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September 7, 2006
Trump to Carolyn: You’re Fired! Now Her Reputation Is In Crisis!
PHOTO: Trump, Carolyn and George Before She Was Axed
“We had a wonderful time. It is time for me to move on. We remain friends.”
Commented Carolyn Kepcher, formerly a star on NBC’s The Apprentice and formerly executive vice president in the Trump organization, on ABC’s Good Morning America after being fired by Donald Trump due to excessive self promotion as her full-time job suffered.
According to A.P., Carolyn Kepcher, who sat by while her boss Donald Trump dismissed one would-be apprentice after another on TV, has now felt the full force of his iconic phrase: "You're fired."
Kepcher, a co-star with Trump from the start of "The Apprentice" in 2004 and a long-time employee of the Trump Organization, has been let go.
"Mr. Trump wishes her the best," said Trump spokesman Jim Dowd, who confirmed she is no longer with the company. She had been chief operating officer of two of Trump's golf courses.
Her leave-taking will have no impact on the upcoming sixth season of "The Apprentice," originating for the first time from Los Angeles. Though production is completed, she was not part of the cast.
Kepcher's dismissal was first reported in last Thursday's New York Post.
PHOTO: Carolyn Dressed to Impress
The slender, striking blonde had become familiar to viewers as one of Trump's two sidekicks on the NBC series. She was an adviser to one of the rival teams and was often seated beside Trump for boardroom sessions where one or more competitors would hear Trump declare, "You're fired."
The Post story attributed Kepcher's firing to excessive self-promotion as a star at the expense of her performance at her day job, an account echoed for The Associated Press by a person close to the situation. The person insisted on anonymity because it was a personnel matter.
"We had a wonderful time," Kepcher said of her time on the show. "We remain friends."
However, "Apprentice" co-star George Ross publicly criticized her, saying that her obsession with fame had interfered with her work.
"Did she bask in the glory of the limelight? Probably," Ross said.
"I love George. I respect George," Kepcher said in response to his comments. "I disagree with everything he just said."
PHOTO: Ivanka Trump
Trump's daughter Ivanka, who Kepcher called "incredibly brilliant," will replace Kepcher on the show.
"I wish her a lot of luck," she said.
The personnel issue has become fodder for comedians.
"Hey, Donald Trump fired Carolyn. Did you hear about this? You know, the blonde one on 'The Apprentice'? Replaced her with his daughter," Jay Leno said on "The Tonight Show."
"That's good business sense. Nepotism, always smart. Fire the competent people. Replace them with your children. Hey, it worked for Saddam."
Kepcher plans on spending more time with her children before pursuing any new opportunities, she said.
She holds no bad feelings toward her now-former boss.
"He's a great success story in business," Kepcher said. "Eleven years is a long time."
Since TV fame beckoned, Kepcher has been active with speaking engagements, made a number of talk-show appearances and two years ago wrote a book, "Carolyn 101," which promised to reveal the secrets of her success and give readers’ guidance for their professional lives.
PHOTO: Carolyn 101: Her Book
A few comments from the Reputation Doctor regarding the Donald and Carolyn:
When your goal is to create a national or global reputation under the wing of your boss and he or she doesn’t agree, you will be fired.
Carolyn knew Donald Trump had a big ego, was taught by him that his reputation was everything and thought it would be O.K. to share the spotlight with his ego? Hello…that was a big mistake! She didn't think very carefully from the perspective of the other person: her boss! Reputation management 101.
I hope Carolyn 101 has a chapter on how to repair a reputation in crisis.
Carolyn still has not admitted she was fired and that is a big mistake. Using the tool of humility, she could actually position herself as having more integrity than Trump by truthfully admitting she was fired and explaining what she learned from the experience and how it can be of value to others. Do you think Carolyn is the only person in the world who has been fired? There are millions who have been fired or are worried about being fired today who could learn from her experience. She could then focus on her knowledge and expertise of golf and business and become a big hit with both men and women interested in both critical areas. Will she do so? We’ll have to wait and see if she takes the Reputation Doctor’s advice.
Being in the celebrity spotlight is a drug and if you don’t realize that you will become addicted.
Carolyn has become addicted to fame and celebrity. And who could blame her? She was on a top television show and she wanted to take advantage of it. The big mistake was thinking she could continue working for the Donald and build her own image at the same time. I think that might be the problem - thinking image instead of reputation. Well, it didn’t work out the way she had planned. Trump is the type of boss that always wants you to know he comes first, not you. Carolyn forgot that and paid the price for it. What’s next for Carolyn? If Trump doesn’t support any of her future opportunities external to his organization, in Hollywood or in business, she will have a tough time. Look for Carolyn to try to mend fences and make sure Trump is on her side in the future. Also look for his ego to put her in her place from time to time. Remember, in his mind, he always comes first and know image will ever supersede his. Maybe he needs to be taught the difference between an image (fake like Hollywood) and a reputation (built with truth)?
Remember, do the right thing when your reputation is in crisis and seek the counsel of an experienced reputation management expert. It will be a major challenge, but ultimately the rewards of repairing your reputation will be great. Why? Because Your Reputation Is Everything! ™
About Mike Paul
Mike Paul is editor of The Reputation Doctor blog. The Reputation Doctor is a nickname given to him by various clients. Mike's blog is located at www.ReputationDoctor.com. He appears regularly on Fox News Channel, CNN, MSNBC, Court TV, ABC News, ESPN, CBS News, BBC, and others as a weekly contributor and expert in the global news regarding leaders, celebrities, corporations and other organizations with reputations in crisis. Mr. Paul is also president and senior counselor of MGP & Associates PR (www.mgppr.com), a leading strategic public relations and reputation management firm based in New York. For interview requests, speeches, senior counseling or other business opportunities with Mr. Paul, call 212-595-8500 or email info@mgppr.com.
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