Lake Forest Millionaire Stars in Reality TV Show

By Steve Sadin

Is Marcus Lemonis a Prophet or a “Profit?”

After becoming a multi-millionaire through in the recreational vehicle industry, Lake Forest’s Lemonis has had a hand helping north shore businesses, becoming a prophet to those trying to improve their profits.

Now he is taking his skills global with a new television show on CNBC, “The Profit.” The show demonstrates how he helps small struggling business owners often taking them to task, according to CNBC. He may tell them to get out of their own way.

“No company is about one person,"he said in the CNBC story to one small business owner reluctant to change. "My business would be better without me on some days because I get in the way or I micromanage or I control things — sound familiar?"

Lemonis has had a hand in two Highland Park businesses; one working out well and the other resulting in litigation. He fell in love with the food at Rose’s Bakery in Evanston as a customer. He liked it so much he helped open a second location in Highland Park.

When Lemonis took an interest in In the Raw, a Highland Park vegan restaurant, he invested $100,000 to help the eatery pay its bills and planned to buy it. The owners reneged and Lemonis filed suit.

For the latest Lake Forest-Lake Bluff news, sign up for our morning newsletter, ”Like” us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

One thing Lemonis has learned along the way is it is important to invest money into a business when he helps it, according to an article published today in Business Insider. After that, it is about the people and the product.

“I really look at this in two ways: One, as a way for me to make a good return on my investment, and second, as an educational tool for everybody, including myself," Lemonis said in the Business Insider article. "We want to pick businesses and concepts and topics that are real and raw and understandable.”