Shadowing Practice: Dragons Den CA S19E01 - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Tonight on Dragon's Den.
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So the island of Newfoundland is the foggiest place on earth. Is it?
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We use atmospheric harvesting to collect our water to produce a unique, exquisite vodka.
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What?
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You're making this stuff up.
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So dragons, who would like to see
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Riley get his teeth brushed?
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Yes!
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You have no time for this business.
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You want $50 ,000 for money.
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Like, I don't understand why you're here.
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Well, if only there was a dragon on this panel who knew something about franchising.
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Yeah, right?
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I don't know. Or cleaning.
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Cleaning.
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Shaq shine.
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We can do ride shine.
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I'm just letting you know, when you stand on that mark, you are signing up to be a gambler.
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Well, cheers, dragons, season 19.
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Cheers.
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Cheers.
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Cheers to my new peers.
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Cheers.
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Here we go.
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and O2E Brands, an international empire of home service companies.
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Brian was a high school dropout,
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but at 19 he used his life savings to buy a $700 pickup truck and start a one -man junk removal service.
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He turned one truck into 2 ,500 vehicles.
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Now 1 -800 -GOT -JUNK is a global brand with more than 170 franchises between
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Canada, the US and Australia.
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One, two, three, go for growth!
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But being the junk boss wasn't enough for this self -made millionaire.
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He's applied his secret formula to turn home services into household brands, revolutionizing residential makeovers by first founding WOW One Day Painting,
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and then cleaning up with his latest venture, home detailing service Shack Shine.
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Thank you for doing this, it's great.
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I was in the neighbourhood, wanted to pop by.
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Today his three companies make up half a billion dollar empire.
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But Brian has stayed humble despite his huge achievements and credits his success to the people he employs.
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There you go.
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Take care of our people.
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They'll take care of our customers.
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Take care of our customers.
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They'll take care of our growth, our profits and our opportunity.
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He's gone on to serve as a board member for the Young Entrepreneurs' Organization
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and is a two -time best -selling author on how to build a business.
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A big gathering, a thousand franchise partners all coming together.
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What can we do to make it better?
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Out of the boardroom, Brian enjoys all that beautiful British Columbia has to offer with his family.
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Look at the bunnies.
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Oh, another reason to have Hula on leash right now is all the bunnies.
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Yeah.
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Spending his time out on the water, biking trails, or hitting the slopes at Whistler.
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Now this business pioneer is ready to blaze a new trail in the den.
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First up...
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We're good.
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We got this, man.
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We're good.
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Brothers hoping their charming spirit will help them weather the den.
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Hello, Dragons.
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My name is Bill Tuff.
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And I'm Kenny Tuff.
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We're brothers originally from Marystown, Newfoundland.
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I now live in Metcalfe, Ontario, and Bill in Moorinville, Alberta.
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We're here seeking $150 ,000 for 5 % of our company.
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Living in Alberta, I'm no stranger to wildfires.
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Back in 2016, my family and I found ourselves in some of the most stressful moments of our lives during the hellish
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Fort McMurray wildfires.
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We finally found safety in my wife's hometown back in Newfoundland and Labrador.
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It was a particularly foggy day, and my wife professed her love for how wet and foggy it actually was.
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And it was at that moment the light bulb went off.
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We were literally standing in what seemed like an endless supply of sustainable water.
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And the idea was made and in that
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Fog Distillery Co was created with our first product Fog Vodka.
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Oh wow.
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You drink these you're gonna be foggy.
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Oh look at that fog coming in.
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Fog is coming in guys let's drink the vodka.
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So the island of Newfoundland is the foggiest place on earth. Is it?
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Fog Distillery Co we use atmospheric harvesting to collect our water to produce a unique exquisite vodka.
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Huh, what?
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Without further ado, we will welcome the dragons to try our vodka.
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Okay.
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Okay.
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Well, cheers, dragons, season 19.
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Cheers.
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Cheers.
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Cheers to my new peers.
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Cheers.
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Mmm.
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Mmm.
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Cheers.
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Good.
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Oh, God, you like it.
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It leaves a little bit of a mist in my mouth.
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Menjeet, is this good vodka?
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This tastes like vodka to me, but I also can't tell the difference.
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Yeah, but it actually is smoother.
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It is a bit smoother.
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How many times distilled is it?
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I don't see it.
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Four times.
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Four times distilled.
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Well, that's not really much.
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A premium vodka is 10 times or more.
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We like to think the fog water helps give it that nice, smooth, refined finish.
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I can't wait to hear how you capture the fog.
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Yeah.
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I'm just like, OK.
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Yeah.
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There's a big bucket.
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I bet you it's complex.
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Actually, incredibly easy.
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Easy.
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What we actually do, we have specialized netting.
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So the netting itself is a very passive system.
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It requires zero energy to actually collect our water.
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You're making this stuff out.
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I'm 100 % serious.
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So the fog will actually interact with the net.
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And during that interaction, the fog is allowed to hit its dew point.
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What will happen is the water will turn into a droplet form.
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And droplet forms will then be agitated by wind to go down to the collection.
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Okay, so how much water do you actually collect?
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We can collect enough water in one year to produce 67 ,000 cases of vodka.
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What?
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What?
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Is this where the term fill your boots came from?
