UNUSED- The Profit

Former 'Real Housewife' hopes for an investment from Marcus Lemonis on 'The Profit'

Skinny Latina Founder Ana Quincoces talks about her time on 'The Profit'
VIDEO5:2405:24
Skinny Latina Founder Ana Quincoces talks about her time on 'The Profit'

Marcus Lemonis will be the first to tell you one thing: Business is personal. And if former "Real Housewives of Miami" star Ana Quincoces wants a shot at an investment from the business mogul — she's going to have to be open to criticism of her business, Skinny Latina.

"This is one of the rarest occasions where someone has an amazing product, but they don't have all the other building blocks around it to give me or any other investor the confidence to move forward," Lemonis says in a new episode of "The Profit."

Skinny Latina is a brand of flavorful sauces aimed at consumers keeping a healthy diet. Six years into the business, Quincoces finds herself at a standstill, hoping Lemonis can take her brand beyond being just a regional product.

"In the case of Skinny Latina, the product itself is spectacular," Lemonis says on the show. "But the branding? Not so much."

In Tuesday's episode, Skinny Latina faces a critical test. Before Lemonis is willing to put in his own money, he wants more investors involved. But with a label that doesn't sell the product well — plus a name that too closely resembles Bethenny Frankel's Skinnygirl products — Quincoces must be open to rebranding the business first.

"He makes you love your business but makes you look at it through a microscope," Quincoces says in an interview with CNBC.

Getting fresh eyes on the product was their first order of business. In the episode, Lemonis schedules a focus group to see how consumers respond to the product. The results? The branding threw them off, but the taste was great.

"I didn't like the concept of having a bunch of people criticize my business, and then potentially hurt it," Quincoces says. "[But] I've watched the show long enough to know that [Lemonis] is not in the business of hurting your business."

This episode showcases how entrepreneurs emotionally attached to their business can find a happy medium between taking feedback and staying true to their ideas. Quincoces' biggest challenge throughout the episode will be to learn how to be open to rebranding, as well as responding to criticism positively.

"I think the rebranding was the most important part," Quincoces says. "It was something that needed to happen, but it was also a very difficult thing for me because the little woman on my bottle — it's just something that's been with me since my first cookbook in 2005. And I thought she was great and he thought it was ugly clip art. And now I look at it — and this is just how full circle I've come — I look at it and I go, 'Wow it was ugly clip art!'"

If Quincoces could give budding entrepreneurs in the food industry one piece of advice, it would be to do their research: "Make sure that there aren't 50 products out there that are the same. What is it that will make your product stand out on the shelf?"

Tune in Tuesday to watch as Lemonis helps Quincoces get Skinny Latina off the ground on an all new episode of "The Profit" at 10 p.m. ET on CNBC. Use the channel finder tool to find out what channel you can watch CNBC on your TV.