i had fun with you. i didn't have fun with them, but i had fun with you. [ laughter ] okay, guys. ryan: alright, marcus. lemonis: be in touch. congrats. wendy: thank you. ♪♪ woman: ♪ they said i couldn't, so i did ♪ ♪ they call it luck ♪ ♪ i call it determination ♪ lemonis: i'm here in salt lake city visiting james edwards. he's the owner of james' gourmet. now, they are a sweet potato pie retailer. now, james really identifies himself as one of the best pie makers in america. let's see what it feels like. is this your big kitchen? james: this is a rented, shared kitchen. i want to build a manufacturing facility. i would like to have that done this year. lemonis: tell me what the gourmet pie batter recipe is. the main product for the company. james: um... i'm [bleep] right now.

lemonis: do you think it would be helpful to go to a baking school? james: i wouldn't like to go. i'm not a baker. i'm a businessman. lemonis: i expected you to come here today and know how to make something. james: you're getting frustrated. lemonis: oh, i'm way past frustrated. james: why is that? lemonis: because you talk a lot, but then you don't show up with anything. i'm marcus lemonis, and i risk my own money to help businesses. i love investing in american businesses. woman: i just don't want anything to really change. lemonis: it's not always easy, but i do it to create jobs, and i do it to make money. do we have a deal? let's rock and roll. man: yeah! lemonis: this is "the profit." [ up-tempo music plays ] james: i'm james with james' gourmet pies, and we make the world's best gourmet sweet potato pie, and we want to serve it to the world. i started james' gourmet pies in 2017. these sweet potato pies are inspired by my grandma, and we used to sell them at churches, farmers' markets, and we grew from there.

the minis are only two for $5. thank you. appreciate you. lemonis: while james sells his pies at local farmers' markets, he dreams of taking his pies nationwide. james: my vision for james' gourmet pies is to get sweet potato pies out to every family that i can. lemonis: currently, james has had great success with his local enterprise, but he feels it's now time to scale for bigger peaks. and that's where i come in -- or so he thinks. first, i need to make sure his pie is all he's promised it to be. good morning. laura: good morning. lemonis: how are you? james: hi, marcus! lemonis: nice to meet you. james: it's nice to meet you as well. lemonis: is this your big kitchen? james: this is a rented, shared kitchen here in salt lake. lemonis: and are you from salt lake? james: no. i'm originally from delaware. lemonis: and when did james' gourmet pies open up? james: the fall of 2017, i started baking for a military bake sale. lemonis: oh. were you in the military? james: i was in the military, yeah.

lemonis: thank you for your service. james: why, thank you. i appreciate that. lemonis: what branch were you in? james: air force! lemonis: there you go. james: i first started making sweet potato pies for my military buddies, right? and they said, "well, we don't eat sweet potato pies around here in salt lake." and i'm like, "in the south, like, it's a staple." sweet potato pie is like -- you have to have a sweet potato pie. lemonis: and is it a holiday item or is it all year? james: it's all year-round. yeah! lemonis: and so where did the recipe come from? james: i always baked with my grandma when i was young. let's go get you a sample. lemonis: okay. james: how about we start with a sample? [ mid-tempo music plays ] so... lemonis: okay. james: ...this is a rented, shared kitchen. we get right here. and then the top. lemonis: so there's multiple people using this space? james: multiple people. lemonis: and you're assigned an area. james: small area. lemonis: there's james' gourmet. james: yes. this is also a shared space. lemonis: do you have a pie? james: we do have a pie. yeah. ♪♪ the anticipation's killing me. [ laughs ]

lemonis: so i'm gonna give you my honest opinion. i love the flavor. james: whoo! good job! there we go. lemonis: so pumpkin pie is my favorite. james: uh-huh. lemonis: it has a similar profile, except it's chunkier. and that must be the fact that you don't whip the potatoes. you just crush them a little bit? laura: yeah. i blend and kind of, like, puree them. but i don't get them super, super smooth, 'cause having that texture in there, combined with the pineapple chunks... lemonis: i genuinely like the pie. it's actually delicious. but i do wonder how james is gonna build a bigger business with just one item. i think part of the reason why he doesn't have more than that is 'cause he doesn't have the space. do you know how to make any other pies? james: not really other pies. lemonis: do you worry that it's too one-dimensional with just one pie? laura: we make the best sweet potato pie, and we can make other pies, i hope, here soon. lemonis: what do you sell your pies for?

