I’ve always wanted to be a Shark on Shark Tank or a Dragon on Dragon’s Den. 

I’ve met Daymond John and Kevin O’Leary when I was at the CNBC Iconic Conference with Inc Magazine a few years ago. I have been long fascinated with Shark Tank and the UK/ Canadian equivalent Dragon’s Den. 

In my corporate life I created a Shark Tank equivalent experience at Xbox when we needed to “broaden the appeal” of Xbox beyond shooting and racing games to compete with Nintendo’s Wii. From that pitch competition came the Kinect Camera that won a Guinness Book of Record for the fastest selling device of all time.

Since then I’ve worked with many of my clients creating their own innovation experiences and competitions to uncover new ideas and opportunities. 

Most recently, this one might have been my favorite! I was a judge for Fran Finds with fashion brand francesca’s. From hundreds of applications, over two days last week the finalists appeared at francesca’s headquarters to pitch their products, purpose, and passion. The catch was, their products needed to be available for this holiday season to appear in boutiques and online. It was incredible to see the range of entrepreneurs and hear their inspiration and dedication to building their businesses. 

Their stories are incredible and their products will be part of the holiday line up in nearly 400 boutiques and online for this holiday. 

Wondering how to create your own Shark Tank experience? You don’t need to be Mr Wonderful, nor have to have a deal with CNBC, but many ask me about having a TV show of my own, which I haven’t yet said no to….

Meanwhile, watch out for these Fran Finds winners at your local francesca’s boutique or online:

Simply Perla | Polymer Clay Jewelry & Accessories from Houston | @bysimplyperla

Citrus & Cane | Handcrafted Home & Body Products from Alabama | @citruscane

Gifted by Gabb | Homemade Clay Earrings from North Carolina | @giftedbygabb

Kozy Kandles | Handcrafted Soy Candles from Indiana | @kozykandles

Dedicated to growing your business,

Val

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