2. I just watched the show. Great job because this sort of thing is way too common. Especially with small family businesses. Mixing business accounts and personal is a recipe for failure. I’m retired but started a business with a partner and we grew it for 25 years and we always made sure the books were solid and there was never any fudging. For that matter when we started it we realized that we could not be making the same amount we did as employees and our salaries were a fraction of what we were used to making for almost 5 years. We started in a toolshed and grew the business every year but didn’t take risks and avoided debt like the plague. When we retired we sold it and are now quite comfortable. Slow, steady, and most of all honest wins the race.

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   1. Excellent job of telling us how awesome you were- was there a point to this as relating to the show ? Some of you might want to read that girls rebuttal. They may have been a risky venture, but there was no reason to make them look as bad as they did to cover their own feeling of not wanting to get involved. Kind of like the girlfriend/boyfriend who makes you look like a bad partner simply because they want to leave ? I do not even care about the small details, I believe them about the documents, etc. It was all public information. That couple is a bit sketchy and I would not get involved with them, either- but doing what they did to them doesn’t make Marcus and the crew any better- wouldn’t want to get involved with them, either.

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      1. I just read her rebuttal,i feel there may be some truth to it but i know how insurance works,you always get way more then what the property damage is actually eorth because you have appraisal so you know how much you have invested in the property, then if you can get the damage fixed for a fraction of the cost you can make out a pretty nice chunk of money. I bet the claimed they had lots of lost merchandise, fish and things that they can say were there but in actuality, they never were. They can just say they were burned up in the fire. They’re not convincing anybody they had 3 separate claims where they netted hundreds of thousands of extra insurance money and there was no involvement by them. Im sorry,I’m just not buying it my friend.

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      2. It’s a television show people…..it needs good ratings to stay on air; what ‘reality’ TV show ever tells the truth and portrays all players in a ‘normal’ truthful manner. Viewers want DRAMA and producers give it in spades!!! Hence Marcus et el play up to it. I personally wouldn’t trust Marcus and his producers one little bit. They’re all in it for the MONEY and they’ll do whatever they need to, to get it!!! Ah dear; TRUTH is always the victim!!!!!

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   2. I liked the episode but the owners are dishonest pieces of crap. Marcus offered them the opportunity of a lifetime. Both of the owners kept very important information from their new business partner Marcus. I hope the daughter smarts up and goes back to her other job because Swansons will never make it with the current owners

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3. Wonder how this couple is operating now maybe six months later. What a couple! They really deserve each other, her in her Beemer and him at the yacht club. Manipulative and creepy. Why shop there?

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   1. Larissa….Va Va Va Voom

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   2. I bet the dad was committing insurance fraud with those two fires at the business. Am i the only one that caught how awkward it got when dad was explaining the two fires and how much extra money he netted off the insurance. It smells like insurance fraud to me. I wouldn’t be surprised if mom and dad had some type of vice,probably gambling problem. I hate to assume or point fingers but if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck,then it’s a duck.

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      1. RJ
         “I hate to assume” Really, because you’re awfully good at it! I’m not saying you can’t be right, but don’t say you hate to assume when you’re entire post is one big assumption. You’re accusing them of being arsonists, insurance defrauders, and gambling addicts… in a 4 sentence post. I’d hate to see what you could do with a full paragraph despite hating to assume things.

         Brian
         Perhaps you don’t know much about boats – a 15 year old 30′ boat is hardly a yacht. Without knowing the brand it’s hard to say for sure but that boat could be valued at as little as a honda civic. I live in a harbor-front community in San Diego and a 30′ boat would be considered a dinghy to a yacht owner. I’m not saying they are smart with their money, but I think you’re misrepresenting things just a tad.

         Vinnie
         You’re damn right! She’s something else bro! My television got my full attention when she was on screen.

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         1. She was only on the show to try to get her acting career started! And in my opinion the only thing she would be able to act in is porn. She was VERY unconvincing when she was supposedly crying. Keep your day job Larissa.

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4. I hope Marcus contacted the IRS and the police because there certainly was illegal accounting (ie, theft & tax evasion) going on by these self centered fish mongers.

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   1. Insurance fraud and embezzlement also

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      1. Hmmmmm.

         I am sure the IRS watches these shows and yes the overage paid on the insurance could be income. I hope they get ripped and the daughter fines a KOOL career .

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   2. This episode made me think of the popcorn company in one of the earliest episodes. Remember when Marcus walking in to the office and asked “Where is accounting?” and someone pointed to a person counting cash on the floor and said, “She’s accounting the cash.” I was surprised to see no one actually tying out the numbers from the cash register to the day’s receipts. That could very well e the biggest hole in the company because the owner’s margin claims did not match the company’s results.

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5. Well, apparently there was some creative editing here, and the family’s side of the story claims that the show was filmed over four MONTHS, not weeks as implied in the show, that the BMW was in fact put up for sale (including a “cute” scene being filmed in which the woman put a “for sale” sign on the car) and the house was being painted SO IT COULD BE SOLD. These two facts alone are pretty damning of the editing process for this show, which, after all, is a “reality” show and clever editing must be expected.

