Tommy The Real Elf came to Shark Tank in search of a solution to help him grow and scale his business while investing in new technology to expand his reach. Tommy was looking for a Shark willing to invest $125,000 in exchange for 25% equity in The Real Elf. He hoped to find a Shark who shares his love of holiday celebrations and will assist him in expanding his virtual presence and global reach.
Tommy the Real Elf’s Motivation
Tommy Holl is a person who plays the role of Elf. An elf is a mythical creature from mythology and Tommy came up with a business idea in 2012 when his friends told him that he is similar to Elf.
In 2013, he was diagnosed with cancer which occurs only in 1 in 2.5 million people. After he recovered, he made a promise to himself to spread love and launched The Real Elf in 2014.
Tommy attended several high-profile events. As a result, he made many celebrity friends and was featured in numerous media publications.
Barbara Corcoran’s Investment in The Real Elf
Although many of the Sharks admired his personality, they didn’t consider The Real Elf to be a profitable business. Fortunately, Barbara Corcoran liked Tommy so much and wanted him to succeed so much that she was willing to work out a deal with The Real Elf. Barbara landed Tommy $75,000 and invested $50,000 in cash, for a total investment of $125,000 in exchange for 25% ownership of his company. She also requested that he donate half of his sales to charities such as Imerman Angels. He quickly agreed and was thrilled to work with Barbara.
The Real Elf’s Post-Shark Tank Success
After this episode of Shark Tank aired, many people liked Tommy’s pitch and they also shared it on Twitter.
In November 2022, he appeared as an elf at the “900 North Michigan Avenue Bloomingdale’s” event. During November and December 2022, Tommy the Real Elf, appeared on the WGN Morning News, Living Dayton’s, and Today Show.
In Shark Tank, this business requested investment from sharks at a $500,000 valuation, but this business didn’t get investment at the asked valuation. The Real Elf was worth $375k. This is a profitable business during the holiday season. At the time of Christmas, this type of business can do from $15k to 50k in one month.
