If you're going to build something from nothing, you've got to know what really works.

I took a thousand dollar loan and built a five billion dollar business, and now I make smart investments in new businesses on Shark Tank. This is Barbara

Corcoran and you're listening to Business Unusual presented by On Deck Business Things.

This week on Business Unusual I'm going to be answering all of the

great questions you guys keep sending me in on business life how to move forward

how to jump over obstacles come on I'm good at it and I want to share my advice.

But first, how to use being a girl to your advantage.

Ladies listen up.

I'm talking about being a girl in business today. When I started out the real estate

sales business in New York City was a business that was entirely owned and managed by the

men, but it was worked by the women.

When I would walk into a room filled with a sea of men in gray and navy blue suits,

I realized that I had an advantage as a one.

I had a short skirt, great legs and high heels, and I decided right then and there I would always wear a red suit and it became my trademark.

When I walked into any room, all the men noticed me.

And that's about as far as I went using my girl card.

I can tell you the great advantage I had,

building my female business in a world that was run by men is I never thought

about myself as a girl. I think thinking of yourself as an oddity or a woman or the odd person out always

takes your power away. I would walk into a room and what did I really see? I saw

my competitors. I saw myself as a fierce

competitor, not as a woman competing, but a fierce competitor just like the guys and I

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