"I think I cried" — When Shark Tank's Robert Herjavec reflected on his first betrayal

Shark Tank investor Robert Herjavec reminisced about the early days of his career in a conversation with Toronto Waterfront Magazine. In the interview released on September 13, 2023, he shared a story about the first time someone betrayed his trust and how he learned to deal with it over the years.

He revealed that he was in disbelief when someone betrayed him, and that experience brought him to tears.

"I remember the first time somebody did something bad to me. I couldn’t believe it. I thought the world was going to end. I felt my soul leave my body. I think I cried. Today I don’t remember what they did,' he said.

The Shark Tank star compared individuals who achieve great things to those who don't, emphasizing that the key difference lies in how long a person allows themselves to wallow in their struggles.

Robert Herjavec explained that in the past he used to dwell on his misfortunes for days, allowing negativity to consume him. He added that nowadays, even though he still feels bad about the "sh*tty things" that happened to him, he makes sure that he doesn't invest too much time into it and tries to get over it.

"Today I have sh*tty things that happen to me and I feel really bad about it for a couple minutes then I realize I’ve just got to move on. Back then, I would wallow in misery for days. That’s the difference," he said.

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Shark Tank investor Robert Herjavec reflects on his "dark days"

In the same interview with Toronto Waterfront Magazine, Shark Tank star Robert Herjavec opened up about the difficulties he once faced in his marriage, which led him to a "dark" place. To lift himself out of it, he chose to focus on helping others, and this decision ultimately had a positive impact on his mental well-being.

While discussing this incident, Robert categorized it as one of those times when people feel uncertain about their future.

"It was one of those dark days that so many people have when you actually don’t think there’s going to be a tomorrow. You’re in that depth of despair," he said.

During this period, he reached out to his close friend, John McAuley, a priest, who helped him navigate through the situation and find clarity. His friend advised him to go to a homeless shelter in Seattle to help people who were in need.

The Shark Tank star noted that, at the time, he felt completely devoid of hope. He believed that by encouraging him to help those in need, his priest friend wanted him to realize how grateful he should be for his own life.

"[McAuley] said to go to this place in Seattle and it will lift your soul. I was devoid of hope, and without hope, there is no life. I think he just wanted to show me how grateful I should be for what I have," he shared.

When Robert arrived at the Seattle shelter, he noticed that even though the people staying there had lesser things and harder lives, they had more hope, positivity, and a greater sense of fulfillment than he did.

The Shark Tank investor shared that he was initially confused as to how the people could have a positive attitude despite their condition. But through this experience, Robert realized that a person's inner strength ultimately depends on their mindset and attitude.

"Even though they had less and their lives were worse, they had more hope, more positivity and their souls were fuller than mine. And I’m thinking, “How can that be? They have nothing!” I realized it all comes down to you," he said.

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Shark Tank season 16 episodes air every Friday on ABC.