Entrepreneur

"Learn the vital business ingredients Steven Sutton, founder of Devoción, uses to run his company that aims to put happiness in every cup. “Everything that has to do with coffee has to do with love.” So says Steven Sutton, founder of Devoción, a New York-based company whose cafes serve coffee from beans sourced in Colombia and roasted in Brooklyn. Steven built his company by skipping the middleman and working directly with coffee farmers in Colombia, formulating a unique fresh roasting process that wasn’t being done anywhere else. With its operational and sales reach spanning across multiple continents, Devoción could not exist without connectivity. “Everything is done through the internet,” says Steven. “We have to communicate back home to Colombia every day to make sure that our farming activities and inventory are aligned without sales needs.” Besides corporate communications, Steven notes that reliable Internet connections are vital to Devoción’s cafe customers. “Ninety-nine percent of our sales come through the tap of a credit card,” he explains. And his attention to detail goes beyond what’s in customers’ cups. Steven and his team have created inspiring spaces for their products to be enjoyed. “After they make their purchase, people want to sit and relax and stay connected,” he says of the artwork, furniture and technology that keep customers coming back for more."

This episode of Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch may be about child-centric products, but no one is kidding around when it comes to cash. This week, investors Marc Randolph, co-founder and first CEO of Netflix, Kim Perell, serial entrepreneur and CEO of 100.co, and Gary Swart, Polaris partner and serial entrepreneur, hear pitches from Pincer Pal, Miss Poppins, and Wet Wipe Wizard.

"Married co-founders Ivan Martinez and Christan Summers discuss how the seed of an idea grew into a thriving business through a combination of heartfelt passion and powerful technology. “We want customers to feel like they just walked into someone’s backyard — not just a retail store,” says Ivan Martinez, who co-founded the Brooklyn-based plant shop Tula with his wife Christan Summers. “We don’t want to sell people plants, we want to teach people about plants. When they’re comfortable, that’s when they make a purchase.” Comfort and customer connection are critical components of Tula’s success. When the pandemic hit, Ivan and Christan knew they had to increase their touch points with customers in order to survive. Despite having a 7-month-old baby and no child care, they put together an e-commerce site, and Christan began posting instructional plant care videos. “I had shied away from the camera,” she says, “but at that point, I realized it was just me and Ivan in the store and we had to stay connected to our customers to stay in business.” This new internet presence gives Christan and Ivan a home to share their creativity and unique vision of what a plant store can be, and also helps the two-person team stay on top of the daily grind of running a business. “Online and in-person, we use the internet for everything,” says Ivan. “The internet runs our POS system which runs through the very fast connection we have at the shop.” The couple uses the cloud to document all of their inventory and profit margins on each product they sell, which makes it easier for them to prioritize their time and resources. It also means that cybersecurity is a top priority. “It is important to our financial protection,” notes Ivan, “and also is important for our clients to know that their data is safe when they shop here.” “Growing a business is a lot like growing plants,” says Christan. “Everything needs to be in harmony and balanced.” When technology is aligned with creativity and passion, success has the perfect environment to blossom. "

Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch returns for season 11! On our food-focused premiere, contestants from Popadelics, Blackbird Foods, and Elite Sweets serve up new opportunities for investors Marc Randolph, co-founder and first CEO of Netflix, Kim Perell, serial entrepreneur and CEO of 100.co, and Dhani Jones, former NFL player and serial entrepreneur.

"On the new episode of ""Elevator Pitch,"" our investors need to contend with some serious trust issues. Tech entrepreneurs face a particular obstacle: how do you explain your complex solution to a complicated problem in simple terms that all investors can understand? It isn't easy — but nothing is easy when you sign up to appear on Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch. This is the show where entrepreneurs have just 60 seconds to pitch their company to a board of investors in the hopes of landing a life-changing investment. One tech founder wows the board with his 60 seconds but leaves some heads a bit scrambled. ""I need the fifth-grade explanation of that pitch!"" laughs Pinky Cole, founder and CEO of Slutty Vegan. Marc Randolph, co-founder of Netflix, agrees: ""You're not the only one feeling a little lost — he managed to fit more buzzwords into that minute than I've ever heard before."" Can he overcome this hurdle, plus the small question of whether or not he has a criminal background? Find out by watching the new episode of Elevator Pitch!"

