Lori Greiner Takes a Dip in the Shark Tank

Photo by ABC/Michael Ansell

They don’t call Lori Greiner the “Queen of QVC” for nothing. What started as one good idea has blossomed into a $500 million dollar brand. Now she’s taking on the hardcore businessmen in the Shark Tank, hoping to help aspiring entrepreneurs realize their own dreams. In an exclusive interview, she talked about joining the cast as a guest shark and her favorite product.

 

The creator of the Fresh Life Food storage container and Mega Mighty Hands Easy Opener tools talked about jumping into the tank. She recounted, “I had met Mark Burnett and he had told me that he thought that I would be really great for the show. And then I also met the executives at Sony and ABC and they agreed. And I got on the show.”

She admitted that she’d been a devotee of the series prior to signing on. “I did watch it before I started to be on it, of course. Yes, I was a fan and I think it’s a great show. I also knew that it was just a natural fit for me. I don’t think that any television show could be more tailor made for me, if there was a possibility at all out there.”

And Lori didn’t mind sitting in real estate mogul Barbara Corcoran’s chair as the only woman on the show. She acknowledged, “It doesn’t phase me at all. I think all the other sharks are great and the other four men that were in there with me, I found engaging. It was exciting to be in there. They’re all very smart, intelligent, fast paced businessmen and very successful. So I actually loved it. I thought it was great.”

In her first episode she made an unprecedented Shark Tank move and cut a check on the spot. She believed in both the inventor, Shelly Ehle, and her product, a beach towel that allows for public quick changes called the Show No. And if anyone can spot a saleable item, it’s Lori. She’s considered the most prolific modern inventor with over 350 products and 108 U.S. and International Patents to her name.

But Lori easily picked her favorite product in the Greiner line. She confessed, “I love my full length. It’s called the Gold and Silver Safe Keeper Mirrored Jewelry Cabinet. It’s a full length, cheval style mirror that opens up to reveal an entire jewelry cabinet inside. And it’s anti-tarnish lined and it holds about 350 pieces of jewelry from earrings and necklaces to rings, all organized. And that has just been amazingly popular. Women really love it and I love it.”

Clearly Lori loves what she does so it wasn’t surprising to hear her answer to the question, what are you passionate about? She admitted, “I’m most passionate about the people in my life first and foremost because they’re really the most important thing. So that would be the number one answer — my husband and then my family and then my friends. And I’m also extremely passionate about my business and what I do. I love making products and I love making other people’s lives better and easier. What I do is a feel good type of job because it does help other people and it does make their lives better and I usually get really happy responses from people across the country. And Shark Tank just takes me to another level. I always helped people with their products and product ideas and this just helps me do it in an even bigger, larger scale manner.”

Watch Lori Greiner and the other sharks on Shark Tank every Friday night at 8 p.m. EST/7 p.m. Central on ABC.