Whatever Happened To Shower Toga After Shark Tank?
For a long time, doing a public clean up on the beach or somewhere similar would be an awkward endeavor to say the least. But those concerns are a thing of the past with the aid of the Shower Toga. The product is a curtain that covers your entire body, allowing users a handy solution to rinsing themselves without exposing themselves publicly.
The company was birthed during a troubling time in founder Kressa Preston's life. In 2013, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, crushing her normally chipper viewpoint of the world. While in recovery following her double mastectomy, Preston sought out new and riveting experiences to enhance her life. Her husband and son introduced her to the world of Spartan racing, an obstacle course-based challenge that involves trekking through mud and debris. While the activity was a perfect fit for her competitive nature, she disliked getting messy and using the crowded changing rooms afterwards. She at first tried placing a tablecloth over her body to clean herself but aimed to find an effective waterproof solution, which led to the creation of the Shower Toga.
Preston launched a Kickstarter campaign for the product in May 2017, which went on to make $14,735, slightly exceeding its $14,350 goal. A month into the company's official launch, she began reaching out in an effort to appear on "Shark Tank." Despite numerous rejections, the spirited entrepreneur didn't take no for an answer, eventually winning over the producers and finding a place on Season 10 of the long-running reality series.
What happened to Showe Toga on Shark Tank?
Kressa Preston hopes to receive $80,000 for 33% equity of Shower Toga. Her family demonstrates the Shower Toga's capabilities as her husband, dressed as the "Dirty Fairy," tosses mud at their two children. They each toss on a Shower Toga, undress, and clean themselves with ease, which manages to impress the sharks. Her son, Conner, also presents the Shower Toga's ability to be transformed into a duffle bag for dirty clothing.
The company has sold $80,000 worth, primarily selling them at the obstacle course races that the family attends. Each has a retail price of $34.95 and a wholesale price of $16, with a $2.85 cost per unit. Despite the impressive margins, the highly opinionated Kevin O'Leary believes that consumers can get the same use out of a $2 garbage bag. Preston and the other sharks argue against this notion, citing that users can more easily disrobe and step into the Shower Toga, especially women. Additionally, Preston shares how caregivers in retirement communities have also found the product useful in allowing their patients to undress privately. The business has recently received a purchase order from one of the largest racing companies for 1,000 units.
The family is currently residing in a fifth wheel trailer and traveling around to races to sell Shower Togas. One of Preston's goals is to aid in disaster relief efforts using her product. Robert Herjavec and Lori Greiner are in love with Preston and her mission, but don't see the brand as an investable effort at the moment. Mark Cuban and guest Shark Alli Webb offer to come in together at $80,000 for 40% of the business. Recognizing the value of having both investors on board, she takes the deal.
Shower Toga after Shark Tank
Kressa Preston's hard working nature and wholesome intent with Shower Toga left a good impression on both the sharks and "Shark Tank" viewers alike. Following her segment airing on March 3, 2019, she received a wealth of meaningful feedback from fans, stating in an interview with We Are Your Voice Magazine (via 2Paragraphs), "Mark Cuban and I both had hundreds of messages after 'Shark Tank' aired from college students in the LGBTQ community who reached out to say that Shower Toga was something they were going to use in the gym locker rooms. It just made me feel good to know that I came up with something that was actually helpful and made people feel good."
Shortly after her episode aired, Preston made an appearance on "The View" with Kevin O'Leary who, despite comparing her product to a garbage bag on "Shark Tank," was very complimentary of the company's success. Here, she also announced her newfound partnership with Spartan Race. Her ongoing mission to help those in need also continued as the COVID-19 pandemic ramped up across the country. The company donated $100,000 worth of Shower Togas to frontline healthcare workers who were working with COVID patients along with similar efforts for migrant children who were being held at the border.
Preston has had no shortage of good things to say about working with Mark Cuban, with the entrepreneur telling Starter Story, "Mark is so involved in Shower Toga. He is truly the best shark in my opinion and I talk with him weekly. He is not only an amazing mentor but he is an amazing person. I learned so much going through that entire process and although it was beyond tough the lessons learned were like gold!"
Is Shower Toga still in business?
Shower Toga continues to find new ways of expanding its product line. Its selection of items can be found on its website as well as retailers such as Amazon, Walmart, and Camping World. Along with the original Shower Toga size, the company has also introduced a plus-sized variation. In 2022, the team launched a Kickstarter for their newest complimentary product, the Shower TO-GO, a portable shower head attachment that can be added to any one or two liter water bottle. The campaign raised over $20,000 on a $4,500 goal and can now be bought on the website either on its own or as part of a bundle with the Shower Toga.
On Amazon, the original Shower Toga currently holds a 4.6 out of 5 star average rating based on 258 reviews. Users largely find the product to be easy to use and lightweight, making it a perfect companion for campers, beachgoers, or mud run racers. The business itself remains active across social media on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok, the latter of which has a collective 2.5 million likes.
What's next for Shower Toga?
While Kressa Preston's wholehearted mission for Shower Toga is part of what made the business so desirable on "Shark Tank," it has also been somewhat of a detriment to the company in recent years. The team has given back to various causes, but it has come at the cost of Preston not taking a salary, even long after her "Shark Tank" appearance. While acknowledging this, she hopes to keep up these efforts, telling Starter Story, "Giving back is very important to me. I have to say that as a small start-up company, giving back, to the extent that we do, is probably not the smartest financial move but I do my best to balance it. My goal is not to get rich. My goal is to grow my company and have security for my family, but more importantly, it is to make a difference in the lives of others."
Preston finally appears to be taking Mark Cuban's advice on "Shark Tank" and looking into rebranding the company. Its proposed new moniker will be Outdoor Adventure Solutions and Preston intends to introduce more outdoor hygiene products to its lineup. With that, her focus will continue going to aiding those in need, explaining to Starter Story, "Our five-year plan is more of the same: to expand the outdoor hygiene market, to get into disaster relief – I would love to get something going with Red Cross and FEMA – and to continue to educate people on what Shower Toga is and how it can help them." Additionally, she aims to keep the business' growth at a steady pace in an effort to not give away any more equity or take out loans.