Samson Martin Maternity T-Shirts | Shark Tank Season 2
Entrepreneur Kim Preis pitched her t-shirt company during
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick overview of what happened to Samson Martin after
Kim Preis appeared on
| Shark: | Result: |
| Kevin Harrington | No offer |
| Barbara Corcoran | No offer |
| Kevin O’Leary | No offer |
| Robert Herjavec | No offer |
| Daymond John | No offer |
Shark Tank Samson Martin Update
- Entrepreneur: Kim Preis
- Business: T-shirts for expecting mothers
- Ask: $50,000 for 15% equity
- Result: No deal
- Shark: None
Founder of Samson Martin, Kim Preis, walked into the tank, and introduced her maternity brand. Because expectant mothers tend to be asked about their due dates all the time, she basically created t-shirts that answer the constant question.
After launching her ‘due in’ line, she then launched other styles of t-shirts for maternity wear. She originally sold her line to upscale boutiques, however, the recession has caused the boutique business to take a huge hit.
Further, she shares her plans with the sharks, to redefine the brand, after the decline caused by the recession. She says that her sales are good, and she gets good press, but she needs help with opening the doors to contacts.
Because Kim brings up sales, Barbara Corcoran immediately asks for her to elaborate on them. Kim says that the previous year, she had $90,000.
She eventually shares that she’s been in business for six years, and overall, her sales total $1.4 million. The sharks are very impressed with this.
Robert Herjavec also asks what sales were at their peak. Kim shares that they reached $400,000.
Kevin O’Leary wants to know how much the shirts cost. There is a range, from tank tops retailing between $38 and $42, with long sleeves between $55 and $60.
Kevin Harrington asks if Kim has a trademark, and she says she has it on the words ‘due in’. Kim mentions the great press, and celebrity attention from Jennifer Garner, Angelina Jolie, and Brittany Spears.
Kevin O. is wary of the limited target market. However, Robert likes what he sees, and Barbara also sees the potential too.
That said, Robert is concerned about the decline in sales. Kim assures the sharks she can make the product work again. Because she can’t depend on the upscale boutique for sales growth, she wants access to the large retailers.
The sharks wonder why she hasn’t reached out to them, and Kim says she just doesn’t have the right contacts.
Robert asks Daymond John if a brand in decline can be made appealing again. Daymond says everyone is trying to get to the brands Kim wants, therefore it’s hard.
Daymond ultimately goes, out.
At the same time, Kevin H. thinks Kim’s inventory is too large and confusing. For these reasons, he is also out.
Barbara is out, because she doesn’t see the value in the ‘due in’ trademark.
Robert agrees with Barbara, and eventually follows out.
This leaves only Kevin O. remaining, and Kim’s only hope for a deal lays in his hands. Unfortunately, he goes out, simply because he can’t see the benefit in the brand.
Without an offer from a shark, Kim is forced to leave
Keep reading our Samson Martin update to find out more what happened following the show!
Research for our Samson Martin update, ultimately revealed that the company did not manage to succeed after all. Kim has moved on to other projects, ultimately shutting down the business in 2012.
LinkedIn, lists her as a wardrobe stylist for Wear With Genes, where she has been employed since 2020. Before then, she held various roles, many of them in the fashion industry.
Hopefully, despite moving on from Samson Martin, Kim is loving her current career. However, this will be our final Samson Martin company update.
Would you like to know more about the fates of the other companies featured on Season 2 Episode 9? Follow the links below to get all the details.
For even more on companies and products, be sure to stop by our Season 2 Products Page.
Andrew Smith is the founder and owner of Shark Tank Recap. He is a longtime Shark Tank fan that has been watching it for years and has seen every episode multiple times. His friends know him as the Shark Tank expert, because he can answer any question about the show! His favorite Shark Tank products are Bertello's pizza oven and Bug Bite Thing!