Brandy's Boardroom Performance Helped Her Win on 'The Apprentice'

Last night on "The Apprentice," finalists Clint Robertson and Brandy Kuentzel finished their tasks and duked it out in the final boardroom. At the end, Donald Trump chose 30-year-old lawyer Brandy.

A number of viewers (including fans on "The Apprentice" Facebook page) seemed to believe Donald Trump had made the wrong decision and that Clint was the stronger candidate.

On some level, one could make a case for Clint because the final task had gone better for Clint's team. He was able to fix a critical spelling error of Liza Minnelli's name without batting and eye, and he was able to feed 500 people in under an hour. He also managed to win Mahsa over despite their bad blood, and turned her into a valuable team player.

Brandy's team experienced some setbacks, including poor choice of prizes for the golf tournament attendees (though that was due to faulty judgment on Liza's part) and not having Kathy Griffin arrive in time to greet the attendees.

Yet I think the important thing to remember about "The Apprentice" is that not only is it a competition, but it is also a job interview. In that respect, I do think Brandy was the deserving winner.

Why Brandy Won "The Apprentice"

Brandy's performance in the boardroom sealed the deal for her on "The Apprentice." Donald Trump had already seen her resume and was aware of her professional accomplishments. What she needed to do was show that she had something unique to contribute to the organization on both a personal and a professional level.

Brandy was able to do just that. Her answer about wanting to work alongside Ivanka, Don Jr., and Eric not only shows an impressive ability to think outside the box, but it was also a brilliant tactical move that appealed to Donald Trump as a father and a man.

Very often, companies and schools will not necessarily choose the person with the best resume or best performance, but rather they would look for candidates who fit the specific position. The show is called "The Apprentice" for a reason, and part of being an apprentice is being someone who has a certain level of humility and ability to learn and grow with the organization.

Clint, while impressive, was almost too good to be an Apprentice, to the point where he doesn't even need the show.

Another aspect that sealed the deal for Brandy was the opinions of the previously fired contestants, which Trump took seriously. The fact that the majority of them argued in favor of Brandy speaks very highly of her. Given that this season of "The Apprentice" had some of the cattiest, most vitriolic contestants in history, it's a testament to Brandy's professionalism that she was able to command their respect.

It's possible that Poppy had tipped the balance in Brandy's favor because she chose Brandy despite working on Clint's team.

Why Clint Lost on "The Apprentice"

Although Clint performed better on the last task, his performance in the boardroom didn't help his case. When Donald Trump asked him why he should be the next Apprentice, Clint reiterated his speech about being a CEO in a box. We know that Clint is impressive, but we do not need another recitation of his resume.

Clint might have fared better in the boardroom if he had spoken about his accomplishments this season (winning three times as project manager) and reminded Trump about his ability to adapt (for example, winning the Kim Kardashian task, despite being a Texas man).

I also would have liked to hear more about why he wanted to work on the Trump resort in Scotland. It's possible that Trump was hesitant about uprooting Clint and his family from Texas.

There was some speculation about whether or not Clint's Texas background could cost him on "The Apprentice." Ivanka described his excessive use of "y'all" as unpolished, while Steuart worried that Clint's folksy style would not fit with the Trump image. Yet I'm not entirely sure that was the case. Trump did fire "metropolitan" Steuart in favor of folksy Clint's experience.

I would have liked to hear more from Donald Trump about his reasons for choosing Brandy over Clint and to have heard some final thoughts from Clint. This finale was anti-climactic without the fanfare of the live finale.

In any case, Brandy is a deserving winner who will do well in the Trump organization. Clint will have many opportunities elsewhere.

The finale of "The Apprentice" is available on hulu.com.

Sources:

The Apprentice: Season Finale, Hulu