How Barbara Corcoran Turned $1,000 into a $5B+ Empire (Plus: PR Stunts, Sales Techniques, and More)

Barbara Corcoran has been an investor/Shark for the past 15 seasons on ABC’s four-time Emmy-award-winning show, Shark Tank. She is also the founder of an eponymous real-estate company, which she started with a $1,000 loan after leaving her job as a waitress in New York City. Over the next 25 years, she would parlay that $1,000 into a $5 billion real-estate business. Barbara is the host of the top business channel on Patreon, Barbara in Your Pocket, which provides exclusive content created for entrepreneurs at every level.
Barbara in Your Pocket: / barbaracorcoran
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[00:00] Preview
[01:09] Barbara’s fake funeral.
[03:38] Where Barbara’s knack for PR originated.
[05:23] Storytelling.
[06:48] Early business wins.
[10:02] What Barbara learned about competition as one of 10 kids.
[12:44] Early jobs: Barbara’s real education.
[15:49] Dyslexia and dodging the victim mindset.
[18:43] Barbara’s first company.
[22:44] Why Barbara didn’t begrudge her first business partner’s romantic betrayal.
[24:45] The value of enthusiasm.
[25:50] From almost-evicted to exclusive agent.
[29:34] Early recruitment gimmicks.
[31:43] Being the only woman in the room.
[33:46] Rules and systems.
[36:46] Experiments, innovations, and mistakes.
[39:25] Homes on Tape and puppy sales.
[44:23] Esther Kaplan’s persuasive purse.
[46:44] Sales 101 with Barbara.
[53:03] How Barbara stays active.
[55:03] Butting heads with Donald Trump.
[1:00:58] Picking battles.
[1:03:43] How Barbara fell in love with trailer park life.
[1:10:03] Why Barbara only hires happy people now.
[1:11:26] Barbara In Your Pocket.
[1:13:44] What gives Barbara the most energy these days?
[1:14:46] Barbara’s billboard.
[1:15:55] Parting thoughts and proposals.
Resources from this episode: tim.blog/2024/03/06/barbara-c...
Tim Ferriss is one of Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Business People” and an early-stage tech investor/advisor in Uber, Facebook, Twitter, Shopify, Duolingo, Alibaba, and 50+ other companies. He is also the author of five #1 New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers: The 4-Hour Workweek, The 4-Hour Body, The 4-Hour Chef, Tools of Titans and Tribe of Mentors. The Observer and other media have named him “the Oprah of audio” due to the influence of his podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show, which has exceeded 900 million downloads and been selected for “Best of Apple Podcasts” three years running.
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[@timferriss]

This episode is brought to you by: Shopify global commerce platform, providing tools to start, grow, market, and manage a retail business: shopify.com/tim (one-dollar-per-month trial period) Eight Sleep’s Pod Cover sleeping solution for dynamic cooling and heating: eightsleep.com/tim (save $200 on the Pod Cover) AG1 all-in-one nutritional supplement: drinkag1.com/tim (1-year supply of Vitamin D (and 5 free AG1 travel packs) with your first subscription purchase.)

[@bodyofgratitude]

Omg the ending is the best. Love Barbara 😅💞

[@pdqautosupplies8247]

I've been listening to Tim's podcast for years and they are all great but this is the first one I found myself smiling through the entire episode. What a fun episode!

[@mahsa2]

Tim you ARE a great interviewer and conversationalist , one can always be sure to learn new thing about a person in conversation with you even if one has read or heard many of their interviews before. that's what gives your podcast an edge so please keep going.

[@0607Darr]

I almost wrote this episode off because it was short and I assumed it might have been a dud conversation, but I'm very happy to be wrong. Really good engagement between Tim and Barbara, useful anecdotes, and interesting takeaways. Great episode!

[@nathanprestwich]

Like many, I was of course aware of Barbara Corcoran but I never really knew much about her. She was an incredible guest and I would consider myself a fan moving forward. One of the best for Tim

[@Stephanie-tl5is]

This is hands down the best Tim Ferriss Episode! Bloody loved it!

