They don’t call it Shark Tank for nothing.
A free talk featuring Robert Herjavec, a star of ABC’s show for aspiring entrepreneurs, left schools of angry fans circling outside the Mayo Performing Arts Center on Tuesday, unable to get inside the over-booked 1,300-seat theater in Morristown.
“This guy is a disgrace,” fumed Maria, a Millburn businesswoman who asked that her last name be withheld. She registered online but was turned away at the door.
“They solicit you and hound you and beg you to come…I took off from work for this.”
The two-and-a-half-hour event was organized by Response, a Utah-based company promoting financial education services.
Herjavec, a Croatian immigrant with a rags-to-riches story, was hired to speak for about 45 minutes to conclude a morning presentation about entrepreneurship and the stock market.
Video by Pamela Babcock, Aug. 14, 2018:
MPAC rented out the venue — as it does to various groups about 25 or 30 times a year–but was not involved in ticketing, said MPAC President Allison Larena.
“We’re going to look to see how we can tweak this system,” Larena said. “We entrusted a reputable promoter to give out the correct amount of tickets, and we worked with these types of agents in the past, and we’ve never had an issue until today.”
“It’s pretty frustrating. We drove around looking for parking for 20 minutes… they called me to confirm I was coming,” said Frank Beatrice, a software engineer from Bayonne who brought his friend, John Corea Jr. of Hoboken.
Initially, they were turned away. But Larena interceded and they were directed to the theater’s Starlight Room, where an overflow audience watched a video stream of the motivational talks.
Video by Pamela Babcock, Aug. 14, 2018:
Devan Egan of Response said “tens of thousands” of mailers went out advertising the seminar. People who responded to the invitations by registering online were informed that seating was limited and first-come, first-served, he said.
“Be early. We communicate all those things. On rare occasions, like today, you run into a scenario where more people show up than we anticipated,” said Egan, asserting “we’ve done this hundreds and hundreds of times” without problems.
Anyone unable to get in after paying for a $10 “VIP package” would receive a refund via Eventbrite, Egan said. Response also will extend invitations to three similar events in the metropolitan area, he said.
Shiftan Shagabaev, an aspiring life coach and hedge fund manager, traveled from Brooklyn. After finally finding parking, he was told the theater was full.
“I never give up,” he said.
After grabbing breakfast at SmartWorld Coffee, he returned to MPAC. This time he managed to get in–just in time for Herjavec’s talk. As the story goes, Herjavec’s family fled what was then Communist Yugoslavia to Canada in 1970 with one suitcase and $20.
The difference between successful and unsuccessful people, according to Herjavec, is how long they worry about their problems. For him, he told the crowd, that’s about five minutes.
Other takeaways for Shagabaev from the millionaire’s pitch?
“Being happy and not complaining–because no one cares,” he recounted.
Shark tank’s, Robert Herjavec, is an awesome man to meet in person! So glad to have been there this glorious day, and proud of my perseverance – as so important to never give up!!!