AND I'M RANDY MASON. MANY OF US EVEN IN IT WAS WHEN WE WERE JUST A KID, DREAMT OF

INVENTING SOMETHING THAT WOULD MAKE US RICH AND FAMOUS. WE MAY EVEN HAVE TINKERED IN

OUR BASEMENTS OR GARAGES ON BUILDING A PROCEED TYPE THAT WE WERE JUST SO SURE, IF IT WERE

DISCOVERED BY RIGHT PERSON, COULD BE THE NEXT BEST THING. THAT WOULD DESCRIBE OUR FIRST

GUESTS THIS SHOW. THEY ARE KANSAS CITY BROTHERS BRIAN AND KEVIN FLEMING WHO HAVE

SPENT THEIR LIVES WITH CONSUMER INVENTIONS WITH LIMITED SUCCESS. BUT JUST RECENTLY, THEY GOT

THEIR SHOT ON SHARK TANK. MY FLAME IS BRIAN FLEMING, THE HANDSOME.

AND I'M KEVIN FLEMING, THE SMART ONE. WE ARE SEEKING $40,000 IN

EXCHANGE FOR A 33% STAKE FOR OUR COMPANY. AFTER A THOROUGH DESIGNED

PROCESS, WE HAVE PERFECTED AN EXOSKELETON THAT PROVIDES STRUCTURE TO THE BLOB THAT IS A

STANDARD ONE GALLON, TWO GALLON COURT AND SANDWICH SIZE ZIPPER BAG.

CONSUMERS CAN CREATE A HANDY AND STURDY BOWL, A GREAT WAY TO FLAT PACK CONSUMEABLES AND TAKE

THEM ON THE GO. WHEN THEY'RE FINISHED, SIMPLY ZIP UP THE CONTENTS AND THROW IT

INTO THE COOLER, FRIDGE OR CUPBOARD, OR IF IT'S HIM TI, INTO -- EMPTY, INTO THE TRASH OR

RECYCLING BIN. NO MORE CLEANUP. NO MORE CLEANUP.

OR HOW ABOUT A CONVENIENT WAY TO GET PASTA SAUCE FROM THE STOVE TO THE BAG.

AN EXERT FROM ABC'S SHARK TANK. WE'RE JOINED BY KEVIN AND BRIAN

FLEMINGMENT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH US ON THE LOCAL SHOW.

HUGE AMOUNTS OF ENERGY THAT YOU HAD ON THAT PROGRAM THERE. NOW, IS THAT YOUR NORMAL

DISPOSITION OR WERE YOU TOLD BY THE PRODUCERS TO SHOW THAT TYPE OF ENERGY, BRIAN.

YOU KNOW, THAT IS -- THAT'S MOCK 3 FOR US. IT'S FRIDAY NIGHT.

PEOPLE ARE GETTING A LITTLE COMPY ON THE COUCH, -- COMFY ON THE COUCH, AND WE HAD THIS

AMAZING OPPORTUNITY, AND WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE GOT THEIR ATTENTION.

IT WAS A THOUGHT-OUT DECISION TO SORT OF LIKE LET'S GO OUT THERE AND GO A LITTLE BIT OVER THE

TOP. LET'S TAKE IT A LITTLE PAST 10 TO 11 AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS.

NOW, NOT ANYBODY COULD APPEAR ON THAT SHOW. HOW DID THAT OCCUR?

HOW DID YOU GET TO BE ON SHARK TANK TO BEGIN WITH? BASICALLY, WE WERE LOOKING

FOR NEW WAYS TO GET EXPOSURE FOR OUR PRODUCT, BAG BOWL, AND BASICALLY I TOLD KEVIN I HAD

BEEN WATCHING THE SHOW FOR THE FIRST COUPLE SEASONS. HE HADN'T REALLY HOOKED UP WITH

IT YET. I SAID KEVIN, THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US, AN

ENTREPRENEURIAL SHOW. LET'S PITCH OUR PROJECT TO THESE BILLIONAIRES AND

MULTIMILLIONAIRES AND SEE IF THEY TAKE A BITE ON IT. LOTS AND LOTS OF PEOPLE HAVE

IDEAS. A LOT OF THIS PEOPLE WATCHING THIS PROGRAM SAY, I HAVE IDEAS

BETTER THAN THAT ONE. WHY WEREN'T THEY ON THAT SHOW? IT WAS A HUGE HONOR.

