Mr Brendan Murdock, founder of Murdock London, was an obvious choice as a male grooming expert on The Apprentice this week as semi-finalists Ricky and Tom created their male grooming brand Modern Gentleman. Here Mr Murdock tells us what he looks for in an Apprentice. (You can watch the episode on iPlayer.)
I and the other experts were asked to turn up on Day 1 as a ‘mystery shopper’ at the contestants’ concept store, attempting to blend into the crowd casually. On Day 2 we were asked to return more formally dressed to attend presentations by the two groups of contestants and then engage in a brief Q&A held by Sir Alan, to share our views on the candidates’ efforts, helping him to reach a decision on his final two. One of the teams concept was a new male grooming line, which is why I was called in as one of the business experts.
What would you be looking for in your ideal apprentice?
My ideal apprentice would have to be ADAPTABLE, immersing themselves in a brand and market they may not necessarily already know well. That requires flexible, quick, lateral thinking. In general, I like my own team at Murdock London to be passionate about the brand, have a genuine belief in what we’re doing, and to feel a kind of ownership in the brand they are helping to create. In this Apprentice task, the contestants needed to demonstrate a clear understanding of the market they would be operating in — the highly competitive men’s grooming market.
Do you believe experience or qualifications are more important in the workplace?
This is a difficult one, and I don’t think its necessarily an either/or choice — a combination of both is ideal. But if you pressed me, I think I would choose experience. Through experience, a person develops as an individual in interesting ways and they are often much more aware of their strengths and weaknesses, and they understand some of the difficulties in problem solving and in pushing projects forward. I admire a strong intellectual ability which can often be demonstrated by qualifications, but the quality that strikes me most is curiosity, which can’t really be taught. You’re either a curious person, up for new things, or you’re not.
Did you meet Alan Sugar or his aides Karen and Nick behind the scenes? What were they like?
Yes I met Lord Sugar, Karen and Nick. All three were particularly friendly. I chatted at length to Nick who shared his experiences of having a traditional wet shave in Cuba, which i don’t think was a particularly pleasurable experience. So I was encouraging him to visit our Liberty branch to experience our vastly differerent version of the wet shave! Karen shared how her husband enjoys being groomed, and likes to indulge in products. Lord Sugar has ‘designer stubble’ and was interested in the return of the beard on men, so we talked about that trend.
If you could give the apprentices one bit of advice, what would it be?
I was concerned when one of the contestants started to give me a facial when he had a qualified barber next to him. It wasn’t the best of experiences for me, which might have shown on my face! My advice would be: know your strenghts and don’t attempt to do everything yourself. Do what you know you can do well — delegate to others who have greater expertise when that’s wise — and always be in a position where you can learn new things. (That’s three pieces of advice, not one!) During the task, I’d have felt more like this was a ‘real’ men’s grooming shop if I had been left in the capable hands of the trained barber!
How do you think you would fare being a candidate on the show?
I like to think I’d do really well, but don’t we all! I think there’s a fine line between what makes good television and what makes a truly good apprentice, but usually, Lord Sugar seems to get it just about right.
If you could say ‘you’re fired’ to one candidate, who would it be?
I’m going to cop out and say ‘don’t know’. Unlike Lord Sugar, Karen and Nick, I didn’t really get to know the candidates well enough individually, which is an important part of the process. All seemed pretty articulate on the day, understanding their brands and what they were up to. As it’s the semi-final round, they’re all impressive in different ways.
If you could say ‘you’re hired’ to one candidate, who would it be?
That’s perhaps an easier one, and on the day if I was to hire someone I think it would have been Ricky or Jade. I liked Jade’s enthusiasm (though I’m not sure her sweets brand captured the brief of ‘luxury’). Ricky demonstrated a real determination and pluck that I admired — he’s on the right side of brassy.