Jennifer and Michael DiPaolo walked into the Tank with a pitch that raised more than a few eyebrows. They weren’t selling a new tech app or a specialized kitchen gadget. They were selling sex—or at least, the promise of a better libido through a snack bar. His and Her Bar Shark Tank fans remember the episode vividly because it leaned into that awkward, slightly taboo space that usually makes the Sharks either lean in or run for the hills.
It was Season 12, Episode 10. The couple sought $50,000 for 10% of their company. On the surface, the math made sense. They had a product, a clear niche, and a brand identity that felt ready for a GNC shelf. But as the pitch unfolded, the "aphrodisiac" claims started to get scrutinized under the harsh studio lights.
The Science (or Lack Thereof) Behind the Bar
Let’s be real. When you market something as an aphrodisiac, you're inviting a massive amount of skepticism. The His and Her bar utilized ingredients like maca root, muira puama, and horny goat weed. If you’ve ever spent five minutes in the supplement aisle of a health food store, these names are familiar. They've been used in traditional medicine for centuries.
However, the Sharks—particularly Mark Cuban—weren’t buying the "results." Mark is notorious for his hatred of "pseudo-science." He's the guy who will grill a founder until they admit their clinical trial was actually just a survey of ten friends. During the His and Her Bar Shark Tank segment, the tension was thick. The DiPaolos argued that their proprietary blend actually worked. The Sharks argued that without FDA backing or rigorous double-blind studies, it was just an expensive chocolate bar.
Actually, calling it just a chocolate bar might be generous. It was a vegan, gluten-free, non-GMO snack designed to boost arousal. But the taste? That's where things got even rockier.
Why the Sharks Said No
Flavor is everything in the CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) world. You can have the best branding in the world, but if the product tastes like chalky cardboard, nobody is coming back for a second purchase. The feedback on the taste was... mixed. Some Sharks found it okay; others weren't impressed.
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Then there was the valuation and the sales. At the time of filming, the company had only been around for a short while. They had about $15,000 in lifetime sales. In the world of Shark Tank, that’s "hobby" territory, not "enterprise" territory. Kevin O’Leary, true to form, was looking at the margins and the customer acquisition cost. If you have to spend $20 in ads to sell a $5 bar, you don't have a business. You have a very expensive way to pass the time.
One by one, they dropped out.
- Mark Cuban left because of the "science."
- Lori Greiner didn't see the "hero" potential.
- Daymond John wasn't feeling the brand fit.
- Robert Herjavec and Kevin O'Leary followed suit.
They left without a deal. Honestly, it wasn't a shocker. The "sexual wellness" space is tricky for investors because it's hard to scale without hitting massive regulatory hurdles or getting banned from major ad platforms like Meta and Google, which have strict rules about "adult" content.
Life After the Tank: Did They Survive?
Most people think that if you don't get a deal, the business dies. That's rarely the case. The "Shark Tank Effect" is a real thing. Even a "bad" segment brings millions of eyeballs to a website. For a few days after the episode aired, His and Her Bar likely saw more traffic than they had in their entire existence.
But here is where the story gets a bit murky.
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Maintaining momentum after the initial spike is the hardest part of the journey. For the DiPaolos, the struggle was real. They rebranded. They tried to pivot. They leaned harder into the lifestyle aspect. But if you look for His and Her bars today, you'll find they have largely vanished from the primary retail landscape. Their website went dark. Social media updates stopped.
This is the side of the show people rarely talk about. We love the success stories like Scrub Daddy or Bombas, but the reality for many founders is that the Tank exposes flaws that are too big to fix with just a little bit of "fame." In the case of His and Her Bar, the combination of a niche product, controversial health claims, and a crowded snack market proved to be a mountain too high to climb.
The High Cost of the Wellness Niche
The wellness industry is worth billions. Yet, it’s a graveyard for startups. Why? Because the barrier to entry is low, but the barrier to staying is incredibly high. Anyone can go to a co-packer, pick a few herbs from a catalog, and wrap it in a pretty label.
To actually win, you need one of two things:
- Massive capital to buy your way onto retail shelves.
- Incredible "proof of concept" that goes viral organically.
His and Her Bar had the branding, but they lacked the "sticky" factor. When you look at their trajectory compared to something like Moon Juice, which also uses adaptogens and "sex dust," the difference is in the community building. Moon Juice built a cult-like following in Los Angeles before trying to go national. The DiPaolos tried to go national before they had the "cult."
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Lessons for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
If you're watching old clips of the His and Her Bar Shark Tank episode and thinking about starting your own brand, there are some pretty blunt takeaways here. Don't ignore the "boring" stuff.
Marketing an aphrodisiac is a nightmare. You can't make specific medical claims without getting a warning letter from the FTC. You can't run typical Facebook ads without getting flagged. You are basically fighting with one hand tied behind your back from day one.
Also, valuation matters. They asked for a $500,000 valuation with only $15,000 in sales. That is a massive red flag for any investor. It suggests the founders are "married" to a number they haven't earned yet.
What You Should Do Instead
If you're looking to enter the supplement or functional food space, the path forward isn't through "magic" claims. It's through transparency.
Focus on "The Three Ts":
- Taste: It has to be better than the "unhealthy" version.
- Testing: Have third-party labs verify what's inside.
- Traceability: Tell the story of where your ingredients come from.
The DiPaolos had a lot of heart. You could see they believed in their product. But belief doesn't pay the bills in a high-overhead business like food manufacturing. The "His and Her Bar" story serves as a cautionary tale about the importance of timing and the necessity of having a product that can stand up to the most cynical room in television.
To move forward with your own business idea, start by pressure-testing your claims. If a Shark would laugh at your "science," your customers eventually will too. Get your sales into the six-figure range through local markets and direct-to-consumer testing before you ever think about stepping onto a national stage. Validate the "need" before you invest in the "brand." That is the only way to avoid becoming another "Where are they now?" statistic in the Shark Tank archives.