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I hope all of you will tune in to the live finale of this season’s Celebrity Apprentice, which will be this Sunday night at 8 p.m. We will be live from the Museum of Natural History in New York City, and that’s a fitting environment for this season of historic proportions. If you’ve followed the season, you will know that it’s down to Joan Rivers and Annie Duke, and considering their record thus far, I think it’s safe to say we might be in for an explosive evening. But one thing I hoped you noticed during this season is that it’s important more...

Tionne runs the success gamut from musician to producer to philanthropist and more. She’s tireless and gifted--a great combination. Tionne Watkins, www.chasescloset.com, is best known as "T-Boz," the lead singer of TLC. During the 1990s TLC blended pop, hip-hop, and urban soul to create iconic songs like "Creep" and "Waterfalls." They are still the best-selling female group of all time with over 45 million records sold worldwide. In addition to her successful musical career, Tionne is a skilled actress, producer and a tireless fundraiser for many important charities. Twice, People Magazine named Tionne one of its "50 most beautiful people" she appears as more...

Herschel’s legacy is such that he is considered by many to be the greatest college football player of all time. When I bought the New Jersey Generals, I was pleased to have Herschel on our roster, and it’s good to see him again--and in fine form. Herschel Walker,www.herschelwalker.net , is another example of a successful athlete who transformed discipline on the field into business success. Herschel was a football great and today he is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Renaissance Man Food Service, a successful company that produces Herschel's Famous 34, a popular line of flavorful entrees and appetizers. Of course more...

Dennis has a personality that matches the diversity of his credentials. He’s a little bit crazy, but he’s also very smart, and that’s a good mix. Dennis Rodman, www.drodman.com, is as flamboyant as he was a great basketball star. Over 14 years of NBA play Dennis amassed one of the most enviable basketball records ever. He is a five-time NBA Champion, seven-time All-Defensive First Team pick and two-time Defensive Player of the Year. Dennis brought amazing energy to the game and equally thrilled fans with his play and his ever-changing hair color, his tattoos and his body piercings. During his career, Dennis played for five more...

Brian was terrific on Broadway in Chicago, and his stage charisma will hopefully transfer to the television screen--and to the boardroom. Brian McKnight, defines the meaning of American soul man. A Grammy nominee, Brian's musical accomplishments include singing, songwriting, arranging and producing. He has sold over 16 million albums and will soon host BET's "Soul Sessions." His latest record "Ten" can be found in stores now. He truly knows how to write a business plan for success. Always looking for new challenges, in 2007 Brian made his Broadway debut by performing the role of Billy Flynn, the slick hustler lawyer in the revival of the musical more...

As an actress and businesswoman, Brande brings a solid background as well as landscape to the boardroom. A Playmate with smarts. Brande Roderick, www.financiallyhung.com, is best known as being the 2001 Playboy Playmate of the Year and a Baywatch babe, she is an equally astute businessperson. Brande is the CEO and majority owner of Financially Hung, a web site that combines business development, social networking and celebrity events to create an ultimate experience for members. In fact, one of Brande's celebrity members is Celebrity Apprentice challenger Annie Duke. Brande also manages two other companies including She-Ra Productions, a film and television production company more...

Melissa is an accomplished producer and she knows the television industry well. Let’s see how she handles the boardroom--and her mother. While Melissa Rivers, www.melissarivers.com, may be best known for interviewing celebrities on the red carpet with her mother Joan Rivers, she is an accomplished television producer, an Ivy League graduate, an equestrian and a mother. A graduate of The University of Pennsylvania, Melissa teamed up with Joan Rivers to create a whole new red carpet experience for television audiences around the world. We have all seen Melissa interview celebrities and critique gowns in front of the camera. Behind the lens, however, it more...

Khloe is a dynamo and very pleasant on the eyes. As a veteran of reality television, we’re looking forward to seeing how she fares with this assortment of personalities. Fans of Khloe Kardashian, know that she is the youngest of the Kardashian sisters, made famous by the "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" TV show. The E! series rocketed Khloe into the spotlight end to embark of a busy series of projects. A consummate entrepreneur, Khloe manages DASH, the Kardashian sisters' high-end women’s boutique in Calabasas, California, she writes a popular blog and hosts behind-the-scenes and red carpet events for Celebuzz. Khloe also contributes more...

