Shark Tank Season 17, Episode 5

Nov 5, 2025 · Poppi's Allison Ellsworth Returns as a Shark and Makes Her First Deal on Olives

On the panel: Daymond John, Allison Ellsworth, Robert Herjavec, Lori Greiner, Kevin O'Leary

Who Got a Deal on Shark Tank Season 17, Episode 5

Recap

The Verdict

A former contestant sat in a shark's chair for the first time, a $7 million labor-gown business got zero offers, and Daymond John re-entered a pitch he'd left to beat a guest shark's terms.

Billed as 'History is Made,' this episode put Allison Ellsworth, the Poppi co-founder who once pitched in the Tank herself, on the other side of the table as a guest shark. She wasted no time, landing her first deal in the opening pitch and shaping the negotiation in the last one.

Nikki Seaman's Freestyle Snacks, liquid-free pouches of marinated olives already in about 4,500 stores including Whole Foods and Target, drew Kevin O'Leary's usual warning about a brutally competitive category. Allison answered with her own experience fending off Poppi copycats and offered $300,000 for 15%. A haggle down through 12% and 10% ended at 11%. The night's surprise was Lila, Caitlyn Schollmeier's labor-and-delivery gown business with $7 million in lifetime sales, which got no offers at all as the sharks worried about retail expansion and a 200-SKU catalog.

Lisa Li's The Qi, ceremonial whole-flower teas, won Daymond John over with a personal story and a color-changing demo, closing at $200,000 for 20%. Then came Warrior Kid Medic, a $15 emergency-training bandana kit from firefighter and paramedic Dustin Titzman and his wife Michelle of San Antonio. Allison offered $50,000 for 30%; when Dustin's 15% counter was declined, Daymond, who had already gone out, jumped back in at 20% and the Titzmans accepted on the spot.

Pitch by Pitch

Freestyle SnacksFreestyle SnacksFood & Beverage
Deal

Asked $300,000 for 5% · Deal $300,000 for 11% with Allison Ellsworth

Nikki Seaman of Atlanta pitched Freestyle Snacks, liquid-free pouches of marinated olives and pickles in restaurant-style flavors like Lemon Garlic and Hot & Spicy. A former Bain consultant, she came up with the idea during the pandemic when olive bars closed and jarred olives felt messy. Sales had climbed from $200,000 in 2022 to $2.2 million in 2024, with $4 to $5 million projected for 2025 and placement in about 4,500 stores. Robert Herjavec went out because he dislikes olives, Kevin O'Leary called it a clever plan for a brutally competitive market with nothing proprietary, Lori Greiner wanted more equity than she thought Nikki would give, and Daymond John said his offer would be too low. Allison Ellsworth offered $300,000 for 15%. Nikki countered at 8%, Allison moved to 12%, Nikki asked for 10%, and they settled at 11%.

Best Moment
“Allison rebutted Kevin's copycat worry with her own story: despite knock-offs of Poppi, customers kept choosing the original for its quality and packaging, proof that strong branding can win even with imitators.”
Interested
Allison Ellsworth
Out
Robert Herjavec, Kevin O'Leary, Lori Greiner, Daymond John

Where they are now:Thriving$4.5M revenueFull update →

Food & Beverage companies have a 61% deal rate on Shark Tank

LilaLilaHealth & Wellness
No Deal

Asked $200,000 for 5%

Caitlyn Schollmeier, a labor and delivery nurse, nurse midwife and doula, pitched Lila Laborwear, elegant labor gowns with belly openings for fetal monitoring and breastfeeding and a lower-back access point for epidurals. She designed the gown while pregnant with twins, a viral TikTok generated 2,500 preorders in under two hours, and she launched the business from the NICU after giving birth. The numbers were strong: $7 million in lifetime sales, $2.5 million in 2024, all direct-to-consumer at a 40% gross margin. Even so, no shark made an offer. Robert Herjavec doubted the DTC model, Kevin O'Leary warned that a push into retail would sink the business within 90 days, Lori Greiner admired the design but lacked passion for the product, Daymond John balked at the roughly 200 SKUs, and Allison Ellsworth called it a poor strategic fit.

Best Moment
“A business with $7 million in lifetime sales left with zero offers, with Kevin predicting retail expansion would kill it in 90 days even as Lori praised the gown's design.”
Out
Robert Herjavec, Kevin O'Leary, Lori Greiner, Daymond John, Allison Ellsworth

Where they are now:Thriving$2.7M revenueFull update →

Health & Wellness companies have a 59% deal rate on Shark Tank

The QiThe QiFood & Beverage
Deal

Asked $200,000 for 8% · Deal $200,000 for 20% with Daymond John

Lisa Li pitched The Qi, ceremonial whole-flower teas: single hand-picked blooms of Shangri-La rose, blue lotus and royal chrysanthemum sourced from small family farms in Asia that open in hot water. After a decade in New York fashion, burnout and a thyroid condition led her to herbal remedies, and a 2018 trip to Yunnan where locals drank rose tea inspired the brand. The Qi had $2.9 million in lifetime sales and $616,000 in 2024. Kevin O'Leary questioned costs and competition, Lori Greiner called the market very niche, Robert Herjavec doubted scalability and Allison Ellsworth liked the packaging but questioned the category. Daymond John, moved by her story, offered $200,000 for 25%. Lisa countered at 20%, Daymond stressed the risk, and they closed at $200,000 for 20%.

Best Moment
“Lisa added yuzu honey to a cup of blue lotus tea and it turned purple in front of the sharks, a demo that got an immediate reaction from the panel.”
Interested
Daymond John
Out
Kevin O'Leary, Lori Greiner, Robert Herjavec, Allison Ellsworth

Where they are now:Operating$1M revenueFull update →

Food & Beverage companies have a 61% deal rate on Shark Tank

Warrior Kid MedicWarrior Kid MedicHealth & Wellness
Deal

Asked $50,000 for 10% · Deal $50,000 for 20% with Daymond John

Dustin and Michelle Titzman of San Antonio pitched Warrior Kid Medic, a $15 kit built around a cotton triangle bandage printed with step-by-step emergency instructions that doubles as a tourniquet, sling, splint or burn wrap, with a QR code to free training videos. Dustin, a 20-plus-year firefighter, paramedic and Army Reserve Blackhawk pilot, designed it for the kids at Camp SkyWay, the summer camp Michelle founded in 2012. Sales were small, $23,000 in 2024 with $40,000 projected for 2025. Kevin O'Leary said it wasn't a full business yet, Lori Greiner suggested a viral-video strategy instead, Robert Herjavec praised the mission but doubted viability, and Daymond John went out over competition concerns. Allison Ellsworth offered $50,000 for 30%; Dustin countered at 15% and she declined. Daymond then re-entered at $50,000 for 20% and the Titzmans accepted immediately.

Best Moment
“The Titzmans' kids opened the pitch by introducing their parents, and Dustin closed with the family motto: do good, be good, share. Daymond, already out, came back in to beat Allison's terms.”
Interested
Allison Ellsworth, Daymond John
Out
Kevin O'Leary, Lori Greiner, Robert Herjavec

Where they are now:Operating$40,000 revenueFull update →

Health & Wellness companies have a 59% deal rate on Shark Tank

Where to Buy the Products from Shark Tank Season 17, Episode 5

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