoods.
06:22This could be a home run for you.
06:25You need to reformulate.
06:27And for those reasons, I'm going to be out.
06:30Fernando, I'm going to go next and just, I'm going to say, what Arlene is saying there is absolute gold.
06:36I think it's, you go back and you retool.
06:38You're too early for an investor.
06:40I'm out.
06:40But I wish you success.
06:43It doesn't, I just can't get past the fact that your go-to was added sugar.
06:47And that's the opposite of what you should be doing with a healthy product.
06:50So for those reasons, I'm out.
06:52All right.
06:52I believe that you guys can bring a lot in.
06:56And if you guys come in early, that would be like...
06:59We don't want to build businesses from scratch.
07:02You've got to do the hard work.
07:03Listen, the dream is free, but the hustle is sold separately.
07:06What we do is come and put fire on it.
07:10I'm out.
07:12I'm not going to sit here and say you guys are not doing the work.
07:14You guys are doing the work.
07:16The fact is you're not ready for an investor yet.
07:19I'm going to be out.
07:20Thank you, Wes.
07:22Frozen's the hardest aisle.
07:23Yeah.
07:24You need to reformulate.
07:25And until then, I'm going to be out.
07:28For sure, we're going to take this very seriously.
07:31I'm going to make some calls right now to reformulate it there.
07:35I can feel that energy.
07:36I think the thing in my mind that's good for you is you already got the fight in you because you wouldn't be in jiu-jitsu if you didn't.
07:41Guys, did you hear that?
07:42He was just like, I'm going to go call them right now.
07:44Right now.
07:45Like, that is a good entrepreneur.
07:47He's going to come back in the den.
07:49I hope he does come back in the den.
07:49I hope he does, too.
07:51They're on to something.
07:53You are asking people and telling people that it is going to change your physical body.
07:59Do you know the liability and risk in that?
08:01There is some liability and risk.
08:03Absolutely.
08:03There's a lot.
08:19Next up, this entrepreneur is ready to share a product she's been holding close to her chest.
08:26Hello, Dragons.
08:27My name is Jillian, and I'm originally from Hamilton, Ontario.
08:31And today, I'm looking for $75,000 in exchange for 25% of my company, Booby Grow.
08:38You see, many years ago, I went through a massive weight loss transformation, lost over 40 pounds, and with it, my breasts went completely.
08:46With four years of herbal medicine education in California and years working as a holistic nutritionist, I wanted to do something about this.
08:53That's when I created Booby Grow.
08:55So, Booby Grow is an all-natural program designed to help the look, feel, and shape of the overall breasts.
09:03And 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.
09:09After breastfeeding my son, I felt sad that I had lost my pre-baby body, especially my breasts.
09:17And so, after taking Booby Grow for a few months, the results were transformational.
09:23After the first month, I noticed significant fullness changes around the bottom and sides of my breasts.
09:29And then at around the four-month mark, I noticed significant changes in my cleavage, which was amazing.
09:36I now invite you to have a look at the products beside you.
09:41Oh, so it's a pill supplement.
09:43It is.
09:44These are natural things.
09:46Seno.
09:47Thistle.
09:47I studied kinesiology for four years, and that's a study of the body.
09:51And so, at first, I'm thinking, I'm like, what are you pitching?
09:54Because you can't spot focus your fat reduction or anything like that.
09:59So, what exactly is it in here that it's adjusting?
10:02It is phytoestrogenic in nature, meaning that it's helping to adjust estrogen levels,
10:07as well as the fats in this blend are really balancing to the overall hormonal system.
10:11Are there side effects in this?
10:13Yeah.
10:13So, as far as side effects go, we've had a couple of women where they had instances where they were sweating.
10:19One woman had, like, a breakout on her chin.
10:21Gillian, that's kind of anecdotal, though.
10:24Tell me about the science.
10:25There is some different background research into some of the different herbs around increasing the overall weight and density.
10:30What I would like to do with the funding is to be able to help support our own clinical research study,
10:34specifically into my product.
10:35So, you haven't done any yourself.
10:36What you have done is created a mix based on publicly available research.
10:42Correct.
10:42And is this Health Canada-proof?
10:44That's what I want to get it to.
10:46So, you're not.
10:49I know that there are steps to the process.
10:51You are asking people and telling people that it is going to change your physical body.
10:57Do you know the liability and risk in that?
10:59There is some liability and risk.
11:00Not some.
11:01There's a lot.
11:02You 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.
11:09Because anytime I see somebody claiming something, but you literally have no research,
11:13even though there's public research on individual ingredients, that, to me, is still sort of big red flags.
11:18So, I'm out on this.
