He's fired - with a bright future

POST FALLS - Clint Robertson can live with being No. 2.

Especially if it's in Donald Trump's book.

The 40-year-old, who has been leasing a Post Falls home with his wife and three boys for the past year and owns a real estate title firm in Weatherford, Texas, was fired on Thursday night during the finale of "The Apprentice," Trump's reality business contest show.

Brandy Kuentzel, a 30-year-old from San Francisco who co-founded a mobile cupcake business, was named Trump's next Apprentice.

"I don't believe it was based on the final task, but on personal attributes," Robertson said. "But he's the boss, and I've got to respect that."

Robertson said he wasn't given an explanation of why he wasn't chosen.

"I'm a competitor; I don't like not winning," he said. "But I am not bitter. Brandy is a classy person, and I think she's going to do well. I can't take anything away from Brandy."

Robertson said he's disappointed he didn't get the $250,000-a-year job, but said "I am well with my soul."

"I believe I was the best on the show from the beginning to the end by far," Robertson said on Thursday from New York, where the final two were interviewed on national TV programs, met privately with Trump and attended a viewing party. "But I realized it came down to a personal preference by Mr. Trump. He's the boss.

"I felt like I owned the competition and I figured that, if I won, it would be because of that. And, if I lost, it would be because I wasn't a good fit (for a particular job)."

Kuentzel said she would like to work alongside the "next generation" of the Trump Organization - an answer Trump liked. Robertson said he would be willing to move to Scotland to assist with Trump's new golf course.

The contestants didn't know until Thursday who the next Apprentice would be, along with an estimated 5 million viewers.

During the finale, Robertson and his team planned a dinner for more than 500 people and a Liza Minnelli concert. Kuentzel's team ran a golf tournament featuring Kathy Griffin. Robertson said he chose the dinner and concert because he believed it would be more challenging and to show he could think outside the box.

On the show in the boardroom, Trump told Robertson and Kuentzel, who both have law degrees, that "there is no loser in this room" and that both deserved to be the final two.

"You've been outstanding," Trump told Robertson on the show. "I almost couldn't ask for any more."

Robertson said his life changed the minute he set foot on "The Apprentice."

"Win, lose or draw, I'm proud of who I am and I'm going home a winner," he said on the show.

Robertson said he has had several job offers from speaking engagements to being a commercial real estate manager. One of his desires is to share his Christian faith and use his experience on the show to encourage others.

"There's so many opportunities from just being on the show," he said.

But Robertson said he plans to keep his ties to Post Falls.

"We'll definitely still frequent Post Falls - you can't stay in (a big city) too long without wanting to get away," he said. "We won't completely uproot."

He'll also still maintain his Texas firm.

"The business is self-sustaining," he said.

Season 10 of the show featured 16 contestants who have been struck by the recession.

Robertson sold his Texas home last year, lived off the equity and downsized his business. He held an estate sale before moving his family, including his wife Sandy their sons Jake, 14, Eli, 12, and Daniel, 10, to Post Falls. They had been paying the lease and planned to use it as a vacation home, but because of the economy, it became their permanent home.

Robertson said the experience from being on the show has been an amazing ride and it will carryover to the next stage of his life.

"Sandy and I were walking by the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center (Wednesday night) and people all over mob you," Robertson said. "It's amazing for a guy like me to walk through the heart of the world and people know your name."