Habits and Hustle

Episode 507: Robert Herjavec: The Mindset Behind Shark Tank-Level Success

December 2, 2025

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  • Fitness and self-discipline, including delayed gratification, prime the brain for success in all areas of life, though extreme success can sometimes stem from hyper-focus on a singular task to the detriment of other life areas. 
  • True success is holistic, encompassing health, relationships, and wealth, rather than being solely defined by financial metrics. 
  • Confidence is built through practicing saying yes to uncomfortable situations, failing repeatedly, and consistently following through on commitments, which ultimately allows one to overcome fear. 
  • Robert Herjavec's sustained high performance and physical transformation after 60 are attributed to a disciplined routine involving increased cardio, strength training, protein supplementation, specific fasting protocols, and prioritizing 7-8 hours of sleep. 
  • The pursuit of longevity and staying young enough to avoid embarrassing his children is a primary driver for Robert Herjavec's intense focus on fitness and health. 
  • The success of a business is determined by the bottom line (what you keep), not just the top line (revenue), as demonstrated by Robert Herjavec selling businesses he owned 100% of versus those where he retained minimal equity despite high valuations. 
  • Life outcomes, such as meeting Robert Herjavec's wife, Kim, can result from unexpected events and a willingness to be honest about personal circumstances, rather than following a strict script or business plan. 
  • Action is superior to theory in life, as demonstrated by the unplanned sequence of events that led to Robert Herjavec's marriage and family. 
  • True strength and fitness require balanced, symmetrical training, avoiding the common pitfalls of focusing too heavily on one body area (like women on lower body or men on upper body) and neglecting proper form in exercises like pull-ups. 

Segments

Fitness and Life Success
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(00:00:01)
  • Key Takeaway: Fitness habits prime the brain for success beyond academic achievements.
  • Summary: The speaker believes that life skills gained through fitness, such as discipline and delayed gratification, catapult life success beyond what a college degree provides. He presented a TED Talk arguing that the squat rack can be more important than SAT scores for brain development and self-confidence. This consistency in physical habits is argued to ricochet positively into professional and personal life.
Defining Success Beyond Wealth
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(00:03:33)
  • Key Takeaway: Obsessive focus on a singular business task can lead to extreme wealth, but overall success requires discipline in health and relationships.
  • Summary: The conversation contrasts hyper-focused, successful individuals who neglect other life areas with those who prioritize balanced discipline. True success is defined as one’s entire life, not just accumulated wealth, leading the speaker to reject a life that sacrifices health or relationships for higher net worth. Billionaires may achieve their status through singular obsession, but a well-rounded life requires discipline across all domains.
Millionaires Versus Billionaires
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(00:11:07)
  • Key Takeaway: Reaching millionaire status requires foundational life skills, while reaching billionaire status often requires an additional, unpredictable factor like luck.
  • Summary: An anecdote suggests that millionaires are predictable based on possessing self-control, discipline, and work ethic. However, the factor distinguishing billionaires is often luck, which requires one to be positioned to receive it. The speaker felt he missed opportunities for greater wealth because he lacked the necessary confidence and dreamed too small initially.
Building Confidence Through Discomfort
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(00:17:37)
  • Key Takeaway: Overcoming fear and building confidence is achieved by consistently choosing discomfort and practicing failure.
  • Summary: The speaker’s journey from fear to confidence was triggered by the pain of his poor circumstances, leading him to actively seek uncomfortable situations at work. By repeatedly failing and realizing the sun still rose, his confidence grew stronger than his fear. This process is reinforced by following through on commitments, which builds self-trust.
Adaptability and Sales Superpower
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(00:23:21)
  • Key Takeaway: Adaptability allowed the speaker to pivot from technical weakness to mastering sales as a competitive advantage.
  • Summary: Falling into cybersecurity, the speaker recognized that his peers were technically superior, prompting him to leverage his adaptability. He chose to compete where others were weak: social skills and sales, understanding that people buy value, not just technology. Great salespeople prioritize asking numerous questions to deeply understand a client’s need before positioning value.
Instilling Curiosity and Gratitude
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(00:27:45)
  • Key Takeaway: Curiosity is a skill that can be practiced, and it is amplified when combined with a sense of gratitude for life’s privileges.
