The Apprentice 2 Preview: Fired… Up!

It’s all coming back: the type-A personalities, the boardroom brawls, the guerilla sales tactics, the strategy, the smarts, George, Carolyn, and, of course, The Hair. It’s time for a second season of the hit show The Apprentice. On September 9 on NBC, we’ll watch again as tycoon Donald Trump searches for the next Bill Rancic, the next Apprentice.

As you might expect from any sequel – especially one involving Donald Trump – this one promises to be even bigger than the first. While candidates on the first season were selling lemonade and t-shirts, the candidates this time around will be working with Fortune 500 companies like Mattel, Crest, Levi’s, and M&M/Mars. As Trump said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, “We went from lemonade stands to Procter & Gamble and Pepsi. They’re going to make this toy [for Mattel] and sell it. It’ll probably be the No. 1 toy.” The rewards and celebrity cameos promise to be bigger, too. A picnic lunch on the lawn of Trump’s country estate, a prize in the first season, will pale in comparison to being swept off in Trump’s plane to meet a celebrity for a lavish dinner. One can only hope that this trip on a private jet won’t end in an ugly “pot calling the kettle black” fight as it did in Season 1. Celebrities such as Billy Joel, Mike Piazza, and Anna Kournikova are among those who will appear on The Apprentice 2.

Bill Rancic, winner of the first season of The Apprentice will be back as well. Remember when George had to be away on business and Bernie filled in for him? Well this time, Bill will fill George’s space. Look for Bill to be one of the harshest judges. In Entertainment Weekly, a surprised Carolyn said, “The first time he spoke in the boardroom, both Donald and I were like, ‘Who is this man?’” Even Bill himself admitted, “I was tougher than I should have been.”

Perhaps Bill shouldn’t apologize – audiences love the tough competition of The Apprentice, and both producer Mark Burnett and Donald Trump say that the contestants are even more intense this time around. That stands to reason; after all, players learned how to play Survivor by watching what Richard Hatch did to win. Contestants on Season 2 of The Apprentice have likely picked up some tips from the triumphs and losses of Season 1. Burnett told Entertainment Weekly, “They’ve all seen Season 1, and they’ve come with the gloves off and ready to play.

The candidates are indeed ready to play. Once again, the competition begins with the men pitted against the women. The good news is that, according to Burnett, the women will rely more on their intelligence than on their great legs to win the game. Let’s meet the 18 (an increase from last season’s 16) candidates clamoring to work for Donald Trump. We’ll star with the women.

Elizabeth, 31, Marina del Rey, California. Elizabeth owns a consulting firm and holds a B.B.A. from the University of Michigan. She learned from Season 1 to “think outside of the box.” She admires the creativity Amy showed in Season 1. Elizabeth’s resume, which includes working with more than 30 Fortune 500 companies, is impressive. Will she impress Trump as well?

Ivana, 29, Boston, Massachusetts. Ivana is a venture capitalist whose first challenge was the simple fact that she shares a name with Donald Trump’s ex-wife. Ivana told Entertainment Weekly that when Trump heard her name, he said, “’You know, that woman took a lot of money from me.’” She believes her “personality, brains, and sass” are what it takes to win the competition.

Jennifer C., 31, New York, New York. Like many of the candidates from Season 1, Jennifer works in real estate. Her favorite player in Season 1 was Troy, and she learned to treat the experience just like a job interview. When Jennifer first started her career in real estate, she impressed her peers by closing contracts much faster than usual. Trump is bound to respect a woman who knows “The Art of the Deal>.”

Jennifer M., 29, San Francisco, California. Jennifer is an attorney with a law degree from Harvard. She’s eager to make the transition from the legal world to the business world. Her favorite Season 1 player was winner Bill.

Maria, 31, Virginia Beach, Virginia. Maria is a marketing executive whose favorite candidate from last season was Heidi. Maria was the youngest Vice President in the history of her company. She believes her positive attitude will win her the job.

Pamela, 32, San Francisco, California. An investment firm partner who, like Season 1 runner-up Kwame, has an M.B.A. from Harvard, Pamela thinks she should win because she’s, “much more qualified, far better looking, and a little bit taller” than the other candidates.

Sandy, 28, Rockville, Maryland. Like Season 1 candidate – and her favorite player - Troy, Sandy has only a high school diploma. When she was 21, she became the youngest bridal store owner in the country. She believes her experience as an entrepreneur gives her the advantage she needs to win.

Stacie, 29, New York, New York. Stacie owns a Subway restaurant and learned in Season 1 to “be concise” in the boardroom. She admired Kwame’s work ethic. She also works as a professional model.

Stacy, 26, New York, New York. Another attorney, Stacy admired Nick the most in Season 1. She learned to never underestimate the competition.

On to the men…

Andy, 23, Boca Raton, Florida. The youngest candidate this time around, Andy is a Harvard graduate who learned that falling asleep on the job is a bad idea. He believes that his youth gives him an advantage because, “Solutions that really drive companies come from younger people. Bill Gates, Steve Jobs – when they created their vision, they were really young.” Andy is also a champion debater, which is bound to help him in the boardroom.

Bradford, 32, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Bradford is also an attorney and is determined to, “think big on all the tasks.” He says that for him, winning is everything. Bradford also picked up a number of practical lessons from the first candidates – like not to sell lemonade in a fish market and to always meet your clients. This practicality could be an advantage for him.

Chris, 30, Long Island, New York. Chris holds only a high school diploma, but works as a stockbroker. He thinks that Season 1 players should have used more common sense, and cited Nick as his least favorite player. Chris has been an entrepreneur since the age of 11. Last season, Trump admired entrepreneur Bill, so he may admire those same qualities in Chris.

John, 24, San Francisco, California. John is a marketing/real estate director who admired Nick’s cockiness in Season 1. He believes his competitive drive will set him apart from the other candidates.

Kelly, 37, Carlsbad, California. Kelly holds both an M.B.A. and a law degree from UCLA and works as a software executive. He is also a graduate of West Point and served as a U.S. Army intelligence officer for two years. He believes his military experience will help him win.

Kevin, 29, Chicago, Illinois. Kevin is a law student with an M.B.A. from Wharton. Kevin and his brother also co-own a software company. He’s learned that Trump doesn’t want to hear excuses in the boardroom. He identifies with Kwame because, “he was the only brother, and I’m the only brother in this one.” With an impressive education, Kevin may well be ambitious enough to win the big prize.

Raj, 28, Vail, Colorado. Raj is a real estate developer who watched Season 1 thinking, “I could beat these guys.” Sam was his favorite player in the first season.

Rob, 32, Frisco, Texas. Rob, a corporate branding salesmen, learned to, “watch out for pieces of falling drywall.” He believes that if he acts “in a businesslike fashion,” he’ll win the job.

Wes, 27, Atlanta, Georgia. Wes is a private wealth manager with a B.A. from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He believes that his “balance” is what Trump needs in a candidate.

The second season of The Apprentice debuts on September 9, and I can hardly wait. I’ll see you then with the first recap. You can consider me fired… up!

Betsy is the Associate Editor of RealityNewsOnline. Her favorite candidate from Season 1 was Troy. She can be reached with any comments at betsyw42@hotmail.com.

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