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	<title>Meteor Apprentice Unseen &#187; Nicky&#8217;s Blog</title>
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		<title>It&#8217;s all over</title>
		<link>http://apprenticeunseen.ie/2009/12/its-all-over/</link>
		<comments>http://apprenticeunseen.ie/2009/12/its-all-over/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 15 Dec 2009 11:10:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nicky</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[Apprentice 2009 Steve Rayner. What a result!! The best man won and I am delighted. He was strong at the beginning of the series, dipped for a while and came back fighting so kudos where deserved. The man of the moment has integrity, amazing selling skills and deserves the opportunity. It is amazing how you [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Apprentice 2009 Steve Rayner. What a result!! The best man won and I am delighted. He was strong at the beginning of the series, dipped for a while and came back fighting so kudos where deserved. The man of the moment has integrity, amazing selling skills and deserves the opportunity. It is amazing how you only see a certain side of these guys on television and even though I have been through the Apprentice wringer I sometimes forget this. I had the pleasure of meeting Steve and his family over the past few days and I have to say what lovely, genuine people they are. Steve even told me my advice to lose the dog chain was taken on board and his fiancée was thanking me, she didn&#8217;t like it either <img src='http://apprenticeunseen.ie/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' />  Congratulations are in order but in the same breath I would like to give my sympathies to Stephen. I know that runner up feeling and how devastating it can be so congratulations to him for making it that far, the little tear at the end helped <img src='http://apprenticeunseen.ie/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' />  We have all criticised the candidates time to time but it is a reality TV and it is part a parcel of the show but as its over I&#8217;d like to say I know how hard the process is and well done to all 14 for making the past 13 weeks addictive watching. </p>
<p>Ok back to the task, without sounding biased I did think the final task was quite basic and small compared to last year and even UK/America series, normally alot more parts to the task. This is down to the production team but last year we had a ball to organise including entertainment, source prizes, run a 3 mobile store, source a celebrity, do aradio interview and a presentation so I was quite surprised, but 2 days is short time to pull it all together and they did well. Maybe they thought being 2 men they wouldn&#8217;t be able to multi task, joking!! <img src='http://apprenticeunseen.ie/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' />  This year was very different because neither Brian nor Jackie were following the candidates which I thought was strange? Aren&#8217;t his eyes and ears meant to advise him of each performance, maybe if we were thinking conspiracy theories they had Steve already in mind as the winner and were just going through the motions. Just a thought!! There was no sales or money or anything to decide a task winner either which is unusual!? Many say Stephen won the final task but I&#8217;m not sure. Yes he changed tactic which is admirable and the event looked great but he forgot fundamental basics such as detailed information about the car and venue in his speech which is what the task was about, he didn&#8217;t push a boundaries getting a celebrity either, Pippa O&#8217;Connor? I don&#8217;t want to dig the knife in but I have to report on the task! Steve&#8217;s idea was a bit cliché but he worked the room, kept his cool, informed the audience exactly why they were there and all about the car. His speech wasn&#8217;t great but I’m surprised he was even able to talk after what happened to Michelle, I&#8217;m not sure I could have composed myself because people falling is my giggle weakness!! What a tumble and the 10 times I’ve watched it she really stacked it!! Fair play to her though, she got straight up and kept going. An insider told me she was happy for it to air and was a sport about it. No diva behaviour in sight! </p>
<p>Technically the task was smaller than usual but I still think it was a cracker of an episode, it had humour, bitching, emotion and business of course. The Breffmeister didn&#8217;t let us down with his one liners and hilarious reaction to everything. Describing Stephen as a &#8220;bull in a china shop but now a calmer Bull&#8221; ahaha, his fiesta demonstration skills consisted of smoozing Pippa, who seemed to appreciate our Breff as well. Brian Ormond better watch this space <img src='http://apprenticeunseen.ie/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' />  Breff may not have contributed massively to the task but the final would not have been the same without him! I wanted to throttle Sam watching the show last night; it amazes me how some past contestants act on return! Some have a serious case of Hunchback syndrome from the enormous chip on their shoulders! The task was about Stephen, get on with the job and be happy for him, it’s not a competition anymore so I felt the negative comments weren&#8217;t necessary. Yes she was honest but I felt it was more begrudgary! </p>
<p>So it’s all over and what a great 13 weeks, what are we going to do!? The Apprentice 2009 was a classic and special thanks to Meteor who included us the public so much more this year, providing us with great unseen clips and gossip!! Also huge thanks to those who read the blog, it is hugely appreciated and I wish you a Happy Christmas and great 2010. </p>
<p>Nicky</p>
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		<title>How time has flown</title>
		<link>http://apprenticeunseen.ie/2009/12/how-time-has-flown/</link>