   That said, the math just doesn’t add up here and this seems like a rather sketchy family and family business, so I don’t blame him at all for walking away.

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6. WOW ! I was a big fan of the show- it seemed like it was not like the other “reality” shows with the staged B.S. and the like and genuinely thought Marcus was a good guy and someone that was a great example of what a good businessman should be like. After reading that young girls rebuttal- I have to say that it seems there is alot of “staging” going on, just like all the rest of these shows. Not giving her the money to pay the bill after making her say she would pay it the next day ? Douche move. If those dates are correct, also a douche move. If he didn’t want to be involved in that particular business, he shouldn’t have made them look horrible like a crappy girlfriend who just wants to leave the relationship- just say “it isn’t rightfor me”. Those people were DEFINITELY horrible business people and needed some guidance,( I loved the way the wife sold out the hubby about his boat ) but the profit made it look like they were out of business tomorrow if they didn’t get any money- so why they still open ? That rebuttal did alot to make me question Marcus’ integrity, which is too bad because I thought we had finally met a businessman that was trustworthy and I know busines is business, but thought he was a little better then it being “only” about the money. My parents watched the show after I told them about it, as they are members of the Good Sam club, etc ( retired in Florida ) and they don’t want to be a part of it anymore after they read that girls rebuttal- so Marcus should remember that losing customers works both ways. I know it won’t hurt him in the slightest, but it would be nice to see a person actually be like Marcus presented himself.

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   1. I’m fairly new to the show – only seen 3 episodes. Like you though, I thought it seemed pretty honest and I thought I found my new favorite show. However, after just 3 episodes it became clear that it was heavily staged. In each of those episodes the couple would be fighting about expenses or some other business related matter and up would walk Marcus with perfect timing, asking what the arguing was about and a bombshell would drop. I then realized this was like all the other reality TV, with it’s soap opera editing, clearly scripted arguments, staged scenes, and mischaracterization of reality. I wish these production companies would understand that even with less drama the viewers would flock to a show that is honest. I guess CNBC is in the fake reality biz too!

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      1. A Foreclosure Notice is not an invoice, it’s more like a Death Certificate (you can tell by the ‘closure’ part of the words). It means that you no longer own the property, as it has been repossessed from you. The gentleman lied to Marcus’ face when Marcus asked him if their mortgage was OK, when in fact you have to be way in arrears to even be a candidate for final foreclosure. Marcus probably needed RUN quickly, away from this business.

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         1. A foreclosure notice means the property will be put up for sale. only THEN do you lose ownership of the property. if people want REAL help about foreclosure, YouTube ; foreclosure defense.

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7. After watching this episode and reviewing Larissa’s letter and postings I am truly disappointed with Marcus and this show. June to Sept is four months not weeks. Having Larissa commit to a $35000 next day payment knowing the funds had not been provided to honor the commitment was despicable at a minimum.

   This episode never added up from the start. I guessed he was mistaken when he was telling Marcus the insurance numbers. I have suffered several losses in my businesses due to hurricanes. I don’t know of anyone who ever came out with a profit after deductibles and fees. And I’m sure Marcus knew that too. Trashing this family for ratings is shameful. After getting strung along for four months with no money exchanged to pay bills, I would have told Marcus to get the f*ck out too. I just would not have waited that long.

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   1. Foreclosure means that they no longer own a building for Marcus to purchase, as per the deal. Foreclosure means that they’d missed so many payments that the lender has given up on trying to collect the debt and repossessed the property. Marcus was going to buy to building and then sell it back to them when they got on their feet. Regardless of when the notice was sent out, the gentleman told Marcus that they were fine on their mortgage; when in fact they’d missed so many payments that they no longer owned the property that they were getting the million $ in escrow for. Marcus, RUN.

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8. Great show, need to do follow up later on all shows.
   Swansons ,mom and dad, should craw back under rock!

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9. I just watched this episode and also read Larissa’s reply. It seems as though there’s plenty of blame to go around (the Swansons and Marcus). However, I don’t understand why Marcus did not bring in a CPA or at least get accounting and business training for Larissa, as it seems that neither she nor her mother understood accounting or running a business. And if the BMW were leased, as Larissa said, how could it be sold?

   So much does not add up, including the father’s statement of how much insurance paid for the two fires. Even if he stated the wrong amount, the father comes off as not knowing anything about his finances.

   Beyond that, unless the business is unincorporated, there is no way funds should be removed for personal use. Even if the business is an S corporation, taking out funds for personal use must be properly accounted for. I’d like to see those tax returns. The IRS now has every reason to audit the business and individual taxpayers.

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   1. I agree completely. There is more than enough blame to go around in this situation. Both sides seem to be dirty and ugly. However, the daughter’s admission of her family’s wrongdoing and shady actions indicate the lions share of the blame goes on the family. But, Lemonis’s image takes a real hit, too.

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10. By reading the daughter’s response to the episode, this should prove beyond a reasonable doubt reality TV isn’t reality. If anyone should be held accountable, it’s the production company that films this series, not CNBC or any of its affiliates.

