Remembering how it all started
Next week CBC will be re-airing the Dragons Den episode when our intrepid founder Alicia Woods first went onto the show to pitch Covergalls!
It's been seven years since that first pitch and so much has changed for us. Now, as we anticipate its release, we can't help but remember how and why it all started:
When Alicia first went underground into a mine, she was given personal protective equipment (PPE) - a hard hat, gloves, coveralls, a belt - but the experience was uncomfortable and unpleasant.
“I was given the smallest men’s sizes but nothing fit properly and it wasn’t convenient, especially if I had to use the washroom facilities, which are typically a port-a-potty,” explained Alicia back in 2014 for the Financial Post.
Alternative options weren't great, and options of fitted PPE and coveralls for women didn't really exist.
“You had to take everything off. It was a nightmare," says Alicia.
For years, she tried to find some kind of women's coverall. One day Alicia took matters into her own hands: she decided to make her own pair.
With some support and hard work, Alicia took the idea to Dragons Den in 2014.
The rest is history.
Alicia shows off Covergalls on Dragons' Den
To make bold change, you have to take bold action.
That's what Alicia did years ago on Dragons Den. Today you can see what this "I can and I will" attitude has done. In the past eight years we've grown beyond what we could have imagined with providing PPE.
Amazing right? It's something we look back on with pride.
Join us in watching this hallmark moment for Alicia by checking out Dragons Den AUGUST 30, 2021 at 11:00 AM ET (11:30 NT) on CBC Television.
And don't forget to join the Den discussion! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram along with @ cbcdragon, and use the hashtags #cbcdragonsden #covergalls.