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Kelly Perdew Comments on Celebrity Apprentice Episode Two

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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 tasks, the expert should not be the leader, they should just be the expert and let someone else focus on leading. Gene’s dominating presence during Task 1 made him a shoo-in for project manager for the men - but that dominating presence can also backfire!
Lesson:  You don’t have to make the subject matter expert the leader.
 
Nely led the women’s team in a little kumbaya to bolster morale and get the creative juices flowing, while the men’s team argued points until Stephen Baldwin brought up his 20+ years of film experience to capture the role of director for the commercial. Gene and Stephen clearly have a good rapport going. Not the case for Gene and Ivanka. Gene, in an apparent attempt to keep his vision a secret, made the very unfortunate mistake of rebuffing Ivanka when she came in to monitor the team’s progress. Not only did he rebuff her, he was rude about it. I can understand operational security, but it is not a good idea to insult the judge, even less of a good idea when she’s Donald’s daughter. That will come back to haunt him, if not on this task then on a future task.
Lesson:  Don’t insult the judge, especially when she is the boss’s daughter.
 
Marilu Henner was instrumental in writing the script and doing much of the directing on the women’s commercial. However, once again the women forgot to use their star power. They seemed a little disorganized and none of the shots looked compelling.
Lesson:  Learn from your prior mistakes, in this case - use star power.
 
After shooting all the scenes, Gene and Stephen basically booted the other five guys out of the editing booth so they could work in peace. Tito and the rest of the crew decided they didn’t want to leave their fate in Gene and Stephen’s hands. Tito led the group back to the editing booth and voiced his concern about being kicked out, but Gene and Stephen were insistent about being left alone to finish. This was a strong move by Tito, as I also wouldn’t have left it up to Gene and Stephen either. Tito is a competitive mixed martial arts fighter and that competitive spirit is what drives him in the cage and in business. They are all playing to win for their charities and Tito wants to contribute. Now Tito’s got some defense in the boardroom if the men’s team loses; however, he’s now become something of an antagonist to Gene and Stephen - two very strong players.
Lesson:  Sometimes less is more - not all tasks require the whole team.
 
Both teams then presented their commercials to Donald and the Pedigree VP of Marketing. The women’s team wore color-coordinated outfits and for the men, Gene, in a theme of consistency, was completely insolent. From the short pieces that aired, the men’s team clearly delivered the better commercial. Pedigree liked one of the commercials so much they plan to use it at the Westminster Dog Show. In the boardroom, Gene apologized to Ivanka and after watching both commercials in full, the men’s team won handily.  
Lesson:  Admit when you’re wrong and always use star power.
 
Nely decided to bring Nadia and Carol back into the boardroom with her, but there didn’t seem to be much reasoning behind those choices. Nely may be in trouble . . .
 
When they returned to the boardroom, Nely did not do a good job of defending herself. However, Carol dealt the death blow to Nadia when she said that Nadia could not be a leader and Nely reinforced that message. Nadia seemed confused, Carol kept quiet, and Nely described herself as exceptional.  In the end, Donald made the decision to fire Nadia because he thought Nely had more potential and that Nadia hadn’t showed leadership qualities. I would have fired Nely, as she was responsible for the overall delivery and Nadia wasn’t responsible for the loss.
Lesson:  Have a good reason for your choices and defend yourself when the time comes.

After winning season two of The Apprentice, Kelly Perdew spent 2005 as an Executive Vice President in the Trump Organization. Today Kelly is President of ProElite.com, an online social network that provides tools for combat sports enthusiasts.

Kelly is also a Managing Director for Angel Venture Partners, a venture capital fund that collaborates with leading angel groups across the country to invest in early-stage ventures. Kelly has held numerous leadership positions in such companies as CoreObjects Software; MotorPride.com, K12 Productions, and eteamz.com. He earned a BS from the US Military Academy, West Point, a JD from the UCLA School of Law, and an MBA from the Anderson School at UCLA. Kelly writes a Mixed Martial Arts Blog and is author of TAKE COMMAND: 10 Leadership Principles I Learned in the Military and Put to Work for Donald Trump. A percentage of the sales royalties from that book’s sales are donated to the USO.

