'It was so bittersweet': Dublin mum pays tribute to late brother after Dragons’ Den success
Sharon Keegan said she and her dad 'laughed and cheered and then cried' after she successfully pitched to the Dragons
A Dublin entrepreneur has paid tribute to her late brother after her pitch to Dragons’ Den was successful.
Sharon Keegan, CEO and founder of popular Irish athleisure brand Peachylean appeared on British television in search of cash investments for her business.
Keegan asked for a £100,000 (€115k) investment in return for 11% of her business, Peachylean Ltd, and was successful, with three of the five Dragons offering her cash investments.
Speaking after the show, Keegan said she used to watch Dragons’ Den with her father and her late brother, Alan.
“The BBC Dragons’ Den was a show I watched with my father and brother and is a nostalgic weekend watch,” she said.
“Having suffered a tragic loss this year, I decided to honour my brother and take part in the show. Little did I know all my dreams would come true.”
She said her dad was waiting outside the studio and it was a “bittersweet” moment when she told him of her success.
“My dad was waiting in the dressing room for the news. It was so bittersweet to come out and tell him. We laughed and cheered and then cried, we both wanted Alan there with us.”
In Dragons’ Den, budding entrepreneurs get three minutes to pitch their business ideas to five multimillionaires who are willing to invest their own cash into the businesses.
The most recent episode was filmed in line with Covid-19 restrictions last year and saw Keegan approach the five Dragons: Deborah Meaden, Peter Jones, Sara Davies, Tej Lalvani and Touker Suleyman.
Keegan said she was nervous about meeting one Dragon in particular.
“The Dragons were so lovely. I was a little afraid of Peter going in, as he has a history of being a little harsh but the whole team at the BBC are lovely and so positive about the brand.
“Pitching was the easy part, it was dealing with my inner ‘dragon’ first that was the struggle, my inner voice telling me I was crazy to do such a thing. Once I overcame this I was good to go. I felt my brother gave me strength on the evening. I was so calm, emotional but calm.”
Keegan became tearful as she told the Dragons about the community she has built through the brand.
“We ask women at the start of their journey with us to tell us their ultimate goal and dream,” she said.
“One woman hadn't left the house in four years, and she emailed me with a photograph in a pair of leggings, to tell me that she walked her daughter to school for the first time. We're living in really tough times, and people are struggling. Yes, it’s spandex and nylon but we’re so much more than that.”
Keegan established Peachylean in 2018 and it now boasts an all-female design and management team. The brand’s ethos is to support women to move for their minds and gain confidence and self-esteem. Its aim is to empower women and encourage them to love themselves.
Peachylean came about after Keegan overcame postnatal depression and lost five stone after becoming a mum to her two boys, Liam and Bob. She felt compelled to help other women going through similar experiences and developed Peachylean to offer love, compassion, and support, for everybody and every type of body. Its award-winning range now sells worldwide.
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