Arts & Culture

Apprentice Winner Randal Pinkett on Working for Donald Trump

Cash for your car

rpinkett.jpgRandal Pinkett achieved victory and won the coveted title of Apprentice and now works for Donald Trump. Randal shared his thoughts on the show, what it?s like to work for the Donald and the heartbreak he endured in the midst of the process. He also shares his vision for uplifting communities and giving back.

JE: What prompted you to enter the Apprentice?

RP: Well it was, interestingly, my wife?s idea to go on the show. It was her original idea. She was a big fan of the show. I was a fan of the show as well, however she took the initiative to download the application from NBC?s website. And she put it on my desk, and she instructed me to fill it out. Now, actually I pushed the application aside initially and when I came she had placed it back on my desk. So I decide that I should heed her advice and subsequently looked at the application only to realize that it wasn?t necessarily that lengthy, that I had nothing to lose by filling it out. I did have to produce a ten minute audition video, it took me about two days of non-stop work. I think I started on a Friday and was done by Sunday and then mailed it out on Monday, and I got a call from producers about a month later saying we loved your application, loved your video, we want to talk some more and I was kind of blown away.

JE: Especially after not hearing from them for a month. You had probably forgotten about it.

RP: Yeah, because it?s like a black hole. You throw something in, you don?t know if you?ll ever get anything back out, or if you?ll ever hear from them or if it even meets its destination or if it ended up in a room full of other videotapes and applications, but they treat every application and they watched all ten minutes of my video and then gave me a call.

JE: Fantastic.

RP: I?m actually impressed by that.

JE: Yeah. No kidding. They probably get thousands upon thousands?
RP: Yeah, well a million people applied our season through a combination of doing what I did, which was sending your video, or attending one of the casting calls.

JE: A million people?

RP: Yeah.

JE: Wow. That?s huge. Well thank God your wife had the foresight to push you. That?s fantastic. So, what would you say was the most profound thing you discovered about yourself during that whole process of…how many weeks was it, during the show?

RP: Thirteen.

JE: Thirteen?

RP: Actually it was thirteen weeks, and I would say that I think this is the case for most people who do the Apprentice, and they told us this when we first arrived, we have a much better appreciation for what you can get accomplished in a short matter of time. Looking back on what we were able to do, under the circumstances of competition and cameras and high stakes, and just you know quick deadlines and…

JE: No sleep?

RP: No sleep? Yeah? yeah, you know and not necessarily the best diet, because you?re so focused on getting done what you have to get done, I?m just amazed at what we were able to from, from commercials to songs to floats. It?s quite mind-boggling.

JE: Yes. It?s a very interesting process to watch, definitely. Did you find qualities or things in yourself that you never knew existed before during that process, then?

RP: I would say that if anything, it reinforced many of the strategies or lessons that I?ve learned as an entrepreneur. That was really how I approached the Apprentice, was in the same way I approach my day to day life as a business owner. Treating people the way I want to be treated and playing to win and supporting everyone to the best of their ability and just working hard and thinking strategically. Having been through the show it just reinforced much of what I?ve learned to date was equally applied in the reality television show environment where the tasks are somewhat different to what I?m normally accustomed to. I don?t produce commercials in my day to day life, I don?t write songs, I don?t build floats. I do run a business and there?s a lot of basic fundamental principles that I?ve learned are in the pot across the board.

JE: And you found out that those principles are indeed winners, aren?t they?

RP: Yes. Yes.

JE: Definitely. So, did you think you would win? What were your thoughts going through it?

RP: That?s a great question. I did not, I?ll say I knew that I had the ability to win and I was qualified, I was talented, etc, but not knowing exactly what I was getting into was hard to predict how I would perform.

JE: Right. And what winning was based on and what your competition was and all of that, I bet.

RP: Right. Those are all variables beyond my control. It?s as if you?ve spent your life being trained to run the 100 meter dash and then you?re trained for the 200 meter dash and then you?re put in it but you?ve never done it before.