		<comments>http://apprenticeunseen.ie/2009/12/how-time-has-flown/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 11 Dec 2009 12:08:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nicky</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Latest News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nicky's Blog]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://apprenticeunseen.ie/?p=525</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The final is here and how time has flown! It only seemed like yesterday we were laughing and cringing at Sam singing the “Choc Ice Choo Choo train” thinking who are these 14 lunatics?! Through love affairs, temper tantrums, cat fights and a national pandemic of Breffitis, it is now down to the final 2. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The final is here and how time has flown! It only seemed like yesterday we were laughing and cringing at Sam singing the “Choc Ice Choo Choo train” thinking who are these 14 lunatics?! Through love affairs, temper tantrums, cat fights and a national pandemic of Breffitis, it is now down to the final 2. No one can deny how entertaining the past 13 weeks have been with the Breffmeister being the highlight for me. Through the tears and boardroom bust ups, Bill picked the finalists, being somewhat of a surprise for some. Like many I would have thought Maria or Lucinda would have definitely made the final and had all the attributes to make a great apprentice. Below is my opinion on the two lads. </p>
<p>Steve – He is my favourite to win. Bill worries he may relapse but I think in Steve’s case success in a fast paced environment drives him. It seems Bill is looking for a particular type of apprentice this year that will focus on sales throughout the organisation. Steve is this man, not only can he sell but train other employees throughout Glencullen and help increase the bottom line, which every business needs in this tough climate. He differs from Stephen because he has better people skills so I think current employee’s will listen to him and work for him. </p>
<p>Stephen – It is hard to know whether what we see is the real Stephen or editing. Other candidates have praised him and picked him as the winner but I just don’t see it, even Bill has talked about some extraordinary skills he has? It would be a shame if we have been somewhat misinformed by production who mainly showed this aggressive, ego maniac side to fit a “character”. For me there has been no task where he has ever stood out and excelled. His lack of people skills and distrust of people would never work in Bill’s organisation. Bill is all about positive thinking and extreme enthusiasm. Stephen “The Terminator” Higgins may have drive, ambition and a yearning to win but he exudes this negative vibe, maybe sub consciously but people do not warm to him. If Stephen does not win there could be a dramatic shirt ripping, a zoolander glance with “Bill I’ll be back”! In his manly Galway accent of course J </p>
<p>There have been so many highlights in this year’s Apprentice and it has grown so much as a show. The tasks have been more professional, show casing what’s really needed in the business world. Love or hate them the candidates were entertaining and of course Bill rocked! Even if he did have a few craggy Island moments. It is going to be a nail biting final and I wish them both the best of luck but my money is on Steve!!</p>
<p>Nicky</p>
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		<title>The bully boy task</title>
		<link>http://apprenticeunseen.ie/2009/12/the-bully-boy-task/</link>
		<comments>http://apprenticeunseen.ie/2009/12/the-bully-boy-task/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 07 Dec 2009 22:22:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nicky</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://apprenticeunseen.ie/?p=507</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Kudos where deserved and all 3 candidates do deserve it! Yes they made mistakes or fumbled slightly but over all they had composure and were articulate and honest when faced with the difficult questions. All 3 were so self assured going in and you need this to survive, I know how hard it is from [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Kudos where deserved and all 3 candidates do deserve it! Yes they made mistakes or fumbled slightly but over all they had composure and were articulate and honest when faced with the difficult questions. All 3 were so self assured going in and you need this to survive, I know how hard it is from experience. Ok Stephen’s self confessed love of himself whilst looking like he&#8217;s going to de-combust (the red neck) did get a bit embarrassing, Steve’s deep into  space, nine facial impressions, was kind of creepy and Geraldine’s obsession with shoes was a tad inappropriate. Did she say “cheap as” or “cheap ass” when speaking with Gavin Duffy? But Overall fair play! </p>
<p>The interview which always stands out is Gavin Duffy as he is given the bully boy task and god he is good. He has a way of running rings around you, picking up on your every word and manipulating you into saying something you never would. Last year I managed to avoid wearing my CV by dodging it as he almost threw it at me. He is actually a pussy cat and a really nice man. He is given the job of pushing your buttons to see how you react under that scrutiny and personal attack. The clever man he is, managed to get Steve to open up about a complicated past. Alcoholism and gambling is not easy to admit and I have a new found respect for Steve. The production team contact every person you know to dig dirt and that skeleton was never going to be buried. Steve tackled the issue before Gavin had a chance so this way Steve had control and Gavin seemed to back down. I had an uneasy feeling about Steve in the past and felt there was more to him than meets the eye. I feel a bit guilty as now I realise it wasn’t that he was fake or had a game plan but obviously battling obstacles as being colour blind, dyslexic and dealing with addiction. He never used these as an excuse or for sympathy but kept it hidden, maybe to avoid special treatment. I wouldn’t patronise him with a sympathy vote but I think he did the best in the interviews and it was admirable how honest he was. </p>
<p>It will be battle of the pin stripes in this all male final! Definitely going to be testosterone fuelled because even when Bill fired Geraldine, there was no celebratory hand shake or smiles between Steve and Stephen, they didn’t even look happy. Brenda and I were smiling so much we nearly swallowed our ears! The game is on and you can tell they both will fight to the death. </p>
