Table of Contents
In episode 07 of season 16 of Shark Tank, Jenna Hess from Frisco, Texas, presented her innovative product: the Gnome Advent Calendar. Seeking $45,000 for a 10% stake in her company, Jenna introduced a delightful way for families to countdown to Christmas.
Jenna’s Gnome Advent Calendar offers a whimsical experience, featuring handcrafted gnomes that reveal themselves each day leading up to Christmas. These charming gnomes are made from high-quality fabrics and draw inspiration from Scandinavian folklore, adding a touch of magic to the holiday season.
But Jenna doesn’t stop with just Christmas. She has developed Advent calendars for other holidays as well, including adorable bunny gnomes for Easter, love-themed gnomes for Valentine’s Day, and 31 spooky gnomes for Halloween. Her goal is to create holiday traditions that families can cherish year after year.
The Advent calendar market is booming, with estimates suggesting it is worth over a billion dollars. Jenna’s product aims to stand out in this growing market by offering high-quality and unique options for consumers.
What Is the Gnome Advent Calendar?
The Gnome Advent Calendar is a special holiday countdown calendar where each day reveals a handmade gnome. These gnomes are crafted with care and attention to detail, ranging from 5 to 11 inches in length.
The calendar is designed to create magical moments and excitement as you count down to a holiday, making it a perfect gift for family, friends, or yourself.
Each gnome is unique, adding a touch of joy and surprise to your holiday season. The calendars are popular and sell out quickly every year. They are available for pre-order and are shipped in time for the holiday season, ensuring you can start a new tradition filled with gnome-inspired joy.
The Gnome Advent Calendar is a creation of a small, women-owned business that was featured on ABC’s Shark Tank, emphasizing their commitment to quality, tradition, and supporting local artisans.
Who Are the Founders of Gnome Advent Calendar?
Jenna Hess is the founder of Gnome Advent Calendar. Her journey began with a simple yet heartfelt idea: to create handcrafted products that bring joy to seasonal celebrations.
As someone who appreciated creativity and attention to detail, Jenna wanted to offer something unique that could become a part of cherished holiday traditions.
The idea for the Gnome Advent Calendar came from Jenna’s love for the magic and excitement of the holiday season. She wanted to create something that would capture the spirit of the holidays and add an element of surprise and delight to each day leading up to the celebration.
The concept of using gnomes as the central theme was inspired by their whimsical and festive nature, which perfectly matched the joyful and playful atmosphere Jenna wanted to convey.
To bring her idea to life, Jenna began by designing a range of advent calendars, each tailored to different celebrations like Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Easter, and Halloween. She focused on crafting each product with high-quality materials and intricate details, ensuring that every gnome was unique and charming.
Once the designs were ready, Jenna collaborated with local artisans to handcraft each gnome with care. This partnership not only supported local talent but also ensured that each calendar was made with the utmost attention to detail and quality.
Jenna then introduced her products to the market by emphasizing their uniqueness and the joy they could bring to holiday celebrations. She built a brand that resonated with customers looking for something special to enhance their holiday traditions.
The Gnome Advent Calendar quickly gained popularity, especially the Christmas edition, which featured 24 handmade plush gnomes.
By offering a range of products that cater to different holidays and shipping them to customers in the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom, Jenna successfully expanded her business.
Her commitment to quality and customer satisfaction helped establish Gnome Advent Calendar as a beloved brand for those seeking unique, handcrafted holiday items.
Jenna’s appearance on Shark Tank further boosted the brand’s visibility, showcasing her dedication to creating products that bring joy and wonder to seasonal celebrations.
Gnome Advent Calendar Shark Tank Presentation
- Entrepreneur: Jenna Hess
- Business: Gnome Advent Calendar
- Investment Seeking: $45,000 for 10% equity
- Final Deal: No deal
- Sharks: No Shark
Jenna Hess appeared on Shark Tank with a warm and festive presentation, introducing her product: the Gnome Advent Calendar. Based in Frisco, Texas, Jenna’s business offers a modern twist on the traditional advent calendar, featuring handcrafted gnomes made from high-quality fabrics.
Each day, a new gnome is revealed, adding excitement for both kids and adults. The Christmas version includes 24 gnomes, while the Halloween version offers 31. Jenna also provides options for Easter and Valentine’s Day.