james: so, the large is $15, and the minis are $3. the majority of my pies go to the farmers' market. lemonis: do you sell out every time you make pies? james: during the summer to early winter. lemonis: if james can get to a point where he's skilled enough to sell pies beyond just farmers' markets and diversify his products to reach more customers, that's gonna vastly increase his revenue. if demand is as strong as you say it is... james: mm-hmm, right. lemonis: ...why didn't you go get your own smaller version of a commercial kitchen? james: so, we were in the process of making that happen. i haven't been able to secure any veteran grants since at least seven years now. lemonis: wow. james: yeah. lemonis: i always get extremely disappointed and frustrated at how the u.s. government handles the transition from military life to civilian life. and the fact that we're not giving them a clear roadmap and the financial access to capital that they need to try something is ludicrous to me.

i don't want to see you walk into buying a space just yet until you've proved out the concept can be sustainable and diversified, because sometimes the type of product has a seasonality to it. doesn't mean it's seasonal. there could be another pie or another product that you would make in the slow season. when i think about james's business, i tend to think about it with stacks of cash. i see good stacks of cash in the midsummer months and then again in the fall. but when i look at january, february, march, april, may, i see very little stacks of cash. and what i want to do is i want to open up his mind and introduce new ideas to him so he can create products that would actually allow january and february and march to have the cash look very similar to june, july, and november. james: right now we are working with distribution chains. lemonis: okay. james: and i would like that to be the stabilization during our downtime when there's no markets in utah,

where we're still loading up pallets and we're able to create pallets and get them through distribution via grocery stores. we would like to expand west. so i want to go to a place where there's year-round farmers' markets. we would also like to expand east, get as many grocery stores as possible. i want to build a manufacturing kind of facility where we can have control of more space. and i would like to have that done this year. lemonis: why, when i go on your website, is everything sold out? you can't buy anything. james: we can't ship them right now. lemonis: why is that? james: it's super expensive. lemonis: what's the most profitable way to sell a pie? james: direct to consumer. lemonis: okay. you got to master that first, because you're gonna need the profitability and the cash flow to pay for all these pallet ideas you have. james keeps using this retail term called pallets. palletizing -- it happens when big grocery stores buy pallets of pies. they're expecting them to come in and be mass-sold and mass-produced.

the problem that i'm having is james, he doesn't have a business that actually can sell me one pie online. i want you to do pallets, too. but i would also like you to ship one to my house first. james: i still live in low-income housing, and i have kids. there's nothing more that i would love than to spend more time with my kids. i want to show them a better life. i want to show that they can live their dreams. so when i think about pallets, i think about growth and giving them a better life. lemonis: i respect and admire what your real goal is... james: mm-hmm. lemonis: ...which isn't palletizing. it's giving a better life for you and your kids. james: definitely. lemonis: when you boil it all down, his desire to grow and do pallets isn't about being a dreamer, it's about being a good dad and provide a better life for his kids. that's the kind of character that you want to invest time and money into. there's no fault in that. i'd like to get some feedback from some customers. so are we permitted to go to the farmers' market? is there one today? james: yes. oh, yes. lemonis: see you guys in a little bit.

thank you. james: all righty. thank you! man: ♪ i think the sky is falling ♪ ♪ it's not the rain coming down ♪ ♪ there's nothing left here now ♪ james: perfect. lemonis: okay. pie central. so, walk me through what the process is. james: so, a customer will come up, and we'll say, "hi. would you like to try a gourmet sweet potato pie?" then we give them a sample. lemonis: why don't we let some folks do it? james: let's do it. hey! how you doing, sir? ♪♪ man: amazing. james: why, thank you. ♪♪ man: all right. let's do two large and then three minis. man #2: that little sample blew my mind. james: we have a few left. would you like to purchase a pie? man #2: oh, absolutely. woman: it's actually better than pumpkin, and pumpkin's my favorite. lemonis: well, thank you for your business. we appreciate it. woman: thanks, guys. lemonis: i now know there's a viable business here, but i want to sit down with james and understand the numbers of it all. and i also want to know if he's willing and open to changing the way he thinks about his business.

