Ms Keegan began Peachylean, an athleisure wear company aiming to help women overcome their subconscious saboteur and help them feel comfortable and beautiful. She shared the story of Peachylean in an exclusive comment with Express.co.uk as well as how entrepreneurs can win over their own dragons.
Ms Keegan has always been fearless when it came to challenges and found her entrepreneurial spirit at the age of 33 when she decided to study innovation and entrepreneurship.
This, alongside her passion for exercise, provided her with a way to overcome her anxiety and postnatal depression, which in turn compelled her to find a way to help other new women going through the same experiences.
So, she started Peachylean, a company powered by an all-female design and management team dedicated to being ‘confidence in the form of spandex’ for women across the world.
Ms Keegan shared her struggle with postnatal depression with the dragons, explaining that the gym was her solace during that time despite there being no comfortable and fitted attire for her body type.
Appearing on episode of 5 of the current Dragons’ Den season, the mum of two offered 11 percent of her business for a £100,000 cash injection, a venture she was incredibly successful in.
When asked about her unique selling point, she went on to say that she was targeting a demographic that other athleisure wear had forgotten about: women aged 27-46 years of age, the new mums who feel no one is paying attention to them.
Her awareness of her customer wowed the dragons, and she took all criticisms in her stride, winning over Sara Davies, Tej Lalvani and Touker Suleyman, a ‘dragon triumvirate’ as the show coined.
So, how did she succeed when in the den of some of the UKs most terrifying investors?
DONT MISS:
“Pitching my business on BBC Dragons’ Den was a dream come true. I am such a huge fan of the show!
“The experience on the evening was surreal, I had to slay my inner dragon first before I found the courage and belief in myself to walk into the building to pitch. Once I was able to silence my fear, it actually turned out to be really enjoyable!
“The most memorable part for me was the genuine warm kindness I felt from each Dragon, their kind and complimentary words of encouragement; I actually walked out and told my father, who was waiting in the dressing room, that they weren’t Dragons at all they were kittens!”
“For so long I had visualised myself walking through the famous lift doors while watching with my Dad and younger brothers and taking bets on which of the entrepreneurs might succeed in raising funds.
“So, to finally have the opportunity myself was just incredible,” she commented.
Ms Keegan added that pitching to investors is nerve-wracking whether you’re walking into a lunchtime meeting or the ominous Dragons’ Den.
She said: “So much hope is pinned on your pitch, it can be difficult not to rush and get flustered so my first tip would be to stay focussed – speak slowly, it’s amazing how that can also help to calm your nerves.”
She also shared some behind-the-scenes knowledge of the long running family favourite: “While TV only shows 10 minutes, like most investment pitches the reality is closer to an hour and a half. Questions from the Dragons were plentiful, especially around the financials – the infamous financials!
“This can be a pitfall for so many entrepreneurs who get it wrong and stumble over the gross and net profits – so I was forewarned and had learned them by heart, I literally knew them inside out.”
Ms Keegan added: “For anyone looking to raise funds, I think this is probably the most key part – an investor wants to be able to trust that you know your business, so learn the numbers.”
She also added some golden advice for the entrepreneurs looking to slay their dragons, or at least tame them: “Believe in yourself, and be your true authentic self. Investors want to invest in a business that will make a return and if you can prove this, then you are halfway there.
“But, they also want to invest in the person, that’s you, and that person’s passion, belief and commitment. If you believe in the numbers the plan and the execution they can easily believe too, but it all starts with YOU.”
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