Madico Flex Participants Prepare for Competition with Local Entrepreneurs 

Picture yourself walking into a room with twenty-five other entrepreneurs, all competing for the same $10,000 prize. You have ten minutes to convince a panel of judges that your business deserves their investment over everyone else’s. Your heart is racing. What do you say? 

That was the challenge Mark and Anne Lackey helped teenage entrepreneurs prepare for during a recent coaching session at Strickland Ace Hardware in Danielsville, ahead of a “Shark Tank”–style competition. Five Madison County High School students are participating in the Madison County Chamber of Commerce’s second season of Madico Flex, part of the Georgia Flex program. One local winner will go on to the state competition where they will have the chance to receive a $10,000 investment to launch their business. 

The Lackeys, founders of HireSmart Cares, a nonprofit that helps K-12 students develop job-ready skills, drew on years of entrepreneurial experience and thousands of pitches to help students sharpen their presentations and think like business owners. Their session addressed everything from mindset and body language to financial clarity and closing the deal. 

Here are a few of the problems they addressed: 

Problem #1: The Boring Introduction Trap 

The Lackeys showed students how quickly a pitch can fail if it opens with generic facts. A flat introduction explaining what a business does gives judges no emotional reason to care. But a strong opening puts the listener into a problem they recognize immediately. 

Consider the difference: 

The Wrong Way: “Hi, I’m Alex and my business is called Green Lawn Services. We provide lawn care and landscaping services for residential customers.” 

The Right Way: “It’s Saturday morning. You’re looking out your window at your overgrown lawn. You know it needs mowing. But you’ve got your daughter’s soccer game at ten, groceries to buy, and a family birthday party at three. By the time Sunday rolls around, it’s supposed to rain all week. Your yard becomes the eyesore of the neighborhood, yet again. Hi, I’m Alex, and I solve that problem by taking lawn care off your weekend to-do list so you can actually enjoy your Saturdays.” 

The first version lists services. The second paints a picture of a real emotional experience. Mark told the students that by the time they introduce their name, the audience should already be thinking, “Yes, I need that solution.” 

Problem #2: Mindset Sabotage 

Anne told students the biggest obstacle to winning is internal. She explained that people rarely achieve outcomes they have not mentally accepted as possible.  

Mark added that visualization must lead directly to action. Picture yourself winning, then immediately identify the work required to earn it.  

Language matters, too. Phrases like “if I win” subtly signal doubt. The Lackeys urged students to say “when I win” and mean it, noting such a mindset shift becomes evident without uttering any words. 

Problem #3: Winning the First Impression Before You Speak 

Anne pointed out that 20 percent of the competition’s judging equation focuses on appearance, confidence, and delivery, and not the business idea itself.  

She said professional appearance does not mean expensive outfits, but dressing intentionally and appropriate for your business. Body language matters just as much. Slouching, crossed arms, or avoiding eye contact undermine credibility before a word is spoken. 

To help students overcome nerves, Anne led them through an exercise she calls the “Starfish” position, standing wide and exposed to become comfortable being seen. She said “becoming comfortable being uncomfortable” is the key to reducing fear and building confidence under pressure. 

Problem #4: Unclear Financials Sink Deals 

When students discussed pricing, the Lackeys pushed them to think like investors. Anne walked through a real-time calculation with a photography student, breaking down labor hours, equipment costs, and profit margins. 

Her point was simple: revenue is not profit, and judges will expect entrepreneurs to understand the difference. Investors want to know how and when they will see a return. 

Problem #5: Forgetting Your Call to Action 

Mark closed by reminding students that pitches exist for one reason: to secure funding. If you do not explicitly ask for the investment, you will not receive it. 

Mark and Anne encouraged students to frame their request around community impact. Judges are not just investing in a business, but in local economic growth. Clearly stating how the funds will be used, and how that investment benefits Madison County and Georgia, turns a pitch into a shared vision instead of just a personal request. 

While the competition will award just one $10,000 investment, its real return goes deeper. By teaching students how to think, speak, and act like business owners, the Madico Flex program and mentors like the Lackeys are building skills that extend beyond a single pitch or competition. These young entrepreneurs are learning how to create value, solve real problems, and contribute to the economic future of Madison County. 

To learn more about the Madison County Chamber of Commerce and the Madico Flex program, visit www.madisoncountyga.org.  

To learn more about HireSmart Cares, visit www.hiresmartcares.org.