CELEBRITY APPRENTICE January 24, 2008 – Episode 4

In this episode, the challenge was to sell as many tickets as possible (for as much money as possible) for a variety of Broadway shows. I took a page from my “Lessons Learned” book, and decided to channel the great Gene Simmons and use my Rolodex to the max.

My friends at Cushman and Wakefield really came through for me, as well as my entrepreneur women's network and my powerful Latinos contacts – personally delivering cold hard cash for charity.

Did you know that none of the teams were allowed to tell any of the potential donors that they were coming down to give money for an “Apprentice” challenge? It was really rewarding to see that people showed up based solely our word that what we were doing was for a good cause.

I raised a lot of money, but yet our team lost again! I cannot tell you how badly that felt - especially for a bunch of competitive women so hungry for a win.

-Nely
P.S. Don’t miss the next episode of “Celebrity Apprentice”. It’s a doozy -- Shocking! Sleazy!

CELEBRITY APPRENTICE January 17, 2008 – Episode 3

The trait that I admire most (and which is sorely missing in much of the business world) is integrity. Don’t be fooled by any preconceived notions that you might have about Gene Simmons. Despite some of the wacky antics you’ve seen in the past few episodes, Gene is not just a rock star, he is a man with a vision who stands by his beliefs, and sticks to his word.

He’s also a firm believer of working smarter, not harder. Gene taught me a lot about using all of your contacts and resources instead of struggling uphill through your projects. (A prime example was exemplified in Episode 1 where Gene made one well-placed phone call and sold a $5000 hot dog, rather than running around trying to sell several $100 hot dogs - like the women’s team did.)

I was thrilled to have had the opportunity to work with him and was truly sorry to see him go. Gene - thanks for taking a bullet for me. You are a class act all the way!

-Nely
P.S. Don’t miss the next episode of “Celebrity Apprentice” when I utilize some of Gene’s tricks of the trade (Jan. 24th, 9/8c on NBC).

CELEBRITY APPRENTICE January 10, 2008 - Episode 2

It was hard to watch Nadia Comaneci leave the show. I admire her and have nothing but great respect for her, and count myself lucky to now be able to call her a friend. Nadia was one of my childhood idols and I was enthralled, along with the rest of the world, when she achieved true perfection at the 1976 Olympics. So imagine how thrilled I was to hear that she was going to be one of my cast-mates on The Apprentice!

You may not know it, but the actual boardroom sessions go on for hours at a time, and so much of the discussion with both the opposition and fellow teammates goes unseen and unheard on the show. As the Project Manager on this task, I would have gladly taken the bullet for my team, and all who were there know that I expressed that over and over again to Donald Trump. It was a tough loss - especially given my competitive nature. And I have to admit, as a producer I had to eat some humble pie when we lost to the guys, but it’s all part of the learning process. What happened in the Pedigree episode has happened many times in my field. Producing creative work is ultimately subjective. In competition sometimes you win, and other times you lose. You just have to pick yourself back up and get back into the game.
-Nely
P.S. Wait till you see what happens this week – Gene Simmons joins the ladies of Empresario and I can promise you that you will not forget this episode!

CELEBRITY APPRENTICE – Episode 1

January 3rd was the premiere of The Celebrity Edition of the NBC smash hit “THE APPRENTICE,” and Executive Producer Mark Burnett decided to throw a little party to thank the cast and crew. It was also a chance for all of us to screen the first episode live along with the rest of the country!

I arrived at the venue, CINESPACE, a little after 8pm and immediately spotted some of my fellow cast members – Nadia Comaneci, Marilu Henner, Tiffany Fallon and the infamous Omarosa. We caught up on what was going on with each other lives, and had the opportunity to meet family and friends. It was great seeing all the staff as well, knowing how much of their blood, sweat and tears they had poured into every episode.

When the lights dimmed down in the club moments before air time, I have to admit that I was a little nervous as to how the show would turn out, and as to how everyone would be portrayed – knowing full well from my experience as a TV producer, that you can live or die by the edit. At show’s end I was pleased to say that I got caught up in the drama along with everyone else in the audience. My hat is off to Donald Trump and Mark Burnett who have fine-tuned The Apprentice to perfection - making it as compelling a series as ever. Unfortunately someone had to be the first one to go, and we had to say goodbye to Tiffany, who is a true doll and a wonderful person.

Watching the show reminded me of what was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. To learn and grow working with such a diverse cast and crew, with such incredible skills, was amazing, and I’ll never forget the great friendships forged under fire.

The fun has just begun, so keep watching as the competition between the celebs gets really heated - have you seen the promos where Omarosa pours champagne over Piers Morgans’s head?

Episode 2 of Celebrity Apprentice airs on NBC on January 10^th – I can’t reveal what happens, but let’s just say that things get a little crazy for me.

-Nely

P.S. Here are a few pix from the premiere screening that I thought that I would share with you.