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• Transcript

  James Kotecki (00:01): 
  
  Hey, it's James Kotecki here. Before we start the show, let me ask you something. Are you a startup with an innovative vision? A CTA membership is your gateway to a curated community of visionaries and innovators ready to support you. So discover the benefits that give our startup members a seat at the table. As a member, you can forge meaningful connections, help set industry standards, get complimentary research, and CES perks. So visit cta.tech today to learn more and become a member. 
  
  (00:40): 
  
  This is CES Tech Talk. I'm James Kotecki. CES 2024 is January 9th through 12th in Las Vegas, and it's already time to start building the hype. So let's get excited about the world's most influential tech event. 
  
  (00:57): 
  
  At its core, CES is all about innovative products, and so is Shark Tank, the hit TV show where innovators make life-changing deals with investors. And these two innovation powerhouses, Shark Tank and CES, have converged because Shark Tank is on the hunt for innovative entrepreneurs at CES, which means that if you are such an entrepreneur, you could be discovered in Vegas, you could get put on Shark Tank, you could make a licensing deal with Kevin Mr. Wonderful O'Leary, and you could live the American dream. 
  
  (01:34): 
  
  At least that's what happened for our guest, Robbie Cabral, the CEO and founder of BenjiLock. That's a brand of padlocks that you open with a fingerprint. And also joining us today is the person who put Robbie on the show, Mindy Zemrak, Shark Tank's Supervising Casting Producer, and one of my favorite guests from the CES C Space Studio in January 2020, all those many years ago. It's great to see you again, Mindy. Welcome, Robbie. In fact, welcome to you both. 
  
  Mindy Zemrak (02:02): 
  
  Thank you so much. Good to see you. 
  
  Robbie Cabral (02:05): 
  
  Likewise. Thank you, James. 
  
  James Kotecki (02:07): 
  
  All right, so our goal here in this episode of the CES Tech Talk podcast is to get some CES innovators onto Shark Tank. And so, Mindy, let's start with you. Why does Shark Tank come to CES? Why do you have a presence there? 
  
  Mindy Zemrak (02:21): 
  
  I mean, I think it goes without saying, CES is the biggest and best trade show out there in terms of consumer electronics and products. So I mean, we've been working with you guys for almost a decade now, I think, and it's kind of a great partnership. You always have amazing businesses and products that kind of are in the sweet spot for Shark Tank and the show itself is always trying to remain on trend, almost a step ahead if possible, in terms of what's up and coming in the tech world and innovation. And that's all about what our show is about, is innovation and the American dream. And I think that kind of goes hand in hand with what you all have in terms of your attendees and your vendors and exhibitors and everything. And it's just been amazing and we've had incredible stories and entrepreneurs that have come through our partnership and everything, and it just kind of makes sense, like bread and peanut butter. 
  
  James Kotecki (03:20): 
  
  Absolutely. So, Robbie, I want to hear about your CES to Shark Tank story. I have seen the episode of Shark Tank that you were on. I have seen the follow-up clip about your success. And all of that does feature CES, but for those who aren't as familiar, tell us about how you came to CES and then how you got on Shark Tank. 
  
  Robbie Cabral (03:40): 
  
  Well, it's very interesting. CES is a platform, like Mindy said, that it's all about innovation, new products, but connections too, and networking. So for me, it was kind of more like let me find the right spot that I can actually put my product, showcase it, and see if there's a there there. And after doing a little research on Google, CES came up and I said, "Well, let's give this a try.' So that was kind of the first step for me to actually showcase my prototype to the world. And that's my first appearance at CES. 
  
  James Kotecki (04:16): 
  
  My understanding is that when you came to CES, you had never actually heard of Shark Tank before. So what inspired you to get in front of the people of Shark Tank? 
  
  Robbie Cabral (04:29): 
  
  This is interesting. Not a lot of people know this. So I was born and raised in Dominican Republic my whole life. So when I came to the States, I'm so used to the culture back home that it took me a while to get used to here. And when I went to the show, a lot of people were walking by and they said, "Oh, wow, look. That could be a great product for Shark Tank. You should go try it out. They have a casting call." 
  