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    1. I agree, a lot of creative editing, but he did what any smart businessman and TV personality would have done in his place: exploit his victim in order to expand his client base, fan base and spin the story his way. He never intended to invest initially, all an act he put up to garner the audience’s sympathy, then he came up with valid reasons (insurance fraud) and fictitious claims to go back on his word without being held accountable. That’s a real business-like Houdini

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    2. I agree. Sounds like the show is faked.

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11. I too was a ‘believer’ in Marcus and his approach to solving business problems of people, product and processes. However, as I watched this episode, I also thought it didn’t add up so I went looking for a follow up on CNBC and couldn’t find one. Then I googled comments on the show and found this site and Larissa’s letter. I’m not buying her whole letter either but the dates and times discrepancies are inexcusable. I also agree that if Marcus and the production company were willing to air the clip about negotiating a $55k amount owed to vendor down to $35k, they should have cut the check for $35k the next day as they promised. That alone is enough to make me not watch the show anymore and I have been one of its biggest fans. Like I tell my three children, you can do 99 things right and one thing wrong – and you ruin your reputation with the one thing. Marcus, you just lost me as a customer. Very disappointing. And I know you had the power and understanding to do the right thing here. It’s all for show. I’m out.

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    1. First off, Marcus is the real deal. He has had several business transactions from the Profit that are extremely profitable. The letter or rebuttal is absolutely not true, the fact is that this couple were committing some type of insurance fraud and the numbers were not adding up. The company should be making a tremendous profit and the family on the show were hiding the actual figures and liabilities. The fact that a title search yields the lien and pending civil action is proof that they were not honestly approaching Marcus. Also, the filming over 4 months is not credible – to make a show like the Profit, you cannot afford to have shooting for a 4 month period. Marcus through his principles have helped save me and my business and regardless if the reality is spiced and edited, the facts are the facts. I have had one flood claim and the amount of insurance claims, all from FIRES are troubling to me. I would think that someone might have a further examination of the lifestyle that the family lives. When you can’t make your mortgage payment, you don’t have contractors working on the house, she say’s its painting, well – paint it yourself. You don’t drive a BMW and get obstinate about it when you are asked to cut the cost. Finally, to have a boat, a large boat for entertainment purposes, this is another troubling sign. I would suspect like Darla from Planet Popcorn, other elements are involved – drugs or gambling.

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       1. I totally agree with you that something doesn’t add up with the husband and wife. I have run my contracting business for over 30 years through good and bad times. You take care of customers and employees first, family second, and then yourself last. This is called ethics!
          Advice for the daughter. Watch your back. Many family businesses seem to have trouble transitioning the kids into ownership. They have trouble letting go of control. The daughter obviously thought more of the business as a future than the parents, who were busy trying to live the high life. If the daughter decides continue working harder than the parents, she should get some equity (legally) to protect herself. I don’t blame Marcus for walking.

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    2. I am sorry to hear this Tony,

       I hope the production company sees this and keeps the show SIMPLE, CLEAN and drama free (but this will mean only a few hardcore fans will watch it as sadly, most people will rather watch drama).

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12. Bizarre to post something is “absolutely not true” without a shred of evidence to support.

    The show is nothing more than a staged, heavily edited show. Case in point:the supposed “star” of the show is going to sign over a (fake!) check for $1 million without doing any due diligence? Are the producers of the show actually dumbing down the viewing audience to believe someone would actually agree to turn over that sum of money on a handshake?

    This (ahem) reality show is just another of a long line of cheaply made for TV vehicles to avoid hiring SAG members.

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    1. Hello Allen,

       Our reviews are simply a transcription of what we watch on screen, true or not true. It is a reality tv show so it is fictional in most parts. I believe the production company is called Machete so they may like to slice stuff sometimes :)

       The sad part is that, the profit has a following of very loyal people and the extra drama occurring recently is totally not needed.

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13. Your share pop up window has to go! I can not read on my ipad! Do something about it please. I would like to come back.

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    1. Hello Tim,

       Thanks for your feedback. Please click on the share button itself at the top and it will minimize the whole box. Let me know if its still a nuisance after that and I will find an alternative.

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14. If you watch the show, you know that the filming takes place over time (see the Courage b show) UNLESS the deal doesn’t go through, then it won’t. That is the case with this “deal”. What happens is that the money goes into escrow while Marcus’ team does their due diligence. They’ve shown this process on different episodes. On the A Stein show, they showed someone coming in and talking to Marcus after seeing their books and advising him not to do the deal.

    As far as Larissa goes, she seemed like a nice girl on the show, but the bottom line is that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree and both of her parents were liars at the very least. Arsonists and insurance scammers at the most. If the house was being painted to be sold, the mother would have said that when confronted by Marcus. Also, the father told Marcus TO HIS FACE that everything was paid when before he ever showed up, the property was in foreclosure. He also never told him about the boat, which is lying by omission and that only came out because the mother was ticked that she had to her about her BMW (which she had agreed to trade in to save money, then never did). Anyone who watched that show knows what happened concerning the insurance. The best thing that happened to Marcus in this is that he found out the little lies and didn’t link his train to these people. He’s a billionaire. If they think nothing of burning down a building, they would think nothing of harming him.

