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The Airing of Air America's Dirty Laundry
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Archives › March 2005
March 31, 2005
The Airing of Air America's Dirty Laundry
Posted by at 6:53 PM
How many of you can relate to the following never-say-die utterances from the early days (or present days) of your business:
"We are living cycle to cycle, but it's payday and we made it."
"We're in a position to attract real, real capital...to make this a long-term deal for all of us."
"We're in great shape except we're about to go out of business."
"We've completely run out of money and we're desperately trying to get more."
If any or all of these sentiments apply, do yourself a favor and tune into Left of the Dial, the documentary appearing tonight on HBO (which always does a smashing job of repeating things ad nauseum). Now I know some folks will ignore the program because of its focus on the "liberal media," but political biases can bite you in the arse and this would be one of those times.
Left of the Dial is a vastly entertaining look at a start-up that was in way over its head. At various points the company: has barely functioning monitor levels, computers and sound effects two days before showtime; gets taken off the air in Chicago and Los Angeles; gets dropped from its health plan; botches the live feed on Condoleezza Rice's appearance at the 9/11 commission hearings; changes CEOs; has to explain why all of the ads seem to be public service announcements to an investigative reporter from the New York Times (wait, aren't they "liberal media" bell cow?); and gets outed by the Drudge Report for not paying employees. It's a rollicking good time watching the fervor of entrepreneurial true-believers (in both company and product) who wouldn't know a business plan from the Marshall Plan, and just assume that millionaire with all the money really is a millionaire with all the money.
The behind-the-scenes look probably started out to see if left-wing talk radio can work, but the filmmakers happened upon a much more exciting business story. It would seem that the angel, Evan Cohen, never lined the investments he promised. It's hard to discern whether he got duped, or was an outright liar, but the fact that he turns $650,000 worth of ads into $1,000,000 when speaking by phone to the Times editorial board points toward the latter. "It's a documentable fact," Cohen says, missing the naked irony that he was being filmed.
Along the way, we meet interesting characters. There's Morning Sedition's Marc Maron, who is so ridiculously neurotic he makes Woody Allen seem like W. His pain at being a total neophyte ("I'm blasting into the ether for nothing") is in sharp contrast to the jovial Al Franken, who scores a big first day coup by getting Michael Moore to apologize to Al Gore on air. There are also amusing spars of familial love and political hate between Janeane Garofalo and her father Carmine, shown charmingly drinking a Stella while wearing a large fanny pack, and the gritty, take-no-prisoners Randi Rhodes who goes from lost sheep to attack dog the minute she's on air. There's also a wrenching subplot with Cohen's best friend from college/Air America general counsel who completely bought into what his pal was selling.
If you loathe Air America, Left of the Dial is a winner because they nearly go bankrupt and then, of course, there's all the faces on election night last November. If you love Air America, it's a winner because they made it to their one-year anniversary, March 31, 2005; are up to 48 affiliates; and are apparently trumping Rush and Hannity (at least, it seems to be, in New York City).
And if you just like a great start-up story, tune in and watch Air America air its dirty laundry.
March 29, 2005
Visit This Year's Inc. 500 Conference
Posted by Carole Matthews at 1:05 PM
Take a virtual tour of this year's Inc. 500 conference, which recently took place from March 17 through 19, in Tucson, Ariz. See conference speakers and the spectacular scenery where the event took place, and read about who attended and what they had to say in this Inc.com slide-show.
March 25, 2005
The Apprentice
The Apprentice - Episode 9
Posted by Nadine Heintz at 2:56 PM
I've never been a huge Craig fan, but he did a great job last night. Not only did he come up with a brilliant idea for the workshop, but he also had the guts to stick to the plan despite his team's complaints. Kudos to Kendra for admitting that Craig was the only team member who deserved the reward. By the way, that was, by far, the coolest prize ever on the Apprentice. I was especially excited about it because Burt Rutan, Inc.'s Entrepreneur of the Year, just gave a speech about his space project at the Inc. 500 conference in Tucson last week. It was amazing. I was so jealous last night. I want to fly, too!
