Overview
Dreamland Baby is a company that produces innovative and effective weighted sleep sacks and blankets for infants and toddlers. The company was founded by Tara Williams, a finance graduate from Bentley University, in response to the difficulty she experienced in putting her fourth child, Luke, to sleep.
The company has since grown to be worth $10 million as of 2024.
Pitch on Shark Tank
In 2020, Tara Williams appeared on Shark Tank seeking $100,000 for 10% equity in her company.
Despite having a successful fundraising campaign on Kickstarter, the Sharks were initially hesitant to invest in Dreamland Baby. However, Lori Greiner offered $100,000 for 22.5% equity, believing the product could sell well on QVC.
Although the deal never closed, Williams continued to run the company and focus on a direct-to-customer business model through its website, DreamlandBabyCo.com.
Sales After Shark Tank
Dreamland Baby has overcome many hurdles and is now hugely successful.
The product is available to buy in retail stores such as Target, Nordstrom, and Bloomingdales.
In late 2021, they announced reaching $10 million in lifetime sales and in 2022, they were on track to make $25 million in annual revenue.
The company launched a second product in 2019, the Dream Weighted Sleep Swaddle, which has an integrated inner swaddle wing for security and comfort.
Currently, Dreamland Baby is valued at around $10 million, quadrupling in valuation since appearing on Shark Tank.
Tara Williams’ Background
Tara Williams’ background includes marketing and sales experience in the medical equipment and pharmaceutical industries. She was a marketing intern at Smith & Nephew in 2008 before being promoted to an endoscopy sales representative.
She later worked as a national sales trainer at Beacon Endoscopic and as a specialty sales representative at AbbVie.
In 2016, she became a senior market development manager at Bioprint AM.
Williams also earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from Bentley University in 2009 and studied SEO and Social Media Marketing at Stanford University in 2019.
Founding Dreamland Baby
Tara Williams founded Dreamland Baby after experiencing difficulty putting her fourth child, Luke, to sleep. She placed a heavy blanket on him in bed, which calmed him down and led to the creation of Dreamland Baby.
Williams and her mother-in-law created a tiny weighted sleeping bag that uses deep touch stimulation to boost relaxation for infants.
To get the business running, Williams started a Kickstarter campaign in 2019, raising $24,541 in just 72 hours.
Lessons From Dreamland Baby’s Success
Based on the Shark Tank episode about Dreamland Baby, here are three practical tips for aspiring young entrepreneurs:
1. Turn Adversity into Opportunity
When Tara Williams and her husband both lost their jobs, they used this challenging situation as motivation to create and develop Dreamland Baby. Entrepreneurs should look for opportunities even in difficult times and leverage adversity to drive innovation and progress.
2. Bootstrap and Utilize Available Resources
Tara used her maternity leave stipend to fund the initial stages of her business, including filing for patents and creating prototypes. Aspiring entrepreneurs should consider using any available resources, savings, or small funds to start their venture, proving the concept before seeking larger investments.
3. Leverage Personal Experience to Identify Market Needs
Tara’s invention was born out of a personal need to help her baby sleep better.
Entrepreneurs should consider their own experiences and pain points as potential sources of inspiration for creating products or services that address real market needs, making their solutions highly relevant and effective.
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