11:22With the right funding, I would be able to get that clinical research to show, hey, this blend is amazing.
11:26But don't you think you should have done all of that before you brought this to market?
11:30Because it's a mix of garbage.
11:32The biggest problem is that when it comes to being able to get to market and get to that level,
11:36that I would love to be able to be there, Manjeet.
11:38I really would.
11:39Is there's a huge amount of funding that's needed, and that's truly why I'm in front of all of you today.
11:43I am all for do what's going to make you feel good in life, but I am not for anyone making claims that are health benefit related,
11:52that do not have proof behind them.
11:54I think we can say that, guys, but I think there's a lot of supplement companies.
11:59Like, you can go to a Chinese medicine doctor, and they're giving 16 types of herbs.
12:04It's not that different.
12:06It's not that different.
12:07I'm saying that a lot of entrepreneurs get started, and there is 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.
12:17We haven't even talked about sales yet.
12:19We can get into that.
12:20But Drew respectfully said, I don't even want to know sales numbers.
12:24I'm out.
12:24It doesn't make a difference to me at this point.
12:26Is this selling?
12:27Do you have a market here?
12:28We've done $13,000 in sales this year, $43,000 in sales the last year, and in the last four years, $108,000.
12:35You probably have pretty low liability risks because you have pretty small sales right now.
12:41How much do you think it is going to take for you to become, like, a legitimate supplement with research?
12:47With 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.
12:54Don't you think that your first step would have been to do all of that hard work up front before you launched a product?
13:02With what money?
13:03Beg, borrow, and steal.
13:05Entrepreneurs got to figure out a way.
13:06That's such a beautiful thing to say, but the challenge is when you have worked for yourself as an entrepreneur from day one.
13:12Which we all have.
13:13The access to money is very limited.
13:16It's not as easy as getting a loan for $100,000.
13:18If I could do that, I would have already done that.
13:20I wouldn't even be in front of you.
13:21Jillian, just hold on a second, okay?
13:25I raised four children as a single mom without a job and built a business.
13:31Do not stand in front of me and tell me that it's too hard to raise money because it's hard.
13:37That is absolutely you telling me that you're not an entrepreneur who can figure it out.
13:43I'm out.
13:44Jillian, I like reading fairy tales, not investing in them.
13:48I'm out.
13:49Health 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.
14:02So for that reason, I'm going to be out.
14:05Without any research and without going through the proper Health Canada channels, I'm out.
14:12I absolutely agree with all of you that Health Canada is the destination.
14:16And 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.
14:24You've got lots of fight.
14:25I do.
14:26You have to think about how you scale, how you test the market, and how you do that safely.
14:32And balancing those three things is never easy.
14:34And so you're just on that journey, but it's too early for an investor now.
14:38So I'm out.
14:42I don't understand pitching something when you have a safety angle.
14:45Let me just mix ten things together and see if it works.
14:49What the heck?
14:51When you look at the testimonials and hear the women's feedback, you can tell, like, this is the real deal.
14:55I know that I can defend these claims.
14:58Coming up.
15:00They're so tiny.
15:00I am so confused.
15:01Now I'm a high school dropout.
15:02You 3D printed soil?
15:04Correct.
15:05Wow.
15:05Entering the den, a scientist from Toronto, hoping the dragons think his soil alternative is groundbreaking.
15:31Hi.
15:31Hi.
15:32I'm Adnan.
15:33And I'm not here to bring another indoor farming company to you.
15:35Excellent.
15:36Well done.
15:36I'd like you to come join our journey today.
15:39I'm here to bring a new innovative disruptive product in exchange for $200,000 for 10% of our company, Lairada.
15:46This is rock wool, wall insulation that is the global standard for grow media, soil within indoor farming and hydroponics.
15:54It'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.
16:02We, 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.
16:18Wow.
16:18We've proven this tech.
16:19We 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.
16:29Wow.
16:29And today, dragons, we're here today to bring this from farms into people's homes.
16:35Sorry.
16:36My bad.
16:37And everybody run.
16:38Oh, sorry.
16:40No, I won't explode on you.
16:41But I'd like you to open up your boxes.
16:44Great.
16:46They're so tiny.
16:47I am so confused.
16:47Now I'm a high school dropout.
16:48You 3D printed soil?
16:50Correct.
16:51And I think it's essential for us to do a demo.
16:54To demonstrate, the first indoor growing unit has lettuce planted in rock wool, the standard,
16:59grow media, or material, plants grow in instead of soil.
17:03Now how does it feel?
17:04Yeah.
17:04It does.
17:05Like brittle?
17:05Yeah.
17:05Right?
17:06It does.
