Here's What Went Down With Ta-Ta Towel After Shark Tank
If you're a fan of unique "Shark Tank" pitches, then you're probably aware of Erin Robertson and her Ta-Ta Towel business. Back in 2018, Robertson appeared on Season 10, Episode 2 of the ABC show to show off her niche invention, a towel that helps with underboob sweat (if you know, you know). Robertson explained to VoyageLA in 2021 that the idea came out of her own necessity, where she invented the product after struggling with moisture and being unable to find anything else like it. "While working many and varied odd jobs to keep myself afloat and pay my bills, I began designing my prototype," she revealed, admitting she learned to sew each one by watching YouTube videos. After getting great feedback from friends who used the early version, Robertson was ready to go into business. "I knew I was onto something; now I just had to figure out how to get it out to the world," she said.
Roberton's first big break came during a day at the LA Women's Inspo, where she sold 24 towels and received a boatload of press. Over the next year, she went on to sell a very impressive 1.1 million of her products. But this entrepreneur knew she needed a little something more to really get her business off the ground. That thing? A shark.
Ta-Ta Towel caught the Sharks' attention on Shark Tank
Erin Robertson appeared on "Shark Tank" hoping to get a cash injection of $200,000 in return for 10% of her Ta-Ta Towels business. The Sharks were pretty impressed at first as the entrepreneur explained why many people need help with breast sweat, with Kevin O'Leary even trying on one of the contraptions (using grapefruits as breasts. Really). But while Robertson caught their attention after she explained she planned to go global, the Sharks started dropping like flies. Mark Cuban admitted he found the business a little too all over the place, so declared himself out. O'Leary and Robert Herjavec also shared their reservations, claiming they didn't think Robertson even had enough of a strategy to get rid of her remaining inventory. Barbara Corcoran also declared herself out, which left Lori Greiner. And she wasn't afraid to share her fondness for the product.
"You had me at hello. I get it. I get this product," Greiner told Robertson, telling her she wanted 50% of the business in exchange for the entire $200,000. The businesswoman explained Robertson's business had stalled and would need her whole team to pick it back up, which is why she wanted so much equity. Robertson then explained that she owned 90% of the business and couldn't give away 50%, with the two then settling on 40%.
Shark Tank got Ta-Ta Towel sales flooding in
There's no doubt Ta-Ta Towels got more than just a cash injection from "Shark Tank," as appearing on the show gave the business a huge boost in multiple ways. "My business has been growing every year since ["Shark Tank"]," Erin Robertson told VoyageLA three years after appearing on the series. Robertson also explained that she's been able to keep her business family-run and in Los Angeles, which is one of her proudest achievements to date.
The inventor has also opened up about how Lori Greiner has helped her since becoming an investor. "I feel like I was just welcomed with open arms into an exclusive club. Lori is the real deal and she is absolutely lovely from the inside out. I'm learning a lot from her and I couldn't be more grateful for all that's happening right now," Robertson told CNBC Make It in 2018. "Sales are pouring in. Never underestimate the power of women; we have brains, brawn, beauty, and boob sweat," she added. In an Instagram video shared in July 2023, Robertson admitted getting on the show wasn't the easiest thing after sending in her audition tape. She noted there were a lot of hoops to jump through to get there, but shared, "It was so worth it."
There's been plenty of expansion since the tank
Ta-Ta Towels is still very much in business as of July 2023, with the company expanding far beyond the Ta-Ta Towel "Shark Tank" viewers saw on the show. On its website, the business now sells everything from robes and shorties to hair towels. The company has also expanded its flagship product to create unique Ta-Ta Towels (which are also useful for breastfeeding mothers) for almost any occasion. For the 4th of July, the brand introduced a Stars and Stripes version of the classic design, while Valentine's Day also brought a selection of new colors.
The brand has amassed quite a following on social media, too. The company's official Instagram account has more than 220,000 followers, with a further 116,000 followers on Facebook. Over on TikTok, the company boats another almost 260,000 followers while its videos rack up thousands of views. Not bad, right? The company clearly has a dedicated customer base, as Ta-Ta Towels has launched its own Ambassador Program which allows the most dedicated customers to get access to things like discounts, rewards, and early access to new products.
Erin Robertson has a very famous customer in mind
As for what's next for Ta-Ta Towels, it seems like Erin Robertson has plenty in mind. In addition to running her uber-successful business, the entrepreneur is helping others looking to make it in the business world. In a June 2023 Instagram post, she shared that she would be speaking about her journey at the Women Entrepreneurs Organization Wednesday Dinner in Washington. "I have the honor of speaking at tonight's @weowomen dinner. It's always fun to take a trip down 'Mammary Lane' with my Ta-Ta Towels," she quipped in the caption.
And it sounds like Robertson has big plans for who she'd like to see using the Ta-Ta Towel one day; None other than Oprah Winfrey herself. The entrepreneur shared her desire to see the iconic talk show host using her product back in 2018, telling Medium about a time she interacted with the star. "Ms. Winfrey said 'hello' to me from a distance and all I kept thinking in my head as I waved back and squawked out a 'hello' back was, 'I'll see you soon Ms. Winfrey,' setting the intention (learned that from Oprah and Deepak) that one day, I would get to meet her face-to-face and hand her a Ta-Ta Towel."