Bringing Magnetic Ski Poles to Shark Tank: Yardsale on The Big Screen
If you asked us when we launched last year if we thought we’d be pitching our ski pole company on Shark Tank, we would have laughed. But sometimes life throws you into the deep end faster than you’d expect — and that’s exactly what happened to us back in February.
How it all began: A phone call in between powder laps in Jackson Hole
It was an ordinary powder day in Jackson Hole and we were taking a lunchtime investor call from the Caldera House patio. Mid-call, we got an email with a subject line that immediately caught our attention: “Shark Tank casting.”
The email was from Shark Tank’s executive producer asking if we'd be interested in going on the show. He mentioned that he saw us on TikTok and thought that our magnetic ski poles would be perfect for Shark Tank's audience.
Though our initial reaction was "no way," we spent some time researching companies who had been on the show and quickly warmed up to the idea. After connecting with a few founders who had been on in seasons past, we were instantly sold on the opportunity. How could we say no to the chance to share our brand story and products on national television? It was an experience we could not pass up.
In our "Green Room" on set at Sony Pictures Studios in Hollywood!
Behind the scenes: Writing our pitch and designing our set
A few months after our first call with the production team, we began moving through the casting process.
Once we were through all of the casting rounds, we started drafting our initial pitch. To prepare, we watched virtually every episode of Shark Tank available and paid special attention to all of the ski episodes. After many rounds of revisions and plenty of input from our producers, we were ready to start rehearsing.
We practiced our pitch a million times throughout the spring — in the mornings, during lunch, in the evenings, throughout the 13 hour plane ride to our factory overseas, during surprise phone calls to each other, etc. We wanted to make sure we knew it front and back.
As the date approached, we recruited friends and family to stand in as pretend sharks so we could practice in front of an audience. We were obviously quite nervous!
Once we got our film date, it was time to design our set. We opted for something simple so that we could keep the emphasis on our product. Much to our producers' disappointment, that meant saying no to their suggestions of trucking in real snow or recreating an entire winter cabin on set. Instead we settled on a simple wall where we could float our P1 Poles, a few pedestals to highlight our accessories, and a few big posters to showcase the lifestyle side of our brand.
We got everything shipped down the Los Angeles, and soon we were ready to fly to LAX to film!
The big moment: Pitching magnetic ski poles to a room full of snowboarders and non-skiers
The night before our taping, we were up rehearsing, quizzing each other, and watching a few last minute episodes from previous seasons. When it came time to walk through the doors the next day, we were as ready as could be.
As we waited for the iconic doors to open before walking onto the set, it finally hit us just how big of a moment it was. We were about to pitch Yardsale to Shark Tank’s lineup of world-class investors for our business that wasn't even 8 months old yet!
While we can’t share all the details yet (no spoilers!), we’ll say this — we had an unforgettable day. (Though honestly we feel like we blacked out and have no memory of our time on set.)
We’re stoked for everyone to tune on Friday, November 1st at 8/7c on ABC to see it all play out on national TV.
Our journey so far in building Yardsale has been wild, and we’re just getting started. To everyone who has supported us so far, thank you for being part of this adventure. If you’re new to Yardsale, welcome to the crew. Please use the discount code SHARK TANK for 20% off your order. (Valid through 11/10/2024)
We hope to see you in the lift lines soon — it’s all downhill from here!
