Serial investor and Dallas Mavericks minority owner Mark Cuban wasted no time shutting down two entrepreneurs on “Shark Tank” after the pair made a marketing misstep that rubbed him the wrong way.
During season 14, Donovan and Trey Brown, founders of Ride FRSH, entered the tank seeking a $200,000 investment for 5 percent equity in their modern air freshener company.
In their 2022 pitch, the two men seemed to take a dig at Cuban and his team, costing them an opportunity to work with the multi-billionaire, with a single remark in their rehearsed presentation blowing their chance with the 66-year-old entrepreneur.
The Brown brothers introduced their company as a fresh take on the car air freshener industry, featuring stylish branding and licensing deals with the NBA and Viacom’s “SpongeBob SquarePants” franchise.
As they demonstrated their various fragrances, Donovan held up an air freshener with the Golden State Warriors’ logo and quipped, “In this one, I smell victory. Sorry, Mark!”
“Dumbest marketing move ever,” he snapped, before saying, “I’m out.”
Few of his colleagues understood until it was made clear what had happened. Barbara Corcoran attempted to smooth things over, urging Cuban to “be the bigger man.”
But he wasn’t interested.
“I could be, but I am not,” he shot back, refusing to reconsider.
Cuban, who was still the majority owner of the Dallas NBA franchise when the brothers were making their pitch, didn’t find it funny because the Warriors eliminated the Mavericks from the 2022 NBA playoffs before going on to win the championship — therefore the joke was a painful reminder of his team’s defeat.
In the 2022 NBA Western Conference Finals, the Warriors defeated the Mavericks 4-1 in the best-of-seven series, advancing to their sixth NBA Finals in eight years.
By The Numbers | Warriors vs. Mavericks | Game 5 pic.twitter.com/kj3P8IxCQp
— Warriors PR (@WarriorsPR) May 26, 2022
At the time of the “Shark Tank” episode taping, the loss was still fresh, making the quip just too much for the franchise owner to enjoy.
Despite losing one of the wealthiest Sharks within seconds, the Brown brothers kept their composure and pushed forward.
They laid out their impressive sales figures — over $1.1 million in lifetime revenue, with projections of $750,000 for 2022. Their business model included a subscription service priced between $8 and $10 per month, as well as bulk sales of their licensed air fresheners.
Then they dropped a game-changing detail: a pending $2.1 million deal with the car parts store known as AutoZone. The other “Shark Tank” judges perked up, recognizing the potential in Ride FRSH.
However, concerns quickly emerged over the company’s financials. In 2021, the Brown brothers claimed they generated $540,000 in sales but had only managed to turn a $40,000 profit, raising questions about scalability and profitability.
Investor Lori Greiner bowed out, saying the product seemed too male-focused and that she wouldn’t buy it.
Robert Herjavec was impressed by the brothers but said the air fresheners reminded him of long family trips from Toronto to Florida when he was a kid with his parents.
Kevin O’Leary wasn’t convinced by their valuation and also passed. The SoftKey founder has passed on other hit products like the Lip Bar because he didn’t see the vision.
That left Barbara Corcoran as their last chance. She offered $200,000 but wanted 25 percent equity — far more than the 5 percent the brothers initially offered. After some back-and-forth, they negotiated the deal down to 20 percent equity, securing an investment despite the rocky start.
Before exiting, Donovan and Trey approached Cuban to apologize for the unintended slight. To his credit, Cuban didn’t hold a grudge. “It’s all good,” he told them.
Fans continue to revisit episodes of “Shark Tank” on YouTube, where viewers found a video clip of the judge being caught off guard by Cuban “lashing out” as fans noted in the comments.
One said, “Mark went out because of a light hearted joke, and Robert went out because he’s terrified of air fresheners.”
Another wrote, “Mark is always quick to make jokes and smart comebacks, but when he’s the butt of someone’s joke, he can’t take the light-hearted heat. Says a lot about his fragile character.”
Donovan and Trey also got credit for handling Cuban’s rejection maturely.
“It’s great they didn’t try to coax Mark back in. Once he said he was out they realized their mistake, accepted it and moved on. Mindset like that’s probably how they’ve come so far. Kudos,” said one YouTuber.
Another added, “I thought it was a dumb move from two guys who seem very smart. But glad it worked out and, from what I can find online, they have been extremely successful.”
Although many agreed with the unspoken rule: “You do not insult ppl you want money from!”
Donovan and Trey ended up securing their retail partnership with Autozone, which was revealed in an Instagram video posted in Dec. 2023. However, they have not posted since then yet social media users in their comments have asked, “Are they still in business?” and “What happened.”
Therefore, it’s hard to say that Cuban missed out on an opportunity, but he has made plenty of money on “Shark Tank” with other investments.
One of his biggest wins was Dude Wipes, a brand specializing in biodegradable, flushable personal wipes. He invested $300,000 for a 25 percent stake, and that gamble paid off — by May 2023, Dude Wipes had pulled in $341 million in sales, proving Cuban’s knack for spotting a winner.
