“It was the biggest rush of adrenaline,” he says. “The first drop was the hardest, figuring out how to work a website, print a shipping label, all of it felt so foreign.
Ikaika needed to measure, cut, grind, and bend more than 200 spoons and forks into custom sized rings and had yet to figure out how to collect sizes on the website, so had to email each customer individually. “My dad had a heart attack and open heart surgery in February of 2016, then a few months later my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer,” he says.
Unsuccessful but undeterred, he searched their home high and low for account numbers and convinced a family friend to join him at the bank to vouch for his intentions.“On my drive home from the bank, I was overwhelmed and found myself crying alone in my car. A lot of people dream of one day being able to take care of their parents in a way they've taken care of them.
In true ‘Tank’ style, some sharks bit, others didn’t, and after fierce negotiations Ikaika left with the full quarter-mil and 15% of his brand in the hands of Mr. Wonderful himself, Kevin O’ Leary.
TristenIkaika What an amazing story, Tristen! Keep it up dude!
Maybe you're onto something knucklesohp 🤔
What a concept.