17:06Do you think that we could reuse it?
17:08No.
17:09Garbage.
17:09Yeah.
17:11And here we have Smart Soil.
17:13Oh.
17:13Next, Adnan's Smart Soil, a reusable, low-carbon alternative to rock wool, is the material used
17:20for the second wall of greens.
17:22And instead of rock wool, this actually biodegrades.
17:25Its main constituent is a material called polylactic acid.
17:28So it's completely natural and derived from plant-based materials.
17:32With a wash, the Smart Soil can be reused for up to a year.
17:37It's a little more labor-intense than traditional, but it's not that crazy.
17:40Doing this is much better than that.
17:43Correct.
17:44Yeah.
17:44So you can head back into your seat.
17:47So on the left side, you'll see the piece of rock wool.
17:51And I want to show you the test tube of Smart Soil that's also there as well.
17:55That volume of rock wool, we can do the same amount of work with just 10 to 12 of these pellets.
18:01Adnan, where'd you go to school?
18:04I went to UFT.
18:05UFT.
18:05I did my undergrad there, and I actually invented this during my fourth year as a research project
18:10there.
18:10Do you know you're looking at the chancellor?
18:12I do know.
18:13Do we need to talk anymore?
18:14Do you want to just make an offer now?
18:15Yeah.
18:15And so when you say you're 3D printing soil, you're 3D printing the plastic that the plant
18:21is using to secure the seeds and grow from.
18:26Okay.
18:26Are you going to get better produce out of this?
18:28So we also have proprietary coatings that we put onto it that can actually make it grow
18:32faster.
18:33So you could add nutrients to it as well?
18:36Correct.
18:37Yeah.
18:37We can infuse nutrients.
18:39We've also received funding to also get into a biopesticide project, which we'll be able
18:45to coat our soil with very specific compounds to keep plants much more healthy in really stressful conditions.
18:51Adnan, are you an entrepreneur or a scientist?
18:54I would say both.
18:55So I've been running this company for five years now.
18:58I've raised more than $1.3 million in capital, mainly non-dilutive.
19:02We plan to take this into market in the consumer market specifically right now.
19:06So you haven't sold this to anybody yet?
19:08We have not sold the soil.
19:10How much do you want to charge consumers?
19:13Rock wool or many of the refill plant pods on the market go for around $2 to $3 per pod.
19:21We want to charge around $9.
19:25So this is more expensive.
19:26This is a better version of this, but more expensive.
19:29Yeah, but that's where the reusability comes into play.
19:32So in one year, you'd be growing about six heads of lettuce based on the time it takes
19:37to harvest, which means you'd be going through six blocks of rock wool.
19:42So essentially you're half the price then, you're trying to say.
19:45Correct.
19:45Can you sell this not just to the consumer, but also to the big farms?
19:50Yeah, and we've designed our sort of go-to-market strategy in this way, where it's essential
19:55for us to get this out to consumers first.
19:57I'm going to just push you a little bit about why you want to go to the consumer when you
20:00have a market that would be dying for something that would actually help them.
20:04I mean, the end goal is to be able to take a large global share of the market.
20:10That's the end goal, but the path to get there, the strategy is what we're wondering.
20:14There's different ideas up here, but we're asking, what is your plan?
20:18After doing this business, I do know that getting my product into my customers' hands
20:23easily, which I can do through the consumer market, which is a low-hanging fruit, I'd be
20:27able to get essential feedback.
20:29So Adnan, first of all, you're solving the problem of food insecurity, which is a massive
20:34problem for the world.
20:36I don't think he's solving that problem.
20:38Well, you know, you can say what you want when it's your turn.
20:40So I, uh, you are, you're a smart guy, but your valuation is not very smart.
20:47I'm going to offer you, uh, the $200,000, but I want 33%, right?
20:53So, but I know that there's going to be follow-on capital that you're going to need to do this.
20:57Oh, yeah.
20:57And also, you're going to need, uh, my kind of resources, especially the additional
21:01resources from the University of Toronto.
21:03It's a great offer.
21:04It's an offer.
21:05Hmm.
21:06It's an offer.
21:07Is there any other dragons who would like to counter-offer or have another offer?
21:11No?
21:12Well, maybe.
21:13Just hold on.
21:15So, Adnan, I, I put an, I put an offer on a table, right?
21:19And, um, you know, I'm still waiting.
21:21I feel offended here because none of these people put an offer.
21:25None of these people put an offer on a table.
21:28None.
21:28I'll, I'll hop in.
21:29So, I, again, I love the idea of less waste.
21:31I mean, we put a lot of that rock wool in the, in our walls for insulation with what we do.