[ up-tempo music plays ] ♪♪ woman: ♪ ya, ya, ya, ya ♪ lemonis: why are you here? this is really good, 'cause you know what i'm gonna tell your dad? james: uh-oh. lemonis: this is what we're doing. jj: i think you should do online because more people will be online. lemonis: we got the business plan. james: we got the business plan. lemonis: okay? okay. jj: i hope it works out. okay. bye. james: all right. love you. lemonis: so let's go over the financials. what would you like me to look at first? james: okay. so our growth as a company. lemonis: so in 2019, you generated $22,000 worth of revenue. james: of revenue. lemonis: and in 2020, one year later, you grew it to $120,000 of revenue. james: i didn't sleep for four days in november. i missed my thanksgiving with my family and did nothing but drive. by the time that i got home,

i only had like three or four pies left in my car, and all i had to do was take them... i just had to take them inside the restaurant, but i was so exhausted, i just passed out right there in the parking lot. my body just quit on me. i-i gave it my best effort. lemonis: you don't think the 2020 results were pretty darn good? james: it was great. uh... lemonis: read that. james: mm-hmm. lemonis: what does that say? james: "goal number one." lemonis: write it down. james: definitely $10,000 a month. lemonis: in what? james: profit. lemonis: okay. what's goal number two? james: to spend more time with my family. lemonis: write it down. goal number three. james: i'm gonna go with a million-dollar loan to rent commercial kitchen space. lemonis: so now you're a landlord?

james: i would love to be. lemonis: what are the things that you think need to happen for you to get goals number one and two, not one or two? james: honestly? lemonis: yeah. james: the million-dollar loan. lemonis: my goal is to get a brand-new website stood up. we're gonna come up with different kinds of pies, and we're gonna try to generate, online, some business. james: let's do it. lemonis: i want to be in business with you. james: okay. i'll -- lemonis: but i will only be in business with you if you agree to do it the right way. so i'd like to invest $50,000. not a million. james: okay. mm. i just don't know what i would do with the $50,000. i feel like my problems are bigger than $50,000. lemonis: james, what's going through your mind right now? james: the biggest thing would be i... ...i'm [bleep] right now.

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james: i feel like my problems are bigger than $50,000, and i wanted more money, so i know that, for one, you're all in. i want to be in starbucks one day. i want to be in walmart one day. lemonis: i feel like you want to get to walmart and you want to get million-dollar loans, but you're skipping the steps in between. let's walk before we run. james: what would i do with the $50,000?

lemonis: you're asking me? james: mm-hmm. lemonis: you said you wanted a million, so you're -- james: right. lemonis: if you can't tell me what you're gonna do with $50,000... james: i would like to give you 30% of my company. lemonis: okay. and i appreciate that, but i -- james: i would like a little more than $50,000 to share that. lemonis: but you can't even tell me what you're gonna do with 50. james: right. lemonis: i don't believe that you should give up more equity than you should. and so i would like to invest $50,000 for 10%, okay? i'm investing in you. i'm investing in your work ethic. i'm investing in your love for your family. but i will tell you, i am gonna be very tough on you. do we have a deal? james: you got a deal. lemonis: okay. all right? i know you're disappointed. james: i'm not disappointed. i'm ecstatic right now. lemonis: this is what ecstatic looks like? let's do it! let's do it. james: i was thinking a million for 30%, 40%.

lemonis: all right, my man. i'll see you tomorrow. james: thank you so much. appreciate you. i was ready to take on the world. it's like being a pit bull on the leash, right? you're ready to get out there, but you have this leash saying, "slow down. you're gonna get there." i put my blood, sweat, and tears into this business. i'm ready to get to work. man: ♪ drunk on the moon ♪ ♪ i'd watch the earth rise with you ♪ ♪ getting lost on the dark side ♪ ♪ enjoying the view ♪ lemonis: hi. laura: hi! lemonis: how you doing, my man? james: good. how are you? lemonis: good to see you again. laura: good to see you as well. chloe: nice to meet you. i'm chloe. lemonis: i'm marc. okay. do you work with them? chloe: i do. i'm the assistant banker. lemonis: okay. so let me tell you what i want to get accomplished here. one type of pie isn't enough to make a business. james: okay. lemonis: and so what i want to do when we go inside is they're going to get the stuff for the sweet potato pies

and you're going to tell me what other sweet potato things we're gonna make -- cookies, scones, cakes, whatever it may be. james: okay. let's do this. lemonis: what are you thinking about making? james: let's start with cookies. lemonis: so what do you need for cookies? james: let's start with crisco. lemonis: okay. we're gonna go with pam. that one right there. lemonis: this one? okay. james: we are gonna go with...flour! got to have flour. lemonis: okay. james: sprinkles, right? why don't we put sprinkles on them? on our cookies. lemonis: whatever you say. james: yep. right here. lemonis: these? okay. do you want any white chocolate? james: why not? lemonis: okay. what else? james: let's go with marshmallows. lemonis: okay. james: we're gonna need some ginger. james, what's going through your mind right now? james: the biggest thing would be i...

