Side Hustlers (2024) s02e01 Episode Script

1
EMMA:
What is it gonna take for you
to make this your main hustle?
♪
Let's do it, girls.
Here we go.
(whooping)
NARRATOR:
Welcome to Side Hustlers,
an exciting business challenge
for hopeful entrepreneurs
ready to ditch their day jobs to build
the businesses of their dreams.
I'm hyperaware of the fact that
I'm a small business trying to grow.
NARRATOR:
With a mentorship
from two of the world's
top businesswomen on the line.
Ladies, remember,
it's not just about the numbers for us.
We're investing in you.
NARRATOR:
Emma Grede, one of the richest
self-made women in America.
Businesswoman,
entrepreneur and philanthropist.
Cofounder of some of this generation's
biggest consumer brands.
You ask for half a million dollars,
you've got to expect the question,
"How are you gonna spend it?"
NARRATOR:
And Ashley Graham,
supermodel, body activist,
TV producer and host.
An entrepreneur who has invested in
Knix, Bobbie, and Carta.
If you were given literally everything
your heart desires right now,
you still wouldn't be ready for it.
NARRATOR:
Which female founders
will have what it takes
I'm three years in on no income.
I just don't feel like I can breathe.
NARRATOR:
to move their business
to the next level?
EMMA:
I really believe in you.
You are literally the American dream.
NARRATOR:
Every part of these businesses
will be tested finances, marketing,
customer outreach, social media.
FAY:
I've never been like this before.
This is just the beginning.
NARRATOR:
Some will flourish
and some will fail.
Unfortunately, I don't think that
I'm gonna be able to mentor you.
Your current plan is trash.
NARRATOR:
Whose business will receive
a life-changing investment?
I'd love to give you $100,000.
NARRATOR:
And who will remain a side hustler?
I'm sitting here with billions of dollars
in shareholder value.
Just listen to me.
ASHLEY:
Succeeding with your own business
is definitely not a guarantee,
and not everyone has
what it takes to make it happen.
But when you take control
of your own destiny, there is
no better feeling in the world.
Do it like a girl. ♪
NARRATOR:
This is Side Hustlers.
("Expensive" by KayJayy playing)
Yeah, yeah ♪
-Cheers. To investing.
-Cheers, darling.
Here we go.
Oh-oh ♪
Oh. ♪
Oh, hello!
-Hi.
-ASHLEY: Come on in. Hi. Ashley.
I'm Emma. Nice to finally meet you.
My name is Emma Grede,
and I am a serial entrepreneur.
How are you? So nice to meet you.
Come this way.
Right now we're meeting with entrepreneurs
from across the country,
and they're gonna pitch to us today.
You look so appropriately pink right now.
Thank you. I love pink.
Promotes girl power.
Yeah, yeah.
It really is girl power, isn't it?
And if they can prove
that they have a viable business,
Ashley and I are willing
to put up a sizable investment
to really help them
accelerate their growth.
Are you excited to pitch?
I'm so excited to pitch.
Do you feel nervous at all,
or you're just excited?
Yeah, but it's like good nerves
-Yeah.
-because, like, I just think
these are amazing women entrepreneurs,
and I just think
we're so much better in a room together.
-Yes.
-Yes.
Cheers.
-Cheers.
-Hey! Hey!
I'm so excited.
I'm Ashley Graham,
and I am a mother, an author,
a model and an investor.
I'm always enthusiastic
when I see women building brands
and creating their own legacies.
Everybody's is so different,
-so this is gonna be so great.
-Yeah. It's cool.
And I honestly just can't wait
to dive in and learn more.
This is your second business?
Yes, it is. Yes.
How much did you sell your first one for?
I would consider it
a successful exit, I guess.
-Great.
-Yeah.
That's all we can hope for, right?
(laughs)
Ashley's so comfortable,
so confident in her own skin,
has gone through
the entrepreneurial journey
and built herself.
She's a force to be reckoned with.
I'm so happy to have
you guys all here today.
I cannot wait to find out more
about all of your businesses.
-We're gonna grill you.
-So excited.
We absolutely love Emma Grede.
I'm a big fan
of her career and where she is today.
It's so nice for us just
to have this opportunity
to sit around with such a
incredible group of like-minded women.
-Yeah.
-So I love it.
We admire her so much,
and we would love the opportunity
to work with her.
Ladies, welcome to Side Hustlers.
(cheering)
EMMA:
I have to say,
it's so exciting for us
to have so much talent,
so many incredible female businesswomen
all in one room.
ASHLEY:
In season one,
we helped female founders'
dreams come true.
We helped them take
their business to the next level,
and we are ready to do it again.
-Whoo!
-(others whoop)
-(laughs)
It's a sad fact that less than two percent
of female-founded
businesses get VC funding.
But the benefits of female leadership
in business are clear.
ASHLEY:
Emma and I both know a thing or two
about investing in our own careers.
We're really passionate about
supporting women entrepreneurs
and helping more
female-founded companies grow to be
the multimillion-dollar companies
that they should be.
So today, ladies, you are gonna
pitch your side hustles to us.
And then we're gonna choose
some of you to mentor,
but not all of you.
EMMA:
If we choose to mentor you,
then we are gonna be all in.
For the next few weeks,
Ashley and I will be hands-on,
working with you to get
your business to the next phase.
You're gonna turn that
side hustle into your main hustle.
(cheering and applause)
And at the end of this process,
we will have some
very important decisions to make.
EMMA:
We have to decide if we're gonna make
an investment in you and your company.
