Series 2: Shark Tank
Ep. 34 - Pat Yates - Happy Feet
Beginning in 1996, Happy Feet could be found only at mall kiosks, quickly expanding throughout the US and further. Family-owned is the prevailing idea behind this business and in 2002 Yates bought the company outright.
In 2010, Nicole ???Snooki??? Polizzi wore a pair of Happy Feet slippers on the hit show Jersey Shore, following she was made a licensee. This sparked even more interest in the product. The slippers come in all styles from the NBA. NFL, Marvel, and even Disney.
Making a deal in 2014 with Robert Herjavec continues to boost recognition and sales for this company.
"This was literally the biggest moment in my businesses history, having a partnership with Robert."
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Company Profile
After adding Snooki as a licensee in 2010, Pat hit $1,000,000 in online sales.
In 2014, he was chosen to appear on ABC TV's Shark Tank where he partnered with Robert Herjavec. Growth was steady online and in 2015 he achieved $2,000,000 in online sales
.The licenses and Shark Tank have also taken him to The Tonight Show, Late Show with Jimmy Fallon, David Letterman, Good Morning America, The Today Show, Beyond the Tank, The View and many, many more.