Back to the challenge. Craig was really impressive. I liked the way he eventually managed to get his teammates on board despite their lack of enthusiasm about "the box." His first performance as PM was reminiscent of Andy's marketing coup during last season's Apprentice. My only problem with Craig was that corny bit in the beginning of the show...I can't imagine having a group prayer session at work. That was completely inappropriate.
Speaking of inappropriate, Erin really bombed out last night. I'm so glad she got fired. During the first episode or two, I liked her spunk. But then I realized that's all there was to Erin. I don't know how the heck she made it through law school, but I wouldn't be surprised if she was the inspiration for Reese Witherspoon's ditzy character in Legally Blond. At least that woman was a lot more likable. Erin, on the other hand, acted like a nasty brat last night. I don't blame Angie for being totally disgusted by her "I don't know how to use a tool" routine. I was particularly appalled when Erin made that crack about how, as a former beauty queen, she knew about crowns, not crown molding. That was pathetic. But even worse was her behavior in the boardroom. I'm glad Caroline reprimanded her for attacking Chris for his coarse language and tobacco chewing. I agree that Chris needs to quit chewing, but I really despised Erin for thinking she could rely on fancy legal tactics to save herself. I knew she was doomed when the Donald admitted to cursing sometimes. Erin should have realized that the Donald isn't the most polished millionaire in town. And what was up with her incessant winking? Did she really think the Donald would fall for that? The whole scene was embarrassing.
It should be interesting to see how the team's handle next week's pizza challenge. Right now, my money's still on Kendra as the next Apprentice. Let's hope the next challenge isn't another shill for some big corporation! By the way, did anyone catch the premiere of the American version of "The Office" last night? I'm a big fan of the original British series, and I was hoping this one would be as good. But it's totally unoriginal. They just recycled the same characters and plot lines. Lame!
March 24, 2005
The Space Race is On
Posted by at 7:04 PM
Inc. cover lad Richard Branson was in Manhattan this morning looking strikingly similar to an MTV Video Award as he announced the winner of a trip to space on Virgin Galactic. The contest, sponsored by Volvo and presented at the New York Auto Show, will send winner Doug Ramsburg on a sub-orbital flight - quite soon if Branson has his druthers. A week ago, I might have thought that lassoing the moon was the stuff of big talk and Battlestar Galactica, but after seeing Burt Rutan at the Inc. 500 conference, I'll be surprised if it takes long. Rutan's rousing speech in Tucson made it seem like affordable commercial trips to infinity and beyond will happen in his lifetime. And the accompanying video shot from inside the cockpit of SpaceShipOne that Rutan narrated had the rapt audience making out-of-this-world travel plans.
For Rutan's vision of red-eyes to the Red Dwarfs to become reality it will take dedication, creativity, critical thinking, rigorous safety testing, and a galaxy of funding. Like, say, some $20 million over the next 15 years for a space airline...bearing the name Virgin Galactic. Did I mention that Branson is one of Rutan's partners? And that he was in the Mojave to see the initial launch of SpaceShipOne? Yes, all of the planets are aligned here at Inc.
"Burt Rutan came to us because we have the chance to make space travel a global reality," says Branson trying not to choke in his spaceman helmet. "He's the most brilliant engineer on Earth and we both have very big dreams. We balance each other well."
It's going to take more than learning weightless balance for his space-bound protege though. Doug Ramsburg will spend the next two to three years training for his mission, a trip valued at $200,000.
By trade, Ramsburg, 41, is a credentials evaluator at the University of Colorado-Denver, but from here on out he'll be known as Astronaut Doug. (Even if, as we learned at the conference, Rutan thinks NASA "astronauts" who haven't been to space are as official as a Buzz Lightyear doll). Astronaut Doug says he's been enraptured by space travel since a trip to Cape Canaveral, watching all of the lunar landings and following the Space Shuttle launches. "I was stunned, it's unbelievable" says Ramsburg, "it's awesome that Branson is bringing this technology to the masses."