    Marcus only agreed to do the show if it was real. Why anyone would impugn his name over a letter from the daughter of 2 proven liars is beyond me. You see how they both treat her. What kind of mother drives a BMW while their daughter drives a POS two hours a day?

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15. Well, to pay for the $35K agreed, they could sell the boat!
    They would still be better off $20K

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16. Visited the store day after the show….no more fresh vegetables and very few selections of take out food to choose from. Their signature clam chowder was watery and void of clams!…restaurant that was supposed to sell their food to go has a “for rent” sign on it (which has been there for a while). None of the nice young men behind the counter were there, but Gary was in the back room. I was actually there one day in May when they were filming it (never had heard of the show before) and it’s true – they didn’t have tuna! Very sad as it was a staple for my parents generation. It was the only place to buy fish and clam chowder. But that was then. Now there are other places to go.

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17. As a small business owner I cringed when I watched. A BMW and the employees are not getting paid??? I don’t care if you paid them back then next day, you just cannot do this sort of thing. And how do you not know you’re in foreclosure. Great lessons here for everyone concerning selfishness, greed, and untruths. “The biggest lie you tell is the one you tell yourself.” BTW, am I mistaken or did the mother pull into a handicap parking spot.

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    1. i couldn’t believe that the owners of Swansons put their personal luxuries before the immediate needs of their multigenerational business.My business struggled for 4 years before turning around & I am still depriving myself of unnecessary luxuries. The young daughter seems like she has a good head on her shoulders. She may want to bail out of the business ASAP .

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18. I’ve been a fan of the show since the beginning but am very disheartened over Larissa’s letter. I knew the show was staged, as are all reality tv shows (therefore, not reality) but I didn’t know that much deceit was going on behind the scenes. Thought alot of Marcus and what he’s trying to do until I read Larissa’s letter….what an eye-opener! I haven’t seen where Marcus or Machete productions has commented on her letter, which says alot to me. Not sure I’ll keep watching, or, if I do, it will be with a very suspicious eye. Someone please restore my faith in The Profit.

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    1. I have seen it as well. However, the medical situation really wasn’t key to the show and neither was the fact that they were fixing up the house to sell it. While Larissa claimed that the fight scene between her Mom and Dad and Marcus was staged, she wasn’t there when it happened. In the end, Marcus was right to walk away from the deal because the parents failed to give up some possessions and help the company.

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    2. Honestly, Larissa’s letter doesn’t change much about my opinion of the parents. Sure, the insurance payments weren’t as large as originally claimed, but the parents still clearly were lying a lot. e.g. They claimed that they were bringing in $6K/mo from the two tenants making a net profit from their property, but in reality one tenant was $15K behind. Even considering the timeline they were already behind before Marcus made an offer indicating that they were at best omitting relevant information to his offer to buy the property.

       Larissa’s comment about her mother’s BMW being the only ones willing to give her a lease seems like a dubious claim and worse a bit of canard to defend her mother. She could have bought a less expensive used car for far less than $500/mo.

       Repaying employees for inventory maybe got hyped up a bit, but it still illustrated a business that seemed disorganized because most businesses already have the check made out for their vendors ahead of time. Her mother being regularly late without offering an excuse seemed non-serious to me. Unless there is major damage remodeling the house is probably going to cost more than it will aid in selling their house.

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       1. I think some people are not clear on what foreclosure is. Foreclosure is not a letter stating that someone is angry at you for not paying your bills. Foreclosure is a last ditch effort to settle accounts that are too far behind to be reconciled, and people have given up on you paying your bills. Marcus asked the gentleman if they were behind on their mortgage and the man said they were fine. So regardless when the foreclosure papers were filed/served, the gentleman was lying to Marcus’ face.

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       2. This is the first time I read any of the posts bc I would be discusted with the fact we were manipulated to look like bad people,The opinions and assumptions are proof that marcus and the production crew could edit mother Teresa to look like a criminal , so much of what aired is twisted and stretched facts ,some of it is bold faced lies, I ran this business succesfully for over 30 years , plenty of 80 hour weeks, Fact: mortgage was current in may when asked and was still current in september ,Marcus exploited a loan that was not the mortgage and it was current in may and only 2 months behind when I was served papers in early september Marcus knew that, Fact: my home had water damage that couldnt be seen until it was very serious and had to be repaired,Marcus knew that Fact : employes chose to pay a driver a couple hundred so he didnt have to make a second trip, if he came when he normally did the money would be waiting Th eemployes got their cash back a few hours later, I wasnt even aware they did that Marcus knew that .Fact: our credit was knocked down from 800 to 600 after the fire and money got tight, we have a freind at BMW that got us credit for a lease ,an entry level 3 series is not outrageous ,it was blown way out of proportion, Fact : insurance money was not a windfall we had to cover over $600k ,all our savings and retirement money gone and in debt for about $400k,Marcus knew that, Fact : the boat is hardly a yacth ,the insurance was a windfall but every penny went inti the business and I was able to keep the boat as a project to restore it,Marcus knew that . I could go on but I think I made my point, If you notice Marcus and team will not follow up with us or even speak about SWANSONS bc they are probably ashamed of themselves and guilty for destroying our reputation with lies , they didnt even respond to Larissas rebuttal , we lost over 50% of our business after the show aired and they keep airing and we keep losing, its hard to beleive they get away with this . sincerly Gary Swanson

