An entrepreneur who earned a place on the BBC show Dragons’ Den and won £100,000 in investment has revealed his “secret tip” to get on the show. Ben Gallagher, CEO of Luxe Collective Fashion, appeared on the programme earlier this year alongside his brother, and co-founder, Joe, and COO Oliver Millar, to ask for money towards their pre-loved fashion label.
After presenting their pitch, the trio wowed the judges and got offers from fashion industry mogul Touker Souleyman, owner of the Ghost and Hawes & Curtis brands, and entrepreneur Steven Bartlett, creator of the popular podcast ‘The Diary of a CEO’. They ultimately decided to go with Bartlett, who put forward a £100,000 investment in exchange for a 3% equity stake.
Now, Ben has revealed his secret tip to other hopefuls looking to secure a spot on the show. Taking to the networking platform LinkedIn, he wrote: “A secret tip for people wanting to get on Dragons Den. Last Year, a confident young researcher called me up off the back of our application. I had to explain our story & persuade her why we would be a good fit for the show.
“After her nearly falling asleep at my pre-planned splurge, she kindly thanked me for my time and said goodbye. But before she could put the phone down I quickly started asking her some personal questions. How long have you worked for the BBC? Do you enjoy working at the BBC? What do/don't you like about it? How many times have you worked on Dragons Den?
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“Luckily, I was intensely reading 'How to Win Friends and Influence People'. Part 2, Principle 1: Become genuinely Interested in other people. As our conversation came to a close, instead of saying goodbye, she invited Luxe Collective Fashion the the next round of the process.”
He finished: “Is that the reason we were on Dragons Den? We'll never know, but regardless, it's a great way to build relationships.”
Dragons Den has hit the headlines this week after a recent episode sparked backlash for promoting a product with unsubstantiated medical claims. Last week, the BBC invited businesswoman Giselle Boxer on to Dragons' Den to promote an 'ear seed' product that she claimed helped her recover from ME (myalgic encephalomyelitis).
Ms Boxer had previously claimed that ME sufferers are "stuck in a negative mindset" and are "bogged down with their condition. Charities immediately warned after the Dragons' Den episode aired that they have 'serious' concerns that Ms Boxer's Acu Seeds pitch was showcased as a 'cure' for ME. Currently, there is no cure for the disease, nor any medical evidence to support ear seeds - a form of needle-free acupuncture - as a viable treatment.
As outrage over the episode grew, the Mirror revealed that Ms Boxer was personally invited onto the programme by producers. The BBC then pulled the episode from iPlayer last week after the ME Association reported Acu Seeds to watchdog the Advertising Standards Agency. But the broadcaster now claims to have "addressed concerns" with an edited version of the episode.
A new on-screen disclaimer appears in white text, which many argue isn't accessible over the white hue of Ms Boxer's outfit. It reads: "Acu Seeds are not intended as a cure for any medical condition and advice should always be sought from a qualified healthcare provider about any health concerns." Dragons' Den began in 2005 and has inspired some similar shows, including the US equivalent Shark Tank, which aired in 2009.
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