Why The TV Show “The Profit” Is The Worst Show On TV

56 Comments

theprofit

If you haven’t heard about the runaway hit show “The Profit” on CNBC then you must have been living off planet for the last 12 months.

The show stars business tycoon Marcus Lemonis who travels around America investing in struggling small businesses and then waving his magic wand and poof! the businesses seem to magically become successful.

It actually is pretty friggin awesome.

But here is why I say that “The Profit” is the worst show on TV.

I’m a busy person, I have a wife and 6 kids, I run my own internet company, I write and direct movies, and to relax I watch a little TV on the weeknights. You know, brainless shows that allow me to unwind and ponder the mysteries of the universe.

That is until I discovered this new little aforementioned show “The Profit”. My life has never been the same since.

And so Marcus Lemonis, I ask you:

How dare you make a television show that makes me tear up like a baby way more often than I am comfortable with? I personally don’t like crying but I admittedly am a sympathetic cryer when people have something amazing happen to them. I can’t stand the raw emotion.

Do you know how hard it is to hide the tears welling up in my eyes from my wife so she doesn’t make fun of me? Is that what you wanted when you made this show? Would you please be a little more sensitive (pun intended) to how that is affecting me?

Secondly, mentally at 9pm or 10pm at night I am not prepared for a television show that will inspire and motivate me to want to get up immediately and figure out how to make my business (and every business) more profitable. At that hour, I’m trying to wind down and your show has the opposite effect. It’s like eating a whole key lime pie after you already had a half dozen cupcakes. Oh and guess what? The teary eyes add to my exhaustion so you tire me and motivate me at the same time. What’s up with that?

But that isn’t the worst part. How dare you create a show that gets my wheels turning so badly that I lie in bed at night and scheme about all of the ways I can fix this struggling diner that I ate at earlier in the day?

I toss and turn. Should I ask them about their Process? Should I tell them where their Product needs to improve? How much could I increase their profits just by making changes X, Y, Z? Should I talk to each employee (their People) and see what they think about the company? Should I approach the owners and make an offer? What would Marcus do? I’m trying to sleep man!

Have you no respect for a person’s physical and mental health? I’ve got enough on my plate with my online business that helps Shopify store owners and SaaS companies track revenue on every button and link on their website and yet after watching your show religiously I find myself thinking about fixing every brick and mortar business I visit.

Why can’t I walk into a business and stop myself from thinking, “I could be like Marcus Lemonis. He’s the most amazing business person I have ever seen. He would want me to invest in this gym that has no customers…”? I hold you responsible.

I don’t know what can be done. I don’t know how I’m going to sleep at night.

Maybe I will just go back to watching “regular” business reality shows that teach me that blowing up beaver dams in the forest and wearing camo to the office is all part of a good day’s work. Now that is night time TV.

Now I know you’re saying, “why don’t you just DVR the show and watch it in the morning?” Oh yeah, that’s a good idea, start off the day getting possessed by the idea of fixing someone else’s business. I think I would be really productive that day.

All I can say to you Mr. Lemonis is, thank goodness for the off season, when I can actually stay focused on my own business and get some work done.

Worst. Show. Ever.

Seriously though, it’s really good.

Now…what time does Outdaughtered come on? (I’m asking for my wife, I swear.)

About The Author

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Adam White is the founder of SquidVision, one of the coolest CRO tools that lets you see how much revenue every single link and button on your website generates. He is an avid fan of “The Profit”, he has worked in the internet marketing world since 2000 and has written and directed two feature films. He lives in Arizona with his wife and 7 children.

56 thoughts on “Why The TV Show “The Profit” Is The Worst Show On TV”

  1. Trish

    i could not agree more! Try being an artist! I paint for a living!! I don’t know MY NUMBERS!!! How do I even find out?? Where do I start? PEOPLE! Good yes of corse okay! Serious,y it’s so true I kept waiting for the P = Profit to come in. It didn’t. It will come when the other P’s are fulfilled, it’s the silent P. I’m sure it’s painful it realize when your a business owner that you are doning it wrong. I remember talking to the TV like I knew better! Ha! I don’t.. But I’m learning!! Thank you so much Mr. Marcus Lemonis! Everyday I say people process product.

  2. Gloria Hoffner

    i love the profit!! I started my own business playing guitar and doing science programs at nursing homes. Marcus has taught me to know my numbers, redo my inventory (although I’m one of the few businesses whose inventory includes an alligator head and sgark jaw) and so much more than the over 100 business books I’ve read! I am a former newspAier reporter whp started this new career at age 50
    Due to the decline of newspapers. Thank you Marcus!! Return to TV soon!!!