<p>Geraldine did well; I liked how she repeated the panellist names regularly throughout the interviews. This is renowned trick in interview techniques which is meant to help people warm to you, consciously and sub consciously. It is now obvious Bill is looking for a hardnosed individual to get the job done, whichever way! I would have preferred to see Geraldine in the final than Stephen. He still has that lazy persona and at one point I thought he was going to yawn mid interview. It still shocks me why people on the apprentice lie on their CV, of course you will get caught!! Did Stephen never watch a series of the Apprentice? He didn’t even seem embarrassed. He probably would have said he was Bill Cullen if he could and when asked his reply would be &#8220;that would be a fair assessment&#8221;. No shame.</p>
<p>My favourite of the night was Bill, he seemed different!? He smiled a lot and seemed to be on happy pills in “apprentice never ever land”. He referred to the three remaining as extraordinary on numerous occasions. Really Bill? They have all achieved a huge amount to get this far but I don’t think I would go as far as extraordinary. I’m not mad about Steve or Stephen but my money is on Steve! </p>
<p>Nicky</p>
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		<title>Can&#8217;t wait for the interviews</title>
		<link>http://apprenticeunseen.ie/2009/12/cant-wait-for-the-interviews/</link>
		<comments>http://apprenticeunseen.ie/2009/12/cant-wait-for-the-interviews/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 05 Dec 2009 11:14:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nicky</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://apprenticeunseen.ie/?p=501</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The public were shocked at Lucinda going but I realised this week the person most shocked was Lucinda herself. It seems Lucinda has been analyzing the firing since then and in a way I don&#8217;t blame her. One thing is for sure the girl has kahoona&#8217;s! She was sure to let Bill know how regretful [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The public were shocked at Lucinda going but I realised this week the person most shocked was Lucinda herself. It seems Lucinda has been analyzing the firing since then and in a way I don&#8217;t blame her. One thing is for sure the girl has kahoona&#8217;s! She was sure to let Bill know how regretful he will be in a year’s time, the best was Lucinda pouncing on Jackie in the Newstalk interview, it was hand bags at dawn with Lucinda standing her ground and telling Jackie what&#8217;s what! Brave woman! </p>
<p>Monday night’s episode is the dreaded gut wrenching interviews! The candidates better be prepared for the roasting of their lives. At least they were more prepared from watching last year but I guarantee any skeletons they think are well and truly hidden will raise their ugly heads. They contact everybody and anybody to dig the dirt! Who will spill on which candidate? Nail biting stuff!<br />
 It is a living nightmare where I experienced all over bruising from pinching myself to wake up! Any inflated ego&#8217;s or know it all attitudes will be sucked out, including a part of your dignity and soul:) It is that bad! The public see about 2 &#8211; 5 minutes of each interview but actually they are about 45 minutes each, all apprentice bashing! I remember the production crew and drivers commented that in all the tasks which we stayed up all night they had never seen us so exhausted. It is mentally and emotionally challenging and one of the hardest tasks. The most frustrating part I found was when the panel try and fabricate a story or go down a route totally irrelevant. Each of us last year hated different interviews but my worst was Gavin Duffy! When I entered the room he was sunshine lollipops and as the interview started he just started hitting me with grenades of accusations! At one point he picked up my CV and basically threw it at me. What they aired was my initial shock and stumbling slightly but what you didn&#8217;t see much of was me defending myself but not aggressively, they try and get you to lose the head! I had an Ally Mc Beal moment where I saw myself being lifted from my body, jumping over the table and drop kicking him whilst actually grinning through greeted teeth. I thankfully managed to hold my composure. You think you have done terribly but they are looking for certain attributes and he gave me the best feedback to Bill!!</p>
<p>In hindsight the interviews were a great experience, if I was able to get through personal and professional assassinations of this kind I am able to face any difficult situation or person. Your confidence builds and no person or interview seems intimidating. It gave me the guts to take more risks and not fear rejection so much. This is the one task where you are responsible for your fate and there is no one to blame. It is the last leg and the candidates will already be exhausted, nerve racking knowing their past or reaction to interviews could cost them the final. They all seem very confident in the unseen footage but it is human nature to get defensive, who can keep this under control.<br />
 The word on the street is not to miss this episode. Some shock revelations are unfolded and there is a lot of squirming and cringe moments! I feel for Ger, Steve and Stephen this week. It is really tough and a serious test in self control. The public have a love/hate relationship with these episodes, you want to look away but you can&#8217;t. It is going to be interesting!!! Who will survive the storm?</p>
<p>Nicky</p>
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		<title>I don’t believe Lucinda was fired!</title>
		<link>http://apprenticeunseen.ie/2009/12/i-don%e2%80%99t-believe-lucinda-was-fired/</link>
		<comments>http://apprenticeunseen.ie/2009/12/i-don%e2%80%99t-believe-lucinda-was-fired/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:44:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nicky</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://apprenticeunseen.ie/?p=495</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I don’t believe Lucinda was fired! She was the winner in my eyes and now I have to eat my words about boycotting the show! Obviously I could never do that and only bluffed because I never thought Bill would actually fire her. To be honest I don’t think he thought he would have to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I don’t believe Lucinda was fired! She was the winner in my eyes and now I have to eat my words about boycotting the show! Obviously I could never do that and only bluffed because I never thought Bill would actually fire her. To be honest I don’t think he thought he would have to make the choice. When the teams were divided most people thought Lucinda and Steve were the stronger team and win hands down but Ger and Stephen pulled it out of the bag. Unfortunately bad luck the losing team was strong because Bill had to fire a great candidate, I am very sad to see her go but with the 3 stooges campaign they were lambs to the slaughter.</p>
