Now that the dust is settling from a CRAZY December and January, we cornered Click & Carry’s inventor, Kim Meckwood, to ask her about her Shark Tank experience…
Q: How many times did you audition for Shark Tank?
A: I auditioned 7 times to get on Shark Tank! It’s my FAVORITE show!
Q: What does a Shark Tank audition entail?
A: You can audition in person at an open casting call or you can submit a video audition. This year, due to COVID-19, all auditions were video submissions. If there is interest in you or your product, you’re asked to fill out a lengthy questionnaire (~30 pages!) and submit a second video answering Shark Tank suggested questions. Then, if you’re selected, you are assigned two producers who work with you weekly to polish your pitch. Finally, if you’re still in the running, you are invited to Sony Studios for an orientation and a “mock pitch” session. At this point, the executive producers decide if you’re going to make it to air. If you’re one of the lucky few selected to air, you receive a call time in a couple of days. It’s a long journey, but now that I’m on the other side, it was worth all of the hard work and effort. The day I filmed was both one of the BEST days and SCARIEST days of my whole life.
Q: How much time did you have to prepare prior to your Shark Tank air date? (12/11/20)
A: I received an email three weeks prior to the air date. I had so much to prepare for the show including hiring a 3PL (3rd Party Logistics – Distribution Center) and setting up a postage service. We also had to update my website to ensure that we could handle the heavy traffic (and look appealing in the process). I had to do a large amount of PR work for interviews, podcasts and articles. In May 2020, I was told that ABC purchased my episode, but Shark Tank was able to film in quarantine in September of 2020 so I assumed my episode would be bumped. Thank goodness it aired – it was a delightful Christmas surprise!
Q: What were you most nervous about?
A: First, I was nervous that my episode would be bumped. I worked so long and hard for my episode to not get on air. Once I was told that the episode would be broadcast, my next concern was how it would be edited. In the end, I was absolutely thrilled with the way they told my story. It appeared that Lori Greiner went out of the deal early in the pitch, but she and Barbara Corcoran were both asking questions all the way until the end. We filmed for 50 minutes and only 8.5 minutes made it into the show. It was the longest 50 minutes of my life!
Q: Has the airing of Shark Tank impacted your business?
A: First, our sales increased five-fold. It’s been so exciting! Click & Carry has also been featured in articles and news clips including on MSNBC.com, in Redbook Magazine (“Best Stocking Stuffers on Amazon under $20”), and in Reader’s Digest(“50 Products that Will Change your Life in 2021”).
Q: Did you experience any shipping issues with the United States Postal Service (USPS)?
A: Yes, unfortunately we did. We ship all packages within 24-48 hours of order placement. We want our customers to get their items quickly. We had no intention of the packages taking so long to be delivered. The USPS was overburdened this holiday season and we are devastated that this happened. We hope that our customers know that we did everything in our power to get your Click & Carry packages delivered in a timely fashion.
Q: What is next for Click & Carry?
A: We have a surprise launch coming in late February. Stay tuned… We think you’re going to love it!
Q: Are you looking for other channels of distribution aside from ClickandCarry.com, Amazon.com and QVC.com?
A: Yes, look for us on Lowes.com and Walmart.com soon. We are also hoping to get into grocery chains and big box retailers. Please let us know if you have any suggestions for Click & Carry (or connections to buyers at the retailers)!