  (04:55): 
  
  But I had no idea. So I'm working the Eureka Park spot on my own, my wife, and I have some friends over helping out. And then after so many people kind of walking by and saying, "Hey, you should go try that show. I think you could be a great fit." I think my wife said, "Why don't you go try it and stop being hardheaded working your butt off here on the spot and go see how it works out?" 
  
  (05:19): 
  
  And I went in, I remember, I think it was a day that you have to go pick a wristband, which I have it around here, I still have it. I mean, I wish I could have showed you just because I just moved recently. My office is very decorated with, it brings me back a lot of memories, but it keeps you that fire burning that you want to continue succeeding. So long story short, I got my wristband and then I went the next day and I did a big line. And then I did my two-minute pitch. And then I said, "If it's meant to be, it's meant to be. If not, at least I try." That's always my thing, at least give it a try. And that's it. And then I went back to the CES Eureka Park and I kept working. And I forgot about it. 
  
  James Kotecki (06:03): 
  
  You forgot about it. But then obviously you got called back and the rest is history. And I want to talk more about your Shark Tank experience in a bit, but, Mindy, Robby mentioned Eureka Park. My understanding is that that is where a lot of the scouting, the hunting, for entrepreneurs goes on. So maybe someone is listening to this who has a booth in Eureka Park or is thinking about setting up camp there for their innovative startup, their innovative product idea. What should those folks know about getting your attention? 
  
  Mindy Zemrak (06:34): 
  
  Yeah, Eureka Park is kind of like the gold mine for Shark Tank. It's where a lot of the smaller companies are. And we usually send about three or four people out, myself included, and we divide and conquer. Typically, we're wearing our Shark Tank shirts. So if you see us, flag us down. We've done many trade shows already this year. CES is the one that always kicks our year off. But we're always walking around and if I have a badge on, someone's like, "Hey, I saw you. What do you do on Shark Tank?" And I'm like, "Oh, I work on the casting team." And it always takes them a minute because they're like, "What is Shark Tank doing at a trade show?" And I'm like, "It makes sense though." 
  
  James Kotecki (07:10): 
  
  Yeah. 
  
  Mindy Zemrak (07:12): 
  
  But, yeah, if you see us walking around, just come up and talk to us. That's why we're there is we want to, so even if you don't have a booth and if you're just walking around the show floor and you see us and you're like, "Hey, it could be interesting." Give us your card. Give us a quick rundown of what you got. I take pitches on the spot. I'm very used to that after 15 seasons of being on the show. 
  
  James Kotecki (07:12): 
  
  Yeah. 
  
  Mindy Zemrak (07:33): 
  
  And we won't have a full conversation because we want to respect everyone's time because they're all there to talk to many buyers and vendors and everything. And it's kind of just a quick, "Hey, here's my info." "Cool, we'll call you in a week or two where we can really set up a time on the phone to go over what's really involved." Because I think there's a big misconception of everyone thinks, "Oh, I put together a 60 second pitch and I go in the Tank and answer some questions." And as Robbie knows, that is the furthest thing from truth. There's a lot of due diligence and work on the entrepreneurs part and on our part as well. But it all starts with just give us your card, come pitch us, come talk to us, because you literally never know what will happen. And Robbie's a great example of that. 
  
  Robbie Cabral (07:33): 
  
  Yeah, totally. 
  
  Mindy Zemrak (08:16): 
  
  He forgot about it. And then a couple days later we're like, "Hey, remember us?" And then the rest is history. 
  
  James Kotecki (08:24): 
  
  So it really all starts with the pitch. Robbie, you didn't know Shark Tank, but I assume that you at that point had a well crafted pitch ready to go. I mean you must have, otherwise you wouldn't have gotten that callback. Do you remember what you were thinking about in terms of the pitch and the way that you crafted it? And maybe a follow up question to that is, when I saw your episode of Shark Tank, your personal story, growing up in the Dominican Republic and what you had to go through to get to the Shark Tank, really played a role in the pitch. Was that something that you used when you pitched Shark Tank at CES? 
  
