Watch the Pitch That Scored Investment (And a Lot of Tears) Shawn Moye, the founder of E-Sports Trainer, explains how he won investment on 'Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch.'
By Mackenzie Truman Edited by Dan Bova
Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch is the show where contestants get into an elevator and have just 60 seconds to pitch their business. Our board of investors is watching, and if they like what they hear, they open the doors and the entrepreneur steps into the boardroom to try to seal the deal. If they don't like what they hear, the entrepreneur gets sent back down.
It's fun, it's intense, and in this ongoing article series, we're celebrating the entrepreneurs who walked out with a win and sharing their tips for pitching success.
Who are you and what is your business?
I'm Shawn Moye and the patented E-Sports Trainer aid takes the everyday athlete through the process of becoming better by helping them develop proper muscle memory when playing a sport. When my son Elijah showed an interest in basketball, we went to the park to practice. I didn't want him to develop bad habits when I wasn't around and as I looked around, I saw others with no one to help them. I wanted to create something that would ensure quality practice time for the user, help them gain a competitive advantage, and do it in a cost-efficient way as sports camps are expensive. That's when the E-Sports Trainer aka (Elijah's Sports Trainer) was born which pays homage to one of my greatest passions my son. It speaks seven different languages, has three different levels in each sport to grow with the user, and tracks training performance in real-time.
Related: Watch Shawn Win a Deal With NFL Great Brandon Marshall
How did you prepare for the show?
After I calmed down from being excited and honored to have been selected, I just watched the show and studied every single episode. I learned what the investors were looking for in a pitch, I asked a few people I trusted to critique my pitch, and then I studied until the day of the show.
What did you think was going to happen? What was different from your expectations?
I believed I had a solid pitch, so my expectation was just to get through it in 60 seconds. I felt confident enough in my pitch that if I got through it, they would want to hear more and open the doors. Getting through the doors met expectations but how I got a deal really blew my mind. Season 8 of Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch has given me a new beginning!
Why do you think they opened the doors?
I think they opened the doors because my pitch had all the elements including my "ask" and because they connected with my "why".
Related: You've Got a Great Invention. Now How Do You Get People to Buy It?
What do you plan to do with your investment?
I plan to use the investment and new connections as leverage to open more doors, build my brand, and scale within the sports training industry. This show is the conduit I needed to go from where I am to where I want to be. It has put me lightyears ahead of what I could have accomplished on my own. I am forever grateful to Entrepreneur.com and Amazon Business for this opportunity.
What did it mean to you personally to get in the doors and walk out with a win?
It means the world to me! It still brings tears to my eyes knowing that the investors, whom I respect so much, wanted to hear more about my "why" and my invention. It brought some validation to all the long nights when my dreams wouldn't let me sleep.
Related: Watch the Pitch That Landed a $175,000 Investment
What is your advice for anyone thinking of applying to be on a future episode?
Understand what the investors want to hear in a pitch, know your numbers (i.e. sales, analytics, path to cash), and make sure your focus and vision are consistent. But at the end of it all just enjoy the journey! I hope this information will become the inspiration someone needed to apply!
