The Skinny Mirror entered the Shark Tank on October 23. Heavy interviewed owner Belinda Jasmine on her mirror that gives you a slimming reflection of as much as 10 pounds lighter. We asked her what the mission of her company was, and she told us, “Our mission is to inspire you to see yourself in a more attractive way. If you feel good, you look good.” Here is what else she said about…
Buy The Skinny Mirror here.
How the Idea Came About
I had a mirror that added 10 pounds to my reflection. Unaware of the distortion, I used this mirror for three years and started to develop body insecurities like I never have before. I started to ask my friends questions like, ‘Does it look like I’m gaining weight; do I look fat?’ I was confused because even though I weighed the same and my clothes fit the same, I still felt like I was gaining weight. It didn’t make any sense to me – the image I saw in the mirror did not match the image in my mind. One day, a friend came over, saw herself in my mirror and said ‘That is a bad mirror! It makes you look fat!’ That’s when it clicked. I have always been more of an advocate about the performance and fitness of my body versus the aesthetics. I asked myself, ‘How could a simple reflection affect how feel about my body?’ Realizing the effect that unflattering image had on my body image, I immediately wanted a mirror that made me look 10 pounds thinner. I looked all over the place and couldn’t find one. And so I figured out how to make one.
Her Experience With Kickstarter
(Kickstarter.com)
Kickstarter was tough. Not just setting up the details, but mustering up the courage to put yourself out there. It took a lot of social media and PR to reach our goal. It was worth it though. It’s a good way to raise some money outside of the traditional ways. Reaching our goal helped us continue making The Skinny Mirror and stay in business.
Buy The Skinny Mirror here.
Her ‘Shark Tank’ Story
I’ve had at least two dozen people tell me I needed to pitch the idea to Shark Tank. We haven’t received any real funding for this business; it has been financed by us personally. This summer, with the new facility and all the unexpected overhead, we were having some major financial difficulties where we didn’t even have the capital to buy materials to fulfill orders. That’s when we decided we needed to do everything we could to keep The Skinny Mirror alive. We ran our Kickstarter campaign and I finally applied for Shark Tank.
Bestselling Mirrors
(theskinnymirrors.com)
Up until about six months ago, our bestseller was the 13 x 49 Bare Naked model. Now our bestseller is the Strong As Steel model. It comes in five different sizes, from 16 x 48 to 30 x 68. It’s our aluminum frame. We’ve had over 30 custom orders from designers, retailers, contractors and individuals.
Future Plans
To grow this business and improve self-image and body image around the world. I’d like to start a non-profit that will help build confidence in girls doing artistic and outdoor activities.
Buy The Skinny Mirror here.