JE: Interesting?

RP: You?re like, I know how to sprint, I know how to run, I?m fast and I can win at 100 meters, but is that enough to get me through 200 meters? You believe in it, but you don?t know.

JE: Exactly. Well how exciting to have the opportunity to find that out.

RP: Yes. But I?ll say this to your question, you?ll recall during our season, and actually you?ll recall this perhaps more than anyone else, that there was a quadruple firing. Of which Jennifer (Jennifer Murphy, one of the Apprentice contestants happens to be my cousin) was one of the casualties of that firing, and it was at the point that I legitimately believed that I had a shot at winning. Because some of the toughest competition, Jennifer, Mark, James and Josh, were eliminated in the one swift boardroom.

JE: That was a shocker

RP: Yeah, and I honestly only regarded Alla as my toughest competition from that point forward.

JE: Really? How interesting. Not, Rebecca, huh? Alla. Yes, Alla did seem like a tough competitor.

RP: Alla was very tough. Alla would have been formidable competition in the finale. No question. I mean she was one of the most successful entrepreneurs amongst the 18 of us. Self-made millionaire, she owns a chain of day spas, has some real estate, I mean she?s very accomplished.

JE: She is. Yes, I had the opportunity to meet her. She’s very dynamic. So…how has The Apprentice changed the direction you were headed in your life?

RP: It?s changed it in a very positive way. I certainly was doing ok before the show. I was running a multi-million dollar firm but the reason I went on the show, after my wife suggested it, was because I wanted to learn from Donald Trump, what it meant to conduct business at that level. Now, I don?t run a multi-billion organization as does Mr. Trump, so it?s taken my career in a new direction in terms of the exposure, the experience, the relationships I?ve been able to establish having been named Donald Trump?s Apprentice. And there?s a series of other, I?ll call it spin-off opportunities, just from the celebrity of being the Apprentice. Speaking engagements, public appearances, product endorsements, I?m working on a book?so all of those things have also gone in a slightly different direction then what I was doing before.

JE: Sounds amazing. Now, what are you doing now for the Donald? Are your companies up and running while you?re working for him? Are you working for him part-time, full-time, can you explain all of that?

RP: Yeah. Basically I have a full time job with the Trump organization, and I do the best that I can to stay connected to what?s happening in my company. The assignment?s my top priority, and working in Atlantic City, I?m involved in three projects with him; the company is Trump Entertainment Resorts. It?s basically the publicly-held company that owns all of the Trump properties in Atlantic City. Mr. Trump owns a significant share in that public company. The three projects I?m working on, the first project is the one that was advertised on the show which is a renovation of all three properties. A $110 million renovation, and it spans all of out three resorts in Atlantic City, Trump Taj Mahal, Trump Plaza and Trump Marina, those being the three properties. The second project I?m working on is helping with the public relations and the community relations for our proposed expansion into Philadelphia. The name of that project is called Trump Street. You know, an entertainment complex being proposed for North Philadelphia. And the third project is an information technology project, which leverages my training and expertise. We are upgrading all of our computer systems for all 1,200 employees and I?m helping to manage that upgrade.

JE: Isn?t that perfect?!

RP: Yes. Absolutely. And the Philadelphia project and the IT project were kind of added on after I started.

JE: Wow. So he really loaded you up.

RP: Yeah, I?m keeping busy. They?re getting more than their money?s worth!

JE: Sounds like it! Well, that must be the Trump way, huh?

RP: It is, it is. I?m enjoying it and its been great working for Mr. Trump and I?ve learned a lot. This is what I signed up for, was to work hard and to learn as much as I can.

JE: No, that?s fantastic. I think the way Donald Trump does business is phenomenal.

JE: Your company, BCT is big on helping charities. Have you been able to consolidate your charity pursuits, sort of merge them in with what you are doing with the Trump Organization?