ASHLEY:
And you have to decide
if you're gonna quit your day job.
So this is not a typical contest.
You're not gonna be
competing against each other.
Your true competition will be yourself.
EMMA:
And it's not just about
the numbers for us.
We're investing in you.
And so we've teamed up with Ally
to provide resources
as you work on your finances
and your customer strategy
for your business.
Ashley and I are gonna be
just over there in the living room,
and we plan to meet with
each of you one by one.
And we cannot wait to meet you properly.
Let's do this.
(cheering and applause)
Are you nervous?
A little bit, but I'm excited to, like,
share my brand, share my story.
I think that there's
so much that we can share,
that there's a lot of commonality,
even if it's my story.
My very first pitch was
to a man who was like,
"Okay, I'm gonna give you $50,000,
and I want 30%."
-(laughs)
-You out your damn mind.
30%? Are you out of your mind?
So don't assume,
because I'm a little woman
and I happen to take care of home,
that I'm not savvy about
how I run my business.
So, can you tell us,
what is your side hustle?
Yes, my side hustle is Amour Propre.
"Amour propre"
means "self-love" in French,
and all of my products
embody that feeling.
I feel that the world
is missing love right now.
One in four women don't know
where their vagina is
-Oh.
-and 85% of people have issues
with low self-esteem.
So I decided to start
One second.
You're gonna have to go back.
-(laughs)
-EMMA: Who are these that
don't understand where their vagina is?
Can you clarify that?
Yeah, so, many women have utilized
their mother's information,
their friends' information,
false information, Internet,
to tell them how to
take care of themselves
or just based on a feeling, not fact,
science and information.
-EMMA: Mm-hmm.
-So what I do is educate women
about their bodies.
So what's selling the best?
My yoni oil and my yoni wash.
And yoni is "vagina,"
for those who don't know.
-You're making this on your own?
-Yes, ma'am.
And do you have a factory you're doing
Mm-hmm, yeah. The factory is
at my house in Mission Viejo.
-(laughs)
-Whoa!
-In your kitchen at home?
-Yes, ma'am.
I've made over 10,000 products
-Are you kidding?
-by myself.
You made this at home, in your kitchen?
Yes. Literally.
And how much have you sold to date?
As of right now,
we've sold about $250,000 in total sales.
Okay. And what have you
spent to get you there?
-Oh, God.
-(laughter)
I would say about $300,000.
♪
So that 300 grand essentially
came from your savings?
-Yes, ma'am. Yes, it did, yeah.
-Wow. That's a bold move.
I'm pretty bold.
I'm a hustler, baby,
I just want you to know.
I've got the excitement.
I'm the cheerleader for this brand,
and I believe that people want this.
And as a result,
I'm the best spokesperson to
kind of get it out there
and push it to the public.
-You 100% are.
-I believe you.
-Yeah. Yeah.
-I mean, seriously.
-Thank you.
-ASHLEY: Yeah.
Thank you. Thank you for caring about
-me and all my bits.
-All your parts, girl.
-So nice to meet you. (laughs)
-You, too.
-EMMA: Thank you.
-ASHLEY: Bye.
I see a lot of promise with Tahera.
She's got a really cool,
interesting product,
but she's making it out of her home.
I don't know how you can
take this to a broader audience
without a proper facility.
TANIA:
How did it go?
I feel just as nervous as I did going in.
-Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.
-Because I don't know, right?
-Yeah.
-And the unknown is kind of like
that thing that's just
looming over your shoulder,
but I gave them my best,
and I was sincere,
and I was myself.
That was all I wanted to do.
-That's all you can do.
-Exactly.
-Yeah.
FAY:
I have been preparing,
and I'm just ready to
blow them away. (laughs)
-Yeah.
-That's awesome.
FAY:
It's pitch time, guys. I got to go.
-Good luck.
-Thank you.
Okay, so welcome to the world of Bonbuz.
Alcohol-free
for the buzz without the booze.
So, am I getting buzzed off of this?
It's a natural buzz to enhance your mood
but also give you a sensory experience
that isn't just ethanol-based.
We're here to challenge the status quo.
My name is Fay Behbehani.
I'm 36 years old,
and I'm from London.
I am currently working for
a sustainable spirits company, vodka,
but my passion lies in
changing the narrative
around drinking culture.
My side hustle is Bonbuz,
an alcohol-free functional drinks company
that's pioneering the future
of how we get buzzed.
For me, following
convention is really boring.
To do something
people really connect with,
sometimes you have to break the rules.
MAN (on speakerphone):
You're fending off
big beverage manufacturers
that are backed with a ton of money.
To start with, we're pitching,
like, a social tonics program
in some of these premium groceries.
In my previous roles,
I haven't had the autonomy
that I've wanted
to properly do my job
in the way that I would,
which is maybe why I started Bonbuz,
so I could be my own boss
and not have to answer to anyone.
I just never want to clip people's wings.
I want people to shine.
That's the point of Bonbuz.
Whatever floats your boat.
I'm gonna make something that's like
-a spicy margarita.
-ASHLEY: Yeah. Cheers.
Cheers.
FAY:
This is a sugar-free
passion fruit mezcal replacement.
It's thick.
-Uh
-(Emma coughs)
Damn. (coughs loudly)
You good?
♪
The flavor is not for me.
Well, can I get you
a little passion fruit, like, tea blend?
-I love it.
-Crack it open.
EMMA:
Oh, I'm into tea. It's so English.
