Well, this update is a little late as it has been 3 weeks since the Dragon's Den and Maya Cycle's pitch was aired. I wanted to take my time and talk to Marta some more regarding the show before I would update my blog.
For those of you who watched the show, you will remember how Marta handled herself with such professionalism and poise especially being under all that pressure. She did amazingly well and I can not say enough how proud I am of her. I was getting a little choked up while watching the show as friends poked fun of me. I was truly that proud of her.
As for the rest of the story... why not hear it from the woman herself! Marta has finally had a chance to write her own blog about her experience...
"... No matter what would happen, I was going to present myself professionally and hope to God that this would reflect positively on my young business reputation. As many of you have seen, the Dragons can tear people and their business completely to shreds and make a complete fool out of the presenter. That was my biggest fear. In 2012, I spent the entire month of March out west attending 3 bicycle tradeshows in Vancouver, Seattle and Portland. It was a busy month and I gave it all I had, literally. These three shows and talking to the thousands of people who attended them, allowed me to build up enough experience and courage to finally audition for the Dragon's Den television show in Toronto. The audition went well and I was confident I would get a call back. A day or two after my audition I got the call, they wanted me on the show. Of course I accepted! And two weeks later, we were scheduled to film the episode. ...
I had to be absolutely ready for anything. I studied my numbers, stats, history, market and anything else I needed to know on a whim. I prepared myself psychologically to handle any ‘curve balls’ thrown my way. I told myself that no matter how rude and ignorant Kevin O’Leary was going to be, I would smile and nod, maintain my cool and move on to the next Dragon as I already knew that Kevin was definitely not “in” and knows absolutely nothing about the bicycle industry or the potential for the Maya Cycle bike trailer in North America or globally. My hopes were set on partnering with Arlene Dickinson, the marketing genius. Marketing and mentorship was exactly what I needed out of a partnership.
I did the best I could. I gave it my absolute all. And when it was all done, I skipped out with an offer from Arlene for $100,000 for 40% of my business. I took the deal because I need the help and a strong partnership (especially with Arlene) will help my business grow.
So now what? I had a few meetings with Arlene and her team and at this point, we have not closed any deals but have an open door for future discussion. I have an extraordinary amount of respect for that woman. It is incredible what she has accomplished, and above all, she’s got the no BS, straight to the point attitude about business. And that’s how I like to do business. ... "
You can read the rest of Marta's blog here at http://www.mayacycle.com/maya-cycle-bike-trailers-on-cbc-dragons-den As you can see, it was a truly memorable experience for her. Thank you for sharing your experiences with all of us Marta! All the very best for your future both professional and personal. It was quite the ride huh? ;-)
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