Sought-after business consultant Terry Rice writes for Entrepreneur magazine about all aspects of launching and growing a business. In this series, he answers startup founders’ most pressing questions in five minutes or less. In this episode, Terry talks about strategies that will help you generate leads for your business without feeling too pushy or spammy.

"This season on Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch, we've witnessed a steady stream of contestants who dream of making it to the top floor. All they need to do? Nail their 60-second pitch. We've seen countless entrepreneurs earn the chance to enter the boardroom with the chance to seal a life-changing deal or win cash prizes from Amazon to get their business to the next level. Some walk out victorious; some must pick themselves up to fight another day. In this episode, a new group shows up to try their luck in the elevator. Will they succeed in reaching new heights at the press of a button? Or will they freeze up at the moment of truth? Watch and see what happens on an all-new episode!"

Entrepreneur magazine writer and business consultant Terry Rice is an expert in helping entrepreneurs overcome common pain points in launching and growing a business. In our 5-Minute Mentor series, he gives fast and easy-to-implement advice and tactics to startup founders on a variety of topics. In this episode, Terry talks with the co-founder of Las Chingonas Imports about different sales strategies that go beyond the shelves of liquor stores.

"On this special episode of 'Elevator Pitch,' contestants get a rare shot at redemption. Usually on Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch, contestants have just one shot at glory. They step inside our elevator and have only 60 seconds to pitch their company to our board of investors. If the board likes what they hear, the elevator doors open and the entrepreneur steps inside the boardroom to try to seal a deal. If the investors don't like what they hear? The elevator is sent back down, no deal. But this special episode is all about redemption. The elevator welcomes back a few familiar faces who were sent back down to the bottom floor their first time around. Before returning to the elevator, these three entrepreneurs were put through an intensive pitching boot camp on Entrepreneur's mini-series, Fix My Pitch, led by legendary TV pitchman Anthony Sullivan and business coach Tina Frey. Find out if their hard work pays off — literally. Will these entrepreneurs get redemption and life-changing investments? Or are they in for another round of crushing disappointment? Watch now!"

"On the season finale of ""Fix My Pitch,"" business coaches Anthony Sullivan and Tina Frey offer their final lesson to entrepreneurs hoping to pitch their way to a life-changing investment. Entrepreneur's TV show Elevator Pitch challenges contestants to step into an elevator and pitch directly to a camera, attempting to wow a panel of investors watching them on a monitor in 60 seconds or less. If investors like what they hear, the elevator doors open into the board room, and negotiations begin. If they don't like what they hear? The elevator gets sent back down, game over. Over the course of four episodes of Fix My Pitch, the entrepreneurs have been challenged to redo, reboot and rebuild their pitches. The coaches have pulled apart every aspect of their pitches, from the words they say to the way they stand. And in this episode, the season finale, we find out if their hard work has paid off. Watch to see who will land a return ride on Elevator Pitch!"

"In this episode of ""Elevator Pitch,"" our investors are fired up. Can contestants take the heat as they attempt to secure funding for their dream businesses? Here's the thing about Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch: Startup founders and inventors who nail their 60-second pitch might think they have victory in the bag, but that's just the beginning. They next have to face a grueling Q&A session with investors who will want to know everything from sales traction to costs to marketing planning. Things can quickly turn on a dime — sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. In this week's episode, the inventor of a medical device's pitch is going great until one investor brings up the dreaded F-word: FDA approval. See how the conversation flows from there on this feisty new episode of Elevator Pitch!"

"Season ten has just started on Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch, and heads are spinning. We've seen a lot of firsts in show history and this episode is no different. As one contestant says, ""One minute your deal is dead, the next it's alive!"" As we learn in this episode, pitch meetings can be pretty unpredictable. A simple word or phrase can change everything on a dime — sometimes for the best and sometimes for the worst. Our contestants also get a lesson in long-term success from investor Marc Randolph, who has this to say: ""Customers shouldn't come and go, they should come and stay. So look for ways to turn your customer base into a community with social media, in-person events or inviting customers to join an advisory board. You will not only gain valuable insights, but you will turn your customers into your no. 1 fans."