-That is good, I'm sorry.
-I really like it.
-That is really, really good.
-Bonbuz.
I like saying that. Bonbuz! ♪
It's clearly working.
(Ashley laughing)
I'm just saying, it's just facts.
I love it.
So what's exactly in here?
-EMMA: Yeah.
-So, we use 50 milligrams of caffeine
per two-ounce pour.
That kind of just gives you
the immediate stimulating effect.
5-HTP, which works
on the serotonin system,
-where the dopamine center is.
-Right, right.
We also have nootropics, adaptogens,
and functional mushrooms.
Really, things to help you
immerse you into the present moment.
ASHLEY:
I'm really curious about the numbers.
So talk to us a little bit
about the money.
Uh, well, we just cleared
100,000 last, uh, in July.
And where are you gonna
finish the year at?
Uh, so the goal is
a million for this year.
-A million?
-Yes.
-Whoa.
-Whoa.
What we've seen in the past few years
is the low- and no-alcohol category
hit $11 billion in sales.
Gen Zs aren't drinking, and so
they are kind of driving this category
in a big way.
It's a movement.
I feel really good.
-I'm so happy
-Is it me or is it the drink?
-Thank you.
-Thank you so much.
It was so nice to meet you.
-You, too. Thank you, guys.
-EMMA: So good to meet you.
Thank you, my dear.
(slurping)
Ah!
Bonbuz tastes incredible.
Her ingredients and the flavor
totally sets her apart.
This is us. We are All Better Co.
It's everyday plant-powered
first aid and personal care.
The aha moment
that launched the whole thing is this,
which is our Don't Scratch That patch,
which is basically a pimple patch
-for mosquito bites.
-Nice.
And then the next thing that came
was our Don't Scratch That pen.
-Oh, I love a pen.
-Which is like our answer
to hydrocortisone.
The goal, ultimately, is for us
to recreate Mom's first aid kit,
-driven by plant-powered products.
-I love that mission.
We will do for first aid
what the Honest Company
-did for baby products.
-EMMA: Oh, I love that.
I'm gonna start
putting everything together.
And it looks like
he did send me the quote.
We have several full-time jobs. (chuckles)
But the first number one job is mom.
Felix is gonna miss me.
-'Cause I'm a mama's boy.
-SISTER: We all know.
-I'll take it.
-(laughter)
I'm also a marketing consultant working
for other female entrepreneurs.
And then my background's in education.
No.
GIRL:
Oh, my God, you're a pain in the butt.
-MERAV: Hey.
-BOY: You're a pain.
MERAV:
Let's just be clear,
you're both pains in the butt.
STACY:
I feel like, as moms
who work,
we are building this for our families.
The opportunity to work with Emma
and Ashley would be incredible.
ASHLEY:
So, who have you all tested this out on,
and what's been the reaction?
Or not reaction?
We think about everything
with our families first.
My daughter was in terrible discomfort
from mosquito bites.
Merav has a son
who also has really sensitive skin,
and we just thought there's got
to be something cleaner, better
out there for our families.
-No smell.
-Smells good, like,
it smells medicine-y,
but it smells, like, herbal.
We have to think, like,
when you're planning
and creating something for your family,
it can't smell weird.
-No. Kids are fussy, yeah.
-It can't feel weird,
it can't leave a residue, it can't burn.
Ladies, I'm trying to understand
these ingredients.
Like, does this actually
like, does it work?
Yeah, we that pen
actually just won an award
-for Best Skin Care in 2023.
-ASHLEY: Oh, which one?
-Parents.
-Parent magazine.
-Congratulations.
-Wow. Good for you two.
Okay, so what are the sales like?
What have they been so far?
♪
Is there any profit?
STACEY:
Merav and I, you know, we're self-funded,
but before we launched, we also are, um,
really motivated by women as investors
and we've really talked a lot
about how women
are not empowered to invest,
and that a lot of that is due
to just lack of opportunity.
EMMA:
These two are really coy
around sharing the numbers.
I think a lot of people are strange
when it comes to money, but I'm here.
You're gonna need to give me
the information.
Tell me this: if we were to invest in you,
what would you do?
What are the next steps?
What we're looking for is mentorship
and people that know how to build a brand
and make All Better Co. a household name.
-I love that.
-So it's really not just about money,
it's really about, for us,
we've always said
it is about collaboration.
My favorite trait in any entrepreneur,
-I'll tell you that.
-Yeah.
It's so good to meet the two of you.
Ladies, it was such a pleasure.
Thank you so much.
MERAV:
All right, thank you.
EMMA:
I just love the idea
that they have, like,
this big vision, right?
They want to be, to mums and parents,
what Honest Company was in their space.
It's, like, so cool.
What are you looking to gain
from talking to Emma and Ashley?
One thing for me is, I often feel like
I'm really young in this business,
and I don't have a lot of guidance
in my circle
to really reach out to people
to get that mentorship.
So I'm really just looking
for that opportunity to learn
from others' experiences.
You're gonna do great.
-ASHLEY: Hi, Rhea.
-Hi.
Well, don't you look wonderful?
Thank you. It's actually my own brand.
-Ah, very clever, my dear.
-I love it.
She wore her own product.
-RHEA: Always.
-I do love a girl in her own product.
So tell us, what is your side hustle?
About two years ago,
I realized that shopping
for sustainable South Asian
contemporary and traditional wear
was really difficult.
So I decided to create Khattoi.
We focus on traditional and contemporary
wear, and then weddings as well.
