Shelly got the idea for the Show No Towels when she was at a pool with her sons. The kids wanted to change into dry clothes and the older one asked her whether she would make him a towel tent, which just means covering him up with a big towel so he could change his clothes in privacy. While she was waiting for him to change into new clothes inside the towel tent, the younger son started getting impatient and asked Shelly to hold his towel too.
Shelly wrestled with holding both their towels securely and thought that if she could just take a big towel, make a slit in it, and allow the kids to wear it like a poncho, it would allow them to change without help and without anyone seeing them. Hence the idea for Show No Towels came to her mind.
What Do They Make?
Show No Towels are changing towels with a poncho-like design. The towel is like a bathrobe that can easily close up and give cover for changing clothes when the need arises. They are loose enough and hence they can be used by kids to help themselves while changing clothes.
What Makes Them Unique?
The Show No towel lays completely flat due to its poncho style and closes up, therefore if it is placed on sand it will serve its purpose as a large towel. It is a perfect bath towel for kids, who love using them in their bathrooms as well as at the beach or pools.
Are They Still an Active Company?
The website no longer sells the towels. They are not available on Amazon as well.
How Did the Shark Tank Pitch Go?
Shelly Ehler came to the Shark Tank show with her two sons. She was seeking $50K for 25% stake. She told the Sharks that the idea for Show No Towels came to her when her older son asked her to make a towel tent, which basically means wrapping a big towel around the kids so that they can quickly change into other clothes inside their cover. While the older kid was changing his clothes, the younger one started to change his clothes too. While Shelly was struggling to hold both of their towels, the idea of Show No Towels came to her mind.
Shelly distributed customized Shark Tank Show No towels to the Sharks. The towel had a Maverick’s blue for Mark Cuban and Daymond got a purple towel. She gave Kevin a green towel saying it’s the color of his favorite thing, money.
Shelly said that her idea was getting widely popular and she didn’t come to the show just to seek investment, but a mentor as well. She praised the Sharks for having the skills to transform a simple idea into a billion dollar company.
Lori asked her if she was making these towels at home by herself. She revealed that she did not have a lot of money to start the business. When she and her husband sold their house, a new neighbor was moving two houses down. When they met at a party, the neighbor loved the custom drapes that Shelly made for her house. The neighbor told Shelly that she was a patent attorney, and they traded patent work for drapes.
Shelly wanted to target water parks, because they were the perfect place to showcase her towels. She had put the custom name of the park on the ribbon of the towel, which makes it the perfect souvenir and an advertising item for the park. She added that she has an account with LEGOLAND California and Six Flags Magic Mountain.
Daymond inquired about the product cost. Each towel costs her 650 cents to make, and the retail price is $19.99. She sold the towels to the water parks for $9 each. The company had just started, and the biggest order she had received so far was from LEGOLAND California, they placed an order for 240 towels.
She revealed that so far she had made $15,000, which disappointed the Sharks.
Kevin chided that $15,000 is pretty much nothing. He admired her enthusiasm, but she had a seasonal business, which means she would have to keep a large stock and then hope that they would sell. The seasonality of her business was the reason why he was out.
Shelly said that she could get all the 50 waterparks in the USA to sell at least 20 towels in a day.. The water parks open 3 months a year, so that would make $80,000 in just 90 days.
Robert was doubtful that she would make almost a million dollars with just 50 water parks. He loved her passion but didn’t see the towels selling, and hence he was the next Shark to go out.
Mark wanted to know what she would do if a situation arose where she would be asked to present her product to a potential buyer on the birthday of one of her kids. Shelly answered that she would go to the meeting right away because she is confident about the love she has for her kids. Her husband and kids are understanding and supportive of her passion and her business.
She confessed that her numbers might be unattractive but she recently got a call with a connection that would make her way to Disney.
Daymond liked that she was willing to tackle the challenging sales, and offered her $50,000 for 50%.
Lori jumped in and wrote her a cheque for $50,000 for a 25% stake. She saw a lot of herself in Shelly and wanted her to put in every effort she could into getting her towels in every single theme park across the country.
Shelly went to accept the cheque, but Daymond countered Lori’s offer with $50K for a 20% stake.
Mark jumped in the Tank and offered her $75,000 for a 25% stake.
Daymond matched Mark’s offer with $75K for 20% stake. Lori said she would do $75K for 25%, and she would get her product on QVC.
After a brief discussion with her husband, Shelly went with Lori’s offer.
Our Review of Show No
The Show No Towels are a genius design that can be carried anywhere and used for a lot of purposes, e.g. it can be wrapped around yourself when it gets extra chilly on a beach, or let the kids change their own clothes without the help of their parents.
Pros of Show No
- The towel acts as a cover up for changing clothes.
- It can also be used as a poncho to keep yourself warm on a boat or pool.
Cons of Show No
- The slit in the towel makes the sand come through it on the top, hence it cannot be used as a beach towel.
Who Is Show No For?
Perfect for kids who like to change into their dry clothes without asking for anyone’s help. It can also be used for a warm, cozy cover in chilly conditions.
Are There Any Alternatives?
- Original THROWBEE Towel-Poncho
Our Final Thoughts
Shelly’s passion and enthusiasm drove three powerful Sharks into a battle to get themselves involved in her business. Lori offered her exposure to QVC; Daymond worked with the CEO of Bed, Bath and Beyond; JC Penney was in Dallas and having Mark Cuban’s mentorship was a win-win for her. However, Lori’s mentorship and support proved to be the kind of boost Shelly’s business needed at that moment.
