Whatever Happened To Ornament Anchor After Shark Tank Season 13?

Let's face it: Christmas ornaments tend to come with some flimsy hooks and strings. If you have playful pets, they could bump into your tree and destroy your Christmas tree ornaments. Back in 2021, young Ayaan Naqvi and his family were featured on Season 13 of "Shark Tank" for their business, Ornament Anchor. Born out of Ayaan's frustration with broken ornaments, Ornament Anchor featured a toggle string that was designed to go through an ornament's opening, loop over the toggle, and be pulled tight to secure it to the tree. The Naqvis proved just how secure these hangers are in a dramatic demonstration, where a fully-decorated Christmas tree was flipped upside down. Sure enough, not one ornament budged. 

As if the demonstration wasn't noteworthy enough, sharks Daymond John and Lori Greiner were particularly impressed by the sales the business had made in a period of just 18 months. Since its debut at Ayaan's fourth grade invention fair, the product had made more than $500,000 in sales. However, this wasn't the first time the sharks came face to face with the Naqvi family. As "Shark Tank" fans may remember, the Naqvi family made their first appearance on the show back in 2019. Ayaan and his siblings had been featured for their parents' product, Kudo Banz, and sadly been turned away. In light of that, the sharks were impressed by their tenacity but also had some concerns about the family dabbling in more than one thing. 

The Naqvi family went onto "Shark Tank" hoping for $90,000 in exchange for 5% of Ornament Anchor. Unfortunately, even with all their enthusiasm, none of the sharks were willing to make an offer. As it turned out, their previous appearance had something to do with it. After learning that Hamza Naqvi, Ayaan Naqvi's father, was running the business while continuing to focus on Kudo Banz and another unnamed project, Mark Cuban expressed concerns that there was too much going on, and Barbara Corcoran agreed. "For the moment, I think you're laser-focused on ornaments, but I think maybe this time next year, it might be something else," she mused before turning the opportunity down. 

However, the family's focus was just one factor which led to them being turned away from the show. Both Kevin O'Leary and Lori Greiner hinted at Ornament Anchor's limited lifespan, noting that they preferred to avoid investing in seasonal products. Ornament Anchors may be needed each year, but since the product is typically only used for a couple months, investing was a risk neither was willing to take. There were also some concerns with the product's profit margins. Although the sharks had collectively gasped over Ayaan's brother Mika'il Naqvi's revelation that they were selling 24 Ornament Anchors for $24.99 with a manufacturing cost of just $1.50, Corcoran felt the mark-up was too high. More specifically, from a consumer's perspective, she shared that she wouldn't buy the product herself. 

Despite not getting any investments on "Shark Tank," Ayaan Naqvi and his family continued with Ornament Anchor. In fact, Mika'il Naqvi — who, per the company's website, heads up business development and is also listed as one of the co-founders on TikTok — took to the platform in October 2023 to share that despite being devastated at the time, him and his brother Ayaan Naqvi used the experience to fuel their drive. They did so by taking a lot of what the sharks had said to heart and implementing their ideas.

For starters, Mika'il shared that he and Ayaan hired their father, Hamza Naqvi, to run the business full-time. On top of that, they also paid heed to Mark Cuban's observation that they were great at selling products on TV. As Mika'il explained via TikTok, while most of their earnings are made in the build-up to the holiday season, they also make decent sales in July from promoting Ornament Anchor on QVC. Without getting into specific numbers, he has previously said in another TikTok that the sales from QVC helped them rake in tens of thousands.  

Those weren't the only pearls of wisdom they put into practice. Piggybacking off of Kevin O'Leary and Lori Greiner's seasonality concerns, Mika'il has also taken to TikTok to demonstrate how Ornament Anchors can be used outside of Christmas. They've created black Ornament Anchors, which are designed specifically for keeping Halloween decor secured.

Two years after the Naqvi family was sent home by the "Shark Tank" panel, Ornament Anchor is still in business. In fact, as Mika'il Naqvi has revealed in a number of TikTok videos, the brand is now a multimillion dollar company. To put their success into perspective, Mika'il shared in one caption on TikTok that the sharks would have made back their investment four times over. There's no denying that the Naqvis' continued visibility via TikTok and TV has played a major role in that. However, their popularity on Amazon has certainly contributed to their success as well. In addition to selling larger packs of the product on their company website, Ornament Anchors are also sold on Amazon, where they carry the prestigious "Amazon's Choice" badge. They can also be found at retailers like Lowes and Walmart, making them easily accessible.

Another thing that has undoubtedly played into their success is the price point of the product. Just like the sharks themselves, many reviewers on Amazon wrote that one of their only gripes with the product was just how expensive it was at $24.99 for a pack of 24. Today, the same pack retails at $19.99 (and is sometimes on sale). Considering that Mika'il had told the sharks that it was costing them just $1.50 to manufacture the 24-pack, even with the lowered cost, they're still making a fortune — all while enticing more buyers. 

Ornament Anchor has continued to grow since the Naqvi family was rejected by "Shark Tank." And, even with everything they've accomplished already, this business-minded family is still aiming for even more growth. Mika'il Naqvi has kept his TikTok followers up to date with everything that their business has done. For starters, as he revealed in an October 2023 TikTok video, they've moved out of their garage and into an office space. It was a vital move, since their orders weren't fitting inside the space anymore. And, given that they brought in $1.3 million from that garage, it certainly seems as though a bigger space will translate into bigger numbers. 

As for what else the future holds, outside of the Christmas period, the Naqvis will continue to use that time to strategize. And, they'll do so while continuing to donate to a project that's close to their heart. Per the Ornament Anchor website, the Naqvis have long been committed to donating 10% of their profits towards no-kill animal shelters. They've already donated $20,000 to North Shore Animal League America, and as profits rise, that number will only grow. It's a full-circle gesture to say the least, since they use the proceeds of a product that keeps pets safe around Christmas trees to further benefit animals. Ayaan Naqvi's aim is to eventually raise funds for endangered species, and perhaps there's a shark foundation on his list.