...i'm [bleep] right now. i have no idea how to make other desserts with a sweet potato. lemonis: i appreciate you admitting that you're bs'ing me. acknowledging that you don't know something doesn't make you weaker. when you say, "i don't know," they actually have more respect for you. james: yes. lemonis: 'cause i could tell you were bs'ing me, 'cause you don't know that i actually bake a lot. james: right. lemonis: okay? so we're not gonna fake it till we make it. we got a deal? james: yes, sir. lemonis: okay. let's let the ladies help us. because, honestly... i'm not eating your cookies. james: you're not eating the cookies? lemonis: i'm just telling you right now. you two are both bakers, okay? take a look at his cart. [ mid-tempo music plays ] if they don't belong in a sweet potato cookie, generally speaking, you're gonna hand them back to him. chloe: we've got some colored sprinkles here. lemonis: why do we not want that? chloe: usually something that you see more on, like, sugar cookies, and the sweet potato pie, you want to focus on the good stuff that that's got in it. laura: mini marshmallows. lemonis: so that's a no.

laura: no. james: i didn't see sea salt. i'm sorry. [ gasps ] no crisco? lemonis: okay. next. do you think we're good? chloe: mm-hmm. james: you really didn't like the sprinkles on the sweet potato pie cookie? [ mid-tempo music plays ] ♪♪ lemonis: so do me a favor and break out pie stuff versus non-pie stuff. james: is this a good time to discuss that i don't know how to make these cookies? lemonis: we're gonna teach you how to make cookies. james: i love it. lemonis: and we're gonna teach you how to do a lot of things. but we're not gonna do what anymore? james: we're not gonna [bleep] each other. lemonis: okay. great. so we're gonna make sweet potato cookies. laura: okay. chloe: solid. lemonis: let's go. james: let's do it. laura: so, marcus, since you're in such nice clothes, you've got the "bakers gonna bake." ♪♪ man: ♪ you come with the right step, boy, like ♪ [ singing indistinctly ] ♪♪

james: can i put a reese's on top of our cookie? lemonis: "can i put a reese's on top of my cookie?" no, you cannot. james: i like where we're going with this. lemonis: well, you're doing a good job of standing there watching. woman: ♪ yeah, yeah, yeah ♪ james: can i get a ball of that? can i get a... lemonis: is this what you want? james: that's what i want. boom! okay. now we have -- lemonis: don't put that on the sheet as a cookie. laura: it's just a pie. lemonis: it would just be twice-baked potato. james: yeah. let's, um -- you know why? it is information, right? what it comes back and looks like. lemonis: oh, yeah, you're more than welcome to try it. laura: let's give it a go. lemonis: at this point with james, i just want him to demonstrate the ability to make anything. but i don't necessarily think that taking a current sweet potato pie and mashing it up and putting it back on the cookie sheet and baking it again was exactly the "anything" i was thinking of. do you think it would be helpful to go to a cooking school, basic baking school? james: i don't think so.

laura: i think it would be great for both of us. james: i would like to send her, but i would not like to go. lemonis: huh? james: i wouldn't like to go. lemonis: you're not buying off on the program, and so i'm okay if we shake hands and we move on. james: what makes you think i'm not buying off on the process? lemonis: 'cause you haven't done anything i've asked you to. james: we -- we -- lemonis: where are my cookies?

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lemonis: do you think it would be helpful to go to a cooking school, low cash mode on basic baking school? james: i don't think so. laura: i think it would be great for both of us. james: i would like to send her, but i would not like to go. lemonis: huh? james: i wouldn't like to go. lemonis: is it weird to anybody that the person that actually knows how to bake thinks it's a good idea to go learn even more, but the person who doesn't even know how to make a basic cookie says they don't want to go to school for a day? james: i think our sweet potato pies have been such a hit because it's made with love. it's not just, like, science behind it. but there's love behind it. i know that i'm not a master baker by myself.

it all comes from family recipes. lemonis: when you try to create variations, there's a reason that baking and cooking schools exist. it exists to take your knowledge and refine it. laura: please send me. i've never had formal baking training. i've always learned on the job for like six years. lemonis: great. i will pay for you guys to go to take some classes. james: okay. laura: thank you. lemonis: see how excited she is? laura: i really want to! james: whoo! laura: yes! james: [ laughs ] are we still gonna make some cookies? 'cause this smells great. lemonis: you guys are. tomorrow when i see you, bring me some cookies. james: you got it. lemonis: i wanted to leave them on their own to make cookies 'cause i feel like james maybe is a little distracted by me being there. and i don't really care what the cookies taste like. what i'm looking for him to do is make some effort and show that he's committed to improving his process and learning how to make new things. if his business is ultimately gonna make $10,000 a month and give him the freedom to be with his family, he's going to have to diversify his offering. and a cookie is a pretty basic thing to start with.