<p>After repeated criticism for being creative fire blankets, this was the task to prove otherwise but what an extreme to go to. The moment they decided on 3 Wise Men theme I was hesitant but thought Lucinda is a clever marketer so this could end up quite cool, I am full to the brim from eating my words this week! As the white shirts and tacky party hats came out I had a slow motion run towards the tv “nooooooooooooooo…”but she had committed and there was no going back! The model pictures looked like mug shots or criminals in strait jackets at their Christmas party! “Americas Next Top Model” Lucinda? Lucinda? Lucinda? It was simple, they were so adamant about winning and impressing Bill with creativeness they totally lost sight of reality and the client. The radio ad was just as comical, Rhubarb and Custard eat your heart out! I found the boardroom quite difficult to watch, Steve acts like he is the nicest guy but has this façade in boardroom and I do think he is more cunning than people think. I have to admit something about Steve makes me uneasy but I can’t place my finger on it, Maria’s comment “there is more to Steve then we see” always resounds in my mind. He played a game in the boardroom; he focused more on tearing Lucinda down than his strengths. As a boardroom virgin I think she became slightly intimidated. Herself and Steve at parts were really “what you can do I can do better” and then with panic came a slight desperation for Lucinda claiming she would become a “cow” for Bill. Always stay true to yourself, she was a lady and absolutely was sharp, no such thing as being too nice and Lucinda was so competitive she would always do well. </p>
<p>Who would have thought Platinum would do so well especially considering the task began with “trust” issues and the word “petty” but fair play, they didn’t take it personally and got on with it. Geraldine pulled a blinder, she had no experience in recording studio’s or radio ads but got it bang on! She has an ability to extract the best out of people and really knew what she wanted. Her presentation has improved dramatically, you could see Appleby had connected with her and attracted to the warmth of her speech. She has grown the most in this process. Their campaign was very Appleby, actually very similar to current campaigns, both print and radio. They knew creative was important but in this case brand was more important. Appleby are a family business with very conservative views, Platinum knew this was not the task to take too much of a risk. Stephen has such a bad persona with people, he seemed really ignorant when meeting the models and as Jackie said it was embarrassing. You need to connect with people so they open up and give you what you need; they need to trust in your directions. I have to question this romantic side Bill referred to. Do we really think Stephen wrote it? I am pretty confident love poems were googled but in fairness the concept was romantic and looked well. Being a Christmas theme it would have been nice to have a couple standing by the Christmas tree exchanging presents and the decorations could have been Appleby jewellery, showcasing all their ranges. </p>
<p>It was disappointing to see Lucinda go and I felt for her in the car as you could see she was gutted! Bill needs to “Galvanize” Brian and Jackie (this seems to be this year’s Apprentice buzz word) and really consider who the best person for the job is now. </p>
<p>Nicky</p>
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		<item>
		<title>The final is so close&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://apprenticeunseen.ie/2009/11/the-final-is-so-close/</link>
		<comments>http://apprenticeunseen.ie/2009/11/the-final-is-so-close/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 29 Nov 2009 14:04:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nicky</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://apprenticeunseen.ie/?p=477</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[After Monday night’s entertainment of Aoiffe throwing daggers plus everything except the kitchen sink at Geraldine, I am exhausted. Aoiffe even threatened to knock her face against a wall, really? At least with the chip turned mountain on her shoulder the blow would have been softened. It was bitchy overload all week with the great [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>After Monday night’s entertainment of Aoiffe throwing daggers plus everything except the kitchen sink at Geraldine, I am exhausted. Aoiffe even threatened to knock her face against a wall, really? At least with the chip turned mountain on her shoulder the blow would have been softened. It was bitchy overload all week with the great unseen clip of red rage Aoiffe still going at Geraldine. All that pent up anger just came flooding out in a few hours massacre. Look I blame the both of them but Aoiffe was more voiced in her opinion and I think production picked her as the bitch. They did not get on and didn’t we all know about it! Would it have been worse if they were completely fake? What I would say to both of them is it isn’t Big Brother, I appreciate honesty like the rest but this is meant to be a business show. The point is to be able to have self control and patience with difficult individuals, show you can work with any personality and get the best out of people even if you detest them. Everybody at some point works with or alongside a Mr or Ms Hitler but you would always try and act professional. It is different because these people are living and breathing each other so your nerves can get frazzled but Lucinda manages to find that happy medium. It is about removing yourself from a negative situation, physically you may not be able to do this but mentally try.</p>