"On the new episode of ""Fix My Pitch,"" business coaches Anthony Sullivan and Tina Frey break down the ingredients of a knockout pitch. ""If an entrepreneur can't pitch their business, they can't succeed."" So says legendary pitchman Anthony Sullivan, who you probably know from his iconic OxiClean commercials. ""It's something we see happen all the time on Entrepreneur's show, Elevator Pitch, where entrepreneurs have 60 seconds to pitch. If they don't get an investor's attention, they're done for."" To help entrepreneurs who didn't succeed on the show (and to offer all entrepreneurs the tricks of the pitching trade) Sullivan teamed up with business coach Tina Frey to host our new show Fix My Pitch. Over the course of this season, four failed Elevator Pitch contestants will receive training from world-class pitching and startup experts. Their ultimate goal? Scoring a second chance in the elevator to win a life-changing investment from our board. On this episode, Anthony and Tina meet two contestants with science-based companies and break down some of the basics of a winning pitch. Anthony says it comes down to the three P's all lining up perfectly: ""The pitch, the person and the product."" Here are some of the big areas Tina and Anthony drill down on with the entrepreneurs: - Exuding confidence with your words and body language - Finding that inner salesperson even if you are an introvert - Keeping your message simple and digestible - Selling by telling a great story See how the contestants respond to their first round of blunt criticism, and see if any of Anthony and Tina's tips can be applied to you and your business. (Spoiler alert: 100% of these tips can be applied to you and your business!)"

"In season 10, veteran investors Marc Randolph (co-founder of Netflix) and Kim Perrell (serial entrepreneur and CEO of 100.co) return and are joined by a rotating team of successful investors and business titans fighting to make the next big deal. On this episode, Randolph and Perrell are joined by Pinky Cole, founder and CEO of Slutty Vegan. Watch as our board of investors is asked for something that no entrepreneur has ever requested, and see why an entrepreneur is called back into the boardroom after being sent down for the first time in show history. Oh, and we should mention that a giant walking pineapple makes an appearance. Watch it all happen — and gain valuable insights on pitching your business — on the exciting season 10 premiere of Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch!"

On the first episode of our new series ""Fix My Pitch,"" business coaches Anthony Sullivan and Tina Frey break down what it takes to wow investors in the boardroom. On our hit show Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch, contestants are challenged to step into an elevator and pitch their business to a camera in 60 seconds or less. On the other side of that camera is our board of investors. If they like what they hear, the elevator doors open and contestants step inside the boardroom where they have the chance to win life-changing funding and mentorship from the smartest minds in business. If the investors don't like what they hear? The elevator gets sent back down, along with the entrepreneur's dreams. For nine seasons, there have been no do-overs in the elevator — much to the dismay of entrepreneurs who ran out of time, got tongue-tied, or simply froze in the headlights. But that's all about to change. Introducing our new series, Fix My Pitch, where failed contestants have a chance at redemption. Led by pitch masters Anthony Sullivan and Tina Frey, former contestants will workshop their weaknesses and hone their strengths with a team of business experts. By the end of this four-week pitching boot camp, these entrepreneurs will be challenged to once again face their pitching fears. The prize? A never-before second chance on Elevator Pitch. See who is able to rise to the challenge and who gets stuck each week on Fix My Pitch!

"As an entrepreneur, if you ever encounter the wonderful problem of having multiple investors showing interest in your startup, but you can only choose one, what would you do? That's the dilemma a pair of co-founders face on this fast-paced episode of Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch. While the financial investment is at the core of what they're after, the founders wind up evaluating the investors based on the mentoring opportunities that they bring to the table. Is your vision to get your product into big box stores? Or do you want to be an e-commerce powerhouse? Are you expanding internationally? Capitalizing on an increasingly popular podcast? Just as our founders on this episode eventually decide, sometimes it's best to pick an investor who has the contacts and experience that compliment your vision. Also on this episode of Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch, our investors get critical about one contestant's pitch and gauge the business acumen of the founder of a new agri-tech startup."

