Barbara Corcoran

Shark Tank Biography

Barbara Corcoran's credits include straight D's in high school and college and 20 jobs by the time she turned 23. It was her next job that would make her one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the country: She borrowed $1,000 and quit her job as a waitress to start a tiny real estate company in New York City. Over the next 25 years Barbara would parlay that $1,000 loan into a $5 billion real estate business, building the largest and best-known brand in the business.

Corcoran is the author of the bestseller Shark Tales: How I Turned $1,000 into a Billion Dollar Business!

Corcoran is a motivational and inspirational speaker. She is a frequent small business and real estate contributor on every major network. Corcoran has been an investor/Shark for the past nine seasons on ABC's three-time Emmy award winning show Shark Tank.

In fact, in a Parade Magazine interview, Barbara has stated that Shark Tank helped her build a second career:^[1]

On the notoriety of the Shark Tank platform, I’ve built a lucrative second career growing small brands into powerhouses. Working with the entrepreneurs is a huge part of what I do every day and helping them make their dreams come true is deeply satisfying! But it’s also hugely profitable! My well-paid endorsement deals and speeches are a big part of my business today and everything is a result of working being a Shark on Shark Tank.

She also had a funny response to how long she intends to stay on the show.

"If I’m lucky, I hope to die in my seat and help ratings!"

Follow Barbara on Twitter and Instagram: @BarbaraCorcoran

(source)

Shark Comparison

Barbara consistently invests the least amount of money among all of the sharks. She also invests in the fewest number of companies. In fact, it wasn't until the tenth episode of Season Eleven that she even made a deal on the latest season.

However, this may reveal both an aversion to risk and a desire to only invest in gems as Barbara's companies appear to be featured more often in Shark Tank updates and, as a whole, appear to have been more successful on average than those invested in by other sharks.

If you think that the deals she offers might be on the "sharky" side, well... you'd be right...

Additional Information

Barbara has also been a guest on NPRs How I Built This.

Barbara commented to CNBC that her iconic fur coat seen worn in pictures was the first purchase she made with a commission check to "dress the part."

Barbara also appeared on an episode of Say Yes To The Dress, going to Kleinfeld's with a fiancée of one of the entrepreneurs from Cousins Maine Lobster.

Notes