Jenna launched her business 18 months prior to her Shark Tank appearance and has generated $160,000 in revenue without spending on advertising. Instead, she utilized organic marketing and social media platforms, especially TikTok, to reach her audience.
She sought an investment to leverage the Sharks’ expertise and guidance and to order in larger quantities to reduce costs.
Sharks’ Questions and Concerns
Cost and Pricing of Gnome Advent Calendar:
- Robert Herjavec asked about the pricing. Jenna explained that the Christmas Gnome Advent Calendar costs $47 to make and sells for $147, while the Halloween version costs $35 to produce and sells for $135.
- Mark Cuban thought the price was too low, while Robert considered it great. Jenna clarified that the average price of a 12-inch gnome is $28, but with her calendar, it averages $6.12 per gnome.
Sales and Marketing of Gnome Advent Calendar:
- Jenna shared that her sales strategy involved selling directly to customers online through her website and TikTok Shop, maintaining control over pricing and avoiding retail markups.
Scalability Concerns:
- The Sharks expressed concerns about the business model’s potential limitations for partnerships or large-scale retail deals, affecting future scalability.
Gnome Advent Calendar Investment Offers and Outcomes
- Robert Herjavec praised the business potential but stated it wasn’t the right fit for his investment portfolio. He opted out.
- Lori Greiner loved the product and expressed willingness to support as a customer, but felt Jenna didn’t need her help as an investor. She declined to invest.
- Mark Cuban highlighted the difference in growth expectations between Jenna’s personal pace and investor expectations. He advised Jenna to raise prices and opted out.
- Daymond John mentioned his previous investment in Wendy’s Gnome Shop and felt oversaturated in the gnome market. He chose not to invest.
- Kevin O’Leary acknowledged Jenna’s passion and potential for growth but felt the business didn’t align with his return expectations. He decided not to invest.
Despite the engaging presentation and positive feedback on the product, Jenna Hess did not secure a deal for her Gnome Advent Calendar on Shark Tank.
The Sharks appreciated her business’s potential but had concerns about scalability and alignment with their investment strategies.
What Happened To Gnome Advent Calendar After Shark Tank?
The Gnome Advent Calendar has become a favorite in many households, loved for its unique design and high-quality craftsmanship. It’s a reusable calendar, about two feet tall and nearly two feet wide, which makes it a wonderful keepsake that families can enjoy each holiday season.
The 2024 Christmas edition, priced at $188, was so popular that it quickly sold out. But don’t worry! If you’re looking to start your own gnome-themed countdown, there are other options available.
The Valentine’s Gnome Advent Calendar for 2025 is currently on sale for $145, and the Easter Countdown Calendar is available for $160.
For future planning, you can pre-order the Halloween Gnome Countdown Calendar 2025 starting in June, and the Christmas Gnome Advent Calendar 2025 will be ready in August. You can order one for yourself through their official website, allowing you to prepare for your celebrations well in advance.
However, the journey of the company hasn’t been entirely smooth. As the company grows, they’ve faced challenges like scams and fake calendars being sold by other businesses. These knock-offs often don’t match the quality of the original, leading to customer frustration.
Jenna Hess, the founder, is actively working to combat these issues, though she acknowledges it will take time and effort because the business is still growing. Despite these hurdles, her team remains committed to their mission of bringing joy and creating lasting family traditions.
Currently, Gnome Advent Calendar ships their products to the U.S., Canada, and Australia, ensuring that each calendar purchased brings warmth and smiles to the families who use them.
Gnome Advent Calendar Shark Tank Update
The Gnome Advent Calendar may be purchased online via Jenna’s TikTok shop and website. It is available for purchase for Christmas, Halloween, and Easter. The Christmas calendar comes with 24 gnomes and costs $147. 31 gnomes are included in the $135 Halloween calendar.
Other calendars with festive themes are also available from Jenna, who is always searching for new ways to grow her product line. The advent calendars are handcrafted and fashioned from premium fabrics to make sure they are one-of-a-kind and exceptional. Customers can buy the calendars online via the TikTok shop or the corporate website.
The product will not currently be available for purchase in retail establishments. Jenna has concentrated on developing an internet company that is well-represented on social media.
What is the Net Worth of Gnome Advent Calendar?
Gnome Advent Calendar’s valuation was $450,000 before appearing on Shark Tank. Gnome Advent Calendars’ current net worth is estimated to be above $500,000 after its appearance on Shark Tank.