RP: I?ve tried to align myself with some charitable organizations and charitable efforts, the first being with Autism Speaks.

JE: Autism Speaks?

RP: Yes. And you may recall?

JE: That was you?re charity on the final show, wasn?t it?

RP: Exactly. So I?ve maintained that relationship with Autism Speaks, as a national spokesperson. And that has involved helping to organize fundraisers and I?ve emceed some events, I?ve been in some charity walks, and will be doing some more work through the year, and beyond that I?ve done a number of charity auctions, where I?ve either been present or they?ve auctioned off a lunch with me at Trump Tower. In fact I?ll be doing a dinner tonight with an auction winner at a restaurant here in New Jersey.

JE: Oh, lucky person!

RP: I?m really flattered that people will bid to eat with me. It?s very flattering

RP: I?m trying to think of some of the other charitable organizations that I?ve worked with. I?m working with the Kauffman Foundation, around National Entrepreneur?s Week, which will kick off in February 2007. And that will entail really promoting entrepreneurship amongst young people. The focus for my first book, my first book is called Campus CEO, and the book as the name suggests is about student entrepreneurship. That?s something that I?m particularly passionate about. I?m looking forward to really getting the word out to young people about thinking about becoming an entrepreneur.

JE: Great. I would love to post a review on your book as well. Let me ask you this: Do you see yourself entering the political arena in the future?

RP: That?s a good question. I?ll say this: right now my focus is without question trying to hone my abilities as an entrepreneur, and this opportunity with Mr. Trump is a stepping stone to what I?m believing are even greener pastures for what I see myself accomplishing for myself in the business arena. But I should also mention that I have kind of tipped my toe into the political arena just recently, I served as one of the chairs for the transition team of the now elected mayor of Newark, Cory Booker. My company is based in Newark, I grew up in New Jersey. Newark is the largest city in New Jersey and Cory Booker is a fellow Rhodes Scholar. He was graduating from Oxford the time I was arriving at Oxford. He is also a friend. He asked me to help develop his economic development policy agenda and so I chaired his transition team and pulling together recommendations for head administration to consider as they were embarking on a new administration. It was interesting. I mean economic policy is an area that I certainly have a relationship to, think about commercial development and other issues like housing and then the like, so it was a good opportunity to help him out and also just gain insight into the political process.

JE: We could certainly use a man like you in the political arena. Would you be opposed to it or are you open to it?

RP: I actually can?t rule it out, absolutely can?t rule it out. As I said my focus for the new term is business. But anything is possible.

JE: Great. Nice to know. That would be wonderful. You are an amazing man in many ways, it?s apparent. You have this very level-headed attitude, you have a big huge heart and are obviously a brilliant man; Trump knew what he was doing.

RP: That?s very flattering. Thank you.

JE: Are you going to be with Trump after this year, or are you going to continue a relationship working with him?

RP: Oh yeah. I do hope to maintain a relationship with Donald and the Trump organization, particularly in looking at the work that I?m doing now. The project in Philadelphia, you know we?re proposing to build the resort in a low-income neighborhood of Philadelphia. It?s a neighborhood that was once the home of a large manufacturer. The manufacturer left and along with that went a number of jobs. So there?s? been a lot of discussion in the community as to how a resort could be an engine for economic development in that neighborhood. I?ve been at some of the community forums, I?ve talked to community leaders, I?ve met with community leaders, because that project is still in the proposal stage, state officials are evaluating the license application it?s probably an initiative that will extend beyond my time, beyond my one year. That project in particular, I can see myself continuing to play a role, because I really want to be part of the discussion, making sure that the way we are going about that project, is delivering the very benefits that we are hoping for, which is creating jobs, economic development, engaging small businesses, women-owned businesses, minority-owned businesses, and all the other plans that have been in discussion as we have talked to community leaders and others.

JE: That would have such a huge impact.

