Use what you've got : and other business lessons I learned from my mom

A founder of the Corcoran Group real estate company describes her hard-working childhood and the lessons she learned from her mother and through her business experiences that enabled her to become one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the country. 125,000 first printing. 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.

Author Biography: 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.

Introduction : 10 kids, 1 bath Mom's lesson #1 : If you don't have big breasts, put ribbons on your pigtails Mom's lesson #2 : Paint the rocks white and the whole yard will look lovely Mom's lesson #3 : If the sofa is ripped, cover it with laughter Mom's lesson #4 : Use your imagination to fill in the blanks Mom's lesson #5 : Offer the bigger piece, and yours will taste even better Mom's lesson #6 : Put the socks in the sock drawer Mom's lesson #7 : If there's more than one kid to wash, set up a bathtime routine Mom's lesson #8 : If you want to be in two places at once, borrow a reel-to-reel Mom's lesson #9 : It's your game, make your own rules Mom's lesson #10 : There's always room for one more Mom's lesson #11 : Go play outside Mom's lesson #12 : When the clubhouse is quiet, they're probably not making spaghetti Mom's lesson #13 : If you want to be a cheerleader, you better know the cheers Mom's lesson #14 : Go stand next to Nana and see how big you are! Mom's lesson #15 : If you want to get noticed, write your name on the wall Mom's lesson #16 : Sweep the corners and the whole house stays clean Mom's lesson #17 : In a family, everyone helps mash the potatoes Mom's lesson #18 : Moms can't quit Mom's lesson #19 : Where there are ten buyers and three puppies, every dog is the pick of the litter Mom's lesson #20 : Jumping out the window will make you either an ass or a hero Mom's lesson #21 : You have the right to be there Mom's lesson #22 : You've got to bully a bully Mom's lesson #23 : Never be ashamed of who you are Mom's lesson #24 : The joy is in the getting there Bonus manual : What I wish every salesperson knew Who is Barbara Corcoran? Growing up, Barbara Corcoran shared one floor in a three-family house in New Jersey with her parents and nine brothers and sisters. She had few luxuries, but she was blessed with a mother who taught her to have self-confidence. 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. After failing at twenty-two other jobs, Barbara borrowed $1000 from a boyfriend, quit her job as a diner waitress, and started a tiny real estate office in New York City. Today, with over $2 billion in revenues, The Corcoran Group is New York's premier real estate company, and Barbara is richer than her wildest childhood dreams. What can she teach you? In Use What You've Got, Barbara shares her hilarious stories about growing up, getting into trouble, failing miserably, and then starting over again. In each chapter, she comes back to one of her Mom' s twenty-four unconventional lessons, and how it applies in the real world of business. - Jacket flap. The story of my billion-dollar business starts like this: I borrowed a thousand dollars from a friend.