Spring Break
The Daily Orange'Apprentice' winner shares business insight
By Sarah Lee
Posted: 11/18/08, 1:54 AM EST Section: News
Tiffany Cayado was star-struck as soon as she saw Bill Rancic, first-season winner of "The Apprentice," walk down the aisle to make his speech in Lender Auditorium at Syracuse University.
"Watching 'The Apprentice' in high school was what made me choose business as a study," said Cayado, a sophomore marketing major. "So he's kind of like a role model to me."
Most of the crowd that filled the auditorium's seats for Rancic's lecture on Monday night in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management seemed to recognize the speaker who won the opportunity to be Donald Trump's right-hand man. Hands shot up when Rancic asked who in the audience had seen the show before.
For the next hour, Rancic, now a best-selling author and TV show host, kept the crowd engaged with humorous anecdotes about his life before and after reality show fame and dispensed practical business advice.
Rancic said there are three traits that successful entrepreneurs share.
"They're good decision makers ... think of creative solutions to problems ... and have a never-quit attitude," he said. "They fight, fight, fight and never give up."
Rancic used his own creative aptitude to market his first major entrepreneurial endeavor, Cigars Around the World. Before Cigars Around the World became a profitable business, Rancic went around to costume shops and bought "those nerdy, coke-bottle glasses" to send to local Chicago radio shows along with a cigar, an explanatory letter and a note that read, "Please take a closer look at my business idea."
The ball eventually got rolling after a slew of paid radio advertising, and Rancic landed the company's first televised promotional spot on "The Danny Bonaduce Show."
"People think I learned the art of negotiation from Donald Trump, but I actually first used it when I sat down with 'The Danny Bonaduce Show' producers," Rancic said.
The producers said they would feature Rancic's cigars in the show's holiday gift segment in exchange for his appearance in their "eligible bachelor" spot. Rancic agreed, on the condition that his business partner could appear on the show as well.
"Watching 'The Apprentice' in high school was what made me choose business as a study," said Cayado, a sophomore marketing major. "So he's kind of like a role model to me."
Most of the crowd that filled the auditorium's seats for Rancic's lecture on Monday night in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management seemed to recognize the speaker who won the opportunity to be Donald Trump's right-hand man. Hands shot up when Rancic asked who in the audience had seen the show before.
For the next hour, Rancic, now a best-selling author and TV show host, kept the crowd engaged with humorous anecdotes about his life before and after reality show fame and dispensed practical business advice.
Rancic said there are three traits that successful entrepreneurs share.
"They're good decision makers ... think of creative solutions to problems ... and have a never-quit attitude," he said. "They fight, fight, fight and never give up."
Rancic used his own creative aptitude to market his first major entrepreneurial endeavor, Cigars Around the World. Before Cigars Around the World became a profitable business, Rancic went around to costume shops and bought "those nerdy, coke-bottle glasses" to send to local Chicago radio shows along with a cigar, an explanatory letter and a note that read, "Please take a closer look at my business idea."
The ball eventually got rolling after a slew of paid radio advertising, and Rancic landed the company's first televised promotional spot on "The Danny Bonaduce Show."
"People think I learned the art of negotiation from Donald Trump, but I actually first used it when I sat down with 'The Danny Bonaduce Show' producers," Rancic said.
The producers said they would feature Rancic's cigars in the show's holiday gift segment in exchange for his appearance in their "eligible bachelor" spot. Rancic agreed, on the condition that his business partner could appear on the show as well.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
garyjk77
gary korb
posted 11/18/08 @ 4:05 PM EST
Sarah,
Great article on Mr. Rancic. As an S.U. alumnus (Newhouse '77) and a marketer in the premium cigar business, I enjoyed it very much. I also had the pleasure of meeting Bill several years ago at a trade show in Las Vegas, shortly after he won. (Continued…)
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