wegg® showcase: Bringing Modern Mexican Beauty to the Masses

It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Even though I had years of performance experience, it was pretty nerve-wracking because Shark Tank is a different type of stage. In real life, it goes slowly and then gets edited down to three minutes. So much happened in the Tank that no one will ever see or know, and is only between the Sharks and me! It also taped during COVID, so I had to quarantine in a hotel, and we had to get tested. The Sharks sat further away than normal.

[Sandra received offers from two Sharks but turned both of them down]

If you accept money at a valuation that is lower than you believe your company to be valued at, then you are lowering the valuation out of the gate. It’s scary to turn down money when you need money, but I truly believed there was something bigger and better on the other side of this experience. And there was. I raised over $2 million, for less equity, through venture partners. But being on the program was a positive experience and helped the brand gain national awareness.

Becoming global happened in 2025 and all at once. Ulta Beauty, a retailer, decided to expand internationally. They opened Ulta Mexico and Ulta Middle East. We were invited to be part of both. We will grow with Ulta as they grow internationally. We had also just launched with MECCA, Australia’s premium beauty retailer. MECCA heard about the brand and I had met them at The Business of Fashion Summit the year prior. They loved the concept and the samples, and how it looked on the shelves.

It’s a logistical challenge to move your products across the border, but fortunately we have a solid logistics and operating team that makes it happen. The regulatory piece is the biggest challenge when you are dealing with products that you consume or put on your skin. Every country has its own regulatory requirements—ingredients they will and won’t accept. Our internal team works with some regulatory experts on this. The retailers also try to be helpful.