  3. Chris Jaskiewicz

    Adam,
    At first, I was so upset when I read the title of your story. It was emailed to me by my wife.
    Then I read your article and I cried. I have felt everything you described.
    I discovered the Profit on accident one night over a year ago while sitting in a hotel room. The fire has not stopped burning in my heart ever since. I now know why I was put on this earth. I will be The Profit.
    Thank you. Chris

  4. Kara

    Adam White & Trish you are both full of crap. HOW DARE YOU SAY THE PROFIT IS THE WORST SHOW ON TV!!!! There is nothing wrong with it. Adam your column about that sucks like you speak for everyone else. So you cry so what, I do at times when I watch it then your gonna say your an Avid fan of the Profit but your write a column like this? Your a moron dude. If you don’t like it then don’t watch it or write negative stuff about it. You writers think you can say anything you want well no one cares about your crappy opinion about this show and I know for a fact a lot of people love the show. So screw you you wanker!!

  5. Mick Pacheco

    As a business owner I am a strong believer in numbers and watching the show confirms that. I love watching “The Profit” because it helps me in making decisions on issues that I might have over looked when I come across them. Great show, can’t wait for the new season.

  6. Derek Paredes

    I also think Marcus is an amazing human being and businessman. I applied for his internship but didn’t make the cut. I can only assume it was because I didn’t submit a video along with my written application. My company prepares artwork for Promotional Products printing which would have been awesome for any Silkscreen Printing / Tshirt company he’s currently invested in. Anyhow, it is what it is but I would cherish the opportunity to meet and work with him. Great article Adam. You are not alone in your thoughts about this show. It’s the worst show for caring people like us.

  7. Tom Donohue

    My wife and I make and sell homemade soap. Marcus is a hero in every sense of the word. I too ask myself what would Marcus do? My product is great. But i know my process needs fixing. Im not sure of my numbers. I think Im breaking even. Marcus where do I start?!!! Its a fantastic show and should be required watching to every business student.

  8. timmy henry

    This article was good, Clearly NOT written by a man. He may be a biological male, but he definitely psychologically female. The crying…please

  9. Richard Willis

    Ok i am having fun again with life thank you for awaking the passion that was hidden. I was stuck with partners in a business that was killing me now im happy and helping people again.

    Gluten free pasta anyone?

  10. JoAnne

    I couldn’t agree more! I just wish he would magically poof my business with his all knowing magic wand and tell me what I’m doing wrong!! Maybe he should start an online yoga class for bisiness owners, :ok everyone, now breathe, and remember how much you made last year, ok let it out, how can you improve it this year? Now lets say the mantra: people, process, profit!!! Love you ML!

  11. Mark

    Maybe I just don’t get the sarcastic approach being taken in this article or perhaps it was just done poorly, but what a waste of an article. That is literally, the 60 seconds it took to read this article, that I will NEVER get back!! #confused #poorlydone #wantmytimeback

  12. Mike

    LOL! Brother I am with you!!!

    The Profit gets my mind going and the cognitive wheels turning!!!

    And I love that this is a show with heart!!

    I have been going through withdrawals waiting for the next season!

    Great article!

  14. Cesar

    Well i can tell you that ur sense of web design is horrible you will hurt more than help small businesses… just saying

  15. Dale

    Our company was going to be the pilot of the first season but after the first day of filming Marcus figured we weren’t as broken as they hoped. They did not show up the next day and we never heard from his crew or producers again. Learned a bunch from him, great show. A break-up phone call would have been nice.

  16. Cindy Stevens

    Adam, I totally agree and get what you’re saying while clearly, some here do not. I love the Profit too and can’t wait for the next season to start!!

  17. Robin Walthour

    At first upon reading this title my response was: Say What???

    After reading the article I said: This is so true! When someone can move our sleeping emotions to actions now that’s a great show!

    Loved your article!

  18. Jimmy vitela

    REALLY!
    Like we don’t have enough whiners our country is full of them.
    Your TV has a off switch. I owner 5 business , I work 14 hrs a day Monday -Saturday and sometimes Sunday’s. I have 4 kids and a amazing wife. We watch and appreciate all the mr. Lemonis does. Sure I agree with the crying but tell me who isn’t emotional when there dream is slipping away. I think it’s a great thing that people’s minds are thinking more often that’s how great ideas are born. And as far as waiving a wand I agree that the tv producers make it look that way but in reality I’m certain that mr. Lemonis does so much more to help keep the business on track for success. Any other way it would just wouldn’t work.
    Entrepreneurship is not for everyone is for the dedicated and the discipline like my dad use to tel me ” A successful man is willing to do the what an unsuccessful men is not willing to do”
    AMEN

  19. SGross

    I totally agree! I LOVE Marcus Lemonis, and watching his show gets me thinking each time! I cannot wait for the new season to start!!