james: okay. i'm gonna learn from y'all. woman: ♪ put it on hold for the meantime ♪ ♪ trying to get a little more me time ♪ ♪ i might come back to you ♪ lemonis: what's going on? welcome to park city, right? what i wanted to do with james is, one, i wanted him to bring me the cookies that him and laura made. but i also wanted to get his perspective on how he was gonna grow his brand. when we were together yesterday, i said, "i'll see you tomorrow. just bring some of the cookies. i want to taste them." so where are the cookies? [ dramatic music plays ] james: so, we experimented with the cookies. we didn't like everything. we made cookies, made a dozen. lemonis: where are mine? james: i want to make sure we give you a finished product that's ready to go. lemonis: i appreciate that. but i asked you to bring me the cookies. where are they? i think, for me, i'm more frustrated not by the fact that literally the cookies didn't come, but by the fact that every time i give him a task, he either wants to go a different direction or he doesn't finish it. he's always looking for that shortcut

to the million-dollar idea. james: we said we're not gonna [bleep] each other. i'm not a baker. i'm a businessman. lemonis: okay. so we're gonna take your chef coat off starting tomorrow, or you're going to learn to become a baker because you have a passion for it. do you have a passion for it? james: do i dream of waking up and baking? no. i dream of shaking hands and making deals. you know, that's where my passion is. the way i thought this process was going to work was we was gonna go to the head of sysco, the head of starbucks, and we were gonna smile and shake hands, sign contracts. and instead, we're on the floor of the grocery store talking to each other about [bleep] each other. lemonis: so how do you get to $10,000 a month and think that you just meet me and we're at the headquarters of sysco, meet me and we're at the headquarters of starbucks? because honestly, i wouldn't take you to sysco or starbucks today 'cause i wouldn't know what i was selling them. and i feel like you're leaping over all these other people

to get there, including me, and you're not buying off on the program. and so i'm okay if we shake hands and we move on. james: what makes you think i'm not buying off on the process? lemonis: 'cause you haven't done anything i've asked you to. james: we -- we -- lemonis: where are my cookies? james: we are perfecting your cookies. lemonis: i'm just gonna be the giant [bleep] in the room that's not going to let you skip the steps in between. james: okay. i do want to make that clear that i am understanding -- lemonis: saying to me that sitting in a grocery store on the floor talking about [bleep] is not what you want to spend your time doing -- james: no, no, no, no. that's not what i thought. ♪♪ lemonis: so are we moving forward? james: we're moving forward. lemonis: okay. so if we're moving forward, and if you deviate from the process at any point in time, i will still love you, but i will not do business with you. james: i understand. lemonis: in order to actually have doors open for you, the person opening them has to have the confidence that when that door is open, you're gonna walk through and you're gonna crush it. it's not actually about the cookies.

it's about the follow-through. and as an example, if i give him an assignment to make cookies, how is that different than me taking him to starbucks and signing a contract and him not showing up with the pies? it's the example and the lesson of starting something and finishing it. so you look at all these storefronts. if you could have a storefront just like this where everybody could come and you don't have to deliver to them and it's 24/7, would it be cool if there was a store? james: that would be amazing. lemonis: would it be right there? james: it could be. lemonis: would it be there? would it be there? james: i think anywhere on this strip would be beneficial. lemonis: that store is in here. it's rent-free. james: i like that. lemonis: it doesn't require a lot of labor. and when does it close? james: never closes. lemonis: what is the store i'm referring to? james: e-commerce. [ laughs ] lemonis: e-commerce. okay? so where do you want to put your store on this street? james: the store is in their phones. lemonis: okay. james: on the website.

lemonis: or on their computer. so it's pretty simple. you open up a website, you come up with the skus you want to sell, you bring customers in, you transact with them, you make the product, and you ship it. how easy is that? james: that's really easy. lemonis: okay. what are the products that you're gonna sell on there? that's the hard part. because if you walked into a store and they had one thing, what would you do? james: it was too bare. lemonis: too bare. so i want to develop these products. james: right. lemonis: okay? so i'll see you in a little bit. ♪♪ woman: ♪ we never asked for this ♪ ♪ but it's my time and it's your time ♪ ♪ and it's our time to get it ♪ lemonis: how you doing? james: good. how about yourself? lemonis: how was your trip? james: nice. lemonis: did you want to come out to l.a.? james: definitely. [ laughs ] lemonis: do you love it? james: oh, yeah. lemonis: i'm taking james to meet a very, very successful pastry chef named barb batiste. she's the owner of a business called b sweet that i invested in a couple years ago. i want him to, again, understand

