Here's What Went Down With Liberate After Shark Tank
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Olivia Bowser, who hails from Los Angeles, pitched her business Liberate on "Shark Tank" in 2022. Her business was the first ever mental fitness studio, centering around journaling, conversation, and meditation to reduce stress and increase gratitude. Bowser used the power of Zoom and online apps to connect with clients, who were able to treat the app like a fitness training program, despite being centered on stress reduction and metal wellbeing.
But while Bowser's pitch was energetic and earnest, the sharks didn't bite. Of course, it isn't uncommon for investors to leave without an offer. Though any exposure on the ABC show is bound to be good for business! Take the dating app Coffee Meets Bagel, which didn't make a deal, but is still going strong despite a lack of investment. Similarly, Love and Pebble, an ice facial kit, didn't score a shark, but still went on to thrive. Bowswer falls under this category. Despite not winning investments on the show, she has gone on to make Liberate a success on her own.
What happened to Liberate on Shark Tank?
Olivia Bowser appeared on "Shark Tank" asking for $200,000 in exchange for 10% of her company, Liberate. During her pitch, Bowser explained that her company, Liberate, was a workout for the mind; offering classes and courses built gratitude, courage, and resilience both for the individual and in business teams. She explained that after launching her first online classes on Zoom back in May 2020, she was able to continue her business.. A subscription for Liberate's on-demand library is $19 a month while all-access subscription is $49.
Unfortunately, despite Bowser's inpiring idea, the sharks weren't impressed by Liberate's profit potential. Bowser explained that the company had only reached $50,000 in lifetime sales in its two years of existence, which left the investors disappointed. Upon hearing about this modest income, Robert Herjavec said, "You're not getting scale." He explained that there were other companies doing similar work that charged $50,000-100,000 for their services. Mark Cuban, meanwhile, agreed with Bowser's philosophy of mental clarity but took issue with how little money Bowser was making. "Selling $5,000 deals is no easier than selling $50,000 or $100,000 deals," Cuban said.
Kevin O'Leary was the final shark to pull out, and he did so with some pretty harsh words. "This idea is without merit," he told the entrepreneur. "It's going to zero. You will never make any money. You will never get an investor. Take it behind the barn and shoot it, and do something else. I'm out." Ouch! A simple "no" would have sufficed!
Liberate After Shark Tank
What a beating Olivia Bowser took on "Shark Tank!" Not only did the entrepreneur fail to land a deal, she also got cut down to size ferociously by Kevin O'Leary. But Mr. Wonderful was wrong. Bowser went on to make Liberate thrive on her own. Despite the rejection, Bowser later said publicly that she was grateful for her experience on "Shark Tank." Speaking Authority Magazine in February 2022, she said, "I am very pleased with the outcome of my Shark Tank pitch," Bowser began. "I went in there and did my best, represented our mental fitness movement at Liberate to the best of my ability, and gave a good show! We got wonderful feedback from all sharks, and they all really believed in the work we are doing. We received great publicity, feedback, and inspiration, and we will never forget it." Bowser said it herself. Even if an entrepreneur doesn't land a deal on "Shark Tank," the exposure is worth a lot.
Exposure arrived through other outlets. In March 2021, Forbes wrote about Liberate in relation to the pandemic, in an article called "Better Sleep Habits At A Time of Lockdowns, Stress and Anxiety." With or without the sharks, Bowser was doing just fine.
Liberate is still in business
Liberate is indeed still in business, and seems to have more and more new ventures. On the company's website, they offer several different services. There are one-time events, corporate programs, and individual-based programs. Olivia Bowser seems to be focusing her business' energy on the business-to-business program that she spoke about while on "Shark Tank." On their website, there's also a 21-Day Wellbeing Challenge for $6, so there's something for everyone.
On Liberate's website, former and current clients left testimonials of their experience with the product. "The Liberate classes were a wonderful opportunity to take a small break during the work day to reflect and to get grounded, and gather tools to apply to our everyday life around mindfulness," one client wrote. So people and businesses had really positive things to say about their experiences. Liberate's merch line is also growing. They have a shop on Amazon now that includes mental fitness journals and a 90-day gratitude journal, so curious customers can purchase products without even signing up for classes.
What's next for Liberate and its founder, Olivia Bowser?
As of December 2023, Olivia Bowser is busy making Liberate the best business that it can be. Her personal Instagram page is full of events where she was able to bring her passion for mental fitness to audiences. On November 21, 2023, she posted that she had hosted an event with Bisnow, a commercial real estate company. In October 2023, she posted that she had visited her alma mater, Syracuse University, to speak with the students at the Whitman School of Management.
On LinkedIn, Bowser's work experience lists her as the founder and CEO of Liberate from May 2020 to the present day. Per her profile, in February 2023, she also became the Director of Member Wellbeing for Startup Experts. She also holds the title of the Mental Wellness Expert for Hatch, from April 2022 to the present. In other words, it looks like Bowser has been able to bring her passion to several other ventures.
In an interview with Authority Magazine from February 2022, Bowser spoke about what she saw for the future of her company. "Historically we have supported companies with 50 to 500 employees and now with the new live and on demand programs that we are launching we are able to support companies with thousands of employees through unique mindfulness classes, wellness events and unlimited access to our mental fitness resources," Bowser said. Looks like it's full steam ahead for Liberate!