CELEBRITY APPRENTICE 2- Nely Galan's Finale Blog

The finale of the Celebrity Apprentice did not disappoint - it was a clash of the titans.

Another impossible task -

1) To create a Celebrity Auction - and get celebrities to donate all the auction prizes.

2) Create a theme around your charity and Kodak. Take an ordinary location and make it extraordinary.

3) Create a brand appropriate campaign for Kodak - sell their digital frames and their message. We know how tough Kodak tasks can be and Jeff Hayzlett made this one particularly tough.

4) Sell your charity through integration at the event.

5) Make lots of money by selling tickets to Cirque du Soleil show, also by getting celebrities to show up and buy other celebs' auction items for the most money.

In conclusion - be creative, call in all your contacts, pull every rabbit out of a hat and by the way do it... in 24 hours and within a tight budget.

These powerhouses did it... even after losing their event planners.

In the end, as suspected it seemed to be a draw.

Annie - hands down, won for money (450,000 collected) and charity integration. Joan won for creative, brand, celebs, best auction gifts - everything else. Even Jeffrey Hayzlett from Kodak agreed.

Who would Donald pick?

I was confused until the end - it seemed as though he was confused, too.

I kept thinking, Trump is into money and Annie is a money-making beast!!! She is tough and seemed unlikable (at least the way she was edited) but Trump doesn't care about likability - think Piers!

But Joan is an American icon, formidable and 75 years old – those factors alone should get her The Celebrity Apprentice Lifetime Achievement Award.

I was there at the LIVE finale.
The tension between these 2 women and between other members of the cast was palpable. It wasn't just Joan and Annie - it was also Dennis and Jesse (over Dennis' drinking problems); and Clint and Donald (over how Clint was edited). There were a lot of issues going on. Definitely heavier vibes in the room than when we were at the finale last year. What happened to Khloe Kardasian, Natalie Gulbis, and T-Boz? They didn’t show. I wanted to meet them. Issues or scheduling conflicts?

The show, however, was fabulous! The heated discussion in the live boardroom session between all of the participants, and the wild showdown at the end between the two ladies, was uncomfortable to watch and great television.

The minute I guessed Annie was going to be fired and that Joan was going to win, was when Piers and Trace came out. I assumed Trace would vote for Joan and thought for sure Piers would vote for Annie. When Piers voted for Joan - I thought that's it, that's the ammunition Trump needs to make his decision.

Joan it was!!! The crowd went crazy!!!!!! I was sitting next to all the people from her charity. They were so nice and grateful. They truly spoke highly of Joan. I felt for them and was happy their charity got the recognition and the money.

It was a great night. Two extraordinary women, fighting as equals - not pussyfooting around and pretending to like each other, but going at it.
Trump got his great TV rating moment and I am one satisfied viewer.
I felt particularly satisfied because they really both won. Annie took home 450,000 for her charity, she's now a household name, and her charity got a ton of publicity. Joan got the title, 400,000 (150,000 that she raised in the final task plus 250,000 for the win), her charity is now on the map, and she gets recognized for 75 years of accomplishment. Win-win for all.

Okay, I have to give you a little bit of gossip about the show before I go.

I have to say our party last year was cozier. This year a million people were there and the celebs came and went - they were too bombarded to mingle. Last year, we took pictures with each other and had a glorious time.

I have decided this season's cast looks way better in person. People always tell me I look better in person and that I look thinner. The camera just doesn't love everybody.

Melissa is a thousand times better looking in person and she has quite a cute boyfriend, too. Jesse James is unrecognizable in person from TV. In person, you get it - he's very cute and sexy - you go, Sandra Bullock. Herschel Walker is a doll on TV and in person - but again, way more handsome in person. Claudia is pretty on TV - but in person, beautiful!!! Brande is beautiful on TV and in person and nice - the camera loves her. Here's the shocker - Annie! Television really doesn't do her justice. She looks way younger in person, and she's really quite pretty with beautiful porcelain skin.

It was great to see Stephen Baldwin, Trace Adkins and Piers Morgan again. I feel that after this season, our season is the loving first family of The Celebrity Apprentice.