<p>Only 4 remaining and I can’t believe how close the final is. Everyday people ask me who I think will win and Lucinda is definitely my favourite but to be honest I think Bill may be sweating, he doesn’t seem overly confident in any of remaining candidates, neither am I. Let’s review each of them and it will be very interesting to see who will be fired next. I heard it is a shocker; I will be furious and very eager to boycott the show if he fires Lucinda. She deserves to be there until the end. Bill made a mistake with Maria and I hope it is not a repeat performance.</p>
<p>Lucinda – She seems to be the favourite to win and definitely my favourite. She has been very dignified throughout the show. She tends to avoid drama and gives constructive criticism. Very adaptable and always takes responsibility. She has never been in the boardroom! My only concern is Lucinda is very similar to Brenda in her talents. Bill may not need a 2nd set of these skills in the new apprentice but someone with one strong skill i.e. selling, to manage other projects than Brenda. Lucinda is an all rounder but I’m not sure if she has the wow factor he needs similar to last year’s winner. </p>
<p>Stephen – He seemed much stronger in earlier episodes, I feel he is hiding in the background lately. Personally I did not feel his presentation was great, very uninspiring! He seems to get very nervous which makes him come across quite cold. Like Steve he is worried to take any risks but needs to find that middle ground. Last week was very weak task for Stephen and I didn’t feel he redeemed himself this week. Has a lot to prove in tomorrow’s task or he could be going home. Definitely seems to find it hard to take criticism, especially from Bill. Love how he stares Bill out of it in the boardroom.</p>
<p>Steve – Had an exceptional week last week but he can’t ride off this forever. He was a creative fire blanket and needs to listen to Bill now to adapt again, he is good at this, and the sales skill will only get him so far. He has potential and Bill may need a sales assassin of his kind to sell a few Renaults, leave the creative to Brenda. My petty side is asking Steve to stop wearing the dog chain necklace; I have real issues with it and it gives me the creeps! Also has anyone noticed the bizarre contorted faces he pull’s sometimes? Especially when Bill is giving them the treat info, facial expression like a 5 yr old meeting Santa except in a man&#8217;s body, with the dog chain! Ahh let it go Nicky!</p>
<p>Geraldine – There has been a huge amount of controversy surrounding her and Aoiffe and the firing of Breffny. I do feel Geraldine had a part to play with the Aoiffe drama but did not set Breffny up. Geraldine definitely has a Jekyll and Hyde persona in the house which she seems to be battling with. There is the kind real Geraldine and the character she knows she has to play to survive, they were crossing over each other for a while which made the public question her and she broke down. There is no lack of effort from Geraldine but I don’t think she has developed enough to go all the way, there are stronger candidates.</p>
<p>Nicky</p>
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		<title>Back to genuine talent</title>
		<link>http://apprenticeunseen.ie/2009/11/back-to-genuine-talent/</link>
		<comments>http://apprenticeunseen.ie/2009/11/back-to-genuine-talent/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 24 Nov 2009 07:43:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nicky</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://apprenticeunseen.ie/?p=462</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[My two guilty pleasures are no more&#8230;Jedward and Breff&#8230;.back to genuine talent now and to be honest I’m not sure how I feel about that. Watching last night’s episode I definitely missed the Cork rower, the feeling of curiosity wondering what Breffisms were next but the show must go on. In fairness to the other [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>My two guilty pleasures are no more&#8230;Jedward and Breff&#8230;.back to genuine talent now and to be honest I’m not sure how I feel about that. Watching last night’s episode I definitely missed the Cork rower, the feeling of curiosity wondering what Breffisms were next but the show must go on. In fairness to the other candidates it was time to really separate the genuine players from TV personalities; I noticed my attention was more focused at the task than laugh-ability factor and folks we have to remember that this is what The Apprentice is all about. Yes I admit I was blind sighted too but time to move the focus to the potential winner&#8230;&#8230;.The job is within reach now and they can smell it. It’s all about number one now. </p>
<p>Aoiffe was visibly devastated by the result, she knew the moment Bill announced they had lost that she was fired, and you could see it in her face and through her tears. She fought with dignity but not with the same passion as previous boardrooms, she knew it was better to go with some pride than lose the head. This mentality was gone by the time she made the taxi because in her exit interview she was raging!! Did she go hell for leather or what!? There is one person who will definitely be feeling the wrath, Geraldine!!  Everybody is ready to pounce on Aoiffe and I am not condoning some behaviour but I do think they were both in it and we never know what goes on behind the scenes. Production edit footage and every show has to have the token bitch….unfortunately for Aoiffe she was the chosen one. Bill has good judgment and he liked Aoiffe so that must say something? I am trying not to judge the candidates personally from the show as I know the trials and tribulations of reality TV. </p>
<p>This was a very high end task, technically challenging and dealing with a global market which is a first in Irish Apprentice history. I would have been ecstatic with a task of this calibre. The teams had the opportunity to prove to Bill that they had the professional and creative skills to go international. They failed miserably and Bill was furious. I do not blame him. There was so much scope here, I do understand the time restraints and they are harder than people imagine but I have to agree with Bill here. It did not take much to make a huge difference, the actors dressed multi nationally? More thought to expo stands? These are Bill’s suggestions which to me would be basic knowledge for such a task. I could be here for a few paragraphs on ideas but it was their task, not mine! Brainstorming, writing scripts, idea evolution and the if, but and maybe chats are time consuming, a lot more of this could have been worked on at home late into the night so they are prepared and ready to go during the day. I thought the presentation skills on both teams weren’t great either. They weren’t awful but by no means inspiring. It is about finding the fine line of introducing humour, quote’s or something to keep the clients attention while staying professional. Something was missing for me. As you approach each task it is important to always remember what Bill has asked for in previous boardrooms, I appreciate there is often mixed messages but the candidates are sometimes too cautious and go from one extreme to the other. For example Rhubarb &#038; Custard was a “no” but Buddy (though wrong message) was praised for taking the risk. Bill will tolerate certain mistakes but staying in the long grass he will not. Steve crippled Aoiffe’s suggestion to be more creative but in fairness she had no other ideas. Lucinda had ideas but I think was crippled by Stephen encouraging her not to take the risk?</p>
