Season 16 of Shark Tank released episode 7, The Real Spirit of Togetherness, on Friday, December 13, 2024. The episode saw The Real Housewives of Atlanta alum Sanya Richards-Ross and her husband, NFL star, Aaron Ross, pitch their pajama and loungewear company, Coordinates, to the sharks.
Coordinates is a festive-themed loungewear business offering families matching sets to elevate everyday moments into lasting memories. Sanya and Ross asked for a $100,000 investment in exchange for 10% equity in their company.
Sanya and Ross' pitch and story immediately caught the attention of the investors. However, due to the competitive loungewear market, they backed out of making an offer. Robert Herjavec was the only shark who saw potential in their business and wished to sign a deal with them but, at the same time, encouraged the couple to revamp their brand.
Shark Tank fans were surprised by pro-athletes and media personalities, Sanya and Aaron's appearance on the show. They took to X to share their thoughts on the couple's Shark Tank debut.
"Love seeing @SanyaRichiRoss #Coordinates on #SharkTank I knew the Ross family would get here one day. Blessing it happened so fast. They work so hard, such a beautiful family," a fan wrote.
"Just watched Aaron Ross, yeah THAT Aaron Ross, UT legend, Jim Thorpe winner, and 2x Super Bowl Champ, get a deal on Shark Tank. What a world," another fan commented.
"Sanya Richards Ross and her husband made a loungewear company," a netizen tweeted.
Although Shark Tank fans were pleasantly surprised to see Sanya, they were unimpressed by their business idea.
"Matching holiday pajamas for the family. What a concept. Never seen that before," a user reacted.
"Sanya On Shark Tank," a person commented.
"WTF There's hundreds of pajamas you can buy for the whole family. Come on guys. Have entrepreneurs with a better mousetrap or a new idea," another fan wrote.
"Look at Sanya and her family on Shark Tank," one user posted.
One fan commented on Robert offering a deal to Sanya and Aaron.
"They got Robert. Damon tried to come back in at the end but they stuck with Robert. ELECTRIC," a person reacted.
"To me, you're almost like a startup" — Shark Tank's Robert Herjavec on Sanya and Aaron's business model
Olympic gold medalist Sanya and former NFL star Aaron appeared on season 16 of Shark Tank, hoping to convince at least one investor to sign a deal with them. During their demonstration, they detailed that Coordinates made high-quality loungewear, sleepwear, and lifestyle clothing for children and adults, priced between $22.30 to $80.12.
The company offered a Christmas collection, which included the 'Yo, Yo, Yo' and 'Black Santa' sets, commemorating hip-hop's 50th anniversary. Sanya also revealed that they had partnered with Team USA for the 2024 Olympics.
"We're the exclusive pajama and loungewear partners of Team USA. Through '28," she said.
Although the sharks appreciated their business idea, they were unimpressed by their brand name, which according to Mark Cuban, would always need an explanation for customers to understand what it meant.
Kevin O'Leary was the first investor to back out of making a deal, stating that the clothing business was not his strong suit. Mark and Lori echoed Kevin's sentiments and refused to make an offer.
Daymond John said Sanya and Aaron were unaware of their "IP value," claiming they were worth "millions of dollars." However, since Coordinates had only made $25,000 in sales, he backed out, stating that the business was "too early" for him. With Daymond's exit, Robert was the only investor left to make an offer.
Robert commended Sanya and Aaron's idea of covering the fabric with words of empowerment, like resilience, focus, dedication, and courage. He wondered why they had not used those ideas as their brand name since it would better reflect their stories.
Although he liked Sanya and Aaron's concept and commitment, he was worried about their sales. As a result, he offered $100,000 for 25% equity in their company.
"It's super early. To me, you're almost like a startup," he said.
Daymond tried to make a last-minute offer, but Coordinates ultimately finalized a deal with Robert at $100,000 in exchange for a 20% share of their company.
