Here's What Went Down With See The Way I See Clothing After Shark Tank

According to a 2019 report from the World Health Organization, 970 million people worldwide are living with a mental health disorder. Among those millions, the top two disorders are anxiety and depression, at 301 million and 280 million, respectively. But despite these numbers, some people still shy away from the topic of mental health and in some cultures, it remains so taboo that it's not even mentioned at all. As someone who's been living with severe anxiety since she was a teenager, Sophie Nistico wanted to do something to destigmatize mental health and make those dealing with it less alone in their struggles.

But trying to de-stigmatize mental health issues is no small feat, so Nistico started small in trying to change the narrative. First, she created stickers emphasizing positive self-talk and affirmations like "this too shall pass" and "breathe" that people could put in places to give them a bit of hope when they needed it. Then she moved on to putting similar phrasing and words on clothing, so those wearing the products would never be without empowering thoughts. It didn't take long for Nistico and her company See The Way I See to garner a major following on Instagram.

Although already in good standing business-wise, Nistico took the See The Way I See to Shark Tank in the hopes of getting mentors and, of course, a financial investment. Unfortunately, it didn't go as well as she hoped it would — but in one of the best ways possible. 

Nistico showed up to the Shark Tank seeking $250k in exchange for 10% of her business — she was also rocking one of her sweatshirts with the word "Overthinker" across the front. Nistico then proceeded to get honest about her mental health issues and get real about the fact that we all cry — even Kevin O'Leary — and the complexities of being human. As she explained, the affirmations are "signature, reassuring reminders [on] the sleeves of your sweatshirts to give people the little boost that they find themselves needing."

When the sharks started talking money with Nistico, she said that at one point she'd made $260k in a matter of just 24 hours and currently has over $400k in her bank account, prompting Daymond John to ask her why she needed a shark. Nistico explained that without a background in business, she feels like "I'm hitting that point where I need a mentor."

Ultimately, all the sharks declined to invest, stating they didn't have anything that could help Nistico because she was already killing it on her own. "Be who you are to your community and you'll grow with it," Mark Cuban told Nistico. "And you don't want an investor for that, because you're already putting money in the bank and all we'd be doing is taking what you earned."

Although she walked away without any investors, Nistico did tell the cameras after leaving the tank that the sharks gave her a boost of self-confidence that she needed to continue to pursue this project. She also took to Instagram to share how the experience affected her: "If you know me, you know my number one biggest fear is public speaking, yet here I am standing in front of multi-millionaires (and billionaires), pitching MY BRAND on national television on a show you might have heard of ... Shark Tank! I wanted to prove to myself, and to others who struggle with their own mental health that they're more capable than they think ... I wouldn't have stood a foot on that carpet if it weren't for all of your support that gave me the courage to go out there and do that." With Shark Tank behind her, Nistico continued to move her business forward and, as Cuban advised, focused on growing her community. 

Considering how well Nistico and her company were already doing even before she showed up to Shark Tank, it should come as no surprise that See The Way I See is still very much in business. They currently have 187k followers on Instagram and almost 600k followers on TikTok.

In May 2023, See The Way I See products became available at Target, both in-store and online. As of April 2024, Nistico is still using "drops" to sell her products through the website. That basically means she gets her community all riled up for the next line on social media, then announces a date when it will become available. It's a technique that's working for her brand, especially because her biggest demographic is the social media generation. 

It's estimated that See The Way I See is currently making over $1 million in revenue per year. Guess the sharks were right: she really didn't need them.

There don't appear to be any big plans for See The Way I See and Nistico in the near future. Per the website, the line has expanded to include migraine relief caps, tote bags, stationary, hairclips, as well as a very limited line of clothing for kids. While adding more products for people to embrace their mental health disorders is great, because Nistico does the drop method when it comes to her brand, almost everything is currently sold out on the site. Meaning if you want any of the products, you need to follow her on social media and rabidly pounce when the next drop happens.

By all accounts, See The Way I See and its fearless leader Sophie Nistico aren't going away anytime soon. As she states on her company's website, "My overall goal is to help anyone who struggles with their mental health and bring more awareness and normality to the subject that has an unspoken rule to remain private about. Time to change that," and that's exactly what she's doing. So as long as our society wants to tip-toe around mental health, See The Way I See will always have a place and will continue to grow.