College dropout fired from job turns Rs 25,000 into Rs 34 crores a year with tea business. Then, a Shark Tank deal

The co-founders sought $500,000 for a 5% stake in their tea business. (Representational)

Darien Craig, a college dropout who was fired from his job with just $7 to his name, has turned a mere $300 (Rs 25,000) into a thriving $4 million-a-year business. The 31-year-old founder of Y’all Sweet Tea appeared on Shark Tank US this week to seal an investment deal that will help propel his company to even greater heights.

It all started in 2021, when Craig’s life took an unexpected turn. Fired from his previous job, Craig found himself with little money and fewer options. But instead of giving up, he saw an opportunity. “The week I got fired, I had $7 to my name,” Craig wrote on his company website. “With the last paycheck I received, I used the $300 from that check to purchase the first jars, sugar, and tea that would eventually catapult this idea.”

What began as a humble venture has now grown into a business with $4 million in revenue, including nearly $800,000 in profit. Y’all Sweet Tea, which Craig co-owns with his childhood friend Brandon Echols, is sold direct-to-consumer and in roughly 600 grocery stores, mostly across the southeastern United States.

But it wasn’t just the numbers that impressed the investors on Shark Tank—it was the company’s ability to innovate. The company introduced flavoured teas in 2023, with their first offering, “Georgia Peach,” selling 10,000 units in just 35 minutes.

“The first eight of those minutes were responsible for $100,000 in sales,” Craig said. Kevin O’Leary, one of the show’s investors, was astounded by the sales numbers, calling it “rare” for an entrepreneur to achieve such success on their own website in such a short time.

Craig and Echols sought $500,000 for a 5% stake in their business. Rashaun Williams, a venture capitalist and minority stakeholder in the Atlanta Falcons, quickly offered $500,000 for 10%, and saw immediate potential for massive growth.

The entrepreneurs weighed their options carefully, with O’Leary and Lori Greiner also making competitive offers. Ultimately, Craig and Echols chose a joint offer from Greiner and Williams.