I feel a sense of sisterhood with any self-made woman and Barbara Corcoran definitely fits that bill. Her spunky, colorful, smart, bold and straightforward attitude has served her well. Who IS Barbara? Barbara Ann Corcoran was born March 10, 1949, in Edgewater, New Jersey. She is an wife, mother, businesswoman, investor, speaker, consultant, syndicated columnist, author, and television personality- a “Shark” investor on ABC’s Shark Tank. Whew!
My hubby Joe was the first I had heard of Barbara. He came home from a conference and had heard her speak. He told me she was someone I’d love. He was right. When I first clicked on her site www.BarbaraCorcoran.com I was greeted with a cheerful, colorful, simple, elegant site. Her message was clear and her personal brand (or image) reflected a fun, sharp, warm woman. Spot on!
There were three things that really stood out for me and I have since applied them in my own business as well as those of my clients. They’ve been met with success, so here they are for you:
Say it like it is.
Barbara’s ‘About’ Page begins, “Barbara Corcoran’s credentials include straight D’s in high school and college and twenty jobs by the time she turned twenty-three. It was her next job that would make her one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the country when she took a $1000 loan to start The Corcoran Group.”
Another example of her spunky, straightforward approach is the title of one of her books, “If You Don’t Have Big Breasts, Put Ribbons on Your Pigtails- and other lessons I learned from my Mom.” Barbara is not afraid to be who she is and people LOVE her for it.
I used to temper who I was based on my audience and while it can be argued that elements of that are strategic, I now show up as just JuliAnn- a woman who is far from perfect but invested in women looking and feeling their best and achieving great success by doing so!
How can you elevate your ‘say it like it is’ attitude?
Be Colorful & Consistent.
Another reason I was attracted to Barbara’s PB is that her sense of personal style is colorful, classy and consistent (much like my own). This look reflects the authenticity of her personality. I need point out that Barbara is an east coaster- New Jersey born. Typical EC style (especially in the financial world) is made up of muted neutrals. Barbara really knows how to stand out in a crowd.
In the past I had been coached that I needed to show more range in my own personal style. Change it up more. No. it’s the consistency that attracts my ideal clients- successful women who are ready to elevate their image to be more sophisticated and chic.
What are some ways that you can establish a signature style that reflects YOU?
Be bold.
After having over twenty different jobs in her twenties, Barbara moved to New York City determined to succeed in real estate. Her company was a start-up with just eleven apartment sales the first year. A newbie and by no means an expert. Barbara found that the high-end residential market was a very secretive world: there was no reliable source for the sales prices of apartments. Barbara saw an opportunity to “fake it” and at the same time she inadvertently built a brand. Based on her own personal sales, Barbara came up with $254,00, which she then labeled as the “average New York City apartment price” and “The Corcoran Report,” was born! Barbara sent copies to every reporter at the New York Times. The next Sunday on the front page of the real estate section read, “According to Barbara Corcoran, president of The Corcoran Group real estate company, the average price…” In that moment, Corcoran and her company became the experts on New York real estate. Faking it in the early days helped her make the big time. I like to think that Barbara boldly put herself out there based on the belief SHE had in HERSELF! It worked.
Being bold has been my mantra for the year of 2015. I’ve been willing to ask for what I’m worth and walk away from circumstances that don’t quite measure up. I’m not settling anymore!
What is one bold action you can take this week?
Barbara would tell you to unabashedly be yourself, be colorful and consistent and bold! Which will you claim for you this week?