Parade.com 09-15-2017 SEPTEMBER 15, 2017 – 5:00 AM Lambeth Hochwald Lori’s Shark Tank Preview Lori Greiner may swim with the great whites on ABC’s popular Shark Tank, but the aptly named Queen of QVC is a passionate champion for anyone with a smart concept or product, what she calls a “hero,” not a “zero.” In fact, she has a reputation for being the warm-blooded shark on the three-time Emmy- winning reality TV show that next month kicks o its ninth season on a new night, Sunday, October 1, at 8 p.m. ET (then at 9 p.m. Sundays). “I think it’s because I’m kind when I say no,” Greiner says. “I know that when an entrepreneur stands before us pitching a concept, it is the biggest moment in his or her business life. It means everything and it’s an enormous risk. I get it because I was once in their shoes.” As head of her own company, For Your Ease Only, Greiner has invented more than 600 products and procured over 120 patents. Known as a very hands-on shark, her Shark Tank deals Scrub Daddy (a line of sponges), the Simply Fit Board (an exercise tool) and the Sleep Styler hair rollers are three of the biggest Shark Tank hits to date. They’ve racked up more than $300 million in retail sales. Left to right: Richard Branson, Sara Blakely and Alex Rodriguez (Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival; Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Cosmopolitan; Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images) We’ll have five new guest sharks, including Virgin America founder Richard Branson, former Yankee Alex Rodriguez and Sara Blakely, creator and founder of Spanx. The wardrobe is all me this season! That’s a big deal for me. I actually designed most of the outfits you’ll see with my good friend Catherine. The new set is really beautiful. There’s an infinity pool, new chairs, new lighting. It’s cool. An Inventor Is Born Greiner says she never set out to be a serial inventor, but her first product, a plastic earring organizer she created in 1996, came out of a conversation she had with a friend https://parade.com/601966/lhochwald/lessons-from-the-shark-tank 1 -lori-greiner-shares-advice-inspiration-and-a-season-9-sneak-peek/ Parade.com 09-15-2017 about earrings and the fact that jewelry boxes are a nightmare. She recalls, “It was a thunderbolt moment. It just—bam!—hit me.” It turned out to be most definitely a “hero.” With a $300,000 loan, she fearlessly set out to find a manufacturer that could make the product. Once she had a prototype in hand, she asked women on the street for their opinions about it to ensure it was a hero. Soon, she secured an order from JCPenney, started her own company and began appearing on the Home Shopping Network. Before long, she had paid back the loan and, in 2000, with an arsenal of new products, she landed her own show on QVC called Clever and Unique Creations. “In the beginning, I was just thinking as fast as I could to come up with more and more. I’d look for problems that people experience in everyday life. Then I would think about how an item could come to life,” says Greiner. In 2014, she published her first book, Invent It, Sell It, Bank It!, a pay-it-forward, step-by-step guide. Greiner spent the early days of her career learning all the steps it would take to produce her inventions. “I had to figure things out on my own,” she says. “I feel that when you’re driving a business, you should know every facet of it since no one will love your business like you do.” Along the way, Greiner laid the foundation for her personal (and professional) philosophy: She would never create a product that she didn’t genuinely like or believe in. “When your name is on the product, you have a responsibility to make sure it’s as good as it can be,” she says. “Being genuine to my customers about my products is really important to me.” Unicorn Power Her deep experience launching products was one of the main reasons Shark Tank producers reached out to Greiner in 2008 when the show was being developed. “The casting director called and said, ‘You’re a unicorn,’ meaning there isn’t anyone out there like me who creates a product, makes it, packages it—everything from soup to nuts,” she says. “‘America could learn a lot from you.’ When she said that, I was immediately on board.” To this day, when she makes a deal with a Shark Tank entrepreneur, she’s all in. “I’m really hands-on with my entrepreneurs,” she says. “I often talk to them at all hours of the night and on weekends. Some are more needy and I help them from the start in getting product out there, and some are further down the road. I truly love them and I do https://parade.com/601966/lhochwald/lessons-from-the-shark-tank 2 -lori-greiner-shares-advice-inspiration-and-a-season-9-sneak-peek/h d k h f l Parade.com 09-15-2017 “I never set out to be a millionaire,” she says. “My driving force comes out of a creative need. I love creating products and sharing them with others.” Giving Back When she’s o-camera, Greiner devotes much of her time to helping others. “I believe that if you’re lucky enough to be successful, you have a responsibility to give back. We’re all intertwined. We’re responsible to make the world a better place for each other,” she says. “I always try to ask myself, ‘Am I coming from a good place? Am I doing what’s right?’” This year, for example, she will fund a college scholarship for a young woman and is working closely with Junior Achievement. “I like to do things that help kids,” she says. “I’ve worked with anti-bullying and child abuse–prevention organizations, CharityBuzz and the police and firemen’s funds. I think our everyday heroes need help, and kids can’t help themselves. I have a soft spot for that.” Pitching the American Dream Ask Greiner and she’ll tell you that Shark Tank remains so popular because it “personifies the American dream” and shows viewers that they can create the life they want. “It’s a show all ages like and can watch together,” she says. “It excites people to watch so many aspiring entrepreneurs who are full of hopes and dreams get a chance.” The show also oers a healthy amount of drama, which keeps viewers coming back week after week. “Shark Tank is as hopeful and inspiring as it is suspenseful,” she says. “It keeps you on the edge of your seat as you wonder, Will they get a deal—or won’t they?” Do you know a “hero” from a “zero”? Greiner’s secret formula is equal parts experience and intuition. Finding the answers to these questions about a product helps its marketability: Does it solve a problem? Is it something people need and want? Can it be made at an aordable price? Does it appeal to a wide cross section of people? Preaching Confidence and Kindness No matter what happens during a segment, Greiner remains confident and always believes in herself. “I hear from women that sometimes they’re afraid to speak up in a room full of men,” Greiner says. “Don’t ever be intimidated. You are equal. And you don’t have to appear https://parade.com/601966/lhochwald/lessons-from-the-shark-tank 3 -lori-greiner-shares-advice-inspiration-and-a-season-9-sneak-peek/ Parade.com 09-15-2017 Watching how Greiner handles herself on Shark Tank, a show where intra-shark warfare can quickly bubble to the surface, shows she practices what she preaches. “I’m far from perfect, but I don’t feel I have to yell or be cutting to make my point,” she says. “I share my opinion and stick up for what I believe in.” Lori 411 Night Owl or Morning Person? I go to bed at 1 or 2 a.m. I would say typically I’ll get six to seven hours of sleep. When we’re shooting Shark Tank, I get up at 4 and go to bed at 11 or midnight. Those are long days. Favorite Breakfast I eat an egg-white omelet every morning. Usually with mushrooms and cheese. Coee. I dilute it and I drink Swiss mocha. It’s ridiculous but good. Watch List I TiVo everything. The Good Wife was one of my all-time favorites, House of Cards, Bloodline, Empire and This Is Us. Weird Exercise Ritual I get on the treadmill at midnight. I love it. I watch the shows I’ve recorded. It puts me to sleep. Healthy Moves I try to do yoga every day. I follow a DVD. You’d think I’d have it memorized, but I like the company of my DVD. Favorite Invention My Weekender Bag. I designed it for me. I wound up selling it. It’s all perfectly organized and holds a ton. I travel with it everywhere. https://parade.com/601966/lhochwald/lessons-from-the-shark-tank 4 -lori-greiner-shares-advice-inspiration-and-a-season-9-sneak-peek/.