88 ENTREPRENEURIALS WILL GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO PITCH THE SHARKS THIS SEASON.

THAT'S OUT OF 50,000 PEOPLE THAT APPLY FOR THE SHOW. WE REALLY TOOK IT AS A SHOT IN

THE ARM AND ENCOURAGEMENT THAT WE WERE ON TO SOMETHING WITH THIS IDEA, BECAUSE WE MADE IT

THROUGH THAT DARWINIAN GAUNT -- GAUNT LENT THERE TO GET ON THE SHOW.

WHAT IS TO STOP SOMEBODY ELSE FROM JUST DOING THIS? WE HAVE A UTILITY PATENT

WRITTEN ON THE PRODUCT. YOU HAVE A UTILITY PATENT ALREADY ISSUED?

NO, WE'RE PATENT PENDING STILL. I HAVE A BOWL ALREADY IN MY

HOME. SO IF I BUY A BAG OF CHIPS, I POUR THEM INTO THE BOWL.

THE CHIP COMPANY IS NOT GOING TO INCREASE ITS COSTS BY 20 CENTS TO PROVIDE ONE OF THESE.

THEY ALREADY SELL THEIR CHIPS. THE GUY WHO SELLS A BAG OF ANYTHING IS ALREADY SELLING IT.

HE DOESN'T NEED TO PROVIDE THE SERVICE TO CREATE A BOWL FOR YOU.

BOWLS ARE UBIQUITOUS IN HOMES. THIS IS FOR TAILGATING MAYBE. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE SEEN

WHERE PACKAGING IS GOING THESE DAYS. EVERYBODY IS WANTING TO BE ABLE

TO EAT RIGHT OUT OF THE PACKAGE THEY'RE EATING. RIGHT NOW IT'S NOT ANEL QUANTITY

QUANTITY -- ELOQUENT PROCESS. WE'VE TALKED TO GIGANTIC PLASTIC PACKAGING.

THEY SAY 2 CENTS. 2 CENTS IS A LOT. THEY HIRE PEOPLE, DOZENS OF

THEM, TO CUT COSTS BY AN EIGHTH OF A CENT. I SEE YOU GUYS NOT ASENT OWE

NOTENT ENTREPRENEURS. DID YOU THING IT WAS ALL OVER AT THAT POINT?

IT WASN'T GREAT. CUBES IS A NAME THAT WILL LIVE IN ESPECIALLY -- INFAMY FOR

SURE. I WOULD LOVE TO BE THE GUY FROM KANSAS CITY KNOWN TO GIVE THE

DALLAS BOY THE CUBES MONITOR. AT THAT POINT, IT WASN'T LOOKING GREAT, JUST DOWN TO TWO SHARKS

LEFT. IT WAS TENOUS A THAT POINT. YOU CAN STILL CALL ME THE

NICK-STER. YOU BEAT ME TO IT. I DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU WOULD PUNCH

ME. I FIGURED I WOULD LET KEVIN SAY IT AT THIS TIME.

THAT WAS OCCURRING AT THAT POINT IN TIME, BUT FORTUNES BEGAN TO CHANGE, AND LORI, WHO

HAD LOTS AND LOTS OF PRODUCTS ON QVC TAKES A SHINE TO YOUR PRODUCT AND GETS OUT OF HER

SEAT. I CAN GET PRODUCTS MADE INTO MARKET AND ON TO MY SHOW ON QVC

AND SELL HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS WITHIN MINUTES. I THINK THIS IS A GREAT TV ITEM.

