Before being on the Apprentice he was a successful certified public accountant, real estate attorney and developer who had to have an estate sale where he was forced to sell a large amount of his family's possessions due to the economy.
POT: What is the process to actually get on the Apprentice?
C. R.:
I showed-up at one of the five open calls and waited in line to be seen with thousands of other folks. We went in groups of ten. A topic was thrown-out and discussed/argued by the group. Then there were several call-backs until finally a group of 160 contestants were flown to LA where sixteen emerged to actually be on the show.
POT: Are there any aspect of the show that are staged for the cameras?
C. R.:
The show is not contrived. You never do re-takes. The only time that we approached staged was when we had to cut two endings -- one with me winning and one with Brandy winning. This is done in case someone dies, gets arrested, etc. But this was only for the final 30 seconds or so.
POT: What did you learn while on The Apprentice?
C. R.:
The process re-affirmed to me how important people skills and people-reading skills are in every aspect of life. If you don't know people, you wont get far in life because that is all life is about. The Golden Rule still rules.
POT: What have you been doing since leaving The Apprentice?
C. R.:
I have had so many opportunities that I have had to be extremely selective and choose true fits. You can find some of the companies that I am endorsing on my website: www.ClintRobertson.comPOT: What is your opinion of Donald trump, since meeting him?
I am also working with an affiliate of Mr. Trump's in West Palm Beach, Florida.
C. R.:
He is "what you see is what you get." But, something that might not come through the television screen is his sense of humor. I played sports, and there are some guys who use wry humor to improve the on-field rapport. He is one of those guys. He is someone who expects a lot of himself and of you; and, everyone is better because of it.
POT: You talk a lot about your faith. When did you become a Christian? What is your testimony?
C. R.:
I grew up the son of a Baptist deacon. I had a very rigid and Pharisaical understanding of the Lord. My "god" was my father with whom I had an incredible relationship. My father died at the age of 54 when I was 29 years old. My world collapsed; but, out of the ashes arose an amazing relationship with my true Father, God. I finally understood what it meant to have a real loving relationship with Him. He didn't want anything from me other than my love. What does a small child have to offer their parent other than an innocent love that says "help me Daddy," "I love you Daddy," and "thank you Daddy." I realized that He doesn't need me. He allows me to participate in His work just like a loving Father trains his small son in the family business. This understanding of Him allowed me to have the real relationship that had always eluded me. For anyone else desiring this relationship, I would recommend the classic book by Andrew Murray -- Abide in Christ.
POT: Can you describe what led up to you families estate sale?
C. R.:
2008 happened! I fed my family on real estate; but, lending dried up and everything came to an abrupt stop.
POT: After the estate sale do you still believe you can borrow?
I was fortunate to come out of this with my credit in tact. The Lord has enabled me to stay current on my loans. I am an aberration. I don't know of anyone else who was doing what I was doing who is not bankrupt today.
POT: Since my blog is financial related and encourages people to live a debt-free lifestyle, do you have any thoughts to share with the readers?
C. R.:
You can manage debt or it can manage you. Debt is a tool. A toolbox full of slotted screwdrivers will leave you on the side of the road if you need a ratchet set to fix your car. The same holds true to debt. Over-leveraging your business is the kiss of death. Consider all debt carefully before you sign you name to the loan. Ultimately, make sure that you have peace with the Lord before you acquire debt.
Finally, remember everyone falls down. If you do find yourself in more debt than you can handle, don't beat yourself up over it. Anyone who succeeds has had failures. Learn from your mistakes and try to avoid them in the future. The Lord is ultimately responsible for the success or failure of your business. Learn what He will teach you and fall on Him when you fall down. Nothing happens without His purpose.
POT: In addition, with recent news stories in mind, what do think about the prospects of Trump running for President? Do you think he really will? Or is it just a ploy to grab media attention? If he does do you think he will win?
C. R.:
All of the above. He might be using this election cycle to grab media attention. He is very good at marketing his brand. Even so, I wouldn't be surprised to see him cross the line from marketing to running if there is a groundswell of support. This election likely will be the most polar in current history; so, I am not sure if his politics will allow him to accumulate the votes necessary to make it through the primaries. But, I've been wrong about Mr. Trump before. I (and the rest of the cast for that matter) spent the six months after the filming of my season of the Apprentice presuming that I would be showing-up for my coronation at the finale. He can be unpredictable.
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go ahead share your thoughts with me now, my ears are open. I'm always eager to hear what you think.
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