21:34But I, I just think for me, your costs are too high.
21:38I don't know enough about this area.
21:40And I think the valuation is a little off for my liking.
21:43I'm out.
21:45I love that you are getting the entrepreneurship side and the science side.
21:49I don't think I know enough about the space clearly to be able to properly help.
21:54So, for that reason, I'm out.
21:55Adnan, you get an A for innovation and Canadian innovation.
22:00But for me, you get an F so far in execution and strategy.
22:05I'm out.
22:07This is the space I live, breathe, eat every day.
22:10I'm in the consumer market.
22:12I know almost all of the vertical farms.
22:14I've either looked at investing in them or examined them or have invested in them.
22:19Um, my offer would be $200,000 for 15%.
22:23$200,000 for 15.
22:25Okay.
22:26Wow.
22:26Trying to take the chancellor out from the knees.
22:31You can compete.
22:33There should be a U of T discount.
22:34Um, I don't like to pretend that I'm an expert in things that I don't know as much about.
22:43So, I'm going to bow out.
22:44Got it.
22:46I know you're looking over here, right?
22:47I know, chancellor.
22:48So, I am going to take my number down, $200,000 for 20%.
22:52$200,000 for 20%.
22:53Arlene's offer is technically on paper better than mine.
22:59But you know what I can bring to you?
23:01Well, I've invested close to $200,000,000 in the space.
23:05Wow.
23:05So, I think I know the space better than anybody up here does.
23:11Well, Dragons, I will have to take Wes's offer.
23:17Mainly because I've been working with U of T for a very long time and do need the resources.
23:22Done.
23:23Right.
23:23Thank you, Wes.
23:24There you go.
23:24Congrats, guys.
23:25Looking forward to working with you.
23:26Okay.
23:27Take care.
23:27Well done.
23:28Congratulations.
23:29Good luck.
23:29All the best.
23:30Arlene, let me pitch you another.
23:31Another 3D printed soil.
23:33Does the U of T tie-in, will it help them that much?
23:35You can't do anything.
23:36100%.
23:37Just do your chancellor.
23:37You can't make it happen for him.
23:39Well, you'll see.
23:52I'm Phil.
23:53I'm Brutal.
23:53I'm Anthony.
23:54I'm Rob.
23:55And we're man-made.
23:56Woo!
23:57In season 17, we went on the den, and we were only eight months into our business.
24:02Woo!
24:03Woo!
24:05Ouch.
24:06Thank goodness it wasn't a full Monty.
24:08Our first product was the boxer brief.
24:10Then we had socks, T-shirts, caps.
24:14They feel really good.
24:16Michelle actually challenged us on the unit economics.
24:18$60 average order value.
24:20Yeah.
24:20What's the product cost on that basket?
24:22It's a 25% cost of COGS soda.
24:24You might not be making money on your first order here.
24:27We knew that we had a lot of room to correct it and to really go for the economies of scale.
24:33And we had a lot to learn still.
24:35We mentioned that we had $380,000 or $400,000 of sales.
24:38What do you think you're going to do next year?
24:40$7.2 million.
24:42$7.2 million?
24:44What?
24:44They all were like, whoa!
24:45$7.000!
24:47Well, not only did we hit it, but we doubled it that year.
24:51And fixed our unit economics.
24:53Big time.
24:55Yeah!
24:55Dragons, then, will be forever stamped in the history of Man-Made.
25:00Wow.
25:01What a line.
25:03What a line.
25:05This is nice.
25:06We've known each other since we were little kids.
25:08And we all knew we had that entrepreneurial itch.
25:11And when your back's against the wall and you quit your job, and you have a family, a mortgage,
25:14you only have one shot at this.
25:16When we first started the business, it was really just the four of us.
25:19Since then, we've grown to a team of 70.
25:21We ship across the country, and we have now over 500,000 customers.
25:26All from right here in Canada.
25:28One, two, three, let's go!
25:30And now, with the projections that we have going forward, we know that we need a new space
25:37that's nice and big.
25:39It was really important for us to find something in the Montreal Garment District, and we did.
25:42We're going to have certain sections, like customer service, fulfillment, marketing.
25:48You get the idea.
25:49Yeah!
25:51Coming into the 20th season and being part of the Dragons and Alumni honestly means so much
25:55for us because we, as kids, used to watch it and dream of one day being on there.
26:00Truly blessed to build this company with my three best friends, and especially to bring
26:05it to the point where it is right now.
26:06And I feel grateful to be doing it with you guys.
26:10Let's build it, baby!
26:11Fire!
26:11Let's build this empire!
26:13Like on the show.
26:13Hey, hey, hey, hey!