  Robbie Cabral (08:56): 
  
  Well, tell you the truth, I think it all depends too on the company and the person. And I believe that in my case, the product is very relatable with the story. So I said, the whole thing with me, the word natural comes a lot, because it's like I said, "Well, let me go in. I have a two minute thing here in the Venetian." And I was just, "Let me just be myself." And I was very truthful, just being myself, who I am, what's the product about, why I invented the product, why I created it, and kind of the struggles that it took me to get to this point. And just be myself. And I think that really kind of resonated with the casting and the team and Mindy. That's why I said I kind of forgot about it and I kept working because I didn't want it to put all my eggs in one basket. But two weeks later then I got a call and then that's where the process really starts. 
  
  James Kotecki (09:54): 
  
  Yeah. And, Mindy, as people are thinking about their pitches as they're coming up to pitch you, is there an element to the pitch that makes it right for Shark Tank that goes beyond it just being a fundamentally sound business or even an innovative product? Is there some element of showmanship, pizzazz, personal story, that people might feel like do I have to have that in order to actually get on the show? 
  
  Mindy Zemrak (10:19): 
  
  That's a great question and something we get quite often because a lot of people, there's a couple different ways people can come through our process and we do scout and outreach, and when people are kind of caught off guard, the first thing they think of is, "Well, I don't want to go on television. I don't have the personality" and so I'm like, "It's not about your personality. You don't have to come in being like, 'It slices it dices. It's the best thing since bread.'" If that's not who you're, that's okay. We don't want you to come in and pretend to be someone you're not. Because then if you do do a deal with the Sharks, they're going to be like, "Where was that person in the Tank? Something's not adding up." 
  
  (10:51): 
  
  So I tell everyone, Shark Tank really truly is, and Robbie just kind of nailed it on the head, it's 50% about your business or product and 50% about your backstory. 99% of our entrepreneurs that come through our doors, and even the ones that don't make it to actual filming, all have a different story and journey of why they have created this product. It's usually a, "How come I didn't think of that?" Or, "There's got to be some better solution and whatnot." But even though you may- 
  
  James Kotecki (10:51): 
  
  There's got to be a better way. 
  
  Mindy Zemrak (10:51): 
  
  There's got to be a better way. But wait, there's more. 
  
  James Kotecki (10:51): 
  
  Yeah. 
  
  Mindy Zemrak (11:21): 
  
  There's always that aha moment that everyone has. It's just a matter of where your journey took you of what did you do about it? Did you do anything about it? And in Robbie's situation, when we saw his product, we were blown away. I was like, "I've never seen anything like this." And every year I'm like, "Oh, I've seen it all. I've seen it all." Then every year I'm like, "Okay, there's more innovation coming. I like this." And that's what we look for. 
  
  James Kotecki (11:46): 
  
  Yeah. 
  
  Mindy Zemrak (11:47): 
  
  Then you add in Robbie's story and his journey and I just wanted to hug him. You're like, "You're incredible. Look what you have done. Look what you have accomplished on your own and let's celebrate it." Because that's really truly what part of Shark Tank is. All of our sharks are self-made. They weren't given a silver spoon and been like, "Okay, here." They've all worked very, very hard to get where they are. And when you watch an entrepreneur on the show, whether they get a deal or not doesn't have any effect on you connecting with them as a viewer or even the shark. 
  
  (12:22): 
  
  A lot of times the sharks will say, "You know what? I see myself in you. I resonate with your journey." And they're like, "I want to get it in business with you because I like who you are. I like who your character is, your morals, what you stand for." And I think Robbie really resonated with the Sharks, particularly with Kevin, as well, but that's what a lot of entrepreneurs come in and they're like, "Oh, my story." I'm like, "Celebrate it," because it's not something to be ashamed of. It's something that makes you unique and we really want to celebrate because you can't just all have this cookie cutter way. That doesn't make you special. Everyone is special already on their journey, and we just like to be able to showcase all of that. 
  
  James Kotecki (13:04): 
  
  What I'm hearing is advice for entrepreneurs like don't try to fake it. You're not going to fake your way out of this or act your way through this. Just honestly be yourself. It's kind of trite advice, but in this case, it's really true. 
  
  Mindy Zemrak (13:16): 
  
  100%. 
  
  James Kotecki (13:17): 
  
  Robbie, spoiler alert, you go on Shark Tank, you do a deal with Mr. Wonderful. And then you eventually make your way back to CES and it's highlighted in one of those where are they now follow-up clips that we like on Shark Tank. And so what was it like to come back to CES, with Kevin O'Leary, and have additional success there after having already been on the show? 
  