  • Summary: Curiosity is essential for connection and opportunity, and while some are innately curious, others can improve this skill through practice. The speaker actively primes his children’s brains for curiosity by questioning everyday observations, like the color choice of a brand logo. Gratitude for one’s life circumstances fosters a deeper sense of wonder and curiosity.
Parenting Children of Privilege
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(00:33:19)
  • Key Takeaway: Wealth should be framed as a privilege that grants freedom to pursue passion, not as a shield against all hardship.
  • Summary: Parents of privileged children should acknowledge their status rather than pretending to teach hardship, as children are perceptive. The greatest privilege wealth offers is the freedom from worrying about basic survival, allowing children to take risks and pursue deep passions early. This freedom is a cushion for later life, enabling bolder career choices.
The Power of Small Interactions
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(00:49:40)
  • Key Takeaway: Small, kind interactions with public figures can have a permanent, life-altering impact on individuals experiencing personal pain.
  • Summary: Public figures have a responsibility to be kind because a brief moment of attention can be permanent and meaningful to someone struggling privately. The speaker shared a story of a woman whose grief was eased by a 20-minute conversation with him at an airport years prior. The relationship to celebrity in America is intense, making these moments of connection highly significant.
Product Sampling and Clean Ingredients
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(00:57:04)
  • Key Takeaway: Clean energy drinks contain ingredients like ashwagandha, turmeric, and green tea caffeine.
  • Summary: The speakers sample a beverage noting its clean ingredients, including ashwagandha and turmeric, with caffeine derived from green tea. The drink is described as having very few calories, promoting focus and alertness. The brand being sampled is highly successful, potentially worth billions, despite not appearing on Shark Tank.
Chocolate Milk Protein Drink
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(00:58:26)
  • Key Takeaway: A low-calorie, high-protein drink tastes like chocolate milk and supports lean muscle maintenance.
  • Summary: A protein drink that tastes like chocolate milk is introduced, containing only 100 calories, 20 grams of protein, and one gram of sugar. Protein intake is crucial for maintaining lean muscle mass, especially as one ages, complementing strength training. The speaker recommends supplementing with protein and creatine for recovery and performance.
Creatine and Cognitive Benefits
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(00:59:21)
  • Key Takeaway: Creatine is the most researched supplement and offers significant cognitive benefits for older individuals.
  • Summary: Creatine is highlighted as a beneficial supplement for both physical recovery/performance and cognitive enhancement. The speaker recommends a specific, clean, third-party tested creatine product called Crea Pure by Momentous. Maintaining muscle mass requires a combination of strength training, protein, and creatine.
Shilajit and Longevity Supplements
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(01:01:22)
  • Key Takeaway: Shilajit is a supplement recommended for immune system support, sourced from brands like Manna Vitality.
  • Summary: The conversation shifts to Shilajit, a supplement noted for immune system benefits, which Robert Herjavec has not tried. The speaker recommends Manna Vitality, an Australian company, for Shilajit products. The speaker is passionate about researching and testing supplements, believing only about 10% truly move the needle.
Fitness Transformation and Cardio
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(01:02:10)
  • Key Takeaway: Robert Herjavec transformed his body after age 60 by incorporating strength training and increasing daily cardio to seven miles.
  • Summary: Robert Herjavec previously relied only on cardio, running three to four miles daily, but began strength training about a year ago. He now runs seven miles daily, emphasizing that finishing the run is more important than speed. He attributes his body transformation to four factors: cardio, weights, proper eating, and sleep.
Extreme Weekly Fasting Protocol
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(01:03:50)
  • Key Takeaway: Robert Herjavec practices an extreme weekly fast, skipping meals from Sunday dinner until Tuesday lunch.
  • Summary: Fasting has significantly aided Robert Herjavec’s ability to maintain his physique, often resulting in only two meals per day maximum. He practices a severe weekly fast, abstaining from food from Sunday dinner until Tuesday lunch. He also emphasizes that adequate sleep (seven to eight hours) is non-negotiable for high-level performance now.
Prolon Fast-Mimicking Diet
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(01:05:03)
  • Key Takeaway: Prolon is a science-backed, five-day fast-mimicking diet kit created by Dr. Longo that promotes cellular cleansing and longevity benefits.
  • Summary: Prolon is a five-day program that mimics fasting while allowing minimal food intake like olives and soup, designed to clear synthetic cells and offer longevity benefits. It is scientifically precise and often used quarterly by biohackers for its cognitive advantages. The speaker offers a kit to Robert Herjavec, noting his wife has used it successfully.