And just wait until Branson and Rutan see their drawings of hotels on the moon come to fruition. (Quick Virgin Galactic slogan idea, if I may, Sir Richard: "To the moon, Alice, To the moon.") For now, though, one lucky self-described "space nut" is on his sub-orbital way. Oh, and those of you who are offering to step in if Astronaut Doug gets cold moon boots, forget it. "My partner has been very supportive about the idea," says Ramsburg, "but if I don't do it, he said he will."
March 23, 2005
For the Love of Cake
Posted by Carole Matthews at 11:12 AM
Warren Brown walked away from a secure job as a federal litigator four years ago to pursue a less stressful career as a baker. Today, he owns Cake Love Bakery and Love Cafe in Washington, D.C., and will soon be the owner of two more bakeries in Maryland.
Brown, just one of Inc.com's 26 Most Fascinating Entrepreneurs, is setting his sights on expanding his three-year old bakery, Cake Love. The lawyer turned baker is about to expand his D.C.-based business into Rockville and Silver Spring, with the help of SBA guaranteed financing.
According to Brown, this is just the beginning -- he'd like to see a "string of Cake Love bakeries in major U.S. cities."
March 19, 2005
Inc. 500 Conference: Day Two
Posted by Darren Dahl at 6:11 PM
Today's Inc. 500 theme: applause. What was everyone so enthusiastic about? It wasn't the weather -- we woke to drizzly skies. No, this applause was for a lineup stacked with outstanding speakers and inspirational stories.
Former New York City public school teacher turned entrepreneurial guru Steve Mariotti got the ball rolling by introducing a few of his newest proteges. Mariotti is the founder of National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship, an organization he started to help inner city youths learn the skills needed to launch the next generation of small businesses, a program that helped 17,000 youths last year alone. To put a face to his vision, Mariotti brought along four young business owners from around the country who talked about their businesses and the fun they have in running them -- a sentiment that hit home with everyone in the room as they roundly applauded Michael Simmons, Geneva Johnson, Ivania Dalba, and Laima Tazmin.
Talk about sentiment: The day's second speaker, Bill Strickland, tapped everyone's emotions with his tales of retraining ex-steelworkers and welfare moms from the streets of Pittsburgh. He mesmerized us, he amused us, he talked a lot about salmon in telling us about his company, Manchester Bidwell Corp. Strickland proved himself to be the ultimate social entrepreneur -- someone whose efforts not only make money, but also make people's lives better. In his words, if you want people to become part of the world, you need to bring the world to them. And for his efforts, the crowd gave him a gift: a hearty standing ovation worthy of an encore.
After Strickland left the room with awed entrepreneurs in his wake, the rest of us headed to the final breakout sessions of the conference. The choices ranged from leadership tactics, to balance and happiness and a discussion of how InPhonic became No. 1 on this year's Inc. 500 list. I headed to Bo Burlingham's session entitled "What to Expect from the Next Bush Administration." To help flesh out the issues, Bo brought in tax expert Chris Edwards from the Cato Institute and the quintessential Inc. CEO Jack Stack from SRC Holdings. Not only did those attending get a chanced to voice their top concerns and priorities for the next four years like health care, oversight of federal contracts and the No Child Left Behind Act, but they heard the page-turning story of how Stack's letter to President Bush last year led to him almost becoming the country's next manufacturing czar. The overall takeaway from the session: Change isn't going to come from the top -- it's up to all of us to push the small business agenda.
But when you talk about the top, it's tough to get any higher than keynote speaker Burt Rutan, Inc.'s entrepreneur of the year. The mutton-chopped Rutan was greeted by an enthusiastic standing ovation for his efforts in leading the way for the first private manned space flight in history. Not only was Rutan a natural speaker, his passion for the future of space travel oozed through the crowd. Rutan told us about his vision for the future where entrepreneurs, not government agencies like NASA (which he liked to call Nay-Say), will drive us to the moon and beyond. Matter of fact, Inc. is already considering having the 2010 Inc. 500 conference out in space -- gravity not included.
