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When Jim and Dawn returned to the loft, the two former conference room
allies quickly turned on each other and quarreled over Jim's
self-congratulatory account of Jeff's dismissal. The next day, Martha
challenged the candidates to create and run a flower business, with one
goal: make more money in one day than the competition.
What began as a simple task quickly degraded into chaos for the candidates.
Amid bunches of blooms, conflict threatened to tear a corporation in half.
One of the project managers suffered a "nervous breakdown" and declared his
intention to quit the post, and leave the loft. Dawn and Jim's friction
threatened to grow from a spark into a four alarm fire. And with crowds of
New Yorkers clamoring for fresh flowers, one corporation gambled on selling
low volume at high prices, while their competitors bet on stacking high and
pricing cheap.
In the end, Matchstick failed for the second task in a row. One of the
candidates scrambled behind the scenes to take out a rival, and the
corporation's conduct earned the enmity of Martha herself.
A ROSE BY ANY
OTHER NAME
Martha Stewart addressed the candidates in a teleconference via the loft's
video screen. Their next task would focus on one of Martha Stewart Living
Omnimedia's growth enterprises - flowers. Martha challenged the candidates
to create, build, and manage a flower business from the ground up. Each
corporation would be given a Manhattan store front, and one day to make the
most of their florist shop.
The corporation with the most revenue at the end of the day would be
declared the winner. The losing corporation would face Martha and her
associates in the conference room, and one of them would be chosen to go
home. Armed with this knowledge, the corporations picked their project
managers carefully. Matchstick chose Chuck, an interior designer, and
Primarius decided on Carrie, a creative director.
ROSES ARE RED, CANDIDATES ARE BLUE
Chuck decided Matchstick's flower store would offer spring bouquets of
tulips imported fresh from Holland. However, the cracks in the corporation
immediately grew into full-blown chasms. Several candidates argued over
marketing, and the corporation floundered without finding a strong
direction. Overwhelmed and frustrated, Chuck made a shocking declaration: he
said he would pass on the mantle of project manager, and leave the loft.
Incredulous, the rest of Matchstick rallied and pleaded with him to change
his mind. Chuck eventually agreed to stay, but Matchstick had already lost
precious time and momentum.
Primarius, lacking a flower authority among them, decided to outsource
expertise from René Hofstede, a "celebrity florist" who had done work for
"Oprah" and "Sex in the City". Although he was reluctant to work with an
unproven corporation, Jennifer and Amanda were effective in persuading him
to join forces with Primarius. They agreed to sell first-class floral
arrangements at a premium price point.
Finally, the big day arrived, and both flower shops opened their front doors
wide. Matchstick's strategy was to sell a large number of bouquets at a low
price. Across Manhattan, Primarius attempted to cash in on a few big sales
of their expensive flowers. When sales were slow because customers were
suffering from "sticker shock," Howie and Carrie convinced René that
lowering the price was the wise move. Once he agreed to the plan, sales
picked up dramatically.
A GARDEN GROWS IN
CHELSEA
With their day as flower vendors over, the candidates returned to the
conference room to hear the results of the task. Martha's trusted associates
told the tale: Primarius and their acclaimed designer earned $1886, while
Matchstick and their high volume attack earned only $969. With twice the
revenue of their competition, Primarius had decisively secured their second
victory in a row. Matchstick, on the other hand, faced another trip to the
conference room.
Primarius' reward was an opportunity to give back to New York City. The
corporation banded together with New York Cares to help the Hudson Guild
community organization create a garden in Manhattan's Chelsea district. They
transformed a dingy dirt patch into a beautiful oasis of flowers outside the
Guild's new recreation, arts, and children's center. Working alongside
volunteers and neighborhood children, the candidates of Primarius were
touched by the joy of giving.
Meanwhile, back in the loft, Jim was busy pulling the strings of Matchstick
in a scheme to get Dawn sent home. He even told Chuck, the corporation's
imperiled project manager, that the corporation would back him in return for
blaming Dawn. Chuck, although flattered by the support, ultimately remained
suspicious of Jim's true intentions.
AGENDA: SUICIDE
In the conference room, Martha Stewart criticized Matchstick on many levels.
She decried their lack of creativity, their "tacky" sales models dressed in
Dutch costumes, and the corporation's overall lack of teamwork. Chuck
unhesitatingly took credit for Matchstick's shortcomings. However, Jim
forcefully countered the project manager's apparent self-critique, and
mounted an attack on Dawn. For her part, the PR consultant came armed with a
list of her contributions during the task. Martha, tired of his relentless
assault against Dawn, accused Jim of having an agenda.
Frustrated by the squabbling mess in front of her, Martha commanded Chuck to
select the two candidates he felt were most responsible for the loss. He
chose Jim and Dawn.
After consulting with Charles and Alexis, Martha summoned the candidates.
Dawn defended her solid contributions to Matchstick, while Jim continued his
campaign to discredit her. But the focus swiftly turned to Chuck, who openly
admitted his deficiency as a leader. Martha emphatically condemned the
project manager, not only for failing to unite his corporation, but
attempting to give up when the chips were down. After wishing him good luck,
Martha bid Chuck goodbye, and sent him home.
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