“The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition” returned on Thursday, 6 May, with Episode 8.

Eight candidates remained as the competition intensified. After arguably the most grueling physical task so far and the first sales challenge of the season, another elimination takes place in the boardroom.

Physical Challenge: Emergency Escape Simulation Exercise

MMA legend and ONE Championship Vice President Rich Franklin joined Task Captain Dom Lau to oversee this episode’s physical challenge. Teams had to work together and prove their resilience under extreme pressure by surviving a simulated helicopter crash hosted by MSTS Singapore.

Candidates found themselves strapped to a seat inside a mock helicopter hull, which was flipped upside down underwater. Those candidates would need to overcome fear and anxiety in order to find their way to safety.

Before the challenge began, Niraj was transferred to Team Valor to balance the two groups with four members each.

While Team Valor showcased great teamwork to complete the challenge without much difficulty, things were different for Team Conquest.

Nazee couldn’t secure her oxygen mask properly before she was submerged, causing her to panic. Trapped in the mock wreckage, Nazee found a pocket of air where she could breathe before needing assistance to escape. It added extra time to Team Conquest’s overall tally.

As a result, Team Valor won the challenge with the fastest combined time.

Business Challenge: Selling Sustainable

Candidates tested themselves in a sales challenge that tasked them with positioning various upcycled products to promote a sustainable future. Teams pitched offers as a group to B2B (business-to-business) clients and individually to B2C (business-to-consumer) customers. 

Products ranged from an old skateboard transformed into a bench to wooden items made from industrial waste and fallen trees.

Fearing that she would be ousted if Team Conquest ended up losing, Jessica volunteered Irina to be Project Manager instead of Nazee. On Team Valor, Paulina was named Project Manager after a unanimous vote.

Paulina drove Team Valor with a rigid focus on maximizing profit margin, choosing to crunch numbers in order to meet target sales. But retailers felt disconnected, and Team Valor’s pitch turned out to be a hard sell.

Team Valor ended up with S$15,769 in total overall sales. With only around 12% of their sales coming from B2C, the team missed a huge opportunity to boost its numbers, with Niraj failing miserably in individual sales. Paulina said she did not anticipate the individual selling portion to be so challenging.

Team Conquest took a different approach. They chose to create a value proposition with their retailers which made the products more relatable. The Items that were offered matched what retailers were looking for. Irina proposed including a workshop with the products which added value for the purchasing customer.

Niharika was impressed by Jessica’s ability to strike a rapport with her clients, allowing her to close sales effortlessly.

Team Conquest finished the task with S$26,416 in total overall sales. Jessica contributed an extraordinary S$11,230 in individual sales, which a blown-away Chatri called an “insane amount.”

In the end, Team Conquest took home the victory with superior sales numbers.

The Boardroom: Too Many Excuses

In the boardroom, Chatri explained that while team dynamics would continue to play a prominent role in the competition, more emphasis would be placed on individual performances moving forward.

Louie, Monica, and Niraj all said Paulina did a fantastic job as Project Manager. Heading to the chopping block, however, the Indonesian candidate was forced to bring Monica and Niraj with her.

Chatri commended Paulina for her leadership ability but said she wasn’t outstanding in any particular area as an individual.

Niharika wasn’t convinced Monica could win the competition and become ONE’s Chief of Staff, while Chatri wondered if she was the new one-trick pony.

Chatri praised Niraj for his fighting spirit but said he made too many excuses for his lack of skills. After constantly finding himself in the bottom three, Niraj was finally eliminated from the competition.

More information on “The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition” and How to Watch can be found at:  https://www.onefc.com/the-apprentice