For the past few days, I have been breathing, eating, shitting and sleeping Apprentice Season 5. Why season 5 because it was the most viewed video on YouTube and it happened to be the first video when I typed Apprentice on the search button.
Personally, I think other seasons were better, in terms of the potential of each contestant. But, what I really liked about this season was their "work ethics" of and also how different every contestan is and it somewhat best depict the real world out there. I wish I watched Apprentice before I entered the working world because there were so many similar situations and it just taught me how to handle it better. There is just so so much to learn from apprentice.Seriously, the "perfect world", "butterflies and roses everywhere, everytime" and "ohhhhh , you are soo nice, thank you for supporting me all the time" doesn't exist. it boils down to you and whether you have the right tools to succeed.
We have, Summer who totally frustrates me when she made ONE phonecall for a task in marketing that she was responsible for. I mean like, HELLO?!?!?!!? you are a restaurant owner, and you made ONE phonecall thinking that you can clinch a deal, just like that. Just because you think it is, "phoney" to call restaurant at an "inappropriate time", you rest on your laurels and let your teammates run the show. There is a more proactive approach in which you could take, where 1) by calling up moreeeeeeeeeeeee restaurants for business and 2) go down to the restaurants and really market what you are selling for. it really doesn't take long if you think on your feet rather than somewhere else. Seriously, do you want to win this? And my judgement was right, she was fired in the first week.
Then, we have a very successful criminal defense attorney, Stacy, who looks very decent and lovely at the beginning, UNTIL, Brent came in the picture and it really questions her job as CRIMINAL defense attorney. So, yes, Brent is a little bit difficult to manage, talks a little bit too much, overzealous in brainstorming, a little bit on the Plus size, but hey! he is your team mate and you do not totally cut him off like that. and NEWSFLASH!, you are annoying, while Brent who really didn't do anything majorly wrong is a sweet young man. Just because he confronted you for cutting him off incessantly, and "THREATENED" you by swirling the pen and somewhat point it to your face, you were so highstrung about it and made a realllyyy big issue about it and affected the task at hand. Seriously, is this the worst threat you have ever received in your whole lifetime as a criminal defense attorney and SERIOUSLY, did brent really threaten you? i can't decide which is worse or is it just the way of life, an attorney who picks on unneccesary details or being a woman who is emotional and make a big issue out of nothing. maybe it would help, if right from the beginning, you respect all your teammates and listen to them. it is work afterall, nothing personal(god, i am so Trump-phied!)HAHA.
Then we have Brent. A really sweet guy, a lot of enthusiasm, very very opinionated and somewhat i have a soft spot for. After the first 2 episodes i knew he was always bullied by friends or teammates, maybe because of his weight(very highschool), and not that i went through like that before, it is just that i know of victims who suffered hugely from bullying. However Brent, Brent did not play the victim card. He, in fact, stood up to these bullies and dealt with them. But, not so efficiently. He was more of a volcano and had verbal diarrhea in trying to put his point across. He listens, but doesnt understand, which is really wasted because this guy he has a lottttt of ideas. to be honest, i like them too, but somehow, somewhere, none of the teammates respected his voice. weeks after weeks, his neck was on the line, hoping for room for improvement, but it seemeed that he never ever learned. wasted potential, but hey! reality has it that if you can't change, you are all by yourself.
And, we have Tarek. I tell you, he is literally a Tarik, because I thought wow, this guy is really good combination of brains and brawn. A member of MENSA, top 2% of people who has the highest IQ and he really does look like Orlando Bloom. Very very impressive at first, but he just proved that common sense is not that common at all, despite your innate ability of being the most intelligent person in the whole wide world! To go to the boardroom repeatedly, shows that maybe you didn't put your best foot forward. Charmaine was so right that you were not open to feedbacks and took it like as though it was a major blow to your ego. To accuse and assume your teammates that they were threatened by you because of your think that you are the strongest player in the team, is such a turn off. Never ever EVER judge the book by its cover. BUT, what makes it better was that he really did improve as the shows goes by. He was a great teamplayer, he listens and open to criticism. See Brent, let's learn from Tarek ok?
And, Micheal. Micheal, Micheal and Micheal. I thought you were a confident young-looking man. But, this talking toooo confidently has got to stop. Where is your substance, boy! Quite frankly, you were one of my favorites, until, you took many many hours to decide on a colour when time is ticking. His indecisiveness and lack of trust among teammates reminded me of me back then and watching this from a 3rd party point of view, it really really affects the dynamics of the team. Now I know how much I frustrates Zak so much. Don't worry Micheal, learn through experience, it is the only way up!
Lenny, you are a very very funny guy! Seriously, you reminded me of Gusto from Ratatouille with the funny Russian accent. You are very entertaining to watch and maybe, that's it. Favourite quote, " Maybe if Theresa's brain were bigger than her boobs, she might think better" HAHA. i liked you instantly. Maybe you should join America's got Talent instead?
Then, we have the self-made millionaire owner of 4 businesses, Andrea. No college degree. Very successful and very tall. HAHA. So, I had no opinions of her whatsoever, UNTIL, she cried in the bathroom when Brent was back in the boardroom. Seriously, how old are you? 31 or 3 or 1? how did Brent hurt you in anyway? For a successful woman, i didn't really expect this at all. You only strengthened my belief that emotional intelligence is far far FAR more important that IQ.Got frustrated when a member doesnt agree with your opinion. However, i think that she is great at planning, which is a very important step in a successful task. I like that about her. There are certain things that i dont agree with her, but when she coughed out blood and her nose bled, i really hope that she was going to be fine. I mean, afterall, she is still a person right?
