Corcoran brings message of hope to Women of Achievement event
By Kara LaPoint, Reno Gazette-Journal
When the Nevada Women’s Fund honors 62 Northern Nevadans at its Salute to Women of Achievement luncheon June 13, Barbara Corcoran will address them as the event’s keynote speaker.
What she will present them with is, in many ways, a message of hope and possibility — peppered with some practical advice from her own journey to success.
“I’m going to talk about my 150 percent belief that perception creates reality when it comes to business,” she said.
Corcoran is a renowned real estate mogul who turned $1,000 into a multimillion-dollar real estate firm. She is the author of three books, including her most recent, “Shark Tales,” which details her inspiring story and provides advice for starting a business. But Corcoran is perhaps better known for her appearances as a frequent contributor on NBC’s “Today Show” and as a star of ABC’s reality show “Shark Tank.”
Corcoran said she will deliver a message she hopes will resonate with the audience of professional women.
“I’ve always believed people can learn more from stories than lectures,” Corcoran said. “People retain stories.”
Corcoran was one of 10 children who grew up in a two-bedroom apartment in New Jersey. She earned D’s in high school and college and held 20 jobs by the time she turned 23. But Corcoran had a powerful role model in her mother, she said, who gave her confidence. She also had determination — as well as some good fortune.
While working as a waitress, Corcoran met a boyfriend who would ultimately loan her $1,000 and suggest that she’d be good at selling real estate. Corcoran took the idea, and the loan, and dove in head-first to begin building the business she is known for today.