Next up: the awards ceremony only a few short hours away. (Though I'm not looking forward to strapping on a tux.) More to come later.
March 18, 2005
Live from the Inc. 500 Conference
Posted by Darren Dahl at 8:41 PM
The Inc. 500 Conference has officially begun - let the drinking begin. Water that is. It's a dry air out here in the Arizona desert.
For the 26th year in a row, Inc. has lured the country's top entrepreneurs to an exotic locale with the promise of taking home a much-coveted Inc. 500 award. This year, more than 800 of us have gathered in Tucson, home of Inc. 500 conference host Westin La Paloma and one of the steepest and slickest water slides you can find this side of Orlando or L.A.
Entrepreneurs always seem to be cut from a different cloth than most folks and when you bring the best of the best together at once, you can feel the big ideas literally pinging through the air. But this is far more than just a networking event – it's also our chance to interact with some serious business brainpower both on the stage and in our breakout sessions.
This morning, Leigh Steinberg -- super agent and inspiration for the movie Jerry Maguire -- kicked off the festivities by sharing his secrets to successful negotiation. Score one for the Inc. art staff, which talked Steinberg into posing with a live alligator for our how-to issue last year. Steinberg admits that negotiating is like tap-dancing on the edge of an abyss, a concept more than a few of us who have teed off into the canyons of the Paloma's golf course know something about.
Master networker Keith Ferrazzi of Ferrazzi Greenlight followed Steinberg on the main stage and shared some tips on making friends with more than just a business card. Ferrazzi's best tip for maximizing your friend-making time here in Tucson: adopt his "7-P" approach: proper prior preparation prevents piss-poor performance. Ping him at kf@ferrazzigreenlight.com to find out exactly what that entails.
After Ferrazzi's animated chat, we all adjourned to participate in a series of info-packed sessions designed to let our entrepreneurs get some answers to their biggest headaches --like health care, marketing, and even how to fold yourself into the lotus position. (Yoga is good for your bottom line.) The Paloma even fed us some tasty victuals to fuel our afternoon trip back to the main stage -- and I'm not sure how far upstream that salmon had to swim to make it to my plate. The afternoon's breakout sessions covered serial entrepreneurship and capital gaps, but I spent my time taking in the mountain view as former PGA pro Richard Brasser talked about how to grow your business beyond the 19th hole.
The afternoon's two speakers closed our day in style. Bo Peabody -- self-described entrepreneur, venture capitalist and author -- mused about how important it is for business owners to be smart enough to know how lucky they are. Today's keynote speaker, Ted Fishman -- author of the New York Times bestseller China Inc., followed him on the main stage. Fishman used his time on stage to sound an economic alarm with tales of China's prolific manufacturers that promise to wipe out the global market with the help of cheap labor, government subsidies and their ability to make knockoffs of everything from DVD players to Jeep Cherokees. If you weren't scared before as an entrepreneur, you should be now.
More to come tomorrow -- we're riding off into the sunset tonight at the Wild Horse Ranch with an evening of campfires and two-stepping under the stars. Yippie Kay Yay!
The Donald - Week 9
Posted by Nadine Heintz at 11:46 AM
With our resident Apprentice expert, Nadine, at the Inc. 500 Conference in Arizona this week, the task of providing this week's play-by-play falls to me, a lowly intern. So consider yourself warned and let's get down to business. In honor of St. Patrick's Day, I settled in with my green beer only to find that this week's episode was basically a highlight reel of the first eight weeks; a trip down memory lane of firings past. Perfect for the occasional Trump watcher like myself and a chance for die-hard fans to get in gear for the home stretch. To spice things up, Donald was even kind enough to include some never-before-seen scenes and audition tapes from some of the candidates.
