Photos courtesy of Keisha Jeremie
While applesauce is usually perceived as a go-to snack for young kids, entrepreneur and business executive Keisha Smith-Jeremie just took her mission to expand its audience one step further by landing a deal on the season 10 debut of ABC's "Shark Tank."
After making a flawless pitch and sharing that she had invested over $250,000 of her life savings to bring her idea to fruition (in less than a year!), Smith-Jeremie was visibly emotional and transparent when Mr. Wonderful suggested that if she believed in her business she would quit her job to pursue her dream on a full-time basis. And like so many, Jeremie made it clear that, that was not an option.
Photo by: Eric McCandless/ ABC
"Everyone can’t afford to quit their job to pursue their dream," Smith-Jeremie said. "I take care of so many people financially... This is the first thing I’ve ever done for myself. And I would never squander the commitments I have if I didn’t believe in it."
Thankfully, Mark Cuban also believed in the opportunity and potential that Jeremie presented. The Dallas Mavericks owner offered her a deal of $150,000 for 25 percent. And she accepted! Cuban said of Smith-Jeremie: "You have a presence about you. You have a power about you."
“You have a presence about you. You have a power about you.” - @mcuban #SharkTank pic.twitter.com/4GiHyjLpL2
— Shark Tank (@ABCSharkTank) October 15, 2018
While the Bahamas native says that entrepreneurship was never a career goal as a kid, her journey to CEO status, landing a deal on "Shark Tank," and her new job as Chief People Officer of Tory Burch, highlights exactly what we mean when we say, Black Girl Magic is real! And in this case, the proof isn't in the pudding, instead it's embedded in the sauce!
Congratulations Keisha! Visit sanaiaapplesauce.com to learn more.