Sprinkled about NBC’s Web site are comments from 32-year-old Chicago entrepreneur Bill Rancic, one of two finalists on “The Apprentice.” Among them is Rancic’s philosophy for success.
“If I can lead a happy life,” he says, “touch the lives of others in a positive way, win the respect of those that I care about — and make a few million along the way — then I have been successful.”
This is the mantra of a man who for weeks has managed to avoid hearing Donald Trump’s trademark, “You’re fired,” making it to Thursday’s live finale of the popular reality show, where either he or 29-year-old Harvard grad Kwame Jackson will be anointed The Donald’s glorified protege.
Those who know Rancic, founder of the Internet’s Cigars Around the World, say the 1992 Loyola University grad, who grew up in Orland Park the youngest of Ed and Gail Rancic’s four children, is every bit the savvy, self-assured businessman with the quick wit he appears to be on TV.
“What you see is what you get,” said one of Rancic’s sisters, Karen Soenen, a former teacher living in Burr Ridge. “That’s his personality — it’s totally him. He’s funny and he’s smart. When we watch the show we have to laugh because he’s portrayed in such a real way.”
Like during last week’s episode Rancic and the rest of the final four contestants, including Jackson, Amy Henry and Nick Warnock, took part in job interviews with Trump’s supposed top executives. When asked to offer his greatest weakness, Rancic confidently responded: “Sometimes I’m never satisfied.”
Smooth move. By the end of the episode, Rancic had moved on.
Because the episode in which Rancic and Jackson were allowed to remain was taped so long ago, Rancic has actually been biding his time until the live two-hour finale, knowing he was one of the two finalists. Soenen says Rancic didn’t tell his family he was a finalist until a few weeks ago.
“I’m sure he was anxious but he knew what he had to do,” she said. “He took it very seriously — it was like a job for him not to tell anyone. The success of the show depends on the secrecy.”
Ann Ensenberger, who handles marketing for Mike Ditka’s restaurant just off the Magnificent Mile, knows Rancic as the supplier of Ditka’s signature stogies, which Rancic is known to enjoy in the restaurant’s upstairs cigar bar.
“I know it sounds corny but everything that comes out of his mouth is perfectly eloquent but not scripted,” Ensenberger said. “He’s got this charisma.”
This is one of the reasons Rancic, who attended Sandburg High School in Orland Park, is a regular speaker at his alma mater. For the past 10 years he has lectured students in Dawn Harris’ class on business strategy on the do’s and don’t’s of the corporate world.
“They love Bill,” said Harris, who has known Rancic since he was running Cigars Around the World out of his Chicago apartment right after college. “He was already a big hit in my class and he’s only become a bigger hit.”
Is Harris surprised that Rancic made it to the finals of “The Apprentice”?
“He was up against incredible competition and odds, so to come this far and be among the finalists is phenomenal,” she said. “Am I surprised? I think the odds were so against him so, yes, I was a little surprised. But I’m also obviously proud that he’s made it this far.”
Rancic also has drawn more attention to Loyola University’s School of Business, especially when Trump recently called Loyola “a good school” during what could pass for a touchy-feely moment on the show.
“It wasn’t just a courtesy comment,” said Bob Parkinson, dean of Loyola’s School of Business. “It was clear that [Trump] was aware of Loyola. Trump validated the quality and reputation of the school. It was good PR for the school.”
Trump was quoted Monday as saying he still has no idea who will get the job of running one of his divisions at an annual salary of $250,000. “Kwame and Bill are similar, but they’re very different,” Trump told reporters. “Bill’s actually a much more aggressive person than he looks on television. Kwame, everyone loves this guy.”
While Rancic’s family, including his mother (his father, a former Lewis University professor, is deceased) travels to New York to be with Rancic for Thursday’s finale, Loyola alumni and staff will be at Ditka’s for a party in Rancic’s honor. Parkinson said it’s the school’s way of supporting Rancic, who compares himself to the Road Runner on NBC’s “The Apprentice” Web site.
“He would see an opportunity and act upon it, always staying ahead of the competition,” Rancic said. “The fake detour sign, the falling anvil and the TNT never got to him because of his speed and perceptiveness. Beep! Beep!”