We work one-on-one
with the bride and groom
to custom-create outfits for their events.
-That's amazing.
-Wow.
-Yeah.
-EMMA: Talk to me about
the actual business.
I'd really love to know
what your sales are.
So, year to date right now,
we're at 50,000.
But in April we outgrew
our production unit in India.
So I went to India, redid our production,
and now we've closed down
our production house
and have a bigger production partner.
And are you having reoccurring customers?
Yes. We actually take
customer experience really seriously.
So I'll design silhouettes
depending on customer feedback,
then we create that collection.
-What do you really need?
-Okay. I was gonna say.
-Mentorship.
-Oh, interesting.
So, for me, one thing is, I'm 25, and I
-Oh, wow. Good girl!
-You're 25?
I think that you have a business
that you just explained so beautifully
-Oh, I'm glad.
-and you look fantastic,
and I think it's very clear
that you are
-Thank you.
-the real deal.
-ASHLEY: Nice to meet you.
-Thank you so much.
Nice to meet you, too.
All right, I'll see you guys later.
-EMMA: Thank you.
-Bye.
-I totally would wear that outfit.
So cute.
-That outfit was gorgeous.
She's so wonderful.
She really has her shit together.
MARCY:
We're the only people here
doing what we're doing.
We're the only people here doing anything
in the plus-size world.
-Yes.
-Which, Emma being, like, the owner
of an inclusive brand,
and then Ashley being Ashley, like,
both of these investors
are perfect for us.
♪
-You look so cute.
-Thank you.
Here to drive you to your dreams.
I'm Marcy Guevara-Prete.
My name is Jen Wilder.
Jen and I opened The Plus Bus Boutique
in 2015, and that has been
our side hustle ever since.
Oh, this one's cute.
Legs. We love some legs.
The Plus Bus is L.A.'s premier destination
for plus-size fashion.
JEN:
We really aim to take the shame
out of shopping
in a plus-size body.
The Plus Bus really has
healed people
from the trauma.
What I've learned as I've grown up is that
there wasn't anything wrong with me.
It was literally everyone around me
telling me that I should act different
because of my body,
that I shouldn't want as much,
or that I didn't deserve
to be treated with respect,
and it's just not true.
(sniffles)
MARCY:
This business has been
an emotional experience for us.
We know, in our hearts,
that this thing is huge.
It is an octopus of possibility
that we just need somebody
to help us really create.
EMMA:
Hey, ladies.
-JEN: Hello.
-Tell us about your side hustle.
We run L.A.'s premier plus-size fashion
shopping experience
The Plus Bus.
-Is it on a bus?
-Is it a bus?
-Yes.
-ASHLEY: What?
-There is a bus.
-And we have a brick-and-mortar
retail space and we have a thrift store
and, of course, we're selling online.
We have been doing it
for almost eight years now.
Like, what's the size range?
Like, if somebody
comes in and brings you a U.S. size eight,
are you like,
"Sorry, we just don't carry that"?
We say we start at size 12 and go
all the way, as big as we can find it.
-Okay.
-So, for us this is not
just a retail store.
This is so much more than clothes.
Talk to us about the business.
I really want to understand,
-what are your numbers?
-Yes.
-You said you've been doing this
for eight years.
-Yes.
So, what's the business look like today?
We're like at $480,000 for this year,
projected to do $870K.
And are you profitable?
-We're close.
-We would be if we didn't hire
so many people to run our store.
♪
ASHLEY:
I am curious,
how much have you actually invested
in the company?
MARCY:
To be honest?
Like, probably $350,000.
Oh, wow.
And do you have any debt in the company?
We have been a victim
of some predatory loans.
What does that look like in terms
of total debt to the company?
Total debt right now is $150K.
MARCY:
I have been very actively pursuing
some, like, financing options.
But we need mentorship, we need help.
We have done what we can
with what we call bra-strap capital.
You know, we need that fire on this fuel.
We've already got the kindling,
we've already got the matches,
we've already got this little flame going,
we just need that megaphone.
MARCY:
We need the fuel on the fire.
-Okay.
-Okay.
It's great to meet you guys.
-ASHLEY: Thanks, Jen.
-Thank you.
-MARCY: Thank you so much.
-So nice to see you.
-So nice to meet you finally.
-Yes, I know.
EMMA:
So nice to see you.
At the end of the day,
they're 150 grand in debt
-Yeah. Yeah.
-they've been in business
for eight years.
-They ain't making it work. It's
-Hmm
-just facts.
-You're right.
The first thing I'm looking for in a pitch
is someone that can convey
their idea with impact.
If I don't get it in 30 seconds,
I've already lost interest.
So, leveraging the power of A.I.,
we are building a personalized styler
and shopper called Arête.
A lot of the investment
that we're asking for
is going to be leveraged
towards A.I. engineers.
That ain't cheap.
Beebizy is a simple
and easy-to-use mobile app
that connects parents
to party vendors in one place.
And how are you making your money?
Is it an affiliate model?
Our average order value is $650.
-Okay.
-And so we take 22% of that.
The next thing is
a really passionate founder
with storytelling abilities
and the ability to sell to me.
SARA:
This is my side hustle Superfy
allergen-friendly, vegan,
gluten-free ingredients
that you use for baking.
ASHLEY:
Okay. And how much money have you made?
We need numbers.
Well, you know. Okay.
I'm-I'm gonna be honest.
I haven't started.
I haven't pushed the button yet.
That's what I need help.
