Have you ever been fired unwarranted? What did you do about it? Well, when Barbara Corcoran was fired from ABC’s Shark Tank, she didn’t let rejection overpower her senses. Instead, Corcoran used her presence of mind and saved her career. Read on to know how.
If you’ve ever heard of ABC’s Shark Tank, then the name Barbara Corcoran must be resonating as one of the ‘toughest’ judges to sway, but also a fan favorite for her astute business savvy tricks and tips.
From becoming an indispensable member of the core panel of six judges of the reality show, Corcoran and Shark Tank have been synonymous for 14 seasons now.
Corcoran has been wheeling deals on Shark Tank ever since the first season premiered in 2009.
But all was not roses and sunshine. The real estate mogul’s career was in jeopardy when she got an unfortunate call, that of a professional’s worst nightmare – Barbara Corcoran was ‘almost’ fired from Shark Tank before she even stepped in front of the camera.
So how did Corcoran earn back the coveted seat and save a job that was life-changing? Simple, she wrote an email.
Barbara Corcoran Fired From Shark Tank
Narrating her experience on a podcast of Barstool, Corcoran said that she had received a call from producer Mark Burnett’s secretary, who informed her that they were casting for a new show called ‘Shark Tank’ and invited the real estate tycoon to be an investor on the show.
First, she assumed that the show was about fishing, but after being ‘hooked’ on the premise of Shark Tank, Corcoran signed the contract and mailed it right back overnight, without even reading it!
She was hopping over to Bergdorf Goodman to purchase expensive luggage and adopt the mindset of a person who had become rich and famous. Alas, euphoric expectations don’t last too long.
Two weeks before the show was scheduled to start filming, Corcoran was fired when received an unexpected call that rescinded her offer.
“The day before I was leaving for LA, the secretary called to tell me that the producers had changed their mind and were giving the lone female seat to another investor.”
Corcoran was fired from Shark Tank and her Hollywood dreams came crashing around.
While it is seldom for job offers to get rescinded after inking the contract, in recent times large companies like Coinbase and Twitter had backtracked on appointment letters, as a primary reaction to rising inflation and fear of an impending recession.
The broader economic spectrum and tech companies majorly shifted from being incentivized to growing bigger to focalize on resiliency.
Barbara Corcoran’s Email To Shark Tank Producers
The real estate magnate penned a short email to Mark Burnett himself, beseeching the producers of the Shark Tank to ‘invite both women to the studio to compete for the role’. Corcoran implored the producer that all the good things in her life have faced the heels of rejection, but also that she works the best when her back is against the wall.
“I consider your rejection to be a lucky charm because I have booked my flight and hope to be on that plane.”
The producers agreed, Corcoran flew out to LA, won the seat and the rest is history. Corcoran’s net worth is estimated to be nearly $100 million and this story sets an example that good things may come to those who wait but success will definitely come to those to get back up.
While this technique re-secured Corcoran’s Shark Tank career, in most pragmatic cases, assertive emails are not likely to thaw hiring freezes or furloughs. Revisiting other job offers might be helpful and one can seek legal advice if they suspect foul play or feel the offer is rescinded on the basis of discriminatory reasons.
Corcoran Controversy: Email Firing
Corcoran has been in the public eye for controversial comments on enjoying firing her employees. In a recent business podcast The Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett, Corcoran expressed that in her real estate firm, ‘The Corcoran Group’, she particularly ‘liked’ firing employees on Fridays, often with no reasoning or explanation.
While she justified the activity as culling poor performers and chronic complainers, Corcoran’s controversial statements earned the ire and backlash of the public.