"In our series 'Anatomy of an Ad,' producer Liz O'Connor breaks down the components of the award-winning True Name by Mastercard campaign. ""In advertising, most often you are creating an ad around a product that's already in stores,"" says Liz O'Connor, a producer at advertising powerhouse McCann New York. ""But with True Name by Mastercard, the card didn't exist."" This was the challenge faced by O'Connor and the creative team behind Mastercard's True Name campaign, which works with banks to allow transgender users to put their chosen names on their cards. ""For many of us, we hand a cashier our credit card and it is such an easy transaction,"" she explains, ""But for a transperson, it isn't always that way. And so we wanted to be very thoughtful about that very simple, easy moment that brings someone a lot of anxiety."" In the video above, O'Connor breaks down the emotional and creative components of this powerful ad, which garnered multiple awards, including the Brand Experience and Activation Grand Prix at Cannes Lions, as well as Gold Lions in both the Direct and PR categories. This project, she says, was incredibly fulfilling for the team professionally and personally. ""This product didn't exist, and we wanted to show banks that this was an important thing to create,"" says O'Connor. ""And so that's what we did. We made a spot and got a bunch of people excited about it, and lo and behold, True Name is a real product that lives in the world now."""

"You can have an amazing product, plenty of sales and great traction, but none of that means anything if you're pitching the wrong person. So says Marc Randolph on the season nine finale of Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch. """"Don't waste your time on somebody who is never going to bite,"""" he cautions. It's great advice, but luckily for this week's contestants, not an issue they'll need to contend with. It's the last episode of an epic season of Elevator Pitch, and our board of investors is eager to sink their teeth into some tasty deals. As always, this week's entrepreneurs were challenged to step into an elevator and win over investors in just 60 seconds. Some of our contestants on this week's episode got through the elevator doors and into the boardroom, where they scored life-changing deals. And others...did not."

"In our 'Creative Conversations in Advertising' series, award-winning creative director Josh DiMarcantonio and Entrepreneur magazine Editor in Chief discuss the power of storytelling. If you want to make an impact, you have to be willing to take a big swing — even if it gives your lawyer a heart attack. So says Josh DiMarcantonio, 18-time Cannes Lions award-winning creative director. In 2014, DiMarcantonio was on the creative team that launched Taco Bell's new breakfast menu by featuring real people named Ronald McDonald happily digging into Crunchwraps. ""At the time, Taco Bell was not doing 'flashy' kind of advertising — nothing that was narrative in nature,"" he told Entrepreneur magazine's Editor in Chief Jason Feifer. ""We really pushed them to expand to ads that didn't focus entirely on the food and more about the brand."" The lawyers were nervous about how McDonald's would react, but the risk paid off. Not only was the clever ad a hit with customers, but it also garnered multiple awards at the prestigious Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. DiMarcantonio credits its impact on storytelling. ""Stories are what people ultimately have in their minds when they think of a brand,"" he says. People might already know what the product you're selling is and what it does, he says, but it is the way you deliver your message that leaves a lasting impression. ""You want to leave them with a feeling they associate with the brand — that's what forms a deeper relationship and keeps them coming back."

"""I love seeing first-time entrepreneurs, but what I love even more is seeing two- and three-time entrepreneurs who have had successful exits!"" So says investor Kim Perell on this new episode of Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch, where we learn if contestants with a track record of success can find their way into our panel members' hearts (and wallets) faster than first-timers. Although Kim is impressed with a contestant's history of wins, investor Jonathan Hung isn't quite as sold. ""Just because you had an exit doesn't mean you were successful,"" he notes. This is another episode packed with lessons that anyone hoping to fund their dream business needs to learn. As long-time viewers know, every episode of Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch gives contestants the chance to step into an elevator and try to win over investors in just 60 seconds. If they blow it? It's back to the drawing board. But if the pitch goes great, life-changing money is on the table. And speaking of putting things on the table, Marc Randolph gives us a peek inside the investor mind, admitting that he has to fight his tendency to be overly optimistic about some opportunities, and in a later segment, revealing the business category that never ceases to spook him. ""Some people are scared of heights, some people are scared of dogs,"" he says. ""I am scared of healthcare."" The investors have no idea what business pitch is coming next, and the contestants have no idea if they're about to say the words that will have our panel ponying up funds or passing. When one entrepreneur expresses a desire to go global with their product, find out if investors are impressed with the grand vision or if they get turned off by a perceived lack of market focus. Watch now to see what happens!"

