By Karu F. Daniels, AOL Black Voices

Being fired in front of millions of people and being lampooned about your fashion sensibility isn't the best way to kick off the New Year.

Or one would think.

For Martin Han Clarke, the very first cast-off from the sixth season of 'The Apprentice," it's all good.

"Yeah I got fired but man my shirt was popping," the Senior Assistant Atlanta City Attorney joked when The BV Newswire caught up to him this week.

"All kidding aside I got a really great compliment from Mr. [Donald] Trump, my enemy called me brilliant and the other Project Manager said she'd vote the strong one off, me," he reflected. "All tolled, I faired well."

Wow. Talking about seeing the glass as half full.

The 37-year old Amityville, New York native and married father of two (daughters) isn't resting on his laurels either. Like other black cast offs of the legendary job-based reality competition show, there is much more to Clarke than meets the eye.

He graduated cum laude from Adelphi University with a business degree, concentrating in finance and management, and later graduated from The George Washington University National Law Center. Clarke gained expertise representing some of the nations' largest real estate companies as a real estate attorney, and has also taught real estate and business law along with ethics, government and business policy. He is also a member of the U.S. Supreme Court Bar.

So what in the devil is a smart chap like that doing on reality TV?

When asked, the dapper dad explained his position: "It was the challenge. For some people pushing the inner boundaries of their limits is fun. Fame, fortune? No, I researched the histories of the past candidates and it is very difficult to go on to fortune. When I was young, growing up in Uniondale, NY I wanted to be stinking rich. When I started representing the stinking rich I learned that sometimes life stinks when you have money but no time. My goal is to spend quality time with my children and to be best in class at whatever I do."

Hmmmm.

Clarke left a lasting impression on TV viewers when during the introduction of each 'Apprentice' candidate, he asked to be excused go to the bathroom.

That may have decided his fate.

"Clearly, I didn't know my bladder and shirt would be the star of the show," he deadpanned. "It all went down the drain (no pun intended) when I had to go to the bathroom. I would have definitely changed that. On the other hand it may not have changed anything because I didn't intend to hide all season to the end like some other past contestants. Rather, from the get go I wanted America to know who I was, I knew I was taking a risk."

Success in corporate America is all about taking risks -- or so I'm told.

The irony here is that Clarke revealed to The BV Newswire that he was a finalist to compete on an earlier season. He says the timing for him not making the final cut of that season worked in his favor, since his wife was giving birth to their youngest daughter.

The self-described "family man" also noted that the selection process is "brutal" and that by the time the show airs on television, all candidates are in "fighting form."

Nonetheless, he's taking his loss in stride -- like a true pro.

"I should have been the next Apprentice," he pondered. "No one has more institutional knowledge," he added. "I have done billions in corporate and real estate deals, have taught real estate law, ethics, business and government policy. I got fired for keeping it real on the show, you saw the 'Chappelle Show' episode, keeping it real can go wrong!"

Ivanka Trump may have said he doesn't quite fit into The Trump Organization, but Clarke sure has charisma that can keep him in the public eye for more time to come.

I'm sure the $100,000 salary that was offered by Trump as a grand prize to the winner will not allude him in another arena.

His forthcoming book, 'Power Influence and Profiling,' will be juxtaposed with a lecture series centering on topics from mind control, real estate and racism. He also started a production company called Wingman Hookup Production.