26:16Four middle-aged men with bad backs.
26:20For the kids.
26:20Next in the den.
26:40When I started Dynamic Downsizers, I actually started following Brian Scudamore and his businesses
26:48and just to emulate his style.
26:53Let's see if these downsizers can prove that less really is more.
26:59Hello, Dragons.
27:01My name is Leanne Masellis.
27:03My company is Dynamic Downsizers, and I'm from Markham, Ontario.
27:07My name is Lori Willison.
27:09I'm from Palgrave, Ontario, and I am the operations manager at Dynamic Downsizers.
27:14We are here today to ask for $100,000 for 10% equity in my business.
27:21Dragons.
27:22Seniors are overwhelmed at the thought of leaving the home that they have lived in for 40-plus years.
27:29Dynamic Downsizers are their helping hands.
27:32We downsize, declutter, pack, move, and set up their new place.
27:36Our dynamic guarantee is to set them up by the end of their moving day.
27:40Now, please, come on in, ladies.
27:44No.
27:45As you watch the teamwork, what you're seeing is more than just furniture placement.
27:51Imagine your mother waking up in her home, and then at the end of the day,
27:55arriving at her new retirement suite to open the door and see her bed is made,
27:59her toothbrush is in place.
28:01She is ready for the next chapter.
28:03And this is for people moving from their original primary residence into a home.
28:10Yes, exactly.
28:11Now, there's lots of full-service moving companies out there that will do the packing,
28:15the moving, the reset up.
28:17Is this unique just that you're focused strictly on people downsizing,
28:22and more specifically, just seniors?
28:24The uniqueness really comes in because we specialize in helping seniors with cognitive impairments,
28:29dementia, Alzheimer's.
28:31We partner with the Alzheimer's Society.
28:33We train them in dementia-friendly community training, as well as UFIRST training.
28:37The aging demographic seniors is a massive, massive demo,
28:41and aging in place is one thing, but as you're saying,
28:44anyway, with cognitive decline that needs to move into facility
28:46is absolutely somewhere we've been looking at seeing what we can do to be a part of the solution.
28:51Whereas our competition may focus more on the physical aspect of the move,
28:54we focus on the emotional aspect.
28:56Why did you start this business?
28:58So, for me, I started this business right about the same time
29:03that my father got diagnosed with vascular dementia.
29:07I'm telling you, I feel that my life has kind of went 360 full circle,
29:12and this is where I was meant to be.
29:14How long and how much does it take for a typical house?
29:17I don't know, 3,000, 4,000 square foot house?
29:19Like, how long and how do you charge?
29:22That's not a typical house.
29:23Okay.
29:24The average 4,000 square foot home.
29:26That's an average house.
29:27I get came down from my own house.
29:29There's eight calories.
29:29What do they do with those?
29:31Okay, okay, okay.
29:33How long and how much?
29:35So, typical package to move a client into a one-bedroom suite,
29:38it costs $5,000 for packing and complete setup by the end of the day.
29:44Let's get into numbers a little bit.
29:45When did you start, and what's the numbers like, for example, last year, the year before?
29:49So, I started this business in November 2018.
29:53Last year, in 2024, my numbers were $155,000 growth, and I doubled that in one year.
30:00We just finished our year-end in February, and I was $334,000.
30:04And what's your profits on $334,000, for example?
30:07My net net was $54,000.
30:10So, how many vehicles do you have?
30:12I just have that vehicle.
30:13And do you have any, like, near-term expansion plans?
30:18Well, I hope by the end of May that I will have hired a salesperson.
30:22But I'll be honest with you, I have high school education,
30:27so I feel that I need an investor in order to sort of take it to the next level.
30:34I want to tell you, I've invested in probably 50 founders,
30:39and some of my best founders only have high school education.
30:43Do not underestimate that for a second.
30:46I only have a high school education.
30:48I only have a high school education.
30:49I don't even have.
30:49I don't even have high school.
30:51There you go.
30:52There you go.
30:53So, never let that get in the back of your mind,
30:56that you are not ready, or you are not doing it,
30:59or you cannot iterate, or you cannot build a business.
31:01I do believe in myself.
31:03I used to competitively dance, and I'm telling you, I can compete.
31:07Do you take it to the next, you know, unfortunate level?
31:11Because when one of our parents passes away,
31:14you are dealing with the same issue,
31:16but now you're dealing with grief,
31:17and you've got all of theirs.
31:19They're good, you know, I'm sorry, I'm going to cry.
31:25How do you deal with that?
31:26Yeah, we take care of everything,
31:28and we literally leave the house empty,
31:31ready for real estate.
31:33Tell me about your growth plan.
