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Embarrassed by his pale skin, 'Shark Tank' founder created a million-dollar biz — and Mark Cuban jumped in

After being called 'mayonnaise' on his honeymoon, Jaron Nalewak came up with a self-tanner just for men

It is often said that a honeymoon is the best time to realise what your future life might look like. Well, it seems to be true for this ‘Shark Tank’ contestant who had an epiphany that made him an entrepreneur. Jaron Nalewak was on his honeymoon in Antigua, Jaron, according to Shark Tank Recap, and had gotten embarrassed when locals nicknamed him “mayonnaise" because of his pale skin, especially compared to the perfect tan his wife had.  The contestant had tried self-tanners, but ended up with an orange blotchy and sticky mess on his body. That's when he came up with the idea of Bro Glo. 

The product in question is a simple, lightweight self-tanner for men that gives a natural glow. Appearing in season 16 episode eight, Nalewak was joined by his co-founders, Tom Phillips and Joe McDevitt. The trio introduced their water-based self-tanner to the judges and claimed that it does not leave a greasy texture behind. According to Shark Tank Blog, Bro Glo also has a range of products, such as exfoliating soaps, face moisturizers, and sea salt sprays for hair.

The founders were seeking $200,000 for 5% equity. After they presented their pitch, they invited Kevin O’Leary for a live demo of Bro Glo on 'Shark Tank.' The Shark was then seen wearing gloves and taking a small amount of Bro Glo and applying it on Nalewak using a circular motion. Meanwhile, Lori Greiner asked about the formula and was told that the tanner was chemical-free, has DHA as the active ingredient, and is sugar beet-derived. Phillips then explained that their product interacts with the amino acids in the skin, which eventually tans it. When O’Leary asked how long the tan stays on, Phillips replied that it lasts for five to seven days. Mark Cuban then asked if he could apply the cream at night and wake up with a tan, to which Nalewak replied that it was exactly how it was intended to be used.

With Greiner already being intrigued, the founders revealed that the body tanner was the highest-selling product amongst others in the company. This was followed by Bro Glo’s starter bundle. Discussing their sales and business model, Nalewak informed the investors that their business operates as a direct-to-consumer model, the average order size is $53, with a customer acquisition cost of $20.05. They also shared that customers can order their product from Amazon, with sales split evenly between the two channels. Since its launch in March 2021, Bro Glo generated $107,000 in its first year. By 2022, sales had grown to $482,000, and in 2023, they reached nearly $3.1 million in revenue.

Expressing skepticism, Robert Herjavec opted out of the deal. O’Leary, however, was impressed and offered the trio $200,000 for 5% equity, coupled with a $1 royalty per unit until he recouped five times his investment. Greiner came forth with a $200,000 split, combining $100,000 in cash and $100,000 as a loan, plus a $0.50 royalty per unit until she recovered her investment, and requesting 10% equity in return. On the other hand, while Cuban had initially opted out due to concerns over valuations, he re-entered the negotiations with $200,000 for 10% equity. The entrepreneurs countered Cuban with an 8% equity, but Cuban declined. After giving it some thought, Bro Glo accepted Cuban’s offer.