  21. Michelle

    Oh my goodness! I thought the article was amazing but these comments are even better. Seeing how Marcus has helped others just by them watching the show is pretty awesome. I mistakenly caught one of his episodes halfway through and INSTANTLY fell in love with him. I loved his character, his business mind, his assertiveness and his deliverance. There is nothing more admirable than a man who can speak and prove results of his speaking. I am a forever fan of this wonderful man. :)

  22. E J Sotelo

    I love the program! I’ve gotten to the point of making it a work assignment for the managers in my company. Viewers learn so much from other business. The right way of running a business, how to treat people, potential opportunities, etc. and above all, know your numbers!!!!!!

  23. Terri

    Kara, dear, he was kidding. Because he really likes the show and finds it inspiring, see? It’s a joke, written by a man who’s pretending he’s angry because The Profit makes him care too much about other businesses. That’s why he talks about wanting to be like Marcus Lemonis. Take a deep breath, go back to the beginning, and read it again, keeping yourself open to the possibility that Adam reallyreallyreally likes this show. Go ahead. Open mind and all. Then tell us if you’ve interpreted this blog any differently.

    With that being said…

    I’m glad I’m not the only one who walks around thinking things like, “Well, your people are great but your process kind of sucks!”. LOL I’ve loved this show from the moment I set my eyes upon it. Thanks for the fun post.

  24. Adam

    Cindy, Im not sure they understood what I was saying if they disagree. Either that or they really don’t like the show.

  26. Adam

    Timmy, I literally will sometimes wear a battle ready sword strapped to my back around the house. That’s old spice manly. I was joking about the crying…although I will admit I have gotten a little teary eyed a time or two.

  28. Barb

    Catchy headline totally sucked me in. But could so relate to everything you said! As a small biz owner, we’re always looking at P3 and I do find myself evaluating other businesses/websites from this mindset as well. Will continue to watch! “Let the madness stop,”as Mr. Wonderful from Shark Tank would say!

  29. Aaron

    We all have our thoughts on like or dislike……for me
    more shows like THIS will
    help US who take good kadvise that caused Marcus ….. a LOT, but he is sharing and give US vital information that we use. THANKS Marcus

    Waiting for next season show!

  30. Diane

    My husband and I get pulled into this show as well. We like it, we learn something, and it is usually entertaining. Which is the point, isn’t it?

    For the gentleman who was supposed to be the pilot show and when his business wasn’t broken enough was dropped by Marcus without any notice, I say this: maybe Marcus should have been more up front about the necessity of drama for the selection process. Or, in his own lingo, a fourth “P” he adds to his other three when evaluating companies for his show: “Predictably entertaining to watch” .

  32. Alicia

    Clearly the point of the title was to grab the readers attention and get an immediate reaction….having one stop and actually read the article in its entirety. A+
    I thought it made for a great humor filled article with an undeniable twist of sarcasm. Only a true die hard Marcus Lemonis fan would understand. Marcus seems to be a bit that way himself and it’s one of the many reasons I know I adore him. You can tell by the comments who gets it and who doesn’t. I agree fully with everything you wrote and I wish I had thought to write the article myself. Thanks for taking the time to sit down and write it…it just made my day!

  33. Marcia

    Completely agree. The Profit is my favorite show for all the reasons you outlined, though I think you probably cry more than I do. And that’s okay. Sounds like we both come away inspired at the end of an episode.

  35. Alison Lighthall Miller

    This is EXACTLY the reaction I have to his shows! I have a masters degree in psychiatric nursing, so my business sense is…what?…subzero maybe? And yet, here I am, trying to grow my jewelry business into something more robust. The only “partner” I have in this venture is Marcus.

    Adam, for heavensake–save yourself the aggravation and DVR this show. Then, watch it at 6am Monday mornings. You’ll be good to go for the week, trust me.

    Great article. Laughed out loud at a couple of the parts.

  36. Gregg

    i worked for Marcus he knows more about your business than you. That is what makes he good. He breaks it down simple and it is up to you what you do with it. But when it is his money and he tells you what to do with it you do it.

  37. Tish Baldez

    What an incredibly entertaining and truth-filled article. I’m right there with you, Adam. Marcus keeps me up at night and awake all day. I am constantly asking myself, “How would Marcus improve my business?” (And we do pretty well!). Unfortunately, my company is a service-oriented business or I’d beg and plead for Marcus to visit us! Marcus is the man!

