Worthy Brands, founded by Paige Brattin, has an incredible story that began with a personal need. When her daughter, Eddie, was diagnosed with refractive amblyopia, Paige realized that current treatment options were lacking.
Amblyopia aka Lazy eye is a condition that can cause blindness in one eye. Existing eye patches were uncomfortable, unattractive, and difficult to get children to wear.
That’s why Paige created See Worthy Eye Patches. Designed with smart adhesive technology, fun patterns, and a comfortable fit, her patches made therapy easier for kids.
But what happened after her Shark Tank appearance? Let’s dive into her journey, step by step.
Paige just needs to Solve Personal Problem
The story begins with her own problem. Paige’s daughter needed an eye patch to treat her amblyopia, but the available options were uninspiring and uncomfortable.
On Shark Tank, Paige explained, “The existing patches on the market were uninspiring, uncomfortable, and really difficult to convince children to wear.” This motivated Paige to create a solution.
Her See Worthy Eye Patches featured a form-fitting design and medical-grade adhesive that didn’t irritate the skin, along with fun designs to make the patches more appealing for kids.
She needed a helping hand to Expand
Paige entered the Shark Tank with a specific goal. She sought $250,000 in exchange for 10% equity in her business. She aimed to use the investment to expand her product’s reach, improve distribution, and ultimately help more children.
She just did not need money, as Paige explains what she needed was someone who knew the business.
“I am looking more for the doors you can open than the money, to be honest”
With already impressive sales of $1.7 million over four years, Paige believed the Sharks could help her take the next big step for See Worthy.
During the pitch, Paige had to address the Sharks’ concerns about the market size and competition. While the product impressed them, they questioned whether the niche market of amblyopia treatment was big enough for an investment.
According to Paige every 1 of 45 children suffers from Amblyopia. It is 2 Million children alone in the US.
Her Vision was very clear
Paige explained her strategy. Her patches were not only more comfortable but also designed with fun, kid-friendly themes.
She shared her future plan to introduce licensing agreements with popular children’s characters, which would make the patches even more attractive to young patients.
“I also feel like licensing could do a great deal for this I have in my mind the iconic eyes like how great would it be to see a minion or Spider-Man or something like that”
She also described how she currently connects with doctors at pediatric ophthalmology conferences to get recommendations for her product.
“I go to one pediatric Opthalmology conference I meet with all the doctors and they suggest”
No Deal, But Valuable Lessons
Despite Paige’s compelling pitch and passion, the Sharks ultimately decided not to invest. Daymond John believed Paige could handle licensing on her own, while Mark Cuban thought she didn’t need a partner.
“Paige, I think you’ve got the best Partners already “me myself and I”. I think you’ve got it all under control I don’t think you need a partner and so for those reasons, I’m out – Mark Cuban”
Lori Greiner liked the product but didn’t feel it was the right fit for her portfolio. Paige left without a deal, but the Sharks provided valuable feedback and encouragement, reinforcing her belief in her product.
A Stronger Path Forward
Leaving the Shark Tank without a deal, Paige reflected on her journey. She realized that she didn’t necessarily need the Sharks to grow her business.
As they had pointed out, she was already doing well on her own. Paige also took pride in raising awareness about amblyopia through her appearance on the show, which she found just as important as increasing sales.
“I feel really confident about going forward alone based on the shark’s advice clearly if they think that I’m doing it well alone I should probably continue doing it that way”
Being Success after the Shark Tank
Although Paige didn’t get a deal, her Shark Tank appearance brought significant success. She said in an interview that within three days of the episode airing, her website saw a 10x increase in sales, and her Amazon listings also had a huge boost.
Paige also, revealed that “being on the show has opened tons of opportunities,” including new potential investors reaching out to her. She carefully vetted these opportunities, making sure they aligned with her vision.
In addition to the sales growth, Paige was excited about the awareness the show brought to amblyopia. Helping more parents and children understand the importance of early treatment was deeply meaningful to her.
Paige continued to expand her product line to include wound care and port patches, and she is still pursuing licensing deals to add popular characters to her eye patches.
