Here's What Went Down With Raising Wild Swimwear After Shark Tank
Growing up in Florida, Raising Wild founders Kara Haught and Rachelle "Shelly" Hyde considered swimsuits a wardrobe essential. "We wore our swimsuits year-round and everywhere we went. We wore them to bed, to the movies, to pick up friends on the riding lawnmower. Wearing a swimsuit meant we were ready for anything," they explained on their Raising Wild blog. And because they basically lived in their swimwear, they knew they needed pieces that were durable and practical at the same time.
"My sister and I started Raising Wild to put an end to the swimsuit struggle — the struggle of finding a suit that makes you feel beautiful, stylish, confident, and that allows you to actually move without everything falling out," Hyde explained to Fashion United. She shared they needed fashionable and functional swimwear more than ever after becoming moms. "We go back and back to our pattern makers to make sure our suits have enough length in the body and a big enough booty so you can stay covered up and comfortable," Hyde told PopSugar of what makes their pieces unique. "We make sure the finishing around the legs has a snug hold without cutting into you. We've also taken into account that our skin isn't as tight as used to be, so we want fabric that holds everything in." The two began seeing success with their swim company, but they knew they'd need some help to scale the business. So, in 2016, they turned to the experts at "Shark Tank."
Raising Wild's founders gave away 50% of the business in the Tank
Kara Haught and Shelly Hyde made quite the impression on "Shark Tank" back in 2016 when they appeared on Season 8 of the ABC show. Haught and Hyde strut into the Tank alongside their sisters wearing swimsuits from their line, asking the Sharks (Mark Cuban, Barbara Corcoran, Kevin O'Leary, Lori Greiner, and Robert Herjavec) for $100,000 for a 20% stake in their company.
Though the Sharks were turned off after they explained how much the suits retail for, they warmed up after the sisters shared they'd made $130,000 in sales through social media advertising. However, things started to unravel once the Sharks realized the sisters didn't have an explicit plan for scaling the company.
And so, each potential investor dropped out one by one, except Corcoran, who wasn't ready to give up on them. The entrepreneur asked the duo to convince her that they really would put their all into the company if she gave them the $100,000 they were looking for. One sister then replied by sharing that one of their sons was diagnosed with ADHD. The two then explained that the diagnosis taught them the importance of hard work and long hours dedicated to a specific cause. With that, Corcoran offered the $100,000 they needed, on the condition that she'd get 51% of the company and that the duo would have to sell their products for under $100. The two counter offered at 35%, but ultimately ended up settling on a 50/50 deal.
Barbara Corcoran was super dedicated to helping Raising Wild in the wake of her investment
After appearing on "Shark Tank," Barbara Corcoran really took Kara Haught and Shelly Hyde under her wing to make Raising Wild a success. "Barbara is an incredible mentor," Haught told PopSugar in June 2017, revealing that Corcoran had invited them to a retreat at her home where they met other entrepreneurs she was in business with. And while they may have given away half of their company to get Corcoran on board, Haught added that the businesswoman was still letting them call the shots in their company. "She doesn't insert herself when it's not appropriate, but anytime we need advice or have a question, her team is more than willing to help and guide us," she shared.
And Corcoran — who also invested in swimwear brand Mix Bikini on "Shark Tank" – made it very clear that she was doing all she could. In July 2017, she took to Facebook to share a photo of herself standing alongside the sisters while wearing a bright yellow Raising Wild swimsuit alongside the caption, "Been in my Raising Wild Swim suits all summer long!" And the trio's hard work getting the word out there clearly paid off. Business Insider reported that the company had brought in $400,000 of sales in the eight months since their "Shark Tank" episode aired.
Raising Wild is still in business in 2024
As of January 2024 — eight years after appearing on "Shark Tank" — Raising Wild is still in the swimsuit business. The company has quite the selection of different swimsuits available via its website, including kids swimwear and even matching swimsuits for moms and their children. The business has also expanded into cover-ups and accessories, like sunglasses and sandals. However, it's worth noting the company hasn't updated its Instagram grid or Facebook page since June 2023.
During a 2019 appearance on "The Nitty Gritty Podcast," Hyde opened up about her and Haught's relationship with Corcoran had developed since they made the deal in the Tank and how she'd continued to help the business move forward. "I feel like our relationship with Barbara is constantly evolving and, from the time we left the Tank, it's changed and it's become different through the whole, through the years," she shared. Hyde noted how there were times Corcoran was super involved in the business, but she'd become a little less involved over the years. "Right now we're really very independent from [Barbara Corcoran Holdings LLC]," she said. "We made sure in our arrangement with her was that we kept control creative control over everything with the business and so that's been that's been really important for us." Haught added that they didn't speak to Corcoran personally a whole lot anymore, but were in regular contact with her team.
Raising Wild's founders know how to balance business and family life
So, what's next for Raising Wild? It seems the company is still going strong when it comes to selling products, while its founders are also focused on a happy family life. Kara Haught and Shelly Hyde both give fans updates on their lives via their Instagram accounts, but don't seem to speak too much about their business on their socials. Haught shared an adorable update in December 2023 that showed off how she spend the Holidays with her nearest and dearest, while one of Hyde's most recent posts came in November 2022 when she celebrated her daughter's birthday.
When it comes to business though, it seems like Haught knows how to keep Raising Wild expanding. She previously told FashionUnited, "It's such a big and fast moving market and it can get really discouraging. The best thing we can remind ourselves to do is to just put our blinders on and focus on who we are as people, the brand and what we want Raising Wild to represent.