Joan’s a powerhouse--and that’s an understatement. An amazing woman! I know few people who are as industrious as Joan Rivers, www.joanrivers.com. She is always fresh, funny and insightful. Joan is a comedienne, Tony-nominated actress, best-selling author, Emmy Award-winning television talk-show host, playwright, screenwriter, motion picture director, columnist, lecturer, syndicated radio host, jewelry designer and cosmetic company entrepreneur, red-carpet fashion laureate, businesswoman and, most importantly to her, a mother and a grandmother. (Whew!) Joan caught the eyes of America back in 1968 when she appeared on "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson. Less than three years later she had her own daytime TV show more...

From beauty pageants to real estate to television shows? Claudia is beautiful, interesting and smart. No one will ever blame model, actor and reporter Claudia Jordan, (www.claudiajordan.net), of sitting still. Aside from The Celebrity Apprentice, she is best known for holding the #1 case on the hit game show “Deal or No Deal.” Last month Claudia did NFL Super Bowl Media Day coverage for "Entertainment Tonight" and was previously a correspondent for "The Best Damn Sports Show" and "5.4.3.2.1." Claudia will soon appear in the new feature film, “Middlemen" with Luke Wilson. Early in her career, Claudia earned both the Miss Teen Rhode more...

Jesse is a bit of a Renaissance man with his variety of interests and accomplishments. From motorcycles to a clothing line, he has the drive and diversity we’re looking for. But let’s see if he lives up to his name of legend. Jesse James, www.westcoastchoppers.com, may be best known as a gruff looking custom motorcycle genius, but that's only the tip of the iceberg. Jesse's title at work is CEO, and for good reason. He oversees the chopper shop, a television production company, one of the hottest lines of clothing in America, a restaurant and more. Jesse may not wear French cuffs more...

As an Olympic gold medalist, most people know about Scott’s many accomplishments, but he’s also had an equal amount of challenges along the way. He’s a champion on and off the ice. As an ice skater, a television commentator and as an entertainer, Scott Hamilton is an instantly recognizable figure. He has won 70 different titles and awards, including a gold medal at the 1984 Winter Olympics, but whenever I see Scott, I always think of him as a classy gentleman who always sports a smile. In 1980, the year he finished third in the US Figure Skating Championships, he made millions more...

A worldwide poker champion who is also philanthropic in her efforts, Annie has an unusual flair and combination of talents that make her ideal for The Celebrity Apprentice. Playing professional poker requires cunning, skill, knowledge, patience and daring. Annie Duke, (www.annieduke.com), is one of the world's best. In 2004, Annie won her first World Series of Poker bracelet by beating 234 players in the WSOP $2000 buy-in Omaha Hi/Lo Split. That same year she won $2 million by eliminating 8 of the world's greatest poker legends in the No-Limit Texas Hold'em winner-take-all WSOP Tournament of Champions. Professional poker is a business, one that more...

I selected Andrew Dice Clay to appear on Celebrity Apprentice because he is edgy, smart and successful--and definitely a heavyweight of comedy.  Andrew, (www.andrewdiceclay.com), will tell you that he is proud to be America's most controversial and outrageous comic. Long before shows like South Park and comedians like Dave Chappelle came onto the scene, Andrew shocked his audiences and broke the rules with his never-before-seen brand of no apologies hardcore comedy. Clay doesn't mince words or make excuses. When he released his debut album "DICE" the parental advisory label simply read "Warning: This album is offensive." Clay’s rise to fame was spectacular; he more...

Natalie won the Evian Masters in 2007 and her calendar caused some waves but the only thing on her agenda is excellence--easy when you’re as talented, beautiful and intelligent as she is. Natalie Gulbis, (www.nataliegulbis.com) is one of America's most recognizable professional golfers, both on and off the course. Back on 2001 she attended the University of Arizona where she won three tournaments and became and All-American First Team honoree. The next year Natalie joined the LPGA and broke out in 2005 when she finished third at the Michelob ULTRA Open at Kingsmill and at the State Farm Classic. That year she more...

I am truly excited to have Tom Green join Celebrity Apprentice. Tom is a Talk show host, writer, director, producer, comedian, survivor-Tom has had a go at many things, and very often wins. Tom Green made a name for himself with a public access television talk show that he nurtured and grew into his very own MTV hit show, "The Tom Green Show." After MTV, he returned to his talk-show roots, and to his living room, where he broadcasts "Tom Green's House Tonight." His web-based show is free of FCC regulations and television executives and has become an Internet phenomenon. Hollywood's most more...

