Entrepreneur

"On this week's episode of Elevator Pitch, the pitchers come from a wide variety of backgrounds and industries. Some are seasoned pros who have already built and sold businesses, while others have yet to complete their first product. But one trait they all share in common, however, is not being shy about having bold asks. More than one startup founder asks for a seven-figure investment from our panel of investors, which includes entrepreneur Shaun Neff, angel investor Kim Perrell and Netflix co-founder Marc Randolph. None of the pitching entrepreneurs manage to get that million-dollar number. However, one gets halfway there. Watch the full episode to find out which business swayed one investor to put in $500,000, which opportunity had our judges competing against one another with six-figure offers, and which pitch left them totally unmoved."

"On this week's episode of Elevator Pitch, our panel of investors watches pitches on a wide range of industries, from sexual wellness to fashion, personal health and technology. While the products are diverse, one thing is the same: it is nerve-wracking to deliver a clear, informative pitch in just 60 seconds. Some use attention-grabbing gimmicks to start their presentation, like talking about pooping their pants as a way to start a conversation about irritable bowel syndrome. Others use a cliffhanger at the end of the pitch, hoping to draw the investors' attention. Some of those tactics work on our board, which includes Inherent Learning CEO Nicole Walters, angel investor Kim Perrell and Netflix co-founder Marc Randolph. Other tactics? Not so much. Learn what to do from the entrepreneurs who get through our elevator doors, and what not to do from those who get denied."

Don't miss a tense, new Elevator Pitch episode -- watch now! It’s a new week, so you know what that means: An all NEW Elevator Pitch is here, and you won’t want to miss this week’s exciting episode. While the ascent to our boardroom of investors is high for our four startups, the stakes and tension have never been higher. Watch as entrepreneurs pitching food-waste, children’s education, noise-canceling technology and solar-panel companies race against the clock to impress our three investors. Who is able to strike a deal, and whose business proposal is declared a “waste of time” by our judges? This episode is powered by ASU's Innovation Open, an annual competition for the world’s top collegiate tech ventures. Each startup you'll see on this episode is a previous Innovation Open winner. Learn more at ASU.io

The spirit of adventure can drive you to do big things. Hear from event planner & designer Jove Meyer and Dave Horesh of Oxford Pennant as they discuss entrepreneurship and how travel has bettered their businesses. #MakeYourConnection Presented by CitiBank & American Airlines. Learn more here: https://entm.ag/makeyourconnection

"What would you do if you flubbed your introduction during a high-stakes pitch? Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch invites ambitious entrepreneurs to step into the Entrepreneur Elevator, then gives them 60 seconds to pique the judges’ interest. It’s a high-pressure, fast-paced environment in which startup founders need to race the clock while maintaining their composure to make a clear, deliberate pitch that covers at least three essential components: Defining the company Making the request Specifying what the investment money will be used for The investors watch the pitch through a video livestream while the elevator ascends to the boardroom floor. Once the 60 seconds are up, the group votes on whether to open the doors or send the founder back down and pass on investing."

Inspiration can hit you anywhere. Hear from entrepreneurs David Choi of Seoul Taco and Natalie Ebel of Backdrop as they discuss the connections they’ve made and inspirations they’ve stumbled upon on their journeys to success. #MakeYourConnection Presented by CitiBank & American Airlines. Learn more here: https://entm.ag/makeyourconnection

Nicole Walters, CEO & Founder of Inherit Learning Company, chats with Mandy Price, CEO & Co-Founder of Kanarys, about using technology to keep your team on the same page.

Nicole Walters, CEO & Founder of Inherit Learning Company, chats with Nicole Gibbons, Founder & CEO of Clare, about overcoming self-doubt when starting a business.

Nicole Walters, CEO & Founder of Inherit Learning Company, chats with Jonathan Morris, Founder of Fort Worth Barber Shop, about finding the right employees to embrace the culture of your brand.

Documentarian and entrepreneur Soledad O’Brien on dealing with the unexpected. As a news reporter, Soledad O’Brien knows that not everything goes the way you hoped it would. An interview subject bails on you, a story you traveled great distances to investigate doesn’t pan out — every day comes with new and unexpected challenges. Learning to be flexible and to pivot quickly has helped Soledad achieve great success as a reporter, and in life. Reflecting on the time that her show got canceled, Soledad shared her philosophy on moving forward: “You have to pick the pieces out of what you think went well, and cobble those pieces together into the next thing that you want to be doing.” Failure can be disappointing and embarrassing, she says, but you can’t dwell on it. “Find the opportunity you can pluck from that experience, and run with it.” Learn more at soledadobrienproductions.com. Entrepreneur Small Business Tips is brought to you by The UPS Store. Every ing for small business, all in one place. TheUPSStore.com

Food Network and podcast host Carla Hall’s advice for entrepreneurs: It’s okay to not know everything! When she was a contestant on Top Chef, food entrepreneur Carla Hall recalls a defining moment that changed her outlook on the show — and life. She was standing at the judges’ table and her heart was beating out of her chest, sure she was about to be sent home. “And then I just had this thought,” remembers Carla, “Wait, nobody has ever died here.” That perspective allowed her to relax and stop worrying about things out of her control, and she suddenly began performing better. Carla says she carried that lesson of getting comfortable with being uncomfortable into her business, whether that means learning how to do things she never did before, or stopping and asking for help from her team. “Your team won’t see it as a sign of weakness,” she says. “They will be empowered by it.” Entrepreneur Small Business Tips is brought to you by The UPS Store. Every ing for small business, all in one place. TheUPSStore.com

