She Sold $2.5 Billion in Products on TV. Now She Makes Millions Teaching Her Pitch Formula: 'I Didn't Grow Up With Money and Selling Made Me Uncomfortable'

Dr. Forbes Riley generated more than $2.5 billion in cumulative sales over about three decades through home shopping networks and infomercials. She helped pioneer the infomercial industry after starting as a TV actress, later contributing to major product campaigns such as the George Foreman Grill. In 2020, she shifted from selling products to teaching the pitching skill behind her deals. She launched the Ultimate Pitch Academy and scaled it to $1 million in revenue within nine months, with millions of dollars in monthly revenue afterward. Her programs train entrepreneurs, executives, and stay-at-home moms, reaching more than 100,000 people. The core skill taught is selling an idea by communicating effectively.

"How did you generate $2.5 billion in sales? It's cumulative over about 30 years, through a combination of home shopping and infomercials. I helped pioneer the infomercial industry after starting out as a TV actress on shows like 24 and The Practice. That evolved into projects like the George Foreman Grill, which sold hundreds of millions of dollars."

"In 2020, at the height of her success, Riley made an unexpected pivot. She stepped away from selling products to teach the one skill that powered every deal she had ever closed: how to pitch. What began as a bet on herself quickly gained traction. Riley launched the Ultimate Pitch Academy and scaled it to $1 million in revenue within nine months. Today, the business generates millions of dollars a month."

"She trains a wide range of clients, from entrepreneurs and executives to stay-at-home moms, on how to communicate. In total, more than 100,000 people have gone through her programs, all learning a skill Riley says is at the core of every success story: the ability to sell an idea."

"Her success on QVC and HSN came from treating pitching as relationship‑building, constantly adjusting to real‑time feedback and focusing on making viewers feel seen. She says that pitching starts with the listener's problem, not a product or origin story."

Read at Entrepreneur