The “Shark Tank” TV franchise has been running since 2009 and has boosted the careers of numerous startups. Interestingly, even when the sharks aren’t biting, an entrepreneur with a dream can still succeed. That’s what happened in season 8 for Nick Massie, the founder of Ice Age Meals.
Boasting a background as a professional chef, Massie came into the tank in 2016 with a business centered around selling frozen paleo diet meals. The meals are flash-frozen and shipped directly to customers so they could easily pop them in the freezer or, when they’re hungry, right into the microwave — pure paleo recipes designed to help paleo lovers avoid the common mistakes made on the paleo diet.
When Massie’s “Shark Tank” episode was taped, Ice Age Meals was already realizing an annual revenue of $1.5 million. Though the sharks were impressed by the company’s profits, they weren’t willing to invest the $1 million for 10% equity he wanted. As a result, Massie left the tank investor-less. But years after its appearance on “Shark Tank,” how is the business doing?
Troubled waters
As of early 2025, Ice Age Meals offers a diverse lineup of Ice Age Meals options and claims to have a customer base of 80,000. If you’re a paleo aficionado, you might not be surprised by all the consumer interest. Although the paleo diet is limited to non-agricultural foods that were probably accessible to prehistoric peoples (e.g., meats and eggs, as well as limited fruits and vegetables), it regularly pops up in rankings of the most popular diets. A survey cited by the Orlando Sentinel estimates that up to three million people consider themselves to be paleo diet followers. (Read what happens to your body when you go on the paleo diet.)
The continuous rise of paleo passion over the years has been a wave that Ice Age Meals has ridden since its inception. However, the company hasn’t been without a bit of hardship since Massie first made a big splash on the small screen.
In November 2022, Massie shared on the Ice Age Meals blog that 2021 had been tough and that he would have to shutter his Caughlin Ranch kitchen. Though the post’s tone was heavy, it wasn’t without hope. In it, Massie noted that if enough customers were willing to place orders, the company might be able to return to profitability, therefore avoiding a full-blown closure of his dream.
Still alive in 2025
In response to Massie’s plea, Ice Age Meals customers swooped in to save the day. In fact, their loyalty didn’t just keep Ice Age Meals from going under; it also allowed Massie to scale up its number of boxed shipments. At the same time, it gave the company the momentum to market other products.
According to the Ice Age Meals site, Massie launched a companion Ice Age Culinary business in 2022 to teach people how to cook paleo favorites. Plus, the company now sells a cookbook, swag, and branded spice blends.
Per recent Ice Age Meals blog updates, 2024 marked the company’s 10th anniversary, with Ice Age Meals offering a Ten Year Anniversary Promo in July 2024 as part of its continuing outreach strategy. It looks like Ice Age Meals is still chugging along, likely reaping the benefits of the exposure it received from “Shark Tank” despite being turned down.
