Whatever Happened To LugLess After Shark Tank?

Brian Altomare was disappointed after leaving “Shark Tank” empty-handed. According to an email he sent NBC, he rehearsed in his head what he was going to say should he be turned down. 

“I rehearsed for hours telling Mark Cuban to ‘Swim away. I won’t take anything less than $100,000 for 10% of the company.'” Altomare said. After Robert Herjavec brought up FedEx, Altomare shut down. Evidently, he didn’t remember anything he said after that until the episode aired, even worrying he embarrassed himself. 

Enter the famed “Shark Tank effect,” the phenomenon in which the exposure a company receives from appearing on the show, regardless of whether they get a shark to bite, leads to a large bump in business. Altomare reported a 448% increase in business in the month following the show’s air date, with hundreds of new customers sent LugLess’ way by his appearance. 

Altomare also took to heart the sharks’ feedback, shifting the business model to emphasize the speed and affordability of the LugLess service. The company was even featured in “Entrepreneur Magazine’s” 100 Brilliant Companies list in 2014. 

Today, LugLess is a thriving company. It even works in tandem with competitors like UPS and FedEx. While LugLess might not be among the select few smashing “Shark Tank” success stories per se, it’s found its own way to success. 

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