Calorie Deficit and Body Fat Goals
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(01:06:45)
  • Key Takeaway: The primary focus for health and longevity is maintaining a calorie deficit to lower body fat percentage, though social pressure complicates fine-tuning.
  • Summary: Research strongly links calorie deficit to aging benefits, driving Robert Herjavec’s focus on achieving a lower body fat percentage (aiming below 13%). Achieving the final few pounds of fat loss is extremely difficult due to social pressures involving dining out with friends. He prioritizes health and longevity above aesthetic goals like reaching 9% body fat.
Fear of Aging and Grandchildren
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(01:08:03)
  • Key Takeaway: Robert Herjavec’s intense drive to stay fit is motivated by the fear of his grandchildren perceiving him as old.
  • Summary: Robert Herjavec’s greatest fear is being picked up from school by his seven-year-old grandson’s friends and being called ‘grandpa.’ This fear fuels his determination to ‘cheat time’ and remain the fittest person in the room for his children. He plans to use supplements like Truniogen (NAD/NR) to support this anti-aging goal.
Moisturizer and Anti-Aging Routine
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(01:14:08)
  • Key Takeaway: Robert Herjavec credits his youthful appearance primarily to religiously applying moisturizer twice daily and rotating product types.
  • Summary: Robert Herjavec has used moisturizer twice daily for 22 years, never forgetting this routine even when forgetting to brush his teeth. He switches the type of moisturizer every few months to prevent his body from becoming acclimated. He also uses a red light mask by Therasage for 20 minutes daily, though he admits it is hard to isolate its effect from his overall routine.
Dancing with the Stars Phenomenon
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(01:16:40)
  • Key Takeaway: The current season of Dancing with the Stars is achieving record viewership by elevating dance quality and leveraging social media influencers.
  • Summary: The show’s ratings have doubled year-over-year, surpassing the combined viewership of the next three networks combined. The quality of dancing has significantly improved, resembling a Broadway show, and the show has successfully integrated social media figures like Alex Earl. The show replaced Tyra Banks with Alfonso Ribeiro, whose background as a dancer improved hosting dynamics.
Work Ethic and Brand Building
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(01:20:36)
  • Key Takeaway: Ultra-successful individuals, like the Kardashians, possess an obsessive and insane work ethic necessary to cut through today’s market noise.
  • Summary: Creating a successful brand today requires an obsessive work ethic because of the immense market noise. Robert Herjavec respects the 24/7 work ethic of figures like Kris Jenner in building their brands. He contrasts this with his own past, noting he would have been happy running his first business without selling it, highlighting the importance of loving the operational process.
Business Sale Proceeds and Equity
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(01:21:38)
  • Key Takeaway: The true measure of success from a sale is the equity retained, as Robert Herjavec sold his businesses while retaining 100% ownership, unlike others selling for billions while owning single-digit percentages.
  • Summary: Robert Herjavec sold his first business for $265,000, which paid off his mortgage and prevented him from falling into depression by avoiding the feeling that life couldn’t get better. He emphasizes that every business he sold, he owned 100%, contrasting this with friends who sold for billions but only retained 6% or 8% equity.
Shark Tank Investment Successes
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(01:24:53)
  • Key Takeaway: Tipsy Elves (ugly Christmas sweaters) and SandCloud (beach towels) are Robert Herjavec’s most successful Shark Tank investments, both achieving high revenue through lean online models.
  • Summary: Robert Herjavec has invested in about 42 companies from Shark Tank, but Tipsy Elves and SandCloud stand out for their success, with Tipsy Elves projected to exceed $100 million this year. These companies thrive because they are lean, primarily selling online with minimal retail presence or inventory. He admits he is less involved now due to time constraints from his post-company life.
Shark Tank Deal Closure Rates
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(01:27:26)
  • Key Takeaway: Modern Shark Tank deals often fail to close because entrepreneurs prioritize the immediate brand exposure from the show over finalizing the investment terms.
  • Summary: Early in the show, deals fell through due to discovering bad financials, such as one entrepreneur presenting a box of receipts instead of proper documents. Now, deals fail because entrepreneurs realize the immense brand presence from appearing on TV is sufficient, negating the need to close the deal for capital.
Mark Cuban’s Investment Style
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(01:28:27)
  • Key Takeaway: Mark Cuban makes the most deals on Shark Tank, but his sheer wealth means small investments ($500,000) can be insignificant to him, leading to some regrettable deals.
