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BIO
Barbara Corcoran is a self-made business baroness. Founder of the Corcoran Group, New York's premier real estate company, Corcoran is one of the most powerful brokers in the nation.
AUTHOR TALK
May 2003
Q: When did you get the idea to write this book? How long did it take you to write it? What were the parts you enjoyed doing, and what did you struggle with?
BC: I began to be told by people after speeches that they loved the stories I shared and that "you should write a book." I worked for several years trying to find the right way to tell it, but once I actually started writing, it took about a year and a half. I loved reliving the stories of my childhood, but putting all the pieces together was the hard part. I can rattle off the names of my ten brothers and sisters like a roll call, but remembering exactly who did what when was hard.
Q: What was the reaction of your mom and family members when they heard you were doing it? What is their reaction now?
BC: My mom said, "God help us." But she's really happy with how it came out. In fact, she's become a local celebrity in her town in Florida and reconnected with a lot of old friends from Edgewater.
Q: The book reads more like a memoir than a "how to" or business title, which gives it so much appeal. Did you set out thinking it should be written in this tone?
BC: Those in publishing wanted me to write a "business book," but I knew that wasn't me. I have never approached anything traditionally, so why would I try to do it in a book? Most important to me was that the book be interesting and fun.
Q: You've been touring and meeting many readers. What have you learned about the book from these exchanges? Do readers share their life stories? What have you learned from them?
BC: I've realized that everyone had a mom—some that were mothers like mine and others that didn't quite provide the needed encouragement. Both types of readers are enjoying the book and learning and feeling empowered by the lessons my mom taught me (either by "my mother said the same thing" or "I wish my mother had told me that.") I've enjoyed hearing hilarious stories from other people's childhood and being reminded by people from my hometown of things I'd forgotten (like never walking on the sidewalk in front of the "Cherry Witch's" house because it was cursed and you'd lose your hair by the time you were 30.)
Q: Do you think it's possible to "parent a winner," or do you think that a person's success must come from within?
BC: I think it's a healthy combination of both. Perhaps the single most important thing we can do for our children is to encourage them and to reinforce any gifts they have. (That's reinforce their gift, not guilt!)
Q: Do you continue to look to your mom for wisdom?
BC: Two years ago, I told my mother how disappointed I was in myself about not getting older more gracefully and she said, 'Go out and take lots of pictures of yourself, because when you see those pictures next year, you'll see how good you look now.' '' And she was right. So, yes, I suppose she continues to give me advice.
Q: Did the list of "lessons" come easily to you, or did you find yourself searching your memory for potent ideas?
BC: When I sat down and started reminiscing about my childhood and the story of my business, I was amazed at all the "scenes" I remembered. In fact, I kept myself laughing for weeks as I remembered and catalogued the shenanigans of Undercliff Avenue and my childhood with my nine brothers and sisters.
Q: The book flows so well from one idea to the next. How did you work on organizing your material?
BC: I put everything on note cards—every scene I could remember from childhood, like "mash potatoes" and then every major scene from the business like "Donald Trump suing me." Then, I identified the nut of each of my mom's lessons and began to match the cards to my business.
Q: Your honesty about the bumps and tough spots you ran into when building your business makes this book refreshing to read. Many titles by successful business people instead focus only on what went right. Your candor made this more appealing. Do you think that women executives are more honest and open than men?
BC: Without a doubt. Women are not afraid to show pain, and I think because of it, we grow exponentially and have an abundance of empathy. I thought it was important to talk about the potholes because my best successes always followed my worst failures. In fact, it was at the depth of the recession (when I was basically bankrupt!) that I had the idea of the "One Day Sale" that saved my business. Mimicking the lady farmer from my childhood who sold all her puppies on the same day at the same time, I did it with apartments that had been languishing on the market.
Q: You are now a mom. Do you find yourself passing along your mom's words to your own son? How has she influenced you as a parent?
BC: I am certainly my mother's daughter. Sometimes I'll catch myself sounding just like her. I also find that my son (he's eight) enjoys hearing stories from my childhood and what I learned from them. When he's struggling with his homework, I remind him of mean Sister Stella Marie who told me in second grade I was stupid. What he hears a lot from me is reinforcement of his ideas, his talents, and his dreams.
Q: I am sure readers are wondering what happened to the boyfriend who loaned you the first $1,000.
BC: He married my secretary and they started their own company. Ironically, a few years after we split the business, he came to me and asked me to buy his business. I let him off easily by telling him I couldn't afford it. But I hold no grudges. He taught me a lot and gave me a tremendous amount of knowledge, besides who can begrudge love? He's happily married to Tina and they have great kids.
Q: Will you be writing another book?
BC: To quote my mother: "God help us!"
© Copyright 2003, Portfolio, an imprint of Penguin Putnam . All rights reserved.
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