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    3. Yes, it’s a reality tv show, however, that is no surprise to the business owner when the cameras show up. Why would you ever agree to pretend to be dishonest on tv when in business the appearance of dishonesty could mean the failure of the business even if Marcus doesn’t walk away? Why wouldn’t the mom (knowing there are cameras taping) make real clear that the house was being prepared for sale? Why are you hiring people to paint your house when you aren’t making payroll or having your employees buy your inventory for you. If you aren’t showing up to work until noon then you should be at home prepping your house for sale yourself. The daughter’s letter did little more then remind people that you don’t see everything, but you do get a pretty good idea of most of what went on. What business-person doesn’t know exactly what they received as an insurance payout and is so far off between what the dad says on the show and what she says in the letter. What business-person allows his wife to drive around in an expensive BMW (leased or not)or own something as expensive to maintain as a boat while having any employee pay for inventory (for a second or a day before being paid back it should NEVER happen)or wait a week or two for their paycheck. What kind of person thinks that not paying their mortgage on their business’s building for one month results in a foreclosure or tells a prospective partner that “nope, we are current” on the business mortgage when they know that isn’t the case? If you can run a business like that and have it successful then it is successful in spite of you.

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19. 2 O 3 FIRES MMMMMM WHERE THERE IS SMOKE THERE IS FIRE……..SOMETHING SMELL FISHING………..

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    1. I’m with you rick. That Swanson’s story smelling prrretty fishy!

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20. I’ve been a patron of Swanson’s for years. It’s always had it’s family and financial problems that have been devastating for the business. The family has a reputation for being high conflict and a little dicey which the show certainly bought out. Fires and family infighting I guess are still part of their business plan.

    They used to have the freshest fish around but no more and it’s more expensive than Whole Foods. $29 a lb for Salmon is ridiculous but now I know why, they really need the cash. The prepared foods are over priced and poor quality. The clam chowder is mostly chunks of potato and oregano. The fish is not always fresh and available. I’ve walked out rather than buy.
    The re-opening of Bridgeport Shellfish on Knowlton St by the original owner is the place to go and I hope they stick around because the farm fish at the supermarkets are a lousy alternative.

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    1. You are the only person to actually visit the store and give us a 1st hand report about the store. I wish more people do as you and report on the business.

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21. I was shocked at how the show turned out. I also saw Larissa’s letter. I don’t believe it all either. They lost a lot of money somewhere. Mental health costs reaching 100k? please. But the way the show was staged at the end was deplorable like adding another lie to others’ lies somehow vindicates one or the other. It got too personal making a big deal over a BMW also which was only leased. It sounds like the show knew the deal wouldn’t fly, yet had to make something out of it for the media time already invested.

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22. Love the show (or use to) and Marcus’ business lessons, but after reading the daughter’s letter I’m left with a lot of questions.

    Not knowing the facts myself, or having Marcus explain in business terms what happened, I’m left with the impression that the show is just another put-up job. Just another “reality show” that makes up stuff for drama’s sake.

    I have no idea how much of the other shows are sexed-up for a better story but you either defend your credibility or its questioned. And I don’t wast my time on shows with questionable credibility.

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23. You can write and say anything. I can do up a page like yours and better than your page and it doesn’t make it true because the page i make up like yours can be fake so you have proved absolutely nothing. The show can do all the cutting in the world but they can’t change the way your parents acted. It easy to tell people what you feel Marcus should have done with his money. But when a shewd business man sees red flags like in your parents case he is not going to throw his money around just because he said he would pay on good faith and then he sees there may be straight out lieing going on. Thats why he has money and you don’t. Ratings may be nice but good business people want to make money and because of all your parents lieing he could not make money. But if your parents were smart and spoke with HONESTY they could have made money and Marcus and them could have both won. So Marcus will go on and help someone else as I have seen on so many shows and your parents will continue to struggle. And that’s my opinion! We all have one.

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24. After reading Larissa’s letter and the comments from lawyer John on another site it makes me think what Marcus is always talking about-the process, transpan
    ency. Unfortunately that is what this show lacks. Marcus and the producers exhibit the dishonesty the Swansons are accused of. The public is misled by the million dollar check being handed over. Why isn’t the viewer told the money is going into escrow. Where is Mr. Fix It All’s due diligence(it appears to be after the fact).I truly expected more honesty and disclosure from CNBC, guess not. It’s all about the ratings which = ad revenue. This show would fit in better on True TV which everyone understands is contrived. The Swansons may not be perfect but believe me neither is Marcus, your producers or CNBC. It’s time for me to sign off on your show. If I want fiction I know where to go.

