Kevin Harrington
Original Shark on ”Shark Tank”, “As Seen on TV” Pioneer, Entrepreneurial Expert
Kevin Harrington, Inventor of the Infomercial, Original Shark on “Shark Tank” and “As Seen on TV” is one of the most successful entrepreneurs of our time. With over 500 products launched and over 4 billion dollars in retail sales, Kevin Harrington has been a phenomenally successful business maverick for over 30 years! Best of all, he knows how to effectively communicate the key lessons he has learned along the way. From Branding (personal as well as product), Sales and Marketing to Entrepreneurship, Kevin Harrington has the experience and the know-how to deliver powerful keynotes, in such a fun and inspiring way that audiences leave feeling more confident and motivated to tackle every challenge in their personal and professional lives.
Kevin Harrington - Inventor of the Infomercial, Original Shark on Shark Tank and As Seen on TV Pioneer - is one of the most successful entrepreneurs of our time.
In 1980 Kevin started The Small Business Center and Franchise America. Kevin, as a real estate and business broker, sold thousands of businesses and then offered one-stop services from accounting to insurance to advertising to finance and more.
While watching television one night in 1984, Kevin noticed that sometimes the only thing on the screen were the color test bars that stations ran when they had nothing else to air, thus giving Kevin the idea to produce the industry’s first 30-minute infomercial to fill that dead air space, which is what coined him the Inventor of the Infomercial.
Since then, he has been involved with over 500 product launches that resulted in sales of over $4 billion dollars worldwide and 20 products that reached individual sales of over $100 million. By 1990, Kevin was named one of the 100 best entrepreneurs in the world (by Entrepreneur Magazine).
In the mid- 80’s he formed Quantum International, which grew to $500 million in sales selling products in 100 countries in 20 languages. He then formed HSN direct in conjunction with Home Shopping Network and soon after formed Reliant International Media. Kevin also founded As Seen on TV, Inc. and acquired AsSeenOnTV.com, the world’s largest web site featuring as seen on TV products.
Kevin has worked with some of the biggest celebrities including Cee Lo Green, Kim Kardashian, Paris Hilton, 50 Cent, Jack LaLane, George Foreman, Frankie Avalon, Paula Abdul, Montel Williams, Chubby Checker, Hulk Hogan, Kris and Bruce Jenner, Tony Little, Billy Mays and many more.
In 2009, Kevin was selected as one of the original ‘Shark Tank’ Sharks on the ABC hit show. As an innovator and pioneer in the industry, Kevin has been featured on over 150 Shark Tank segments over the last five years on both ABC and CNBC.
Kevin is regularly featured as an industry expert in numerous media outlets including the NBC Today Show, ABC Good Morning America, CBS Morning News, The View, the Wendy Williams Show, CNBC, Squawk Box with Jim Kramer, the Bethenny Show, Bloomberg, Fox Business, CNN, MTV, Entrepreneur Magazine, Fast Company, Fortune, Inc., Wall Street Journal, New York Times and many more.
Kevin went on and founded two global associations – ERA (Electronic Retailers Association), which is now in 45 countries and Young Entrepreneur’s Association (now EO - Entrepreneurs Organization), which boasts, combined member sales of over $500 billion dollars.
Kevin is on the board of University of South Florida (USF) entrepreneur programs, and teaches regularly. He has also been involved with Moffit Cancer Research, and is constantly giving back to the community. Kevin’s recent book, “Act Now: How I Turn Ideas Into Million-Dollar Products,” details his life and achievements in the direct marketing world, and his business was used as a class case study for 12 years at Harvard/MIT, illustrating the essential principles of grass-roots entrepreneurship.
Kevin says, “I believe that anyone with drive and vision – anyone – can achieve success...”
In 1980 Kevin started The Small Business Center and Franchise America. Kevin, as a real estate and business broker, sold thousands of businesses and then offered one-stop services from accounting to insurance to advertising to finance and more.
While watching television one night in 1984, Kevin noticed that sometimes the only thing on the screen were the color test bars that stations ran when they had nothing else to air, thus giving Kevin the idea to produce the industry’s first 30-minute infomercial to fill that dead air space, which is what coined him the Inventor of the Infomercial.
