Building business resilience is like training for a sport. This article explores how refining pitches, embracing feedback, and adopting a sports mindset have helped me grow stronger in the competitive world of business as an entrepreneur.
Finding My Way in Building Business Resilience
Growing up, sports and I didn’t get along. I never wanted to compete, and the idea of “pushing to win” didn’t fit shy little me. Sure, I joined a few teams in junior high. It was easy making it onto a team that first year that no one gets cut. But the moment things got competitive on the field, no ma’am I wouldn’t try. It just wasn’t me.
But, as Master Oogway wisely says, “One often meets his destiny on the road he takes to avoid it.” And years later, I found myself an entrepreneur, facing the same challenges I’d once avoided in sports. Every pitch, every presentation, every investor meeting felt like a competition I needed to prepare for. Suddenly, I was learning about resilience, persistence, and focus in ways I hadn’t expected. Entrepreneurship had become the sport I never played.
The Turning Point: Building Resilience Through Pitching
This year has been full of pitch competitions and growth opportunities. We’ve joined two game development programs, Bow Valley College Indie Ignition Accelerator (i.e. “Indie Ignition”) and Shred Capital’s Scaffold Cohort 3. These programs have been instrumental in building business resilience for me and my team. Through Scaffold, we didn’t just practice pitching; we received honest feedback, learned valuable guidelines, and refined our approach each time. They gave us two practice pitches before hosting a final pitch competition, where the winners would attend the Game Invest West Summit in Banff.
Each time I pitched, I felt I’d improved. I followed their guidance, incorporated their feedback, and thought I’d knocked it out of the park. But despite all my efforts, we didn’t win a spot at the summit. This was hard to swallow because I’d gone in so sure, thinking, “This is the one!”
Adapting to Different Investors and Learning Agility
Around this time, I also attended the “Raising Capital” sessions at Platform Calgary, which deepened my understanding of investors’ goals. It clarified the difference between pitching to an investor and pitching to a game publisher (something I discussed in a previous article). Each experience highlighted the importance of adaptability, pushing me further out of my comfort zone.
By the fourth pitch, I was feeling frustrated. It felt like I was constantly practicing, yet never reaching that win. I realized I was experiencing the same feelings I had with sports in school— the disappointment of giving my all and still falling short, feeling “silly” for trying so hard. But here’s the insight that changed everything: like any skill, pitching requires practice, discipline, and resilience.
It was at this low point that I truly understood that pitching is a lot like sports. You have to keep practicing your craft until you get it right. Each pitch pushed me to rethink my approach, adapt to feedback, and build mental endurance. And just like in sports, you don’t always come out on top, but every attempt makes you stronger.
Applying a Sports Mindset to Innovation Week
Now, I’m gearing up for my next competition through Indie Ignition during #InnovationWeekYYC. It’s an exciting chance to apply everything I’ve learned, and I’m treating it like an athlete preparing for a big game. I’m breaking down my pitch into phases, focusing on perfecting each step: making the first 15 seconds strong enough to “buy” me the next minute, and then building momentum from there.
My “training” consists of practicing my delivery, gathering feedback, and fine-tuning the details. With each round, I’m making incremental improvements, knowing that even if I don’t “win” outright, each pitch makes me stronger. I now view each opportunity as part of my building business resilience training.
Key Takeaways on Building Business Resilience
Here are some lessons I’ve learned on my journey from avoiding competition to building resilience in business as an entrepreneur:
- Persistence Over Perfection: Like in sports, you won’t win every time. But each pitch builds resilience and sharpens your skills.
- Growth Through Feedback: Just as athletes adjust based on coaching, feedback has been essential in refining my pitch. Even tough critiques have helped me improve.
- Redefining Winning: Winning isn’t always about getting a “yes.” It’s also about building confidence, refining your message, and growing stronger in the process.
Conclusion
I never saw myself as an athlete, and never found identity in sports. But as an entrepreneur, I’m discovering what it means to build a sports mentality— to push, to learn, and to stay focused on the goal. Whatever path you’re on, I encourage you to find your own version of the game—a place to build resilience, refine your skills, and keep moving forward.
Curious to see how my pitch evolved? Let me know in the comments!
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