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It’s Only Common Sense: Great Business Lessons from Television

I have always said that I am suspicious of anybody who does not eat meat or does not own a television—especially those who say they do not watch television. I am not sure what kind of brownie points they think they gain by not watching TV or what they choose to do that is more important than checking out the latest episode of “American Masters” on PBS, but so be it. To each their own, but in my book, they are being unnecessarily arrogant and pridefully ignorant.

Television is loaded with programs that will educate you about not only the world around you, but also our own electronics business. One example is a documentary called “Silicon Valley”—no, not the HBO version— but a true documentary that tells the story of how the Santa Clara Valley was transformed from fruit orchards to the high-tech capital of the world by innovators including Shockley, Noyce, Grove, and Jobs.

If PBS is not for you, check out the business shows on CNBC. If you want to know how to turn a business around, there is no better program than “The Profit” where serial entrepreneur Marcus Lemonis invests his time, money, and expertise into a business every episode. By watching this program, you can learn how to successfully market a company, manage a team, and walk away from the wrong partner. I think one of the most valuable lessons to be learned from this program is that you can walk away from a deal that is not working. Besides being educational, the show is entertaining. I love watching how dysfunctional some of the companies are and how stubborn some of the owners can be when it comes to fighting off the improvements that Marcus wants to make to their company. These episodes support the theory that behind every messed-up company is a messed-up owner. We can all learn a lot from watching Marcus Lemonis in action.

Another new show to check out: “The Deed.” Real estate maven and one of New Orleans’ more famous rags-to-riches examples, Sidney Torres, helps people buy and flip houses. A Big Easy native, Sidney came up the hard way in waste management and then went into real state—the best kind of real estate—saving old houses and bringing them back to a better state. He is a teacher and mentor to the people he invests in by showing them how to get the biggest bang for their hard-earned bucks and manage a work site. There is a lot to be learned from Sidney on how to manage money, people, and a business.

Many other more mainstream and widely known shows also offer opportunities to learn about business. If you have not seen “Shark Tank” yet, then you are really living in a self-imposed bubble of blissful ignorance. This program, which I dare say is now on too many times a week (as good at it is),  has become too available. It airs every night of the week and is still one of the most important business shows on network television. I love watching  entrepreneurs try to persuade the sharks to invest in their businesses. The negotiations are fascinating adventures into the minds of successful business people and are worth watching.

Another good one, “Undercover Boss,” would be better if they stayed out of joints like Hooters, Bikini Bar, and Twin Peaks (which the producers seem to have a penchant for) and stick to real business, but it is worth watching.

These are just a few of the educational and worthwhile business shows that you can learn from by turning on your TV or at least clicking your remote in the right direction. Television is here to stay—try it sometime.

It’s only common sense.

Dan Beaulieu is the president of D.B. Management Group.