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    1. is anyone else besides me sick of reading the Swansons fake complaints and the show being staged and how reading larissas letter made them disappointed in the show? its so obvious that they are comments from the swansons claiming to be random commenters in support of the swansons and against the show. they all convey the same message, have the same phrases and the same general idea. the swansons think they are slick, but anyone with half a brain can figure out their antics. scammers, get a life and just put in an honest days work for an honest days pay like the rest of us. losers

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    2. I’ve recently watched alot of interviews about the show. Marcus walked into the business just like you see on TV. He purposely never does his due diligence before hand so that the show’s viewers and him get the picture live in a sense. He then brings in his team to review the place and get a true understanding of the books and people. He also doesnt take a salary from the show, they only pay his travel expenses. He said this is done to exclude him from the normal contracting that the shows have if you are getting paid. He has put up something close to 24 million of his own money into the businesses and is pretty open when he takes a loss or just leaves. I think while there are some points raised in their rebuttal, as alot of people have said, I think Marcus has earned the trust to not let one letter from someone who looked criminal on TV tear him down.

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25. On the bright side Larissa is hot!

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    1. Agree!!!

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26. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle. I suspect the family has a spending problem (lavish lifestyle boat, BMW, fancy house, ect.). However, I just don’t think Marcus would want to invest in a struggling fish store. The upside is just too small and there’s no quick way to make cash. I can’t see them opening multiple locations and they don’t have any great food products (Brooklyn Burger Biscuits) that they can mass produce and sell. They deal marcus made to buy the building has very little upside. Most reality tv is not even close to 100% accurate. A good story has a hero, conflict, and a villain. I think once it became clear that he didn’t want to invest it was time to make the show a little more interesting and add conflict and villain.

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27. Jeesh – enough with the Boat being a luxury. This isn’t Thurston Howell III. Many average Joe’s have 30 foot boats, and it costs a few thousand a year to maintain.

    More of us blow cash on cell phones, leasing a big-ass SUV (which never sees off road…), cable TV, blah, blah.

    We’re only talking $5-7K per year in cost. I think there were other things causing that “sucking” sound of money going bye-bye.

    Back to the show – plenty to blame on both sides – clearly sleaze factor everywhere…

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    1. Only $5-$7 thousand? That’s a lot of money for owners who can’t pay their employees. These two owners are scumbags and the daughter must’ve been adopted, because her parents are both homely.

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28. I just read the INC interview on Marcus’ twitter page. There are several segments in which he discusses aspects of business. I thought it was interesting when he was talking about his personal life and explained how his girlfriend isn’t too happy with the amount of time he spends away from her. He stated she calls the show “stupid” and how he spends more time with those “ridiculous people” than he does with her; that he’s “spent” when he comes home and has nothing left for her. Does anyone know anything about his girlfriend? Is her name Beth Levine and she’s about 20 yrs his senior? Doesn’t sound like she’s too pleased/happy with what’s going on. He’s stated in another interview that she doesn’t like the fact he has a show or is invested in 100 businesses but, yet, it is a happy relationship. Doesn’t sound too happy to me – time for another girlfriend.

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    1. who cares about marcuss girlfriends opinion? which ever swanson family member this is, get to work and off the internet abd maybe you wouldnt be in such a damn mess

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    2. She is about 30 years older. Was married to another old woman. The guy is dishonest. He is manipulative and an ego maniac.

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29. I watched show and became a fan. I noticed a few things in the show where Marcus should have walked long before he did. I have also researched the history of the show Marcus does not get paid to do the show by CNBC. From what I found he does it to help failing businesses that reach out for his assistance you were just lucky he chose your parents company to help orders over 400 they haven’t even been picked to receive help. I aldo agree it sounds fish about fires and all the hiding money. Marcus was there to help the boat and BMW should have been mentioned listed and sewed or returned if it was truly least. honesty is afirst and if someone is going to open their check book to help you should help your self by down sizing. Once your out of business failure then you can buy your BMW and boat. All the episodes that I have seen Marcus said the money goes into escrow to protect him and his investment. Good luck hopefully the daughter doesn’t get put on the hook and burnt. She could eazy be blamed for the taxes and do you thank the mom you clearly only thought of herself would take credit for the books. I don’t thank so your going under the bus. I hope not daughter someday like a nice young lady, but than again I’ve been thought the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Thanks great show can’t wait for new episodes.

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30. I have to say I am truly hurt, I understand that business is business. I have been a fan of the Profit from the first day and actually try and purchase merchandise from each business. I am appalled at the way the family was portrayed. After collecting and reviewing the data this family was not lying. Unfortunately the Profit has lost a fan. There is a thing called business ethics and that should always come first. I am so upset I loved watching and brain storming with Marcus.