[@WildWest144]

I dont have heros but Barbara Corcoran is one of my all time favourite people in business to listen to. She is pure fire.

[@Choscura]

Tim, you're shaking the camera every time you touch the desk. you don't need to change the physical setup for the recording, but 1) the best physical fix is a wall mount, and 2) the best post-production fix is a stabilization pass that will lock the orientation of the video to the background, so that the movements happen around that "meta frame".

[@UnschoolingCOM]

“I Was a Terrible Student, Labelled The Dumb Kid Because I Couldn’t Read Or Write Till I Was In 7th Grade” ~ Barbara Corcoran

[@mcwarllc]

This lady is incredible!

[@makatsulukidze2417]

I listened to this first but had to see the genius ending!! No matter how many millions of podcasters come along, you are still the best, Tim!

[@jonathan_ayala]

Her joy and optimism is such an inspiration. Thank you Tim! This was fantastic!

[@bqpdobqpd]

She really does seem like a genuinely happy person🥰

[@ThinkSlinger]

Wow!! Fantastic interview! I picked up my dyslexic teenage son from his girlfriends house while I was listening and told him I will listen to the whole thing again with him. And the ending!! 🎉 Barbara you are so charming-you made Tim blush! ❤🥰 So entertaining, I’m going to share with all of my fellow real estate agents!

[@laroche3055]

Finally! A Barbara Corcoran episode! Thanks both for this wonderful interview 🥰

[@bethaustin1884]

My favorite Ferris podcast to date! Excellent interview and you both seemed to truly enjoy each other. A pleasure to watch

[@NunoCordeiroPT]

The entire thing is GREAT, but at @20:50 I fell in love with this lady. Funny, vulnerable, relatable, smart, witty. Perfect content from a perfect guest.

[@michelleandaya]

Omg that proposal! The best episode ever!

[@santoshchaudhary5620]

I am glad that I get to spend an hour with Barbara. I love her and appreciate more. She had to overcome a lot to get to where she is at. She never gave up even though she had to move around jobs until she found her passion. I appreciate her honesty and humbleness. Such a down to earth lady. Most important thing I am going to add to my life is have fun. Please bring more humble people like her to your podcast Tim. Love it.

[@eleezaaa]

What a wholesome lovely interview. Really really enjoyed it. Thank you 🙏🏼

[@billy7951]

Barbara's interviews are always great!

[@addi2014]

I love this Episode. Tim as alway you got good question so we can hear Barbra’s wisdom. The last conversation was so entertaining I watched it 5x. 😂

[@phyllissong]

Barbara Corcoran's journey from a $1,000 loan to building a billion-dollar business is a masterclass in determination. Her perspective, "I saw myself as a competitor," highlights the power of resilience and self-belief in overcoming any obstacle.

[@narizdemar]

really good questions, and answers ...great interview! thanks.

[@mookyma]

Truly a great interview with an amazing lady. Love every second of it!

What a great conversation. It left me feeling optimistic and motivated 😊

[@leilanibrown7437]

So engaging. Every minute of this interview had me smiling or listening intently to what Barbara had to say. She’s so much fun!

[@auriemusic4749]

What a great interview. Thanks Tim. Such a pleasure listening to Barbara.

[@richnurse]

Hahahahah the last bit of the interview😂😂😂 I love her!!!! Thank you for the great interview Tim

[@emmaluciaev1938]

Tim was blushing hahahaha 😍love it

[@hennessy69]

Brilliant. There has to be a follow-up after an ending like that. She is amazing.

[@Finite8614]

She is awesome, a very refreshing person

[@leahrosen3499]

Loved this!

[@AndyFingersmith]

What an amazing and profound interview. Both are excepcional. Thank you for all the pearls in your conversation. Barbara is a Goddess. Tim is the best soul researcher of our time.

[@VioletYeo]

Learnt a lot from Barbara, enjoy this episode totally!

[@choixmelchoir4325]

What a bloody episode! My word that was good!

[@Adrienne557]

What a great interview! I wish I could have been in the room. Barbara is magnetic. Great leaders are great story tellers. It's a central theme of Doris Goodwin's classic, "Leadership: In Turbulent Times".

