CHARLOTTE — Wendy Hoffmeister is in the business of spreading cheer. She left her job as a labor and delivery nurse manager to go full time into making gnomes. Yes, gnomes — the stubby creatures with fluffy beards and hats bigger than they are.
[PAST COVERAGE: Charlotte woman to pitch handmade gnome business to ‘Shark Tank’]
Hoffmeister and her team of four employees make decorative gnomes for holidays and special occasions. The gnomes are all handmade. The team sells an average of 60 gnomes per day and can make as many as 150 per day, she said. They work out of Hoffmeister’s home in Charlotte.
The business reached a pivotal moment in 2021. Hoffmeister landed a $200,000 deal with Daymond John on ABC’s “Shark Tank,” a show where entrepreneurs pitch their ideas for funding. John, a nationally known entrepreneur, will have 30% equity in the company.
She is considering using the funding for a new space to make the gnomes, among other ideas.
(Watch the video below: Charlotte woman to pitch handmade gnome business to ‘Shark Tank’)
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