31:34Originally, when I started this business,
31:37I believed that franchise was the way to go.
31:39It is so complicated.
31:41We got out of the moving space
31:42because there was just too much,
31:44the complexity of going into a big house
31:46and trying to estimate how long it'll take
31:49and stuff gets broken, no matter how good you are.
31:52I think anything can be franchised,
31:54but I think being in business for five profitable,
31:57really strong years would be a good foundational move
32:00before you look at franchising.
32:03What are you looking to do with the money?
32:04$100K won't go very far.
32:06It won't go very far, but really,
32:07how could I come in here asking for $200,000?
32:11You did value the company at a million dollars.
32:14It's not worth a million dollars today,
32:16but I do hope that somebody sitting here
32:19understands that we are worth investing in.
32:23But we can't value you on a dream and a hope.
32:27I think you're going to have people
32:28that will come along and look at your franchise model
32:30and they're going to say,
32:31well, yes, I could be here
32:33and really connect to people emotionally,
32:34but in reality, my numbers could be a lot better
32:36if I streamline, I hire movers
32:38that are a little bit cheaper
32:38and I can make more margin
32:40and you're going to start to lose the quality.
32:42And for that reason, I'm out.
32:43Okay, thank you.
32:46So listen, you guys have identified a niche,
32:48but you have one vehicle.
32:50You know, there's going to be a lot more than that
32:52that you're going to need
32:53to be able to expand this into different markets.
32:56So I'm going to be out
32:57because it's just too small right now.
33:02Your presentation was flawless,
33:04except the part how you make money
33:07and how I make money.
33:09I'm out.
33:11Listen, my mother went through all this,
33:13so that's why I was feeling emotional before
33:15because I understand exactly the pain
33:17that you're talking about
33:19and how hard it is to move them
33:21into a senior's residence,
33:22but I feel like your business model is wrong.
33:26And I don't know what the business model is.
33:28It's kind of...
33:29It is cumbersome.
33:30I'm sorry, but I'm going to be out.
33:34I'm with Arlene here.
33:35Like, Leanne, I would trust you with my family.
33:38I think you understand the mindset and the business.
33:42How you monetize this and how you scale this
33:44is very, very difficult.
33:46I'm out.
33:50Brian.
33:51Okay, then there was one.
33:52Yeah.
33:53I've spent a lot of time thinking about the space.
33:56Right.
33:56Like years and years and years going,
33:58there is a need.
34:00I think it's up to you to sort of figure out
34:02exactly how to make this model work
34:04and when you do,
34:06I do want to talk about franchising.
34:08Okay.
34:09But at this point right now, I'm out.
34:11Well, I'm going to put a lot of thought into that one
34:13and then give you a call.
34:15Keep the passion.
34:16Oh, we will.
34:17We'll keep the passion.
34:19There is a business here, though.
34:21And they're not the only ones confused.
34:23We've had so many brilliant minds on this.
34:25There's a problem here.
34:25I don't know if there's a problem here.
34:26If there's a problem, I don't know.
34:28There's not a solution yet.
34:29Oh, my gosh.
34:36Do we need to call an ambulance?
34:39Well, if you wanted to see dragons breathe fire,
34:41you just helped us with that.
34:42This is it.
34:42Last in the den...
34:55I feel like I'm about to have a heart attack,
34:57but it's okay.
34:58An excited entrepreneur from Toronto
35:01hoping her hot product will have the dragons breathing fire.
35:05Hi, dragons.
35:07Welcome to Root Mama,
35:08the home of authentic Vietnamese hot sauce
35:10that handcraft in Canada using Canadian ingredients.
35:14My name is Viet Anh Nguyen.
35:15I come here asking for $130,000
35:17in exchange of 10% of our equity.
35:20So without further ado,
35:21let me introduce you to the family of Root Mama.
35:24Whoa.
35:25Whoa.
35:26Hmm.
35:27Hmm.
35:27So the original one is the rootest of the house.
35:31She made me cry the first time I tried her.
35:33For the fruity flavor,
35:36we use the same base.
35:37We just add fruit inside.
35:39So in the way,
35:39they're carrying on the same DNA,
35:41which make the original one the mom of the house
35:43and me as the grandma of the brand.
35:46Our mango is our firstborn.
35:49She's the bestseller one.
35:50She's just a diva.
35:52And the pineapple one is our middle chow.
35:55Very sweet,
35:56but also have a really short temper.
35:59She hit you the first when you try her.
36:00We assume it's just for attention grabbing.
36:05And our passion food one is the youngest one.
36:08She's a little bit westernite,
36:10so she's pearly night with cheese like a piece of steak.
