Barbara Corcoran Quotes

Powerful Barbara Corcoran for Daily Growth

About Barbara Corcoran

Barbara Corcoran is an American entrepreneur, speaker, and television personality, best known for her role as a judge on the popular TV show "Shark Tank." Born in Edgewater, New Jersey, on March 10, 1949, she was the youngest of nine children. Despite growing up in a modest family with limited financial resources, Barbara's determination and ambition were evident from an early age. After graduating from the University of Virginia, Barbara struggled to find her niche. She held various jobs, including working as a waitress and a secretary, before deciding to pursue a career in real estate. In 1973, she founded The Corcoran Group, a New York City-based real estate brokerage company, with just $1,000 borrowed from her boyfriend. Barbara's success story is a testament to her resilience and innovative spirit. Over the years, The Corcoran Group grew into one of the largest and most successful real estate firms in New York City, generating over $6 billion in sales in 2005. Barbara sold the company in 2001 for $66 million. In addition to her business endeavors, Barbara is also a prolific author and motivational speaker. She has written several books, including "Shark Tales: How I Turned $1,000 into a Billion Dollar Business" and "The Ultimate Entrepreneur." Her speeches often focus on her experiences as an entrepreneur, offering insights and advice to aspiring business owners. Barbara joined the cast of "Shark Tank" in 2010. She has since become a beloved figure for her candid feedback, humor, and commitment to helping young entrepreneurs succeed. Her quote, "I'd rather hear no than maybe," encapsulates her no-nonsense approach to business and life. Today, Barbara continues to inspire and empower people through her books, speeches, and television appearances. She is a living testament to the power of perseverance, hard work, and the pursuit of one's dreams.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"I don't personally think you can be a millionaire and a wimp."

This quote by Barbara Corcoran suggests that possessing significant wealth (in this case, being a millionaire) is associated with courage, determination, and resilience – qualities that one might not typically associate with timidity or fearfulness (being a 'wimp'). In other words, achieving financial success requires boldness, risk-taking, and the willingness to face and overcome challenges. This quote reinforces the idea that wealth and timidness are generally incompatible, implying that those who are able to amass substantial wealth often demonstrate strength of character.


"You've got to see failure as the beginning and the foundation of your success."

Barbara Corcoran's quote suggests that setbacks, failures, or challenges are not dead ends but stepping stones towards achieving success. It implies that understanding and embracing failure is essential because it provides the foundation for future growth and accomplishment. In other words, to truly succeed, one must be willing to face, learn from, and persevere through adversity.


"If you're not willing to be misunderstood, then you never achieve anything."

This quote emphasizes that significant achievements often come with being perceived as different or challenging conventions. It suggests that in order to make progress and reach our goals, we must be prepared to face misunderstanding from others who may not immediately understand or agree with our ideas or actions. The courage to press forward despite potential criticism or misinterpretation is essential for personal growth and accomplishment.


"I don't try to predict the future because I know I'll be wrong."

This quote suggests that making predictions about the future is often an uncertain endeavor, as one cannot always accurately foresee what will happen. By acknowledging this, Barbara Corcoran emphasizes the importance of adapting to changing circumstances and focusing on present actions rather than relying solely on predictions or assumptions about the future.


"Innovation is the ability to see change as an opportunity - not a threat."

This quote emphasizes the importance of embracing change rather than viewing it as a source of fear or anxiety. Innovation, in this context, is about finding opportunities hidden within changes, whether they are small adjustments or large transformations. By perceiving change as an opportunity, one can grow, adapt, and ultimately thrive in the evolving landscape of life and business.


In business, you're the Chief Salesman. Create a sense of demand, rather than waiting to have demand.

- Barbara Corcoran

Business, Waiting, Rather, Salesman

You may not like the idea of putting money into a home when you're moving out. But it's demanded by the market. You need to show it off. You don't have to rip out the kitchen and bathroom. But maybe replace the tiles or the countertops. Get professional advice.

- Barbara Corcoran

Idea, Maybe, Putting, Moving Out

If I could set a world record, it would be that I have 150 business partners, all with thriving businesses of their own that started with nothing and I made the difference to make them all billionaires.

- Barbara Corcoran

World, Own, Thriving, World Record

The most expensive hobby a rich man could have is a boat, and the second most expensive hobby he could have is a very old house.

- Barbara Corcoran

Old, Could, Very, Hobby

The joy is in the getting there. The beginning years of starting your business, the camaraderie when you're in the pit together, are the best years of your life. So rather than being so focused on when you get big and powerful, if you can just get the juice out of that... don't miss it.

- Barbara Corcoran

Beginning, Big, Rather, Starting

I became a larger than life figure for one reason only. When you're quoted in the 'Wall Street Journal', the 'New York Times', constantly as the expert in the business people assume you're a lot bigger than you are. And then I had to run like hell to catch up with my own image.

- Barbara Corcoran

Reason, Larger, Became, Journal

A complainer is like a Death Eater because there's a suction of negative energy. You can catch a great attitude from great people.

