The holiday season is such a fun time of year when families celebrate and create special memories together. One way people count down the days to a big celebration, like Christmas, is by using advent calendars. These are special calendars that have a little surprise for each day leading up to the holiday. However, a lot of traditional advent calendars can be pretty boring or not very creative, which makes it tough for people to feel excited each day.
That’s where Jenna Hess comes in! She noticed that many advent calendars didn’t bring the joy and excitement that people were looking for. So, she decided to do something about it. Jenna created the Gnome Advent Calendar, inspired by Scandinavian folklore, which are stories and traditions from countries like Sweden and Norway. Every day, people get to open a new little gnome, which makes the countdown to the holiday much more fun, both for kids and adults!
Jenna took her business to a popular TV show called Shark Tank. She wanted to raise $45,000 in exchange for 10% of her company. Even though she was really passionate and had already found success, none of the sharks decided to invest in her idea during the show.
Gnome Advent Calendar Net Worth Shark Tank Update 2025
Jenna was looking for an investment of $45,000 in exchange for 10% equity in the company. At the time of the episode, she valued her company at $450,000. Jenna did not secure a deal with any of the Sharks. After the show was aired, the company experienced a good boost in exposure. As per my rough estimate, the current net worth of Gnome Advent Calendar in 2025 is around $800,000.
Shark(s) name | Offer & Demand | Counteroffer | Accepted? |
Robert Herjavec | Out | N/A | N/A |
Lori Greiner | Out | N/A | N/A |
Kevin O’Leary | Out | N/A | N/A |
Daymond John | Out | N/A | N/A |
Mark Cuban | Out | N/A | N/A |
Jenna Hess Backstory + Their Initial Pitch
Jenna is a young entrepreneur, which means she started her own business. She lives in Frisco, Texas, and she came up with an idea about a year and a half ago. Jenna noticed that there weren’t many cool and unique advent calendars available. Advent calendars are special boxes that count down the days to holidays, like Christmas and Halloween. Where each day you get a little surprise, like a toy or a treat.
Jenna wanted her calendars to be different. She was inspired by stories from Scandinavian culture (from places like Sweden and Norway) that often include gnomes, which are tiny, magical creatures. So, she designed cute, handcrafted gnomes made from high-quality fabrics for her advent calendars.
Each calendar has 24 gnomes for Christmas and 31 for Halloween, which means you get to enjoy a new little gnome every day leading up to those holidays! Jenna even made calendars for Easter and Valentine’s Day, expanding her ideas even more.
Jenna went on Shark Tank, where people pitch their business ideas to sharks. She shared her cheerful vision for her calendars and explained how they work. Jenna asked the sharks for $45,000, which is a lot of money! In return, she offered them a small part of her company, 10% equity. Her plan was to use the money to buy materials in larger amounts, which would lower her costs and help her make more profit from selling her calendars.
Queries + Shark’s Responses, and Final Deal
Robert Herjavec: He looked at how much it costs Jenna to make the Christmas calendar ($47) and how much she sells it for ($147). That’s a nice profit. He thought the prices were good but wasn’t sure the business was right for him. So, he decided not to invest his money.
Lori Greiner: She really liked Jenna’s gnome calendars and wanted to buy them herself! But she felt Jenna was doing well enough on her own and didn’t need her help to grow. So, she also chose not to invest, but she wished Jenna good luck.
Mark Cuban: He thought Jenna’s business was growing at a pace that was fine for her but too slow if she wanted to attract more investors like him. He wanted to see faster growth before jumping in, so he decided not to invest.
Daymond John: He mentioned that he was already involved with a similar gnome business. Because he felt there were too many gnome products out there already, he didn’t want to invest in Jenna’s calendars.
Kevin O’Leary: He recognized that Jenna’s business had potential, but he usually looks for bigger returns from his investments. Since he didn’t think this business would give him the big rewards he usually wants, he also decided not to invest.
In the end, Jenna left the show without any investment from the Sharks. They all thought her calendars were cool, but each had their reasons for not wanting to invest their money.
What Went Wrong With Gnome Advent Calendar On Shark Tank?
The main reason the sharks (investors) decided not to invest in Jenna’s business was that they thought it wasn’t growing fast enough. Although Jenna made $160,000 in sales, which sounds like a lot, the sharks wanted to see her business grow more quickly to make it a better investment.
Another issue they had was that Jenna was mainly selling her products online through her website and TikTok Shop. The sharks felt that this way of selling limited her ability to reach more customers in stores, which could help her business grow much faster.
Lastly, there are already a lot of gnome products available on the market, which means it’s pretty competitive. Some of the sharks thought that this competition was too tough and that Jenna might struggle to stand out and succeed in such a crowded space.
Product Availability
The Gnome Advent Calendar is a fun way to count down to holidays like Christmas and Halloween! Instead of just opening a door to find a chocolate or toy, this calendar features cute little gnomes. For Christmas, you get 24 handcrafted gnomes, one for each day of December leading up to Christmas Day. For Halloween, there are 31 gnomes, so you can count down all the way to Halloween itself!
You can buy these calendars on the Gnome Advent Calendar website. Also, there’s exciting news! Jenna, the creator, has said that you can pre-order a special Halloween Gnome Countdown Calendar for 2025 starting in June 2025. So, if you want to get one of those, you’ll have to wait a bit, but it’s something cool to look forward to.
What Happened To The Gnome Advent Calendar After Shark Tank?
After appearing on the show Shark Tank, a young entrepreneur named Jenna made her business even bigger. Once her episode was shown on TV, she sold 900 special Christmas Countdown Calendars, which are neat calendars that help you count down the days until Christmas.
But Jenna didn’t stop there. She decided to create a new product called the Halloween Gnome Countdown Calendar, which people can get in June 2025. This is a fun way to count down to Halloween too!
As of today, Jenna’s business, called Gnome Advent Calendar, is still running and is helping families enjoy the holiday season with magical products. It’s all about spreading joy during the holidays.
Conclusion
Jenna Hess went on the TV show Shark Tank to share her cool idea called the Gnome Advent Calendar. An Advent Calendar is a fun way to countdown to Christmas, and Jenna made hers special by using cute gnomes! She was really excited about her idea and wanted to bring joy to families during the holidays.
Even though she didn’t get any money or help from the sharks, Jenna didn’t give up. She kept working hard on her business, and it continued to grow after she appeared on the show. The sharks raised some concerns about her business growing slowly and competing with other similar products, which made sense, but Jenna showed that she could still be successful on her own.
Today, lots of people love the Gnome Advent Calendar and enjoy using it during the holiday season. Jenna’s journey teaches us an important lesson: success doesn’t always mean getting a deal or support from others. Sometimes it’s more about staying dedicated to your idea and putting in the hard work to make it happen!

Hey, I’m Amna Habib, an undergraduate student pursuing a Bachelor’s in Business Administration. Shark Tank has always been one of my favorite TV shows because it offers a unique glimpse into the world of entrepreneurship. The way entrepreneurs present innovative solutions to everyday problems aligns with my academic interests and fuels my curiosity about business strategies. Each pitch showcases creativity and strategic decision-making, which I find both insightful and inspiring. Watching the show has deepened my passion for business and motivated me to explore the world of entrepreneurship even further. Beyond business and writing, I love food, shopping, and spending time with my friends and family.