DeKALB — Father and daughter alumni Stan Valiulis and Lindsey Valiulis Fleischhauer received $100,000 for 25% equity on “Shark Tank” for their Totes Babies business. The two appeared in season 12, episode 17 for their Car Seat Carrier that attaches to shopping carts to make shopping easier for parents. 

Valiulis Fleischhauer graduated in 2004 with a degree in theater and Valiulis graduated in 1984 with a music degree. 

The father-daughter duo agrees that NIU has helped them become entrepreneurs and get them to where they are now with their business. 

Valiulis Fleischhauer said her theater degree has helped her succeed in her prior work in sales because the program taught her how to work with people. 

“I just think the different teachers I worked within the theater department, also the different teachers I worked within different departments from different classes I took definitely helped and I loved going to NIU, so I think that it for sure helped with the social aspect and the business side too,” Valiulis Fleischhauer said. 

Valiulis said music classes allow creativity and technical skills. Many of his friends turned to computer programming because they grasped the analytical skills. 

Valiulis Fleischhauer said the Totes Babies Car Seat Carrier idea came from when her son was a baby and the cart had no room to fit his carrier and the groceries. She went to her dad in 2017 who then sketched out the idea and went to Home Depot to create the prototype. 

“It was a curtain, adjustable curtain rod and drop cloth,” Valiulis said. “I made it using a stapler and scissors, so I had a functioning prototype and you (Valiulis Fleischhauer) still have it. It works great.”

Valiulis Fleischhauer decided they needed to make it a real product because moms would come up to her at grocery stores asking her about it. The product was launched in August 2018. 

The goal of Totes Babies is to help parents shop easier and lower their anxiety levels. 

“Parents can also put the toddlers in the front part too that opens up,” Valiulis Fleischhauer said. “So like for me when I had my second son, I’d put my toddler in the front and then the Totes Babies behind it (and) still get all my groceries.”

In 2020, they brought their product to “Shark Tank.” 

“It was a really kind of like a nail-biter,” Valiulis Fleischhauer said. “I guess it was very, it’s like it’s such a weird experience that it’s hard to even explain because there’s so many ups and downs and you don’t know what’s going to happen even a couple weeks before you air because you don’t know what they’re going to show pretty much.” 

Valiulis Fleischhauer said three of the “Shark Tank” hosts went in on their product, but they accepted Lori Greiner’s offer of $100,000. 

“It’s something that we are very grateful that we get so but we had three sharks go in on it, which was huge and also just to have all their input,” Valiulis Fleischhauer said. “We took all their feedback and ran with it.” 

The money that the two won will be used for marketing, advertising and creating new products. They plan for a new product that will be for everyone, not just babies, to hit the markets in six to eight weeks. 

Valiulis Fleischhauer’s goal for Totes Babies is to keep growing the business and making new products, especially because of their success with “Shark Tank.” 

“Since we’ve aired on ‘Shark Tank,’ which is a little over a year ago, we have more products coming and more ideas coming and also just getting into different outlets,” Valiulis Fleischhauer said. “We’re in grocery now. We’re in 240 grocery stores down south with the Totes Babies Car Seat Carrier, so just keep growing that but then growing the product line.” 

Totes Babies can be purchased through their website, Amazon, buybuyBABY, Walmart, Costco and many other grocery stores.