"He got thrown in jail 22 times" - When Shark Tank's Robert Herjavec reflected on his father and their past in Croatia

Robert Herjavec, an investor on Shark Tank, did a snippet for Shark Tank Global two years ago on YouTube. In this video, he revealed his humble beginnings and his family in Yugoslavia (present-day Croatia).

His insights provide fans with a view into the sacrifices that he had made in his early days before immigrating to North America and becoming a successful businessman.

Robert was born in Croatia, which was still a part of Yugoslavia, a communist country. He said that the village he was situated in had "dirt floors and hay" and no running water for a long time.

However, these things never seemed bad to him as he was a kid. Even though there were hardships, Robert said that he enjoyed his childhood with friends, family, and animals. This would only change later through comparisons after coming to Canada.

Robert's dad would face a tough time in Yugoslavia because he would often reject the political regime. He said that his father was anti-communist and used to express his views publicly about the administration. This landed him in a lot of trouble often. This is when they decided to move across continents. Robert said,

"My dad was very anti-communist and would say all kinds of bad things about communism, and he got thrown in jail 22 times. The last time he got thrown in, he was told, 'If you come back, you will never return.' He packed a suitcase, grabbed my mom and me, and crossed the border to Italy, got on a boat, and came to Canada."

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Shark Tank investor Robert Herjavec reveals his family's past

Shark Tank investor Robert Herjavec revealed that the transition from Yugoslavia (now Croatia) was not an easy one. Back in his home country, Robert's father was a well-respected manager who was content in his professional life.

However, Canada changed things for them, and he had to face a different reality. His father started working for a factory where he had to sweep floors.

Appreciating the efforts that his father made to support their family, the Shark Tank investor says that he always felt the need to justify the sacrifice that his family had made for him. While he was growing up in Canada, Robert was presented with a variety of choices and opportunities, which made him unfocused.

He said he wanted to be "a detective, a vet, a race car driver." His first job came in when a friend suggested a chance to work with computers. Even though initially he had found them boring, Robert accepted the position because it offered $30,000 a year.

This was just the beginning, which has now converted to him being the founder of The Herjavec Group, one of the largest cybersecurity firms. His life's journey, Robert says, has shaped his perspective today when it comes to business. Differentiating himself from the other investors on Shark Tank, he says,

"I think what makes me different than the other sharks is that I'm an actual immigrant. I actually came here on a boat. That shapes a lot of how I think and who I am."

Robert advocates for hard work and says that it is the only key to success. He says that whatever he has achieved in life was a way to justify the sacrifice that his parents had to make and how hard they once worked for him.

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Every Friday at 8 PM Eastern Time, viewers can catch new episodes of Shark Tank Season 16 on ABC. Following their airing, these episodes become accessible for streaming on Hulu.