‘I spoke from my heart’

DANIELLE WAS feeling the pinch, but still plugging away. At the same time, she was enrolled in a business course in Argentina, and someone there suggested she reach out to Sandra Glasgow, cofounder and manager of FirstAngelsJa, Jamaica’s first angel investor network, which had been established in mid-2014.

Danielle made contact and told them her story, and before long, DRT Communications was on its way to becoming the first company in the Caribbean to receive investment from a formal angel network. But it was not an easy journey.

“One day, I’m sitting with Sandra and I think I’m going in there big and boasty, with my business idea and my financial statements just ready – Shark Tank kinda thing – and she just beat me up – not in a bad way,” she laughed.

Danielle made the adjustments suggested, and met with Sandra a second time.

“She said, ‘Do your pitch.’ And she beat me up again, but she really walked me through it.”

After fine-tuning the pitch, it was time for the real thing that September. But how do you face a room of 18 people, including some of the biggest, most illustrious names in the regional business sphere?

“On my way down to the presentation, I texted two of my girlfriends and one of their husbands to send me some scriptures. I needed something to hold on to,” she recalled.

One of those verses was Philippians 1:6: “Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

“And I went in and just got into my groove. What I realise is that I spoke from my heart. I took my passion for what I was going to do into that room.”

ATTRACTIVE INVESTMENT

Danielle believes there are several factors that made DRT Communications an attractive investment for the angels: the business was already operational and earning revenue, and it was compliant. Her character and that of the existing directors also played a part, as they were ready and willing to take advice and direction from potential investors. And, of course, they saw the potential in the novel yet much-needed media-monitoring solution she had pitched. Once the deal was done, Danielle was able to retire the cash-draining DBJ loan and make room for more patient capital. Since the investment, DRT has experienced nearly 100 percent growth in its human resources, as well as a 140 per cent increase in revenue. She is grateful for that infusion, but “the most valuable part of the investment is in terms of access to individuals who have a stake in your company, who have themselves grown businesses and expanded throughout the Caribbean. I am able to bounce ideas and concerns on the board and feel totally at ease,” she said. “We’re held to a higher level of accountability by having a board of directors in place that sets targets and pushes for a strategic and long-term outlook.”

“... I went in and just got into my groove . ... I took my passion for what I was going to do into that room.’