Briefing

A gruelling 22-Hour Workday In The Life Of A QVC Host & 'Shark Tank' Judge

Aly Weisman

Apr 24, 2012, 3:46 AM

Lori Greiner

Lori Greiner hawking goods on set at QVC.

Lori Greiner is an entrepreneur who turned her first idea—a clear plastic jewelry organiser that holds 100 pairs of earrings, safeguarding them from tangles—into a $500 million brand.

The Chicago native has since created over 350 products and holds 110 U.S. and international patents.

Greiner is now a panelist alongside Mark Cuban on ABC’s “Shark Tank,” as well as host of her own QVC show “Clever & Unique Creations by Lori Greiner,” which has been on the air for 11 years.

Greiner gave Business Insider a behind-the-scenes look at her 22-hour work day on-air at QVC.

My work day begins at 1am.

Signing in at the Studio Operations Desk. It's 1 a.m. and it's going to be a marathon day! I have my Clever & Unique Creations Hour shows today on QVC. First one starts at 6 a.m.

It takes me and my team about three or four hours to set up before an hour-long show. I'm ready!

First stop, the set where I sell beauty products.

Here I am in the gorgeous beauty set talking with the floor manager about what our needs may be for the different items we are airing in the show.

He helps me review what sets I will need to show each different product in the show. Isn't this set beautiful?

One of my most popular products I sell is the jewelry organiser.

Doing a little last minute makeup before the show. So great that the product I am selling is my Gold & Silver Safekeeper Mirrored Jewelry Cabinet.

As you can see it is a full length mirror with jewelry inside, and since it has a mirror I can check my hair, makeup and outfit right before the cameras go on right on set!

Costume change.

As you can see by the change in outfit it is now 1 p.m. and I am back in QVC getting ready for my next hour show at 5 p.m..

I am going to be selling a garden item, my retractable plant hangers, and I need to bring in live plants for the demonstration on air. Very typically I am pulling something on a cart to go set up. This cart is flowers.

This isn't my set for QVC, but I like to stop and smell the roses.

This is the garden set--heavenly!

It's filled with the most beautiful flowers in preparation for a show that will be on the hour before mine that is selling flowers and plants. So much fun! I love lilies because they smell so great!

Glam squad.

Getting a little hair and makeup check in the salon.

This is a brand new salon that is beautiful, with lots of privacy. I don't get to do this as much as I would like because I am usually so busy setting up.

Meet Greg, my buyer.

My wonderful and amazing buyer Greg!

He is a true pleasure to work with, and he really knows his stuff! He's been at QVC as long as I have--15 years! He came down for a last minute talk before the show.

Coffee break.

Taking a little break sitting on the golf cart, which is used to transport hosts and guests from one studio to another to save time.

Don't worry, I am not drinking and driving (it's coffee). Actually, no one is allowed to drive the cart--only authorised employees. I just like sitting on it.

Pre-show preparation.

Talking with the technical director Mike before the 2nd hour show. Mike is great and it is so helpful to review the show's items with him beforehand.

Discovering new tools on the QVC kitchen set.

Of course, I also review the show's items with the host.

For the 5pm hour I have Sharon and we are in the kitchen set, but I'm showing her my retractable plant hangers right at this moment. The fruits and vegetables around me are the set up for the Prep N' Pop which helps you peel these things so fast and easy.

Social media break.

Making my Facebook and Twitter posts just before the show starts.

I love taking photos of a new item that will be in the show and posting it for everyone to see. It's fun to be interactive with followers and share what I find to be new and exciting.

The live show.

Now it's the live show selling my set of three Cell PDA holders.

I love the live show. The energy is infectious and it is a lot of fun.

This is another favourite set of mine. The cameras are operated from the control room, so it feels very relaxed to me. It's not like a lot of people are standing around watching you.

After an 18-hour day, Is it bedtime yet?

It's about 7 p.m. now and I have had about two hours of sleep in the last 36 hours. This bed is a prop used to sell bedding. It's stripped of the sheets, but there's a great feather bed QVC sells on top and it's looking really good to me right about now. Got caught thinking about climbing up.

Channeling my inner shark for promos.

It's 9 p.m. now and we are shooting a fun promotion for the 10pm hour show. There is a green screen behind me so that they can use a different background that has already been prepared.

It was of a giant swimming shark--to speak to my being on 'Shark Tank' on ABC. I swam off the set in the end--well, walked--while doing the breast stroke.

That's a wrap!

The day has finally come to and end.

It is about 11:30pm and I am taping up the jewelry into my mirror jewelry cabinet prop so the jewelry doesn't fall off when we lay the mirror into the SUV.

I am very tired, but it was a great day and we are all happy with the results and our shows. So thankful to QVC for being a part of their world and show. It is an amazing company, I love the people and I love being there!