Actor, producer and founder of The Honest Company Jessica Alba encourages businesses to include giving back in their business models. Jessica Alba doesn’t just talk about wanting to help others, she included giving to those in need within The Honest Company’s business model. And she encourages other business owners to do the same. “You can take a percentage of sales and embed that in your business model,” she explains. “And you can say, ‘We are going to stand for this.’” Jessica says she got some pushback from her initial investors and was asked to take this charitable component off the table. “Instead of meeting them with anger or frustration, I met them with, ‘Let’s just try it,” she explains. “And if it doesn’t work, we can always pivot.” It was a way to buy time and test out her plan, which in the end worked and became a signature pillar of what The Honest Company is all about. Entrepreneur Small Business Tips is brought to you by The UPS Store. Every "ing" for small business, all in one place. TheUPSStore.com

Food Network host and Top Chef star Carla Hall’s advice for entrepreneurs: be proactive. As we all know too well, the pandemic hit businesses big and small, sadly shutting some down permanently. Food entrepreneur Carla Hall was in the middle of shooting a show when the lockdown happened, and the show was canceled. “I am my business, in terms of filming,” she explains, “And so here I am without work and a team that I have to support.” Carla quickly pivoted and added a new role for herself: producer. She bought equipment and instead of waiting for offers, she started reaching out to people and explained the content she could create for them. She was quickly back to creating content — and getting paid for it. Her advice to anyone whose main source of income disappeared? “Be proactive! Look at your skillset and instead of waiting for someone to come knocking on your door, you go knock on theirs.” Entrepreneur Small Business Tips is brought to you by The UPS Store. Every ing for small business, all in one place. TheUPSStore.com

Being a great boss means leaving your ego at the door, says documentarian and entrepreneur Soledad O’Brien. When you’re the boss and writing people’s paychecks, it’s easy to fall into a trap of surrounding yourself with “yes” people. That’s not a good thing, says Soledad O’Brien. “I really had to encourage everyone to give honest feedback and that’s as simple as saying, ‘You have to have ideas, you have to speak in this meeting.’” Explaining her leadership style, Soledad breaks down what she tells her team: “My idea is not the idea. Criticize it, make it better!” This philosophy has resulted in better collaboration, and buy-in from all members of her team, from senior down to junior members. Good ideas can come from anywhere, says Soledad, so leave your ego at the door and listen. Learn more at soledadobrienproductions.com. Entrepreneur Small Business Tips is brought to you by The UPS Store. Every ing for small business, all in one place. TheUPSStore.com

Documentarian and entrepreneur Soledad O’Brien shares her philosophy for leading in times of crisis. Soledad O’Brien’s mantra for leading her company through the Covid-19 crisis comes down to three words: communication, communication, communication. Fine, that’s one word repeated three times, but that’s how important she thinks it is. “We reiterate what we believe as an organization so that everyone is very clear,” she explains. “We tell everyone that we are going to try to keep everyone employed; that we are not going to shift away from the things we believe are high-quality; that we are going to make sure that safety is prioritized.” She also makes it a point to convey that she understands how stressed out everyone is feeling, and backs those words with action. “When a project crosses the finish line, we say, ‘Take two days off and here’s some money for dinner. Go take your loved ones out for dinner or order in and just take a break!’” It is a small monetary investment that pays huge dividends in mental health, she says. “Plus it helps keep New York City restaurants in business. Win-win!” Learn more at soledadobrienproductions.com. Entrepreneur Small Business Tips is brought to you by The UPS Store. Every ing for small business, all in one place. TheUPSStore.com

Documentarian and entrepreneur Soledad O’Brien discusses the importance of doing work that matters. When Soledad O’Brien launched her own production company, she knew she only wanted to put time and effort into projects that would make an impact. “We weren’t here to knock out average, fine, perfectly okay stuff. We were going to do things that were remarkable, even if they were harder — even if they didn’t always work out.” O'Brien says she and her team are driven by a desire to make content that matters to the world, and that they feel a responsibility to the people who trust them to tell their stories. Don’t be discouraged if your efforts aren’t instantly met with recognition, she advises. As O'Brien has found, sometimes it takes a while for the world to catch up to what you believe in. Learn more at soledadobrienproductions.com. Entrepreneur Small Business Tips is brought to you by The UPS Store. Every "ing" for small business, all in one place. TheUPSStore.com

Nicole Walters, CEO & Founder of Inherit Learning Company, chats with Andres Wydler, executive director of StartOut, about the importance of technology in scaling your business.

Nicole Walters, CEO & Founder of Inherit Learning Company, chats with Travis Montaque, CEO & Founder of Holler, about setting your business up for success and sustainability.

The Bar Rescue Star shared his insights on what it takes to make any business successful.

The Foodstirs cofounders opened our Entrepreneur Live event with lessons all entrepreneurs can learn from.

Jason Saltzman, CEO and founder of Alley, shares his must-have tech fixes to get him through his busy day. https://www.entrepreneur.com/

Take these habits to heart for a good night's rest. www.entrepreneur.com Follow us on social media: https://www.facebook.com/EntMagazine/ https://twitter.com/entrepreneur https://www.instagram.com/entrepreneur/

Spartan founder Joe De Sena recommends 50 repetitions to help with desk-related back pain. Check us out: https://www.entrepreneur.com https://www.facebook.com/EntMagazine/ https://twitter.com/entrepreneur https://www.instagram.com/entrepreneur/

Whether you're looking to hire, market to or collaborate with women, this quick-hitting advice might be able to help. https://www.entrepreneur.com Follow us on social media: https://www.facebook.com/EntMagazine/ https://twitter.com/entrepreneur https://www.instagram.com/entrepreneur/

Be flexible about your approach, not your goals. https://www.entrepreneur.com/