EMMA:
There needs to be something special
about how they're delivering it,
their business model,
or just about them.
Do you have any pitching experience?
This will actually be
my first experience pitching,
so I'm very nervous.
Don't be nervous.
You've got this.
-You're gonna be great.
-I-I would invest in you.
-(laughs): Yeah.
-Aw, thank you.
(chuckles) Thank you.
ASHLEY:
I'm hungry.
Yes. I brought snacks.
Wonderful.
So, this is Gloria's Shito.
Shito means "spicy pepper" or "hot."
EMMA:
One of my favorite things in the world.
-I'm just gonna get stuck straight in.
-ASHLEY: Oh, my gosh.
And you can simply drizzle this on hummus.
-ASHLEY: Oh, my God.
-That's some spicy goodness right there.
-ASHLEY: Oh, my God.
-GLORIA: Yes.
-Yeah, yeah.
GLORIA:
So, my vision is, shito
is the gateway to Ghana,
no passport required.
Shito is that condiment that we add
to anything and everything.
And it adds, like, spice,
depth of umami
EMMA:
Oh, my God.
to the Western world.
-It has a little after-kick here.
-GLORIA: Yeah.
-EMMA: This is medium?
-It's medium-high.
This feels so, like-like, well-traveled.
(Emma coughing)
Oh, are you okay?
(laughs) It's really
-It gets you.
-I took a big old sip of the oil.
It's a very, very interesting
flavor profile, actually.
GLORIA:
Absolutely. Other cultures have done
such a great job.
When you look at
European cuisine, Asian cuisine,
Latin cuisine.
And I feel like my culture does not do
a great job representing our food.
How much are you selling at the moment?
I am in 11 stores across the country.
Do you also sell it direct to consumer
or just through the stores?
Direct to consumer
and also farmers markets.
And I've sold out 600 units.
You sold out?
I sold out. I am actually
traveling next week to the facility
to oversee the third production batch.
This is the gateway product.
This is my hero product,
but the vision is Gloria's Shito
Compound Butter,
Gloria's Shito Spicy Cream Cheese.
Oh, I love butter. I think
there's a big space for butter.
-Absolutely.
-Now, what is the shelf life?
-GLORIA: Two years.
-Oh.
Because it's, um, it's a chili oil.
What is it gonna take for you
to make this your main hustle?
So, I'm a cosmetic chemist.
I've been in the industry
for over 15 years.
I love creating products,
I love putting products out there,
but shito is that one thing
that has given me joy.
My whole life, I've never had stability.
I lost my mom at the age
of four years old.
EMMA:
Oh, I'm so sorry.
But I've been working
since I was at the age of 16
stocking shelves, babysitting,
whatever I can do
to just take away that pressure
from my family.
With a supportive mentorship,
the vision for me
is putting a jar of shito
in people's grocery stores here,
being able to grab that taste of home.
I am hoping that I can
bring shito to the next level,
to just take it to places
I've never seen it.
Gloria, I love you.
I love, I love everything.
And then the product was, like
-ASHLEY: That's it.
-icing on the cake.
-Thank you. Thank you, Gloria.
-Icing on the cake.
-Killed it.
-Thank you so much.
Gloria, please leave us
-the chili oil.
-It's yours.
(laughs)
(mouths)
-Back off, Ashley Graham.
-(laughs)
You're gonna take my little dream from me?
-That is all mine, boo-boo.
-No, no, no.
Let's see who she wants.
(both laugh)
What does this investment mean to you?
Honey, if they would give me
an opportunity,
I'd quit my job in a heartbeat
because I believe in myself.
-BOTH: Yeah.
-FRANCES: Because, again,
I can do the work.
I'm not afraid of working.
Hola.
-Hi!
-I see some big kahunas coming.
-(laughter)
-Mine or in here?
EMMA:
Those bras, no, no, they are not for me.
-(laughs)
-Wow.
So, ladies, this is Hanging Secrets.
And what is Hanging Secrets?
Hanging Secrets is
a bra and lingerie organizer
that hangs in the closet or over the door.
This is the travel version.
-Travel version?
-Travel version.
If you have, like, molded bras,
-it's so they don't get smooshed.
-FRANCES: Yes.
Okay.
How much are you selling
of these products?
Since we launched till now,
it's been $27,000.
So, that's eight years.
-Wow.
-Eight years you've been doing this?
-Yes.
-EMMA: You've been doing this
for eight years as your side hustle?
FRANCES:
Yes.
EMMA:
And you've had relatively low sales.
Yes.
So what keeps you going?
Why do you keep doing this?
It's in my DNA. I don't give up.
I don't give up.
Just show me what to do,
and I will get it done.
And I don't know if you know
about patents, but
Love a patent.
She brought the patent.
Only seven percent of patents
issued in the United States
are issued to sole female inventors,
and patents issued in the United States
to sole Latinas are less than one percent.
-ASHLEY: Wow.
-Well, bravo to you.
-That's really, truly impressive.
-ASHLEY: Yeah.
FRANCES:
Thank you.
EMMA:
I love that you're trying to do things.
I think there's so much
to be said about that.
I understand where you're
coming from. I really do.
And I think that you're an amazing woman.
Maybe this is not the idea for me,
but I admire the tenacity
and I admire someone that comes on
-and doesn't give up.
-FRANCES: Thank you so much.
Really, I do.
-FRANCES: Thank you.
-Thank you, Frances.
EMMA:
Here's the thing
with Frances and Hanging Secrets.
it's just not an investable opportunity.