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    1. The family wasn’t lying? They claimed that they were bringing in $3K/mo from two tenants while one was behind $15K (i.e. 5 months behind) when he intervened on that issue. i.e. they were already behind in collecting rent from tenants BEFORE he made his offer. That seems like lying by omission that one of the tenants was behind at best. Maybe some details were hyped up a bit(e.g. employees paying vendors that were reimbursed), but to say the family was completely honest with Marcus? I disagree. If you are going to talk about business ethics you have an obligation to disclose that you aren’t making as much money off the properties as you claim, which considering he was offering to buy the property I think is highly relevant. If you say you are bringing in $6K/mo either you are or you are lying. They clearly were lying as the check was in early July and he found out that the tenant was 5 months behind sometime before the end of August therefore they were at least 3 months behind when he offered them $1M for the property contingent upon clearing escrow.

       Considering he gave them even by Larissa’s admission $20K worth of upgrades in equipment that they didn’t need to pay for I have a hard time feeling that bad for them. If I were Marcus I would have seriously pulled back the deal on the lie about their rental income alone.

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31. Having read all the comments, as well as “the truth” statement that Larissa or the mysterious self titled “lawyer” wrote, I have to admit I have more questions than answers about this sorid affair. I thought that it was really telling how the people who know the business outside of the show responded, and it was certainly not the rosy picture that the daughter tried to portray. Sadly, the daughter was the only one who had any inkling of the truth and unfortunately, at best she has unwittingly committed tax fraud. It is not legal to combine business and personal expenses. This situation is a very easy example to see why. This deal stunk from the beginning. The father lied about the cooked books and it didn’t take a billionaire to see that. You want someone to give you a million dollars and you know that you are going to be on a tv show and you flat out lie about you solvency and your profitability. She makes a big deal about the length of time being four months not four weeks. First, the date on the check was July 2nd and the effective date of the confrontation was August 21st. This sounds more like 7 weeks rather than 16 weeks. Regardless, that only makes the whole BMW situation even more egregious. The whole lease/sell issue is merely a red herring. No matter how much cutting they did mom looked terrible and that was no acting job, regardless of the family deaths. Also hiding a 30ft boat that far into the process is just slimey and you know that. Is it a yacht, no but it has substantial value and a deal breaker. I do wonder when the 35k refinance debt deal was done? Was it filmed near the August 21st blowout? Did he know about the lien that was coming? Don’t you think that the lien holder possibly would tell him that the mortgage payments were not being paid, on anything. You act like he owed you to pay that off despite some very suspect numbers and book keeping. Was it staged for tv, sure it was. We’re your parents the “victims”, not a chance. Sadly, greed, incompetence, tax fraud and potentially other frauds, shady dealings and arrogance are a recipe for disaster, but a great cautionary tale of what not to do when you go on national tv.

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    1. Well said and all but the swansons agree

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    2. I agree with some of what you posted. And I think Marcus should have walked away. But….

       The parents have some real issues. My impression was that the mother was a liar and the father had no idea what the actual numbers were.
       The BMW was just Marcus’ way of getting her to realize that she needed to be involved and that they were in dire straights. It didn’t work.
       When it comes to the daughter, I feel sorry for her. Her parents suck at least when it comes to running the business and the mother is clearly a selfish woman.

       This episode is the only one that left me confused about where Marcus stood at the end. How much money did he lose? I assumed that he paid some of the vendors off. He did not.

       I read Larissa’s letter and I think she is right that Marcus shafted them on several items. One is asking her to contact the vendors and negotiate the balances with them.

       Marcus told her to promise to pay them and then gave her no money to do it. He knew they didn’t have the cash either. He left her out to dry. He starts by saying “I am 100% in charge” then he needs to pay the bills he told her to promise payment on. Deal or no deal, he is still responsible.

       Her documents do show some direct evidence that what Marcus said was not true. So… he lied too. Sad to say it as I was a fan of his.

       I agree with some of the other posters that I now look at the show differently. I also think they did everything they could to fill in the time and make as much drama as they could.

       Marcus needs to man up, have an on air meeting with the daughter at least to set things right.

       stop the scam – go back to your day job as an intern for CNBC.

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32. Marcus does put money into business whether he continues or not.
    They should all be grateful.

    Whether or not the show stages scenes is besides the point. IT’S A SHOW. Duh.

    Some of the owners are just too dumb to have a business.

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33. You couldn’t help but love the daughter. She was the quintessential human being with kindness and a developing business mind. Keep her, fire the parents. HE has a rage issue and is deceptive on every turn. SHE might as well move on in life. Take her blasted BMW with her. Bravo Marcus for all the good deeds. I am angry at the parents/owners. I’m glad our hero walked away. —BILL

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34. I started watching old episodes of “The Profit” in the last week and loved it. After reading Larissa Swanson’s comments, I doubt I’ll watch another episode.

    I’d already figured out the people weren’t actually allowed to cash the check after he signed it–otherwise, there would be no way for him to back out of a deal. And of course all reality shows are staged and cut for drama’s sake. But there’s no excuse for Marcus telling Larissa to promise to pay a vendor $35,000 the next day and then not giving her the money. There’s also no excuse for distorting the facts about the foreclosure on the building, probably to give him an out of the deal.