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8 Comments

[-] Posted by Business 2000 Foundation.com on 01/14/2008 4:21 PM
We agree with most of Kelly's observation of the over-all schemes of operation tasks. To us, Gene seems more in tuned to the "Art of War" and is the leader. Stephen seem's to be a more of a hands on person(s) in the project tasks.

Both, we think made a mistake strategically of not speaking with the chairman of the project. And for not asking the other-team-mates to at least review the product presentation. A lot can go wrong... and maybe hunts them at the end of season.

Gene...does very good! Made mistakes, but knows how to recover very quickly.
[-] Posted by E. Rizzo on 01/15/2008 12:33 AM
My question: Is Kelly Perdew single? Go MILITARY!

What a great episode! Omarosa was virtually non-existent, so, that was nice!

Gene Simmons really came off as mysogynistic, but, that's his gig. Those types of comments might have been seen as "funny" by the guys, if he were not directing them toward Ivanka. Apparently, he doesn't realize that Ivanka actually "works" and doesn't just show up to the office and look pretty. That is one of the reasons that I admire her so much...with her beauty and name, she could easily just shop all day, live the pampered poodle life, and party like an idiot. She has managed to find a perfect balance, and does it with ease and confidence, at such a young age. Yet, I hear that she still manages to socialize and have fun without making an ass out of herself. She would be the polar opposite of PH.

I didn't understand why Gene and Stephen HAD to be left alone... I would have done exactly what Tito did. That was pretty bizarre. Although, from what I understand, the fewer people in the editing room, the better. However, Gene and Stephen should have trusted that their TEAM members could have sat in to observe, while keeping their mouths shut. It might have been interesting for the guys who had never seen the process. But, again, Gene and Stephen, as well, were pulling a power play, because they could.

I disagree with Kelly...Nadia needed to go, not Nely. Nadia had zero experience in business and it showed. Maybe she didn't bother to really study previous APPRENTICE seasons. I've known children who have become pretty sharp after watching The Apprentice, so everyone can learn something from the show. Nadia also seemed to have a bit of difficulty communicating with the other ladies. She's probably not used to seeing women playing so powerfully in what used to be strictly a men's game. Does she even live in the USA? Things are a lot different in Romania.

That was a perfect example of how things actually go in the business world. It's difficult to skate by if you don't have the credentials, or, impossible to maintain a position with the big dogs, simply because of previous accomplishments in another field, or, because you're so beautiful. Granted, her accomplishments were amazing...above and beyond what the rest of us will ever do...having gotten perfect 10's in gymnastics at the Olympics. But, even that was not enough to sustain her...not on The Apprentice.

My brother, who just began watching The Apprentice this season, called me after it was over, and he was most impressed with the way Mr. Trump fired Nadia. He thought it was cool that Mr. Trump took the time to tell Nadia how great she was, and that he loved her...then fired her. That was stellar! He showed that he truly admired her and that she will forever be admired and respected for her gymnastics accomplishments, but, she just wasn't up to par for The Apprentice. That was really nice...class.

Let's hope that the women finally get it next time and USE their CELEBRITY! They're driving me nuts! Twice in a row, they've made the same mistake!

Look forward to this week's episode! Thanks!
[-] Posted by E. Rizzo on 01/15/2008 12:46 AM
One more thing... Nadia did have a great charity, SPECIAL OLYMPICS INTERNATIONAL. Maybe those with deep pockets will contribute to her charity, even though she didn't win.
[-] Posted by E. Rizzo on 01/15/2008 1:25 PM
I forgot to say that the guys' commercial was excellent! Stephen is a better director, than actor. He always looks like he's about to laugh, in every movie that I've seen of his. Maybe he thinks it's funny that actors make so much money for delivering lines. That was "spot-on" to use Lennox, and Trace's voice was perfect...what a voice! I don't know what that Macy's exec. was talking about... maybe he doesn't follow sports, but, Piers was right - EVERYBODY knows who Lennox Lewis is. Even if they don't, Lennox has such a presence that he looks like SOMEBODY, even to those who don't know boxing, and you could tell that he really does love animals.
[-] Posted by member1452082 on 01/15/2008 11:30 PM
Gene Simmons is smart, probably the best businessman of the bunch.