why the education is so important in building the foundation of his business. she might be in there. go ahead. barb: hi! james: how are you? lemonis: come here. barb: how are you? lemonis: oh! so, james, i'm gonna warn you now -- thank you -- that barb is tough. what's the one thing -- [ laughter ] maybe she's not that tough. [ laughter ] barb: i'm just gonna pick this up. james: what did you think of the sweet potato pie? barb: what makes it rise? james: all-purpose flour. barb: no. james: that's not the answer. lemonis: tell me what the gourmet pie batter recipe is. james: we got one cup of... ♪♪ um... lemonis: he's not paying attention to the details, and the fact that he did not know specifically his primary products, ingredients, and ratios is a problem for me.

barb: this is what you should taste in every single thing that you make. james: mmm. barb: throw in a little bit of cinnamon in there, a little bit of nutmeg so those flavors that are in your pie really come out. you got to take those extra steps. it comes from within, really. it really does. i think that's what has made me so successful. it all really starts from here for me. lemonis: i don't think you're passionate about baking. i think you're passionate about being a businessperson. so let's cut through the [bleep] for just a minute. james: so, i want to own this business, and i want to run my business. but i don't want to be baking for the business. ♪♪ lemonis: i'm getting tired of hearing all the words. james: you're getting frustrated. lemonis: oh, i'm way past frustrated. james: why is that? lemonis: because you talk a lot, but then you don't show up with anything.

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james: so, i want to own this business,

and i want to run my business. but i don't want to be baking for the business. ♪♪ lemonis: unfortunately, james isn't passionate about baking, and it became more clear to me, and he finally admitted it -- that he doesn't really want to bake. but i'm not gonna change my opinion about his necessity to learn how to bake. i am going to mandate that in order for me to stay involved in this business, he's going to need to become the expert of his own business. i think you have a different perspective on what being a business owner is. and i want to just level-set that with you, that i'm not gonna walk away from you because you're not as good of a baker as barb. but what i do give a [bleep] about is you putting in the effort and when you say you're gonna do something, you do it. that's the big deal for me. is that a deal? james: that's a deal. yes, sir. lemonis: you okay? james: i feel great. i've always felt great. lemonis: okay. okay.

barb: me too! james: [ laughs ] ♪♪ man: ♪ everything is all right now ♪ ♪ keep your eyes on the road ♪ lemonis: i'm meeting james at the park city culinary institute, and essentially, this is the beginning of his technical training process. okay! big day. james: today is the first day of school, so feeling good, a little nervous. lemonis: i'm excited. i feel like i dropped off my brother to the first day of school or something. wow. look at this place. ♪♪ james: looks nice. lemonis: when you come in here, it really feels like we're investing in the future of him and his business. and ultimately, that's all i wanted for him. maybe see if they can give you a few more pie ideas. you got to know about crust, you got to know about filling, you got to know about baking, you got to know about all of that. and that's what this process is meant to do.

it's meant to educate him. all right. i'll see you in a couple weeks. man: ♪ and everything is all right now ♪ ♪ some say life goes on ♪ james: why, hello, son. jj: when are we going home tonight? james: we're not going home tonight for a while. we got to fill up hundreds of more gourmet sweet potato pie. jj: oh. james: there you go. jj: that's a huge ball. james: there you go. just like this, and keep twisting the bowl. there you go. you're incorporating! ♪♪ we're on our second week right now, and it's intense. [ laughs ] yeah, this class is very fast-paced. we're going from one thing to the next, and we got to check on the other, then we got to check in the refrigerator. yeah, it's a little bit tough to keep up with the class,

but i'm gonna win it, just like marcus said. so i'm excited. ♪♪ woman: ♪ oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ it's a beautiful life ♪ man: ♪ beautiful life ♪ lemonis: hey, guys. laura: hi, marcus! lemonis: how's it going? james: i learned so much. if we went to a grocery store today, i wouldn't get sprinkles. i'll tell you that. lemonis: you will be a certified pastry chef. james: certified. oh, yeah. lemonis: i haven't seen james in five weeks, since he started school. and i'm excited to understand what sort of progress he's made. the last time i saw him, he didn't understand the ingredients of his own pie, and he couldn't even make a cookie. i'm hopeful that he's made progress. james: i want to have buttermilk pies, southern pies. lemonis: do you have them ready to go? james: not yet. lemonis: well, but we went to school for five weeks. and i would have assumed you would have developed some pies. james: oh, we're working on it. [ dramatic music plays ]