  • Summary: Robert Herjavec confirms Mark Cuban makes the most deals, noting that for Cuban, half a million dollars can be an insignificant amount of money. This contrasts with Herjavec’s perspective, where half a million dollars represents a significant asset. Cuban’s large team handles the due diligence for his numerous investments.
Guest Shark Jamie Siminoff Appreciation
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(01:30:03)
  • Key Takeaway: Jamie Siminoff (founder of Ring/Doorbot) is Robert Herjavec’s favorite guest shark, despite the Sharks passing on his initial pitch.
  • Summary: Jamie Siminoff, founder of Ring, is a great human being and a close friend of Robert Herjavec, who regrets the Sharks not investing in his initial company, Doorbot. Siminoff has since returned to Amazon, reportedly running their consumer division after selling Ring for over a billion dollars. The amount an entrepreneur actually keeps after selling is often less than the headline sale price due to equity dilution.
Post-Company Focus: Fitness and Media
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(01:32:01)
  • Key Takeaway: Since selling his company, Robert Herjavec has leaned heavily into fitness and aggressively building his social media brand presence.
  • Summary: Robert Herjavec is spending significant time on social media, working with a specialized team that grew his following from 700,000 to over 6 million across platforms. He recognizes the direct communication power of YouTube and Instagram for brand building. He is currently unsure of the long-term strategy for this media presence but is actively working it.
Shark Tank Longevity and Schedule
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(01:35:02)
  • Key Takeaway: Shark Tank filming has become extremely efficient, requiring only about eight days in June to shoot approximately 25 episodes.
  • Summary: Robert Herjavec anticipates always being known as ’the guy from Shark Tank,’ acknowledging the show’s massive, constant presence through reruns. The show’s filming schedule is now highly condensed, requiring only about eight days to shoot the entire season’s worth of episodes. He notes that Kevin O’Leary is even pursuing an acting career, playing Gwyneth Paltrow’s husband in an upcoming film.
Motivation from Mother’s Wish
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(01:44:31)
  • Key Takeaway: Robert Herjavec’s journey onto television, including Dragon’s Den and later Shark Tank, was subconsciously driven by a promise made to his dying mother to appear on Dancing with the Stars.
  • Summary: Robert Herjavec’s mother, who loved Dancing with the Stars, asked him why he wasn’t on the show before she passed from cancer. He promised her he would do it if he was ever asked, a promise he later referenced during his Dragon’s Den audition when asked why he wanted fame. This chain of events eventually led to him being on Shark Tank and meeting his wife, Kim, who was his professional partner on Dancing with the Stars.
Meeting Robert’s Wife
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(01:47:07)
  • Key Takeaway: Robert Herjavec’s wife, Kim, was not initially slated to be his partner on Shark Tank.
  • Summary: Kim was not originally cast to partner with Robert Herjavec on the show. Robert proactively disclosed his recent divorce and single status to the producers, Dina and Jerry, after realizing they might assume he was still married. Dina subsequently insisted Kim return from Australia to meet Robert, believing they were destined to marry.
Action Over Theory
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(01:49:15)
  • Key Takeaway: Life should not be treated as a script or business plan; action is always superior to theory.
  • Summary: People often believe their lives must adhere to a rigid script or business plan, but this is limiting. Robert Herjavec has never written a business plan for his ventures. Life is ongoing, requiring immediate action rather than prolonged theoretical planning.
Post-Sale Employment Frustration
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(01:50:18)
  • Key Takeaway: Achieving wealth through selling a business does not equate to professional fulfillment if it means losing autonomy.
  • Summary: After selling his company for a significant amount, Robert Herjavec found himself working for the acquiring entity, which he hated. Despite being wealthier, he missed having his own direction and disliked being second-guessed by others. He needed the freedom to call his own shots, wanting to succeed or fail entirely on his own terms.
Workout Form and Balance
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(01:53:07)
  • Key Takeaway: Taking shortcuts in workouts, like using momentum for pull-ups, negates effectiveness, and symmetrical strength is crucial for overall fitness.
  • Summary: People often take shortcuts in working out, such as using swinging motions instead of a dead hang for pull-ups. Women often over-focus on the lower body, neglecting the upper body needed for a V-taper, while men often neglect legs, resulting in an unbalanced physique. True strength requires balancing all muscle groups; strength in one area does not compensate for weakness elsewhere.