Panther Pitch Workshop
Biagio Juliano
For The Clock
bj1033@plymouth.edu
The Panther Pitch is a campus-wide competition that challenges students to create, refine and deliver innovative and entrepreneurial ideas that address social challenges. This year’s Panther Pitch will be held on November 16, 2021, at 6 P.M. Open to all current PSU (Plymouth State University) students, the application deadline to send pitches is October 28 (11:59 EST). For more information check out: https://www.plymouth.edu/current-students/get-involved/panther-pitch/
This week’s workshop was conducted by Professor Kilfoyle. “Keep it simple stupid.” This meeting put a lot of information on the table for us as a student body. Prior participants gave vast knowledge of what they strived in versus what failed them in recent presentations. Noah Fiske, President of Enactus, believes that if you focus on just your first startup; things will go smoother for you or your team. Noah explained how speaking on expansion does not go well for you. The issue he faced was focusing on his company’s future while having no hard-core facts to back his plan. The point made by this veteran pitcher is that whatever you lay out and discuss during your two-minute pitch must be well studied and backed up by a variety of facts. Know your numbers and analytics!
Anthony Oglesby, class of ‘05, earned his degree in Business Administration with a minor in Social Work. Oglesby has been with the Panther Pitch since the very beginning. He has built his career in the fitness industry spending over 17 years helping the founder of Planet Fitness in developing, marketing, and managing operations for its health clubs. Anthony used this experience to start two fitness companies of his own. His first success known as Tap Out Fitness, a franchise company, alongside his current business venture All Out Fitness. Mr. Oglesby serves on PSU President’s Council supplying leadership to our university and supporting its mission. He also sits as a judge for this competition.
Anthony joined our workshop over zoom. He gave us some helpful tips for the Panther Pitch. His main warning is the slang. Language that 18–22-year-olds use nowadays to get a laugh from their audience are made up of words that nobody 30 and older understands. “Humor is allowed and is funny while nervous but do not take it too far as you must know your audience.” Another grandiose thing he had to say was that you must be different. His point throughout his mission is that there is no way to beat Planet Fitness; rather take ideas from them. By having what Planet Fitness has, plus aspects they do not, has been what put Anthony on the map. You don’t want to present this pitch and have people wondering “isn’t this already a thing?”
Peter Carl is the Founder and CEO of Case in Point, a private investigation firm offering premiere services to a variety of clients. Peters blood boiled for entrepreneurship since he had been enrolled in undergraduate here at PSU. One of my professors Bonnie Bechard had the privilege of working with Peter when he wrote his first franchise business plan. “You must have passion; you must be excited”, Peter shouted after he introduced himself to give a couple hints for what to bring to the table. Once you come across that project that forces you to give it your all, you then know where your passion is stemming from. If you can’t portray your passion and excitement behind your idea, then why bother? Pete’s last important piece of advice to us was “try, practice, and gain from this experience as you learn the fun of what life can bring.”
Why not take part in something that will give you the experience of a lifetime for your road ahead? Think about your past experiences, think of issues you’re passionate about in this world, use your thinking cap, and find some promising ideas! Connect to your inner entrepreneur-self, it all comes from within.