What you see happen in the Tank is a handshake deal, meaning that there is no metaphysical transfer of money when you shake a shark’s hand. Nothing is legally binding, and ultimately, handshake deals mean very little. You can shake a stranger’s hand right now, promise them a million dollars, and see what happens. Nothing. They might follow up. They might text or email you asking where their million dollars is. And you can ignore them, ghost them, leave their messages unread — which is actually what happens more often than people realize after Shark Tank.

Tons of founders go on the show, land a deal in front of their friends, family, and millions of viewers, and then never hear from their shark again once they get home. This wasn’t my case, but I’ve heard too many stories of entrepreneurs who celebrate

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When I closed Wanna Date, I honestly thought I’d be gone for maybe a month. Just long enough to reset and regroup. Somehow… life happened, and a whole year went by. One entire year without Wanna Date.

Looking back, I really wish I hadn’t gone quiet. I can see now how stepping away took a real toll on my mental health, and how that only made it harder to come back. It felt like I lost part of my light. My voice.

This is me taking it back.

If you watched me on Shark Tank, you might remember me saying, “Failure is when you quit.” And I’m not quitting. Even though I don’t currently have date spread products to sell you, Wanna Date was never just about date spread. It was about entrepreneurship, satisfying sweet cravings naturally, and making the world a happier and healthier place.

One day soon, I hope I do have something tangible to sell you again. But if there’s one thing this past year has taught me, it’s that the world doesn’t need another “better-for-you” product or thing to buy. What we really need is connection, community, and people we can relate to and look up to.

If you’re reading this, it means you were once part of the Wanna Date email gang—and I have good news: I’m bringing the emails back. I’ve been dying to share what I’ve been up to this past year, what I’ve learned, all of the delicious healthy things I’ve been whipping up in the kitchen, and how I continue to live an added-sugar-free life.

And because I missed you guys so much, I’m doing a little giveaway too. Each week, I’ll be choosing one random annual Substack subscriber to receive a free date spread or bag of date dough. Yes—there are still a few cases left 😉

If you’d like to stay connected, please subscribe to this Substack. And from the bottom of my heart, thank you for the everlasting love and support for Wanna Date.

The story isn’t over yet.

XO, Melissa