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'Shark Tank' Robert Herjavec At USC: 7 Quotes To Remember

Tahsin Hyder |
February 6, 2014 | 2:42 p.m. PST

Staff Reporter

Robert Herjavec meets with USC students. (Will Federman/Neon Tommy)
Robert Herjavec meets with USC students. (Will Federman/Neon Tommy)

Robert Herjavec, a financial investor on ABC's hit show, "Shark Tank," spoke in front of nearly one hundred USC students Thursday, giving them tips on success both in business and their personal lives.

The entrepreneur, businessman, tech wizard and author visited the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism on short notice, but the registered guest list quickly surpassed capacity. 

Students lined up outside the doors of the Geoffrey Cowan Forum hoping to get a seat for his lecture, "The Perfect Pitch."  

After a brief introduction by Dean Ernest J. Wilson III, Herjavec took center stage.

“We are the number-one show on television of any show on television for this age group,” said Herjavec to the crowd of undergraduate and graduate students.

With a combination of stories from the show and personal anecdotes, Herjavec was casual, relatable and connected with the audience—not because of his knowledge of business or technology, but because of his vast experience in being human. 

He shared stories about his childhood, growing up as an immigrant in Canada and how it shaped his success and appreciation for working towards something larger than individual needs. The crowd’s level of engagement with his advice was a sight not found in many lectures, let alone those in a college classroom. 

“He was just so knowledgeable about everything,” said Rubin Khoddam, a PhD candidate. “I felt like I learned so much about how to handle and manage things we all deal with every day, and how that translates to our overall success.”

That was the resounding response from the group of students and faculty. Some members also mentioned Herjavec's kind-natured reputation. Many took notes and lined up after the lecture to speak with Herjavec who took the time to answer questions and take a few photos. He was only able to talk through 15 percent of "The Perfect Pitch" due to time constraints, but he passed along seven memorable pearls of wisdom to students in attendance.

1. “In life you will fail far, far, far more than you will succeed. If you’re good, you’ll make sure those successes are big.”

2. “No great business was ever built by somebody who wanted to make a buck.”

3. “You have to have something bigger than you. You have to have a goal that is greater than you.”

4. “People don’t like to deal with boring people. The other thing most people don’t like dealing with, is somebody who always says no.”

5. “Don’t go to your family and friends for business advice, because their job is to love you.”

6. “If you’re hard on yourself, life will be easy on you.”

7. “However busy you think you are, you can do more.”

 

Reach Staff Reporter Tahsin Hyder here. Follow her on Twitter here



 

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