Fast Talk: What I Learned on <em>The Apprentice</em>

By: Ryan UnderwoodWed Dec 19, 2007 at 7:53 AM

You're fired! With the finale of season three this month, five people who've heard that signature Trumpism share what they learned about image, experience, role models, decision making, and leveraging free publicity from being on The Donald's hit show. And -- surprise! -- Trump himself had little to teach.

Never Stay Still

Danny Kastner

Founder and CEO, POPstick Inc.
Boston, Massachusetts

The Donald's a tough guy, but behind the scenes he's very compassionate with the people who work for him, and they're very loyal. Being around him, I got a chance to really see his softer side and appreciate it. But rub Donald the wrong way and -- bam! -- he's not only going to fire you, he's going to tell you you're stupid. He's a great lesson in holding true to the situation at hand: Either you're kicking somebody's butt or you're supporting them in a big way. But you've just got to make that decision about where people are in that spectrum and not sit around and wait for them to destroy you. He's certainly a guy of extremes, but he knows what he wants.

I've reflected on that idea a lot since I left the show. Sometimes my business will stagnate based on certain decisions I've made -- or not made -- or because of certain people I've hired. The Apprentice gives you no choice. You have to move ahead, make a decision, and risk a lot. On The Apprentice, you have to deliver a successful outcome very quickly. If people in your organization are dragging their feet, if they aren't willing to step up and take whatever challenges are in front of them, you can't stay still. You've got to act decisively and quickly and then move on. Tomorrow, something could really crash down. So what are you going to do to rebound from that and succeed? In that way, The Apprentice is very real.

Danny Kastner, 39, was fired in the third episode of the current season. In 1998, he founded POPstick, a new-media marketing and branding firm. He's also an avid musician who wrote a song, "15 Minutes of Fame," about his experience on the show.

It's a Personality Contest

Elizabeth Jarosz

Founder, Pulse40 Inc.
Los Angeles, California

On the show, I looked very wimpy. Around episode three or so, I realized that all the brilliant things I had done up until that point had not at all been shown. Someone told me it's because it wouldn't fit with my character. That's when I figured out that none of the smart things I'd done would ever show up on screen. I thought, "Oh my God. I could lose my company." I really thought my business skills would prove my worth. And it turned out to be a personality contest instead. I signed up for The Apprentice and ended up on Survivor. Thankfully, I was redeemed in the finale when my character was made out to be a savior of sorts.

In the end, I think people were able to see beyond the character on the show. It was like, "Wait a minute, these dots don't connect." I had gone to business school undergrad at the University of Michigan. I had worked for Procter & Gamble as a brand manager. I had started a successful company. I'm so much more capable than the show made me look.

Right before I left to tape the series, P&G called and said it wanted me to work on a new product launch. I said, "Sorry, I can't do it." I said I had a project that lasted seven weeks because I wasn't allowed to say I was going on The Apprentice. I worried that I had lost this important piece of business. Fortunately, P&G waited for two months and called as soon as I got back. In fact, thanks to all the notoriety, Pulse40 is doing better than ever.

Elizabeth Jarosz, 32, appeared in season two. In addition to running Pulse40, her market research firm, Jarosz has begun to take on various television projects, including several for WDIV-TV, the NBC affiliate in Detroit.