[@jeffstout77]

Great interview!!!😀

[@zozomo6307]

Great interview, great billboard statement!

[@JohnRamstedt]

Really great episode Tim👍

[@eleezaaa]

Loved the ending!!! 😂😂😂 1:16:15

[@suprbent]

Inspiring

[@theanniewooding]

So great 😁

[@kylewatson2972]

She's fantastic

[@makatsulukidze2417]

And she made you blush, tough guy!

[@jillianhull-og5ef]

I loved this episode more than any other. I am honestly surprised. She made me laugh and made me think. And she totally charmed you. You looked happy. More cool, innovative and fun-loving women, please.

[@Philca1]

Facts tell.... Stories sell.....

[@peterparkerlovesmj]

I’d love to open instagram one morning and see a photo of these two out on a date 😂 Tim, you need a woman like Barb to bring out your silly side!

[@leadgenjay]

Barbara's journey from a $1,000 loan to a $5 billion empire is truly inspiring. For entrepreneurs, remember that leveraging unique selling propositions in your market can create immense value, just as Barbara did with her real estate business. It's about finding that gap in the market and filling it better than anyone else.

[@revankampf]

Haha! Irish BS! Stories is humanities first past time! Awesome interview and people!

[@karencameron220]

In 2024,don't set new year financial goals without consulting a financial adviser.there expertise ensure a solid plan for success.Building wealth involves developing good habits like regular putting money away in intervals for solid investments.

[@alexiahenr8312]

Thanks for the advice! I'm new to financial planning and wasn't sure where to start.Any tips on finding a reliable financial adviser or resource to guide beginners?

[@Richardhernadez369]

I agree, based on personal experience working with an investment advisor, I currently have $650k in a well diversified portfolio, that has experienced exponential growth. It is not about having money to invest in stocks,but also you need to be knowledgeable, persistent,and have strong hands to back it up.

[@derickgarrett7025]

How can I participate in this?I sincerely aspire to establish a secure financial future and am eager to participate.who is the driving force behind your success?.

[@Richardhernadez369]

Marie Ann Treloar

[@Richardhernadez369]

She has been my counselor and coach.

[@-TroyStory-]

How? By churning out a bunch of bullshit apparently… her words, not mine. 😝

[@DCresident123]

So her trait was bullshitting and lying?

[@StevenLoby]

I’m Barbara because I’m not a man I’m out

[@aalucyaf-zp5ut]

She's amazing. Wow, loved everything, specially the marriage proposal 😂❤️

[@concretejungle9608]

She looks better than some women half her age

[@tanjeetstephens5730]

Nope...no robo empires needed....it's all coming from the same place.... highly unnecessary....

[@PangetKano]

The low production value is why I never watch this podcast, despite being a follower since 4HWW. Gamer headset on Skype? Come on Tim, put some effort in on production, you’re a great interviewer - put the whole package together.

[@highestranked]

noob

[@bencampbell4546]

1. Have you seen any other episodes at all? 2. Tim likes pure audio better than video 3. Do you really think Tim Ferriss didn't want an in person interview with all the bells and whistles? If you do, you haven't listened to any of his podcasts. I would guess he said "This is going to be such an awesome conversation, great for the viewers, great for myself, and this is the only time that our schedules line up, the production wont be ideal, but if people listen, they will see past the zoom call & get the real value from Barb." Wake up my guy, not everything of value is over produced.

[@PangetKano]

⁠@@bencampbell4546 Having quality audio is over produced? His setup is terrible for audio and video. His podcast is dying because he puts zero effort into it, other than thoughtful interviews. I lived the 4HWW life, lived overseas most my adult life on passive income. I love most of his work, but his podcasts have always struck me as amateur hour. As a creative professional I just don’t respect it. My opinion, feel free to disagree.

[@aalucyaf-zp5ut]

You want superficial focus on the visual setting? Go watch that useless social climber former bartender reality show ignorant loser Chris Williamson, who has absolutely no personal knowledge or skills, but has skyrocketed thanks to making friends with famous people. Tim Ferris is a genius who does not need any special setting because he is a self-made true master of his craft.