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No, but that's an excellent Newfoundland term.
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Water is a big cost in alcohol production, as you know.
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So essentially, your water is free.
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Exactly.
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Wow.
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Guys, how did you come up with the idea to trap the fog to make vodka?
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When I was young, I was watching a documentary on desert coastal communities and water scarcity.
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And the idea is always stuck in my head, and that's where I came to learn about fog capturing technology.
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Cloud capturing, actually, in that case, yeah.
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So this existed already.
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Yeah, so the technology, yeah.
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Yeah, the technology existed.
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Down in Chile and places like that where they have desert communities but high mountains, and they collect the water from the clouds,
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which is piped down to the villages below.
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Got it.
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And you just said, hey, that could work in the foggiest place in the world.
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Absolutely, absolutely.
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Are there any impurities in the vodka?
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I'm sorry, in the fog?
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So what we're actually capturing, and we're quite proud of it, is we're capturing water that's coming off the Grand Banks of Newfoundland.
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There's no, you know, amounts of air pollution.
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And that fog that we're bringing in, what is actually forming around is the salt and minerals that are kicked up from the North Atlantic.
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We like to say that you're actually getting a true taste of the North Atlantic right there.
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Wow.
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That is impressive, guys.
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Thank you.
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Thank you.
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Tell us about your price, like what you're selling it for.
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Sure.
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What it costs us to make a bottle right now is $7 .34, and we're selling it for $9 .17,
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which is a 20 % margin right now.
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But since the inception of that, we've already negotiated our prices down in the packaging, so we're projecting 50 % margins in future sales.
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And then what does it retail for?
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We put it on retail for $39 .98.
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Our initial market was Newfoundland and Labrador, and one thing that happened with us very recently, we actually got listing with the LCBO,
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which I know is, for anyone that knows, that's quite the accomplishment.
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Yeah, so it's brand new.
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Congratulations.
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What are your sales right now?
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$34 ,000 in sales right now, showing a net profit of $7 ,000.
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So we are a profitable company.
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You aren't paying yourself out of that.
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No, no, no. So you're not really profitable yet.
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Fair point.
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But having said that, 34 can sales, $3 million valuation.
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Right.
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So going back to the amount of water we could produce, if we were to sell those cases,
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that would be over $7 .4 million in sales.
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Right, but you're not there yet.
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But we had to try and make a valuation that took into account our capacity and our performance.
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And our performance started showing that, you know, we have broken into the world's biggest buyer of alcohol, the LCBO.
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But at $39 retail, you're competing with a lot of other brands that have a lot of marketing dollars.
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I'm not saying it's impossible, but I'm waiting for the plan that makes me think, yeah, these guys are going to get it done.
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And, Manjee, beyond a plan, is the brand story enough here?
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You know alcohol.
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Is this enough of a brand story to differentiate in this space?
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I think it is.
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I think that it could be a couple more times distilled, but I absolutely think there's a really cool story here,
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just like all of us thought.
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But that's the start.
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How do you sell it?
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This is where we hope you come in.
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Like, we're looking for brand awareness to make people realize that we're actually putting fog in a bottle.
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What I want you to answer for me is, why did you think you could do this when nobody else has done it?
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Well, just because I know me and I know Kenny, and I know that we were up to the challenge on it.
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Simple as that.
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It's just pure confidence in ourselves.
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We know our work ethic.
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We know our tenacity.
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And here's your proof right here.
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Good for you guys.
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You guys are very endearing.
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Like, what you need as a strategy is someone to follow you guys around all day long.
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And bottle what you have. And bottle.
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I actually really mean that.
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Yeah.
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That is how you are going to build a differentiated brand, is really you guys.
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And the best part about that strategy is it costs nearly nothing.
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You need to hire a kid to follow you guys around
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and make content all day long about how you guys were crazy enough to capture the fog.
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That creates leverage.
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And you'll get there, but you're just not there yet.
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So I'm out.
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Bill and Kenny, you guys are great.
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I want to make vodka with you guys, but your valuation is kind of giving me a hard time.
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You know, I'm seeing double when I'm looking at your valuation here.
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I'm gonna be out for that reason.
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I am passionate about storytelling.
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This isn't for me, but I would love to sit down with you guys over a vodka or two
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and talk storytelling and figure out, because I agree with Michelle, you two brothers getting content out there,
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telling your story, talking about the fog, the free water, it's unbelievable.
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There's something here.
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One of the reasons I came to the den was to understand all the different Canadian innovation,
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and I would have never thought you can harvest fog and make vodka.
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I wish you all the best and hope we sit down for a vodka one day.
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Thank you very much.
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I'm out.
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Thank you.
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Thank you.
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Bill and Kenny, for me, I think it's a really fun, unique story.
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It's a decent product.
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Like, I do think that they're absolutely, for a premium product, there needs to be some tweaks,
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and you're going to need a lot more than $150 ,000.
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I wish you all the best, but I'm out.
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The wonderful thing about great stories is it gives you a foundation for a wonderful brand.
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The challenge with building a wonderful brand is that it takes time, effort, and money for people to understand it enough
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that they start to go to the stores to buy it off the shelf.
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And I admire both of you, like, immensely.
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I love the story.
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I'm just, I'm really torn.