<p>Bill definitely seems worried about who he will hire, each person has individual skills but none of them seem to have multiply skills in abundance which he needs at these tough times to hit the ground running! 2 boys and 2 girls left. Geraldine and Stephen have potential and I have a soft spot for Geraldine but in my opinion Lucinda and Steve are the strongest. Steve did surprise me with his comment about being punished for only him and Aoiffe on a team! This is the Apprentice; Bill knows Steve can sell so he has to be challenged in every task not pat on the back with a gold star. I thought it was a petty argument. Lucinda has never been in the boardroom! This must say something! </p>
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		<title>Let me tell you a few secrets&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://apprenticeunseen.ie/2009/11/let-me-tell-you-a-few-secrets/</link>
		<comments>http://apprenticeunseen.ie/2009/11/let-me-tell-you-a-few-secrets/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:03:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nicky</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://apprenticeunseen.ie/?p=454</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It’s been a somber week for the Irish nation. Ireland were robbed on Wednesday night!! Only 2 days earlier the nations favourite TV star Breffmeister was fired&#8230;.where do we go from here? Scary to think the nation is relying on Jedward J . The Apprentice definitely won&#8217;t be the same without Breff but we still [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It’s been a somber week for the Irish nation. Ireland were robbed on Wednesday night!! Only 2 days earlier the nations favourite TV star Breffmeister was fired&#8230;.where do we go from here? Scary to think the nation is relying on Jedward J . The Apprentice definitely won&#8217;t be the same without Breff but we still have 5 strong candidates and time is running out. Who is your money on? </p>
<p>Listening to Breffny during the week he spoke a lot about the &#8220;pad&#8221;, his housemates and how he will miss the camaraderie outside of tasks. The public like to get an understanding of in-house relations, what really goes on behind the scenes and everyone asks what we do on days off? This year has had the added benefit of Meteor camera&#8217;s which as a viewer I love. You get to know the candidates catching those vulnerable and funny moments. I recently had this conversation with a few of my fellow apprentice&#8217;s from last year who now are my friends; would we have liked the extra cameras? There was a divide&#8230;some felt it would have helped show our more human side and let the public connect with us? Others felt it was too invasive for them and nothing to do with getting the job. The house was the chill out saviour time. Either way some classic moments were missed which would have been TV gold, for the laugh I’ll exclusively reveal some in house antics nobody knew including Bill <img src='http://apprenticeunseen.ie/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p>Week 2 &#8211; Wet &#038; Wild. Girls had won again <img src='http://apprenticeunseen.ie/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' />  We were treated to dinner and drinks in Westbury Hotel. Time to head home to Roganstown, Swords; it was the worst rain fall of the year! Said goodbye to camera&#8217;s and all 7 girls piled into Renault. The first hour of traffic jam consisted of &#8220;we are the champions&#8221; at least 5 times but by hour 6 and still no nearer home drastic measures had to be taken. We were at the back road of the airport at 11pm in monsoon rain, no through road in front or behind us. Were we to sleep here and hope for the best or prove our worth off tasks? After watching a few dare devils try to drive through the knee high water bank which was blocking us it was decided there is no reason we could not make it. Good job there was no engineering task throughout series or we would have all been fired. An electric car in 3 foot water?? After screaming &#8220;GO DONAL&#8221; to the driver repeatedly he took the chance, more to shut us up! We were off&#8230;&#8221;go Donal&#8221;&#8230;could we make it&#8230;..yep half way through&#8230;come on and &#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;.NO! Car went dead half way through Airports answer to Liffey. Oh s*it! Joanna decided to crawl out sunroof in her navy and red suit crawling across bonnet looking like spider man hoping to wade or swim the remainder of the way&#8230;.by the licence plate she was back in&#8230;..after trading our doggy bag of steak a kind trucker bumped the car to dry land with his truck, our back boot door had the trucks front sign of &#8220;haulin ass&#8221; stamped in&#8230;.Bill definitely down a Renault! From here 7 girls with no money or phones had to split, go Bear Grills style to survive. Brenda, Avril and Me in one split. We hitched  a lift to Swords town where we hitched a lift to Roganstown, before the house the water was too high so our final leg was trousers hitched up wading through to safety. The smug losers (boy’s team) were gloating in our misfortune. For a new Renault…MasterCard, for the above…priceless.</p>
