Next to the ruthless software mogul “Mr. Wonderful” Kevin O’Leary and larger-than-life dotcom billionaire Mark Cuban, it’s easy to see why Robert Herjavec is considered one of “Shark Tank’s” most amiable “Sharks.” But his good nature and genial demeanor, which make him a fan favorite among the Emmy Award-winning TV show’s more than 7 million viewers, shouldn’t be mistaken for weakness among the cutthroat panel of investors or in the business world’s school of hard knocks.
As a matter of fact, Herjavec’s rags to riches story, as a Croatian immigrant working to pay the bills to building a global technology empire, is proof of how perseverance and hard work and the ability to sell yourself can lead to success. Today, the founder of Herjavec Group is one of North America’s most recognizable business leaders and TV stars who also has the distinct honor of adding bestselling author, racecar driver and ballroom dancer to his impressive resumé.
According to his biography, Herjavec was born in Eastern Europe, and he and his family arrived in North America on a boat after escaping Communism in the former Yugoslavia. From delivering newspapers and waiting tables, to launching a computer company from his basement, his drive to achieve has led him to the fulfillment of a better life for himself and his family.
Hailed as a “dynamic entrepreneur,” Herjavec has built and sold several IT companies to major players such as AT&T. In 2003, he founded Herjavec Group, which quickly became one of North America’s fastest-growing technology companies. These days, Herjavec Group is recognized as a global leader in information security specializing in managed security services, compliance, incident response and remediation efforts for enterprise level organizations.
Herjavec’s inspiring books, Driven and The Will to Win, were simultaneously Top 10 bestsellers that earned him the title of “bestselling author.” Most recently, he released his eagerly awaited third book, You Don’t Have to Be a Shark: Creating Your Own Success, published by St. Martin’s Press, on May 17.
Highly sought-after for his motivational business advice, Herjavec shares his expertise with other entrepreneurs each week as a leading “Shark” on “Shark Tank” and receives millions of impressions through TV, print, radio and digital media.
competing for the mirror ball trophy on the popular show, “Dancing with the Stars,” and walked away with an even greater prize by marrying Johnson this past July.
For the past several years, Herjavec has competed as Ferrari #007 for Herjavec Group Racing in the Ferrari Challenge North America Series, achieving multiple podiums and winning 2011 Rookie of The Year. To Herjavec, according to his biography, running a business is a lot like one of his greatest passions — racing cars. He believes, “You have to stay laser-focused when driving a car over 200 miles an hour, and the same approach is required when growing a business in today’s world of rapidly changing technology.”
Here, in an exclusive interview with the Manufacturer & Business Association’s (MBA) Business Magazine, the savvy investor and global technology expert talks about his journey and lessons in entrepreneurship, ahead of his keynote address at the MBA’s 111th Annual Event on October 5 in Erie.
Read more in the October 2016 edition of the Business Magazine.