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Like, the valuation is just so high.
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So, I'm going to be out.
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But, man, I love what you're doing. And good guys.
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Yeah.
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Good guys.
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I would love to be their partner if they were a little bit further ahead.
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Yeah.
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Yeah.
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I think we all would.
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They're just too early.
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And I don't have the foggiest idea about making vodka.
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People love cat videos, and if you can incorporate a toothbrush and maybe some floss.
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Hey, you guys didn't talk about floss.
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I'm really concerned.
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They actually love floss.
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They actually love floss.
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Next in the den.
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It was a 45 -hour drive, but it's awesome to be here finally.
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Super great.
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Good boy.
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You're going to do great.
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All the way from B .C., a pair of entrepreneurs and their cat companion, who think they have the perfect pitch for the dragons.
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A big cat.
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Oh, hi.
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Hi.
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Hi.
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Hi, dragons.
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My name is Melanie, and this is my beautiful partner, Samantha, and this is our cat, Riley.
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We drove here all the way from Vancouver, BC, seeking $150 ,000 in exchange for 15 % of our company, Ryercat.
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Our story is, we took our cat, Henry, in for a routine vet visit, only to realize that his teeth were covered in tartar and plaque.
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It was so bad that he needed surgery in order to remove it.
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It was then that we discovered that over 70 % of cats have some form of dental disease.
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And after spending $2 ,000 at the vet, we knew it was time to start brushing our cat's teeth.
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But the biggest problem was that all the cat toothbrushes on the market were way too big for a cat's mouth.
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Not to mention, they were hitting this big open nerve ending behind our cat's front teeth.
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Of course they're going to hate it if you bump that at all while brushing.
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So we decided to make our very own cat toothbrush.
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Of course you did.
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Our toothbrushes are a patented design based on feline anatomy to avoid hitting that open nerve ending behind cats front teeth.
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It's micro -headed, dual -sided, it's made out of soft biodegradable cornstarch so you won't chip your cats teeth.
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So dragons, who would like to see
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Riley get his teeth brush?
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Yes, yeah!
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Ideally you want to brush your cats teeth once a day.
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That's it?
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It's kind of similar to our own teeth, right?
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The Ryerkat toothbrush comes in nine different colours and retails online for $28.
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We also have the pick side so you can pick out like extra debris in his teeth.
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stuck in the back very often.
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Melissa and Samantha say cats should change their toothbrush every three to four months.
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Does Riley's mouth smell better after this?
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Absolutely.
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What will they think of next?
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There's nothing else to think of, Wes.
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They've got it all.
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This is it.
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I've seen it all in the den.
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This is really expensive packaging.
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This is, I know.
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It's the iPhone of cat toothbrushes.
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We wanted to make it premium, so we went with that.
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It is premium.
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How did cats ever survive before humans?
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I'm always curious about how cats actually made it in the wild.
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Like, how did they actually survive?
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So cats that live on the street, cats that are in the wild, they have dental disease.
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That's the short answer, is that cats are suffering in the wild with dental disease.
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Okay, but cats, like, is it a bridge too far?
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Maybe, like, is it a little bit too much?
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I'm not, like, I'm not deemed disrespectful to the idea, but I...
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Arlene has a good point, but I also know that humans are price insensitive in three categories.
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Babies, weddings, and pets.
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Just because you're going to make money at it doesn't mean you should.
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So Samantha and Melanie, are you guys dental hygienists?
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Like, what makes you the authority in cat teeth?
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So my background, I work in Vancouver at a place called Anesthesia for Dentistry.
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I'm a registered nurse there.
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So I do have a background in dentistry.
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That's a credible background, then.
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Yes, okay.
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Cover yourself.
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My background is actually film and TV, but my biggest thing is the branding for Ryorkat.
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I'm very picky.
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I'm a perfectionist, so when it comes to colors and color schemes and how the packaging works, you have it going on.
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You really do.
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I will say that shows in the packaging, too.
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Like, it's very well made, produced.
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The packaging, the graphics, the designs, like, it's very well done.
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Thank you.
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Both of you very credible with the cat.
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Thank you.
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Thank you.
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So are you really good at making content?
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Yes.
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You've blown this up making content if you're an ex -film producer?
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On our TikTok and Instagram, we do have millions of views.
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We've had several videos that have had millions of views.
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Okay.
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So what were your sales in 2023?
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Last 12 months, we did $1 .1 million in sales.
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In kitten toothbrushes.
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Wow.
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Yes.
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Who would have thought?
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Wow.
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What a demand for cat toothbrushes.
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Yes.
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Lifetime sales is $1 .7 million.
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I did not think you were going to say that name.
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You know, just goes to prove my point.
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Yay, we got you a million bucks.
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A million down a baby.
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Three dollars.
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That's the best thing.
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1 .1 million.
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Man, okay.
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And what are you projecting for 2024?
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So we are working on launching a cat toothpaste.
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Obviously, that's the next thing. Of course. Of course.
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Why would you?
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What is deep in cat dental?
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Deep into cat dental because that's why everybody asks, well, what do I use for toothpaste?
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Yeah, right.
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Clearly.
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So automatically, if we would have already had a toothpaste on the market designed specifically for cats,
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that's double revenue right there because they're buying two products.
