Tania Speaks, founder of Tania Speaks Organic Skincare is living her wildest dreams and its all thanks to the ability to turn adversity to triumph .
During an episode of ABC’s “Shark Tank,” Speaks wowed during presentation in front of the toughest panels which got tech entrepreneur, Shark Tank investor, Mark Cuban all emotional, in turn he offered the startup entrepreneur $400,000 in return for a 15% stake in her company, which had made $1.4 million in annual revenue according to Speaks.
Cuban also stated he wanted his daughters to learn from her: “I want [my daughters] to meet you, and I want them to learn from you,” Cuban said, posing Speaks’ mentorship as a contingency. “Maybe you’ll even learn something from them.”
Speaks love for entrepreneurship was fueled from her experience from being bullied over her “bushy, thick and unruly” eyebrows. In 2017 she drove in head on, developing an organic growing and styling eyebrow gel, which she started selling it in her high school’s bathrooms, at trade shows and eventually, on her website. Today, she’s doing well for herself, selling cleansers, toners, moisturizers and beard oil — all made with “naturally sourced ingredients,” according to her company’s website.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better outcome. Like, it was amazing. They even said I would sit there one day and be a Shark. That’s the highest compliment I’ve ever had,” Speaks excitedly shared.
Although Cuban initially passed on investing into Speaks’ brand, her inspiring story and dedication made him change his mind.
“My wheelhouse is helping guide amazing entrepreneurs like yourself and helping them deal with the legal landmines that come along,” Cuban said. “Maybe I can’t help with eyebrow [gel]… but I can give you guidance that can help you avoid a lot of the pitfalls.”
He offered Speaks $400,000 for 20% of her company, topping it all up, he expressed his desire for his daughters to learn from her, which according to him is “more important than the money involved.”
“I saw my daughters — and my son, for that matter — in her,” he said. “If I can get her to connect to my kids, that’s more important than the money involved.”
Speaks’ successful skincare company is a testimony of turning trials into triumph. Since 2020, she said the skincare brand has made a whopping $2.4 million in sales and she’s netted $700,000.
“It’s hard to make Mr. Wonderful humbled, but I really am. Seeing such a young entrepreneur who’s had massive success and is already gearing up to take up higher….#SharkTank”
Kevin O’Leary said the 19-year-old’s success “humbled” him, but he wouldn’t be a qualified “spokesperson” for her skincare business. “I don’t think we’ve ever had anybody in 13 years of Shark Tank stand on that carpet that has achieved what you have,” O’Leary said. “But today, I don’t think I’m your Shark.”
Tania, now 20, whose mission is “to inspire everyone to embrace the skin they’re in” has been named one of TIME Magazine’s Most Influential Teens.