It is not working. It's never gonna work.
And that can be so difficult
for any entrepreneur to deal with.
Quite honestly, the best advice
I can give her is to walk away.
My sales were not there.
-Aw.
-Well, you inspire us, so
-Yeah. Definitely.
-Well, thank you very much.
Thank you. And I wish everybody luck.
-You did it.
-(cheering)
(chuckles) Yeah. Thank you.
Keep making me believe in magic ♪
Okay, we're all duos,
so I want to know highlights,
lowlights of having a partner.
Best part is, when you want to give up,
-you have someone that can talk you down.
-Yeah.
TANIA:
For the low lows and the high highs,
-it's great to have someone with you.
-Yeah.
Our side hustle is Clean Coats.
So, it is a performance pet care brand,
and it has odor-neutralizing ingredients
in there,
so there's no fragrance.
ASHLEY:
I get pitched different ideas
all the time.
The first thing I ask myself is,
"Where is this business going?"
What's this other bottle?
Okay, so this is our prototype
for our next product
that's not launched yet.
Oh, good girls bringing the prototype.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
EMMA:
There you go.
And what's the age range
of people that you're selling to?
It's mostly, like, millennials, Gen Z.
ASHLEY:
Then I ask about the product landscape.
What are the barriers to entry?
Do you have any competitive advantages?
I want to see that
they have already mapped out
their risks and challenges.
How much does it cost
for you to make a bag like that?
So, for this particular style, at cost,
it's $35.
But this doesn't include the cost
of shipping and packaging.
Our margins need to be better.
ASHLEY:
At the end of the day,
sometimes the idea is great,
but it's just a bad investment.
-I'm really curious about the numbers now.
-Yes.
How much have you invested?
How much have you made?
Where are we?
We started off with our first, um,
SKU being, um, hydrogel masks.
I love a mask. I'm a sucker for a mask.
I'm a huge masker. I love them.
I love 'em.
I've been working on,
like, the R&D part of it
for the last two years.
I bought out all the stock, everything.
How much stock did you buy?
40,000 units.
I've invested almost $100,000 into this.
-(Emma gasps)
-Yes.
And you'd never sold a unit before?
I never sold it, but I truly believe in
Where'd you get that money from?
I worked four or five jobs at a time.
That's the standard I'm setting
for myself.
ASHLEY:
Thank you so much.
Thank you.
Here's the thing that is killing me
as we go through this.
Half the people here
-don't even need our money.
-No.
They need the mentorship.
You're wearing blazers, so, like,
I know this is not your first rodeo,
but I don't know,
have you guys pitched before?
We are lawyers, so we've done some, like,
oral arguments and things like that,
but we have not pitched to investors yet.
Ooh.
This is the first investor pitch.
EMMA:
Welcome. Welcome.
So tell us your business.
We are the co-founders of Brune Kitchen.
My name is Tania Sweis.
And I'm Jahan Shahryar,
and we're both currently attorneys
working at the same law firm.
TANIA:
When we are not dedicating time
to our day jobs,
we are running Brune Kitchen,
and we make the first and only
tahini-based cookies on the market.
I was watching my mom and my grandma make
some of my favorite
Middle Eastern desserts
in our family kitchen,
and they were using tahini.
That was my "aha" moment.
So this is Maldon salt.
Kind of increase the flavor.
And people generally really love the play
between sweet and salty in the cookies.
JAHAN:
If Brune Kitchen doesn't succeed,
I would be heartbroken.
Growing up as an Afghan woman,
I always felt like
I needed to prove myself
and to prove my intelligence.
And a lot of that is why
I became a lawyer,
which is what everyone's parents
wants them to become.
But now, with Brune, my family would have
a little bit of hesitation
if their child decides to leave
a stable job
to pursue this passion project,
as they call it.
But this means a lot to us.
It's something that
we really wanted
to put out into this world,
and this could be really successful.
We really are the best.
(laughs)
We are the best.
We make the first tahini-based cookie
on the market.
Our cookies are made
to be gluten-free, vegan,
refined sugar-free, and so many
other good-for-you upgrades.
I'm not waiting any longer.
I'm gonna take a cookie.
-Get me, get me a cookie!
-Come on. Come on!
Mmm!
That's why we started Brune.
Are you selling these delicious cookies?
We've sold $100,000 to date.
We've established a solid retail presence
in Southern California.
And getting into retail,
getting on the shelf is one thing,
-but staying on the shelf is
-EMMA: 100%.
-Different ball game. (chuckles)
-It's a different ball game.
We know you can get kicked off as,
you know, faster than you got in.
What's the shelf life on this?
It lasts for at least
four months in the fridge.
-Oh, wow. Really?
-But one year frozen.
So our distributors can keep our cookies
for at least one year.
It's really tough to make money
in the food space,
so I want to understand
a little bit more about
the economics behind this.
How much does it take you
to make these cookies,
and how much are you selling them for?
Each cookie is $1.20 to make,
and we retail them at $3.99.
-Okay.
-And we're scaling. They'll get better.
I'm excited. I want to eat more of these.
I'm really excited.
-Thank you so much.
-(laughter)
-Great to meet you both. Thank you.
-Thank you. Thank you.
-So good.
-Thank you so much.
-Bye.
-That's a delicious cookie.
I can't finish it, though. It's so big.
Yeah. Th-There's opportunity here
because you could
scale that back a little bit.
They can probably improve their margins.
EMMA:
So, ladies, let's talk about today.