36:13So without further ado,
36:15you can welcome to try her.
36:17Wonderful.
36:18The four flavors come in two sizes
36:20and are available online and in stores across Ontario.
36:23Ow!
36:26That's rude, mama.
36:27A rude boy at this.
36:28Whoa!
36:29That was saying to make up.
36:30The pineapple is spicy!
36:32The sauces retail for $10 per small jar
36:35and $15 for the large.
36:36Wait, the original didn't taste...
36:38Oh, no, there it comes.
36:39Oh, yeah.
36:39Oh, it's spicy, all right?
36:41Really good, guys.
36:42The pineapple punches you in the face right away.
36:44Right away.
36:45The original takes a minute
36:46and then five seconds later punches you in the throat.
36:48Come on, if you can't take the heat...
36:50You see me crying right now?
36:51My wife loves spice
36:53and she's always trying to, like,
36:54trick me into a bit more.
36:56Yeah.
36:56But this would do the trick
36:57because just like you said,
36:59it doesn't...
36:59Aside from the pineapple that hit me right away,
37:01the mango and the passion fruit,
37:03I can taste the flavor
37:04and it makes me want to come back for more.
37:05Oh, my gosh.
37:06Do we need to call an ambulance?
37:07It's been a while, hasn't it?
37:10Well, if you wanted to see dragons breathe fire,
37:12you just helped us with that.
37:13This is it.
37:14Whoa!
37:15Guys, everyone's here lightweight.
37:16I love this.
37:17My taste buds are gone.
37:18I would eat this every night on my food.
37:20I would have fed this to some of my exes.
37:25Try this, honey.
37:27What's your passion for hot sauce?
37:29I fell in love immediately
37:30with the traditional recipe
37:33when I tried it.
37:35And when I came to Canada,
37:36I couldn't find anything I like.
37:39And it's in stores now, right?
37:41It's in stores.
37:41It's in over 70 stores now.
37:4570 stores.
37:46Wow.
37:47And what are your sales?
37:48Last year, we're at 120.
37:50And then this year, we forecast at 300.
37:54On the 120,000, how much did you gross in net?
37:57No, last year, we lost 100.
37:59The reason behind that is we have two channels
38:03that we have to invest at once,
38:06which is retail and e-commerce
38:07to catch up with demand.
38:09What was the hustle that you put in to get you there?
38:11So I started the business from scratch.
38:13I don't have family here.
38:15I started the business with $30,000.
38:18Where'd you get that from?
38:19My whole savings.
38:20Your entire life savings.
38:22Entire life savings.
38:23So back in Vietnam,
38:25I have a university degree of finance and banking.
38:30And then when I came to Canada,
38:32my experience doesn't transfer.
38:34So I started working in the restaurant as a chef.
38:39I have school.
38:41I have three part-time jobs at a time.
38:44Three part-time jobs.
38:44Why are you going to school?
38:46Oh, my goodness.
38:47You're hustling in the best ways possible.
38:49I love it.
38:50Yeah.
38:50And so talk to...
38:51Tell us about the name, Rude Mama.
38:53I love the name.
38:54I love it, too.
38:55So on the funny note, Rude Mama,
38:58when people ask me, like,
39:00if I'm the Rude Mama,
39:01I get to tell them, like,
39:02I'm only rude when I'm hungry.
39:03Those rude on the phone.
39:05And 24-7 no break.
39:08Yeah.
39:08But then on a deeper note,
39:10I don't have a supportive family.
39:12And then growing up,
39:13if I dare to have a dream,
39:16I get called paranoia.
39:17If I dare to speak my mind,
39:20I get called rude on manner.
39:22And if I dare to talk back,
39:24I get a straight slap in the face.
39:25So I lean on to the image
39:28of strong, independent women
39:29that from my boss,
39:31from my teacher,
39:32from my best friend,
39:33and those are the ones
39:36that shaped my upbringing.
39:37Hmm.
39:38I love that story
39:39because I love how you're making
39:41those two words, Rude Mama,
39:42mean something totally different.
39:44Powerful.
39:45Yeah.
39:45Empowered.
39:46How does your family at home
39:47feel about you
39:48and the business success
39:49you've had?
39:50I don't.
39:51I haven't told them about that.
39:52You haven't told your family
39:53about any of this?
39:54Yeah.
39:55Wow.
39:55I, um,
39:56it's a long history of trauma,
39:58and so I got connection with them.
40:00Hmm.
40:01Oh, I'm sorry to hear that.
40:02I'm so sorry.
40:03No way.
40:04It happens,
40:05but then it builds me stronger.
40:07My dream today
40:08is to lay a strong foundation
40:11for Rude Mama and...
