Behind the Scenes of Shark Tank: 6 Steps To Turn Panic Into Confidence

Many people tell me my episode on Shark Tank was one of the best pitches they’ve ever seen.

 

What they don’t know is that I had a panic attack the day I arrived in LA.

My mind was racing, filled with thoughts of everything that could go wrong.

The Sharks can smell blood—they always find issues with companies on the show.

I was terrified that everything I’d worked for the past four years would go down the drain.

Two days before filming, we had a practice pitch backstage. The producers wanted to get a sense of how I’d perform on the big day.

 

I bombed.

 

I froze under pressure. I was panicking so much that I couldn't complete my pitch. I heard my producer whisper to someone, “Is he religious? Can we get him to pray or something???”

That night, my mind spiraled with racing thoughts:

  • What if they reject me because I froze in the practice pitch?
  • What if they think I’ll be terrible on TV?
  • What if they’re setting me up to fail in front of the Sharks?

I was in full panic mode.

Later that night, I texted a high school friend of mine, Jay, and unloaded everything:

  • Panic attacks.
  • Bombing the pitch.
  • Fear that I wouldn’t even get to pitch to the Sharks.

Jay replied: “Oh yeah, that makes sense. You have impostor syndrome. That’s what every successful person has.”

 

Impostor Syndrome

I’d never heard of impostor syndrome before. Jay explained that it’s something most successful people face—feeling like your are going to be exposed for being a fraud.

I did some Googling and realized that what I was feeling was part of the process.

Looking back, I see now that I had been operating out of courage for years. Every step I took to push my company forward required me to stare fear in the face and act anyway. But this time, the fear was bigger than ever—I couldn’t outrun it anymore.

What saved me was a mindset shift: I started to trust the process.

 

Fear > Courage > Confidence

I break this down into three phases:

  1. Fear- When the fear is so overwhelming that I freeze, sabotage myself, or avoid action altogether.
  2. Courage- Acting despite fear—pushing forward even when the fear screams at you.
  3. Confidence- Acting with trust.  Trusting myself, the process, and the universe.

Here’s how I visualize it:

  • Courage = Action + Fear
  • Confidence = Action + Trust

The core difference is trust. With courage, there’s a scarcity of trust due to fear. Confidence is in abundance of trust. It’s the belief that no matter the outcome, I trust I am capable, resourceful, and supported.

 

6 Steps to Shift from Courage to Confidence

  1. See the Scarcity - Fear
    • The fear comes when there is a scarcity in trust
    • I see the fear and I give it space
  2. Give the fear permission to be in my body.
    • I remember Anicca, an ancient Indian word that means all emotions are temporary.
  3. Feel the Fear
    • Where is it in my body?
    • What does it look like?
    • If I close my eyes, does it have a color or a shape?
  4. Become Grateful
    I thanked the fear for trying to protect me. It was there trying to keep me safe.
  5. Go to Abundance
    I asked myself: What would abundance look like in this moment?
  6. Give Space for Both
    I allowed myself to feel the fear and the abundance. I became a big enough space to hold both.

This practice grounded me. I didn’t have to fight the fear—I could include it as part of me.

 

Trusting Myself and the Universe

By the time I stepped on stage, I had shifted into trust.

I trusted myself. I trusted the process. I trusted that the outcome—whether I got a deal or not—was part of a larger design.

I knew that, Sharks or no Sharks, I had everything I needed to turn my company into a reality.

 

Every time I think of the worst-case scenario, 

I owe it to myself to consider the best-case scenario.

 

If I see the scarcity, I let myself see the abundance.

This sees the fear, gives it space, and gives space for the abundance.

 

What I learned

Fear isn’t the problem. Me rejecting fear creates my problems.

When I give fear space, it creates internal peace and trust, which turns courage into confidence.

This mindset shift hasn’t just helped me on Shark Tank—it’s helped me in many aspects of my life.

If this resonates with you, I’d love for you to share your thoughts with me or share them with someone who might need this reminder:

Fear can be scary, but seeing it is a step towards confidence. ❤ 

 

Tom

 

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