Good Grief Celebrations Funeral Concierge Update | Shark Tank Season 1

Rikki Farrar founded Good Grief Celebrations after organizing a joyful celebration of life for her mother’s funeral, which impressed attendees. Her solution offers personalized, celebratory end-of-life experiences tailored to the individual, aiming to transform a typically sad event into a positive commemoration. Will the sharks invest in this unique business? Find out in our Good Grief Celebrations update and pitch recap.

If you’re short on time, here’s a quick overview of what happened to Good Grief Celebrations after Shark Tank. 

Rikki entered Shark Tank Season 1, seeking $50,000 for 25% equity in her Funeral concierge service business. Despite an inspiring pitch to the sharks, she unfortunately left without a deal.

In terms of a Good Grief Celebrations update, the company struggled to gain traction and eventually closed its doors. However, Rikki has since pursued a different career path.

Shark	Result
Robert Herjavec	No offer
Kevin O’Leary	No offer
Kevin Harrington	No offer
Daymond John	No offer
Barbara Corcoran	No offer

 

Shark Tank Good Grief Celebrations Pitch

• Entrepreneur: Rikki Farrar
• Business: Funeral concierge service
• Ask: $50,000 for 25% equity
• Result: No deal
• Sharks: None

Rikki stepped into Shark Tank with an unconventional and heartfelt concept. 

She sought an investment to expand her unique funeral planning service, aiming to redefine the traditional funeral experience by transforming it into a celebration of life.

Good Grief Celebrations is a distinctive funeral planning service that transforms traditional, somber funerals into personalized celebrations of life. 

Moreover, the company offers a range of services, including eulogy writing, officiating funeral ceremonies, and coordinating post-funeral gatherings. 

By focusing on creating uplifting experiences, Good Grief Celebrations helps families honor their loved ones in meaningful and memorable ways. 

Despite facing criticism for its unconventional approach, the company continues to support grieving families by offering a more positive and celebratory alternative to traditional funeral arrangements.

Further, Rikki mentioned several celebrities, including Michael Jackson, Bernie Mac, and Richard Pryor, who had “celebrations of life” instead of traditional funerals. 

The sharks wanted to know her sales numbers, and Rikki revealed she had made $11,000 in sales over the past year. 

However, the sharks were not impressed with this number.

Robert Herjavec asked where she got the inspiration for Good Grief Celebrations, and Rikki described her mother’s celebration. 

In contrast, Kevin O’Leary likened the business concept to an Irish wake, humorously suggesting that people were “dying to get in.” 

He enthusiastically endorsed the idea, adding that the emotional state of grief often leads people to be less price-sensitive, making it an opportune time to increase sales. 

The other sharks were visibly shocked at his comments.

Kevin then asked how she intended to compete with funeral homes since their business model already covered nearly all her services. 

Rikki explained that she brings a therapy dog to visit patients in hospice care and nursing homes. 

The dog offers comfort and companionship, making the patients feel better.

Robert Herjavec was visibly disturbed by her sales techniques and questioned whether she was taking advantage of grieving families. 

Based on that concern, he declined to offer a deal. 

Barbara Corcoran quickly followed, exiting the negotiations because she found the business “creepy.” 

Daymond John opted out based on the low-profit potential, and Kevin Harrington called the business “ambulance chasing” and also opted out. 

Mr. Wonderful was not impressed with the business’s financial performance and was the last shark to exit the deal.

With no deal in hand, let’s get a Good Grief Celebrations update to see how Rikki is doing today.

Shark Tank Good Grief Celebrations Update

Our research on Good Grief Celebrations update found that the business struggled to establish a strong market presence shortly after airing. 

The company’s Twitter account became inactive in late 2011, suggesting that it likely ceased operations around that time. 

Also, the lack of funding and market acceptance hindered growth, and Rikki found it challenging to sustain the business.

At the time of writing our Good Grief Celebrations update, Rikki is the Director of Marketing for The Cake Doctor. 

Her shift to a new role suggests that she took the sharks’ feedback and decided to pursue a different path. 

This marks the end of our Good Grief Celebrations update.

Would you like to learn about the other companies featured in Season 1, Episode 5? Follow the links below for our other company updates from the episode.

• Body Jac Update
• Face Blok Update
• Granola Gourmet Update
• My Therapy Journal Update

Before you go, check out our Shark Tank Season 1 page for more updates.