What Happened To Ride FRSH Air Fresheners From Shark Tank Season 14?

Any fan of the reality TV hit "Shark Tank" knows some of the pitch meetings can get a little sticky. That was particularly true during a Season 14 episode on Prime Video — currently available for purchase through Amazon — when the Ride FRSH team rubbed series regular Mark Cuban the wrong way while pitching their line of high-end air fresheners. Thankfully, regular "Shark Tank" panelist Barbara Corcoran opted to take the plunge, agreeing to kick owners Donovan and Trey Brown $200,000 in funding for a 20% stake in their fledgling air freshener empire.

That was the same sum secured by fellow Season 14 presenter LavaBox, despite the Browns having already found considerable success prior their "Shark Tank" pitch. Before their primetime appearnce, the Brown's had indeed grown their subscription based air freshener startup into a popular, and profitable operation that closed licensing deals with the NBA and secured tie-ins to popular television shows, including Viacom's "SpongeBob Squarepants." The Brown brothers were, however, eager to expand their business and expand from subscriptions into the retail arena.

As such, the entrepreneurs were looking for an influx of cash to scale up their operation and expedite some potentially lucrative deals with retail chains. After the Ride FRSH team secured backing from Corcoran on "Shark Tank," they exited the studio eyeing a full-on takeover of the air freshener market. But even as Ride FRSH is still a notable player in that not-so niche field, it remains unclear how much of a game-changer Corcoran's backing was. 

For those who didn't watch the "Shark Tank" episode when it aired, the jab that led potential investor Mark Cuban to sit out the bidding for Ride FRSH was quite personal. It involved the cache of air fresheners the Brown brothers selected to show off to the "Shark Tank" panel during their pitch. Yes, one the fresheners that ended up in the hands of Cuban was branded with the logo of the NBA's Golden State Warriors.

Cuban is, of course, the owner of the Dallas Mavericks NBA franchise. That very year, Golden State bounced Cuban's Luka Doncic-led Mavericks from the NBA Conference Finals. In a move that perhaps unnecessarily salted the wounds for Cuban, one of the brothers even took a long sniff of a Golden State freshener before declaring, "Smells like winning," with Cuban advising the Browns they should've read the room better before bowing out of the bidding. Donovan and Trey Brown would later admit the jab was intentional and conceived as a promotional stunt.

As several major news outlets covered Cuban's reaction, it proved a savvy move to boot, with the ensuing coverage helping the Browns get their company's name out to folks who might've missed their primetime debut. Luckily, Barbara Corcoran wasn't offended by the jab and struck what looked to be a lucrative deal with the Ride FRSH siblings.

With Barbara Corcoran's backing, the Brown brothers were primed for rapid market expansion when they exited the "Shark Tank" studio — and they didn't even need to resort to the same sort of theatrical gimmickry as Season 13 success story Tenikle to do it. As of this writing, it's not entirely clear how much Ride FRSH benefited from the "Shark Tank" appearance in the long run, as it's still relying heavily on subscriptions as its primary source of revenue. But with the company's website boasting "a loyal customer base of over 100,000 drivers," it would seem that side of Ride FRSH's business is holding strong.

Part of that deal involved the Browns securing a retail deal to sell Ride FRSH through big box titan Target. That deal still looks to be very much in place, with the company's air fresheners currently being offered online and in-store. After touting a potential deal with automotive retailer AutoZone to help secure backing on "Shark Tank," the Browns were, apparently, able to close that deal as promised. However, as of this writing, it appears the deal might have been shorter lived than they wanted, as Ride FRSH offerings are no longer available on AutoZone's website.

Despite the apparent loss of Autozone as a revenue stream, business would appear to still be low-key, booming for Ride FRSH. In fact, per some 2024 reports, the company is now valued at $1.3 million and boasts an annual revenue of $750,000.   

Though Ride FRSH has fared better than Season 14 presenter Woosh Air Filters, the Browns haven't yet attained the market dominance they'd hoped for. But according to the duo's Joe Pardo interview in January 2023, leveraging the "Shark Tank" exposure has been vital in scaling their retail and distribution partnerships. The Browns also hoped to expand online sales by bolstering monthly subscriptions and wholesale deals.

Trey Brown also told Pardo that Ride FRSH was looking to go global by the end of 2023, noting the company had been fielding calls from distributors as far away as New Zealand and the Caribbean. It's unclear, however, how successful the Browns have been in their efforts to take their air fresheners global. In any case, they continue to work on expanding their retail partnerships stateside. As of this writing, plans to land the company's NBA-branded air fresheners on the shelves of sports-centric chains like Dick's Sporting Goods and Fanatics appear to be slow-going, at least for the time being, neither outlet is selling their wares. 

Apart from their ongoing retail ambitions, the Browns have also expanded Ride FRSH's offerings beyond just air fresheners, and are now selling a complete Car Cleaning Kit. Those kits include a miniature vacuum, FRSH branded microfiber towels, scented air sprays, and a selection of five of the company's signature hanging paper air fresheners. They offer all that at a retail price of $79, which the company claims is cheaper than a professional detailing session. 

With Ride FRSH continuing to be a player in the paper air freshener game, it appears both Donovan and Trey Brown are still very much guiding the company ship. With reported sales of over 3 million air fresheners, it would be surprising to say the least if that were to change anytime soon.

As the company continues to evolve, the Ride FRSH mission to elevate the driving experience for one and all also remains the same. According to Donovan Brown's LinkedIn page, however, evolution is very much on the docket, as he's broadened his resume to include a title other than that of Ride FRSH big boss. Since 2020, Brown has also served as the CEO of The Long Tail Agency, a Los Angeles-based marketing firm that has consulted with major brands like Nike, Peacock, AT&T, and The American Cancer Society, among others. 

With Donovan Brown expanding his professional horizons, it's less clear what his brother Trey is doing apart from his efforts at Ride FRSH. At present, it does not appear that Trey even has a LinkedIn profile, and news of any work apart from his dealings with Ride FRSH is virtually non-existent online. So, Trey is seemingly happy enough to keep calling the shots at the company he founded for the time being.