Whatever Happened To The Transformation Factory After Shark Tank?
Alexiou Gibson's efforts to lead a healthy life ultimately helped birthed a multimillion-dollar business. His company, Transformation Factory, produces specially-crafted edible gels made from sea moss. The mineral-rich plant is beginning to have legs in the health food marketplace, as studies have proven its abilities in digestion and weight loss assistance. Gibson hopes this implementation can help change the lives of countless individuals, just as it did for his own.
At the age of 21, the Bahama native weighed over 500 pounds. His body was so out of shape that it was said he wouldn't live to see his 30th birthday. Motivated by the alarming diagnosis, he set about exercising six hours a day and eating right. In performing the latter, he began incorporating more sea moss into his diet. He would also share the sea moss with his grandmother to aid in her health by mixing it into her lattes. He shared this daily ritual on his Instagram stories, which soon got the attention of nurses who felt they could use it during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gibson allowed them to have it for free, and as orders increased from people outside the medical field, he decided to transform it into a business.
Thanks to continued positive word-of-mouth and focused ads, Transformation Factory gained fast traction with an 800% growth within one month of operation. Gibson had already made some pretty big strides, and he knew it was time to kick things up a notch.
The sharks fell in love with Gibson's story
Appearing in the Season 13 finale of "Shark Tank," Alexiou Gibson came seeking an investment of $500,000 for a 5% stake in Transformation Factory. While that's a high ask for most entrepreneurs, Gibson is one of the few who has the fast-growing success to back him up.
It doesn't take much for the sharks to fall in love with Gibson. They are amazed by his inspiring story and also enjoy the product with the samples provided. But that's nothing compared to his numbers. Having only started the business 11 months prior to his "Shark Tank" appearance, the company has brought in $3.5 million. On top of that, they are making a good amount back on their revenue, with 35% margins equating to $1.4 million in profits. The business is also free of debt, loans, or other investors. What Gibson hopes with the investment is to fund a larger space to produce their products so they can be sold at retail stores.
Mark Cuban believes the equity should be bigger since the company is not struggling financially. Gibson cares more about a quality strategic partner and is flexible on the equity stake. At first, guest shark Kevin Hart and Barbara Corcoran offer $500,000 for 20%. Gibson negotiates for more cash and Hart decides to partner with Mark Cuban, with the two offering $600,000 for 20%. Gibson accepts and a deal is made. Unsurprisingly, this dream team of businesspeople helped Transformation Factory soar.
Transformation Factory is giving back to the community
Even before appearing on "Shark Tank," the Transformation Factory was seeing rapid growth. Now with the resources of both Mark Cuban and Kevin Hart helping fuel Alexiou Gibson's vision, the entrepreneur was not only able to build his business but also give back to the community.
His deal on the show was a happy occasion for Gibson. He invited over 100 friends and family members to the Mayacoo Lakes Country Club in West Palm Beach, Florida to watch his episode, with many of them in tears after seeing him land the deal. The Transformation Factory experienced the "Shark Tank" effect, making the amount it would normally sell in a month in only one day. The month following the episode, the company hit one of its major goals of moving into a larger space. On Facebook, he revealed the new 12,000-square-foot facility. The space allowed the business to triple its team size and fulfill orders quicker. At this point, Transformation Factory had gained 30,000 orders and was working around the clock to get them done.
With the newfound resources, Gibson wanted to provide opportunities for others to enter the business world. "I'm passionate about working with people that may not have the best environment and they need someone like me that's like positive and say, 'Hey, you can do this and let's work on this together,'" Gibson said in an interview with WPBF News. Working alongside Riviera Beach City Councilman Douglas Lawson, Gibson developed a summer internship program designed to help students learn about the world of e-commerce and business.
Is Transformation Factory still in business?
Transformation Factory continues to shine. Through the company's many endeavors, it has not only expanded its offerings but also continues making efforts to empower and bring awareness to the community.
Since their time on "Shark Tank," the company's product line has gone on to include ocean harvested raw sea moss and sea moss capsules. The reviews on its items are overwhelmingly positive, with one of the many five-star reviews stating, "I just can't get over how good I have felt since I started taking this sea moss ... I just really can't say enough good things about this company." At the moment, it seems that Transformation Factory is still only selling direct-to-consumer through its website. But given their stellar track record, it's only a matter of time before we start seeing their products in major retailers.
Transformation Factory has been featured on several outlets, including CNBC, Yahoo Finance, ABC, Afro Tech, Essence, and too many podcasts to count. The company's social media accounts, especially Instagram and TikTok, remain active with several individuals featured as sponsors for the brand. It also uses its platforms to highlight Black leaders and innovators making strides within the business world. Sales are estimated to be around $4 million while net worth is approximately $3.85 million. Even with these impressive steps forward, Transformation Factory is continuing to find ways to level up.
What's next for Transformation Factory?
The future is looking bright for Alexiou Gibson and the Transformation Factory. Recently, Gibson shared that he would be featured in the Future Billionaires edition of Forbes, coming out in mid-August 2023. The entrepreneur showed himself preparing for the photoshoot on an Instagram video. He also continues to speak at events, such as being a commencement speaker for the 2023 graduating class of Palm Beach State College.
Even after all of Transformation Factory's accomplishments, however, there are still areas that Gibson wants the business to break into. In an interview with Shoppe Black, he shared that Amazon was preparing to meet with the company due to customer demand for their products to be available on the site. Currently, while there are many similar sea moss brands available on Amazon, Transformation Factory's acclaimed lineup still seems to be missing, which will hopefully change soon.
Ultimately, Gibson sees the business expanding far beyond its perceived purpose. Given that Transformation Factory was built off of Gibson's own self-improvement journey, his end goal is to build a strong community of like-minded individuals who want to unlock their potential. When asked where he sees the business five years in the future, Gibson stated that he anticipates adding other natural products such as herbs to their lineup as well as expanding to podcasting and further educational efforts. "The Transformation Factory is so much bigger than sea moss gel, it's just our first jab, it's not the knockout, it's not the right hook," he explained.
It may take some time to reach these goals, but there's no doubt that Gibson and company are on the right track.