Coloradan featured on reality TV show
First came “Shark Tank,” the ABC reality show that asked entrepreneurs to dangle their million-dollar ideas before a row of predatory investors. Then there was “West Texas Investors Club,” the twangy CBNC series that put small-biz wannabes through physical and psychological challenges.
Now there’s “Blue Collar Backers,” the Discovery Channel’s answer to this micro-genre of competitive capitalist television. But unlike the aforementioned shows, “Backers” is less about stunts and over-the-top sales pitches, more about results.
Think of it as a cross between “Shark Tank” and “Bar Rescue” — the latter involving plenty of good advice and real-world rehab. These “backers” aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty as they work to ensure the success of the people they’re helping.
“A lot of times people think they need good credit, outside investors and capital to start a business,” said Ron Douglas, the only Colorado-based backer on the show, which premieres at 8 p.m. MDT on Friday on the Discovery Channel. “None of that’s true.”
Douglas, a father of seven who lives outside Frederick, isa former Texas army brat and self made millionaire whose philosophies clash with the investmentobsessed startup culture of the tech world. He calls the quest to secure millions in funding — months or years before a profit is ever realized — “a joke and a waste of time for most people.”
“I’m more low-key. I don’t owe anybody anything,” said Douglas, 42. “You start with what you have in your pocket and do it as fast as possible. Instead of raising money I’m focused on creating a brand or a model. Lots of people have the passion, just not the direction. I’m the navigator.”
On the show’s first episode, Douglas, clad in his signature overalls and brown, wide-brimmed hat, helps reinvigorate Denver’s Elevate Bikes & Boards, consulting with owner and founder Brian Klees and donating $20,000 in equipment to the shop while Klees handles the physical renovation.
“In November our store was robbed and it almost put us out of business,” said Klees, 43, of the shop at 2395 S. Downing St. “Ron hooked me up with a new ski machine, which tunes skis and snowboards, and a new pointof-sale system. It was just perfect timing for us. And now Discovery has approached us about having the first-ever bike shop reality show.”
Douglas’s fee? Fifty percent of the increased profit for six months. And a bike.
“I just look at things differently, I guess,” Douglas said when asked about the differences between his approach and shows like “Shark Tank.” “This is a person’s dream. I don’t think I should own 50 percent of their dream for the rest of their lives. And with this bike shop, any time one of my kids needs a bike I could get it at cost or free. Brian’s part of my network now, and that means a lot.”
Independent-minded reality shows seem to be a good fit for Colorado lately. The DIY Network series “Raise the Roof,” which features Denver real estate contractor Keith Nylund popping the tops on houses, premiered on Aug. 16. An as-yet-untitled reality show from InTroubleZone Productions, featuring Denver real estate company Steps, is filming scenes at Little Man Ice Cream in the Lower Highland neighborhood and in Boulder this week.
But “Backers,” which has been promoted heavily via Discovery Channel over the past few weeks, has the potential to reach more people than both of those shows combined. That makes the otherwise calm, low-key Douglas — who also serves as president of the National Self Reliance Organization, which runs emergency preparedness expos and training — a little nervous.
“Somebody stopped me in a Home Depot and said, ‘I’ve seen you somewhere and I can’t quite figure out where. But I know those overalls!’ ” Douglas said. “I’ve been filming so much lately I haven’t had time to sit down and watch any TV, but it sounds like (the ads) are all over.”
Whether or not the show is a hit, Douglas plans to keep practicing his brand of entrepreneurship and helping struggling businesses that no one else will.
“It has a lot to do with instinct and the person when I meet them,” Douglas said of his decisionmaking. “Are they passionate? Do they have a deep knowledge of what they’re talking about? And I make sure to meet them at the car. Is their car completely trashed and disorganized? Is their business completely trashed? If it’s a salvage yard, I could care less. I started out flipping cars.