Although many people only know the entrepreneur's entrepreneur Kevin Harrington from the TV hit Shark Tank, there is much more to the original shark than what meets the eye.

Harrington is a pioneer in the truest sense of the word, as his idea of creating the infomercial opened the door to a whole new dimension of TV advertising. Not just that, twenty of the organizations launched under his leadership have each topped $100 million in revenue.

Who Is Kevin Harrington? Did He Really Start Off Selling Newspapers?

Harrington is one of the greatest entrepreneurial minds of our time, and like many successful business people before him, he showed an affinity and passion for business.

Being born in a blue-collar family in Ohio, Harrington got into making money early. According to his website, the original shark was selling newspapers on the streets at the age of nine, and by the time he was fifteen, he had started his first business—sealing driveways in the hot summer sun. 

Soon after, Harrington moved on to selling high-end baby high chairs door-to-door. However, he did not find a breakthrough success until, as quoted by his website, "he met an experienced guide." Said guide mentored him and taught him the business world's ins-and-outs and introduced him to the works of Napoleon Hill and Zig Ziglar.

 “You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” -Zig Ziglar

As unbelievable as it sounds, Harrington had built himself a million-dollar enterprise when he was in his first year in college. But he was not someone who was satisfied with just finding his own way and living by the words of his sales mentor Zig Ziglar, he then began selling his franchises and working with entrepreneurs.

His idea manifested into small business centers that were designed to be a one-stop-shop where entrepreneurs and innovators such as himself would find the support needed to foster and empowerment needed to succeed—a venture he is involved in even today.

Harrington Has Been Key To Releasing Over 500 Products

One quick look at the original shark's LinkedIn profile and one can deduce that he is not someone to be taken lightly. Harrington is currently affiliated with five institutions that specialize in everything from energy drinks to the lottery. 

Talking about the organizations founded by Harrington, he has laid the foundations for two global associations—Electronic Retailers Association, which is now in 45 countries, and Entrepreneurs Organization, which boasts more than 10,000 members.

Besides all that, Harrington's invention of the infomercial has enabled him to launch over 500 products directly to the consumers, resulting in over four billion dollars worldwide.

Today, Harrington is breaking grounds on helping companies increase their distribution channels incorporating means like digital, social media, TV, radio, or print. His services have enables many companies to stand the test of time.