Shark Tank Part 2 – The Chair Blanket Filming Day in Hollywood

Chris and Tiffany McCasland after filming Shark Tank in June 2025.

This is Part 2 of our Shark Tank story — what filming day in Los Angeles was actually like.

If you missed Part 1, you can start there first.

5:00 AM in Hollywood

Our call time was early.

Very early.

We were the first entrepreneurs scheduled to film that day, which meant alarms before sunrise and a quiet shuttle ride through Los Angeles while the city was still waking up.

There’s something surreal about knowing that in a few hours, you’re going to walk into the Shark Tank.

We got to the lot and Sony Studios was already buzzing. Security badges. Check-in. A quick walkthrough of what the morning would look like.

And then they gave us a tour of the set.

Seeing the Tank for the First Time

You’ve watched it on TV for years.

But standing in that room is different.

It’s bigger than it looks. The lighting is dramatic. The set design is beautiful — polished wood, steel, greenery, the massive screen the Pitch carpet. It feels serious. Official. High stakes.

The producers walked us through where we would stand, where the cameras would track, where we’d hit our mark. They explained how the doors would open and where to stop.

It suddenly became very real.

Hair & Makeup (Yes… Really)

Then came something I never expected.

Hair and makeup.

I’ve done TV before for City Bonfires — Fox News, CNBC, QVC — but this was different. This was network primetime. There’s no shine allowed under those lights.

So yes… I wore makeup.

First time.

The team was great. Professional, calm, encouraging. They made sure we looked camera-ready without feeling unnatural.

Still, sitting there getting powdered before pitching a product you built from scratch in your own garage is a full-circle moment you don’t quite process in real time.

The Waiting

After the walkthrough and prep, we were brought to our green room.

Snacks. Water. Quiet.

And then it’s a waiting game.

You rehearse your pitch in your head. You run through your numbers again. Revenue. Margins. Customer acquisition cost. Inventory. Growth plan.

You’ve practiced it for weeks.

But now the stakes are real.

Because in a few minutes, you’re not just talking about a product.

You’re defending your business.

First Ones Out

Because we had the early call time, we were first up that morning.

There’s something about going first that feels right. No overthinking. No watching other entrepreneurs return from their pitch with good or bad news. Just step up and go.

They mic’d us up. Final touchups. Quick check from the producers.

Then we were standing behind those doors.

Quiet.

You don’t hear the theme song in real life, by the way. That’s added later.

It’s just silence… and then someone says:

“Alright, you’re up.”

And the doors open.

Walking Into the Tank

You walk toward your mark.

Five Sharks sitting in front of you.

Lights everywhere.

Cameras moving.

And you realize — millions of people will eventually see this moment.

Tiffany and I looked at each other briefly before starting. Not a long look. Just enough to say, “We’ve got this.”

Then we started the pitch. Why the Sharks should invest in The Chair Blanket.

Months of preparation condensed into minutes.

And then the questions started.

Rapid fire. Margins. Patents. Supply chain. Growth strategy. Competition.

Exactly what you expect — and more intense than you imagine.

What I’ll Always Remember

What stands out most isn’t the pressure.

It’s the gratitude.

The Shark Tank team — from casting to producers to crew — treated us with professionalism and respect the entire time. You see the drama on TV, but behind the scenes, it’s an incredibly well-run machine filled with people who genuinely want founders to succeed.

Walking off that set, regardless of outcome, I felt proud.

Proud of what we built.

Proud of taking the risk.

Proud of standing there with Tiffany and telling our story.

From a garage in Maryland to the Sony lot in Los Angeles.

Not bad.

Next up: Part 3 – The Pitch and the Sharks.

Stay tuned.