I selected Clint Black to appear on Celebrity Apprentice because Clint is not only a gifted musician and songwriter, but he’s a good businessman. He has his own record company and has sold over 20 million albums worldwide. He’s bringing a lot of talent to the boardroom. Becoming a star recording artist requires determination, talent, hard work and, yes, luck. As any successful musician can tell you, it's a lot easier to fall out of the spotlight than it is to climb into it, which is why Clint Black was especially smart to secure his future with the establishment of Equity Music more...

If you love Celebrity Apprentice, be sure to visit Trump University's Celebrity Apprentice Blog today - and every day - for the latest news about your favorite show. We've already posted some very useful lessons we learned from the show  last night - practical lessons that can get your career on the right track. Plus on Monday, we'll be posting a special commentary by Andrea Lake about last night's episode. You remember Andrea. She was the stylish-but-tough contender who fought her way into the topmost ranks of Apprentice candidates two seasons ago. So click here and get in on the action. It's a more...

Be sure to watch Celebrity Apprentice tonight. There are some terrific lessons to be learned. One of my favorites reveals the power of taking your time when negotiating. I can’t reveal the details until after the show airs, but I can say that during a negotiating session, two of the male celebrities are trying to pressure two of the women to make a snap decision. The women stall, and that allows them to get exactly what they want out of the deal. That reveals one of the fundamental principles of powerful negotiating that Donald J. Trump often writes about . . . When more...

“I am the benevolent dictator... does everyone understand that?” said the ever-entertaining and charismatic Gene Simmons. It sounded like a Gordon Gecko quote straight out of the film Wall Street. And I loved it. Gene’s style of leadership is your old-school Gordon Gecko-esque, thick-skinned alpha male. And it’s all completely natural. He’s confident in everything he does, believes he is capable of achieving anything and has the consistent mental posture for success. These are all the winning qualities of a true leader. So why was he fired? Ego. Ego is the number reason why so many quality candidates on The Apprentice are more...

If you love Celebrity Apprentice, we have some great news for you! Trump University's new Celebrity Apprentice Blog goes live today, with great features about every episode. Make it your first stop the day after every episode airs - and on all the days in between - to make sure you're not missing out on all the information, all the gossip and all the fun. Wasn't Gene's firing last night a great moment in Apprentice history? It sure was. Get the inside scoop on all things Apprentice by clicking HERE. more...

First of all, I want to say hats off to Mark Burnett and Donald Trump for coming up with the best concept for The Apprentice yet - an all-celebrity cast where every task is based on raising funds for charity. This season there really are no losers!!!  The task was to create the best commercial to sell Pedigree dog food to raise awareness of Pedigree’s Dog Adoption Drive. Gene Simmons and Nely Galán were selected by their respective teams to be the project managers. The teams picked Nely based on her TV expertise, but sometimes, as we’ve seen on many of The Apprentice more...

Stefanie Schaeffer, last season’s Apprentice winner on NBC, offers her take on the first episode of Celebrity Apprentice in this exclusive commentary on today’s Trump Blog. Overall, I thought week one was entertaining and it's clear there will be fireworks throughout. The only shrinking violet in the group has already been fired. In this game, it's eat or be eaten and Tiffany, though beautiful, just lacked the fire.  Mr. Trump is all about being bigger than life and wants to be surrounded by people of the same ilk. Omarosa and Carol Alt both defended themselves, Tiff just didn't. Oh well, lesson learned I guess. The lesson for more...

NBC launches Celebrity Apprentice on January 3rd. If you are ready to get the most from every episode, make The Trump Blog your first stop. Here's just a small sample of the Celebrity Apprentice coverage you'll find here . . .  Weekly commentaries from Stefani, Sean, Kendra, Kelly, Stacey, Troy, Andrea and lots of other Apprentice stars!  That's right. They'll be here every Monday to comment on every episode.  The Trump Blog is the only place to get these insights from tough contenders who know what life is really like on the inside of your favorite reality show. Another season of our critically acclaimed Lessons Learned advisories is about to go live. For the fourth season in a row, the more...

In the summer of 2003, I can remember when Mark Burnett came up to the office to discuss a few things with Mr. Trump. I was not a big television watcher, and I had never seen a reality show. I heard that Mark Burnett had an idea to use Mr. Trump and the Trump Organization as the premise for a new show, a business show. I didn’t think much about it because I was busy writing our first book, which eventually became How To Get Rich. A lot of people think we wrote the book to satisfy the demands of the publicity more...

It was a great Apprentice season. I kept learning important lessons, right up to the finale last night from The Hollywood Bowl. In my post this morning, I’d like to analyze the videos that Stefani and James screened last night for Mr. Trump - the ones that were supposed to prove they were the strongest contenders to become his next Apprentice. James produced a pretty strong video to argue his case to win. It pointed up the fact that he came to America as an immigrant from South Korea and that he was living the American dream of success. His video also more...

