Barbara Corcoran’s cold remarks on ABC’s “Shark Tank” left a young entrepreneur fighting back tears, sparking outrage from viewers and fellow Sharks alike.
During Season 11, episode 11 in 2020, Corcoran essentially told Melissa Bartow, founder of the vegan date spread company Wanna Date, that she wasn’t hungry enough for success because her father was helping pay her rent.
“When I was starting my business, if I didn’t make a deal within two weeks, I was dead. I needed to live somewhere and eat,” Corcoran said with a pointed stare after learning the recent NYU graduate’s father was covering her living expenses.
“What is in your way, I believe, is that your father’s helping you because succeeding is an option versus a necessity,” she added. “And I found that the people that really succeed have a real necessity.”
The cutting remarks landed hard, with Bartow’s voice breaking as she defended herself against what many viewers later called an unfair attack on family support.
“Well, I won’t be homeless if this fails,” Bartow responded, fighting back tears, “but I do everything on my own. My dad just believes in me. I’ve never had anything handed to me in my whole life. I’m not like a rich kid. I don’t sleep. I carry cases of this all over New York events. I do them all myself. Nobody helps me.”
Corcoran doubled down, stating, “Take away that security blanket of having your rent paid and the comparison would be like night and day what you can accomplish. I’ve seen it over and over again with so many people.”
The young entrepreneur stood her ground despite her emotions, declaring, “Failure is just when you quit. I don’t quit, so this won’t fail because I will go until it succeeds.”
That’s when fellow Sharks Daymond John and Mark Cuban intervened, calling out Corcoran’s perspective and defending Bartow.
“Listen, I started out, and my mother mortgage the house, and without her mortgaging the home, I couldn’t have financed my first couple of shirts,” John fired back. “So I mean that’s Barbara’s opinion.”
Cuban, who later invested in Bartow’s company, added his take on Corcoran’s logic, ” You know what, I don’t agree. I understand from an investment perspective it really there is value when someone’s back’s against the wall. We’ve all had faced it, right? But that’s like saying Barbara’s right that means none of our kids never do anything on their own.”
The clash clearly struck a nerve with viewers, who took to YouTube to blast Corcoran’s stance.
“I loved how Daymond and Mark came to her defense. It is completely unfair to have your destiny written out for you on the basis of something that is just untrue,” one commenter wrote.
Another didn’t hold back: “I normally hate when the entrepreneurs tear up and cry but I 100% understood why this girl did. Barbara was so out of line.”
“That was a crummy thing for Barbara to say. Anyone who says they are ‘self-made’ is usually someone who forgets to acknowledge that someone else either took a chance on them or invested time, money, or love in their future,” a third viewer pointed out.
The condemnation continued, with another noting, “Barbara is out of touch. There’s a difference between mega-rich kids with no work ethic and entrepreneurs with a supportive family behind them.”
One comment read, “Imagine being a great dad and seeing your daughter graduate college and start her own business with support from you only to have her come home and tell you she got shamed for it.”
Despite the emotional turbulence, Bartow’s passion for her date-based spreads convinced Cuban to offer $100,000 for a 33 percent stake in Wanna Date — higher than her original ask of 20% equity.
According to Shark Tank Recap, following her appearance, Bartow’s business experienced the famous “Shark Tank effect,” with orders flooding in immediately. The company eventually reached more than $5 million in sales and secured distribution in major retailers, including Walmart, Kroger, and Whole Foods.
When reflecting on the experience during “The Videocraft Show” podcast, Bartow revealed the public’s overwhelming support: “When the episode aired, I got a gazillion emails. America resonated with me.”
In the years that followed, Bartow expanded her product line to include new flavors and even launched Wanna Date Dough through a successful Kickstarter campaign that exceeded its $10,000 goal, Food Republic reports.
Despite this promising trajectory, Bartow announced in November 2024 that Wanna Date was closing.
While Bartow’s business ultimately couldn’t overcome the challenges of the competitive health food market, her emotional stand against Corcoran’s criticism remains a powerful reminder that family support doesn’t diminish entrepreneurial drive — and that sometimes the Sharks themselves need to be checked.