  Robbie Cabral (13:41): 
  
  Oh, I think it was great because for me, CES is kind of home away from home. It was kind of like the first trade show that I unveiled the product, the first trade show that I did my first Shark Tank casting call. And then from there every year now it's like I just need to be there. Regardless of the outcome I got to be there. So then the year after, because of CES, because of the Shark Tank show, we managed to do a licensing deal with Hampton Products. And then Kevin came on board and we did a whole Shark Tank update. 
  
  James Kotecki (13:41): 
  
  Yeah. 
  
  Robbie Cabral (14:15): 
  
  And that was literally our first order with Ace Hardware. So that really put the product in the map in all Ace Hardware stores. And it was a beautiful thing. And I mean to do an update at CES, it couldn't be better because that was kind of where it got discovered. And Shark Tank, the casting call, discovered me there too, and it all kind of made sense to go back again and do it in the big show. 
  
  Mindy Zemrak (14:41): 
  
  If I can- 
  
  James Kotecki (14:42): 
  
  It seems like every CE, oh, go ahead. Go ahead, Mindy. 
  
  Mindy Zemrak (14:44): 
  
  I'm just going to chime in. A cool thing from our perspective, from the casting team's perspective, is we actually ran into Robbie the day before he was filming his update on the show floor. And we have a photo with him at this giant booth. And it was so full circle, because for us, for casting, we see thousands of people. But to know that you have a little part in seeing someone's full circle come full circle just a year later? I remember hugging you Robbie and being like, "I'm so happy and excited for you. This is wild." And it was just a proud moment to be part of a show that really truly helps entrepreneurs. And to just see how far he had come to this giant booth and an update with this deal. You were like, "This is it, Robbie. This is it." 
  
  James Kotecki (15:33): 
  
  Yeah. 
  
  Robbie Cabral (15:35): 
  
  Yeah, it's true. Because that's the beauty of CES that you start small in Eureka Park. And a lot of startups, believe it or not, it's sad to say, but a lot of them after the first year they quit or leave and you have to persevere. And if you have the resiliency and perseverance, you keep it going. And I think just putting my positive energy out there and then everything connecting, it really helped to then go to the second level in the smart home area. And that's where we had that big booth for the update. So I remember that. 
  
  James Kotecki (16:08): 
  
  Yeah. Well, your perseverance is kind of legendary. I mean, on the show you talked about being unemployed for, I think, three years. You have kids and you're trying to figure out how to make it. So congratulations on all your success, but I have to ask, CES 2024 is coming up. How can you possibly top what's happened at the previous CES'? What are you going to do, Robbie? 
  
  Robbie Cabral (16:26): 
  
  Well, I think one of the things that it was actually infused in the show at the time was that Kevin told me, "Have you ever thought of licensing?" And at the beginning I was more like, "Well, let me just raise money and go do it myself and my way or the highway." But then I learned that, tell you the truth in my case, because I'm just like a one man army, and Kevin is still on board to this day. We still talk every now and then. He's a board member, mentor of the company. He really told me, "Let's kick it up a notch and go this whole strategy of global licensing." And that's our goal now. 
  
  (17:02): 
  
  So for example, we just recently did a deal with TKL Cases. It's a guitar company that does all this guitar cases for Fender and Gibson and you name it. So now we're putting the technology of biometric and key in their cases. So that's one of the things that we're going to unveil at CES in 2024, which I'm very excited. So imagine anywhere that there's a key and you think that biometric is needed? That's BenjiLock technology. So that's the way that now we're kind of moving forward, instead of just one product. So as you can see, I mean Shark Tank is beautiful because you sometimes as an entrepreneur you think that it's only one way, but then once you connect with your shark and there's a deal and there's interaction, you learn so much. And I just think that thank God that Mindy was there and their team was there because believe it or not, if the casting call wasn't there at CES, maybe none of this happened. 
  
  James Kotecki (17:59): 
  
  Well, that's exciting, and we can't wait to check out what you're going to be doing at CES 2024. People should definitely come and check out. I assume you're going to have a booth again? 
  
  Robbie Cabral (18:08): 
  
  Yeah. 
  
