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After making $100K in a day, this ‘Shark Tank’ couple’s hummingbird mask business was hit by copycats

'Shark Tank' changed this entrepreneur couple's life – here's how they earned 6-figure revenue in a day!

‘Shark Tank’ can take new ventures to the next level, whether they get a deal or not. Just appearing on the show can act as powerful publicity, often leading to a sales surge for small businesses. HummViewer saw that same kind of growth in less than a day after their episode aired. The company makes clear face masks with sugar-water reservoirs disguised as flowers. The flower-like attachment on the mask is designed to attract and get a close-up view of hummingbirds hovering right in front of you. The product was created by husband-and-wife duo Joan and John Creed. They first appeared on ‘Shark Tank’ in 2022 and even walked away with a lucrative deal with guest investor and Kind Snacks founder Daniel Lubetzky.

The ‘Shark’ invested $75,000 for 33% of their Loveland, Colorado-based company. But little did they know that their appearance on the show would blow up. In another episode of ‘Shark Tank,’ the couple made an appearance to share their progress report. “In less than a day after appearing on ‘Shark Tank,’ we sold out of 1500 units, equaling $102,000 in sales,” Joan revealed, as per CNBC Make It. “And then people kept buying them over 2,000 back orders,” John added. After 8 months of their segment being aired, the entrepreneurial couple brought in $350,000 in revenue and quit their full-time jobs.

Lubetzky, who invested in the company, also shared his take on their incredible success story. “The best thing about HummViewer is that, initially when you see it, it does look like a joke,” he said, as per the outlet. “And then you realize, it’s not a product, it’s an experience,” Lubetzky added. He joined the founders and supported their vision in the hopes of helping them with retail and marketing, and he did. However, John admitted that their journey to success wasn’t without its ups and downs. He admitted that being on the show was a “life-changing success that came with some problems at the same time.”

HummViewer founders also opened up about the fraudulent copycat models that they had to tackle. They recalled that a slew of new businesses started selling products similar to the HummViewer, trying to benefit from their patented innovation. “They’ve taken videos and images off of our website and sell knockoffs or ship nothing. We were beyond angry,” Joan revealed. The company had to take legal action to shut down those fraudulent companies that were making profits by selling on coveted e-commerce stores like Amazon and AliExpress.

“When one seller is removed [from] these platforms, they pop up in other company names. It’s a game of whack-a-mole,” Joan recalled. But through Lubetzky’s investment, they were able to purchase more inventory from China. They even went to the country to examine the manufacturing process and eventually resolved the issues. Joan assured that Hummviewer will improve its quality with every shipment. “‘Shark Tank’ has given us an opportunity to start a new business, learn new things, and grow,” she added. “We have friends that are in their retirement mode, and we just started a brand-new business. So [the show] has offered us a whole new lease on life,” John said.