Here's What Went Down With Nardo's Natural After Shark Tank
It was back in 2012 when Nardo's Natural appeared on Season 3 of "Shark Tank." The company was founded by four brothers, Kyle Mastronardo, Keith "KJ" Mastronardo, Danny Mastronardo, and DJ Mastronardo. The brand specialized in all-natural skincare products and came about after DJ couldn't stop raving about how well coconut oil moisturized his skin. The Mastronardos then set about creating a product to introduce the benefits to the world. They sourced their ingredients locally around the Tampa Bay, Florida, area, mixing the oil with shea butter to create their own blend of natural skincare. "Because it's an organic line, we didn't have to finagle with chemistry or chemicals or preservatives," DJ explained to Tampa Bay Times in 2012.
The company started from just $6,000 put up by the eldest brother (who actually sold his car to get the funding), so the guys knew they needed more of a cash injection to really get things off the ground. One of the best ways to do that? The Sharks, of course! Though DJ actually admitted he wasn't overly confident, he and his siblings would actually make it into the tank. "I never thought we would get on it. I just thought I was going to end up being on their perpetual mailing list," he said. But, luckily, he was wrong.
The Mastronardos gave up a lot of their business in the tank
The Mastronardos, aka the Nardo Brothers, made their way onto "Shark Tank" to ask the Sharks for $75,000 in return for a 12% stake in Nardo's Naturals. All four brothers, who each took care of a different part of the business, made their way onto the show to present the idea, sharing that they'd already made $30,000 worth of sales. As for the rest of the year, though? They claimed they expected to shift around $4.8 million worth of products.
But those figures weren't enough to impress all the Sharks. Mark Cuban was the first to make it clear he had no plans to invest, suggesting the brothers should turn to a business loan to help keep things moving rather than seeking out a business partner. Kevin O'Leary was next to say goodbye to the Nardo brothers, making it clear he was out. Damond John and Robert Herjavec also turned down the family business.
But, proving it only takes one interested Shark to create success, Barbara Corcoran wasn't put off by her co-stars. She revealed how much she liked the brothers and made an offer. And it was a big one. Corcoran offered the full $75,000 they were after — but she wanted 50% of their business. With half of what they'd worked for on the line, there was some back and forth, but the brothers ultimately decided they wanted the savvy businesswoman onboard and they accepted.
Nardo's Naturals got a major boost from Shark Tank
After braving it with the Sharks on "Shark Tank," the Nardo Brothers enjoyed some serious success. Danny Mastronardo explained to Small Business Trends that, when they met with Barbara Corcoran after the show, they explained they'd be working on it full-time. That changed the 50% deal. Though he didn't explicitly confirm what the new deal entailed, he suggested they got to keep more of the business. After that new deal was agreed to, the siblings told "ABC Action News" Corcoran used her connections to bring plenty of customers to their door — which included the Nardo's Natura website getting more than 1 million hits in the first 24 hours after the episode aired. "Barbara is amazing. Not only does she have a top-notch personal network that she worked on our behalf, and a great new business development team, but she also connected us with the other Shark Tank businesses she invested in, to get some sales activities going," Kyle revealed, with the brothers confirming they were in regular contact. The brothers went on to launch a number of different clean beauty products with their signature natural formulas after that, creating everything from cleansers to lip balms.
Forbes reported that, by 2019, Nardo's Natural was a multi-million dollar company, and Corcoran's cash helped it gain sales and work on distribution techniques. The company later grew by helping other businesspeople reach their dreams, helping over 250 different brands by sharing their business knowledge.
Nardo's Natural is still going strong today
As of August 2023, we're happy to confirm Nardo's Natural is still in business. The company sells its products direct via its website, and has expanded into men's specific skincare, bath and body products, and even cosmetics. According to ZoomInfo, the company has a revenue of around $5 million.
Danny Mastronardo confirmed on "The Mentors" podcast in 2019 that they'd sold products in 50 states [1:10] and had even appeared on Forbes' 30 under 30 entrepreneurs list. Though it's still focused on selling its natural skincare products, the company has changed somewhat since its time on "Shark Tank." Danny shared that the company has expanded to close to 1,100 members of staff and had its own chemist and manufacturing facility. "We've turned it into a self-running machine," he said [34:10]. "Our biggest source of revenue now is private label, where we do the manufacturing for others and put their label on it," he added.
But, tragically, the success was bittersweet for the brothers. KJ Mastronardo sadly died in October 2013 in a tragic accident, never seeing much of the boost the company received. The brothers explained to "ABC Action News" though, that their brother would always be with them in spirit, explaining his tragic passing had only made them more determined to make the business a success. The surviving brothers shared a memorial video for their sibling on the brand's YouTube.
Nardo's Natural is all about giving back
As well as taking the company to new heights, it seems like the Nardo's Naturals brothers are all about giving back. In 2022, the Mastronardos participated in the Toys for Tots program for the fifth year running. Their desire to help others stretches beyond charity, though. In 2023, the Nardo brothers headed to the University of Tampa to share their experience with students and offer tips on how to make it in the business world. "It was a pleasure and another great experience speaking to the 'Family Business' class at my Alma mater. I enjoyed my time at University of Tampa and it is nice to give back to the students," Danny Mastronardo wrote on Nardo's Natural blog.
As for the business itself, it looks like Nardo's Naturals will only keep on expanding, maybe even into reality TV. At least, that's if the brothers get their way. Back in 2012, Danny teased the possibility to Small Business Trends, admitting, "We will be working on a pilot for our own reality show." Now that's a show we'd like to see!