Mike O’Dell, CRNA never planned on becoming a quilting entrepreneur, but a love of art, a willingness to experiment, and a push from the right mentor changed everything. What started as a handmade quilt pattern eventually became Legit Kits, a growing business that brought him all the way to Shark Tank.
In this episode, Mike shares the twists, risks, failures, and lessons behind that journey while explaining why CRNA training gave him the confidence to pursue something completely outside anesthesia. His story is a reminder of what can happen when curiosity turns into action.
Here’s some of what you’ll hear in this episode:
🎨 Creativity Matters: A lifelong interest in art eventually became the foundation for a business
🧠 Ignorance Can Help: Being a beginner forced Mike to build a system that other beginners could understand
🦈 Take the Shot: A casual Shark Tank application eventually led to a national television appearance
📈 Start Small: Legit Kits began with roughly $2,000 and grew by testing the idea before making bigger bets
🚀 Do the Thing: Progress came from acting, learning, adjusting, and refusing to wait for perfect conditions
Watch the Shark Tank appearance: https://youtu.be/1D_Zxseg0FU
Watch the YouTube music video: https://youtu.be/a5dCJezwX0I?si=ELR74lT_st-C5HDw
Check out Legit Kits: www.legitkits.com
Check out the book ‘Landlord Away Your Student Loan Debt’: https://a.co/d/07afgW7X
Join Sharon at the Nurse Anesthesia Update in the Bahamas: https://www.nurseanesthetist.com/events/nurse+anesthesia+update+2026/
Visit us online: https://beyondthemaskpodcast.com/
The 1099 CRNA Institute: https://aana.com/1099
Want to get CE Credit for listening? Go here: https://beyondthemaskpodcast.com/special-announcement-ce-credt/
Now you can watch the show on YouTube! Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCknrmkRxiwtYk7LUjSV6wmw?sub_confirmation=1
