Dirty Cookie: Here's What Happened After Appearing On Shark Tank

When Shahira Marei was 10 years old, she had the opportunity to visit her country of origin, Egypt. It was an eye-opening experience, but she was disturbed by the number of people, many children, who were struggling to get by. When she asked her father to give them monetary assistance, he did, but not before uttering a phrase that would shape the way she viewed the world for the rest of her life. He said, "If you really want to help them, give them jobs, not money" (per LinkedIn). Fast-forward a few years, and Marei was riding the waves of corporate success as a project manager for Boeing. Yet, when she had her daughter, those words her father had spoken to her all those years ago came rushing back. She realized she still held onto the dream of running her own business where her employees were well-cared for.

She stumbled onto the idea of making edible shot glasses after seeing a similar creation on Pinterest and got to work creating Dirty Cookie. Marei created a mold to form the chewy cookie cup, patented it, and began selling the sweet beverage vessels to the masses. Business was slow in her first brick-and-mortar location, but as she pivoted to selling online and partnering with gifting companies, sales skyrocketed.

However, each Dirty Cookie was made by hand, resulting in supply issues. She found a machine that could make her product at a rate of 4,000 per hour, but it came with a price tag of $400,000. In an attempt to secure those funds, Marei appealed to the investors on ABC's "Shark Tank."

When Marei entered the tank, she began by plainly stating her ask for $500,000 in return for 5% equity in Dirty Cookie. Her pitch was that the edible gift industry was stale, with the last big impact being the commercialization of the chocolate-covered strawberry. Her product was new and unique, and she planned to take the industry by storm.

The sharks sampled flavors including Red Velvet Marshmallow Fluff, Double Chocolate Chocolate Milk, and Churro Coconut Cold Brew. They all thought Dirty Cookie was tasty and especially liked the DIY decorations she included with the package. However, some lost their enthusiasm as Marei explained how the business worked. She sold a dozen cookie cups for $49.99, at a cost of $12.92. Despite sales of $2.6 million in 2021, she said the company would only profit $250,000, eliciting a groan from Kevin O'Leary. A few more details about the business later, Mark Cuban dropped out, followed by O'Leary after uttering, "I hate your business model," (via Sony Pictures Television). Daymond John and Robert Herjavec followed suit.

As the only shark left, Lori Greiner had an opportunity to make a particularly aggressive offer. She proposed giving Marei $250,000 as a loan at 8% interest, and the other $250,000 for 25% equity. Marei countered, but Herjavec cut off the conversation by jumping back in with his own offer of $500,000 for 30%. When Marei expressed reluctance, Herjavec proposed dropping down to 15% equity if Dirty Cookie could meet Marei's projection of $6 million in sales for 2022. After more haggling, Marei eventually accepted Herjavec's offer.

The "Shark Tank" effect had an immediate impact on Dirty Cookie's sales when the show aired, similar to when Soupergirl appeared on the program. People seeing the product for the first time loved the adorable DIY decorations, and sales increased by four times their previous rate. Overwhelmingly positive reviews helped those sales continue to grow despite the deal with Herjavec never materializing, much like how Beyond Sushi left "Shark Tank" with a deal that never came to be. Herjavec and Marei instead initiated a marketing agreement to help Dirty Cookie grow.

Marketing became a pivotal aspect of driving Dirty Cookie's sales. Marei began reaching out to influencers to get the word out about her product, eventually landing some big names. In an interview on The Greatness Machine podcast, she explained that she got a big catering gig, saying "Somehow I ended up with the Kardashians because I did that with their closest friends, and that's kind of how we took off," she said. "We ended up catering Kim's birthday, actually, two years ago."

Even without the "Shark Tank" deal going through, Marei was enjoying enormous success with Dirty Cookie. Everything seemed to be going on the right track, but that tends to be when disaster strikes. She would soon have to deal with hardships that threatened to end the company she had built from the ground up.

Dirty Cookie continued to thrive, selling the cookie shot glasses on the company website. The business has also expanded into making stuffed cookies, like a chocolate chip variety with a hazelnut spread and a double chocolate cookie with a salty caramel filling. However, Marei almost threw in the towel in 2024. The manufacturing facility she used went bankrupt, leaving her with no one to make her sweet treats. More tragically, she also lost a long-time business partner around this time.

Just when she thought that Dirty Cookie was done for good, she ran into fellow entrepreneurs at the Entrepreneurs Master's Program. Speaking with them about resilience and determination rejuvenated her ambition. She told The Greatness Machine podcast, "I had this amazing shift in mindset because of being around amazing entrepreneurs from all over the world, just getting that support system and just looking at it from a different perspective." After leaving the U.S. for a spell, she returned to right the ship and keep her company afloat.

By all accounts, Dirty Cookie is continuing on its march of success. The business has found a specific niche in corporate gifting, selling stuffed cookies and cookie shot glasses to companies like Google, The Met, and Delta, with their respective logos affixed to the treats. It also continues to sell products online to anyone who wants to liven up a birthday celebration, wedding reception, or any event with people gathering around enjoying dessert.

Drawing on the inspiration that spawned Marei's entrepreneurial journey many years ago, Dirty Cookie continues to make a habit of giving back to the communities that support it. The business donates 1% of monthly sales to non-profit educational programs Marei is passionate about, like the Citizen Schools Organization and Girls Who Code.

Speaking on The Greatness Machine podcast, Marei explained that despite almost giving up at one point, finding the determination to keep going only required a change of thinking. "All it took was just a very quick shift in mindset and thought to bring me back a thousand percent and moving, full moving, you know, back to the U.S. and playing all out and really being committed again," she said. "I believe that's what you really need to achieve greatness in this world is just focus in on your mindset in every area."