The Dragons' Den Audition Tour is a wrap! Producer Katie Cumby, who's seen her fair share of auditions, shares some thoughts about Canada's most dedicated entrepreneurs. You can see more of Katie's Dragons' Den travels on her Twitter.

It's Saturday, March 2nd, the last day of the 2013 Dragons' Den audition tour. One hundred people have already signed up to audition here in Toronto and it's only 9:00 a.m. (Auditions don't start for another hour!)

As I look at the crowd of business owners, some of them pacing, many of them rehearsing, I realize one thing stays the same, year after year. I can't help but be impressed by the dedication entrepreneurs have not only for their businesses, but also for our show.

As a tribute, I'd like to give a shout out to some of the most dedicated business owners I met on this year's audition tour.

From Near and Far

I'm consistently amazed by the distances people travel to audition for our show. Take, for example, Mary Neeleman of Nigadoo, New Brunswick, a small town 10 minutes outside of Bathurst. She didn't let a snowstorm or a four-hour drive stop her from pitching her reading program to us in Saint John.

Fast forward a couple weeks to our Toronto audition. Cindy Babcock of Cindy's Gluten Free Bakehouse missed her local audition in Sudbury a couple of weeks ago. Determined not to miss the opportunity again, she hopped in her car and drove more than five hours to pitch to our team.

Third Time's a Charm?

Some entrepreneurs are so dedicated that they come back to pitch the same products year after year.

In Halifax, Terry Faye presented Lace Mate, a product that makes tying up skates much easier. As Terry prepared for this presentation, he mentioned that this was at least his third time auditioning. When I asked him why he came back, he said a real entrepreneur never gives up on an opportunity to make an impression.

The Early Bird

Each year, more and more people audition for the show. What that means is that people arrive earlier and earlier to be first in line.

In Ottawa, Carl Jaborek of Woodchuck Enterprises showed up bright-eyed at 5:30 a.m, a full five and a half hours before the audition. Not to be outdone, Lauri Thomson Ascott of The Fryin' Guys camped out the night before her pitch, just to make sure she got a prime spot in Niagara.

Now that the audition tour is over, I'd like to thank the #dedicated entrepreneurs who came out to pitch for our team. These enthusiastic business owners made the audition tour entertaining and ensured that the upcoming season will be the best yet.

Posted on Mar 8, 2013 2:04:48 PM