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So to add in that to toothbrush, your revenue is going to be what, you think?
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I would project us to be making between $3 .5 to $4 million next year.
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Wow.
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How much money did you guys make on the $1 .1 million?
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So our margins after advertising is 52%.
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What?
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Okay.
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So net profit overall would be about $250.
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And you own 100 % of this?
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Yes.
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Okay.
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So, you know, sometimes you get these businesses that are niche, that I'd put in the weird and wonderful category, that can print money.
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And you might have discovered one of those right here.
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Where do you see yourself in five years?
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Paint a picture of that future.
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So ideally, I would like to be in all the vet clinics.
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You know, when you go to the store, you can find our product.
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When you search for it online, you can find our product.
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But vet clinics is exactly where you should be.
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I mean, that makes a ton of sense.
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Because they'll do the educating for you and get it in the hands of all of their pet owners, their cat owners.
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I've got to think social must just be the ticket.
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Like, people love cat videos and if you can incorporate a toothbrush and maybe some floss.
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Hey, you guys didn't talk about floss.
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I'm really concerned.
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They actually love floss.
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They actually love floss.
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They do.
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So actually making a catnip floss is in the brain.
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Well, ladies, listen, I love your numbers.
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Good job.
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Thank you.
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I'm still here going, why?
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You know, I grew up poor in rural Jamaica, and there's certain things that I just don't get, like this business.
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And so I'm going to be out.
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When Wes says he doesn't get it, I get it.
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I mean, people buy organic food now for their pets.
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You know, our dog eats some
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New Zealand organic fresh meat diet, and it seems to work.
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As one dog does, you know.
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Yeah.
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I think it's cool what you guys are doing, and I hope you start a floss business.
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I think it's a good add -on.
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I wish you all the best, but I'm out.
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Melanie and Samantha, you guys are impressive.
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Not only in a short amount of time have you built a business that is profitable, but has long runway and can become huge.
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Utility, design, price, you got it.
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Now it's about selling this.
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Before the break, two dragons are out.
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But will Manjeet see any potential in this cat toothbrush business?
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You guys are impressive.
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Not only in a short amount of time have you built a business that is profitable, but has long runway and can become huge.
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Utility, design, price, you got it.
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Now it's about selling this, and I want to help you do that.
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I will offer you $150 ,000 for 20%.
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I'm most compelled that you did this from a knowledge base with the passion that you have.
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And I'm really interested that you already kind of have a road map to what you want to do into the future.
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So I would give you $150 ,000.
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Nah, I'd give you $150 ,000 for 17%.
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And I promise you I do like cats.
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Look, I'm a cat person through and through.
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I have a meme chat with my siblings that our retirement plan is to own a giant cat farm.
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Oh, no way.
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You're going to need a lot of toothbrushes.
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This is a great niche that I actually think you can build into a real company.
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I would give you...
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I would give you $150 ,000 for 15%,
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but I would just want a 5 % royalty just till I get my money back.
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And then the equity is the valuation you came for.
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There is something to be said for a partner who doesn't make money until you make money.
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Yeah.
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You know, like, so that's the difference.
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If you get your money back on a royalty deal...
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You take it out of the business.
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You have nothing at risk in the business.
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I don't think that's fair.
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That's true.
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That's true.
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Never in a million years would I have guessed joining this show
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that some of the smartest investors on the planet would be competing over a cat deal.
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See what they say.
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For a cat toothbrush company.
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Is there a world where all three of you would come in on a deal? In a parallel universe.
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Well, I think that we already knew who we were coming here for today.
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And Michelle, we would like to take your offer.
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It seems like
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Riley knew that too.
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Oh, my goodness.
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Oh, my goodness.
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Thank you so much.
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Excited to work with you.
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They're not looking for income.
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The babies I woke up today thinking I would not do was invest in kitten toothbrushes, but this is amazing.
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You guys are awesome.
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Thank you.
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Thank you so much.
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Thank you, everybody.
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Appreciate it.
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Was it perfect?
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Meow, the work begins.
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You did it.
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You got the deal.
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I'm also not willing to say that I don't stick my neck out or that I'm not special.
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I will not subscribe to that.
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I'm sorry.
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Sorry.
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I didn't say you're not special.
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You did.
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You said I'm not special enough.
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There's nothing special about what you're doing in the business.
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And me as a person.
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I didn't say about you as a person.
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You could watch the film.
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You did.
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Next in the den, a mom hoping her motivational jewelry will inspire the Dragons to make a deal.
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Hello, Dragons.
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My name is Rikki Barrett.
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I'm from Napanee, Ontario.
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My business is Glass House Goods, and I am here seeking $50 ,000 for a 10 % share in my company.
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Six years ago, I was adjusting very poorly to life with a newborn and a toddler.
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As many moms are, I was in a group chat with other moms who had kids around the same age as mine,
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except that I was dealing with postpartum depression and anxiety, and out of a moment of self -preservation, I messaged the group to say,
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I have to bow out.
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I need to just take a step back for my own self.
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After what felt like an endless silence, someone in the group wrote in, I'm so glad someone finally said something.
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This really struck me.
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We had wasted so much time just not being honest and supporting one another.
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So this sparked my need to create
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Glass House Goods.