Charmaine, I think you are a great speaker and also you are as cool as a cucumber for a lady. For that, I admire you.
Allie and Roxanne, if you think that you weren't a clique. you.are.delusional. seriously! friendship and business does not go. you need to know when to be professional and when to be a friend. Student Council in JC has taught me a lot in this and seriously, let's get better at it, not worse.
Lee. You are a true inspiration for many people. For a 22 year-old boy, to accomplish so so much at a young age, it is amazing. College gradauate. GPA of 4.02. Business Analyst for the former Merrill Lynch, truly a street-smart guy and a religious person. I admire the risks that you take in a task, strategies implemented and executed. Loyalty to your friends. But is the loyalty and a large amount of trust in your Lenny that made your nemesis clinced the tittle! wasted, wasted, wasted. Truly, i thought he was going to win before the final task. But after Lenny comes into the picture as the team member. Lee falls completely to the ground. Should have chosen, allie, roxanne and micheal instead of roxanne, lenny and PEPI( i know, i cant even remember him, Trump) But when i look back, i truly truly learned a lot from you and make the young adults really proud and probably a role model.
Last but not least, the winner is Sean! Did i expect it? 50-50 because his opponent was Lee, based on the previous tasks, he did extremely well! Sean? He didn't really leave me a lasting impression BUT his level of energy and passion reminded me of me. Always on-the-ball. For a degree holder in a mediocre university, he is truly an example of a person who transcends the paper chase idea and based it on experience. He was also good at picking his teammates for the final task, putting all personal issues aside. Leveraging on their strengths of marketing, planning and operations. Not mentioning his level of energy which is infectious, I truly would love to work with these kind of people. Simple passionate about things.
They say, life is also about bussiness. And really whatever character the contestants is somewhat i have experienced before. it really reminded me of my council days and days at Pru.
we make mistakes, we learn from it. we make mistakes again, we learn from it again. i also know that there are many many more funny people out there to just well, make the world go round!
well, i know it is a looong entry but i really feel strongly about this and hopefully we all can learn something from here and be successful according to our terms. It is always good to follow the successful people in order to be successful. So here it is!
Sean Yazbeck
Everyone's definition of success is different. What's yours?
I define success as the attainment of what Aristotle referred to as “eudemonia.” Eudemonia is the striving for excellence in everything you do to bring about prosperity in all parts of life: for you, family, friends, colleagues, and clients. And it is this striving for excellence in life that manifests virtue of character and defines true success.
To succeed in life, you have to...
...have an insatiable desire to win. If the fire in the stomach is innate then you’re halfway there. In the words of Mr. Trump, “I do it to do it.” However, regardless of whether or not it’s a natural yearning, you must continually set goals for yourself. Success is a constant state of motion and you should be consistently striving towards achieving a goal. Success is not simply the attainment of the goal itself but it is in the actual process you go through in order to obtain it.
You must also believe in yourself. Having true confidence in your convictions is essential. You must have the faith that if you put your mind to it you can achieve anything. It may sound somewhat clichéd, but it’s true.
Persistence is also significant. Never give up. Each time an obstacle is thrown in your path, take a step back, analyze the situation, and then have another go.
Continually setting goals to drive yourself to the next stage is ultimately the key. In business, set KPIs (key performance indicators) to measure your performance over time and against that of your peers. But be sure to have fun on the way. Setting targets shouldn’t feel like a chore. You’ve got to love what you do.
What are the most important qualities in a leader, and do you possess them?
The most important qualities in a leader that I strive to posses are integrity, decisiveness, an understanding of the business at hand, consistency, willingness to admit a mistake, the ability to listen, passion, motivation, and humility.
In “Winning,” by Jack Welch, he wrote, “Before you become a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.” As such, I endeavor to surround myself with a team consisting of individuals that embody integrity, intelligence, maturity, and passion. I believe far more can be achieved by a leader who allows individuals to feel empowered, valued, and motivated than a leader who micromanages every moving part of a task. So I’ll evaluate, coach, and build self-confidence within my team, but I’ll only intervene in their individual task implementation when necessary.
A positive leader with a positive outlook will end up managing a positive team. And when a team of talented individuals works well together, they’ll win every time.
Have any previous Apprentice winners motivated or inspired you? If so, who and why. If not, what did you think of the winners?
Bill Rancic. He put in a brilliant performance and displayed a natural ability to get on with people. It’s near impossible to get on with everyone all of the time, but to win you must concentrate on managing relationships with the other interviewees as much as winning the actual tasks.
Why should you be the next Apprentice?
In addition to an outstanding proven track record in business development, I offer a distinct international business perspective that has been developed over nine years in more than 20 countries. It’s a uniqueness that would instantly add value to the Trump organization.
If you could be any movie star from any era, who would you be and why?
Cary Grant. The archetypal, debonair leading man. Handsome, witty, and charming. Referring to the persona he created he once said, "Everyone wants to be Cary Grant; even I want to be Cary Gran
i think April 2010 was memorable. too many to mention. but at this stage, i just let the pictures and the videos do the talking.
i did this for our 2 years anniversary and this is only the first gift to him! i especially love the chipboards letters i bought from urban write and not to forget the collage too. have always believed in personalised gifts and truly truly the one person who inspired me to do so is bari'ah. i still keep those letters that she gave the buttsisters where she would decorate it beautifully with it. it takes a lot of effort to do it and that is why i really appreciate it. this years celebration was simple and lovely. no extravagant dinners, no extravagant gifts, no flowers just me and him. but what i particularly love about this years celeb is the location, which was the same exact location where soflan(HAHA. sofi and adlan) was formed 2 years ago at terminal 2! simple.sweet.lovely.
