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‘Shark Tank’ judges laughed — until this 8th grader made a counteroffer that left them speechless

13-year-old entrepreneur shocks ‘Shark Tank’ judges with her ‘perfect’ negotiating skills

Young entrepreneurs are a rare sight on ‘Shark Tank,’ but they never fail to leave an impression. Kid-preneur Sofia Overton was admittedly nervous before walking on the stage, but she nailed her pitch nonetheless. The 13-year-old Bentonville native brought out a dance crew to demonstrate the durability of her ingenious product: Wise Pocket Products, an innovative line of socks and leggings with pockets. “Even though I’m still in the 8th grade, I have a PhD in sock-ology,” Overton started off her pitch. “So if you are playing soccer, rock climbing, or spontaneously breaking into dance with your friends, Wise Pocket Products has you covered,” the contestant added.

The dance crew burst into an incredible Hip-Hop routine, but their phones in their sock pockets didn’t move an inch. Investor Mark Cuban deemed her the “perfect example” of what a kid-preneur should do. She invested every dime of her savings into creating the prototype, then the actual product. She saved up to $5000 through pocket money and earned $5000 through pitches and competitions. The young founder had already impressed the judges with her top-notch presentation and business acumen. However, she further blew them over with her amazing negotiation skills.

‘Sharks’ Lori Greiner and Daymond John decided to team up as investors and help Overton streamline her business. “Do you want to be running a business right now, or is it a little stressful when you are going to school? Greiner asked the teen. Overton admitted that school is hard on its own, but growing her business gave her a confidence boost. Greiner and John offered her $30,000 for a 33.3% equity in her company. “It’s a lot of my company. I’d like to make a counteroffer,” the contestant declared. She asked the judges to agree on $35,000 for a 25% stake, and it got the other judges oohing and aahing with surprise. 

“Sophie’s got negotiation skills,” Cuban said. “She’s got a little switch blade in her sock for that one,” John quipped. Ultimately, he and Greiner decided to respect her counteroffer and sealed the deal. “I’m so proud of you. So impressed by you,” Greiner told the contestant while hugging. Although every ‘Shark’ on the panel loved Overton’s presentation and product, three of them opted out. Cuban announced that he would buy the product for his kids, but pulled out of the deal because it wasn’t his expertise.

“I love what you are doing and it’s wonderful to see this at such a young age, but I don’t want a sock company in my portfolio, so I’m out,” Kevin O'Leary announced. Investor Barbara Corcoran seemed to have enjoyed Overton’s pitch but didn’t make her an offer. Nevertheless, she bagged a great deal and fulfilled her dream of being on ‘Shark Tank.’ The viewers were equally impressed by the kid-preneur and flocked to the YouTube comment section to share their reactions. “I mean God bless this little girl. She put herself into a lions den because she believed in herself. Nothing but respect,” one internet user wrote. “Welp. She just saved 4 years of high school. 4 years of college and endless tuition. What a beast,” another fan added.