It Took Decades for Barbara Corcoran to Overcome Self-Doubt. Here鈥檚 The Simple Phrase That Changed Her Mindset for Good.
The 77-year-old Shark Tank investor learned to believe in herself after years of negative thinking.
Key Takeaways
- In a new interview, Barbara Corcoran says it took her many years to learn to truly believe in herself.
- For years, she replayed a mental tape telling her she didn鈥檛 belong in important meetings.
- She ended up consciously changing the tape to 鈥淏arbara, you鈥檙e a genius鈥 You鈥檙e great,鈥 and says it took about 15 years for the message to stick.
Barbara Corcoran, 77, had to consciously train herself for years to quiet her inner critic.
On a recent episode of podcast, Corcoran told hosts Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni that it took decades before she believed in herself and her abilities. For years, Corcoran says she had to actively fight off a running loop of self-doubt in her head. She had an internal voice telling her she didn鈥檛 belong in meetings or group settings.
鈥淢y tape would say, ‘Hey, Barb, you should have never been here. You didn’t need to come to this meeting,'” Corcoran said of her negative self-talk.
When she was in her mid-30s, she realized that old tape was holding her back 鈥 so she replaced it. Her new self-talk was 鈥淏arbara, you鈥檙e a genius鈥 You鈥檙e great,鈥 she said.
Even though it felt untrue at first, repeating it over time helped the message sink in and stick. It took 15 years for the new mental tape to feel like the truth.
“By running it all the time, 35 to 40 to 45. By the time I got to be 50, I pretty much believed it,” Corcoran said. 鈥淏ut it’s hard to shake it.鈥
Corcoran said she has learned just how powerful and misleading her own thoughts could be. She could do far more than she imagined or gave herself credit for.
“It’s just funny what your head can do for you. Most of everything, I think, plays out in your head,” Corcoran said. “You know, I wish I told myself as a younger woman, you’re a lot more capable than you think you are. But it took years to really learn that.”
Corcoran launched the Corcoran Group, a New York City real estate brokerage, in 1973. She ultimately sold the company for $66 million in 2001. She later brought her business expertise to a national audience as one of the original investors on ABC鈥檚 鈥Shark Tank,鈥 where she has appeared since the show first premiered in 2009.
Other positive mindsets
Corcoran isn鈥檛 the only business leader to use positive self-talk to get ahead. Shelley Zalis, CEO of media company The Female Quotient, told last year that she only listens to her inner voice when it is telling her, 鈥淵ou can do it!鈥
鈥淪ometimes, [my inner voice tells me] I鈥檓 not good enough,鈥 Zalis told the outlet. 鈥淢y confidence comes from knowing that no one else has traveled my road, and that unique journey means my contributions matter.鈥
Author Ryan Hawk, who has interviewed more than 600 CEOs and business leaders, told earlier this month that the most successful people share a common mindset 鈥 they never think that they have 鈥渕ade it.鈥
鈥淭here鈥檚 no moment of arrival,鈥 Hawk told CNBC. 鈥淭he [successful people] I鈥檝e interviewed, they鈥檙e just pushing. They鈥檙e driving. They鈥檙e trying to put a positive dent in the world.鈥
Key Takeaways
- In a new interview, Barbara Corcoran says it took her many years to learn to truly believe in herself.
- For years, she replayed a mental tape telling her she didn鈥檛 belong in important meetings.
- She ended up consciously changing the tape to 鈥淏arbara, you鈥檙e a genius鈥 You鈥檙e great,鈥 and says it took about 15 years for the message to stick.
Barbara Corcoran, 77, had to consciously train herself for years to quiet her inner critic.
On a recent episode of podcast, Corcoran told hosts Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni that it took decades before she believed in herself and her abilities. For years, Corcoran says she had to actively fight off a running loop of self-doubt in her head. She had an internal voice telling her she didn鈥檛 belong in meetings or group settings.
鈥淢y tape would say, ‘Hey, Barb, you should have never been here. You didn’t need to come to this meeting,'” Corcoran said of her negative self-talk.
