Two Birmingham-based entrepreneurs who were recently featured on ABC’s “Shark Tank” are focused on growth following the wave of publicity.
Pink Picasso Kits, which was founded by serial entrepreneurs Brittany and Ashley Silfies, offers home-painting kits and has seen its share of national attention.
The company has appeared on Oprah’s Favorite Things, “The View,” “Good Morning America,” “Today” and the “Kelly Clarkson Show.”
Ashley Silfies said the company started in 2019, began to scale quickly and then saw even more rapid growth amid social distancing and lockdowns during the pandemic in 2020.
The couple is also spearheading operations for Modern Monet, Violet Van Gogh, OrderFlow 360, Wear Your Sole and Silfies Holdings LLC.
The company initially was funded by the couple so when “Shark Tank” became an option, Silfies said it was the right move. She said the mentoring and learning experiences from the sharks was a positive experience. Being on the show not only offered more exposure but also boosted revenue streams, she said.
“We’re about gathering experiences and learning more about this business in general,” Silfies said. “So an opportunity to work with them and be mentored by them was what was attractive to us; it wasn’t necessarily the funding.”
The deal that aired on television was $400,000 for 50% of the company from Lori Greiner and Daniel Lubetsky.
Silfies said the presentation process was nerve-wracking, but it was incredibly positive and professional throughout. While the pitch was taped this summer, their episode was released on Nov. 19. Silfies said that was ideal air time right before Black Friday shopping.
She also said “Shark Tank” is an incredible opportunity for any business, let alone a minority-owned business.
“It’s such a small percentage of small businesses that get to do it … and on top of that, we’re kind of a triple minority. (We’re) women business owners who are LGBTQ and are Black, and so for us, it’s kind of a pipe dream,” she said. “We’re super grateful.”
