by Thor

I enjoyed Episode 2 a lot more than Episode 1 primarily because I did not know what was going to happen in the Judgement Room! (Don’t forget that those of us who were not in the room don’t know what happened!)

As bad as the first Judgement Room situation went for the Bullseye Group, what happened with Team Kiss in Episode 2 made my time in there look like a picnic. I had no idea there was so much tension behind the scenes with Jamie and Jason Henderson, and I was glued to my monitor as it all unfolded.

Shout Out to the Thor Haters

I received a lot of face time in this episode, and I saw at least one person in the forum write that they want to see less of me.

Each time I went into a confessional I made a point of being specific with names and situations. I was not trying to be rude in Episode 2, I was just being honest.

For those Thor haters out there, I love you too! For those who are supporting me in the NIM forum, on blogs and throughout the web, thanks for your kind words and good wishes.

Who is “Acting” and Who is Real on the Show

In Episode 2 you are starting to see peoples’ personalities and tendencies come out to play a role in the show’s plot. As the show progresses, you will begin to see who is being “real” on the show and who is just acting for the cameras (can you spot them yet?).

Everything is not as it appears in Episodes 1 and 2, and you will definately be surprised as you see which players crack under the pressure, which become combative, and which are simply eliminated.

By Debbie

As this show unfolds over the next few months, I encourage you to set aside some time, get onyour computer instead of your TV and watch each episode with a keen eye to what’sREALLY happening. Although the main purpose is sheer entertainment, if you like to study people, experience emotion and root for the underdog, it’s WORTH the RIDE!

Feel the PAIN as cast members are chastised for their mistakes. It IS part of the human experience that we’ve all lived! Failure is only failure when you allow it to be and you give up.

Take part in the forum to offer ENCOURAGEMENT to those you are rooting for. Offer your experience and expertise about how you overcame such challenges.

Send them advice on how they can use what they’ve just gone through to be better in the future.

Feel the EXCITEMENT of the game and the THRILL of the WIN. Then e-mail those who did things well and congratulate them…

Encourage them to spread their talents and skills across the world. Check out their websiteofferto joint venture or promote with those you are simpatico with, have the same market as or want to learn from.

LAUGH at the HUMOROUS antics the cast members display in heaps throughout the show! Both the obvious and the sly humor is plentiful! You’ll be shaking your head and grinning at this cast of FUNLOVING & UNUSUAL individuals! Each one is AMAZING once you get to know them.

LEARN about internet marketing as well as traditional marketing…not in depth, of course, butwhat if you get just one idea from the “Guru’s”, the Judges or from the “Challenge” presentations that will be worth CASH in YOUR POCKET?

At the very least, you’ll get to see who these guys are and what they have to offer, and then YOU can decide for yourself who you might choose to align your marketing with.

I know I learned TONS!

I will be using that knowledge myself and will be passing it on to BABYBOOMER BUSINESS WOMEN & WORK at HOME MOMS who decide to align themselves with other GutZy Women; Women, and the men who love them, who want information & support to get over the fear of technology, online marketing and self-promotion at their own pace in order to create the lifestyle that’s best for themselves and their families.

EXPERIENCE IT and become a part of it!

LOVE
Debbie Ducic (Do You See??? I see!!!)
GutZy Woman

By Thor

The first day on the set was really surreal for a lot of the contestants. I remember waiting outside the COMMplex on day one wondering what as in store for us. I had never met Joel Comm before, and like most of you I had formed opinions about the other cast members based on their audition and acceptance videos.

The only thing I knew for certain is that I was a competitor and I simply wanted to win. Heck, I didn’t really have a complete understanding of what it was I was competing for, but I knew I was going to fight for it all the same.

Off Like a Herd of Turtles…

That day I learned that I do well with my Schrock Innovations team in Nebraska because I picked them for their skill sets. I am used to running my own business, and I tend to get along very well with my employees. We usually all find our niches and we hit our goals with precision and efficiency. The Episode 1 Elimination Challenge taught me a lot about myself and what makes up a successful team.

The Bullseye Group was an unknown quantity made up of people who had met that morning at breakfast. We barely even knew each other when we were paired off into teams, let alone each of our strengths and weaknesses.

A Quick Overview of the Bullseye Group - Day 1

Even though I introduced Carly that morning in the HackerSafe Immunity Challenge, I had no idea that her strength was copy writing. I knew Debbie was doing something with “Gutzy Women,” but the details were a mystery to me. I didn’t expect much out of Charles and I didn’t know what to think of Nico. Christine and I seemed to be cut from similar cloth and we gelled almost immediately.

I was extremely frustrated with myself in the elimination challenge because I didn’t know how to help my teammates find their niches. It seemed like we were all floating in our own little realms and happened to bounce ideas off each other at random from time to time. Nothing was getting accomplished and the clock was ticking.

What was That About flies and Vinegar Again?

So I found myself as a member of an in-cohesive team that was being less than productive in a competition that I wanted to win. I didn’t pick the people, I didn’t pick the task, and I wasn’t sure how we would win the challenge. I was not used to a situation like that, so I decided that I was going to try and give our team a macro direction in hopes the micro direction would trickle down based on each of our skills and abilities.

Also, for those of you who are wondering, in this episode Debbie and I didn’t really have any kind of a knock down drag out disagreement. At one point I was stumped for direction so I sat next to her and asked, “what now coach.” Debbie was able to fill in the blanks for me and I thought the two of us made an awesome leadership team.

And From the Chaos Brilliance Almost Emerges

Finally toward the end of the challenge people’s skill sets started to emerge. Nico and Charles started to draw a storyboard for a commercial, while Carly and Christine started to craft the copy. Debbie made sure we were following the Simpleology path and I started working on a web page to contain the copy. Finally we all had niches, direction, and a clear goal.

Unfortunately there was not enough time to polish our end product and craft counter-arguments to the challenges we knew would be coming from the judges. That fact became clear in the presentation and we paid for it with the loss of two team mates.

I have been in some tough situations and negotiations in my life and I can tell you sincerely there is nothing that can prepare you for that Judgement Room. I knew walking in there that I had laid it on the line by being aggressive with my team during the Execution Challenge. I knew we lost, and I knew I was not happy with my individual performance. When I walked in there I thought there was a chance I would be going home on day 1.

Off to the Wood Shed

Joel’s words about my tongue hit me like a sledgehammer. I tried to take solace in the knowledge that if I would have sat back and been agreeable I would have been chastised for not doing more. Mark explained very diplomatically that I had the right idea, but went about it in the wrong way.

Based on the days events, I learned that I needed to find a new way to achieve the same goals if I wanted to be around for long on the show. I also learned that there are only two ways out of that judgement room (unless you pull a Jason Marshall and snap up that HackerSafe shirt like a bargain shopper at the church bazaar). I definately did not want to see that room again in the near future.

So What was My Plan for Day 2?

At this point of the competition I was most concerned with Jason Marshall. His presentation skills were top notch, he was quick on his feet, and he was a natural leader with personality. I knew he was either going to be a tremendous asset or a terrifying liability to my desire to be Joel’s next JV partner. I was going to have to figure some way to leverage his abilities in my favor.

P.S. One thing of minor importance I noticed was the number of biblical references in the show. The COMMplex was HOT like hell under all of those lights, the losing (i.e. dead) team is sent to the judgement room to be judged by Joel Comm (initials J.C. like Jesus Christ), and two team members who were dead (eliminated) were resurrected (the sandbox). Did you see any others that I missed?