28°
New York sisters Taylor Capuano and Casey Sarai – who hail from Albany County and graduated from Bethlehem High School – appeared on an episode of “Shark Tank” that aired on Friday, Dec. 15.
The twins were seeking a $300,000 investment for a 5 percent stake in their business, CAKES Body, which sells seamless, silicone nipple covers with no adhesives.
Early in their pitch, they had the “shark” investors laughing with their term for what happens when other such covers fall off: “Nipple freakout!”
“When those headlights turn on, sometimes it’s impossible to turn them off,” Capuano said.
The highlight of their appearance came when the sisters had Kevin O’Leary, the self-dubbed “Mr. Wonderful,” come up and demonstrate their product on his bald head.
They went on to say they’re looking for a shark’s help to take their business “from a single-product company to an actual brand with lasting staying power.”
Guest shark Emma Grede – a founding partner of Skims and the CEO of Good American – got the ball rolling with an offer of $300,000 for 12.5 percent of their business.
O’Leary followed suit, offering $300,000 for 5 percent, but he also wanted a $1 royalty per set until he recouped $1 million.
Capuano and Sarai then countered Grede with $300,000 for 8 percent, to which she gave a simple, “No.”
Grede then made her final offer, $300,000 for 10 percent, which the sisters happily accepted.
“Oh my god I can’t digest that, what the f*** just happened?” Capuano is heard saying as the sisters leave the set celebrating their deal.
As is often the case for businesses that appear on the hit show, the national exposure did wonders for sales. In the 24 hours after the episode aired, CAKES Body did triple its usual sales, a spokesperson told Daily Voice.
“Even more exciting for us are the new website visitors, email subscribers, and social fans that we were able to connect with through this experience,” they said. “In one word, the experience has been surreal!”
While deals made on the show don’t always come to fruition after filming, the sisters' deal with Grede ultimately closed, the company confirmed.
“She is also one of the most down to earth, kind people we have ever met,” Capuano and Sarai captioned an Instagram post with Grede.
“If we could have manifested the most perfect investor/mentor on the planet, it would be her, but there's no way we would have allowed ourselves to dream that big.”
CAKES Body launched in January 2022 and did $1 million in sales its first year.
The sisters are projecting to end the year at $5 million in sales, with the bulk of their orders coming from TikTok.
Find out more on the company’s website.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Albany and receive free news updates.
