‘Shark Tank’ pitch goes sideways after contestants claim that their product can extend pet lives by 50%
With their considerable experience and expertise, 'Shark Tank' investors just know when the contestants are bluffing around on the ABC business program. During an episode of 'Shark Tank' Season 1, Geoffrey Broderick and Kristina Broderick pitched their Cornucopia Pet Supplement in front of the esteemed Sharks, Barbara Corcoran, Kevin Harrington, Kevin O'Leary, Daymond John, and Robert Herjavec. In the episode, the Brodericks were seeking $300,000 in exchange for 15% of their company. At one point, Herjavec seemed a bit skeptical of the company's claims when the pet food entrepreneurs alleged that their supplement increased the life expectancy of pets by 50%.
During their pitch, Kristina, who was joined by her fur baby, Casey, said, "Our company is Cornucopia Express, and our products are superfoods, which are probiotics for dogs and cats." Soon after, Geoffrey chimed in and quipped, "I developed these products to extend the lives of pets by 50%. These products save people and pet owners tremendous amounts of money by keeping their pet healthy and disease-free." Then, Herjavec asked Geoffrey, "Did you say you extend the life of pets by 50%?" to which the latter replied, "Yes." Along with this, Herjavec asked, "Is Casey 28 years old?" In his response, Dr. Geoffrey said, "No, not yet, but Casey will live over 18." Following that, O'Leary entered the chat and questioned, "How long does a usual Casey live?" to which Geoffrey responded, "The average dog in the United States dies at 10."
Immediately, Herjavec interrupted Geoffrey mid-sentence and went on to say, "Can I see the food? And can I see Casey? I want to see if he's going to eat it." Eventually, Casey ate the pet supplement. Shortly afterward, a curious Herjavec asked, "Will this work on people?" to which Kristina replied, "This is human-grade, and people can eat this. It's a supplement that makes the food wild again. It brings nature back into the food. There are antioxidants, and there are all kinds of herbs from all over the world." Following their pitch, all the Sharks voiced out their concerns about Cornucopia, including the lack of scientific evidence.
Herjavec was the first Shark to back out, and he said, "I find it almost offensive that he's claiming he can beat cancer for people's pets. Jeff, do you realize that in a society where 50% of all of us will probably get cancer in our older age, why I'm being skeptical about your fantastic claim? And you've discovered the ability for me not to do that by taking this. Why the hell are we selling pet food? Why aren't you in a real hospital getting funding from people and saving humankind? Why are we wasting our time selling pet food when you can cure cancer?" to which Geoffrey replied, "Because the animals are my children."
Herjavec, who wasn't happy with Geoffrey's answer, further added, "I'm out." Ultimately, the other Sharks also refused to invest their money in Cornucopia as Geoffrey and his daughter Kristina struggled to answer their questions. At last, the father-daughter duo left the tank empty-handed. According to a report by Shark Tank Recap, Cornucopia is still in business and has amplified its annual revenue to around $1 million.