  Now that this season’s final Apprentice task has been completed, everybody seems to be asking who the strongest candidate is. But I would like to ask a slightly different question: Which candidate grew the most during the season? To me, that’s a more interesting question. And I think that the answer is pretty clear. Actually, there are two answers, because Frank and James showed the greatest growth this season. I don’t think it is a coincidence that they also are now part of the final four. If you think back to the early episodes this season, you will remember that James brought amazing more...

In the final moments of last night’s episode, we all saw Heidi come apart at the seams. It was hard to believe that we were watching the same woman who was such a consistent winner in the early episodes this season. That, for me, showcased the fact that it only takes one little lie to start the downfall of a career. Just one small fib took Heidi through this wrenching sequence: Denial. When Mr. Trump attacked her team’s brochure for being ugly and over-packed with text, Heidi impulsively tried to blame her teammate Frank for it. A complete absurdity, since the brochure was more...

Apprentice Blogs and Websites this week have been saying that Tim’s flirtation with Nicole was the real reason he got fired last Sunday night. That is probably true. Tim was on the Arrow team. Nicole was on the opposing team, Kinetic. That caused his own team members to doubt his loyalty. It’s worth noting that before this week’s task had even been assigned, Tim’s team members had put an ‘X’ over his head and had already planned to fire him if they lost. Office romance will put you in that kind of danger. It is a hazardous game. Yet you might recall that on more...

To win in sales, you need to be passionate about what you’re selling. You’ve got to believe that your organization is the best, that your product is the best and - most importantly - that you are the best.  Passion is the fulcrum point of selling.  It’s pivotal.  It’s absolutely fundamental to selling success.  That reality was made very apparent on last night’s Apprentice in the images we saw of Heidi and Nicole not fighting for the sales that Arrow was apparently “stealing” from them. Their complete failure to rise to that challenge showed us that if you’re not passionate about what you more...

Talented individuals are the driving force behind a good company. They’re the difference between high performance and mediocrity.  As a manager, you need to surround yourself with the best people. But you have to do something else too . . . You have to let them shine I liked the fact that James was confident enough in himself to do just that with his team this week. It was clear that Tim and Nicole knew just how to handle production and post-production. So James let them run with it - and he then wasn’t afraid to pay them kudos where it was due.  Managers, especially new more...

Although it’s become one of my signatures, firing people is not something I enjoy doing. In reality, I’d rather hire really great employees in the first place so that firing them is something I never plan on doing. But in reality, managers are often placed in tough situations when they have to let underperforming employees go. Since most people don’t have the benefit of a boardroom and cameras following their staff around, it’s not always easy to know what to say or how to do it. So let me offer some tips. First, never fire someone when you’re angry or when other workers more...

If you’d like to connect directly with Apprentice winners Randal Pinkett, Kendra Todd and Sean Yazbeck, your wishes have just come true, thanks to Trump University’s new Apprentice Winners Speakers Series. Space is limited for these free phone-in teleseminars, so click here now to register. On March 22, Sean will tell you how to sell successfully.  On March 29, Kendra will explain how she built riches in real estate - and how you can too.  On April 19, Randal will share powerful advice about becoming a successful entrepreneur.  Again, these events are free. I wanted to get the news out today via this special post more...

I learned a lot about leadership from Surya last night. But they were lessons about negative leadership. Let’s be truthful. Every time Surya led his team this season, he did a pretty bad job. He had no connection to the members of his team. He filled whole whiteboards with strange notes while everybody on his team made faces behind his back. He rambled when he talked. He actually disappeared on a few occasions, forcing the people who reported to him to improvise. But last night we all learned that Surya saw himself as an fine leader who was responsible for his team’s more...

If you’re an ambitious student or if you know one, the time to start a business is now! I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the three winners of the first Most Promising Campus CEO Contest. They are Catherine Cook (first place), Corey Kossack (second) and Seth Flowerman (third). Catherine, a high school senior, is founder of myYearbook.com. With 1.7 million members only two years after going live, myYearbook.com is one of the fastest-growing sites on the Internet. You can read more about Catherine and all the finalists by clicking here. Why did I put so much effort behind the contest? more...