"In our series 'Anatomy of an Ad,' Creative Director David Stevanov explains how humor can be a storyteller’s most effective tool. When your clients love an idea and at the same time are a little scared by it, you know you are onto something special. So says David Stevanov, Cannes Lions award-winning Creative Director at Saatchi & Saatchi. He and his team were challenged to create a campaign to promote French cinema to non-French audiences who tend to prefer Hollywood blockbusters. “Right from the beginning, we know we shouldn’t do something serious,” Stevanov told Entrepreneur. “The subject matter is serious enough, so we thought we should approach it through humor and be a little cheeky.” The result of a creative brainstorm was to do a Sacha Baron Cohen-esque series of sitdown meetings featuring a fake French film director pitching real French dramas to unsuspecting Hollywood producers. The producers’ reactions — all authentic and unscripted — were even funnier than the creative team could hop. (“Nobody wants to see somebody die for an hour and a half!” argues one exasperated producer.) The very funny ad expertly accomplishes two things in a very short amount of time: it is memorable to the viewer and achieves its goal of explaining how French cinema is a great alternative for people looking for something outside of typical Hollywood fare. For those reasons, “Pitching French Films to Hollywood” garnered a long list of awards, including gold at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. “It was the first time I won the gold, so it was special,” says Stevanov. “My wife was pregnant at the time, and there is this superstition that you will have good luck because it will help welcome the baby into the world. So after we won, my colleague turned to me and asked, ‘So, are you going to have more babies?’”"

Our board of investors has plenty of money — but they don't have a ton of patience for contestants who step into the elevator unprepared to seize the moment. "When you're in that elevator, you've got only 60 seconds to make your case, so don't waste that time," Netflix co-founder Marc Randolph says. "Make it easy for me to understand what you're selling and why I should care. Because if that 60 seconds is up and you're not all the way there? That elevator is as far as you're going to get." Find out what got Randolph so hot under the collar, and see other missteps that sent aspiring entrepreneurs back to the basement on this intense episode of Elevator Pitch. "This has been a real bloodbath!" investor Kim Perrell says. "Sometimes pitches get stitches."

In our 'Creative Conversations in Advertising' series, award-winning Group Creative Director Giancarlo Rodas and Entrepreneur magazine Editor in Chief Jason Feifer discuss distilling complex ideas down to a simple message. How do you approach important and heavy subjects without feeling like you are just shoving information down people’s throats? This is a question many creatives face when building campaigns around health and wellness campaigns, and while there is no easy answer, Giancarlo Rodas, Group Creative Director at Droga5, says that sometimes the stars align on a great concept. In describing the spark that led to Droga5’s Cannes Lions award-winning campaign “Toxic Flag,” Rodas explained, “We were having a dinner in Lebanon, and someone was talking about the issue of incinerators sending toxic fumes into Beirut. And we had just seen a digital artist who created a virtual smoke flag and we thought, ‘Hey, what if we could collaborate with this artists to build the flag in real life?’” The resulting spot featured a flagpole releasing a black plume of smoke (non-toxic) over the city, which called attention to the invisible but extremely toxic fumes being released by garbage incinerators. “It is such a simple idea,” Rodas explained to Jason Feier, Editor in Chief of Entrepreneur magazine. “We just found a symbol of what we wanted to say.”

"Let's just say an investor with a history of building and selling multimillion-dollar companies offers you a $100,000 investment in your business, but you want $150,00. Do you have the guts to ask for more? That's the question that one contestant must face on this week's episode of Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch, the show where entrepreneurs step into an elevator and have just 60 seconds to win over investors. If the pitch goes great, they continue into the boardroom to try to seal a deal. If they choke? They get sent back down, game over."

"Who can win over CeeLo Green, Marc Randolph and Kim Perrell and gain investment in this week's episode? If there is one sentence that has been uttered the most in the Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch lobby it is this: ""I should have practiced more."" This episode is no exception. As one entrepreneur learns, giving your pitch in the comfort of your own home is a lot different than doing it with a camera and countdown clock in your face. You start to sweat, your mind goes blank — it can be a nightmare."