Taylor Johnson, a 27-year-old
Colorado Mesa University (CMU)
alumna, answers hundreds of
phone calls for her family’s business
everyday. She posts on social media,
interacts with customers online
and travels wherever her job takes
her. One might say she has a dream
job; the kind of job that any Mass
Communication or Business major
goes to school to pursue.
Taylor and her family’s
entrepreneurial successes have
led them to the development of a
unique product, the growth of a
family business and most notably an
appearance on Shark Tank.
Courtesy of Taylor Johnson
Shark Tank is a TV show that
showcases millionaire and billionaire
tycoons as they invest in in products
they believe could be the next big thing.
The Johnson family went on
Shark Tank on Oct. 27 to showcase
their invention: Tailgate N Go. It’s
a portable outdoor kitchen and dry
box that’s designed for camping,
tailgating, traveling and any kind of
outdoor adventure.
Courtesy of Taylor Johnson
The family, consisting of Ron
Johnson (54 years old), his daughter
Taylor and son Kobe (18 years old),
went through nine prototypes of
their design. Kobe is the first deaf
entrepreneur to appear on Shark
Tank.
After a nerve wracking exchange
with the sharks who all initially
turned them down, they closed a
counter offer from Matt Higgins, the
Miami Dolphins Vice Chairman and
RSE Ventures co-founder and CEO.
The deal, which was $250,000 for a
20% stake in the company, includes a
$50 per-unit royalty. Taylor said that
the Shark Tank process was as exciting
as it was stressful.
Courtesy of Taylor Johnson“It was pretty dicey throughout
the episode. We didn’t know what
would happen. [Being on Shark
Tank] has opened tons of doors for us
and just helped us get it out there,”
Johnson said.
Tailgate N Go features many
different detachable modules that can
be attached to different parts of the
box, making it functional from every
angle. Taylor said that the original idea
for the product came from a family
camping trip, when they forgot many
kitchen supplies and other necessities
during the packing process.
“The Tailgate N Go is the most
elaborate outdoor kitchen and dry
box you’ve ever dreamed that has all
your tailgating and camping needs
covered,” Higgins said in a press
release by Tail Gate N Go. “A grill, a
griddle, a burner, a sink, a dry box, a
cutting board and more all at once. I
can’t wait to work with this amazing
family and my sports network to
make some magic!”
The kitchen includes a grill, griddle, burner, sink, cutting board and more.
“I am a part owner [of the
company] along with my brother. My
father is the inventor of the product. I
do the day to day work, like answering
phones, posting on social media, that
kind of thing,” Johnson said.
Taylor said that being on Shark
Tank was a dream come true. She
grew up watching the show with her
family, so actually being featured on
it was incredible for her.
“Honestly it’s so crazy it’s just
kind of a blur. We feel like we didn’t
even walk in there, we feel like we
floated. At the beginning of the
episode I stumbled because I was so
stunned and I got caught up in my
head going ‘oh my God this is real,’”
Taylor said.
She then added that she was
able to regain her confidence once
she realized that the celebrities she
was intimidated by were really just
ordinary people.
“If you’re passionate about
something, you’ll get your point
across,” Taylor said.
After their appearance on Shark
Tank, the Johnson family has sold
many Tailgate N Go boxes. Their
company is steadily growing and
business is expanding well outside
Colorado. According to Taylor, her
experience as a Mass Communication
major at CMU has helped her prepare
for the responsibilities involved in
owning and running a small business.
“I use my degree everyday because I do all of our marketing, all of our photos, and all of our print,” Taylor said. “My one word of advice is to [get a minor in business], it helps you learn how to work for yourself and do things on your own. I had to be thrown into the fire and learn how to run a business.”
This is just the beginning for the
Johnson family. Taylor said that she
loves her job and the way it gives her
the opportunity to work alongside
some of her former professors as
well as with her family. She’s proud
to be the owner of her own company.
“I love doing it. Any small business owner will tell you it’s very demanding but [it’s] worth it. It’s something to be proud of, and it gives you good amount of self-worth,” Taylor said.
Their website can be visited here.
Courtesy of Taylor Johnson