He has been there done that a million times. (And became wealthy with no inherited money)

Gene is 100% self-made.

Donald's daughter should repect the seasoned Rocker. Respect is earned, she is still a kid, cutting her teeth. Just because she is on the show does not give her some sort of superior aura. (I like Carrol better)

Gene was focused, not mean nor disrespectful to Kid Trump.

Rock on brother!

Michael J Mark, BSc EE, P,Eng. ,Author

www.m2engineering.com

www.workingclassengineer.com
[-] Posted by E. Rizzo on 01/16/2008 1:15 PM
I think you're wrong, Michael. Yes, that is all good and well that Gene Simmons is fabulously successful and self-made, etc... I have a great deal of respect for Mr. Simmons and his accomplishments, but that does not give him the right to be disrespectful to Ivanka. [Those comments would have made sense if he were talking to Paris Hilton, or, some other bimbo who whores herself out to the media and papparazzi because she's such a narcissist. In the Larry King interview, Paris said that she was a business woman and attended board meetings...I had to laugh! Hey, maybe she does...and she's just doing things her way, against the establishment. She's total overkill, though...embarrassing. Ivanka has class and sophistication, and, especially in today's world...I think that should be respected. Anyone can act like an idiot (as we, unfortunately, see every day with Britney Spears...who, by the way, needs treatment or else she will find herself in the Anna Nicole Smith boat)].
I think that Ivanka has earned her respect...her father taught her the right things early, and paid attention to her growth. So many parents are so impressed with their little creations that they forget that those children need guidance, even if the kids seem smarter than everyone else. Or, parents think that their kids are so talented that it's okay to turn them into money making machines, foregoing their childhood. Or, some parents could care less. I think it is great that Ivanka knew that it was best to follow her father's lead, and not turn into a rebellious tramp. She has actually done the work! Why shouldn't that be respected? That is what is wrong with America...we applaud women who look like barbie dolls with no brains, total twits & trainwrecks, and, make these dummies fabulously wealthy in the process. There should be more Ivanka's and fewer Paris-Lindsay-Brittney's running around! It's stupid that we even know these people by one name. But, I guess we can look at them as examples of exactly what "not to do." It's not cute, sexy or fun. It's dumb. But, what are kids to think? Yeah, she's a skank, but, look how successful she is! That's what I wanna be when I grow up! It's disgusting!

Furthermore, I don't think that Gene Simmons would appreciate Mr. Trump speaking to his precious little daughter in the same manner. A little different when the tables are turned, huh, Gene?
[-] Posted by member1446981 on 01/17/2008 8:53 PM
Hi Mr. Trump, The Apprentice is a hit !! Congratulations!!

Although I was disappointed that Nadia had to be fired so soon in The Apprentice this season, I do understand the reasons why, and it certainly must have been a very tough decision for you and your team in the boardroom as well.

I m' really happy that you were so kindhearted and complimentary to Nadia , because as you said, she is a great and competitive Olympic athlete and a true winner! Alrthough she is a great Olympic Athlete,I think she probably is unfamiliar with all the competitiveness of the modern business world and the importance of being active and assertive on The Apprentice, and that may account for her rather quiet and passive style on the Apprentice this season. But with some more experience and skill in the business world,
she may become the next Come Back Kid!! .

The other participants are great, too and I can't wait to see Tonight's episode with Cramer in the Boardroom as well!!

Congratulations!
Peter
[-] Posted by member1713749 on 01/18/2008 12:14 AM
Actually this comment is for episode three. I was very excited to see the first two episodes, then this episode. Unfortunately, I will not be watching any longer. I cannot believe you put Gene Simmons with the women? Then he gets fired! Sorry, no longer a fan of this show!!
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