Bobby Edwards and his mother, Judy, took a sensitive topic and created an innovative solution that turned into a profitable business. The Squatty Potty was created as a convenient, natural way to deal with colon problems. The Edwards family had always been health-conscious, and the mother-son team came up with a logical answer to a painful and sensitive issue. Humans’ natural position for defecating is in a squatting position. Bobby and Judy figured out a way to squat while still sitting on standard toilets using a stool that sits on the floor in front of the toilet, lifting knees and feet into a natural squatting position.
Sitting comfortably on the toilet has been a modern societal convenience for centuries, resulting in the multibillion-dollar industry that is bathroom accessories. Yet before the invention of the toilet seat, humans simply squatted to go to the bathroom. Medical research posted on SquattyPotty.com shows that defecating in a squatting position helps the necessary muscles relax for a more thorough elimination of waste, leading to lower risk factors for hemorrhoids, constipation, and other uncomfortable conditions. The Edwards brought to light the possibility that sitting to “go” could be causing long-term health problems and offered an affordable, effective solution. They parlayed their invention into a successful business that they took to the judges on Shark Tank.
Squatty Potty Enters Shark Tank
Shark Tank Season 6 Episode 9
It is reasonable to expect a fair share of bathroom humor when you showcase a product like Squatty Potty before the Shark Tank judges on national television. Bobby and Judy dished out and absorbed a handful of jokes about “doing their business” and “squeezing out a profit.” Part of the charm of the business is that a mother and son are talking about sitting on the toilet with humor while ultimately offering a serious solution to a real medical issue. During a break in the poop jokes, the pair got serious about their product, establishing it as design to help people of all ages.
The pair was looking for a $350,000 investment for a 5% equity share of the growing business they wanted to expand further. Kevin was immediately skeptical of the $7 million valuations of the company. Bobby responded by saying that he and his mother already had several million dollars of online sales before attempting the retail market. Robert was impressed.
Lori recalled seeing Squatty Potty on the Dr. Oz Show, and Bobby admitted they had also been featured on Howard Stern’s satellite radio show. These promotional appearances help the product get a good start in the marketplace.
Bobby said Squatty Potty costs $4.50 to make and sold for $25 each. “With those margins, you gotta be pooping cash,” Mark said. If the FDA approved the Squatty Potty as a medical device, it would allow insurance companies to reimburse their customers for purchases. Bobby also felt a significant next step was to get his product into retail stores. All of the Sharks were impressed by now.
Squatty Potty was the “first crappy investment” Kevin liked. (They had a million of them.) Robert was the only judge who felt that getting consumers to change their bathroom habits was too big of a challenge and decided to bow out. Bobby rejected Kevin’s desire for 10% of the company, and Mark disagreed with the valuation of the company. Barbara made some vague comments about Bobby’s body language, saying he “seemed” untrustworthy.
Eventually, Lori offered Squatty Potty the $350,000 they initially offered, with 10% of the company, the same offer Kevin made. Bobby liked Lori’s connections with QVC and accepted the deal. The Potty Squatty website welcomed 158,000 visitors that night and within two days had recorded over $1 million in sales.
After The Shark Tank
A follow up of Bobby and Judy’s Squatty Potty journey was highlighted on an episode of Beyond the Tank. Lori began the show with the mother-son team in front of a vast Potty Squatty display at Bed, Bath & Beyond. The bathroom aid was now being sold at over 11,000 BB&B stores across the country, as well as Costco, Walmart, and other retail stores.
A promotional video had gone viral and once again helped to increase the market presence of Squatty Potty. The offbeat and somewhat disturbing video called This Unicorn Changed the Way I Poop features a prince, a unicorn and rainbow-colored soft serve ice cream, which comes out… well, you just have to see it, if you think you really want to. At last check, the video had over 37 million views with over 108,000 likes since being posted in 2015.
Bobby and Judy started inflatable and higher-end spin-off products, as well as all-natural constipation pills, bathroom deodorizers, and attachable bidet spouts.
FDA Clears Squatty Potty for Use in Hospitals After Poor Regulatory Start
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cited Squatty Potty for failure to provide written reporting procedures as a medical device. Bobby was not even aware that what the product they were marketing and selling was considered a medical device by the FDA.
Squatty Potty also ran into some trouble with a children’s’ version of the product call SquattyPottymus. Reports of two children falling off the top step of the stool resulted in minor injuries and recall of the hat-shaped step of the SquattyPottymus; needless to say, modifications are being made. The company plans to roll out a new version of the SquattyPottymus soon.
The FDA cleared squatty Potty and, according to Bobby, is being used in hospitals and other medical institutions. A gastroenterologist is currently conducting clinical trials to determine the scientific effectiveness of the Squatty Potty, which was listed among the top-10 best-selling medical supplies on Amazon.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is strictly informational; SEO Insights is not affiliated with Squatty Potty, SharkTank, or any of their subsidiaries.
