Branding and content for capital raisers

Kevin Harrington on Building a Brand, Deal Flow and Celsius

Exclusive Centimillionaire Fireside Chat with Kevin Harrington (Original 'Shark Tank' Investor)

Founders, investors and capital raisers who want to attract deal flow by building a personal brand and picking distinctive products.

What to take from this talk

1. Sell the asset, not just the product. Kevin says his team built businesses to 200 million and then moved on to the next one. He points to Proactiv, sold to Nestle for $2 billion, as the kind of exit they missed.
2. Watch where customers are moving. About 10 years ago Kevin saw TV viewership and As Seen on TV.com sales falling. He sold the company to a public company and shifted toward digital marketing.
3. Back products that are unique. Kevin says he invested in Celsius because, as he describes it, studies pointed to each can burning 140 calories. He asks whether a product does something no other product in the market does, and says Red Bull and Monster do not.
4. Build your own brand. Richard Branson told Kevin he had built brands for others but not his own. Kevin then wrote nine books, created content and assembled what he calls a dream team of experts.
5. Become a key person of influence. Kevin used 185 podcasts to promote a book that reached number two on the Wall Street Journal best-seller list. He says this brought thousands of inquiries and deal flow. He also suggests a 45-page booklet as a lead magnet.

Summary

Kevin Harrington, an original Shark Tank investor, says he financed over a thousand projects across 20 plus years at a pace of 50 a year. He built As Seen on TV into a public company on the New York Stock Exchange, then sold it when television viewership started to fall. Richard C. Wilson interviews him at a live event about what he would do differently.

The talk then turns to his first investment after the sale, Celsius, which grew through influencer marketing instead of TV ads. Kevin also describes advice from Richard Branson to build his own brand. He explains how books, podcasts and a short lead magnet booklet bring in inbound deal flow, and why he backs products that are unique.

Key facts

• Kevin says his team did 50 projects a year for 20 plus years, which he puts at over a thousand projects financed.
• Kevin has written nine books, and one reached number two on the Wall Street Journal best-seller list after 185 podcasts.
• Kevin runs a Spend a Day with the Shark incubator once a month, bringing in 10 to 12 entrepreneurs.

General education only. Not legal, tax or investment advice.

Talk to a securities attorney to explore options around equity partnership terms, influencer marketing rules and product claim compliance. Do not use AI to write your own legal agreements.

Said on the call

Related questions

• How do I close a funding round?I close a funding round by focusing on investors who fit the opportunity and moving each interested prospect through clear, consistent follow-up.
• What documents do investors request during due diligence?Prepare a clear, organized package covering your operations, investments, compensation, team, and track record.
• How do I raise capital for my business?I raise capital by building a repeatable system for attracting the right investors, establishing credibility, and developing relationships before asking for money.

Questions about this video

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