<p>Week 4 &#8211; Wedding crashers. I was not involved in this naughty antic because I was sick but the cabin fever had spread throughout The Apprentice house. We had access to the Hotel gym across the road and an unnamed candidate noticed a wedding party&#8230;cue 2 hours later after a few glasses of the good stuff, Mr Unnamed suggested a break out kamikaze style and gate crash the wedding. 6 candidates dressed up to the nines, crawled under the bushes and ran for freedom. One by one they entered the party, subtly trying to blend in. After a few hours of dancing and exchanging family stories with people they DIDN&#8217;T know the clock was turning mid night and the Cinderella’s had to go home! Of course not before signing the guest book&#8230;..&#8221;Thanks for a great night&#8230;THE APPRENTICES&#8221; <img src='http://apprenticeunseen.ie/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' />  Yes they did get caught and yes we all got in trouble!</p>
<p>Week 6 &#8211; X-Factor. After a long and strenuous boardroom it was back to the house. Tensions were high so a nice dinner was in order, this ended in us all congregating outside to partake in a game of X Factor/ Apprentice got talent! We each had to sing a song and Stewart was Simon Cowell, seeing how blunt and funny he was, no better man. While we laughed our way through with free styling and butchering of classic tunes Stewart took his role very seriously. Mark won with his rap tune which went &#8220;if I don&#8217;t become the apprentice I’ll become a dentist&#8221;?? I came 2nd, of course a running trend <img src='http://apprenticeunseen.ie/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' />  </p>
<p>There was tension and bitching last year but I don&#8217;t feel to the same calibre as this year, they will all stick together post apprentice as you need fellow housemates to lean on as they are the only people who know how the experience feels but it will be interesting who will be friends out of this lot in a year’s time! I was lucky because I became very close to 3 who I still see regularly and I talk to most every now and again. Of course there will be the few you never see or wish to see again. That&#8217;s life! </p>
<p>Back to business next week tracking this unpredictable bunch after a trip down memory lane. Who will go next? This is the first week I really don’t know who it could be? It is all depending on the task, Geraldine, Aoiffe and Stephen all need to step up their game.</p>
<p>Nicky</p>
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		<title>I&#8217;m off to mourn Breffny</title>
		<link>http://apprenticeunseen.ie/2009/11/im-off-to-mourn-breffny/</link>
		<comments>http://apprenticeunseen.ie/2009/11/im-off-to-mourn-breffny/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:55:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nicky</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://apprenticeunseen.ie/?p=438</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Can we take a moments silence to commemorate the end of an Apprentice legend&#8230;&#8230;The Breffmeister   Like many I was gutted to see him go and I know there will be a slight emptiness watching the show next week. No Breffism&#8217;s to laugh at which have been a major conversation point anywhere I have [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Can we take a moments silence to commemorate the end of an Apprentice legend&#8230;&#8230;The Breffmeister <img src='http://apprenticeunseen.ie/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' />  Like many I was gutted to see him go and I know there will be a slight emptiness watching the show next week. No Breffism&#8217;s to laugh at which have been a major conversation point anywhere I have been since the start of the show. Deep down I knew he did not have further to go and I stand by my comment that he needs more corporate experience before taking on such a senior role. Even saying that no-one can deny how entertaining he was, what a genuine character he came across as and he absolutely has potential, sure it&#8217;s in his brain waiting to come out! I wanted to hug Breff in the car, he looked gutted! Being the focal part of the show this year, his 25,000 Facebook fans and an enthusiasm that would put the word enthusiasm to shame means it is not the end for Breffny. We hope! If all else fails he&#8217;ll have the rowing <img src='http://apprenticeunseen.ie/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' />  </p>
<p>I enjoyed this episode, up until now it has been mainly marketing and advertising tasks, in sales tasks contestants have to rely on one tool, themselves! I know how frustrating this kind of task can be. Getting in the door is the hardest and like all sales jobs it is swings and roundabouts, good days and bad. If you are on a roll then your confidence soars and sales happen but if the opposite it can be soul destroying and effect your performance. Steve was a perfect example, he did brilliantly and so impressive. Yes his background is sales but he utilised his skills to the fullest, did not crumble under pressure. He had the professional ability to persuade business&#8217;s to meet with him, knew his product, knew his numbers and adapted his experience in negotiating with confidence. He impressed Bill and has stepped forward as a major competitor. I was surprised by Stephen, maybe the pressure of cold calling just brought out the worst in him. Cold calling is often about knowing the client and adapting your personality so they warm to you. If they have confidence in you, they have confidence in your product. Hairdressers&#8230;.no comment! </p>
<p>I was quite surprised by Geraldine&#8217;s performance as well, I can&#8217;t decide what happened. Did the pressure of having to perform just get too much? Was she distracted by Aoiffe and Breffny? Or was it just bad luck not getting in the door? I think it is unfair to say she set Breffny up. He had not given her confidence throughout the day and she knew her team needed that sale so she did what she thought was right but wanted to protect Breff so gave him the sale. It does make me laugh how they both said “there&#8217;ll be nothing more said&#8221; etc&#8230;&#8230;.it’s on national TV!? I find watching Aoiffe and Geraldine interact quite uncomfortable and to be honest they are both in it. Who called who? She text me? She said this? bla bla bla, were they in a boardroom or playground? I choose not to make a comment on this episode, who was to blame, though everyone is jumping on the anti Aoiffe bandwagon, it&#8217;s not always black and white. I think it was slightly unfair for Breffny and Geraldine to say Aoiffe lied on purpose and was a liar, I really do not believe this. Yes Aoiffe made a huge mistake offering sale or return but I think it was a rookie error, lack of experience. She absolutely should have known to check this and I thought she was going to do this so what happened? Never take a risk like that; she should have known better but purposely lying, I don&#8217;t think so.</p>
