Details About Fishwife From Shark Tank

When you think of fish in a can, tuna is probably the first thing that comes to mind. But it is so much more than that. Whether it's Andrew Zimmern's favorite tinned fish brand José Gourmet, which makes a smoked trout in olive oil that has converted plenty of skeptics, or prefer King Oscar's lightly smoked herring fillets as a snack with your crackers, there are so many options. These fish have not only inspired hunger but also startup.

After spending time in Europe, Becca Millstein was delighted at all the different colors and styles of tinned fishes she found while studying in Spain and wished there was something similar in the U.S. In 2020, Millstein was working for a music startup and living with her friend, Caroline Goldfarb, when Covid hit. To avoid going to the grocery store as often, they began eating a lot of conservas, which is what canned fish is called in Spain and Portugal. "It's one of the only shelf-stable, very nutritious, protein-rich foods, and it's also just as easy to eat quickly between Zoom meetings," she told Mast. "I just could sense that tinned fish was a moment that was about to happen."

When she noticed friends on social media also eating tinned fish, and realized there were no U.S.-based tinned seafood companies yet, she knew what she had to do. "It was a destiny moment," she said. By December 2020, Millstein and Goldfarb's new company, Fishwife, officially launched.

While it's common to hear companies throw around words like ethically sourced and sustainable lately, Fishwife's actions back them up. "We started working with a cannery in Spain on some sardines, but we discontinued them because we felt that we couldn't stand behind the fishery that we were sourcing from at the time," she told Mast. "So we've taken a year to connect that cannery with a sustainable sardine fishery. We're really, really excited about that. Because it's pretty hard to find certifiably sustainable sardines."

This commitment to sustainability was also what made her get in touch with Wes Taylor, who runs Taylor Shellfish Farming, a cannery in Bay Center, Washington in her search to find more sustainable companies to work with. Millstein takes pride in researching companies and canneries and also says she looks for and trusts MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) certification for wild seafood, and ASC (Aquaculture Stewardship Council) certifications for farmed seafood. She also suggests consumers who are interested in making sure they are buying sustainably check out the Monterey Bay watch list, to find out all the details on the species of fish, where it was caught, and how (via "Sea Moss Girlies" podcast).

She also sees the enthusiasm from fans when they know Fishwife is woman-run, or partnering with other women-run businesses. When Fishwife was launched in LA's new woman-owned store, Wine + Eggs, she knew they were on the right track. "People are so excited about this place, they're running to it in droves, and then they hear about our company and they're like, 'Oh my god, like, two female-run businesses,' and it's just like those sort of partnerships that just feel so right, just pop off and get people super excited," she told Female Startup Club.

It's no surprise that Fishwife has partnered with several women-owned businesses in the three years since they launched, and each has been a hit with fans. Whether in their affiliation with Talea Beer or Fly By Jing, which was so popular they even released a shirt to commemorate the collaboration, fans are thrilled to see Fishwife and other women-owned businesses working together. Fishwife also regularly posts about other women-owned brands, lifting and helping each other succeed by encouraging their consumers to try their products.

And then when tinned fish went viral on TikTok and began to be called "hot girl food," Millstein and Fishwife leaned into it. "It was so crazy. We made a line of merch that was 'Hot girls eat tinned fish.' And the day that we launched it, another piece in Vice came out," she told Acid League. "I was like, 'A publicist could not have concocted this moment.'"

Millstein and Goldfarb created Fishwife during Covid when everything was shut down or slowed down with their regular jobs, which helped them have the time needed to start up a new business. But when things started returning to normal and comedy writer Goldfarb got busier and busier, Millstein took on a larger role, becoming CEO of the company as well. "Caroline has an insane job as a very successful TV writer, writing on Mindy Kaling's new show, so we have to be extremely thoughtful about how we use our energy and resources," Millstein told Female Startup Club.

Goldfarb was on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2020 and worked as a writer for Max's "The Sex Lives of College Girls," "The Late Late Show with James Corden," "The Eric Andre Show." She also runs the hilarious @OfficialSeanPenn Instagram account that has over 380,000 followers and hosted the podcast "The Renner Files" in 2020, which was a humorous true crime-type podcast about the fate of an app that Jeremy Renner had made.

Becca Millstein appears in Season 15, Episode 10 seeking $350,000 for a 4% stake in Fishwife. Her exuberance about the tinned cans of smoked rainbow trout, salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines, and anchovies is contagious, and she presents the sharks with her favorite pairings.

They're all blown away by how good it tastes, with guest shark Candace Nelson referring to the smoked salmon as a "flavor bomb." Nelson also gives the rest of the sharks a brief lesson on conservas and the "hot girls eat tinned fish" trend, with Millstein excitedly nodding in the background. When she informs them that she's on track to make more than $5 million that year, you can tell all the sharks are interested in getting a piece of Fishwife's business.

Kevin O'Leary is the first to make an offer of a $350,000 debt deal for 36 months at 11% interest, with him getting 5% equity. Next is Daymond John, who offers $350,000 for a 15% royalty. Mark Cuban says it's not a fit for him, but congratulates her on her success. Nelson then says she wants to make an offer with Lori Greiner of $350,000 for 10%. She counters with $350,000 for 6% with 1% advisory shares, and the three women make a deal. Millstein is over the moon about the deal, and John jokes that she should've just come in and said, "Ladies, let's talk?" With Fishwife launching throughout Whole Foods soon, Millstein is ecstatic to have two more fishwives in her corner.