The day we swam with sharks
A whirlwind story of loss, birth, failure and success
The call came the day Luna passed. Stephanie Boone founded Wondercide to save Luna’s life and make sure nobody would ever have to watch a loved one suffer like she did. Luna was the reason we were here, and then she was gone on the biggest day in Wondercide’s history — the day we were asked to audition for Shark Tank.
It didn’t seem right to do it without her. But we knew it was our opportunity to share her story with the world. And to help her legacy live on.
Shark Tank films twice a year, and they wanted us to appear during the second slot in October. That also happened to be the same month Stephanie was due to give birth. So instead of months of meticulous planning, we got one. One month. To prepare and strategize and to show the world what Wondercide is all about, not knowing if the episode would even air.
But it did. We got one week’s notice and with no venues available during SXSW in Austin, we threw a tent party in the parking lot of our headquarters. During a monsoon. Luckily for us, when it rains it pours: Lori offered us a deal. It was the largest valuation for a woman-owned company in the history of the show.
The Shark Tank experience was bittersweet without Luna. It was chaotic. It was stressful. And while things didn't work out with Lori and we were forced to grow on our own, there's no doubt the show helped transform Wondercide into what it is today — and in turn, that helped us fulfill the promise Stephanie made all those years ago when Luna got sick:
You’ll never have to Protect Your Pack® alone.