<p>Breffny was brilliant on You’re Fired, seemed to have everyone including the steel man Brendan O&#8217;Connor eating out of his hand. He oozes likeability and is naturally so funny. His present to Brendan of CV and hire Breffny email just represented what Breffny is about! I was shocked to see an unseen clip of Breffny suggesting to the girls to target sports clubs and associations&#8230;&#8230;.they were totally ignoring him!! That is exactly where they should have been approaching&#8230;..Breff is always the man with the right idea&#8217;s and an experience like the Apprentice will give him certainty on what he needs to work at and improve, which often take&#8217;s years for people to realise. The Apprentice offered more to Breffny then he could offer to the job but it is a platform of opportunity from this day on. I will miss watching him but wish him the very best of luck! </p>
<p>I’m off to mourn <img src='http://apprenticeunseen.ie/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' />  Chat again later in the week</p>
<p>Nicky</p>
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		<title>Your only support network is your competitors</title>
		<link>http://apprenticeunseen.ie/2009/11/your-only-support-network-is-your-competitors/</link>
		<comments>http://apprenticeunseen.ie/2009/11/your-only-support-network-is-your-competitors/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:57:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nicky</dc:creator>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://apprenticeunseen.ie/?p=421</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The debate around town this week is &#8220;Will Irelands two favourite TV personalities be evicted from our screens this weekend &#8220;Jedward and The Breffmeister”? Have they gone as far as they can go? There is nowhere to hide now and with talent becoming more prominent on stage and in the boardroom do they have what [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The debate around town this week is &#8220;Will Irelands two favourite TV personalities be evicted from our screens this weekend &#8220;Jedward and The Breffmeister”? Have they gone as far as they can go? There is nowhere to hide now and with talent becoming more prominent on stage and in the boardroom do they have what it takes? We support the Breff so I hope he does go further but he is very aware of his position in the competition. He has a very mature outlook in the unseen clip &#8220;Me, myself and I&#8221;. Breffny talks about the fact his biggest competition is himself. He is aware he has the least experience and if he does not smooth those rough edges he will go. I have to be honest and sorry to all you Breff fans reading but I do think he will go soon. I have seen great attributes and have confidence in him but the role of Apprentice in The Glencullen Group is a very senior managerial role. I think Breffny needs a few more years’ corporate experience because I have learnt you can have all the degrees in the world (which are important) but life and industry experience is crucial to make profitable decisions. More than just gut instinct. He would not have the team behind him in tasks and would have to make decisions from experience and knowledge of industry, could he do this? Breffny has a bright future but can we all put hand on heart that he is the best for this job? Personality and personal feelings towards him aside. My opinion is purely professionally based as I really like Breffny and hope to see more of him in the future.</p>
<p>We saw a very &#8220;real&#8221; side of Geraldine in the unseen clip of her crying. The pressure of the competition seems to be affecting her as it is others, only weeks ago we saw the same from Aoiffe. From personal experience we all had those moments, unfair for people to say it is not sincere or for sympathy vote. These girls are human and have not hearts of steel as people want to make out. It is a very tiresome and stressful environment where your mind can play tricks on you. It is a show and after last year there were expectations from this series. Candidates are expected to perform somewhat and if you are not seen to fight for your place and stand out you could go. It was different for us last year as it was a new experience for everybody. I said to myself no matter what I would stay true to myself and integrity was of massive importance to me. I believe you can soar in business by hard work, dedication and people skills. Others believe you have to be very ruthless but each to their own. I was a background player last year until nearer the end, some were surprised I made the final but I was not in the background in contribution to tasks and skills but the less entertaining are less TV worthy. I love having the banter but took the entire process very seriously. I was myself to those in the house but I was lucky because I had good friends who I am still very close to but I can see why Geraldine and Aoiffe put up a facade, need to protect yourself from the competition to a degree. It is so bizarre that your only support network over the 13 weeks is your competition. People have tactics before entering the house but they always back fire as you don&#8217;t know what production will show so best thing is to be yourself, it worked for Breff!</p>
<p>Monday’s task looks like a sales task. Selling nasal strips! We had to sell Sat Nav&#8217;s on a Saturday and Sunday, expecting people to part with the best part of €300 by giving credit card details on camera. Not easy! These sales tasks are about having the guts to approach people, don&#8217;t be rejected by the word NO, not be shy and get the sale over the line. Who will prevail? The guys left seem to be from a sales background and the girls from a marketing background. I think Geraldine may do very well; she has good negotiation skills and self starter. </p>
<p>I have generally been right about who will be fired but unsure this week. Could be anybody and our Bill can be unpredictable. Talk on Tuesday to discuss Monday’s episode!<br />
Nicky</p>
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