Feedback in action: A new and improved pitch

- So let's start from the beginning. Al, tell me a little bit about your business idea. - So I would love to start an improv group to help individuals with special needs, not only to help those individuals but also their caregivers and loved ones. A lot of time, a lot of these families have to rely on family members. And so this program would help provide training and care support for their loved ones with special needs. - And what do you think improv does or how does it help people with special needs? - So what improv does is it kind of gets you out of your head. You have to listen, you have to respond, and most importantly, you have to look with your eyes and listen with your ears. And so for individuals that can't do that as well, it's hard, you know, days and things that aren't that big of a deal to us are very, you know, world ending or life shattering in that moment to these individuals. These would be tools to help them learn listening and responding, but most importantly, having fun too. - Awesome. Well it's interesting when you gave it to me the second time, right? My natural question was, tell me more, right? Tell me why. And so it leads into a conversation. And I always say the pitch is a dialogue, it's not a monologue. So if you want to get me interested in your idea, if you want a second conversation, then leading with your destination, it did just that, it brought me in. - Right. Okay. - Now, my second question is probably, so, you know, why you? Why do you want to start this business? - Well, I love acting and I love improv. And this is a tool that actors utilize to become really great actors, to get out of their own heads. And so I would love to use those tools to help individuals because I have loved ones that have special needs. My youngest brother and my brother-in-law, I work as a caregiver, and in this field it's hard to come across really good caregivers that, you know, listen and respond well. - Wow. Thank you for doing that, because you just did naturally what I talk about a lot in the course, which is talking about your backstory and not your background. The first time we talked, you mentioned that you were an actor and you worked as a server, and then you worked as a caregiver. Which is right, fine, we all have lots of things. This time you picked up the two pieces that are most relevant. You talked about the fact that you love improv, that you're an actor, and that you have people in your life with special needs. And so you put into practice what we talk about with our backstory which is relevant, not necessarily recent. And picking and choosing what to include, 'cause you're the author. So being a server isn't as relevant as working as a caregiver. So I'm really hooked in, right? I'm intrigued. You have a really interesting business idea and you're also uniquely qualified to carry it out. So if I was going to end the conversation now, and let's assume I'm interested, but maybe I'm not, you know, fully hooked in. And I say, "Well, you know, great. Thanks, Al, it was nice talking to you. I wish you a lot of luck." How would you think about kind of trying to connect to the dots or close it for me in a way that would make me understand like, no, we should really have a second conversation? Or this is really important now, what might you say? - I would say that right now human connection is something that we need. And this is one easy way to do it in a way that is, I think life changing. But most importantly it's fun, because how are you going to learn something if you're not really having fun doing it? And that would be the reason why, working as a caregiver, seeing how underserved this community is, this is something that will not only benefit the neurodiverse special needs individuals, but also the caregivers and the family members that have nowhere really else to turn. And so that would be my hope, is to have this as one last resort where we can have fun and most importantly, connect with each other. - Thank you so much for sharing your pitch with me. I'm really excited for you and I actually have some people I want to introduce you to who I think would love to talk to you. - That'd be great, let's talk next week. Thank you, Jodie. - Okay, awesome, Al. So there you got to see pitching in action and some coaching where Al did an amazing job leading with his destination second time around and getting me engaged, getting me interested, getting me curious. And he did a great job of sharing his backstory with us, highlighting and picking out the pieces that are relevant. The fact that he has worked as an actor, and loves improv, and has family members with special needs. And then he brought it all home, connected the dots by saying now is more important than ever for human connection. That is the power of a well-crafted pitch. You get me engaged, you get me interested, I can't wait to have a second conversation. You can do that too.