How do you give the individuals of Los Angeles a style of New England? Easy: you purchase a meals truck and promote genuine, mouthwatering Maine lobster rolls.
At the very least, that is what Sabin Lomac and Jim Tselikis, Co-Founders of Cousins Maine Lobster, did.
A couple of months into their enterprise, they went on Shark Tank, securing a take care of the one and solely Barbara Corcoran. She forked over $55,000 for a 5% piece of the motion.
Now, one lonely meals truck became a fleet of fifty, and Los Angeles turned one among thirty areas the place you possibly can seize a lobster roll on wheels.
How did they make it occur? All of it boils down (put supposed) to their easy, but extremely highly effective mantra: “Put together Nicely, Work Onerous.”
Let’s check out how they put it into motion.
Earlier than Getting into the Shark Tank: “Put together Nicely”
Lomac describes Cousins Maine Lobster as “a ardour venture.” Within the early days, he wasn’t planning to maneuver to Los Angeles full-time. Each he and Tselikis weren’t planning to give up their jobs. Actually, after they purchased their first meals truck, their solely purpose was to interrupt even.
Then, Shark Tank referred to as.
It was the push they wanted to go all in. However, totally conscious of their relative inexperience as enterprise homeowners, Lomac and Tselikis knew they needed to put together.
Listed below are just a few unconventional methods they ready for Shark Tank:
- Watched 60+ episodes and wrote down probably the most generally requested questions on index playing cards.
- Practiced their pitch within the mirror whereas the opposite individual tried to distract them. “As ridiculous because it may probably get, we have been attempting to do it,” stated Sabin.
- Position-played as totally different sharks and grilled one another with questions.
- Went for runs to get their coronary heart fee up.
- Determined to focus on a particular shark. One shark stood out from the remainder of their analysis of the present: Barbara Corcoran. Tselikis stated, “She’s accessible for us 24/7, at all times has been, and that is why we focused her. We felt she could be like that, and among the producers indicated that. Very maternal, form, loving, humorous.”
All that analysis and preparation paid off, with Sabin and Tselikis touchdown a $50,000+ take care of Barbara. However the onerous work was simply starting.
After Leaving the Shark Tank: “Work Onerous”
“[Shark Tank] offers you a chance, however it would not assure success. You get up the following day or week or month, that is when the onerous work begins. You have got a goal in your again. 9, ten million individuals have seen this. So, we did every little thing we may to make it tick,” stated Lomac.
In 2014, two years after their look on Shark Tank, they began franchising Cousins Maine Lobster — an concept from Barbara.
9 years later, Cousins Maine Lobster has greater than 50 meals vans nationwide and 7 eating places. Additionally they based Cousins for a Trigger, a non-profit that companions with Massive Brothers Massive Sisters of America to offer again to native communities.
Placing It All Collectively: “Put together Nicely, Work Onerous”
When requested what recommendation they might give to entrepreneurs trying to safe a deal on Shark Tank, their message was easy: get able to work.
“Should you go on the present actually wanting a deal, prepare for the work as a result of in the event you do not wish to work, you don’t need lengthy days, late nights, or early mornings, you are losing your time. It is actually simply the beginning,” stated Lomac.