LAST SEASON I TOOK A GUY WHO CAME IN WITH A PIECE OF STEEL AND MAGNET, AND WE'VE NOW DONE

ALMOST 3 MILLION IN SALES IN THE LAST YEAR. I THINK IT'S POSSIBLE THAT WE

MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO SOME REALLY BIG NUMBERS WITH IT. THAT BEING SAID, I WILL GIVE YOU

$40,000 FOR THE 33% STAKE IN THE COMPANY. WHAT DO YOU SAY?

WE WOULD LOVE TO DO THE DEAL WITH YOU, LORI. THANK YOU.

GREAT. $40,000. YOU GET EXACTLY WHAT YOU ASKED

FOR. IT DOESN'T HAPPEN ON THE SHARK TANK VERY OFTEN.

THEY USUALLY BEAT YOU UP ON YOUR VALUATION. WHERE WE SAW THE REAL VALUE OF

PARTNERING WITH ONE OF THE SHARKS WAS THEIR ACCESS AND THEIR EXPERTISE.

THE MONEY WAS IMPORTANT BUT NOT AS IMPORTANT AS THE SMARTS THAT WERE CONTAINED IN LORI'S BRAIN

AND HER ABILITY TO TAKE US TO THE NEXT LEVEL. SO WHAT'S HAPPENED SINCE THE

SHOW? WE'RE BASICALLY WORKING OUT A CONTRACT WITH LORI, BUT THE

PARTNERSHIP IS LOOKING GREAT, AND WE'RE HOPING THAT WE'RE GOING TO SEE IT ON QVC IN THE

COMING MONTHS. WHAT HAS IT DOES TO THE SALES OF YOUR PRODUCT BAG BOWL?

WE'VE BEEN BLOWING UP SERVERS EVER SINCE IT AIRED. 20,000 UNIQUE VISITORS HAVE

GOTTEN INTRODUCED. OUR INVENTORY IS EXTINGUISHED, NOW ON BACK ORDER, SALES SWIFT

AND DOING GREAT. HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THIS PRODUCT TO BEGIN WITH?

I HAD STARTED INVENTING EVER SINCE I WAS A KID. MY FIRST MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH CAME

WHEN WE RESCUED A DOG THAT WAS HALF TAS TASMANIAN DEVIL. WE HAD A KID ON THE WAY, ALL OF

THESE MUDDY FOOTPRINTS. I WAS THINKING LET'S DO PREVENTION INSTEAD OF CURE.

I WENT DOWN TO THE BASEMENT WORKSHOP AND CREATED THIS DOG PAW WASHER, LICENSED IT TO A

COMPANY. NOW SOLD AT TARGET, OVER 2500 RETAILERS, EUROPEAN DISTRIBUTION

ON IT. THAT GAVE ME THE CONFIDENCE TO KEEP COMING UP WITH IDEAS.

I ACTUALLY WENT DOWN TO THE BASEMENT WORKSHOP AGAIN THINKING DOG PRODUCTS, WHAT CAN WE DO?

WHAT ELSE DO THEY NEED IN THE DOG WORLD. I CAME UP WITH 15 AWESOME ONES.

I MEAN, I LOVE THEM. I SHOWED THEM TO BRIAN ONE DAY, AND IT WAS JUST THIS SIMPLE

POPSICLE STICK SOLUTION. MATERIALS FOR AN INVENTION ARE LAYING AROUND YOUR HOUSE,

AND YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW IT. THESE ARE FROM U.S. TOY, PURPLE POPSICLE TIPS FOR

CRAFTING, THE TAPE. IT WAS LIKE, OKAY, I WANT TO GIVE STRUCTURE TO THE BLOB THAT

IS A ZIPPER BAG. SO WHEN I GO TO THE IN-LAWS FOR THANKSGIVING, I DON'T USE THEIR

EXPENSIVE CHINA. DID ANY OF YOU HAVE REGULAR, WHAT I WOULD CALL, 9 TO 5 JOBS

BEFORE YOU EVER WERE INVENTING THESE PRODUCTS? EVEN WHEN WE WERE KIDS, WE

HAD WINDOW WASHING BUSINESS, LAWN MOWING BUSINESSES OR PAINT THE HOUSE NUMBER ON THE CURB.