It takes a lot of courage
and a lot of brainpower
to come here,
give us your numbers,
give us your ideas
and really spill everything,
even the nitty gritty
of the things that aren't really working
in your business,
so kudos to all of you.
This was an amazing day of pitching.
It isn't gonna work out,
as you might hope,
for each and every one of you,
but don't let that deter you.
I cannot tell you
how many times I have failed.
And because you don't get what you need
or what you expect
out of one situation,
it doesn't and it isn't a judgment
on your entire business.
So with that said,
we'd like to thank you guys
for all coming here today.
We have a lot to discuss, and we'll be
back in touch with you guys tomorrow.
ALL:
Thank you.
I'm seeing all of these women
who have built
these incredible businesses,
and I don't know
how I compare to them,
but to be able to work
with Ashley and Emma
will really help scale Bonbuz
to the next level
and just make us a huge success.
ASHLEY:
All right.
So we've got a lot to discuss, girl.
Khattoi is really interesting.
EMMA: You know, I thought
she was really interesting.
-She's so young.
-Yes.
And she ticks so many boxes.
I couldn't agree with you more.
-Plus, the outfit was cute AF.
-So cute.
I need her to make that for me.
I knew that you were thinking that.
For sure, for sure, for sure.
ASHLEY: What about Marcy and Jen,
with The Plus Bus?
I know how emotional it is.
I know what it is like.
Well, you know it firsthand.
When you go into a store,
and there's nothing there for you
100. There's a reason women cry.
-It's so emotional.
-Exactly,
but I know that
I-I can't actually invest my own money.
There's debt. They actually don't
-really have a plan.
-I know.
-And it's a little scattered right now.
-I know.
They need to rein it in.
ASHLEY:
If anybody understands
the plus-size community and the fashion
and the emotion behind it, it's me.
The problem that I had
with The Plus Bus is that
any investment would go
straight to all of the debt
that they've accumulated
over the years.
It's just too big of a risk
to invest in them right now.
Okay. Another one that I am obsessed with
from today
and I know I'm obsessed with it
because I actually cannot stop thinking
about it, and I quite like it now
is Brune Kitchen.
That's an expensive cookie.
They just need pointing
in the right direction,
but I can help them.
Bonbuz, the non-alcoholic spirit.
-She knows what she's doing.
-That drink was amazing.
That is such a profitable business.
And especially because she's got
Gen Z locked down. I love that.
Okay. I'll do you one better than that.
All Better Co. is mine.
-No. (laughs)
-Yes. I have a clean cleaning brand.
I can help these girls so much.
It's like, I understand the ingredients,
I know the bottling.
It's all here. I mean,
it's-it's basically a Safely product
-in a different brand.
-Okay. Okay. Okay.
I'm really excited about Gloria.
-Shito.
-No, no, no. One second.
-Gloria's Shito is mine, honey.
-You know
-No, no, no.
-No, I want that hot sauce on my eggs.
-No. What?
-I want it on my bagels.
I want it in a pasta dish.
Well, how are we gonna work this out?
-Rock paper scissors?
-No.
♪
We'll figure it out.
Blowin' up my phone,
if it ain't about the money ♪
I ain't answering the messages ♪
Come-come through with the check right ♪
Book another trip,
gonna hop on the next flight. ♪
ASHLEY:
Emma and I have made
some difficult choices
and narrowed down our pool
of entrepreneurs.
Next, we will drop by
for an unplanned visit
to take a peek behind the scenes.
We need an honest assessment
of each business
before we can make a smart investment.
-Hello!
-(laughing)
-(laughter)
-Oh. It's you. What are you?
Oh, my gosh! Hi.
I can't believe Ashley Graham
is sitting in the Bonbuz HQ warehouse.
This ethereal creature that
shouldn't be in warehouses. (laughs)
I'm having a little Bonbuz, honey.
(laughs)
Okay, so first of all,
Tomorrow Things is my favorite.
Yeah, you tried this one yesterday.
-Do you remember? You were like
-This is so good.
(imitates Ashley):
"This is thick."
-(laughs)
-It is. It's thick! You remember.
I, literally, all night, I was like,
"That's a really thick drink,
but it was good."
-Oh, I'm so happy.
-"It was a thick drink. It's good.
"I need to go back,
and I need to tell her
that I need to know more."
Is this where
you actually make the drinks?
Yeah. Where the drinks are made.
We do all of the packing, the fulfillment.
This is where the magic happens.
ASHLEY:
On a normal day,
how many boxes are you shipping out?
We do between like 150 to 300.
-A day?
-A day.
-Wow.
-Yeah. Yeah.
How much is your revenue?
Revenue in July was 100K.
-Wow. I'm
-(chuckles)
That's a big deal.
There's a lot of competitors,
but if Bonbuz is
as different as I think it is
We got the "buz." (chuckles)
I think that there's potential
to scale here in a really big way.
Okay, let's go talk business.
I want to look under the hood a bit.
I love the idea of all the ingredients.
How else are you gonna be expanding?
Are there gonna be more flavors?
Are you adding more additives in?
(sighs) Working on it. Um
Still R&D,
'cause we're constantly like
-Right.
-That's just an ongoing process.
We just need, like, capital
-to be able to purchase it, essentially.
-Mm-hmm.
What are you gonna do
if-if I come on and mentor?
-Like, what would you do?
-(chuckles softly)
I would cry.
(laughter)
Okay.
That's why I'm here.
I'm gonna mentor you.
(laughter)
Mwah.
FAY:
I'm in disbelief.