First things first, my hat's off to Danny for producing the best audition tape by far; a full-out, Broadway-inspired song and dance routine complete with backup singers and expert choreography. Trump had no choice but to choose him for the show. Tommy Tune would be proud.
With that out of the way, here are the highlights as I saw them. Week 1 had Magna and Net Worth in charge of running a local Burger King. In the war of book-smarts vs. street-smarts, street-smarts prevailed as Magna's team leader, Todd, seemed to be too good for such menial tasks such as learning how to cook a burger. Kind of important if you are going to be running a Burger King. Hence, Todd suffered the ignominy of being the first person fired. But in his words, "I didn't come in last, I came in 18th." In other words, he came in last.
The task of renovating a beachfront hotel on the Jersey shore provided some funny moments, including Bren and Danny trekking through the backroads of Jersey in a rented U-Haul searching for furniture. Chris had the regrettable decision to rip out every toilet in the hotel and install new ones rather than simply replacing the seats. As one of his teammates so elegantly put it, "I'm sorry, but your ass doesn't know the difference between a $500 toilet and a $10 toilet seat." They said it, not me.
Just three weeks in and history was made when Verna's unexplained illness caused her to leave the show early, making her the only person to leave without being fired. At least she's famous for something. Hands down, Week 4 was definitely the highlight of the season thus far, when both teams failed horribly at producing a television commercial for a new Dove body wash. Watching Bren explain to Carolyn exactly what the two chefs in his commercial were doing to that cucumber was one of the most uncomfortable moments ever caught on TV. Needless to say, the borderline pornographic commerical was Kristen's brainchild, and she was immediately fired. According to her, however, "There's not really anything I'd go back and change." Really? Are you sure you wouldn't change that awful commercial? Kudos to Donny Deutsch for his no-holds-barred assessment of the two commercials: "Donald, I'm sorry, but they both sucked."
With entertainment like that, Weeks 5 through 8 seemed a little anticlimactic. The behind-the-scenes outtakes were interesting, especially the scenes where Bren explained how the stress of the show made him start smoking again after quitting five years ago. He gets my award for the Most Overdramatic Statement Ever Made when he said, "Now I know what it must have been like to be one of the soldiers storming the beaches of Normandy." Hmmmmm. It's good to see that he has this whole thing in perspective. On the same note, now I know how Abraham Lincoln must have felt when he wrote the Gettysburg Address.
So there you have it; the thoughts of a neophyte Apprentice watcher. I'm not one to advocate gambling, but take every penny you have ever made and bet it on Bren. He's my lock of the week. You heard it here first.
March 16, 2005
Ebbers Found Guilty
Posted by Carole Matthews at 11:50 AM
By now everyone knows that ex-WorldCom CEO Bernie Ebbers was found guilty on Tuesday of securities fraud, conspiracy and filing false documents with regulators. The 63 year old could get 30 years in prison for toppling WorldCom and causing the company to file the largest bankruptcy in U.S. history.
Jurors didn't have any tangible evidence that helped them deliver a guilty verdict. No e-mail trails. No phone messages. No handwritten notes or memos. Ebbers maintained that the financial wrongdoings were masterminded by Scott Sullivan, WorldCom's chief finacial officer, and the fed's star witness.
What it did come down to, notes an article in today's LA Times (registration required), is that jurors refused to believe that a CEO who nurtured a small phone company into a gigantic global telecom player could have been ignorant of the financial tampering.
As Daniel J. Callahan put it in the LATimes piece: "When you start a company...and you bring it up from nothing, it's hard to convince a jury that you are just too stupid to know what's going on."
It is very far-fetched that Ebbers' argument of ignorance would have exonerated him. In his defense, his lawyers offered that Ebbers had no "financial acumen" and delegated accounting responsbilities to Sullivan, but isn't it a CEO's responsibility to understand the business's finances even if he's not directly managing the numbers? Or is really possible that Ebbers didn't recognize the "cooking of the books" by Sullivan?