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My jewelry brand is meant to give strength and messages of hope in a funny and sassy, sometimes sweary way to other women.
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All of my pieces have all the messaging on the inside only.
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You can wear them around your kids, you can wear them to church,
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and no one will know what is written on the inside except for you.
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My goal is that women can gift these pieces to other women when they need to have that special boost.
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So, Dragons, I'll have you take a look at the pieces that I've brought for you.
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I need a bracelet that's like, shut the to my own brain.
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Okay, so you're gonna be happy with what you see.
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what they think.
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I love it.
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Oh, dear stress, let's break up.
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Yeah.
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I like that.
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There's going to be a lot of bleeping.
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You go high.
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Yes.
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Mine says, I am enough, which I like.
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And I am enough, Brian.
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The other one says, remember who the you are.
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Can I ask what message is underneath your bracelet?
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Yep.
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I have one that says, your anxiety is lying to you.
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Because today is going to be a day that would create a lot of anxiety.
516
And the third one I can't read on, or can't say on television.
517
Right.
518
It's fresh out of .
519
Ah, I like that one.
520
That's the one that you gave me.
521
I love that one.
522
I love that one.
523
I agree.
524
That's a best seller at market.
525
I did not anticipate you guys saying them out loud.
526
I love them.
527
So tell us about the business.
528
How many styles?
529
I have 39 phrases of bangles.
530
I also have rings that have hidden messages.
531
I have necklaces that have hidden messages.
532
Where do you get them made?
533
I get them made overseas in China.
534
How much does it cost you to produce?
535
How much does it cost you landed?
536
Delivered, packaged to my house, $5 apiece.
537
Okay.
538
And I retail them for $24 ,000.
539
And it's all online, your sales?
540
Yes.
541
And what was your sales last year?
542
The year before, I was $277 ,000.
543
Yeah.
544
And then last year, I had a dip to just under $200 ,000.
545
Okay.
546
And this year, what do you think you'll do?
547
I'm projecting to be the same as the year before.
548
So about $200 ,000.
549
Just around $300 ,000.
550
Why not more growth?
551
The reason why I believe I haven't grown more is that I'm just one woman and I have two kids,
552
a husband, and I work full -time as a high school counselor.
553
So while I eat, sleep, and breathe this business...
554
It's a side hustle still.
555
Yeah, and the goal was never to work two full -time jobs, which is currently what I'm doing.
556
I've reached the ceiling as far as I can bring it.
557
Now I need to...
558
Well, have you really?
559
Because you're not working full -time in it.
560
Imagine if you put all of your hours in this.
561
Yeah, well, I'm stuck because I love my career.
562
Is this making you enough money that you could leave your career counselor job?
563
It is, but I'm not a gambler, and I work for the government.
564
Ricky, Ricky, Ricky, you're standing on that mark.
565
I'm just letting you know, when you stand on that mark, you are signing up to be a gambler.
566
Yes.
567
A risk taker, nothing else.
568
No risk, no reward.
569
I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
570
Those that don't take risks don't drink champagne.
571
I feel like this is my risk.
572
By coming here...
573
No, no, no, I'm sorry.
574
I'm sitting here going, are we seriously not challenging Ricky on this stuff?
575
You have no time for this business or very little time for this business.
576
You want $50 ,000 off our money.
577
And you're telling us all the things that you're not able to do to take this business to the next level.
578
Like, I don't understand why you're here.
579
I think, well, she's here for help.
580
I mean, she's an entrepreneur.
581
We're not here to do that.
582
And she's testing the orders.
583
We're here to build people's businesses for them.
584
I think it's about working smarter and not harder.
585
To build our business.
586
And you get to a certain point where you need to say, now I need to take someone on, I need to...
587
No, working smarter means that you be all in.
588
I feel like it's smart business to be able to say
589
when you've taken something as far as you can and you need more for it.
590
It's smart business to do that.
591
What's not smart is to ask an investor to then invest in that.
592
Do it for you.
593
So the problem is that you're basically saying, I've taken it as far as I can and I can't take it farther.
594
That's something you should sell their business.
595
Like, you should actually sell your business.
596
I still want to own this business.
597
I want to be the person behind this business.
598
But I have to take the risk.
599
You have to take the risk.
600
There is no way around this.
601
Unless you want just a lifestyle business.
602
Ricky, you can keep talking to these guys, but I can give you my answer, okay?
603
There's no moat around your business, so anyone can do it.
604
Usually when there's no moat around a business, then we look at the person behind the business,
605
the entrepreneur, and go, are they going to kill the competition because there's something special about them?
606
You haven't shown that.
607
I'm out.
608
Ricky, $300 ,000 is nothing to sneeze at you've done really well as a side hustle
609
and Wes I think that's a little harsh
610
because I think she's got a lifestyle business not a scalable investable
611
and that's okay asking for my money well that's what I'm saying you're already not giving it
612
so yeah you said no I I think
613
it's fair as an investable business to have someone say I don't want to invest
614
and Wes has voted but you still have a great business I
615
understand what you're saying about going all -in
616
but I am also just not from the school of people that think that a woman can only do one thing.
617
I am a mom and I am a wife
618
and I am a counsellor and I am a businesswoman
619
and I can do them all but I'm also not willing to say
620
that I don't stick my neck out or that I'm not special.
