Sarasota runner gets big boost for his business

SARASOTA, Fla. — Cole Piotrowski used to put in long hours as an 800 and 1,500-meter runner at the University of Mississippi. Now, he’s chasing entrepreneurial success, and he just got a big head start.

Piotrowski, a Sarasota resident, recently won the Southeastern Conference’s “SEC Start Up,” a business-pitch competition modeled after the television show “Shark Tank.” Representing Ole Miss, Piotrowski presented his company, Godors, a deodorizing spray designed for athletic gear and fabrics. But his practice on the track didn't quite mirror his practice for his sales pitch.

"My dad told me, 'Just stop practicing,'" Piotrowski said with a laugh. "When I got there, I didn’t practice at all. I went five minutes over my time, but they didn’t have a clock or anything. But the judges were pretty engaged, and they were asking some good questions. So I just kept going."

WATCH: Sarasota runner gets big boost for his business

Despite the nerves, Piotrowski’s lengthy pitch earned top honors.

"The host and one of the judges talked about how there could only be one winner. Then they both made eye contact with me. So I was like 'Shoot! I might win this thing.'"

The victory came with a $10,000 prize, which Piotrowski said is already being reinvested into the business.

"A lot of that capital will go to paid ads, on campaigns, just building the brand awareness," he said. "As well as infrastructure for larger, wholesale orders."

Godors, which is manufactured in Sarasota, distinguishes itself by listing all its ingredients clearly on the label — a rarity in its market. The spray is designed to be family-safe and environmentally friendly.

"If you’re a family, and you’re spraying it on your kids' stuff, you’re spraying it in your home, and you’re inhaling it for a little bit of time, and it’s touching your kid’s skin… You want it to be the highest quality stuff, and you want it to be safe," Piotrowski explained.

Piotrowski, who admits that he's his own biggest critic, said his competitive mindset from athletics carries over into business.

"I like self-improvement. I like days when I feel like I move the ball forward," he added. "I’m just very self-critical. I want to succeed really badly, too. I’m willing to do anything I can to get a little bit better."

His advice to aspiring entrepreneurs? Take the leap.

“Go for it. Swing,” he said. "Worse comes to worst, you lose a little bit of time and a little bit of money. But you learn a lot, too, and you can be proud of yourself. And you don’t look back on it thinking like, 'What if, what if?'"

For more information about Piotrowski's journey and his product, head to godors.com.