'Shark Tank's ZinePak Is Already A Huge Success

Get ready for a fight, because on this week's episode of Shark Tank, ZinePak may very well start a bidding war. The company was founded back in 2010 by Brittany Hodak (who has a background in music) and Kim Kaupe (who has a background in publishing). The two met at an advertising agency in New York and ZinePak — a cute portmanteau of "magazine" and "package" — was born. According to the website, Hodak and Kaupe worked quickly, and their first ZinePak was being distributed out of Walmart in a matter of months.

So what is a ZinePak? Well, it's a way for superfans to connect with their favorite artists (not to mention a means to get people to buy actual CDs, as opposed to downloading — a task that gets more and more difficult as iTunes continues to reign supreme). Each ZinePak contains a CD, or multiple CDs, along with exclusive bonus tracks and a fan magazine featuring song lyrics, interviews, and photos. The content of each ZinePak depends on the collaborator — for example, the Katy Perry Prism ZinePak came equipped with nail decals, temporary tattoos, an iron-on patch, a sample of her latest perfume and more, while the Frozen ZinePak catered to a younger audience with things like puzzles, stickers, posters, and a Christmas ornament.

Sounds intriguing (not to mention pretty big-league), right? Think the Sharks will invest? They might just be intrigued by ZinePak, and here are a few reasons why.

They Were A Hit Out Of The Gate

According to Fortune, Hodak had a contact over at Walmart, who was able to get the ball rolling almost immediately: They had a Academy of Country Music Awards compilation on the shelves almost right away, and it sold so successfully that many country artists began creating their own ZinePaks.

They're High Profile

They've partnered with everybody from the above ACM Awards to Taylor Swift to No Doubt — heck, even The Beach Boys released a ZinePak to celebrate their 50th anniversary.

They Don't Take Investors

This might be intriguing to the Sharks. That said, if they're on the show, it looks like they might be taking investors for the first time — and as Kaupe said to Fortune, " ...it’d be strategic. It would be about growth instead of about raising $5 million because I can’t pay my employees tomorrow."

They're Trailblazers

In an interview with The Huffington Post, Hodak pointed out that "Only 1.8% of women-owned businesses ever reach the $1 million mark" — and not only has ZinePak reached it, but they've actually managed to pass that mark a few times over.

Which brings us to the #1 reasons the Sharks just might invest in ZinePak...

They're Making Bank

Hodak was featured in Forbes' prestigious "30 Under 30" list, which revealed that ZinePak had brought in $6 million in profits in 2014, up from $2.6 million in 2013. Now, how's that for growth potential?

Images: ABC/Michael Desmond; Giphy (5)