621
I will not subscribe to that.
622
I'm sorry.
623
Sorry, I didn't say you're not special.
624
You did, you said I'm not special enough.
625
There's nothing special about what you're doing in the business.
626
And me as a person.
627
I didn't say about you as a I said the business is not special.
628
Look, I get it.
629
When I started Bitopia, the e -commerce company, I had a really good corporate job.
630
I was one of the youngest directors ever.
631
I did not want to leave.
632
And I literally had to sit there with my business partner as he yelled at me and he goes, Michelle, if you don't quit your job,
633
this is never going to work.
634
And I probably cried, and then I quit three days later.
635
And it was the only thing that changed my career.
636
So you're going to have to take that plunge if you want to build something more than a lifestyle business,
637
and those are the ones that I invest in.
638
So for that reason, I'm out.
639
I think as an entrepreneur, we need to take some risks.
640
I dropped out of college.
641
That was a big risk that I didn't know if it would pay off or not.
642
Full respect for what you've built and the side hustle you've built and keep building it,
643
but I think if you hold on to both and that's okay, there's just not the opportunity to grow it as an investment,
644
and for that reason, I'm out.
645
If you're not willing to take the risk, neither am I.
646
I'm out.
647
Rikki, you are a small business owner.
648
There is nothing wrong with that.
649
Thank you.
650
But it's just not the type of investment that I would invest in, so I'll be out for that reason.
651
Oh.
652
Erleyn, how is this a small business?
653
This is not a small business.
654
This is not a small business.
655
Sure, you call it a small business.
656
Sure, this is a solopreneur business.
657
This is not a small business.
658
Yes, it is.
659
It's a side hustle.
660
There's a difference between a small business and a side hustle.
661
No. This is a side hustle.
662
She's generating revenue and she's paying taxes.
663
That's not the definition of a small business.
664
Come on, you guys.
665
Knocking on doors puts hair on your chest.
666
Oh, yeah.
667
Like a new work with our attorney.
668
It makes you the strongest.
669
I knocked on doors.
670
That's right.
671
When you go door to door and talk to a partner.
672
The best training to be an entrepreneur is knock on people's doors.
673
It is so hard.
674
And finally, an entrepreneur from Toronto, hoping the Dragons will appreciate his attention to detail.
675
Dragons, my name is Ryan O 'Neill Knight here from Ajax,
676
Ontario, pitching for $150 ,000 for 18 % of my company, Detailing Nights Canada.
677
We provide mobile, waterless car cleaning using plant -based, eco -friendly cleaning supplies.
678
But what best to demonstrate than going out and finding the dirtiest car in the parking lot?
679
The dirtiest car in the parking lot.
680
I love it.
681
It's not Wes's.
682
My car is never dirty.
683
I know, right?
684
What happened to my car?
685
Whoa.
686
What the?
687
Oh, oh, oh.
688
If the car comes with the deal, I'm in.
689
Hey, Ryan, if you scratch that bad boy, I'm coming after you, man.
690
But Detailing Nights, we provide mobile waterless car cleaning, going to clients' homes or their offices, cleaning their cars on the spot without using water.
691
Over the years, we've worked with over 5 ,000 clients.
692
Clients include Zipcar, Enterprise Auto Share, and car dealerships around the city.
693
But I feel the next evolution of our company is franchising.
694
So is it crazy for a knight to be here asking a dragon for help?
695
Wes, you wanna come check it out?
696
Yeah, absolutely man.
697
I gotta check it out.
698
Check that bad boy out.
699
Detailing Nights has three locations in the greater Toronto area.
700
And you'll notice it is not scratching.
701
Oh yeah.
702
We're able to go to a person's house.
703
Packages range from basic detailing for $129 to a premium exterior and interior clean for $279.
704
Whoever owns this Ferrari shouldn't own a Ferrari.
705
Seriously.
706
No, appreciate that.
707
That's good, man.
708
Fantastic.
709
Fantastic.
710
Well done.
711
I approve.
712
Yeah.
713
Ryan, so I've never heard of waterless cleaning.
714
So what's the advantages?
715
It really helps to increase convenience.
716
Also, instead of wasting 100 gallons of water cleaning a car, we're able to use only six ounces.
717
So what's your story?
718
What's your background?
719
You know, I started a company back in 2009, was laid off two weeks before my wedding.
720
And that was a real gut shot.
721
No kidding.
722
It reminded me that my dad always said, hey, if you want to control your own destiny, start a business. So true.
723
Being able to start the business and use it as a tool to teach others to start businesses too.
724
Because I've gone through College Pro Painters, and I know you've hired through College Pro Painters,
725
so I love the concept of being able to teach high school,
726
university students to show them they have the potential to start a business by using our company as a mini example.
727
But the road to success is paved with hundreds of car deal tailing companies, like hundreds.
728
Yes.
729
The thing I love right now is there's no household name in car cleaning.
730
So we want to become that household name, similar to Molly made.
731
Yeah.
732
I know, wow, one day painting is a household name.
733
So being able to take car cleaning into
734
that open space to actually have a proper system that you can put in a box,
735
teach to anybody in any city where there are cars around the world, that's what we want to build here.
736
Well, if only there was a dragon on this panel who knew something about franchising.
737
Yeah.
