Shark Tank’s Doddle & Co cofounder was told her company ‘sucks’

“He was giving me a wink,”
said Nicki Radzely, pictured.
Courtesy
of Doddle & Co

• Nicki Radzely, the cofounder of Doddle & Co,
  appeared on “Shark
  Tank” pitching the Pop Pacifier.
• During the episode, Daymond John told Radzely that her
  company “sucks” and questioned why she’d valued her business at
  $5 million.
• Radzely ultimately accepted a $250,000 offer from Kevin
  O’Leary.
• Looking back, she loves that John insulted her because
  it gave her more air time, and a chance to address other
  investors’ and viewers’ concerns.

Nicki Radzely didn’t go on “Shark Tank” to make friends.

She knew she’d be pummeled with hard questions — and potentially
insults — about the product she was pitching, the Pop Pacifier.

Radzely is the cofounder of Doddle & Co, a company that
makes baby products, including pacifiers and teethers. The Pop
Pacifier is designed to stay clean because the nipple pops back
in every time it falls.

At the time, Doddle & Co was four months old, and Radzely was
asking for $250,000 in exchange for 5% of her company, meaning
she’d valued the business at $5 million.

Daymond John took the lead on questioning Radzely, about the
cost, her sales, and why she thought the company was worth $5
million.

When Spanx founder Sara Blakely and Mark Cuban proclaimed that
the product was a “hit” with parents, John jumped in and
announced that the product “sucks.” It was a pun, since the
product was a pacifier — but you would imagine that the comment
would sting nonetheless.

That wasn’t Radzely’s reaction. “I thought it was fantastic,” she
told Business Insider. Radzely also got a kick out of John
putting the pacifier in his mouth during the episode.

“I think he was giving me a wink through his comments and actions
to get us on air and to give some rise to our brand,” Radzely
said.

“He asked hard questions, which helped me prove to the other
investors that were sitting there that I could answer them, and
that there were no major flaws or gaps in our story.”

She added, “The questions that people were probably thinking,
sitting at home watching, he asked. So it gave me a moment to
clear that air.”

Ultimately, Radzely received multiple offers, including a joint
offer from Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx, and Lori Greiner.
Ultimately, Radzely opted to accept Kevin O’Leary’s offer:
$250,000 for 10% of the company.

Today, Doddle & Co has reached nearly $1 million in sales.

“I loved everything that [John] said and did,” Radzely said. “It
only helped us.”