Can a Toy Builder Make Mensch on a Bench a Holiday Tradition?

Neal Hoffman thought he’d hit the jackpot in December 2014 when he appeared on ABC’s Shark Tank and persuaded two of the show’s celebrity investors to buy $75,000 stakes in the Mensch on a Bench, a Jewish riff on the popular Christmas franchise Elf on the Shelf.

Tens of thousands of entrepreneurs vie to get their ideas on the hit show every year, hoping the exposure will supercharge their businesses. That’s exactly what it did for Hoffman as sales of his bearded Hanukkah dolls surged ninefold, to $900,000. The Cincinnati-based businessman was elated, but that feeling soon turned to fear that he might become a one-hit wonder like other contestants. (Remember ShowNo Towels and Toygaroo?) “You get the initial press bump, then after a few years it goes away,” says the 39-year-old. “The challenge was, how do you turn this from a product into a brand?”