March 15, 2005
Taxes
To Celebrate Today's Big Tax Deadline...
Posted by Mike Hofman at 3:19 PM
As you all should know by now, today is the day that S Corp 2004 tax filings are due.
Which leads me to Charles O. Rossotti, the first entrepreneur to be appointed commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service (by Clinton), who has a new book out detailing all of the ways that he tried to shake up the notoriously entrenched bureaucracy. Rossotti's book party was in New York City at the Campbell Apartment in Grand Central Station on March 1. At the event, the affable Rossotti, who is now a senior advisor at the private-equity powerhouse the Carlyle Group , argued that Americans should forget about the "marriage tax" and the "death tax" and instead focus on what he calls the "honesty tax." According to Rossotti, the IRS was only able to collect about 17% of the $277 billion in unpaid taxes in 1999 (the midpoint of his tenure)--and the percentage is unlikely to change dramatically. Based on those figures, Rossotti calculates that every person who does pay taxes in the U.S.--"from the $30,000-a-year wage earner to the $1 million-a-year businessperson," he writes--is essentially covering for a bunch of free riders. As a result, all of our taxes are 15% higher than they should be. Rossotti argues that increasingly complex tax laws, plus the IRS's chronic underfunding by Congress and the White House, plus the sense among rich people, among others, that everyone is cheating so why shouldn't they cheat too, is only likely to worsen the tax system, leading to still more cheating and the further decay of the system and on and on. To break this cycle, he suggests several reforms, from simplifying the IRS's bizarre definition of a "qualifying child" to outlawing remaining tax shelters. His is a lively reform manual, despite the abstruse subject matter. So, first: submit your S Corp tax return (if applicable); then, give Rossotti's book, Many Unhappy Returns (HBS Press) a try.
March 14, 2005
Moments Like These
Posted by Keith Ferrazzi at 2:30 PM
Two weekends ago was the 7th anniversary of the death of my father, a man I loved deeply, and one who probably loved me even more. But with all the hustle and bustle of leading my growing company, delivering keynotes and training seminars, promoting my new book Never Eat Alone , and trying to fit my personal life in between, the day practically passed without me really reflecting at all.
Then, on a dreary evening flight to Chicago, I decided to turn it all off for a minute. Instead of starting to pump out replies to the 1,448 backlogged e-mails in my inbox, I just took a deep breath and thought about my dad, Pete Ferrazzi. Scenes from all the way back in my childhood raced through my mind; he taught me timeless lessons simply by the way he went about everyday life. He contributed so much to what I am today -- and through that, what my book is about and even the principles I founded my business upon.
I felt so moved that I had to write about him. I wrote about my dad and what I was feeling and what he taught me for my e-mail newsletter, in which I try to pass on what I've learned from great people like my dad. When I finished, I was exhilarated. My eyes were tearing up, but I was exhilarated. Just writing it was a real joy for me. However, my "professional" conscience told me it might not be appropriate for my readers. So I asked my team if they thought we could use it. They overwhelmingly approved, so I sent it out.
I was absolutely shocked by the response! All kinds of people wrote back, thanking me for sharing with them, some saying it was one of the few letters that really got through to them in years. I got so much positive feedback that I posted the whole thing on my blog, hoping it would help even more people.
Afterward, someone told me that Fast Company editor-in-chief John A. Byrne wrote a similar (and definitely more eloquent) tribute to his father after his passing last April. It struck quite a nerve, too, apparently. Read it, and check out the 35 comments, as well.
Makes me think: I know how good it felt to bare my soul and share something so personal. I'm sure John would say the same. And of course, the voices of our readers cannot be ignored. So I ask you, as entrepreneurs, might it even be good for our companies if we stopped trying to be so professional all the time and took more moments to be human? It's during these moments of truth and vulnerability that we establish trust among those around us. So, why not put ourselves out there a little more?