738
I don't know.
739
Cleaning.
740
Home services with a massive cost of your base.
741
Shack shine.
742
We can do ride shine.
743
So what were your revenues in 2023?
744
I'll say on average $120 ,000.
745
The downtown area did about $150 ,000.
746
All together?
747
Over $400 ,000.
748
What will you do this year?
749
We're projecting to hit that half a million.
750
I want to see each location do $150 ,000 each.
751
That, to me, proves the viability that we can open up a new city.
752
How much money did you make on the $400 ,000 last year?
753
Gross is about 48%.
754
Are you paying yourself a salary?
755
No. How are you living without a salary?
756
I do work part -time for a non -profit, the Afro -Caribbean Business Network, so that does offer a bit of salary,
757
but I'm ready to go full 100%.
758
Could you talk about that network?
759
Absolutely.
760
So we started the Afro -Caribbean Business Network about six years ago, and it was really because I was building back from a personal bankruptcy.
761
I didn't have the support around me to build this company properly.
762
So we brought six other entrepreneurs together to create an entity that would help them exponentially grow their companies.
763
And to date, we have over 6 ,000 black entrepreneurs in our network.
764
Amazing.
765
We do micro -lending.
766
Amazing.
767
We do marketing and sales for them.
768
We've worked with youth that are out of detention to show them they have the potential to start a business.
769
You're a real community builder, Ryan.
770
I appreciate that, Manjeet.
771
What would you charge for a franchise?
772
So about $25 ,000 would get you up and going.
773
That's it?
774
No franchise fee?
775
There's no percentage.
776
Oh, the royalty.
777
Yeah, the royalty.
778
Right, we do 8 % of sales.
779
8 % of sales, okay.
780
That's pretty standard.
781
That's pretty standard.
782
I'm reading your book, that's why.
783
Oh, you are.
784
Awesome.
785
Thank you.
786
You have some franchise experience having been with College Pro.
787
Yes.
788
Some of our best people have come from College Pro.
789
They nail how to systematize a business.
790
Why do you want to franchise?
791
I feel being able and learning from them that you can put a business in a box and learning how to clean,
792
I mean, to paint houses is way more difficult than cleaning cars, I feel. Of course.
793
So if you can teach a college student or a high school student
794
or a university student how to start a painting company, that business in a box, I feel, is really powerful.
795
And one of my missions is to teach young entrepreneurs that they can start businesses.
796
And then from there, we're able to grow with them.
797
I'm a big fan of that, too.
798
I think when you start really early becoming an entrepreneur, it's so much easier to grow out.
799
College Pro is very good at getting their franchisees to find customers by door knocking.
800
How do you acquire customers?
801
We love door knocking.
802
And to me, knocking on doors puts hair on your chest.
803
Oh, yeah.
804
It makes you the strongest.
805
I knocked on doors.
806
And that, to me, battle tests you.
807
And even when we talk to our high school and college students, when you go door to door and talk to a client...
808
The best training to be an entrepreneur is knock on people's doors.
809
It is so hard.
810
All that teaches you how to be resilient.
811
Yeah.
812
And for me, entrepreneurship is persistency and consistency.
813
You're very impressive.
814
You really are.
815
I appreciate that.
816
You're very impressive.
817
Thank you so much.
818
This is a space we've been following forever.
819
We knew that one day we would be in the space.
820
It makes sense.
821
We shine people's homes.
822
Why not shine their rides?
823
Yes.
824
What excites me the most about this is you.
825
Okay.
826
You're building a community with a massive smile.
827
You believe in entrepreneurship.
828
100%.
829
I will give you the 150 you're asking for, but I want 25 % of the business.
830
All right.
831
That's a great offer.
832
You're very impressive.
833
Thank you so much.
834
And you think big, which is what we want on the show.
835
We want people who think big.
836
But as far as investing, I'm going to be out.
837
Ryan, I love what you're doing for the community.
838
Congratulations.
839
What you've done this far, I wish you luck, but I'm up.
840
Okay.
841
I think you as a founder has an enormous amount of presence, of optimism, and of grit.
842
And I would back you in a heartbeat.
843
I think on this deal you have, you know, a way stronger partner.
844
I'm going to be out.
845
I support the work you're doing to build up other entrepreneurs.
846
Yes, appreciate that, Wes.
847
Sometimes in our community we go, I'm successful so everybody else can stand behind me.
848
And you're bringing everybody else along.
849
That's fantastic.
850
But I'm going to be out because I think you have an amazing partner already.
851
I'll kick myself if I don't ask.
852
Are you willing to do 22 .5?
853
Ryan, you have three locations.
854
This man can take you nationally, okay?
855
Whatever you're going to haggle over and negotiate over
856
pales in comparison to what he's going to be able to do for you.
857
I got to stick to the 25.
858
Brian, you got a deal.
859
Yes!
860
Woo!
861
My man.
862
Oh.
863
I appreciate you.
864
Thank you.
865
It's awesome.
866
Great meeting you.
867
Great meeting you.
868
Congratulations.
869
Thank you, Ryan.
870
Let's go!
871
Brian's going to be a great partner for him.
872
Woo!
873
He's going to be fun.
874
He's a community builder.
875
He's doing this for the right reasons, and it's going to be awesome.
