Use What Youve Got, and Other Business Lessons I Learned from My Mom
by By Corcoran, Barbara and Littlefield, Bruce
Category: Business & Economics , General

As one of ten kids in a blue-collar family in Edgewater, New Jersey, Barbara Corcoran didn't have many material advantages. She shared her bedroom with five sisters and shared her socks in a communal sock drawer. Yet she grew up to have plenty of self-confidence, because her mother had an amazing gift for nurturing the unique talents in each of her children. Barbara's mom didn't know much about business, but she understood how the world works, and how to make the most of what you've got.  In the early 1970s, Barbara borrowed $1000 from her boyfriend to get her start in real estate. That led to the birth of The Corcoran Group, which today is New York's premier residential real estate brokerage, with over $1 billion in annual revenue. Her amazing rise to the top has become the stuff of legend and inspiration.  Barbara -- now nicknamed the Queen of New York Real Estate -- credits her success to not just to hard work and determination, but to her mom's enormously valuable advice. Not just the standard maternal wisdom, but real gems such as, "If the clubhouse is quiet, they're probably not making spaghetti."  In Use What You've Got, Corcoran illustrates her mother's wisdom and insight with twenty-five "how tos" for getting ahead in business. Each lesson is brought to life with real business scenarios, an outrageous childhood adventure story, and tips garnered from Corcoran's years in the most competitive real estate market in the world.  Her mother's winning advice includes:  ¥ "There's always room for one more." ¥ "It's your game, make up your own rules." ¥ "You've got to bully a bully."  With a tell-it-like-it-is attitude, Corcoran offers her keys to success -- from dressing the part and overcoming obstacles to the nuts and bolts of hiring, firing, motivating, marketing, and much, much more.