A Proud Grandma’s Perspective on the Shark Tank Taping Experience

By Sandy Peyser
Posted Mar 18, 2019 News

Last May, while watching television, my attention was drawn to a commercial encouraging people to try out for Shark Tank. I immediately contacted my daughter, Jamie (CertifiKID Founder & CEO), with the information. Little did I know back then how that commercial was going to impact all of our lives!

When Jamie got back to us a few days later explaining her phone conversation with a Shark Tank producer, I was excited and really thought this was going to be a quick, easy process. Looking back, that was a joke!

The phone calls, text messages, and emails started pouring in. Brian (Jamie’s husband and CertifiKID’s President), was constantly asking Gary (my husband and CertifiKID’s CFO) for more and more information about the financial aspects of the business. Gary spent hours collecting information and analyzing it all with Brian. The CFO was getting stressed out (especially when it started to affect his Red Sox-watching and poker schedule)!

Jamie sent several versions of the application video they had created for our opinion. I remember having mixed emotions. First, I knew she had a great and successful business, but I guess I never focused on the bottom-line…money! This great “idea” had developed into a major and extremely profitable “business”. Even after reading articles in the paper about her accomplishments and watching the business grow, the video blew my mind! Not only was it informative, but also exciting to watch (which I did repeatedly). I felt so proud of both Jamie and Brian, and at that point, realized they had an excellent chance of getting on the show.

During the summer months, I asked constantly for updates. The fact that I couldn’t tell friends and family what was going on was literally driving me crazy! When we finally got word that we were going to LA, I really thought the end was near.

While in LA, the entire experience was exciting, tiring, and nerve-racking. The kids were so good and probably had more patience than the adults! The day we were scheduled to go on the show was never ending. We all felt Brian’s and Jamie’s jitters and Brian kept peppering Gary with questions about numbers as he wanted to make sure he had an accurate and compelling answer to every question!

Sandy with Her Daughter, Jamie, CerifiKID Founder & CEO

It was fun that they gave us a trailer where we could get ready in and relax.

When the kids were done being tutored, which was hysterical to watch, we practiced our skit, which was so fun and hilarious! Noah and Lila were the leaders of the pack and we all needed to practice several times to get it perfected. Noah was struggling at first with what we had to do and it was making him very nervous, but he (and everyone) stepped up to the plate and did an outstanding job!

The rest of the day was a serious blur. Seeing the Sharks in person was awesome! When it was our time to go out, watching them hysterically laugh calmed me down! After our schtick, we had to go back to the trailer and wait. We waited an excruciatingly long time for Jamie and Brian to come back! We all were so nervous not knowing what was happening. When they finally returned to the trailer, I remember feeling confused since their facial reactions were that of being shell shocked! Gary, on the other hand, said he just felt relieved! I’ll stop here and let you see for yourself what happens at this point…

Sandy and Gary (CertifiKID CFO)

Exhausted from the crazy day, we ate a very late dinner and crashed at our hotel. The next day, Jamie, Brian and the kids flew home, but we finished our time away in Santa Barbara, enjoying great weather and good food. Throughout our stay, we reflected on the past three months and what had transpired. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience that we will never forget. 

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