UTAH PRIDE: These Utah Companies Struck Gold On Shark Tank!
Squatty Potty:
Bobby Edwards and his mother Judy Edwards came into the Shark Tank with a way to help you go #2. They ended up striking a deal with Lori for $350,000 for 10% of the company. The company was acquired for $31.1 million by Aterian, a publicly traded consumer products company in May of 2021. Lifetime, Squatty Potty has done OVER $250,000,000 in sales! Not too shabby for a little St. George company!
Cupbop:
A Korean BBQ restaurant that started out as a food truck in Salt Lake City walked into the Shark Tank and dazzled everyone with their food. They reached a deal with Mark Cuban for $1,000,000 for 5% of the company. Cupbop is now in over 45 locations in the USA and over 100 locations in Indonesia.
Mission Belt:
Entrepreneur Nathan Holzapfel started Mission Belt in 2012. A belt with no holes. A zip-tie style belt. It was probably based on the weight fluctuations someone would experience while serving their LDS Mission. $1 from each sale was going to fund Kiva.com to people battling hunger all over the world. Nathan partnered with Daymond for $50,000 for 37.5% of the company. Mission Belt went on to sale $180,000 the night the episode aired and over $1,000,000 that month. However in 2021, Nathan was arrested and charged with two counts of fraud. Apparently, he tricked a woman he was dating to sign her house over to a company he owned, then sold the house without telling her to pay off debts. THEN he defrauded another girlfriend out of $50,000, then sold her car and AR15 without giving her the money. Then in January of 2022, a THIRD victim came forward after Nathan persuaded her to write him a check for $100,000 to invest in a business. He took that money and spent it on other things. NOW, he's been charged with more fraud and multiple counts of sexual abuse. MY GOODNESS!
Fiber Fix:
Fiber Fix is a "Super Tape" that is 100x stronger than Duct Tape! It's a combination of duct tape and epoxy with ZERO MESS! It's heat-resistant, cold-resistant, and non-toxic. It can fix a bike, and even pipes in your house. Lori bought in to Fiber Fix for $120,000 for 12% equity. Fiber Fix did $40,000,000 in sales in the 4 years since airing, in 2012. The current value of Fiber Fix is unknown.
Enso Rings:
Enso Rings are wedding rings that have the ability to break away under pressure to save your fingers from being torn off in accidents. Built for people that work out, CrossFit, firefighters, police, construction, etc. They accepted Robert's offer of $500,000 for 15% equity of the company. They've now done over $23,000,000 in sales!
PowerPot:
One of the most interesting Shark Tank products also came from Utah: PowerPot. PowerPot works as a cooking pot, but with its built-in thermoelectric technology. It has the ability to charge phones and other electric devices. They were able to get Mark Cuban for $250,000 for 12% plus 3% in advisory options and a seat on the Board of Directors. In 2020, the company that created PowerPot, Power Practical, was bought by Thrasio for an unknown amount. Today, the PowerPot is nowhere to be found.
Kisstixx:
Kisstixx is a lip balm all about creating chemistry within every kiss. One person wears one flavor, while the other person wears a different, complimenting flavor, so when you kiss you get an explosion of flavors. They accepted Marks offer of $200,000 for 40% of the company. Kisstixx was in K-Mart, Harmon's, Kroger, and Walgreens... and Now, sadly, they are nowhere to be found.
PhoneSoap:
Wesley Laporte and Dan Barnes stepped into the Shark Tank with PhoneSoap, a device that allows you to charge your phone while also sanitizing the phone with UV light. They accepted Lori's deal of $300,000 for 10% equity. Today, PhoneSoap has ANNUAL revenue of $13,500,000! WOW!
Chapul Energy Bars:
Chapul Cricket Energy Bars was a very unique idea on Shark Tank. It's an energy bar with an incredibly sustainable source... CRICKETS ground into a flour. Apparently, Crickets are extremely high in protein. The founder, Pat Crowley struck a deal with Mark for $50,000 for 15% equity. Chapul Bars were making an annual income of $1,500,000! But, today, you cannot find any Chapul bars anywhere, after their packaging company went belly-up.
Utah Sucks! (if you're thinking of moving here)
Utah is having a HUGE influx of move-ins and if you're considering moving in... let me tell you why you DO NOT want to move to Utah!
1. EVERYONE is required to donate 10% of their income to the Mormon church.
When you cross the border into Utah, you fill out paperwork and sign that 10% of your income will be donated to the Mormon church. That's why our roads are so nice.
2. If you are a man, you will be set up on blind dates to find your NEXT wife.
Obviously, here in Utah, we do the multiple wives thing (better chance of getting to heaven). You have the choice of 'Picnic Date', 'Scripture Reading At The Temple Date', and 'Scripture Scavenger Hunt Date'.
3. Abstinence Control.
Man or woman, you will be REQUIRED to wear a chastity belt. The mayor of your city holds your key, and it is given to you the night of your wedding with a HUGE Key-Giving Ceremony.
4. Casserole Clinic:
You're required by law to take your Casserole Clinic classes at the local Recreation Center within 30 days of moving into the state. You'll learn how to make Green Bean Casserole, a delightful Chicken Broccoli Bake, and WORLD FAMOUS Funeral Potatoes.
5. Utah VERY SIMPLE Beverage Laws:
Crystal-clear right?
So, if you're thinking of moving to Southern Utah... Think twice! Things aren't always what they seem!
Things St. George Needs Changed NOW... If I Were The Mayor!