Can't wait for next season. Who will superstar casting director, Chuck Labella (who deserves a medal for having an uncanny gut instinct about what mix of people to invite to a dinner party that would create excitement, smart conversation, controversy and fireworks) invite to partake in the next Celebrity Apprentice dinner?

My suggestion Chuck - next year we need an illicit behind the scenes romance.

Any thoughts?

Hasta next year!

Nely

CELEBRITY APPRENTICE 2- Nely Galan's Episode 10 Blog

I am so happy The Celebrity Apprentice has been picked up for another year. I learn so much from watching the show. I told Donald Trump after the show last year that there should be a Celebrity Apprentice boot camp for professionals. It is important to look at the skills and traits that have gotten you to where you are and address if they are still working for you.

When you watch The Celebrity Apprentice it is often clear and painful to see successful people who are stuck in patterns. They have never had the opportunity to stop and realize that there is time to change. There is time to do things differently and grow into the person you were always meant to be, even if you are a Celebrity. Reinvention is a beautiful thing!

I believe that is the theme of this episode.

The task to write a jingle had Clint Black as the obvious project manager and most likely to win contestant.

I felt sick to my stomach for Annie and Brande, putting myself in their shoes, and understanding the extreme difficulty of this task. Yet they came from behind, (clearly underestimated by themselves and others) and yet they won the race. Or maybe it is better put that Clint lost the race and they won by default. No matter- they won.

I find that this often happens in life. It has happened to me so many times. Sometimes I am so cocky and sure of success and then I lose. Other times when I feel like I don't deserve to win or I am unsure, I win in spite of myself. Even more complicated is that sometimes when I try hard and win, in the end I lose because the win was bad for my life. I have also sometimes lost and been devastated and in the end it was the best thing that ever happened to me.

When Trump fired Clint Black, he said that he was grateful for the insight the show gave him about working with others, I thought, this guy is going to go home and change. He realized his behavior is no longer working for him, he needs to let it go. He shifted and when he has time to take it all in, I believe it will be extraordinary for him.

In terms of Annie, she is in every way extraordinary. I rooted for her to win and I was thrilled to see it happen. But, like Jesse the week before, she is not a good winner. She is so gifted she doesn't realize she doesn't have to say I ,I, I, I, so many times. She just is great, she doesn't have to remind us every second. It diminishes her greatness.

It is hard to watch that behavior for me. I realize how often I have done that. I think women have to constantly prove themselves in the work place that we learn to "toot our own horn" in order to be recognized. We create this bad habit of constantly telling you how good we are, always justifying why we deserve our seat at the table. Watching it on TV, I realize that it is unnecessary and unattractive. Note to self and to Annie.

Later when Trump took the final four (Jesse, Joan, Annie and Brande) and had Piers interview them for their eligibility for the final two spots, his insights were profound and exactly what we all have been thinking.

Do Brits just have a knack for this because they are not from the US and they don't care what we think? Both Simon Cowell and Piers have an innate ability of hitting the nail on the head. Piers was right about all.

He thought Brande was lucky and not winner material (although likable and smart).

He felt Jesse was smart and a good leader, but something is off. I agree. While I admire him for keeping his private life private, you can't go on the Celebrity Apprentice, clearly to get publicity for yourself and your charity, and not expect people to want you to pull out your "Celebrity Trump card"- Sandra Bullock. It's was missed opportunity- he had to go! Trump did the right thing!

I am beyond excited that it is between Joan and Annie. How great to see two formidable women going for gold. It is a true horse race. I believe Joan will bring out all her tricks and will do her best to beat Annie. The more I observe Joan the more I think she has been playing poker with Annie. I think she will surprise us all. Annie could win easily unless she gets cocky and underestimates her opponent.

I love them both and will be happy if either one of them win. But for today I am voting for the 75 year old. I think she gets the life achievement award. Yes she has weird quirks and inappropriate comments but in the race of life in every way she is a winner and a phoenix that always rises from the ashes. Joan Rivers has Celebrity Apprentice winner written all over her.

Can't wait hasta next week!
Nely