40:13Legacy.
40:13Give, yeah,
40:14prosperity for Canada,
40:17which is a country
40:17I owe so much to.
40:19Well-behaved women
40:20rarely make history,
40:21and every part
40:23of the Rude Mama brand
40:24and what that embodies for you
40:26I think is, like,
40:28an amazing story,
40:29an amazing mission.
40:30I can't imagine
40:31what you've gone through
40:33to get to this point.
40:34I think, for me,
40:35the space is very competitive,
40:37and I just can't give you
40:38the help you need,
40:40so I'm going to be out,
40:41but I'm going to be cheering you on.
40:43No way.
40:44I love this story,
40:45and I love you.
40:45I think this isn't a space
40:47I have a lot of experience in.
40:48I think, um,
40:49especially being at a loss
40:51still right now,
40:52I know you're on a trajectory
40:53and a path
40:53that will turn to profit,
40:56but I just don't think
40:57there's as much I can offer
40:58as they can.
41:00I'm out.
41:00Okay, I'll go.
41:01Um, I...
41:02You're...
41:03You are a survivor.
41:04You really are.
41:05From an investment perspective,
41:07you're way too early for me,
41:09um, and I think the space
41:10is very crowded and difficult,
41:11and, uh, I wish you well,
41:13but I'm going to be out.
41:14No way.
41:14Thank you so much.
41:16Uh, I, too, am rude
41:17when I am hungry.
41:18I think my fellow dragons
41:20can attest to that.
41:20She's rude when she's not hungry.
41:22I love it.
41:22Yeah.
41:23Like, you figured this out,
41:24and you haven't had
41:25the easiest path,
41:26which is actually amazing
41:28in so many ways
41:29because it shows your resilience.
41:30You're still smiling
41:31through all of this,
41:32not only the questions,
41:33but telling your story.
41:34Like, it's incredible.
41:36And I am willing
41:37to back a founder like you.
41:40I'll offer you $150,000
41:41for 15%.
41:43$150,000 for 15%?
41:46Is there any other offer
41:49in the den?
41:50I'll go.
41:51Yeah.
41:51I love you.
41:53You are funny.
41:53Your story of how you started
41:55with your life savings,
41:56that's how I started my business.
41:58But I can't compete with Manjeet.
42:00She can turn up the heat
42:01on this business
42:02and really partner with you.
42:04So, I'm out.
42:05You know, Fela,
42:06there's a lot of people
42:07going through what you've gone through,
42:09and they're embarrassed
42:10to tell their stories.
42:11Yeah.
42:12But it's not the end of you.
42:14I need for you
42:15to keep telling that story.
42:16And I'm going to be out,
42:18but keep at it.
42:21Manjeet?
42:22We got to do.
42:23Can I do a money shot?
42:24Where's the money?
42:25Money shot?
42:25I love her.
42:27She wants it.
42:27She wants it.
42:28We are going to have
42:29so much fun together.
42:31Money shot.
42:35Wait, record this.
42:37That's my TikTok.
42:38I love it.
42:39More money shot.
42:40Wait.
42:41More money shot.
42:42More money shot.
42:44Give me a money shot.
42:46Benjeet's face is like,
42:47what is happening?
42:48Thank you, B.
42:48Don't worry.
42:49Bye.
42:50Bye.
42:50Bye, B.
42:51Congrats.
42:52I know.
42:53Oh, my God.
42:54I need somebody
42:55to hold my hand.
42:57She's the entrepreneur
42:58that I want it back.
43:00Like, talk about resilience.
43:01For sure.
43:02I've got my juice.
43:03She's my dream dragon.
43:05Coming up next week,
43:07Dragon's Den gets
43:08into the holiday spirit.
43:09Is this our first
43:10holidays together?
43:11Total family Christmas.
43:13Oh, there you go.
43:14Lift her up.
43:15Yeah.
43:15Cheers, dragons.
43:16Cheers.
43:17Cheers.
43:1820 seasons
43:19of drinking together.
43:2020.
43:21Cheers.
43:22I saw this
43:23when I painted
43:24my picture three years
43:25ago, that I knew
43:27Tootsie was destined
43:28to be on Dragon's Den
43:29and work with Arlene.
43:52真ator
43:52National plot
43:59Thanks for tuning in.
44:00I knew
44:01that I was
44:01such a long man
44:02to master
44:03ofppsie
44:05Kim
44:05Start
44:07casts
44:08Won't
44:09It's
44:09a new
44:10time
44:12to make
44:13ourselves
44:14to the
44:14victims
44:15and
44:15use
44:16the
Be the first to comment
Add your comment