March 11, 2005
The Apprentice
The Donald - Week 8
Posted by Nadine Heintz at 11:25 AM
Last night's episode was definitely entertaining. Tana was great. Sure, she was kind of goofy, especially when she said stuff like, "Yeah, people will really diggity that!." But she really owned the whole rap star persona and won over the artists. She and Craig had a great rapport during the negotiations. They worked as a team, kep the mood light, and started small, then worked up to big ideas. Plus, they seemed to be having a great time. It's easy to see why Tana is a top salesperson for Mary Kay.
John, Erin, and Stephanie, on the other hand, were terrible. John is so sexist. I'm glad he's gone. Plus, he's an idiot. I loved when Gene Simmons responded to his lame story by saying, "Is that supposed to butter me up?" That was fabulous. John did everything wrong: he talked about himself too much, interrupted Erin and Stephanie constantly, and kept pitching that lame idea about playing a gig at somebody's house party. That was so bad!
But Erin and Stephanie are also to blame. Why didn't they put John in his place after he blew the first negotiation? Erin said she didn't want to start a fight, but she basically gave up on the task by keeping her mouth shut. On that point, I agree with John. If Erin and Stephanie hated his ideas so much, why didn't they come up with something better and then insist on pitching it?
Chris also blew it big time. I'm surprised he got off so easily in the boardroom, especially after he started screaming at George and Caroline. I wouldn't want someone that volatile running one of my companies. Besides, he showed poor judgement by appointing John his right hand man. John seemed promising at first, but it became clear in the last couple of episodes that he's mediocre at best. Chris made the mistake of trusting John because he was his buddy, not because he was the most capable person on the team.
Getting back to the beginning of the episode, I was surprised that Chris gave up Tana in the switch. Craig, I'll admit, never seemed that great until last night. But Tana has always shown spunk. She also has a great attitude, which goes a long way. As for Kendra, I agreed with her decision to get rid of Erin and Stephanie. Erin performed well on the TV spot, but she seems rather vacant overall. Stephanie, for her part, has a bad attitude.
I'm really glad Kendra stepped up to the plate last night. She did a great job. As I've mentioned in previous weeks, she seemed to be flying under the radar, although, as someone pointed out, it was she, not Erin, who came up with the smart marketing strategy for the mini-golf course. Kendra made a lot of smart moves: she attended one negotiating session with Craig and Tana, and then realized that she could entrust them with that task. But she still required that they get approval for all of their auction ideas. That shows that Kendra wasn't trying to shirk responsibility to cover herself in case her team lost. For the first time, Kendra seems like a contender. After last night's episode, my money's on Tana and Kendra for the final two. It would be nice to see a woman win the Apprentice job for once.
I'm excited about next week's episode. Apparently, it's going to involve Burt Rutan, who was featured in Inc.'s January issue as our entrepreneur of the year. That should be interesting!
March 9, 2005
No One Asked Me But...
Martha's first post-prison blockbuster....
Posted by Mike Hofman at 5:45 PM
What a week for Martha Stewart. While Worldcom's Bernie Ebbers claimed that he knew so little about the operations of his company that he shouldn't go to jail for alleged wrongdoing there, Martha rode a wave of positive publicity from the gates of her West Virginia prison back to the corner office. Along the way, she's managed to spawn another best-selling product—though not of her own making. Lion Brand Yarn, which Inc. contributing editor Adam Hanft profiled for both Inc. magazine and Inc.com , announced this week that it was rolling out a pattern for Martha's get-out-of-jail crocheted poncho. The company says on its website that it was inundated with requests for a Martha-inspired pattern. No word yet on whether Martha Stewart Omnimedia will roll out its own version of the garment, which was reportedly made by another inmate as a going-away present. Meanwhile, check back in a few days to see why Inc. named Stewart to its list of 26 Entrepreneurs We Love, which appears in our April issue.