RP: Yeah. So I think it?s a good marriage of the organizations interest and my interest and the community?s interest, for me to perhaps maintain a role at minimum in that project. Mr. Trump and I will sit down at the end of the year and we?ll put it all on the table and then decide if it makes sense.

JE: Great. Well you?ve got to keep us posted on that.

RP: O.K., absolutely.

JE: Is there anything else you?d like to share?

RP: The Apprentice from my vantage point -?it doesn?t define my success, but it certainly has been a great contributor to it. The opportunity to work with Mr. Trump, it?s priceless. And the opportunity to be on the show was also priceless because it introduced me to a national audience, in as much as, I just feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity because there are just so few opportunities for business people like me to gain that kind of recognition. I just count it as a blessing, and just try to stay balanced and never lose sight of other important things like family and friends and faith and the like, keep it all in perspective. It?s just been a great opportunity and I am just very, very grateful for it and for people that are interested to know more about what I?m doing and are wishing the best for me and want to know how the assignment is going, I?m just always flattered and humbled by the response that I receive from people.

JE: Well, I?d say very deserved. And, there was a great personal challenge you faced during the taping of the show; it also showed who you were as a person, your strength, the sad challenge you faced with passing of your grandmother, very sad, but it was amazing how you kept your composure, and were able to compartmentalize the two, it just showed who you were as a person, your strength, and I?m very sorry, what you had to go through.

RP: Well thank you. It was a difficult period and not that there?s ever a good time to lose a loved one, but with America, so called, watching, it just made it that much more difficult. But I remember in one of the final boardrooms, the topic came up and I remember thinking something to the effect of should I win or rather my efforts will really contribute to her memory; my grandfather was the one who said your grandmother would want you to stay and finish what you started there, do not come home – just want you to stay and take advantage of the opportunity, so his words were really the ones that prompted me to stay, because I was inclined to go.

JE: That?s amazing.

RP: It was really powerful. What people aren?t aware of, is that, (you know my grandmother passed during the first half of the show)?the days before we left to go to New York to begin filming the show, it sounds kind of mundane, but my laptop died. It sounds kind of crazy, mentioning that my laptop died, but I do everything on my laptop; like without my laptop I can?t get any work done. My professional life revolves around my laptop, so my laptop died, I actually had a backup laptop, then my backup laptop died also. And, in the meantime, there was this voice inside of me, and I?m not exaggerating when I say this, there was this voice inside of me that kept saying, ?You need to go see your grandmother.? And I ignored this voice up until the point that my laptop died and then my backup laptop died, and I said, I literally can?t do anything right now, because I can?t get any work done and I was trying to get all this work done before I left for the show. As anyone would, leaving for a vacation or a honeymoon or what have you, I?m like, I have to get all this work done before I go; well the laptop died, so I?m like ok I have nothing to do, you know what? I?m going to go to Philadelphia and visit my grandmother. I drove to Philadelphia two days before we were set to leave for New York. I spent half a day with her, we took pictures, we laughed, told stories, and then I left to go to New York, and the day after being there she passed away. Unbelievable, unbelievable. And all I could think of when I got the news was, if I had not listened to that voice, I would be regretting that right now.

RP: She was fine the day I saw her. She was completely fine. She had been fine. She lived in an assisted living facility. My grandmother breathed through her trachea, not through her mouth.The day after I left, the tube connected to her trachea fell out, and by the time the nurses got to her to try to put it back in, she had already passed. It was a random accident. So it was really a whirlwind experience. The highs and then the lows.

JE: Wow, that is unbelievable. You kept your composure, and you didn?t miss a beat. That?s a testament of who you are as a person. Even though your heart was breaking on the inside.

RP: It was definitely a test of my will and my faith. Without question.

RP: And you?ll recall, too, I was grateful Mr. Trump gave me the service of his helicopter for the services.

JE: The best man won, and you carry on and give great things back to the world. Thank you so much for sharing?

RP: I wish you all the best?

www.randalpinkett.com

About the author

Jane Emery