i'm more passionate about building this business. lemonis: i know you are. i know you keep saying that to me. you keep telling me you're passionate about growing the business. those are a lot of [bleep] words. and i'm getting tired of hearing all the words. i expected you to come here today and know how to make something. james: you're getting frustrated. lemonis: oh, i'm way past frustrated. i've been way past frustrated for months. james: why is that? lemonis: because you talk a lot, but then you don't show up with anything. if you're looking to take your business to the next level, log on to theprofitcasting.com. welcome to allstate. where you can pay a little less and enjoy the ride a little more. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

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lemonis: i'm getting tired of hearing all the words. i expected you to come here today and know how to make something. james: you're getting frustrated. lemonis: oh, i'm way past frustrated. i've been way past frustrated for months. james: why is that? lemonis: because you talk a lot, but then you don't show up with anything. why don't we head in the kitchen? james: let's get it. let's get the stuff going. lemonis: i'm anxious, because i really feel like if james isn't able to be as successful as i want him to be, it's really a reflection of me. and if he's not able to do the things that i expect him to do, i'll actually make that my failure, not his. you thought cooking school was hard... be honest, okay? that's the key with me. [ mid-tempo music plays ] james: let's do it. you ready? oh, this is on me. am i doing it? or we're doing it? okay. let's do it. do we have a scale? ♪♪ i couldn't get the food processor working, so i'm just gonna chop them up.

ah. lemonis: how's it going? james: well, we have some cookie dough. lemonis: how do you know how long to mix it? james: just till well incorporated. ♪♪ lemonis: how many minutes? james: seven minutes and then turn, do another seven minutes. lemonis: did you learn that in school? james: i did. we have cookies! we have cookies! laura: look at those. do they taste as good as they look? james: yep. lemonis: well... james: don't let me impose my... laura: you nailed it! i almost cussed. james: thank you! [ laughs ] lemonis: this is the most exhausting process to make a cookie in my entire life. [ mid-tempo music plays ] ♪♪ hi, steph. stephanie: hello. lemonis: so i brought james here to key west key lime pie today 'cause i really wanted him to understand what it takes

to actually be in the online shipping business. where does the bulk of your business come from? stephanie: shipping. lemonis: how many pies will you make a year on average? stephanie: probably 500 pies per week. lemonis: how many of them are online? stephanie: 75%. lemonis: so 15,000 a year just online. i also wanted james to spend a little time with stephanie, who's now the owner of this business. stephanie: all of our pies are frozen, and they ship with dry ice. so we have to make sure when it gets there it's edible. lemonis: after nine years of working here, she gets to enjoy the fruits of that labor. stephanie: so i'm gonna put it right through, and it shrinks it right down. now, this makes it suddenly completely airtight and waterproof. so as you're shipping it, you have no issues. lemonis: what do you think of this setup? james: i think it's beautiful. ♪♪ lemonis: this is that gift that i got you. james: it is a laptop. thank you. lemonis: do you have a laptop? james: i don't. lemonis: i also got james a laptop

so he could learn how to run his own e-commerce business and manage it by the minute. oh! who's that? hold on. james: i love it. thank you. [ laughs ] lemonis: you bet. ♪♪ this has been a long process with james. i really feel like tonight is really a sign of him making a commitment to one thing and sticking to it and, most importantly, learning something. and i'm hoping -- hoping and praying -- that he actually got something out of it. what did you learn? do you have anything you could show me? james: cookies. we made some other pies. i can't wait for you to try them. lemonis: you have something for me? james: oh, yeah. lemonis: all right. let's look. ♪♪ okay. james: uh-huh. lemonis: it's progress. james: we're in the park. lemonis: we're in the park, but this cookie could have killed me flavorwise. james: okay.

