As an Ecopreneur I am constantly thinking of new business ideas and innovations that I feel will help improve lives, solve problems, and make the world a better place. Many of my ideas get laughed off the drawing board, some are turned into business plans to assess their viability, and a couple of ideas have been pitched to potential investors.

I could definitely use more coaching when it comes to formal investment pitches, but I do have some experience that has helped me put together interesting and compelling presentations.

I was given the opportunity by CBC Television to make a business pitch on their hit show Dragons’ Den and I jumped at the chance. This would be a great opportunity for me to develop my presentation skills, my business pitch, and potentially walk away with a partnership deal with a well-connected, business-savvy Dragon – plus, over 1,000,000 people per week tune into the show, so it was a great chance to get exposure for the Grassroots brand. It’s not often that I get the chance to showcase Grassroots to over 1,000,000 television viewers!

The folks at CBC were incredibly helpful as they guided me through the format of the show, the qualities of successful pitches, and the nuances of the Dragons. I spent a lot of time working on my presentation, memorizing my financials, considering potential scenarios, designing my set, and watching past episodes of the show.

The focus of my pitch was raising money to further develop www.GrassrootsStore.com and bring our e-commerce site to the next level. The investment opportunity is very straightforward: Grassroots has “first-mover” advantage in this growing business sector; Grassroots has a 15 year track record of success; Grassroots has an incredible, well-recognized brand; Grassroots has developed a very loyal customer base; the business has received great media support; Grassroots is led by a passionate and experienced team of entrepreneurs; and the business has incredible growth potential. I felt the opportunity represented a compelling investment, even for the most ruthless, money-hungry dragons.

On the day the show was taped, I arrived at the CBC building in Toronto at 6 a.m., along with a dozen other hopeful inventors and innovators who were all ready to tame the Dragons. The Green Room was full of people pacing nervously, coaches giving last minute pep talks, and inventors strung out on coffee. I was prepared to sell my idea to the Dragons, but I was also very nervous – it’s not often that I perform for 1,000,000 viewers.

I knew my business pitch was very compelling and I was sure I could stir up some interest from the Dragons, but it is very intimidating to enter the set of the Dragons Den. The stage set is painted black, the set is sparse, you are left alone at the top of a dark staircase waiting for your cue to walk onto the dimly lit set. As you arrive in the Den there are 5 well-dressed, successful Dragons on a raised stage, sitting in big, comfortable chairs, with pens and notepads scribbling memos – it’s a little intimidating…

I did my best to maintain my poise, speak clearly and deliberately, and demonstrate to the Dragons that Grassroots is a great, unique business that is worth investing in. The conversation lasted about 20-25 minutes; the Dragon’s asked excellent questions; they showed incredible interest and were very engaged; and they were much tamer and personable than I anticipated. As the presentation wrapped up I felt an incredible surge of relief and adrenalin – it wasn’t even 9:00 a.m. and I don’t drink coffee, but I felt so energized and excited from my attempt to slay the Dragons.

As I look back, the preparation was an incredibly valuable experience, the presentation was exciting and invigorating, and the result, well, you’ll have to watch it (in the video player above) or online by clicking here – fast forward to the 5:22 mark of the video and enjoy!