“I Think Donald Trump Really Wanted Me to Win”: An Interview with Sam Solovey of ‘The Apprentice’

RNO: Why did you choose Bowie and Kwame to join you in the boardroom?

Sam: I believe that more than any of the other players, those two had fully set me up by electing me their leader. We were a team, and they made a decision that they knowingly felt was in the worst interest of the group. They were more concerned with having success in removing me than winning the task. Truthfully, if I was Donald Trump I would have booted the entire men's team. All of us fell far short of the mark. Great individuals but a pathetic team.

RNO:We never saw Trump look in on a challenge until he visited you and your team in the apartment. Why do you think he came to see you?

Sam: Donald Trump was the only one involved in the experience who fully understood me. He was the one person who consistently backed me up during the first two episodes. I also credit his colleagues for some support as well. I think Donald Trump really wanted me to win. He felt that a victory by the men was even more a victory for me over all of the other contestants-men and women both. He came in there to show his support for my out-of-the box style. Donald Trump took that moment to mentor me.

RNO:In your final boardroom session, you asked Trump for another chance to earn the respect of your team. If you had been given that opportunity, how would you have earned that respect?

Sam: If I had moved on to the next episode, I would have taken a back seat to the rest of the team. I would have employed the motto: sit up, shut up, and think before I speak. I would have spent more time trying to cultivate a professional relationship with my team and less time trying to cultivate a professional relationship with Donald Trump.

RNO:What was going through your head when Trump told you that you were fired?

Sam: I was devastated, having never heard those words before. Those two words physically impacted me. I wanted to remain in the boardroom and have a brief discussion with Mr. Trump and his colleagues. I would have liked to ask them what I could have done differently. After all, Donald Trump experienced crushing defeats in business, and his people backed him up, and in short order he turned his business around.. Although I did not receive the opportunity, I would have liked to have stayed on the show and completed the remaining episodes in competition with both the men's and women's team--that would have been the ultimate challenge.

RNO:Have you learned any lessons about business from this experience? If you had it all to do over again, would you do anything differently?

Sam: I learned that as a leader, it is not terrible to be misunderstood or even disliked by your competitors and others. People alienate and reject those who they do not understand. People would be better served by leaning in and embracing their discomfort. Dislike for a colleague is often a form of jealousy, envy, and lack of vision. If I had to do it all over again, I would like to pick my teammates. And I would request to work with the women, as I think they would have been more open my style and approach. Women have a higher capacity for creative and unconventional ideas.

RNO:What’s next for you?

Sam: I co-own a successful newsletter and publishing business. I'll continue to help manage the company and like all entrepreneurs, I will keep my eyes and ears open for additional opportunities. My passion is talk radio and talk TV, so maybe one day I'll get my own show and help share the stories of ordinary and extraordinary individuals.

Sam, thank you so much for taking the time to talk to RealityNewsOnline!

Betsy is the Assistant Editor of RealityNewsOnline and can be reached with any comments at betsyw42@hotmail.com.

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