Pinch Me Therapy Dough

Pinch Me Therapy Dough is a squeezable, scented putty marketed as a tool for easing stress. Nancy Rothner, a clinical hypnotherapist based in Lewes, Delaware, first developed it to use with her own clients and later turned it into a consumer product. Rothner pitched in Season 12, Episode 16, seeking $300,000 in exchange for 7% of the company, which implied a valuation of a little over $4 million. The pitch drew competing offers, and she accepted a deal with Robert Herjavec at $300,000 for 20%, valuing the business at $1.5 million. Delaware news outlets, including the Cape Gazette and the Delaware Business Times, covered the episode and the bidding. That agreement did not become a finished investment. Rothner later said the decision not to go forward was mutual and friendly. The episode still gave the product national exposure, and the company continues to use its Shark Tank appearance in its marketing. Its appeal rests on the scent and the simple act of squeezing the dough. Buyers should see it as a comfort product, since we found no medical claims to verify. The dough is sold through the company's website, pinchmedough.com. Current revenue and store distribution have not been verified, so they are not listed. The details of the bidding and the founder's account of the deal falling through are in the update below.