Barbara Corcoran: I sent this email to get on 'Shark Tank'—after they'd 'already chosen someone else'

CNBC

15-07-2025

Real estate mogul Barbara Corcoran, a longtime investor judge on ABC's "Shark Tank," might've missed out on the television role that changed her life — if she hadn't sent an email about it first.
Seventeen years ago, Corcoran found out that the show's producer, Mark Burnett, had chosen another Shark candidate over her, she posted to LinkedIn on Friday. "They'd already chosen someone else, but I wasn't ready to give up," Corcoran wrote in her post.
Instead, she sent Burnett a lengthy email listing the reasons why she deserved the seat instead. "I understand you've asked another girl to dance instead of me," the email read, according to a screenshot posted by Corcoran, now 76. "Although I appreciate being reserved as a fall-back, I'm much more accustomed to coming in first."
From there, she walked Burnett through her character, work ethic and leadership style. She wrote about teachers who dismissed her because she struggled to read, battling dyslexia. She mentioned an ex-partner who swore she wouldn't be successful without him, and wrote that "everything I've done in business so far" had prepared her for this moment.
Instead of declaring that Burnett should choose her over the other candidate, she suggested that he fly both of them out to Los Angeles and compare them against each other.
"If you have both ladies in LA, you can mix it up a bit and see which personalities make the best combination for your show," she wrote. "I've found in building teams myself that the combination of personalities is always more important than the expertise or strengths of single individuals."
She closed her email with confidence, writing that "the reputation you have in your field is equal to the reputation I have in mind, Mark. I know you're the best at what you do and I trust you'll reach the right decision. I've booked my flight for the 6th and hope to be on that plane."
Sending that email ultimately got Corcoran the role, she wrote in her LinkedIn post: "Sometimes the door won't open until you knock louder."
Not taking rejection personally is a skill that takes time and self-awareness. The next time you're facing a rejection, you can take a page out of Corcoran's book, further explaining your qualifications and continued interest in the role. Or you can use it as an opportunity to build your network, Jolen Anderson, chief people and community officer at BetterUp, told CNBC Make It on April 15.
Say you've done a couple of interviews for a role and ultimately didn't get it. In your "thank you" email to the recruiter or hiring manager, add a sentence along the lines of, "I'm sorry that my skills didn't align with this particular role. Are there other opportunities at the company that you think might be a match for me or other people in your network you think you can introduce me to?" Anderson recommended.
Worst-case scenario: They don't respond, and you continue on with your search. Meanwhile, you've shown some good sportsmanship, and you might stay top-of-mind for a hiring manager who spent days getting to know you, your background and capabilities.
It's the "best thing that a candidate can do," said Anderson.