876
Coming up this season...
877
Woo!
878
I like the walk.
879
I like the swagger.
880
Look at that.
881
I am here today for $4 million.
882
What?
883
10 % of my company.
884
What?
885
I'm not kidding. And later...
886
Hello there.
887
Okay, feels kind of nice.
888
For the first time ever, a celebrity dragon looking to carve out his own space in the den.
889
I want to do $100 ,000, but I would want a 2 % royalty on all sales.
890
This season, the drama is real.
891
I'm here for a franchise.
892
Don't say the F word.
893
So what's your offer, Michelle?
894
$2 .25 for $20?
895
Or the royalty deal?
896
Not or, like...
897
I think you guys are going to figure this out, and that's what I hope entrepreneurs do is they learn from the nose.
898
I'm going to throw you a curveball.
899
Okay.
900
I want to buy the company.
901
Whoa.
902
Oh, wow.
903
And the stakes are higher than ever.
904
I wanted to make my parents proud.
905
They had passed away just when I had watched this 10 years ago.
906
Just the fact that someone has a little bit of faith in me means a lot.
907
I feel it's a very out -of -body experience right now.
908
Look, we're just a couple of Asian kids from the 905, all right?
909
Michelle and Brian, we would love to do it too.
910
Thank you.
911
After all that.
912
Thank you.
913
There's no words to describe how I feel.
914
I don't get surprised much in the den, but I just got surprised.
915
Blown away.
916
Mind blown.
917
Mind blown.
918
Mind blown.
919
Put some money in your mouth
920
Is your mama said that you know it's real
921
Put some money in your mouth
922
And your hands fly up on the wheel
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Dragons Den CA S19E01”. This video has 921 sentences and 7283 words to shadow. The speech runs for 43:52. The speaker talks at a natural 166 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 82% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| dragon noun | /ˈdɹæɡən/ | In European mythologies, a gigantic beast, typically reptilian with leathery bat-like wings, lion-like claws, scaly skin and a lizard-like body, often a… |
| vodka noun | /ˈvɑdkə/ | A clear distilled alcoholic liquor made from grain mash. |
| entrepreneur noun | /ˌɑn.tɹə.pɹəˈnɝ/ | A person who sets up a business; generally, a person who owns and manages a business and assumes its financial risks. |
| cheers | /t͡ʃɪəz/ | A common toast used when drinking in company. |
| franchise noun | /ˈfɹænt͡ʃaɪ̯z/ | The right to vote at a public election or referendum; see: suffrage. |
| knock verb | /nɑk/ | To rap one's knuckles against something, especially wood. |
| shine verb | /ʃaɪn/ | To emit or reflect light so as to glow. |
| impressive adjective | /ɪmˈpɹɛsɪv/ | Making, or tending to make, a positive impression; having power to impress. |
| capture verb | /ˈkæp.(t)ʃɚ/ | To take control of; to seize by force or stratagem. |
| collect verb | /ˈkɑlɪkt/ | To gather together; amass. |
| invest verb | /ɪnˈvɛst/ | To spend money, time, or energy on something, especially for some benefit or purpose; used with in. |
| dental adjective | /ˈdɛn.təl/ | Of or concerning the teeth. |
| royalty noun | /ˈɹɔɪəlti/ | The rank, status, power or authority of a monarch. |
| valuation noun | /ˌvæ.ljuːˈeɪ.ʃən/ | An estimation of something's worth. |
| hustle verb | /ˈhʌsəl/ | To push someone roughly; to crowd; to jostle. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| blow away verb | To cause to go away by blowing, or by wind. | |
| break up verb | To break or separate into pieces. | |
| build up verb | To erect; to construct. | |
| come off verb | To become detached. | |
| come together verb | /ˈkʌm tʊˈɡɛðɚ/ | To assemble; to congregate; to combine. |
| come up verb | To emerge or become known, especially unexpectedly. | |
| come up with verb | To manage to produce, deliver, or present (something) by inventing, creating, thinking of, or obtaining it. | |
| figure out verb | To come to understand; to discover or find a solution; to deduce. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- What can we do to make it better?
- I'm sorry, in the fog?
- What are your sales right now?
- How do you sell it?
- I'm still here going, why?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | has stayed · have specialized · we've already negotiated |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | was made · was created · is allowed |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | jobs, which is · big, which is · people who think |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 211 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, you're, we're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: smooth /smuːð/, breathe /bɹiːð/, gather /ˈɡæðɚ/, toothbrush /ˈtuːθ.bɹʌʃ/, toothpaste /ˈtuθpeɪst/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: shine /ʃaɪn/, capture /ˈkæp.(t)ʃɚ/, valuation /ˌvæ.ljuːˈeɪ.ʃən/, brush /bɹʌʃ/, congratulations /kənˌɡɹæt͡ʃəˈleɪʃ(ə)nz/
- Long words — get the stress right: entrepreneur /ˌɑn.tɹə.pɹəˈnɝ/, valuation /ˌvæ.ljuːˈeɪ.ʃən/, anxiety /æŋˈzaɪ.əti/, congratulations /kənˌɡɹæt͡ʃəˈleɪʃ(ə)nz/, utility /juːˈtɪlɪti/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like dragon, vodka, entrepreneur.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.