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lemonis: do you have anything you could show me? james: cookies. we made some other pies. i can't wait for you to try them. lemonis: you have something for me? james: oh, yeah. lemonis: all right. let's look. james: i wanted to show marcus that i can do this myself. i'm not gonna be an entrepreneur that he's gonna have to babysit. this is the sweet potato cookie. [ laughs ] james: this cookie could have killed me. james: it could have... [ laughs ]

lemonis: okay. james: uh-huh. lemonis: it's progress. james: we're in the park. lemonis: which one is this? james: this one is our sweet potato bread with pineapples. feel how soft it is, too. lemonis: it tastes almost identical to the pie. james: mm-hmm. that's what i was going for. same spices. mm-hmm. yeah. lemonis: you made that? james: i made that. lemonis: it's a new pie. james: that's a new pie. you got buttermilk. you have eggs. a little bit of flour, sugar, real cream. lemonis: no sprinkles? james: no sprinkles. [ laughs ] ♪♪ lemonis: it's really good. james: why, thank you. lemonis: i think this is shockingly amazing. james: why, thank you. lemonis: and this is what? james: laura made this one. my head baker made this one. lemonis: you're talking about laura like i don't know who she is. james: [ laughs ] lemonis: i'm not trying to bust on you, but it wasn't about you being an actual baker. it was about you having knowledge and understanding that you can't own a business that you know nothing about. james: that's right.

laura: the amazing strength james has -- he was struggling, but he pulled through. so i've learned that i have an amazing employer and friend. when we bust it out, we can do anything. [ mid-tempo music plays ] woman: and receiving a professional certificate in baking and pastries, laura hnat. lemonis: all right, laura! james: whoo! [ cheers and applause ] lemonis: there you go. woman: and receiving a professional certificate in baking and pastry is james edwards. [ cheers and applause ] james: i just want to say if you believe in yourself and you dream, you can achieve. so believe in yourselves. lemonis: all right! [ cheers and applause ] laura: yeah! james: we did it! lemonis: so while we're applauding for everybody that went through the course, i also think it's appropriate to applaud for all the family members and friends who supported the graduates. we're all very proud of you.

i know, james, i'm proud of you. and thank you to all of the other graduates who locked the door when james tried to leave... [ laughter ] ...every single day. so thank you. congratulations. james: thanks, marcus. lemonis: i'm really proud of james because, while i've had plenty of moments of frustration, this, for me, is almost like the semi-frosting on the top, where his commitment to educating himself and his commitment to walking before he runs -- today's the payoff, and now the real work begins. what's changed for you? jj: that i got to spend more time with him. and business is doing a lot better than it has before. lemonis: business is doing better. why is it doing better? jj: website. lemonis: website. are you proud of him? why don't you give him a hug? james: give me a hug. oh! [ laughs ] ♪♪ lemonis: when you and i first started working together, you wanted to buy a building.

james: yes. lemonis: we will get there. today is a step forward in getting a much bigger production facility, much bigger freezer, and the ability to fulfill online orders, 'cause there's shipping and receiving here. while everything wasn't perfect, trying is really all that i'm looking for. and i'm a big believer that if you do something and you follow through, you should get something in return. so there's only gonna be four or five people using the entire space. james: awesome. laura: mixer. there's a giant mixer over here. bigger than what i've got now. lemonis: this whole freezer will only be shared by three people. james: perfect. lemonis: by moving james to a commercial kitchen and giving him the tools to ship, he'll be able to triple his sales in the next six months. james: i am so excited. thank you so much. lemonis: i'm proud of you. james: i am feeling amazing. i am feeling ecstatic. we have a bigger kitchen! whoo! and we can do shipping now! i am so excited right now. [ gasps ] james' gourmet.

[ laughs ] man: ♪ sing, hey, baby, got more than you know ♪ ♪ two in my pocket, i got three for the road ♪ lemonis: so there's one problem. james: uh-huh. lemonis: based on this caricature, you can never grow your hair, and you're always gonna need to keep your beard. what did you learn through this process? james: i learned that success doesn't happen overnight. i've been spending a lot more time with my kids. school is, like, a whole nother conversation of what i learned in that. i'm ready to throw it on. ♪♪ ♪ it's getting hot in here ♪ [ laughter ] ooh. look at that. i'm super excited that my company is rebranded. i am a certified pastry chef. i owe everything to marcus lemonis. lemonis: you want your hat or you want to keep your hat off? james: oh, yes. i want the hat. ♪♪ thank you so much, marcus. i appreciate you. i really do. i really, really do.

this is a dream come true. i think we're ready to rock 'n' roll. laura: we're ready to bake. james: yeah. ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ narrator: tonight on "shark tank," katrina lake, the founder of billion-dollar online fashion company stitch fix joins the tank. i had the exact same epiphany. what you guys have done is amazing. high five! i love this business. yes, you can tell, and it's infectious. yeah! look, i see two cockroaches with glasses on. you know, we think this is a really fair offer. katrina, they've said no to you seven times in different ways. don't you want me? don't you want me? baby? [ laughter ] cuban: you got to decide right now. i don't want to even deal with all these meatheads. ohh! ♪♪ narrator: first in the tank is a reinvention of a product