On 'West Texas Investors Club' premiere, Rooster suffers beer drinkus-interruptus

You never want to put Rooster McConaughey's beer drinking abilities to the test. Wavering on a deal while he's downing his last Miller Light is the definition of walking on thin ice. But, that's understandable when a quarter of your business is at stake.

Two delightful "momtrepreneurs," as McConaughey called them, slid in just before the deadline -- his last sip of beer -- with a negotiated counteroffer of $200K, an open line of credit, and manufacturing connections for 18 percent during the season premiere of West Texas Investors Club Tuesday. 

"Boom! You better do it before I belch!" he joked, hand outstretched. 

And, they did. Betsy Mikesell and Angie White successfully clinched an investment for their zipper bedding company for kids Beddy's -- think of it as "bed ease" -- with a clever product put to the test by McConaughey's own granddaughters.

The duo was the second, regrettably shorter segment in the season opener following a slightly less ebullient Elliott Osborne of I-Tap. You think it would be hard to come away empty-handed with a fascinating and seemingly fabulous invention set to revolutionize the investors' favorite industry. It was ... actually kind of easy.

Created by Osborne's father, John, the electronic beer dispenser raises keg yield from about 70-75 percent to nearly 98 percent by reducing foam waste. When working properly, it has been proven to save stadiums and other massive concession sellers about $1 million per year. The Osbornes already have big name clients -- think Aramark and Delaware North -- in their corner.

Unfortunately, Osborne showed up without the product. Gilliam called it perhaps the "most amateur move we've seen yet."

An icy keg sat lonesome, untapped and awaiting demonstration. McConaughey's face twisted into an expression of longing when he realized it was doomed to remain that way. "Me, knowing beer people ... I'm not so sure you're a beer guy," he said.

Way harsh, Rooster.

The investors began wrangling an old-fashioned, hand-crank keg pump with the enthusiasm of men hand-chipping their way into Fort Knox with nail clippers. 

Osborne had a chance at redemption when the product arrived via mail, but he flubbed a contest at the Midland Rockhounds minor league stadium. Going head-to-head with "a gal named Kristy" who has the reputation for pouring the best beers in West Texas, Osborne struggled with system installation and calibration. A mid-contest call to Dad helped, and he began pouring beautiful beers with virtually no head.

"I've never been so happy to see a beer, and that's saying something," McConaughey said.

But, it was too late. In total, Osbourne poured 84 to Kristy's 103.

Back at the Clubhouse, the investors were willing to take Osbourne's word as to how well the product really works, when installed properly. And, they related to his story of trying to make his father proud. He'd asked for $250K for 10 percent, but they wanted at least 40 percent equity for that price.

That's when another technical difficulty arose. Osborne admitted he and his father were 50/50 partners on 70 percent of the company. They'd already sold 30 percent for $250K to New York investors. Gilliam quickly put the brakes on the deal.

Early disappointment, however, led into fun. Momtreprenuers Mikesell and White arrived from Utah, clearly fans of the show's first season. They knew who they were coming to see, and when ol' Gil arrived to picked them up, they reacted as if he were John Lennon. (He is, in fact, a songwriting hall of famer -- doesn't that count?!)

"Woooo! Two beautiful girls," he said, loading their suitcases into the truck bed. Then, referring to their home state, he said, "Both of you are not married to the same man, are you?"

Oh, Gil. He's your beloved grandpa. You know how to take him, but you never know what kind of trouble he might start at the church picnic.

"Wooo, I guarantee if I was a Mormon, I'd marry both of you," he added. He introduced them to the investors as "my Salt Lake City Sweethearts."

Mikesell and White are brand new to the business world, and that's caused some early struggles; but, it also meant they were refreshingly unpolished. Being a little rough around the edges doesn't matter when you've got a stellar product, which they do. Beddy's came about because of Mikesell's experiences trying to make up her twins' bunk beds.

Putting sheets on a top bunk is about as hard as trying to get a goat to use a litter box. 

Every time you make a little headway, there's a surprise on the other end.

Mikesell purchased materials and zippers and, with her mom, created the prototype. Her friend White, who knew the pain of making up beds on a cross-country trailer trip, immediately saw its genius. They got second mortgages on their houses and brought in their husbands, who quit their jobs to run the warehouse. They put skin in the game and a lot of it because they believe in the product.

So does McConaughey's daughter-in-law Christina; Mikesell and White had sent her Beddy's a couple months prior for testing. Enter McConaughey's three adorable granddaughters for an on-screen demonstration.

"The only opinion that matters to me is theirs," McConaughey said.

Mikesell estimated that children could make up their Beddy's in, like, ten seconds. The McConaughey kiddos did it in six.

"It's usually a battle, but lately they just do it on their own," Christina said. Her only reservation was the product's price. At $259 each, Beddy's is about $50-100 above her budget. It was a common refrain.

They'd had interest from big box retailers like Bed, Bath and Beyond, but were told the price-point was too high. In a vicious cycle, they couldn't afford to buy bigger quantifies from their relatively manufacturer, with whom they didn't have a solid relationship. But, it was a problem McConaughey and Gilliam felt they could fix with the right connections.

Aside from that obstacle, Beddy's numbers were already golden. In 2014, they'd made $250K, and by 2015 that number was up to $1.8 million. But ... they hadn't made a profit. They had gotten mixed up in an unsavory royalty deal and wound up paying $100K to buy out that person's stake.

"You made a deal with the devil, so to speak," Gilliam said.

"Basically, you were extorted and you paid to get her to leave you alone," McConaughey added.

This led to best quote of the night, precisely because of its delivery. Mark these words, you do not want to cross Butch Gilliam, crusader for the small-business owner:

"The worst criminals on this planet don't wear masks, they wear suits. And, you know who you are."

So, the investors made them an offer. The original ask was $200K and an open line of credit for 10 percent equity, but McConaughey and Gilliam wanted 25. They negotiated that the total equity would fall to 20 percent once the investors had made back their money. Mikesell and White countered, and McConaughey agreed to drop the final equity down to 18 percent, if they could make a decision before he finished his beer.

He tipped the can, staring them down out of the corner of his eye.

Beddy's walked away with new partners, and Rooster finally got a satisfying finish in an episode full of beer drinkus-interruptus.