Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Occupation: Prosecutor

Jennifer, 32, handles 20-30 cases daily as a prosecutor in Orange County. Born in Vietnam, Jennifer moved to the U.S. with her family at age two. Seven years later she began work in her family's Vietnamese bakery/café and eventually grew up to manage the business. She graduated from the University of Southern California with a dual degree in political science and international relations and earned her law degree from the University of the Pacific. Before passing the bar exam, Jennifer clerked for both a congressman and a former mayor of Los Angeles, as well as the district attorney's office in Orange Country. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband.

When will you consider yourself "a success"?
There are so many varying degrees of success. I consider having become an attorney a success because it has been an aspiration of mine since an early age. Yet, there are so many more things I'd love to explore and excel at, to be more successful. It is said that if you master one thing in life, you have reached success. I am still waiting to find that one thing that I can master, be completely passionate about, and generate revenue from. So at the end of the day, I think when I fulfill my purpose, achieve life balance, make my profession my passion, and make this world a better place, that is when I will be at my most successful.

How would you describe your leadership style?
I consider myself a diplomatic leader who encourages collective input from everyone involved. It is important to give people a stake in outcomes to create incentive. Obviously, there is always that moment when an executive decision needs to be made. I am not afraid to follow my instincts and implement what I believe is the best course of action. I am not a fan of micro-management or dictatorial styles of management, unless there is a serious slacker on the team. It only works temporarily, and in the end, you end up creating resentment. I believe it is integral to utilize everyone's strengths and accordingly match his or her skills to tasks.

How do you deal with personal and professional challenges?
I suppose as a policy, I am conditioned to try to maintain a peaceful environment. In my profession, I'm always trying to take the higher road by maintaining my professionalism, and not exacerbating a conflict. However, my tolerance lasts only so long, and if a peaceful resolution is impossible either through talking it out, or reaching some sort of compromise, I will take whatever measures are necessary to avoid or confront the problem/person. After all, if something is perceived as detrimental to you, you should cut it off from your life. If confrontation is necessary or useful, so be it. Ultimately, I always evaluate if it is worth my time to pursue the matter.

What, in your opinion, is the most important quality to have in order to succeed in life and why?
Unequivocally, the most important quality you need to have to succeed in life is PURPOSE. Purpose gives you direction in all real life situations--it helps you discern what is relevant and what is inconsequential. Out of purpose is born perseverance, diligence, resilience, tenacity, and integrity. It truly sheds light on otherwise baffling events of our age. Purpose is the core of my existence. In the chaotic world that we live in, maintaining faith in my purpose and making sure that I am living my life in a way that does not compromise my purpose--all of this adds to my success.

Have any previous Apprentice winners motivated or inspired you?
I really liked Kendra's style from Season 3, because she never appeared to backstab anyone to advance in the game. She had talent and was steadfast in her approach, despite conflicting personalities around her. Above all, Kendra seemed to stay true to her beliefs without compromising her integrity.

How do you combine your creativity with your business savvy?
In my current profession, I am constantly anticipating what my opponent's strategy is. I have to be creative in going one step further, to derail them in the process. Being a litigant means I have to think quickly on my feet, and never letting my opponent perceive any weaknesses in my case. The most challenging aspect is communicating to my audience--whether judge or jury-- why I am more credible than my opponent. Captivating my audience in an interesting way requires a lot of creativity; disciplining myself simultaneously to not cross any unethical boundaries takes professional savvy and restraint.

Faves;
Music: Prince rocks! He is a lyrical poet with an insane ability to create unforgettable music. Everyone has a fave Prince song that takes them back to another time. I also love Shakira, because she is talent, sass, and attitude all rolled into one.
Books: My absolute favorite book in the world is "The Count of Monte Cristo" by Alexander Dumas. It is the ultimate tale of perseverance despite betrayal, loss of love, jealousy, and plain injustice. It exemplifies how you can surmount sorrow and tragedy through courage and tenacity. My current favorites are all the Margaret George books--"Mary Queen of Scots"; "Cleopatra"; "King Henry VIII"; "Mary Called Magdalene". These historically based novels breathe life into all these complex, epic figures. A different facet of their personalities is revealed like never before. The common denominator is that as leaders of their time, they were faced with unbelievable dilemmas that shaped history significantly.
TV: Of course I love "The Apprentice", because it is actually one of the few reality shows that encourages using your intellect & wits. "Alias" is another favorite, because Jennifer Garner is a fearless heroine, who embraces every new mission with 1000 percent conviction! She makes split-second decisions that hinge upon life and death. I have to admit my guilty pleasure is "Desperate Housewives", because every woman out there can identify with at least one character, or parts of every character. Every episode leaves me in unbearable suspense for the next juicy one. I also am addicted to the "Food Network" channel--free cooking lessons while traveling around the world--all in the comfort of your living room...what a bargain! Plus, I just love anything that involves food.
Movies: James Bond movies rule, hands down! I love all the different Bond men, from Sean Connery to Pierce Brosnan. Who can resist a suave, sexy British gentleman who has the ability to divert disasters of global catastrophe? I tend to love sappy, romantic comedies, because I favor light-hearted movies to dark, depressing ones. Isn't there enough tragedy in the world?

I'm guessing she'll be the evil person of the season, but I can't really get a read on her... I suppose that we'll have to wait to see how likeable she is.