COVID’s pandemic situation has increased the stress levels of people all around the world. What’s worse than that? The back-to-school or office routines after almost a year of isolation have taken a toll on the mental health of a lot of people.
Nancy Rothner, the founder of Pinch Me, came up with an easy and effective solution to the stress issue: her aromatherapy-infused Pinch Me stress therapy dough. Nancy had been working as a therapist and wanted to find a way to help people de-stress quickly.
What Do They Make?
Pinch Me is moldable, multi-sensory, aromatherapy-infused stress relief dough. To get rid of your stress, one needs to take the dough out of the container and kneed it. It helps calm the anxiety and stress and helps to ground you.
What Makes Them Unique?
When someone is experiencing a stressful episode, all the muscles in their body are tightened. You might have experienced frequently playing with your fingers when you’re anxious, fidgeting, scratching, and pinching stuff. That is where Pinch Me stress therapy dough comes into use.
Pinch Me dough is tested in labs and proven to be safe and effective for children’s use,
Are They Still an Active Company?
The company is growing and has included more products in its range, including therapy mists and pillow sprays.
It looks like Nancy took the advice of the Sharks and built an online presence with her attractive website and active social media accounts.
How Did the Shark Tank Pitch Go?
Nancy Rothner wanted the help and expertise of one of the Sharks and was seeking $300,000 for 7% equity in her company.
Nancy volunteered at a shelter for domestic violence, and that is when she started leaning toward helping more people around her. She worked hard to get certified in therapeutic services to help people get rid of addictions, stress, and other phobias.
The Pinch Me was a result of one of those bouts of inspiration that motivated Nancy to come up with an easy solution to reduce people’s anxiety.
The Sharks asked her about her sales, to which Nancy replied that her lifetime sales were $5.3 million.
She walked into a few stores in 2015, carrying her product, and immediately got some shelf space for Pinch Me. Her product sold out quickly, but she had to stop her sales when her husband was diagnosed with Leukemia.
In 2016 her sales went back up to $200,000, and in 2017 they were $800,000. In 2018 the company made $8.1 million in sales, and the year after that, $2.95 million.
At the beginning of the current year, she was hoping to cross $2.5 million, but then COVID hit, and her sales went down.
The stores were closed, allowing her to make just $760,000. But she was hoping that her sales would approximate $1.2 million by the end of the year.
Upon being asked about the profits, Nancy revealed that since this wasn’t her best year, she would only make $220,000 after paying herself. The previous year, however, her profits were $584,000.
Mark was the first Shark to go out. He was really impressed with her profit margins and business model, but he didn’t want to be in that space.
Daymond also went out. He loved using the product and the idea as a customer, but it wouldn’t spark any passion in him to involve in the company to get it out there and help people manage their stress.
Kevin commented that Nancy never really paid attention to direct-to-consumer sales or digital marketing, especially when she had experienced a setback during the COVID period. He offered her $300,000 for 25% equity. Nancy didn’t say yes.
Lori thought the business was great for Nancy and the cause it stood for, but getting an online presence for her brand would help her with advertising and getting a wider audience for her product. According to her, that was the only department where Nancy was lacking. Since she was already doing so well with other aspects of her business, she didn’t need a Shark as a partner to help her with just marketing and digital advertisement. She went out.
Kevin asked her whether she was considering his offer. When Robert jumped in, Nancy was about to make a counter offer, saying that his own Pinch Me dough was “speaking to him to make an offer.” He offered Nancy the same offer as Kevin.
Nancy regarded both Sharks as great partners to work with but wanted to counter their offers with her own. She offered 10% equity to both of them.
Kevin thought he had more databases, and Robert thought he could help Nancy even more than Kevin would.
Kevin was concerned about the competition in the market, and Nancy told him not to worry about that. Both Kevin and Robert refused to come down with their offers.
Robert said that he might have considered negotiation if Nancy had more of an e-commerce strategy.
Daymond said he’d make the same offer as Kevin and Robert, at 20%. Robert immediately came down to 20%. Nancy asked both of them to come down to just a little under 20%.
Robert was impressed by her negotiation skills, as she managed to bring him down from his inflexible offer. However, Daymond and Robert refused to negotiate further as they were comfortable with the valuation they offered.
After a brief moment of hesitation, she gladly accepted Robert’s offer.
Our Review of Pinch Me
The most prominent feature of these soft therapy doughs is the characteristic smell. The dough proves to be an excellent and easy solution to engage your nervous hands and channel your anxiety in a relaxing and safe way.
Pros of Pinch Me
- The dough can be used for stress relief therapy, as well as hand and grip strengthening exercises
- The aroma-infused dough provides a natural relaxation medium for adults
- Comes in a lot of refreshing and amazing scents, including SPA, CITRUS, OCEAAN, BUMBLEBERRY, BEACH, etc.
Cons of Pinch Me
- The scents are too strong and overwhelming for some people
- The dough might leave residue on the hands.
Who Is Pinch Me For?
Pinch Me is great for nervous adults who need something more calming than regular fidget toys. The aromatherapy aspect of the stress relief dough makes it an excellent choice to calm and soothe your nerves in a stressful environment.
Are There Any Alternatives?
- Kinetic sands
- Essential oils infused soy candles.
Our Final Thoughts:
Nancy was very passionate about her business and her vision, and Robert seemed like the perfect Shark who could help her achieve all those dreams of assisting people in keeping their painful stress and anxiety episodes at bay.