After investing so much time and energy into this process — and hearing about how people's lives have been transformed after appearing on the show — I couldn't help but feel anxious walking into that room. But that's the thing I wish I knew before filming: My whole business wasn't riding on us scoring the best possible deal (or even inking a deal) in that moment.

After being on the show, I've heard that several deals on the show ultimately don't work out. Had I known that, I would have went at the pitch differently. I don't think I would've clung so much to this sense that I needed to close a deal, no matter what, and I wouldn't have put so much pressure on myself. I was pregnant when we were filming, and I had my baby 20 hours after taping. He was seven or eight weeks early; that's how stressed I was.

In the end, we got what we wanted — a deal with Barbara Corcoran (AKA the real estate mogul who founded The Corcoran Group). She's been amazing to work with, and her insights on consumer behavior online have been incredible. When the episode featuring us was about to air, she called us and gave us a rundown of what to do. "Do free shipping if you can — people hate to pay for shipping — and keep your price point under $19.99," she told us. Her advice was spot-on, especially with what price points people respond to, and she checks in with us every few months to see how we're doing.

Since going on Shark Tank, our sales have increased dramatically every single year. The year after our episode aired, we went from doing about $115,000 in business to about $900,000. We could've made a lot more, but we couldn't make cookie kits fast enough to keep up with demand. It's been 2 1/2 years since we appeared on the show, and we'll hit over $3 million in sales this year. We're hoping to break $5 million.

Getting a deal — and the guidance it provided us — certainly helped that growth, but I think I would've pitched better if I took some of the pressure off of myself. Getting a deal on the spot doesn't necessarily mean it'll pan out. [Editor's note: And, as Chef Big Shake proved, you can go home without a deal and still make millions.] That can be scary to realize, but it's also freeing.