Everyone has their own ideas of what would make Southern Utah a better place to live. We all have our ideas, right? Maybe it's things to make life easier, better, or less expensive. These are MY ideas of what I would change if I was the Mayor of St. George, Utah!
1. Buildings Taller Than The Temple:
Apparently, St. George has some law that buildings in town cannot be taller than the St. George LDS Temple. That's pretty strange, especially because the Temple isn't really THAT tall. But Imagine the affordable housing we could have if we could have buildings that were 7, 8 or 9 stories tall!
2. Public Transportation Trains:
We have the SunTran, but NO THANKS! I've never been on it, but it seems dirty and slow. But, what about a train? A quick one that could get you from Washington to Santa Clara in 10 minutes? Or Ivins to Little Valley in 10 minutes? That would be awesome, especially on Saturdays when the traffic is harsh.
3. BIG CONCERTS:
St. George, Utah has over 100,000 people here! That doesn't include Cedar City, Hurricane, Ivins, Santa Clara, or Mesquite! It's complete BS that we aren't able to get BIG concerts in St. George. It's especially crazy because we are RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE of Las Vegas and Salt Lake City. Huge groups are passing through town almost everyday. In 2021, Missoula, Montana had Guns N' Roses play in their city. Missoula was a population of 75,000 people. That's 25,000 less than St. George. LET'S MAKE THIS HAPPEN!
4. SLIDE THE CITY DAY:
HOW COOL WOULD IT BE?! One Day EACH MONTH in the summer, we shut down a street and we slip n' slide down the city! The kids would LOVE IT! I'd vote for me!
What city things would YOU love to see changed or brought in? Let's make it happen!
BLOCKBUSTER Movie Filmed In St. George AND IT'S GORGEOUS!
Have you ever heard of the 1979 BLOCKBUSTER The Electric Horseman? Did you know it was shot ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY in St. George and surrounding areas? It's an incredible blast from the past if you grew up in St. George! It feels so familiar to watch. If you haven't seen The Electric Horseman it is currently streaming on Netflix!
A quick synopsis of the movie:
Robert Redford plays a retired 5x rodeo champion, Sonny Steele. He's now the face of a cereal brand with a $12,000,000 horse named Rising Star. When he finds out the horse is mistreated in Las Vegas, he rides away on the horse and heads for St. George, Utah. Sonny turns into a fugitive on the run. A tv reporter played by Jane Fonda finds Sonny and Rising Star in St. George and helps Sonny with his plan: Releasing Rising Star with wild mustangs.
Here are some of the AMAZING photos of old St. George!
The first scene of the movie features a football game at THIS stadium. Anyone recognize this place? That's the Dixie SunBowl!
Sonny has stolen Rising Star and they're out somewhere in Washington on the banks of the Virgin River!
Jane Fonda's Character, Hallie catches up with Sonny and Rising Star. I'm trying to put my finger on where this is. It looks like it's up near the Sugar Loaf aka Dixie Rock, somewhere in that area. You can see the mountains to the West AND Pine Valley to the North.
The police are now on the search in Washington! This shot is on Telegraph and Main Street. The empty field to the left is NOW the old Nisson's Store.
If you look down to the left, you can see the old Burger Place!
We're now on Main Street and Tabernacle! Dixie State Bank on the left is now the Main Street Plaza Parking Garage! Jolley's Western Wear is on the left. This intersection is currently a roundabout.
Hallie stepping out of her car on St. George Boulevard. You can see Dixie Realtors in the background which is where the Ocean Buffet is now.
This shot is looking East on St. George Boulevard.
There's the Sugar Loaf Cafe that was once The Gable House, Godfather's Pizza, and now Cafe Sabor.
They're on the road headed north from Bluff Street to Veyo!
Back on Main Street and Tabernacle, the police have spotted Sonny and Rising Star and a police chase is about the ensue!
This field is now the Wells Fargo on Main Street and Tabernacle, across from the Splash Bad.
There's the Tabernacle in the background during the police chase!
Hey! There's the D on the hill!
These houses are still standing, but I'm having a hard time placing exactly where they're located!
It appears they've now started shooting in Washington during this police chase!
They've escaped the police! But now they're at a small little lake or reservoir, and I'm not sure where it is. But it looks like it's in Ivins. Is it the Ivins Reservoir? You can see Kayenta in the background!
Enter Willford Brimley! This is only the 2nd movie he was ever in, and he's a farmer that helps save Sonny, Hallie, and Rising Star. He's driving a Kay A. Bundy truck!
This is definitely Snow Canyon! Right?
One of the prettiest shots in the entire film, a private jet flying into the OLD St. George Airport on the hill!
Sonny is ready to release Rising Star with the Wild Mustangs, and he's definitely up near Zion. Springdale? Rockville?
Sonny and Hallie are now set to go their separate ways and they're having lunch at Dick's Cafe which is now gone. Currently Golden West Credit Union is on that location (Across the Boulevard from Angelica's)
Sonny is headed out on his own on St. George Boulevard. The building on the right is the building where Steamroller Copies, Lazer Mania and down a bit is Urban Renewal.
Sonny is actually walking BACK to St. George in this shot, but he's on the highway between here and Veyo!
I hope you enjoyed this! It was so much fun to watch. They mention St. George a ton, Mesquite, Marysvale and Richfield. It's currently streaming on Netflix! Go watch it for yourself, besides seeing St. George a lot, it was an awesome story!
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