"Example to other entrepreneurs" When Robert Herjavec invested in Bouqs Company years after its Shark Tank pitch

In 2014, John Tabis walked onto the Shark Tank stage with a simple yet revolutionary idea: deliver farm-fresh flowers directly to customers with transparent pricing and no hidden fees. Despite a polished pitch, all five Sharks turned him down. What happened next would become one of the show's most remarkable success stories.

Three years after appearing on the show, The Bouqs had grown from $700,000 to an astounding $88 million in sales. Tabis said during a 2022 "Shark Tank: How It's Going" update:

"I hope that I can serve as an example to other entrepreneurs,"

Advising others, "to never, ever give up." His persistence paid off in more ways than one – not only did his company thrive without Shark investment, but eventually Robert Herjavec, who initially rejected the deal, became an investor after experiencing The Bouqs' service firsthand. This unlikely turnaround showcases how even rejection on national television can become the beginning of an extraordinary entrepreneurial journey.

Bouqs Company’s Shark Tank pitch and Robert Herjavec’s investment

When Tabis appeared on Season 5 of Shark Tank, he described The Bouqs as "the most genuine online floral solution." His pitch highlighted three main pain points in the flower industry: bait-and-switch pricing, disappointing products that didn't match online photos, and middlemen that reduced freshness.

The Bouqs' solution was straightforward: $40 bouquets with free shipping, no hidden fees, and flowers shipped directly from sustainable farms in Ecuador, Canada, Colombia, California, Maryland, Ohio, and Washington. Tabis also mentioned a concierge service where customers could schedule deliveries for an entire year.

Despite these innovations, Tabis' ask of $258,000 for just 3% equity raised shark eyebrows. Mark Cuban didn't want to be part of a seed fund. Lori Greiner worried competitors could easily copy the model. Barbara Corcoran simply disliked the name. Robert Herjavec balked at the tiny equity offer, while Kevin O'Leary complained about the six-day shipping time.

The story took a surprising turn in 2016 when Robert Herjavec was planning his wedding to "Dancing With the Stars" partner, Kym Johnson.

Tabis recalled the unexpected phone call at 2:59 p.m. one April afternoon:

"He called me randomly,"

Herjavec wasn't calling to express regret about passing on the investment. Instead, he wanted The Bouqs to handle his wedding flowers.

The reason? Cost.

"We originally had a quote for wedding flowers and it blew my mind how expensive they were," Herjavec explained.

Declaring:

"It just didn't make any sense to me."

This wedding collaboration gave Herjavec an inside look at The Bouqs' operations.

"He had the opportunity to see how the sausage is made, how the business works, and that's what got him excited about becoming an investor," said Tabis.

How did Bouqs Company fare after Shark Tank?

After his Shark Tank rejection, Tabis refused to give up. The company raised $1.7 million in seed funding and continued growing at an impressive pace.

By expanding from gifting into the wedding flower market, The Bouqs found another avenue for growth. Their wedding packages started around $499 – potentially saving couples up to 80% compared to traditional florists charging $2,000 or more.

What impressed Herjavec most was The Bouqs' farm-to-table approach that eliminated middlemen. He said, comparing it to "the Dell model of flowers, direct to consumer":

"To me, they are less of a flower service and more of a customer service and logistics company."

The company's trajectory continued upward. By 2020, The Bouqs secured another $30 million in strategic growth investment from Japanese company Yamasa to enter Japan's $7 billion flower market.

By 2021, almost a decade after founding, Tabis estimated The Bouqs had delivered 140 million flowers worldwide. The company had disrupted the global flower industry – valued at approximately $70 billion annually – exactly as Tabis had envisioned.

Mark Cuban would later admit to ABC News in 2017:

"That's the one I regret not doing, 'cause that's a deal I would've loved."

Despite the initial rejection, Tabis maintains that just appearing on Shark Tank was invaluable. After the episode aired, the company secured a $6 million Series A round led by Azure Capital Partners, followed by a $12 million Series B round.

"Shark Tank is the gift that keeps giving," declared Tabis.

The Bouqs story serves as a powerful reminder that rejection – even on national television – doesn't determine a company's fate. Sometimes, it simply sets the stage for an even more compelling success story, one that ultimately brought a shark back to the table on the entrepreneur's terms.

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Watch the latest episode of Shark Tank on ABC every Friday at 8 PM ET, with streaming available on Hulu.