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LAUNCH PAD PITCH
PITCH PERFECT
I finally began to feel well enough post-surgery to venture back to the Fashion and Textile Design Centre. I attended an International Synergies NI resource matching workshop on January 24th.
I was quite tired and still sore, but it felt like a homecoming of sorts.
Deirdre Williams again encouraged me with the Rejeanerate idea. She told me about a pitch competition for aspiring start ups as part of Derry-Strabane Enterprise Week.
If I were going to apply, I had best make this idea a reality.
SWAP SHOP SWAG
Although I would not recommend carrying heavy bags of denim jeans a couple months after open-heart surgery, I was glad to grab a trove of trousers to get embroidering and upcycling for the upcoming business pitch competition.
There just so happen to be a Swap Shop happening in town and I got as much denim as I could s
RIDING A BIKE
It's hard re-learning how to walk, brush your teeth and manage stairs, but somehow the sewing came back quickly.
Thankfully I also had some help from Elaine Duffy at the Fashion Hub, to put together prototypes of upcycled and embroidered bags.
SKY'S THE LIMIT
To show the potential for personalised embroidery, I made a small bag with a bespoke pocket for judge Jennifer McKeever, the managing director of Airporter
The application process was really difficult, and while I got great advice from Deirdre Williams, I was not confident that we'd be shortlisted for the pitch. I was shocked and amazed to read the email informing me that Rejeanerate had been shortlisted for not one, but two pitches. The Seed Fund and Social Impact pitches.
Heart surgery was Nov 28th 2022, with an expected 3 months until full recovery.
Derry-Strabane Enterprise Week was March 6-10th 2023.
I had to postpone my three-month check up appointment to attend.
Timing is everything.
I worked hard on both powerpoint presentations and scripted my pitch to the last second, using Kate Bush 'Running Up That Hill' to keep to the five minute time limit. The two pitches ended up being separated on the day. I was able to stick to the script for the main Seed Fund pitch, but had to ad-lib the Social Impact presentation. It was terrifying.
It mustn't have went that badly because, we won!! This is where the Rejeanerate story really begins. The £1000 prize fund was put towards buying my own embroidery machine, allowing me to get work done at home as well as the Fashion Hub. This has given me so much freedom to work at my own pace, and flexibility to be more creative with embroidery.