  38. Jennifer Brown

    This show has had the same effect on me as well. I thought I was the only person left on this planet that had a heart and loves to help others, however, Marcus takes it to a whole other level and makes what I do look small. Now that I know I’m not alone in this world, it makes me like life a little more. I just wish I could help…

  39. Russell Ybarra

    Corrected: The absolute worst reason to go into business is simply to make money. The only reason should be to produce the absolute very best product and/or service possible. That’s it in a nutshell. Oh, one more thing, the only thing that matters in in life is everything you learn after you know it all. : )

  40. Steve Sears

    100% agree! It’s just as much as a teaching tool as it is just a business show. I own a business with my wife and it has come close to destroying my marriage and family. MY biggest issue is trying to implement everything he is teaching me. I could use his help setting up systems for workflow and billing along with staffing. Hell, I could use his help everywhere.

  41. SD

    To Kara:
    If it bothered you so much then why did you continue to read and knock him for voicing HIS opinion…. Something called freedom of speech…. Also if you would have continued to read it, you’d see the show is TOO motivational to him because he does what every business owner would do after watching it…take what he learned from the show and applied to every day businesses…. But yet the reason he hates it is because he can now not get it out of his mind.

  42. Bob

    Marcus would know the first rule. You can’t help someone who does not want to be helped. Forget about all those businesses you visit. If they are worthy, buy from them. If not, find someone who is worthy and buy from them. And worry about your own business.

  43. Keith

    you are all full of it…you and him. This is only an advertisement for Marcus and to further promote his own business. Most shows he does not help the people to an end that they are really comfortable with and has close more than are still open after his reign in influx of cash. He gets his back but the business owner who might could have his business still but now doesnt because he got his money back and then dropped them or insisted that they close. He buys them out and shit cans them later and then closes the stores. It is simply more aggrandizing himself. If it was relly a great show it would be on some other channel. Dumbasses.

  44. Lucas Ward

    Haha, I feel the exact same way. To be fair to myself I have layed awake many nights prior to discovering The Profit thinking the exact same thing. Great show, great man, awesome times. Ultimately comes down to capital for me. I read how he started his fortune, not something that can readily be done anymore. Unfortunately you can make almost anything work or happen with enough money. To bad my entire family tree combined doesn’t scratch the surface of his fortune, or even lend enough to make something happen. :P

  45. Trish Page

    Kara,

    HELLO!!! Mcfly!!

    Did you even read what was written? Wankers? Really?? We respect and love the show The Profit. Sit down in the light of day with a clear head after a cup of coffee and re read what was written.

    Know thy numbers… P3 peace out!

  46. jon rigsbee

    I thought it was a great article! It’s a great show and it reiterates things I have spent years and alot of money learning! Kara, look up the word sarcasm and then reread!

  47. Pete

    I would LOVE to see Marcus as a guest Shark on Shark Tank. I can’t get enough of either show. Binge watching for hours on end……reruns…..those too.

  48. michele

    I could not agree more! I have watched The Profit since day 1. I have improved my business on so many levels. I even learn new things while watching reruns!

    The wheels in my head get spinning and truly – I am up for hours after motivated and engaged online and thinking of what I a=can implement in my own business to improve efficiencies. I can honestly say that last year was my business’s best year in the 4 years since opening up. And THAT is definitely because I have implemented systems or made changes based on things I have learned from Marcus.

  49. Steve

    Lol. Got snowed in all day here in Jersey. Just watched a few reruns on demand. And yes, it is 1:51am and I am now motivated and on the computer! Glad I’m not the only one that happens to! Certainly sharing that fact with my wife over breakfast. She doesn’t understand me. Lol.

  50. Trish Page

    Kara,

    HELLO!!! Mcfly!!

    Did you even read what was written? Wankers? Really?? We respect and love the show The Profit. Sit down in the light of day with a clear head after a cup of coffee and re read what was written.

    Know thy numbers… P3 peace out!

  51. HollywoodTed67

    Change the title. So many will not read the article and label you as an a-hole. Derogatory statements can go viral in which the outcome may not be positive for Marcus or yourself.

  52. MoreFreedom

    Trish, to know your numbers, it helps to have a separate bank account for your business. You deposit capital (your starting funds) and then use that account to purchase your supplies and pay for your painting expenses (paint, brushes, advertising, etc.) When you get some income from it, then deposit that amount into your account. You have to distinguish between starting capital that you use to open the account (and maybe later if you need more) and income from sales. Then it’s fairly easy to know your numbers. If you want to get fancy, but a software took like Quicken books. And as you deposit/spend, you assign each item to categories you can choose, with capital, income and expenses being the main ones. When you make a profit, then you can withdraw money which is considered income.

    Good Luck!

  53. MoreFreedom

    Consider, it’s likely the producer of the show that first vets the applications. Their job is to get good ratings.

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