- March 2, 2009
- 3 Comments
Who Would Be YOUR Celebrity Apprentice?
With last night’s premiere of Celebrity Apprentice 2 (Fare thee well, Andrew “Dice” Clay. We’ll miss all the leather.) I started thinking about who I’d hire as my own apprentice and why they’d make better-or-just-as-good business partners than the current cast candidates. So in no particular order, I give you my top 10 list:
- Tina Fey – The “30 Rock” creator and Second City alum has the razor-sharp wit and improvisational skills that are just as big of an asset in the business world as they are on stage.
- Malcolm Gladwell – Simply because I’d read anything from the best-selling author of Blink, The Tipping Point and Outliers – including a fax cover sheet.
- Sarah Vowell – Ditto for this best-selling author, This American Life contributor and self-professed history buff. And really, you never know when random John Wilkes Booth trivia will come in handy.
- Lisa Ling – Not only could the National Geographic Explorer host bring a diverse range of experiences and ideas to the table, thanks to her extensive travels, but with a personal mission to “raise consciousness about issues and stories that don’t always make the headlines,” she could help any company increase and stay true to its social responsibility.
- Paula Deen – The Food Network chef no doubt has business acumen – she founded the renowned Lady and Sons restaurant in her home state of Georgia. Plus, her generous use of fat- and calorie-laden ingredients shows that she’s not one to skimp if it means delivering less than the best (tasting) offerings. And I guess it wouldn’t suck to have her around for the next company potluck, either.
- Madonna – Whatever your opinion of her talent, there’s no denying her innovation, business-savvy, and ability to market herself. How else could she have maintained pop culture relevance for the past 25 years?
- Tim Gunn – Sure, I’d probably need to keep a dictionary on hand for our one-on-ones, but I could rest assured knowing Bravo’s “Project Runway” star and “Guide to Style” host would never deliver anything but the highest-quality products to his clients and customers. Bonus: I’ll have the best-dressed office in town.
- Rodney Yee – The renowned yoga guru could lead the team in regular hatha sessions to reduce stress, improve concentration, and increase productivity, among other potential benefits.
- Mike Tomlin – Talk about a whiz kid: On February 1, Tomlin became the youngest head coach to win a Super Bowl. I’d be willing to bet the hard work and team-building skills that led to his success on the field would bode well for him in the business world, as well.
- Oprah – Take it from Dr. Phil, Barack Obama and half of the past decade’s New York Times‘ best-selling authors: You always always want Oprah on your team. (Just make sure you also have a spot open for Gayle.)
Who’s on your list?
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- Categories: Employee Attraction, Fun and Games
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Elizabeth Gilbert author of Eat, Pray Love for figuring out how to recover from mistakes made!
Doris Kearns Goodwin. She’s a great historian who really knows her stuff. She could probably help us find logical strategies for our challenges
Dolly Parton.
Known as the “Iron Butterfly” for her tough, no-nonsense business skills. Started her own music publishing company in the late ’60s when women were not doing those things so that she reserves the rights to her entire catalogue of music and movies. (She made more money off of Whitney Houston’s version of “I Will Always Love You” than Whitney did).
She has stayed true to her roots and has almost single handedly turned eastern Tennessee into a recreation/resort area by opening the Dollywood theme and water parks. She has also founded a “give a book” program in eastern Tennessee where by each child in the region receives one book per-month from birth until school age.
Finally, she’d never subject herself to the boardroom rantings of a four or five time bankrupted real estate developer.