March 4, 2005
Culture
The Donald - Week 7
Posted by Nadine Heintz at 11:43 AM
I didn't realize that Audrey was so bad until last night. Her quest to make everyone on the team a leader was totally lame. While John's behavior wasn't exactly stellar, I kind of agreed with his semi-paranoid theory that Audrey was plotting to destroy him. The fact that she mentioned how angry she was that John was in the suite and she was in a cab at the end made it pretty clear that she was more concerned with her childish grudge than with being the next Apprentice. Her hatred of John was her undoing. I had high hopes for Audrey at the beginning of the episode, when she stepped up to the plate as project manager. But all she did was prove that she is immature, inept, and a weak link.
But first, how about that breakdown at the start of the show? At first, I felt bad for Audrey, when she revealed how she lost her parents as a teenager and lived in a car. But she lost me when she started saying how, as a teenager, she wanted to scar herself so she'd be less beautiful and so people would like her? If she was looking for symphathy, why didn't she just tell her classmates that she lived out of a car?
By the end of the episode, I began to wonder who was a bigger jerk: John or Audrey? While I agree that Audrey stinks, I didn't like the way John treated her. It was pretty creepy the way he kept mentioning Audrey's looks. He's definitely on my list.
In fact, I was pretty surprised at how the whole Street Smarts team collapsed during this task. Audrey's circus idea was terrible. John's marketing strategy was limp. Angie seemed lost. And Chris really blew it by chewing tobacco in his clown costume. That was embarrassing! It almost seemed like nobody cared about winning the challenge.
Magna, on the other hand, is beginning to look like the frontrunner. I liked the safari theme. It wasn't a very creative idea, but it worked. The kids liked the animals, and the golf course looked polished. Erin did a great job with the marketing. It was a great idea to develop exclusive agreements with the other vendors at the complex. I think Kendra was on the marketing team as well, although she never makes an impression on me for some reason. And Bren looked great in that safari helmet. The task came together really well. I'm not sure how much credit Stephanie deserves for that. She did come up with the idea and the design for the course, but she didn't necessarily showcase any stellar management skills.
Of course, I was shocked when Audrey brought Angie into the boardroom. What a backstabber. Angie's the only one who stuck up for Audrey during the challenge. I was pretty annoyed with the Donald for "breaking the rules" by allowing Audrey to bring three people into the boardroom. He's so arbitrary. Still, it made for a better boardroom showdown. And the Donald made up for it in the end when he said something like, "At least they won't say I hired her because she's beautiful." The Donald really knows how to deliver a line!
I'm glad they're going to blend the teams next week, because Net Worth is starting to irk me. I used to like Angie, until she became Audrey's best friend last night. She was really duped by the whole "living in a car" story. Craig and John are both obnoxious and smug. I like Chris, although that whole chewing tobacco thing was pathetic. And Tana is rather mediocre. On the other hand, I really like Bren and Erin from Magna. Stephanie's not my favorite...I don't think she'll make it to the end. Right now, I'm guessing that the final two candidates will be Erin and Bren. But I might change my mind during the next few weeks!
March 1, 2005
The MBA Program -- Den of Iniquity?
Posted by at 9:06 PM
The Economist has a couple of interesting thoughts on whether the cult of the MBA is somehow to blame for the venom spit out by WorldCom, HealthSouth, Tyco International, Jason Giambi and snakes. Are the "science of economics" MBA teachings somehow inherently unethical or is that a load of (primarily) anti-Harvard hogwash? It seems to me that an MBA in and of itself is amoral, but it doesn't guarantee any type of leadership capabilities.
Certain companies may attract MBA grads and their massive Sherman McCoy sense of entitlement, but it's silly to think an advanced (or unadvanced) degree dictates behavior -- otherwise there would be no such thing as mob lawyers, Hollywood producers or Enron executives. The MBA is only as greedy as its holder, whether they're in the entrepreneurial or corporate universe. The only truth about the MBA is that shelling out $50-100,000 is absolutely worth it...or not.
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