Richualist Curly Hair Tool Update | Shark Tank Season 15

Dawn Myers saw that women with highly textured hair were spending hours trying to style it. She developed The Mint, a patented 3-in-1 styling tool that detangles hair while evenly applying product to create defined curls in less time. Will this invention secure the sharks’ support? Let’s find out in our Richaulist update and pitch recap.

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

Dawn entered Shark Tank Season 15, seeking $150,000 for 10% equity in her hair styling tool brand. After her pitch, she struck a deal with both Mark Cuban and guest shark Emma Grede for $150,000 for 15% equity, plus 5% advisory shares.

In terms of a Richaulist update, the company faced shipping delays but addressed them with customer discounts, free shipping, and a bonus toolkit. Further, Dawn has since focused on improving product quality and supply chain operations.

Shark:	Result:
Mark Cuban and Emma Grede	Accepted deal for $150,000 for 15% equity plus 5% advisory shares
Lori Greiner	No offer
Kevin O’Leary	No offer
Robert Herjavec	No offer

Shark Tank Richualist Pitch

• Entrepreneur: Dawn Myers
• Business: Hair styling tool
• Ask: $150,000 for 10% equity
• Result: $150,000 for 15% equity, plus 5% advisory shares
• Sharks: Emma Grede, Mark Cuban

Dawn stepped into the Tank and explained the problem she wanted to solve.

Women with highly textured hair, like hers, often spend hours styling it. Her company, Richualist, created a faster and healthier way to do it.

She introduced The Mint, a patented 3-in-1 styling tool. It was made with 4C hair in mind, but it works for all hair types.

The device looks like a hair straightener but has a built-in compartment for refillable pods.

Users fill a pod with their preferred styling product. They then comb through their hair with The Mint.

The tool detangles and applies the product evenly, creating defined curls without the usual time and effort. Customers can buy extra pods directly from Richualist.

The Mint sells for $400. Dawn said her first production run was only 100 units.

Each cost over $100 to make, but she sold out. She has since reduced manufacturing costs to $60 per unit.

She also sells pods in packs of six on a subscription basis for $36 a month.

Dawn explained that bringing The Mint to life took more than $1 million. She sold her home, cashed out her 401K, and raised $1 million in venture funding.

She issued convertible notes and still holds 72% equity after conversion.

During the pitch, Kevin O’Leary broke in to say she should partner with a shark who has hair, then bowed out.

Robert Herjavec followed, saying he didn’t know enough about hair products.

Lori Greiner mentioned she was working on a hair product of her own, creating a conflict of interest, so she was out.

Guest shark Emma Grede asked about potential partnerships with major brands. Dawn shared that she was in talks with Procter & Gamble and L’Oréal.

The plan was for these companies to license pods filled with their products. Customers would buy The Mint from Richualist and then purchase branded pods on the same website.

Emma said she liked The Mint but felt the pod licensing could wait. She wanted Dawn to focus on positioning The Mint as the go-to tool for curly hair.

Emma then teamed up with Mark Cuban to offer $150,000 for 20% equity.

Dawn countered at 15% equity. They came back with 15% equity plus 5% in advisory shares, and Dawn accepted the deal.

Keep reading our Richualist update to find out what happened next!

Shark Tank Richaulist Update

We had an opportunity to talk to Dawn for an exclusive Richualist update. Dawn told us, “Revenues have increased [since airing], but our company is in a tough position.”

“We have tricky logistics, a nice product, long wait times, and products on back order. That makes for a tough sell, but the sales have come despite all the complexity of our product.”

Despite a couple of bumps along the way, Dawn confirmed that the deal with Mark and Emma ended up going through and shared a little bit about what it’s been like working with them. “Just like any relationship, things take time to build and grow, but we are off to a fantastic start!”

Looking forward to a future Richualist update, Dawn told us that she is taking Mark and Emma’s advice to focus on perfecting the product and supply chain before she continues chasing new partnerships.

At the time of writing (April 2024), the next batch of products will ship in September 2024.

We cannot wait to see what the future has in store for Dawn. With a great product and two sharks on her team, there’s no doubt that our next Richualist update will be a good one!

And yes, we’re back with an update, and so far, so good. Things are looking pretty decent for Dawn and her company. Here’s what has happened so far;

In the weeks after the episode aired, Richualist saw a jump in revenue, with sales quadrupling compared to before the show.

However, Dawn also faced real challenges. In October 2024, she took to Instagram to address shipping delays, offering customers a $25 discount, free shipping, and a free wash-day toolkit as an apology.

During this period, the company also secured $50,000 from Amika’s “Rooted in Growth” program, which supports underrepresented hair-care founders.

Richualist continued to receive media coverage in outlets such as Essence, Byrdie, ABC, and NBC, helping to boost brand awareness.

At the time of this writing, the price of The Mint has dropped from its original $400 to $298, with pods priced at about $36 for a pack of six, also available via subscription.

Dawn’s been leveraging her relationships with the sharks to pursue retail distribution and explore collaborations with major companies like Procter & Gamble and L’Oréal.

She also actively supports other underrepresented entrepreneurs through networks like The Vinetta Project and Black Girl Ventures, sharing the lessons she’s learned from building a hardware-based beauty brand.

If you need a tool that can make your wash day faster, you can purchase The Mint directly from their website. You can also follow them on Instagram.

It’s interesting to see the way things have turned out for Dawn. We are eagerly anticipating our next Richualist update. Hoping for a more exciting progress report.

In the meantime, you can check out our other company updates from Season 15, Episode 19, by following the links below!

• Hibear Co. Update
• Splash Place Swim Goggles Update
• Veba Update

Before you go, be sure to check out our list of all the Shark Tank Season 15 products.