Two weeks before the show was scheduled to start filming, Corcoran was fired when received an unexpected call that rescinded her offer.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.”

Barbara Corcoran's credits include straight D's in high school and college and 20 jobs by the time she turned 23. It was her next job that would make her one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the country: She borrowed $1,000 and quit her job as a waitress to start a tiny real estate company in New York City.

She founded The Corcoran Group, a real estate brokerage in New York City, which she sold to NRT for $66 million in 2001 and shortly thereafter exited the company. One of the show's original "Shark" investors, Corcoran has appeared in all 14 seasons of ABC's Shark Tank to date.

Using a $1,000 loan from her then-boyfriend, she co-founded the Corcoran Group, a real estate company that became an empire in the industry. By the time she sold her billion-dollar business to NRT Incorporated, a subsidiary of the National Realty Trust, in 2001, Barbara Corcoran's net worth had peaked significantly.

Because of the high-risk nature of investing, the 74-year-old said she only pulls out her wallet for a select few “Shark Tank” pitches. She's seldom impressed by products and services, but can be wooed by the business owners themselves, she added.

Corcoran wanted to sell her company because she'd achieved her goal: The Corcoran Group was the largest brokerage in New York, she said. “There was nowhere else to go,” she added. So she hired a “big-shot attorney” to help her broker a deal, she said. His first question for her: How much money do you want?

So, what can we learn from her leadership? One key aspect of Corcoran's leadership style is her ability to delegate effectively. As the founder of The Corcoran Group, a real estate company, Corcoran knows the importance of letting go and letting others take the lead.

After failing at twenty-two jobs, Barbara Corcoran borrowed $1,000 from a boyfriend, quit her job as a diner waitress, and started a tiny real estate office in New York City. Using the unconventional lessons she learned from her homemaker mom, she built it into a $5 billion dollar business.

residential real estate company The Corcoran Group Corcoran founded the residential real estate company The Corcoran Group in 1973 with just $1,000 and slowly built it into a $6 billion business.

Corcoran Puts Her Money To Use “I gave half of it away to family, friends, education funds [and] charities, because I really believe if you spend money, it comes back to you.”

One of the original Sharks, Mark Cuban, has invested the most significant amount, a whopping $61.5 million, and has struck the most deals on screen (218). On the other hand, Kevin O'Leary has appeared in most episodes (291) and seen the most pitches (1161).

After failing at 22 jobs, Barbara Corcoran borrowed $1,000 from a boyfriend, quit her job as a diner waitress, and started a tiny real estate office in New York City. Using the unconventional lessons she learned from her homemaker mom, she gradually built a $6 billion dollar business, The Corcoran Group.