Since then, he has been involved with over 500 product launches that resulted in sales of over $4 billion dollars worldwide and 20 products that reached individual sales of over $100 million. By 1990, Kevin was named one of the 100 best entrepreneurs in the world (by Entrepreneur Magazine).
In the mid- 80’s he formed Quantum International, which grew to $500 million in sales selling products in 100 countries in 20 languages. He then formed HSN direct in conjunction with Home Shopping Network and soon after formed Reliant International Media. Kevin also founded As Seen on TV, Inc. and acquired AsSeenOnTV.com, the world’s largest web site featuring as seen on TV products.
Kevin has worked with some of the biggest celebrities including Cee Lo Green, Kim Kardashian, Paris Hilton, 50 Cent, Jack LaLane, George Foreman, Frankie Avalon, Paula Abdul, Montel Williams, Chubby Checker, Hulk Hogan, Kris and Bruce Jenner, Tony Little, Billy Mays and many more.
In 2009, Kevin was selected as one of the original ‘Shark Tank’ Sharks on the ABC hit show. As an innovator and pioneer in the industry, Kevin has been featured on over 150 Shark Tank segments over the last five years on both ABC and CNBC.
Kevin is regularly featured as an industry expert in numerous media outlets including the NBC Today Show, ABC Good Morning America, CBS Morning News, The View, the Wendy Williams Show, CNBC, Squawk Box with Jim Kramer, the Bethenny Show, Bloomberg, Fox Business, CNN, MTV, Entrepreneur Magazine, Fast Company, Fortune, Inc., Wall Street Journal, New York Times and many more.
Kevin went on and founded two global associations – ERA (Electronic Retailers Association), which is now in 45 countries and Young Entrepreneur’s Association (now EO - Entrepreneurs Organization), which boasts, combined member sales of over $500 billion dollars.
Kevin is on the board of University of South Florida (USF) entrepreneur programs, and teaches regularly. He has also been involved with Moffit Cancer Research, and is constantly giving back to the community. Kevin’s recent book, “Act Now: How I Turn Ideas Into Million-Dollar Products,” details his life and achievements in the direct marketing world, and his business was used as a class case study for 12 years at Harvard/MIT, illustrating the essential principles of grass-roots entrepreneurship.
Kevin says, “I believe that anyone with drive and vision – anyone – can achieve success...”
Topics:
- Test Before You Invest
While an entrepreneur at heart, Kevin never jumps in head first; he always tests his ideas before he invests his capital. He will teach you his systematic approach to retail readiness and show you how to realistically and objectively approach your goals. - Entrepreneurial Start Ups
Kevin has always had an entrepreneurial spirit. He started his first business before he was out of high school and employed a full staff by the time he entered college. Kevin approaches every situation as an opportunity and never looks back. You’ll learn that not every move you make will be a success, but to never lose heart. He will teach you how to move on from failure and capitalize on success. Kevin customizes this speech for corporations by focusing on capitalizing on opportunities. - Overcoming Adversity
Kevin came from humble beginnings and is now a self-made millionaire starring on one of ABC’s most critically acclaimed shows. As a young man, Kevin quickly learned his strengths and use them to his full advantage to become the successful businessman he is today. He will give you tips on how to unveil your best qualities and utilize your inherent talents to reach success. - How To Become A Business Shark
You can’t become a business Shark without taking risks. Some people take life as it comes; some grab it by the ears and shake and shake. Kevin is truly one of the shakers, and will teach you how to approach every situation and business deal as an opportunity. Kevin can help corporations by sharing how your sales team can learn to think like a “Shark. - The Art of the Pitch
If you had one chance to deliver a knock out elevator pitch, could you do it? Or would you stumble and miss out on a potentially life changing opportunity? This finely tuned lecture was designed to ensure that you never fumble another pitch. Over the course of pitching and listening to pitches for more than 30 years, Kevin Harrington has synthesized the core principles of what to say, how to say it and just as importantly, what not to say.
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