WE WERE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR THAT CREATIVE WAY TO EMPLOY OURSELVES AS OPPOSED TO WORKING FOR

SOMEONE ELSE. AFTER COLLEGE, I DID TAKE A NINE TO FIVE JOB IN LENEXA, AND I

WORKED IT FOR ONE DAY EXACTLY, AND I JUST -- IT JUST DID NOT FIT WITH MY PERSONALITY.

SO I HAVE ONE DAY IN THE TRENCHES. SO I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH THAT IS

IN MY 401(K), ABOUT YOU HOPEFULLY IT'S BEEFY WHEN I GET DONE WORKING.

PEOPLE ARE SAYING, WELL, THEY'RE ON SHARK TANK, TOP SHOW, PRIME TIME, NATIONAL TELEVISION,

AND NOW THIS PRODUCT ON QVC SELLING THESE PRODUCTS. WHAT PEOPLE DON'T SEE ARE THE

FAILURES THAT HAVE HAPPENED ALONG THE WAY. WHAT ARE THE FAILURES PEOPLE

DON'T SEE IN YOUR BUSINESS? YOU KNOW, ONE. ONE OF THE MISTAKES WE MADE WAS

TEAMING UP THE FIRST TIME THROUGH WITH THE WRONG MANUFACTURER.

BASICALLY THE PRODUCT WAS TOTALLY WRONG. WE WERE TOTALLY NAIVE.

MAKE SURE YOUR MANUFACTURER HAS A REFERENCE FOR YOU AND THAT YOU CAN CHECK IT OUT.

SOME OF THE OTHER MISTAKES WE MADE WERE BEING NAIVE IN HOW WE THOUGHT THIS WAS GOING TO SELL.

HOW WERE YOU MAKING MONEY WHILE YOU WERE STILL DEVELOPING THESE PRODUCTS AT THE BEGINNING?

YOU HAD FAMILIES. YOU WEREN'T DOING A REGULAR JOB WHERE YOU WERE GETTING HEALTH

INSURANCE AND ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT PEOPLE EXPECT IN LIFE.

YOU HAD FAMILIES, CHILDREN. HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY BE MAKING ENDS MEET WHILE YOU WERE STILL

TRYING TO WORK ON THESE POPSICLE STICK PROJECTS. HONEY, I'M DOING THIS

POPSICLE STICK THING. SO I WAS A FREELANCE WRITER BEFORE AND WAS DOING MAGAZINE

WORK, AND I LIVED IN NEW YORK CITY AND WAS DOING TRAVEL WRITING FOR A LOT OF WEDDING

MAGAZINES, DOING THE HONEYMOON BEAT. SO ALL OF THIS WAS ON THE

SIDE? SO THIS IS ALL, YEAH, A HOBBY FOR A WHILE.

AND I HAVE A FEW BUSINESSES OUTSIDE OF THIS, AS WELL, THE MARKETING BUSINESS.

I'M A REALTOR IN MISSOURI AND KANSAS. I OWN A PORTION OF SECURE

MEDICAL TRANSPO. WE DO MEDICAL TRANSPORTATION AS WELL.

AGAIN, WE'VE ALWAYS GOT A LOT OF BALLS IN THE AIR. YOU HAVE WHEN YOU'RE AN

ENTREPRENEUR. YOU HAVE TO GIVE EVERYTHING THE ATTENTION WHEN IT NEEDS IT, BUT

YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE MULTIPLE OPTIONS GOING ON IN CASE THERE ARE SOME FAILURES.

THE GREATER KANSAS CITY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HAS NAMED ENTREPRENEURSHIP, MAKING KANSAS

CITY THE BEST ENTREPRENEURIAL CITY IN AMERICA, ONE OF ITS BIG FIVE IDEAS.