Barbara Corcoran's Narrow Escape From Being Fired Before Becoming A 'Shark Tank' Icon

ABC's "Shark Tank" co-star Barbara Corcoran recently shared that she was almost fired from the program before she even joined the show's first season. 

In a recent episode of Barstool's "Chicks in the Office" podcast, Corcoran said that a Shark Tank producer's secretary initially reached out to her and asked her to be an investor on the show. Corcoran immediately signed the contract and mailed it overnight without even looking at it. 

However, just before the show's first episode was set to film, Corcoran said she got a call informing her that the show would be aired with another female investor.

"I was embarrassed. I told all my friends, 'I'm going to Hollywood,'" Corcoran said in the podcast. "So I sat down and wrote an email right to them and said, 'You've made a mistake.'"

She wrote in the email that the show producers should "invite both women out to compete for the seat." The producers agreed, and she got the job.

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In December 2022, Corcoran appeared on the "The Diary of a CEO" podcast, where she said she liked firing employees on Fridays, often without explanation. 

She said she enjoyed doing so because it meant culling poor performers and "chronic complainers" from her company's ranks. 

"I'm not talking about people who tell you what you're doing wrong," she added in the podcast. "They're invaluable so that you can get better. I'm talking about chronic complainers and negative people, you gotta get rid of them."

Previously, she shared her story of turning a potential bankruptcy into making a million dollar in one day during a challenging economic period in the early 1990s.

Corcoran has also admitted to grappling with impostor syndrome and self-doubt. However, she believes her self-doubt is instrumental in keeping her grounded and focused on continued success.

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This story is part of a new series of features on the subject of success, Benzinga Inspire.

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