  James Kotecki (18:09): 
  
  Okay. Definitely. So, Mindy, this is the part of the interview where I ask you a question that I'm sure you get asked many, many times. We talked about authenticity, but generally, advice for folks who want to get on the show. We can hear it straight from you. I was talking about this interview to a friend of mine who has a product that I think would be perfect for Shark Tank. And we all want to know how do we get a Shark Tank business, a Shark Tank product, on the show? What are your best tips? 
  
  Mindy Zemrak (18:40): 
  
  So we have four tips, and this is probably the number one question I get asked quite often. And some people might be like, "Ah, really that's it?" And I'm like, "This is the God's honest truth." 
  
  (18:51): 
  
  First and foremost, it sounds weird maybe, but be excited and passionate. You have created something. And whatever that is, no one else has created or you've created it and it has a new spin, a new twist. So you want to be excited and proud of what you have created, because if you're not excited about it, that's not going to translate to investors being like, "Yes, let me come on board and help you with this." It's not going to work. So it may sound weird. I did an interview two weeks ago and the guy was like, "Really? You have to tell people to be excited." And I know the cameras and being on television might freak people out, but it's such a long process, you don't even really know that there's 12 cameras on you because we hide them strategically. There's only one that kind of floats around. But yes, be excited. 
  
  (19:39): 
  
  The other thing is know your numbers. Now, as Robbie knows, because he works with Mr. Wonderful, he's going to be the one that will come after you for those numbers. However, I do want everyone to know, you don't have to have numbers to get on Shark Tank. We've had many companies come in. The Comfy is a great example. They came in with four prototypes, they didn't even have enough to give one to each shark, because we have five sharks on every panel. They only had four. And they ended up doing a deal with Barbara Corcoran and they're one of the top five most successful companies that we've had on the show yet. And so you just never know. So it doesn't matter if you're pre-rev or if you've done millions in sales, if you're somewhere in between. That's the great thing about our show. It's not a competition and we're not a game show. We look at each business individually and see what works. So definitely know your numbers. 
  
  (20:28): 
  
  The third thing, tell us how you're unique and different. These days it's very hard for someone to be making something brand spanking new, like bread. I just keep going to bread. But if you're doing something new and unique, be able to really pinpoint how you're different and unique from anyone else on the market or out there. Because then we'll get it really quickly. 
  
  (20:49): 
  
  And then the fourth thing is to just be yourself and to be vulnerable in that moment of sharing your journey and your backstory, because it really truly helps get you further along. It's not the deal breaker or the one that makes you get on the show, but sharing your journey and your story is really at the heart of what Shark Tank is. And we want to get to know that. So kind of having those four things will hopefully get you at least to the next step with the casting team. And then at that point, it's out of our hands. It's way bigger decisions being made. But that at least will hopefully get you in our midst. 
  
  James Kotecki (21:26): 
  
  Mindy, this is the 15th season of Shark Tank. How many seasons have you been associated with? 
  
  Mindy Zemrak (21:31): 
  
  I have been on the show since Season One. 
  
  James Kotecki (21:34): 
  
  All right. So I think you're actually, it's fair to say, I think you're going in shortly to begin shooting season 15 of Shark Tank. Is that correct? 
  
  Mindy Zemrak (21:42): 
  
  Correct. I actually start shooting- 
  
  James Kotecki (21:43): 
  
  So you've done 14? 
  
  Mindy Zemrak (21:45): 
  
  Yes. So 14 is done. We're done airing those episodes. And we start filming next week for 15. 
  
  James Kotecki (21:50): 
  
  Amazing. 
  
  Mindy Zemrak (21:50): 
  
  We'll be hopefully airing Season 15 this fall on ABC. 
  
  James Kotecki (21:55): 
  
  Honestly, as soon as you said that, the theme music just started playing in my head. It's like such a ubiquitous part of culture and it's a show that I really love. But I'm curious, from your insider perspective, you obviously see way more companies than those of us who watch the show see, because you have to see all the universe of companies that are auditioning or trying to get on the show. Do you see tech themes that would be interesting to the general audience of this, the CES Tech Talk Podcast? Are there trends or themes that you're looking at going into this next season or just things that we should be looking out for either in the way that the season is coming together, you're kind of noticing there's more of a certain kind of company or certain kind of product? Or just in what interests you and where your interests are going these days? 
  
