In doing so, she became the first woman from Atlantic Canada to succeed.
Stegemann appeared on tonight's show pitching her product called The 7 Virtues, fragrances made with legal plant oils grown in countries experiencing war or strife.
While it initially sounds like a charitable non-profit the Dragons would laugh out of the Den, she says it's quite the opposite
"We are not charitable, we are philanthropic, we buy fair-market wage."
This encourages farmers in Afghanistan to stop selling the poppy (opium) or marijuana, she said.
"Ninety per cent of world's heroin is created from Afghan poppy crop . . . it's in the streets of Toronto, Vancouver and Halifax and it's in our best interest to get them (Afghans) off the poppy crop."
But the interest to the Dragons: "The farmers make money, the retailers make money and we make money," she says.
Her ask: $75,000 for 15 per cent of the company.
Out of approximately 5,000 people who audition for the show, only about 20 get deals. Stegemann knew the odds were not in her favour.
"We went in the green room and that was overwhelming because you are staring at the video (old episodes of people getting kicked out of the Den)," says Stegemann. "You start to get a little nauseous."
She was then taken to makeup before going to a place she likes to call the "plank". "It probably is for some," she says, referring to the bridge participants walk along as they enter the Den.
"On TV it looks so ominous because they have the music, but that doesn't happen in real life," she says.
"They (the Dragons) don't look at you thinking, 'Okay I want to slaughter this person'. You can tell they are very intelligent, amazing people ready for you to wow them, so you set the tone."
She walked into the den and quickly explained her product, but doesn't remember much after that. "When you are in there finally, it's an absolute blur."
Stegemann was inspired after her friend was seriously injured in Afghanistan about four years ago. She was looking for a way to support the mission. When she read an article about an Afghan man who was trying to sell plant oils, but couldn't because the Taliban kept destroying his distillery, she knew what she could do. She tracked him down and started buying his oils.
When Brett asked what inspired her, Stegemann told the story about her friend. Some of the dragons started crying. "I don't know how long they were crying for, because it is frozen in time."
While Brett, Arlene and Jim all go in on the deal Stegemann, Brett is the only Dragon remaining since the show taped last May.
When Brett asks if they have a deal, Stegemann asked if he would provide wisdom and counsel as well. "I wasn't going just for money, you can get money anywhere," she says. "Brett became my mentor immediately."
With mentorship and money from Brett, The 7 Virtues fragrances exploded into 12 Bay stores in major Canadian cities and they are planning to expand to the rest of Canada. They have also secured trademark rights in the U.S. and Europe and hope to expand there. They currently have two fragrances from Afghanistan on shelves and are developing one from Haiti.
"I would tell them (people looking to succeed on the show) do your homework . . . call venture capitalists in your community and ask for a bit of time and go pitch," Stegemann said. "They will be brutally honest with you without the cameras rolling. Then go in the Den and do it right."
She hopes her example will inspire others to take their ideas out of the garage.
(Image courtesy of Barb Stegemann)
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