    Is Larissa’s account 100% accurate? I don’t know. But I absolutely believe there had been deaths in her mother Sue’s family, and that Sue was on Xanex at the time. Just watching and listening to Sue made me suspect she was under the influence of something. Her constant lateness made me suspect that, too.

    Some of the comments above ask why Sue didn’t explain to Marcus why the house was being painting and remodeled. Maybe she would have if he’d asked her. I just saw the episode, and his comments about the remodeling are in a cutaway voiceover. Marcus never says to Sue, why are people repainting your house when your business is failing? Or if he did, the episode doesn’t show it. We only hear him scolding her for making the painters more important than meeting with him.

    I also absolutely believe a mental illness could cost $100,000 over three years. I have a personal/family history of depression, and I know the drugs can be very expensive. Also not all mental health inpatient/outpatient care is covered by insurance–even assuming Larissa’s brother had medical insurance, which he might not have.

    Granted, the Swansons probably didn’t want their brother/son’s illness mentioned on the show, which is probably why the show didn’t mention their medical expenses. Without that, and with the inaccurate insurance payment numbers, the picture was bound to be distorted. That said, Marcus and Amber probably knew about him and his illness. Why else would they have blurred his face in the show? They didn’t even identify him as one of the Swansons.

    I understand why an investor might not want to put money into such an unstable situation. The finances were a mess, Larissa was in over her head, and Sue clearly needed a break from the business–possibly permanently. And evem Larissa admitted driving a BMW looks bad when you’re struggling to pay employees. Whatever tough times the family has been having, business is business. But that’s no excuse for Marcus to trump up an excuse to walk out on the deal, and then put that distorted story on national TV. If he didn’t want to do the deal, fine. but he should have been honest. And before he left, he should have made good on the promises he had Larissa make to their vendors.

    And by the way I want to thank this site for including a link to Larissa’s comments, thus giving your readers a change to see both sides of the story.

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    1. When Marcus was upset with Sue during the show, he did mention to Sue that maybe the contractors could loan her the $1 million dollars…..Rick

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35. I used to like this business it seemed like a very homey family enterprise- now I see they are just scum – we’ll never ever go back. I know all my Fairfield frinds will be shocked when I mention this episode.

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36. In the very beginning,Marcus stated he could not let them cash the check because the insurance deal and numbers were questionable. He stated this was not their normal process. He was being a careful investor. Escrow on a property sale is absolutely normal.

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37. I think Marcus is pretty much a scum bag reality TV guy. His People, Process, and Product is a bunch of BS. He is a guy searching to steal struggling businesses. He is the only one who wins.

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38. Larissa is very beautiful! If she wants to work here in Brazil just call me.

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39. Just saw this episode again on CNBC. It’s very easy to condemn this family. They clearly mismanaged their business. That’s why Marcus was there, and he seems to have given them good advice.

    But if even half of what they wrote in their rebuttal is true, then this show is GROSSLY misleading.

    Most damning, for me, is that if she actually was filmed putting a “For Sale” sign on her BMW because she actually agreed to sell it, then they misled the viewers by leaving that scene out and portraying her as refusing to sell it to the end of the episode.

    And if their house was being renovated SO IT COULD BE SOLD then the production company used some clever editing to leave that fact out of the show – and that’s significant, and changes how the family were being portrayed in the show.

    The “town hall” discovery apparently had been done prior to the show, as well.

    It’s “reality” TV, which means parts of this is scripted or cleverly edited, but basic facts seem to have been misconstrued. That’s not fair to the family, however inept they’d been in managing the business.

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40. I will still watch the show with my son as he is studying business after having a failed business and losing everything ( possessions only ) Marcus has shown how important money is to him (ethics not so much ) David from south Australia.

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41. WOW! I realize reality TV shows are crap, but naively for some reason I thought The Profit, and Marcus Lemonis was different. I guess it was nice to see an investor who had some decency and was a stand up guy, and wasn’t just the typical greed monger.

    While, and after watching this episode, I felt like probably most people who saw it did, the owners were just a bunch of typical, “We’re business owners, we deserve everything, we’re special” types. Living above their means while they run their business into the ground. But from the start, nothing was adding up, there was nothing to explain why they were in such dire financial shape. According to the show they made out like bandits with insurance payouts for both of their fire disasters. Even with the one tenant falling behind on their rent, the other tenant paying $3K a month was only about $900 short of their whole mortgage payment, nothing explained their serious debt. Now after reading Larissa’s rebuttal it doesn’t look too good for the shows producers and Marcus.

    Frankly I’d love to see all these faux reality TV shows disappear. These skeezy producers are laughing all the way to the bank, making fortunes by putting such crap on TV, while the viewers are being soaked more and more by the cable/satellite/telephone providers, not to mention the advertisers. When pay TV first came out it’s big selling point was if you’re paying for it, you don’t have to put up with commercials. Now, customers are being soaked, and we’re being flooded with more and more commercials. Then all of these channels want premium subscription fees from the providers which is passed on to their customers to fund these phony shows and fill their pockets. I could rant on and on, but I’ve already ranted too much.

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