  Mindy Zemrak (22:38): 
  
  That's a great question. So the wonderful thing about casting this show is every year you just don't know what's up and coming. And I will say there has been a trend over 15 years, in my opinion, from where I sit, is that we started the show when we were in, the country was in a recession, and now we're kind of almost at that point again. And when the pandemic happened, we didn't even know what was going to happen. I was like, "Are we going to be able to cast the show? We've never done this virtually." And then we saw some businesses and industry skyrocket during that time. Other ones completely bottomed out. 
  
  (23:15): 
  
  And then there's always these years where for a couple years you'll see really amazing innovative tech, and then it kind of dips a little bit. And I feel like last year the tech innovation, not by anyone's fault, just happened to kind of slow down. I do think that has to do with the economy, banks, Silicon Valley, all of that kind of started to snowball. And investment even right now is not as high as it was. 
  
  (23:40): 
  
  But in terms of the pinpointing which products and industries are up and coming, I don't want to shed too much light on that because we might have some of that this season. But I'll say that this year I have seen an influx in innovation, particularly at CES, because that was our first time that we had returned since 2020, right before the pandemic hit. And it's just really, really fascinating to see those trends. And I mean, every year it's different. I'm trying to remember, gosh, Robbie, when you were there, I don't even remember what the trend was, but every year you're kind of like two years ago or three years ago, it was like smart toilets and then now it's like fertility or AI is the big trend, I think. 
  
  James Kotecki (24:21): 
  
  Sure. 
  
  Mindy Zemrak (24:22): 
  
  Right now. So I'm sure we'll see some of that in this upcoming season. But you never know 
  
  James Kotecki (24:29): 
  
  Robbie, I mean, security and the part of CES that you are playing in, that whole part of the consumer technology industry is obviously a really big deal. Any kind of trends or thoughts on where the technology in the industry is going? I mean, you said earlier everywhere there's biometric lock security, that's where BenjiLock wants to be. Does that include things beyond fingerprints? Does biometric in your case mean broader things? This is the CES Tech Talk Podcast, so give us your industry insights for a second. 
  
  Robbie Cabral (25:02): 
  
  Well, so for example, I won't say too much, but in our case, we focus a lot on personal security. So it's very personal for the consumer. We try to be, as much as we can, non-connected, because we understand that there's a whole thing privacy going on too as well, that it's a big thing that a lot of companies do and we try to avoid it. But it doesn't mean that in the future we're not going to be connected. 
  
  (25:29): 
  
  But as of right now, we see that the technology beyond the biometric, we're going to be able to apply it to facial recognition, voice recognition, the whole future of AI as well. We're always looking into that. So I think it's going to be exciting. Technology is always exciting, and that's the beauty of CES. One of the things that I do enjoy a lot is going and networking and seeing what other companies are doing. And maybe there's a partnership that we can build together too. There's something that we're going to launch at CES too with another company that we're in talks right now. So I think it's always exciting to see what's out there. 
  
  James Kotecki (26:11): 
  
  It is a super exciting world. I mean, mentioning, I think you both mentioned AI. AI was the theme of the first episode of this season of the CES Tech Talk Podcast. And I mean, obviously I don't know what's coming up on Shark Tank. I'd be shocked if nobody mentions it in the course of this upcoming season. As we kind of wrap up here, I wonder if there's just maybe a human moment from the show that stands out that would just be a nice story to tell. I mean, Robbie, obviously from your personal experience, and then Mindy, you've got 15, 14, seasons worth of moments to draw from. But maybe, Robbie, we'll start with you. Is there a specific moment that you remember that just really stands out, maybe a moment that we might not have seen on camera? 
  
  Robbie Cabral (26:53): 
  
  Well, there's probably a couple, but I think the first one that really hits me hard, and still to this day, is that throughout the journey, and I know every entrepreneur goes through this, that you got so many people that are around you and not everyone believes in your idea. And sometimes you kind of have to prove them wrong. And going to that show, and that's what I said to myself, regardless of the outcome, I was just humbled to be here. If there's a deal, great, and if not, it is what it is. But at least I tried. And I think the moment that stepping in and then seeing all the sharks going, "Yes, yes, yes." And then Kevin saying, "Yes," that for me, that's why I started crying, because for me it was kind of like, wow, no one in my circle was believing in what I'm doing, but these guys that have been there, done that and made it, they believe in me. 
  
