Why ‘Shark Tank’ Star Barbara Corcoran Encourages Women to Label ‘Discouragement’ As ‘Self-Pity’

Barbara Corcoran of 'Shark Tank' encourages women to move past discouragement and be proactive: 'You can always do something about everything'.

by Melissa Mitas

Published on February 25, 2022

2 min read

Barbara Corcoran advises on taking power back

Corcoran is no stranger to adversity. The Shark Tank star has had to overcome a myriad of challenges on her way to success. Rather than feeding self-doubt when tough times come, Corcoan insists on choosing perseverance and proactivity to achieve her goals.

“Many do negative self-talk as a whole reel in your head, and we’re very capable of changing our own reels,” Corcoran told VINA. “I’m totally sure of that because I’ve had to do it. If I can do it, the next guy can do it. It’s just a matter of persisting and knowing that you’re in charge. Then what happens is you take your power back. I don’t like the idea of giving my power away for even three minutes. I take it back, and how do you take it back? You decide you have to do something about it.”

The millionaire investor sees people get lost in self-despair and noted that the issue isn’t limited to age or gender.

“Not just with women, but the men I work with, my partners, my employees over my life, my ladies here… if anything goes wrong, if I see them licking their wounds just for a second, I’m like, ‘Nope. Now what are we gonna do about it?'” Corcoran shared. “You can always do something about everything.”

‘Shark Tank’ star doesn’t allow herself to ‘get in a rut’

When asked what she would tell women who face setbacks or challenges, whether in business or personal situations, Corcoran recommended some specific self-talk.

“I feel very strongly about this,” Corcoran remarked. “I think that women have to label discouragement as self-pity. And once you do that, you declare it the enemy. So I’ll feel sorry for myself for a second or I’ll feel the downside of a rejection, but I immediately see it for what it is: I’m gonna feel sorry for myself just because of a little bump here?”

The Shark Tank panelist noted that changing your perspective can prevent you from going down the wrong path.

“So I get myself out of that position right away,” Corcoran explained. “Because what happens is you can easily get in a rut of negative self-talk, negative self-pity. But I label it as an enemy because I see it as an exact equivalent of giving your power away.”

Barbara Corcoran has learned from her hardships

Corcoran has tackled plenty of stumbling blocks in business and discovered that a situation once seen as bleak can have some valuable surprises.

“The worst belly-flops always have the biggest upsides,” she revealed. “Like a bouncing a ball on the ground, the harder you hit, the better it bounces it up, you can grab a high ball. But unless you’re willing to stand up and get ready for that ball coming back up, you’re going to miss that whole bounce.”