What with the steely blue-eyed gaze and pursed lips, Carolyn Kepcher's face has unrivaled capacity to project utter and complete contempt, even before she opens her mouth to shoot out a blood-curdling word of censure. And if things can't seem to get any worse for the objects of that contempt, just wait till she does open her mouth.
Carolyn Kepcher flanks Donald Trump in the boardroom during the high-pitched closing scenes of the hit NBC show "The Apprentice," in which 18 fresh-faced wannabes compete for a $250,000-a-year job with the Donald. For the most part, she outshines her straight-talking boss in the words-as-missiles department. Kepcher, who'll speak in Fargo tonight, has a reputation that doesn't exactly smack of North Dakota nice.
The New York Times called her an "ice queen." The Boston Herald called her "well, a little scary." Just about every single article printed about her or the show resorts to a certain adjective to describe her - "tough."
"Apprentice" junkies and even occasional viewers can certainly see where this is coming from. Of course, there are the defiant glare and that posture, arms perpetually crossed, that seems to say, "Back off." And when she does tackle the would-be apprentices in the boardroom, she has many of them stuttering and looking down at their sweaty palms.
Those who have met Kepcher in person report she's decidedly less severe outside the boardroom. She's been known to actually smile. She even laughs occasionally, they claim.
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Refreshingly, though, Kepcher is light years away from persisting stereotypes of the female businesswoman, who unlike her supposedly cool-headed, unflappable male counterpart, is an incorrigible softie prone to emotional outbursts and nervous meltdowns. Or is she a light year or two too far away?
In anticipation of her visit to Fargo, The Forum asked high-power professional women locally about their take on Kepcher's stern style. In their view, is she too tough - or just tough enough?
Karen Burgum, owner, Hotel Donaldson, Fargo
Kudos for Carolyn
One man's "ultra tough" might be Karen Burgum's "strong and direct." Judging by Trump's scowling "You're fired," Kepcher deserves credit for winning over a tough-to-please macho boss. And she might cut the contestants on the show way too little slack, but at least when she bashes them mercilessly, she has detailed evidence to back it up.
A Carolyn makeover?
Burgum passes on that one. If Kepcher is on the harsher side on screen, it's only natural, she says: "The cameras are rolling, and she's working for Mr. Trump," an inveterate alpha male. But overall, Kepcher seems a "pretty put-together chick."
Business soul mates?
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Burgum, who started as a receptionist at Great Plains Business Solutions and worked her way up to customer service manager, says the technology sector is a fairly gender-blind environment. Burgum, who grew up a self-professed tomboy, never felt pressure to act tougher. She doesn't believe in "just business": "It's the humanity of it that makes it real."
Pulling a Carolyn ... or not
Every fall, the Hotel Donaldson team rallies for an employee appreciation ceremony, during which Burgum hands out gift certificates - and invariably tears up. "I can't get through these without being emotional," she admits, and tears up over again. Could Carolyn possibly approve?
Too tough/tough enough?
Entertainingly tough enough. "Carolyn adds the right spice to the show."
Ellen Cooke, executive partner at MeritCare's radiology department
Kudos for Carolyn
Yes, Kepcher is clearly intelligent and successful, but, "I am not crazy about her," Cooke says.
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A Carolyn makeover?
How about start by letting a smile take over that you-guys-are-good-for-nothing glare? "I have this vision of her sitting at that table, her arms crossed and a scowl on her face," Cooke says. "You can be strong and have a presence without having an imposing presence."
Business soul mates?
As Cooke was climbing up the corporate ladder during her two decades in the health-care industry, an assertive female professional was still seen as more of an irksome threat to the status quo than a praiseworthy threat to stereotypes. If you were that hard-hitting, "Maybe you were stepping over the line," says Cooke, who as a health-care professional, is conditioned to value compassion over clout.
Pulling a Carolyn ... or not
Cooke contends she'd never consider chiding even the most bumbling employee (of which she of course has none) as harshly. "All people deserve respect," she says.
Too tough/tough enough
Too tough.
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Shannon Charpentier, creative director at GL Ness ad agency in Fargo
Kudos for Carolyn
Charpentier, who watches the show religiously, is a Kepcher fan. Kepcher's prepared, direct and attentive to detail. "With her, you absolutely know where you stand," she says. "She doesn't sugar-coat anything."
A Carolyn makeover?
How about toning it down a notch? "It's a little too harsh," Charpentier says. "I don't think scolding people actually motivates them." Of course, there's the classic manager axiom, "Praise in public, criticize in private," as much as that's possible on prime-time network television.
Business soul mates?
When Charpentier started out in the advertising industry at 20, her male boss declared, "If you do what I say, we'll get along." Workplace dynamics have gotten better for outspoken women like her since.
She's been known to pore over books such as "Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office" and "Play Like a Man, Win Like a Woman," and she remembers some of the directives in "Think Like a Man": Don't show emotion. Act strong. But Charpentier, who's been called a "gutsy broad" by co-workers, describes her management style as that of a coach, and not the variety who throws chairs to make a point.
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Pulling a Carolyn ... or not
Charpentier says the one intrinsically female quality that gives women execs an edge is intuition, and female professionals seeking equality in the workplace should not try to squelch that gut feeling. She's proven herself as a boardroom barometer at her company, predicting the outcome of client pitches way better than male colleagues.
Too tough/tough enough
Kepcher is "absolutely perfect for a television show."
Carla Kretchman, development director at Microsoft in Fargo
Kudos for Carolyn
Kretchman admires Kepcher's smarts and her knack for looking confident around the clock. "I do believe there's a time and a place for being tough," she says.
A Carolyn makeover?
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Maybe she can occasionally try to unleash her fun-loving side on the show rather than look so perpetually oppressed by would-be apprentice incompetence.
Business soul mates?
Kretchman believes women at the workplace still feel pressure to act tough and banish any vestige of meekness from their image. She's overheard that some of the people she works with are intimidated by her candid and assertive style. "Working with a group that consists mostly of men, I have to show that I can and will stand up for myself and my team," she says.
Pulling a Carolyn ... or not
Kretchman, who started as a product tester with Great Plains in 1992 and today heads a team of 70 testers, says she got to where she is now in part thanks to supportive managers who at times had more confidence in her than she did in herself. Showing a human side, she believes, sometimes delivers more than playing the tough card.
Too tough/tough enough
Just tough enough.
Readers can reach Forum reporter
Mila Koumpilova at (701) 241-5529
If you go
What: Carolyn Kepcher talk as part of Forum Communication Co.'s "Speaking Of ... " series
When: 7:30 tonight
Where: Fargo Civic Center
Tickets: $35 (701) 241-5419