  (27:44): 
  
  That's one of the things that I can add to what Mindy was saying later, that I think from the shark perspective, they want to see the entrepreneur that goes through the ups and downs, and even when you're on a high, if you go down, are you still going to be able to keep going? And that's what I think, for example, that's why me and Kevin, we have a beautiful relationship to this day, because he knows that whatever happens, Robbie's going to keep pushing. And I think that's one of the tips that I would always give to people that want to go to the show, that just be yourself, but don't think that after the Shark Tank, that's it. That's when the real work starts. 
  
  James Kotecki (28:21): 
  
  Mindy, you must have such a great job because you get to see so many stories like that. Anything that you want to close us out with? 
  
  Mindy Zemrak (28:29): 
  
  I mean, I'm going to say that I think I have one of the best jobs ever. And it's not even about working on Shark Tank, it's the people I meet and the stories. And I'm going to start getting emotional, which I don't normally do, but it's just to know that you see a company and there's something there, and then six, seven, months later they're filming, and then however many months after, they're airing. And whether they get a deal or not, just to see them kind of hit levels that they didn't know were even possible, it's just a wild ride to be on. And I have to say that I'm so thankful and honored that I get to work with the people I do, but also that we get to meet these incredible people and entrepreneurs who are willing to share their stories and their journeys. Because they're being vulnerable. And like Robbie said, in that moment, they're going into maybe be very harshly criticized and judged, and you just don't know. But if they see you, then that's the moment of, "Oh, damn, they see me. And no one else did." 
  
  (29:31): 
  
  But I think one of the biggest standout stories for me, and I have many, but the one that takes the cake is Season 10, Cup Board Pro. The young family came in, it's Kaley, Christian, and Keira. And they were pitching their father's cutting board on his behalf. They had lost their mother a couple years prior to cancer, and he was a 9/11 first responder, and he passed away a month before I reached out to them from 9/11 related illnesses. And when they filmed, it was Father's Day weekend. We didn't do that by design. It just happened to be how the universe works. And then they ended up doing a deal with all five sharks, which has only happened a handful of times in the history of the show. 
  
  (30:22): 
  
  And in that moment, everyone was crying because everyone was affected by 9/11, and this family in particular, and all these kids are, they're kids still, and they're older now, but just to kind of see everyone get together and get behind it and the mission and they give money back to the firehouses and everything. To this day, I'm so proud of being part of this show because it's people like that, it's people like Robbie, who didn't have these opportunities, that never thought these things could happen to them or exist. And look what we're able to do. We're helping the American dream. And to me, you can't get a better job than that. 
  
  James Kotecki (31:00): 
  
  Wow. Well, Mindy Zemrak of Shark Tank, we can't wait for the next season. Robbie Cabral of BenjiLock, we can't wait to see you at CES 2024. Thank you so much for joining us on today's CES Tech Talk. 
  
  Mindy Zemrak (31:14): 
  
  Thank you. 
  
  Robbie Cabral (31:14): 
  
  Thank you. 
  
  James Kotecki (31:16): 
  
  And that is our show, but there's always more tech to talk about. So please subscribe to this podcast so you don't miss a moment. You can get even more CES and prepare for Vegas at ces.tech, that's C-E-S.T-E-C-H. Our show is produced by Nicole Vidovich and Mason Manuel, recorded by Andrew Lynn, and edited by Third Spoon. I'm James Kotecki. I have a Scrub Daddy in my kitchen as we speak, and I'm talking tech on CES Tech Talk. 
  
  (31:58): 
  
  Hey, you heard it in that interview. Eureka Park at CES is where new ideas come to life. Startups have received over $16 billion in funding because they came to Eureka Park. It's the ultimate arena for launching your product, service, or idea. Entrepreneurs and startups come to Eureka Park to connect with mentors, investors, and corporate leaders. Investors come to find their next unicorn, the media comes to look for their next story, and corporations come to look for acquisitions. So if you're looking for your next big break in the tech industry, Eureka Park is the place for you. Go to ces.tech/EurekaPark and apply to exhibit. Do it today.