Even if you missed seeing Barbara Corcoran last Monday, you’ve probably already heard all about her. Still wondering what all the hype’s about? We’ll catch you up!
SASS brought Barbara Corcoran, a tough investor on the hit TV show Shark Tank, to give her speech “Rags to Riches.” The event had a huge turnout – 650 students, staff, and public. She began talking about her childhood and worked her way up to how she got where she is now.
You probably didn’t know that Barbara is one of ten children and grew up in a small town in New Jersey. Because of her large family, her parents never had time to teach her how to read, which was reflected by her straight D’s in school. Although she was referred to as “stupid” by the nuns in school, Barbara’s mother said that she was born with an incredible imagination which would make her successful. And she was certainly right!
While waiting tables one summer, Barbara met Ramone Simone, who she eventually moved to New York City with. He gave her a $1,000 loan that she used to begin the real estate business that would someday turn her into a real estate mogul. Together, their company Corcoran-Simone Real Estate succeeded especially because of Barbara’s imaginative selling techniques.
One of the most interesting take-aways from Barbara’s speech was that she isn’t a genius businesswoman- she’s a genius marketer. She made apartments more appealing by building a half-wall so she could say they had two rooms. She sold 88 poor quality apartments in the worst market downturn by inviting 200 clients to check them out at the same time. And most importantly, she used the press to get the name of her business out there. Her techniques led to her company becoming a million dollar business, gaining attention from Donald Trump, and having Richard Gere as a client.
Barbara never holds back about her failures because she believes they have led to her greatest successes. In fact, the day before her first appearance on Shark Tank, the producers tried to drop Barbara from the show. Barbara’s determination prevented this from happening. Her best business advice is to always have businesses led by two people: a container and an expander. She also says it’s extremely important to keep the element of fun in your business and office atmosphere.
But, if you’ve heard anything about Barbara Corcoran’s speech at all, it was probably about her sassy comments and interactions with the audience members- most importantly, Bryant’s Kevin Tejada. When he approached the microphone to ask a question, it was clear that Barbara had a crush on him, asking him about his shorts. She proceeded to invite him onto the stage and give him a VERY friendly hug. She eventually sent him back to his seat, but not before thanking him for future “wet dreams.”
All in all, Barbara Corcoran was certainly one of the most inspiring, entertaining, and honest speakers we’ve had at Bryant. Thanks for the great event, SASS & Barbara!