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In a conversation with Professor Ashish K. Bhatia on his podcast on March 4, 2025, Shark Tank mentor Barbara Corcoran shared her perspective on handling rejection in business. During their discussion, Barbara shared that setbacks are "part of the game" in entrepreneurship.
"Rejections are part of the game. If you don't like rejection, what are you doing as an entrepreneur? You get like 10 no's for every single yes you ever get," she shared.
Shark Tank mentor Barbara Corcoran talked about how important it is to be tough, saying that entrepreneurs who can quickly get rejections are the ones who will succeed. Barbara, who has had a long career in real estate and investing, said how rejection is often seen as a failure when it's really a chance to grow.
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She pointed out that people who can learn from this experience and use feedback to improve themselves usually end up succeeding.
Shark Tank mentor Barbara's view about the role of rejection in entrepreneurship
Shark Tank mentor Barbara Corcoran highlighted that persistence in the face of repeated "no's" is what ultimately leads to breakthroughs.
"You have to hit the floor running and take a lot of rejection for a long time before you should decide to stop," she explained.
According to Barbara, the key to handling rejection effectively is not taking it personally. Instead, entrepreneurs should analyze what went wrong and use the feeback to refine their approach. When asked about how entrepreneurs can practice handling rejection, Barbara responded:
"The only way to practice rejection is to keep trying new ideas, new pitches, new sales tactics, and letting people laugh at you or tell you it's no good. You learn from those experiences very quickly."
She said that to become resilient, one needs to face failures in real life and learn how to quickly "bounce back" instead of giving up.
Barbara on knowing when to keep going or stop
The podcast host Ashish Bhatia discussed about entrepreneurs often wondering whether rejection means they should keep trying or move on. Shark Tank star Barbara explained that understanding oneself is important in making this decision.
"The difference that you should evaluate as a potential entrepreneur is how good are you of rejections. How quickly can you get back up?" she shared.
Barbara said that if someone takes too long to recover from rejection, running a business may not be the best fit for them. She mentioned that successful entrepreneurs know when to change their approach instead of quitting.
"If they don't get up quickly and take rejection too personally, forget it. They shouldn't be in business," she added.
She further said that instead of going ahead without thinking, one should use failure as feedback to try new things and improve their business plan, sales techniques, or presentation skills.
Elsewhere in the interview, Barbara spoke about the importance of taking the plunge into entrepreneurship with the right mindset. She explained that while some leaps are impulsive, others are well-thought-out.
According to her, the key is making a calculated decision rather than rushing in without preparation. She advised entrepreneurs to commit fully once they decide to move forward, as hesitation often leads to regrets.
New episodes of Shark Tank season 16 air every Friday, exclusively on ABC.
