South Florida Sun-Sentinel Palm Beach (Sunday)
Florida couple takes ‘aphrodisiac’ snack bar to ‘Shark Tank’
As lifestyle enhancement products go, this one raises the bar. The snack bar, that is.
It’s a product developed by a Boynton Beach couple who promote it as an an aphrodisiac that doesn’t require a doctor’s visit, medical insurance, or unmarked packaging. And it’s loaded with chocolate and almonds.
Jennifer and Michael Gallagher took their His & Her Bar to ABC’s “Shark Tank” Friday, hoping to walk away with a deal that brings their unique snack-bar-with-a-twist to the masses.
Unfortunately, none of the sharks bit so no deal was made.
The Gallaghers, who introduced themselves and their product with a self-created rap song, were seeking $50,000 in exchange for 10% equity in their company. During their presentation Michael tearfully revealed he’d been diagnosed with a brain aneurysm years earlier.
The Gallaghers developed the His & Her Bar in 2019 out of a passion to launch a business around a product that had brought consumer appeal and improved people’s lives.
They pitched their invention to the successful panel of TV “sharks,” financiers who have helped dozens of entrepreneurs like the Gallaghers to launch popular products such as the Squatty
Potty, Scrub Daddy and others.
According to their website, the His & Her Bar is made of dates, cashews, chocolate, almonds, vanilla, cayenne pepper and maca root. It has “a creamy consistency with an earthy & nutty flavor from a mixture of almonds, cashews and maca. The chocolate, dates and vanilla gives it the perfect combination of just enough sweetness and you will taste a hint of cayenne at the back end of consuming the bar giving it a little spice.”
But the Gallaghers hope its the key ingredient that excites the sharks. It’s called maca root, which some consider to be an aphrodisiac. It’s a “Peruvian natural Viagra,” as Jennifer Gallagher said.
“When we found that, we were like maca is not really found in bars on the market,” Jennifer said, “and nor is cayenne, and cayenne helps boost blood flow so we put a hint of cayenne at the end, which is really
popular.”
Their journey to “Shark Tank” began in 2015 when the Jennifer and Michael were unhappy in their jobs and decided to risk it all to pursue entrepreneurship. Jennifer, 35, quit a six-figure job in advertising sales and marketing, cashed in her retirement account, emptied her savings and became a businesswoman. Her first foray into the business world was a clothing line.
It was a challenging transition, but Michael says he was fully behind the decision.
“I saw her light up with excitement over creating her clothing brand,” Michael said.
Meanwhile Michael, 38, was hired as a Palm Beach firefighter in 2015 and got a job with the Tequesta Fire Department about 10 months later. But within a year, he left the position.
“That was when the [expletive] hit the fan,” Michael said. Financial strain led to their home going into foreclosure.
Michael, a wine enthusiast, took a three-month internship in Napa Valley, California, to learn about grape harvesting and possibly pursue a new career path. His wife stayed in Boynton Beach to sell the house days before the bank foreclosed.
“I was surviving on pasta,” Jennifer said. “I was desperate.”
The couple moved to Scottsdale, Ariz., for for a fresh start but returned home to South Florida after three years to make another run at a business. The goal, they said, was to find a unique product to sell.
The His & Her Bar checked that box.
While the snack is billed as “the world’s first aphrodisiac bar,” the Gallaghers say it isn’t an instant sex-enhancement product. Rather, their website explains, it’s a
“healthy lifestyle bar which when consumed regularly can help naturally boost libido amongst other health benefits.”
“If somebody’s looking for something that’s going to boost their sex drive immediately, we are very up front, this is not the product for you,” Jennifer said.
The Gallaghers hope the uniqueness of their product and the story behind it inspires one of the sharks to get behind the His & Her Bar.
Their TV appearance fulfills one of Jennifer’s years-long dreams. “When I could officially announce we were going on,” she said, “a lot of people told me, ‘I remember you talking about this years ago.’ “
The buzz around the His & Her Bar has the Gallaghers experiencing a new normal. They have a publicist and publicity photos. This week was filled by a slew of media interviews.
“It’s really surreal,” Jennifer said of their new life.
Although they didn’t get a deal the Gallaghers said they’ll keep trying to make their business a success.
“We’re the poster children of just pushing through, no matter what,” Jennifer said.