The Apprentice 3 Weekly Performance Review, Episode 12: How To Succeed In Business Without Really Working

What’s really funny to me, you actually explained why we didn’t see you much in the first few weeks. It was your plan, and it tuned out to be a good one. Of course, the intelligent people like myself figured it out a few weeks ago. Again, I have to say: HAH!

My big problem with you this week was that while you did amazingly well on the task you really didn’t show any managerial prowess. Maybe it was editing, but every time someone complained, you really didn’t give them a good answer. Craig would have had to be REALLY thick to not understand the theme of the brochure if you would have explained it to them. In addition, had you put your foot down about Tana and Craig going home to sleep, could they have disobeyed? Just once I’d like to see a contestant fired off a task. Could Kendra have told them where to stick their beauty sleep and done the presentation herself as well? Why not?

In any case, you should be proud beyond all rational thought that the brochure that YOU and YOU ALONE designed is being used by a major car manufacturer in a major launch. If that doesn’t get you a job with Trump, it should at least get you a job with GM.

Net Worth:

Interesting – I don’t remember another episode where NO ONE did very well. All three of you sucked in new and innovative ways. And, obviously, none of you are marketers.

Bren: Yep, your writing was too verbose and dull. You wrote like a lawyer, if you want to know the truth. But you screwed up least because no one else expressed any doubts with the writing, and you were told that the writing was more important than the pictures. In addition, you wanted to have the logo from the dashboard in the brochure, which I agree with 100%. For these two reasons, I figured you were safe.

Alex: I’m shocked you didn’t get fired. Actually, I’m not. All things being equal (such as if Bren were the Project Manager), you probably would have gone home this week. Sacking out for a quick nap isn’t the worst of offenses, but using it as an excuse as to why you didn’t notice a problem with Bren’s writing was just stupid.

Secondly, you didn’t get a picture of the logo, which cost your team in that they were stuck with a plain, uninteresting cover. But then, you know all about plain and uninteresting, don’t you? In the interview phase, the executives will paint you as dull and vanilla, and you’ll be gone.

Chris: Just as I mentioned that winning all the time doesn’t make you a superstar, losing seven tasks in a row doesn’t mean you should automatically be fired. I’m SURE this “losing streak” was the difference between you and Alex taking that long cab ride. True, you were the Project Manager, and you didn’t seem to grasp the concept behind the marketing campaign, but PMs have had worse weeks and stayed on. I dunno, maybe I just like the underdog.

However, you made the call that the writing in the brochure was more important than the pictures, and that was obviously wrong. Just standing there looking at the car, you should have understood that the car would sell itself, it was all about the presentation. This is why you should have been fired, but, as seems to happen routinely, we got no indication of this from the show and only learned about it from the internet extras.

As much as Trump (unfairly, considering the drinking and smoking going on) railed on you for the tobacco habit, I thought it was an incredibly classy move to call you back in and shake your hand.

Personally, I’m really getting tired of the Chris-bashing. I’ll be honest – I don’t know what kind of human being Chris is, but from what I saw on The Apprentice I can tell two things. Chris has the drive, and he has the passion. Those two attributes can either take him very far, or destroy him. I sincerely hope that it does the former, because that is a LOT of potential to waste away. Speaking as someone with anger management problems (and who has been counseled about them at various jobs), GET HELP. You’ll be amazed.

Mike DeGeorge has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management from Christian Brothers University in Memphis, and has almost ten years of management experience. He is also Associate Editor of RNO. Email Mike at mikmaria@charter.net.

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