Proper Good: Here's What Happened After Shark Tank
Christopher and Jennifer Jane appeared in the second episode of "Shark Tank's" 13th season, and made their pitch while costumed as Enlightenment-era British aristocrats — powdered wigs and all. The two siblings donned the period costume to give the proper background for their product, Proper Good, a shelf-stable collection of meals that can be prepared in 90 seconds or less and require no refrigeration.
The two England-born siblings were seeking $400,000 for a 10% interest in the company, whose meals are geared to be consumed hot or cold, with little preparation, and are nutritionally formulated to be appropriate for almost any diet or lifestyle. The Janes noted that sales had been brisk since the launch of the direct-to-consumer company, and the coronavirus pandemic had helped to shift consumer focus toward the e-commerce realm. The meals are sold individually or in boxes of 12, with the price determined by whether the customers had subscriptions or not. Meal packs are $5.99 with a subscription ($72 per box) and $7 without one.
Despite launching in April 2020, the Austin, Texas-based food company managed to top half a million dollars in sales during the remainder of the year and was projected to exceed one million in sales in 2021. The "Shark Tank" episode aired on October 15, 2021.
What happened to Proper Good on Shark Tank
Soupy meals like Chicken Noodle and Southwest Chili (a vegan option) were presented as samples for the sharks — Mark Cuban, Daymond John, Peter Jones, Lori Greiner, and Kevin O'Leary. Jones, who is English, noted that he was likely the favorite shark of the English-born Janes, and the brother and sister team agreed with that assessment. However, Jones passed on the potential to become an investor in Proper Good, citing a dislike for the financial prospects.
Despite their robust early sales, the Janes admitted they were still losing money based on a high customer acquisition cost. Consequently, O'Leary, who like Jones, was impressed by the product, decided to pass. So, too, did Greiner and John, with the latter noting he just wasn't a soup person — that left Cuban as the last shark with possible interest.
Indeed, Cuban was interested after ascertaining that the Janes were willing to change packaging and marketing. The Janes affirmed their belief in "data over ego," leading Cuban to make what he termed a very "sharky" offer of $400,000 for 25% of Proper Good. Cuban reasoned that the company should be able to go from one million in sales to 25 million in sales in only a few short years, a projection the Janes obviously liked. But Jennifer asked him to take 20% rather than 25%, and he agreed. Thus, a deal was made.
What happened to Proper Good after Shark Tank
Cuban's faith in the Janes, and in Proper Good, proved warranted. After being spotlighted on "Shark Tank," the company's fortunes immediately improved as sales shot through the roof. "It eclipsed our wildest projections," Christopher Jane noted to Food Business News. "We did four months of average sales in a one-week period."
Following the sales uptick, Proper Good began expanding its inventory of products. As a consequence, the soups such as those the Janes served to sharks on "Shark Tank" have now been joined by easy-to-prepare oatmeals in a variety of flavors, including apple cinnamon, and peanut butter, and banana. Like the soups, the oatmeal options are shelf-stable and can be made in only 90 seconds.
The next step was even bigger. Proper Good sought additional funding and received it in November 2022, to the tune of $3.5 million. Joining the company as investors were YETI Capital, The Artisan Group, and Doug Bouton, who launched and currently heads Gatsby Chocolate and Halo Top. The new funding allowed Proper Good to branch out from direct-to-consumer sales and enter the retail market, which it has done with spectacular success; notably via Walmart. Yes, Proper Good has now garnered shelf space in 2,000 Walmart Supercenter stores.
Is Proper Good still open?
Proper Good is not only still open, but the company is also thriving. This perhaps was to be expected given the Janes background and education. Christopher Janes, for example, earned an MBA from Stanford, and the Jane siblings worked together to co-found Montana Mex, a condiment company that specializes in seasonings and sauces. That partnership continues in Proper Good, where Christopher is the Chief Executive Officer, and Jennifer is the Chief Marketing Officer. That is, when she's not working as an actress or comedian.
Proper Good is still sold in thousands of Walmart locations, and has continued to sell healthy, easy-to-prepare meals via its website, eatpropergood.com. During the past few years, the company has continued to build out its inventory of soups, chilis, curries, and oatmeals, with offerings that meet the nutritional needs of those following a variety of healthy diets, from keto to vegetarian or vegan. This formula has proven popular, with direct-to-consumer revenue growing by 400% from 2021 to 2022.
Subscriptions are one of the more attractive options, given the 20% discounts over regular price. According to an interview with Christopher Jane via The Shelf Life, many of the brand's flavors and new meal options (oatmeal, for instance) are based on customer feedback.
What's next for Proper Good
When YETI Capital agreed to provide funding for Proper Good in 2022, its managing director Maxx Karr noted via press release, "We are excited to invest in PROPER GOOD, not only because Chris and Jennifer have created a new category of premium shelf-stable meals, but they've custom built a proprietary data platform with continuous feedback, ensuring consumers' ever-changing demands are met."
This reliance on feedback suggests that whatever is next for Proper Good will likely depend on the company's consumers, and what new meal options or sales avenues they express interest in. To keep the comments coming, Proper Good has its own Slack channel where feedback is welcome — and often acted upon. Social media, meanwhile, has proven helpful as a tool for attracting new consumers, as Proper Good now has healthy followings for its healthy food on both Instagram (over 25,000 followers) and TikTok (more than 3,500).
The company also remains committed to sustainability, so much so that it even provides customers with prepaid envelopes, so they can send their packaging back to be properly recycled, or rather, recycled Proper Good.