Ashley Graham is left dumbstruck after an ambitious entrepreneur boldly asks for more than $1 million in order to get her interactive bakery – complete with a ‘chocolate boom boom room’ – off the ground in her brand new series Side Hustlers.
The 36-year-old model and her co-host, businesswoman Emma Grede, 41, can barely hide their shock when chef Erica pitches her fantasy for her sweet treats establishment, Aujané Sweets.
In an exclusive preview clip from the show’s first episode, Erica brings in personalized samples of her classic sugar cookies for the duo to taste – before dropping the bombshell figure she’s looking to secure to get the business up and running.
After taking a bite into the baked goods, Ashley says: ‘This tastes like exactly what you want a homemade cookie to taste like but you had to buy at the store.’
Ashley Graham is left dumbstruck after an ambitious entrepreneur boldly asks for more than $1 million in her brand new Roku series, Side Hustlers
The model and her co-investor, Emma Grede, can’t hide their shock after hearing chef Erica’s bold pitch for her cookie business
Emma echoes Ashley’s compliment, before asking: ‘Have you thought about how you could scale your business?’
Erica then reveals her grand plans, which become increasingly more elaborate.
‘My goal is to open the nation’s first interactive bakery, where we focus on do-it-yourself themed rooms,’ she says.
‘As you step in, you see a sprinkle floor that’s going to lead you to the baking lab.
‘Then we’re going to head on over to the chocolate boom boom room, under a 20ft chocolate fountain, and we’re going to go into our build a sundae room where you create your own ice cream.’
‘This is a lot,’ a says an apprehensive Emma.
‘And we’re not done, honey, we’re not done,’ Erica enthuses as she then proceeds with her sensational business plan.
‘For a moment, I want you to envision the cookie nookie escape room,’ she says.
Erica bravely asked Ashley and Emma for a cool $1.875million investment
After hearing the sum, Ashley turned to her costar in disbelief before repeating the figure back
Chef Erica did bring in samples of her sugar cookies for the co-investors to sample, much to their enjoyment
Giving her review of the produce, Ashley says: ‘This tastes like exactly what you want a homemade cookie to taste like but you had to buy at the store’
It’s at this moment that Emma stops Erica in her tracks to ask her how much money she predicts she will need to kickstart her project.
‘Oh yes, $1.875million,’ she replies. ‘That’s what I’m looking for.’
Unsurprisingly, the almighty sum leaves Ashley and Emma at a complete loss for words, with Ashley turning to her costar in disbelief before repeating the figure back.
Eventually explaining her rationale behind the extraordinary sum, Erica continues: ‘Yes ma’am, because we’re going to need to build it from the ground up.
‘It’s an experience that we’re going to…’
Side Hustlers is a new five-part Roku series that will see ambitious female entrepreneurs develop their side hustles in the hope of quitting their day jobs
Emma and Ashley are on hand to offer their expert guidance and investment
Side Hustlers is a new five-part Roku series that will see ambitious female entrepreneurs develop their side hustles in the hope of quitting their day jobs to pursue their dream careers full time, with guidance from Ashley and Emma.
‘These founders vie for the chance to build multi-million-dollar companies while juggling the demands of their personal lives and day jobs,’ the official synopsis teases.
‘With life-changing investments on the line, who will rise to the challenge and turn their side hustle into their main hustle?’
Supermodel Ashley made history in 2016 as the first ever size 14 model to grace the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
She is also an entrepreneur and has designed several plus size clothing lines for retailers such as Addition Elle and PrettyLittleThing.
Emma is the cofounder of the denim and casual wear brand Good American alongside Khloe Kardashian.
The duo launched the label in 2016. It has been praised for its inclusive sizing, which goes up to size US32.
Side Hustlers season 1 is available on The Roku Channel on March 1.
