There’s a problem that some well-endowed ladies suffer from but it doesn’t get discussed often — boob sweat. Erin Robertson created her Ta-Ta Towels to tackle this problem. The entrepreneur pitched the product on Shark Tank and got a deal with Lori Greiner. As of 2023, Ta-Ta Towels is worth an estimated $2 million.
Erin Robertson’s Story
Erin Robertson is a native of Los Angeles, California. Before becoming an entrepreneur, she worked as a personal assistant for 13 years and hated it. Everything changed during one fateful summer.
While preparing for a date, Robertson was sweating a lot, especially in her chest area. Her air conditioning system was broken, and the LA climate was scorching. She tried applying baby powder and tucking clothes into her breasts. However, she didn’t like the way it impacted her appearance.
Bringing the Product to Market
After her date, Erin searched online for alternatives but everything she found wasn’t to her liking. This inspired her to make her own solution by learning how to sew. She got help from her mom and watched YouTube tutorials.
Then, she tried making wearable breast towels out of the regular towels in her apartment. When she made a bra-like prototype, she shared it with her friends, and they loved it. The product didn’t only keep their breasts dry; it also kept them firm.
Erin started selling Ta-Ta Towels in 2015, it quickly went viral on social media and the company earned a whopping $1.1 million in 2017. The business would have made more if they had stock to sell but when the viral attention dried up, Erin was left with 10,000 units.
Ta-Ta Towels on Shark Tank
Despite already having over $1 million in sales, Robertson needed help. In 2018, Erin Robertson appeared on season 10 of Shark Tank, seeking $200,000 for a 10% equity stake. A $2 million valuation was very steep!
The founder brought in models to demonstrate the product which grabbed the Sharks attention. The pitch started well but things went south when the Sharks learned sales were declining and she didn’t have a clear marketing strategy.
Cuban was the first to go out, and three other Sharks followed suit. Nevertheless, Lori Greiner was still interested but wanted 50% for $200,000. A very aggressive offer but Erin was keen to make a deal, they eventually agreed on $200,000 for 40%. Despite giving away a huge chunk of equity, Cuban summed it up well by saying – “50% of a watermelon is better than 90% of a grape.
After Shark Tank: The Journey Continues
Robertson gained a lot of new customers after Shark Tank and didn’t have any trouble selling her left-over inventory. It appears the deal with Lori Greiner never closed, most likely Erin changed her mind about giving away 40% after the boost in sales after appearing on national TV.
To be fair, Lori’s offer didn’t take into account cash in the bank and inventory in stock. The current stock was worth $500,000 at the time and Lori could have made her money back by doing zero work. Ta-Ta Towels revenue has grown every year since the show and expanded their product line.
Along with its trademark bra, the startup now sells shorts, tube tops, head towels, and other items in a range of colors and designs. They frequently update their items, which are available on Amazon and TaTaTowels.com. The business still manufactures the product in LA which is great to see!
Their wearable towels have an average rating of 4.2 stars from 613 reviews on Amazon and the company decreased its prices. Currently, annual sales are estimated to be around $800,000 and Ta-Ta Towels is worth $2 million.
