Former Cal football student-athletes Justin Forsett, Wale Forrester and Wendell Hunter appeared Sunday night on ABC's reality television show Shark Tank looking for an investment in their Shower Pill company. The trio pitched the start-up company's product The Body Wipe to four of the show's regular sharks – Barbara Corcoran, Mark Cuban, Lori Greiner and Robert Herjavec – as well as guest Alex Rodriguez.

Although the trio was unsuccessful in securing an investment in their company from any of the sharks, Forsett shared the lessons learned and the valuable experience the company gained from the Shark Tank appearance.
 

How does the work and dedication it takes to be successful student-athletes at Cal compare to the experience of striving for success in the business world?

"There are very strong comparisons. At Cal we had to not only excel on the football field but in the classroom. It was challenging and a highly-competitive atmosphere. You had to be at your best and your preparation had to be at its best at all times. The business world is no different. It takes hard work and dedication and being able to balance your schedule. You have to have to have great time management skills but also be able to maximize your opportunities when you get them. You have to invest your time wisely, take care of the primary things in the business and not get distracted."
 

How has the transition been for you since your recent retirement from the NFL and how much more are you involved in business ventures now than when you were still playing?

"The transition has been pretty smooth because we started the company while I was still playing, but I'm actually probably busier now than I ever was playing football. The grind of owning a start-up is waking up at 4:30 am to start my days and ending them at 11 or 12 o'clock at night. It's never-ending work being put in constantly. I also have a family with three kids and my wife, Angie, who I met at Cal. It's important to be a good father and husband, too."
 

Can you walk us through the process of being selected for Shark Tank, the preparation for your show, your appearance, and what you learned?

"It was very comprehensive. They reached out to us to see if we were interested in being on the show and of course we said 'yes'. The process took several months and we were preparing day-in and day-out for our appearance. You can't simulate the experience of being on the show anywhere else. We didn't come through on the show but having that experience and getting the advice from the sharks really changed the trajectory of the company. It allowed us to get a good scouting report on what our strengths and weaknesses are as a company, and now we're stronger than we've ever been. We have partners, financial help, advisors and a good team around us helping to take our company to the next level."
 

What were the valuable things you learned from your experience on the Shark Tank?

"In the edit you can't really see all the things that went down. We were in there for a long time and its cut up into 8-10 minutes. But just being able to learn how to communicate our financial numbers in a way that's understandable when we are pitching to investors was really important. Being on the program was huge for us in terms of exposure and now we're moving strongly into 2018."
 

What advice would you give to current Cal student-athletes who strive for success beyond their athletic careers?

"I would say use all the tools and resources you have now being at UC Berkeley. There are so many great resources around that you can tap into. You're basically in the heart of Silicon Valley. Anything that you want to do is right there at your fingertips. Making sure you are building those relationships now while you're in school is important so when you're out of school the transition will be smooth for you."