"You have to be authentic" — Shark Tank mentor Barbara Corcoran shares her opinion on the power of being genuine

Shark Tank mentor and real estate entrepreneur Barbara Corcoran joined Ashish Bhatia on his podcast on March 4, 2025, to share her insights on entrepreneurship, resilience, and authenticity. She emphasized the importance of staying true to oneself in business, saying,

"You have to be authentic. People know the difference if you're not. Besides, if you're not yourself, everything else is taken, so you might as well be left with yourself."

Corcoran also discussed handling rejection, understanding one's strengths, and finding a balance between creativity and execution. She mentioned that many individuals aspiring to start their businesses are inspired by the successes of large companies in their field. Yet, she urged them to look at smaller, local businesses as real examples of success.

The Shark Tank mentor also stated that experiencing rejection is a normal part of business and that one must be determined to persevere. She emphasized that having a great idea alone isn't sufficient to run a business; it's essential to translate that idea into action and remain adaptable. She advised business owners to concentrate on their strengths, seek opportunities within their budget, and keep learning new things.

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Shark Tank mentor Barbara on using personal strengths and being authentic

Corcoran talked about making the most of what you already have instead of seeking outside approval. She encouraged using your own resources and strengths effectively.

"Whatever your asset is, how can I build on it? That is exactly what you should build on," she advised.

She also spoke about the impact of authenticity in business and how people recognize when someone is being genuine.

"People respect authenticity and see through you when it's unauthentic. They sense that it's not quite right, and then you're not selling well."

Corcoran said that imitating others is ineffective, as uniqueness is key in entrepreneurship. She also emphasized that creativity comes from adapting existing ideas instead of creating something entirely new.

"I don't think I ever had a creative idea in my life, honestly. I just saw what other businesses were doing that had nothing to do with real estate and thought, 'I could use that here,'" she mentioned.

Shark Tank mentor Corcoran advised entrepreneurs to take ideas from different industries and adapt them to their needs. She offered insights on balancing execution with planning, making decisive choices, and understanding personal strengths. She emphasized that success isn’t solely about having a great idea; it’s about execution, resilience, and remaining true to oneself.

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Barbara's perspective on the role of rejection and resilience in entrepreneurship

Shark Tank star Barbara Corcoran highlighted the necessity of overcoming rejection and quickly bouncing back as crucial traits for entrepreneurs. She noted that rejection is an integral part of the journey.

"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.

She explained that the main difference between entrepreneurs who succeed and those who fail is how quickly they can recover from failure. Corcoran stressed that taking rejection personally or staying discouraged for too long can delay progress.

She noted that many successful people are not necessarily more talented but have merely mastered the skill of bouncing back after setbacks.

"The person who could get back up really fast, that really is the essence of the entrepreneur," she said.

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New episodes of Shark Tank air every Friday on ABC.