Kelly Nova and Ilana Karcinski have been best friends since they were 13. They grew up together, founded a wedding company together, and this year won a “Shark Tank” deal together.
The Tampa-based wedding pet care company, FairyTail Pet Care, pitched to the sharks on the TV show “Shark Tank” in an episode that aired Oct. 20. The company provides pet care services and organizes the logistics for couples that want their animals to attend their wedding. They negotiated a deal with investor Barbara Corcoran for $75,000 in exchange for 22% equity to continue pursuing franchising.
“It is a bit nerve-wracking because you are filming for national television, so there are a lot of lights, there are a lot of cameras, there is a specific mark that you have to hit on the carpet when you walk in,” Nova said. “Then on top of that, of course, you’re at this pivotal moment where your life, essentially, could change.”
The duo also received an offer from Kevin O’Leary for $75,000 for 33% equity and an original offer from Corcoran for 25% equity. But they chose to negotiate with Corcoran because her investments aligned with the founder’s vision, Nova said.
“Ilana and I’s goal at FairyTail Pet Care is to be able to grow this company nationwide and to bring on new franchises,” Nova said. “That is the business that we were pitching to the sharks and why Barbara was our ideal shark, the one that we had our eyes set on because she has all of that experience in the franchise world.”
Corcoran told them during negotiating that she’s going to put a “heck of a lot of work” into the company and knows how to franchise “better than anyone.”
The founders officially started franchising FairyTail’s model in 2021. They have three franchise operations in Pittsburgh, Las Vegas and West Palm Beach.
FairyTail was founded in 2015. The duo was working at a hotel and saw a need for the service while assisting wedding parties, Nova said. The pet lovers started FairyTail as a fun way to earn extra money, and it has since become their main focus and a profitable company.
FairyTail brings in more than $120,000 annually in revenue from the Tampa Bay market location, Nova said. She attributes its success to wedding pet care being an “untapped market,” she said. People love their pets and consider them family, and they increasingly want them at their weddings.