I've worked so hard
for a really long time
for a moment like this to happen.
The fact that someone of Ashley's stature
is wanting to work with me
is beyond my wildest dreams.
There's a few benchmarks
I want you to think about marketing.
I want you to think about
how can you tap in
to a different age group
and a demographic.
Also, I want you to educate,
because in any new brand,
no matter what it is,
especially when it has
this many ingredients,
education is key.
And I think that
you're really missing that here.
So what I want to do is give you $15,000.
Amazing.
And what you're going to do with that
is pour it into the business.
I want you to meet those benchmarks
with this $15,000.
But this is gonna be really hard,
and it's a very crowded space,
but I really feel like
you have what it takes,
and I feel like Bonbuz has what it takes.
So I'm ready to rock and roll, baby.
-Yes. Yes.
-Let's do this. And get me
I need some Bonbuz.
I need to walk out with some Bonbuz.
-Let me get some. Oh! I'm ready.
-I'm so excited.
♪
Reaching for the stars ♪
STACY:
Merav.
-MERAV: What?
-Now that you've slept on it
-(sighs) God.
-(laughs)
-Yeah?
-How do you think it went?
I feel like I'm dating again.
You're like,
"Did they have a good time?
-'Cause I had a good time."
-(laughing)
"Do they want to call me?
Will I see them again?
I don't know."
It's the part that I hated about dating.
-The anticipation?
-(chuckles) Yeah.
Reaching for the stars ♪
♪
Hi.
(laughter)
-Hey, it's just me, popping in.
-Oh, my God.
I don't understand. Wait.
-This is my home.
-(laughter)
This is your home. I'm here.
Hey, All Better Co.
I had to come back.
Honestly, I was so blown away by you two.
Two mums have just sat at home
and created this company.
-I was like, "I need to" Don't cry.
-(laughs)
I was like,
I actually needed to just come,
and see you and dig in.
I have 500,000 questions.
-(laughs)
-You've created something amazing,
and I genuinely just want to help you.
I want to help you take it
to the next level, so
-We're-we're comfortable with that.
-(laughs)
I still can't believe it.
(laughter)
How are you at my house?
Yeah. This is private property.
That's breaking and entering.
(laughs)
Let's start with the actual juice.
Like, I want to understand
much more about the formulations.
Mm-hmm.
And how do you know
that they actually work?
I mean, at this point,
we know that they work
because we've tested them ourselves
and on our own friends and family,
anecdotally.
We don't want to make
everything about finances,
but we've had no money
to get a dermatologist to do that.
I have put a fund together
specifically for this project,
and so I'm going to mentor you ladies.
We're just gonna go headfirst into it.
I can't believe
this is really happening. (laughs)
No, it's happening.
We're gonna, we're gonna do it.
Because over the weeks
that we work together,
we want to try some stuff.
And so I want to be able
to give you guys $15,000
-to be spent on the brand, specifically.
-Okay.
And I have the opportunity
to introduce you to our team at Ally.
We have this incredible woman
called Jack Howard,
who's the head of Money Wellness.
She's a woman that literally works
on your relationship to money,
because there's so much
at this stage of the business
that you guys need to do.
You can create an incredible brand here.
If you guys are ready to come to work
-So ready.
-and really share
and work with me,
I'm gonna work with you.
I'll give you my all.
-That's what you get.
-100%.
-Absolutely.
-And we are really
This is a dream. This is amazing.
And your business acumen,
and your ability to bring brands to life
and what you've done
is exactly what we need.
-I'm in. I'm in if you two are.
-(cheering)
-Absolutely.
-Let's do it.
STACY:
We believe in this so much.
And now seeing that
someone like Emma believes in it, too,
it's a huge, huge win for us.
And, um
-(laughs)
-Now it's you.
Now you're the one crying.
So, let's just think about next steps
as it relates to our partnership together.
We have to figure out
where is this business going.
So the question is: what's next?
Like, what's on the horizon?
When you think about building out
this whole product range,
what do you want?
Well, I want to make sure
that we're answering this.
Do you have a thought on it?
I-I know another thought.
You can just tell me about
the products you want to see.
No, we're not gonna say that.
First and foremost,
we like to be clear that,
honestly, at this point,
we're not sharing
what we envision the plan to be
based on what we think is important
for right now.
So, in your mind, you feel like
you have gang-busting products
-Yes.
-Yes.
-Yes. Yes.
-that you would add to this
-that can make it amazing?
-MERAV: Yes.
Oh.
I was a little bit surprised
that Stacy and Merav
don't want to share straight out the gate.
Now that might just be them being cute
and they need me to fight for it
a little bit,
but that, for me,
was a massive red flag.
You have secrets up your sleeve
-that you're not telling me?
-Yes, I do. I-I do.
How fun.
Just tell me what's going on.
♪
I'll draw you in
like a moth to a flame ♪
Reckless abandon is my middle name ♪
Deadly and accurate, true as my aim ♪
I'll sell you make-believe,
mess with your brain ♪
Take you to heaven, then steal it away ♪
Put you to death
with the games that I play ♪
It'll be worth it
for pleasure and pain ♪
The sweeter the pleasure,
the greater the gain ♪
If you think I'm a candy in life ♪
Take a look for the clues in my face ♪
I could die
for the thrill of the chase ♪
I get high on the taste,
high on the taste of disgrace ♪
I get high on the taste,
high on the taste of disgrace ♪
I get high on the taste,
high on the taste of disgrace. ♪
♪