I was astonished when Derek referred to himself as “white trash” in the boardroom last night - but I certainly wasn’t astonished when Mr. Trump fired him on the spot. Why would Mr. Trump want to give billion-dollar responsibilities to someone with a weak self-image? What prompted Derek to commit professional suicide that way? But when you consider last night’s episode, I think you will agree that it was really a parade of self-destructive behavior: Before the task was even assigned, both teams already had secret agendas to destroy their leaders.   When Angela missed the deadline to submit the more...

People engaged in some truly bizarre behavior on The Apprentice this week. Both teams toured the malls where they would stage their Priceline.com promotions. Both teams noticed that many of the consumers in those malls were Spanish-speaking. But not one person on either team took the obvious step of saying, “Look, we need Spanish-speaking presenters here. Let’s hire some!” Everybody saw the challenge, but nobody spoke up - not one person. That is incredible to me. And by the time Aimee’s team got to the boardroom firing, team behavior had become even more bizarre. Aimee said that she noticed that many of more...

Reflections on The Apprentice Episode Six Something incredible happened in last night’s episode. After Aimee and her team lost their task, she got together with Jenn, another member of her team - and revealed her plan to attack Jenn in the boardroom the next day! And then Jenn, who was probably trying to be honorable, said, “Well if you say that bad thing about me, then I am going to say this about you.” And she laid out her entire strategy. During that conversation, they both gave away any competitive advantage that they might have enjoyed in the boardroom firing session. And more...

With this blog post, Trump University welcomes Sean Yazbeck, winner of The Apprentice Season Five, as a new member of the Trump University faculty. Let’s hear Sean’s views on last night’s episode. The leaders of both teams faced a deceptively simple task last night. What could be more straightforward than putting honey in bottles and selling it? Yet both Aaron and Aimee, leaders of the Arrow and Kinetic teams, proved too weak to lead their teams to achieve optimal results. Here are the lessons that you and I can take away and apply in our own careers. Great leaders exert firm control more...

Recently on The Apprentice, I had to ask a member of the winning team Kinetic to volunteer to go to the losing team, Arrow. I was mildly surprised when I saw how many people were willing to risk making the move. Instead of staying on the safe winning team, they offered to move to the other team which was, pretty much, a wreck. I think it showed how many people were good leaders and wanted to show off their abilities. As long as they were on the winning team they couldn’t take a leadership role. On the losing team, there was more of more...

  Have the guts to take on the toughest assignments  Ultimately, the reason that Marisa got fired last night was that she had annoying habits, like interrupting people, resisting authority and not listening to her teammates. It is sobering to think that just a handful of personal traits like those - probably invisible to her - were enough to end her Apprentice career.  But for me, the most significant lesson came when Surya left Kinetic, the winning team, and voluntarily went to work for Arrow. Arrow, you remember, had already lost the first three tasks this season. They were losers. They were sleeping more...

I was shocked after a recent task on The Apprentice, when a candidate resigned instead of taking her chances in the boardroom. After having a tough time as project manager - and knowing her teammates certainly didn’t like her - Michelle threw in the towel and quit.  I was amazed that she would throw away such an opportunity. She had a chance at catapulting into the business spotlight, a chance at a high-profile job in a high-powered corporation. Yet, she chose to throw it all away.  It’s a business lesson I teach over and over again: “Never, ever give up. Never quit. You more...

Talking to your customers is the real secret of career success  The contestants had a pretty simple task last night. They only had to organize sightseeing tours of Hollywood on double-decker buses. I could execute that task by myself in an hour or two, and I bet you could too.  So why did the contestants engage in such bizarre behavior? Michelle was trying to dodge blame again this week by refusing to make a decision of any kind. And Tim, once his team’s bus tour got underway, picked up a microphone and told a busload of nice-looking school kids exactly how John Belushi more...

The essentials of building a great staff  One of the keys to being a great leader is the ability to delegate. For some strong people, that’s not an easy thing to do. It’s often difficult to relinquish the reins because you want to make sure things are done correctly. Many people adamantly believe the adage, “If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.”  But executives and managers and leaders of any kind are too busy to tend to every detail so delegation is crucial. However, in order to assign tasks to others, you have to really trust those who more...

Entrepreneurial wisdom from Apprentice finalist Andrea Lake We kick off our extensive coverage of the new Apprentice season with this interview of one of last season's top contenders. Be sure to watch the first episode of the new season this Sunday on NBC, 9/8c. On the last season of The Apprentice, Andrea Lake was the cool, confident, self-possessed competitor who made it into the final six. In real life, Andrea is a highly successful entrepreneur who had already founded highly successful companies before the showbecame part of her life. In this conversation with Trump University's Barry Lenson, Andrea talks openly about what she more...