- Barbara Corcoran

Attitude, Death, Like, Eater

Every single thing I learned about marketing and building my business, I learned from my mom, and she had never been in the workforce. She just had great practical sense.

- Barbara Corcoran

Business, Been, Single Thing, Workforce

When you're a big money earner and your husband isn't, it makes you question how feminine you are. I felt I was less feminine than if I was a supporting wife, or a second fiddle, or 'Mrs. Higgins.'

- Barbara Corcoran

Question, Big, Big Money, Earner

Sex appeal is in the workplace every day of the week. I'm not saying that's the only calling card, but it's a whole crayon box.

- Barbara Corcoran

Sex, Week, Every Day, Calling Card

In New York City, the meek don't inherit the earth. The big mouth does.

- Barbara Corcoran

City, New, Big, Inherit

The most influential factor in selling a home is always price. Don't build 'wiggle room' into the asking price. There's a price war out there and you have to win it from the get-go.

- Barbara Corcoran

Always, Wiggle, Influential, Factor

My mother is an amazing woman. Not only did she manage the entire household, she noticed a gift in each of her kids and instilled confidence in all of us that that gift would take us wherever we wanted to go.

- Barbara Corcoran

Woman, Gift, Noticed, Manage

I was a hot-dog stand lady, I was an orphan housemother, I was a waitress 3 or 4 times. All of those jobs did not have good bosses. They basically told you what to do, when to do and when to hop. And I just didn't like that very much.

- Barbara Corcoran

Good, Very, Hop, Orphan

I had probably seven agents by the time I became a legitimate real estate broker.

- Barbara Corcoran

Estate, By The Time, Became, Agents

I built the business exactly the way my mother built and ran her family. I wanted a replication of the big, happy family I grew up in. I wanted happy people having fun.

- Barbara Corcoran

Business, Big, Having, Ran

Whatever you got you have to accentuate. I ran my female card up and down the ladder my whole career, because I was in a man's world. It was worked by women but owned by men. I was the only female owner in my field at that time.

- Barbara Corcoran

Career, Accentuate, Whole, Ran

What people ask for has nothing to do with the value of a property. You might see a listing for $300,000 and think you should make a $250,000 bid. But hyper-focus on what the house is worth. You should know what the house is worth by looking at comparable properties. Base your bid on that.

- Barbara Corcoran

Think, Nothing, Might, Base

I wanted to be a 150% entrepreneur and a 150% mom, and I found that I was having a very hard time doing both. I was about 75% and 75% - still better than 100%, but not what I was accustomed to at work.

- Barbara Corcoran

Doing, Very, Still, Entrepreneur

I was well motivated. What I wanted to do was work for myself. I had twenty two jobs before I started my business at the age of twenty three and I didn't want one more boss telling me what to do. So I was motivated simply because I didn't want a boss.

- Barbara Corcoran

Boss, Before, Telling, Twenty

People stayed with me and worked extra hard for me because I could see the potential in them - I'm not so sure they could see the potential in me.

- Barbara Corcoran

Could, Sure, Them, Extra

It's rumored that doing well in real estate is to be able to close a deal. I did not find that to be the case for myself, I was probably the worst closer out there and I didn't find that was true of my top super stars either.

- Barbara Corcoran

Doing, Deal, Out, Case

I sat down and collected all of our eleven sales for the past six months and I added them all together and divided by eleven. I then took that average and presented it as the average price for a Manhattan apartment. The media ate it up.

- Barbara Corcoran

Average, Divided, Added, Presented

I did everything in my power to give my brokers brand identity and clout in the market. I saw my job as parent to build them up and if I took care of them, then they would take care of their customer.

- Barbara Corcoran

Identity, Parent, Would, Brand

A whopping 89 percent of buyers start their home search online. How your house looks online is the modern equivalent of 'curb appeal.' Rent a wide-angle lens and good lighting, get rid of your clutter and post at least eight great photos to win the beauty contest.

- Barbara Corcoran

Beauty, Equivalent, Buyers, Lens

Most great entrepreneurs I know are nothing like the other kids. They're almost like tangent lines - those lines that seem to go nowhere. Nothing connects them, until they get out in the real world. Then they connect just fine.

- Barbara Corcoran

Other, Almost, Entrepreneurs, Lines

I hadn't learned to read by third grade, which wasn't unusual for some kids. I knew something was wrong because I couldn't see or understand the words the way the other kids did. I wasn't the least bit bothered - until I was sent back to the second-grade classroom for reading help after school.

- Barbara Corcoran

Some, Other, Least, Unusual

I gave up years ago on the concept that you could actually have balance in your life, I think it's a phantom chase.

- Barbara Corcoran

Think, I Think, Could, Phantom

Don't you dare underestimate the power of your own instinct.

- Barbara Corcoran

Underestimate, Own, Instinct, Dare

I've been in real estate for my whole life, I've been trying to sharpshoot the market with my investments, I'm never right. All you need to do is get near the bottom. That's good enough.

- Barbara Corcoran

Need, Been, Bottom, Near

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