Iowa Native Appears on ABC’s Shark Tank
Chances are if you watched ABC's Shark Tank on Sunday, (October 22) you caught a neighbor of ours to the Southeast.
An Iowa native appeared on Shark Tank Sunday night trying to get the sharks to bite on his latest creation.
KSFY TV is reporting that Justin Rietema, formerly of Sioux Center, appeared on Shark Tank with his business partner Doug Schultz. The two gentlemen currently live in Florida and run a business called the Human Bobber Company.
Their latest invention is a Coast Guard approved life jacket called "Bottoms Up." The dual-purpose vest can be worn right side up or upside down like a pair of shorts.
Rietema told KSFY TV, “We used to hang out and put our life jackets on upside down and float around because we wouldn't have our noodles and flotation devices out there."
Regarding the show itself, Rietema says, "It was a great experience, honestly. It’s kind of one of those once-in-a-lifetime opportunities that Doug and I decided to jump on. All the sharks were really nice."
Wow! Even Mr. Wonderful (Kevin O'Leary)? Huh, go figure!
The two guys first applied for the show back in 2013, but only made it to the second round of auditions. They decided to give it another shot in 2015 at a round of open auditions being held in Miami. The second time was a charm. They were finally selected for a spot on the episode that aired Sunday night.
In the past, Rietema and Schultz have also created products like the Beverage Bobber, and the Scuttle Butt, a saddle-like floatation device that can be used as in-water lounge chair or kayak seat. Both products can be purchased online at HumanBobber.com.
Oh yeah, by the way, SPOILER ALERT, if you haven't watched the show yet, stop reading now. Rietema and Schultz have two new business partners in the Human Bobber Company. Both Mark Cuban and Kevin O'Leary are on board to make sure Bottoms Up floats. Good luck guys!
Source: KSFY TV
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