In Episode 34 of The Pat McGann Show, Pat sat down with entrepreneur, TV personality, and proud Chicagoan Bill Rancic for a conversation about hustle, risk, and building a life worth showing up for. From a 400-square-foot studio apartment in Lakeview to the original season of The Apprentice — and now to a national restaurant group, a New York Times bestseller, and a brand-new pasta sauce in 4,000 grocery stores — Bill's story is a Chicago classic about betting on yourself when no one else will.
The episode covers his South Side roots, the radio interview that changed his life, meeting his wife Giuliana, raising his son Duke, and why a bad decision still beats indecision every time.
Who Is Bill Rancic?
Bill Rancic is an Orland Park, Illinois-raised entrepreneur, author, television host, and motivational speaker. He is best known as the first-ever winner of The Apprentice in 2004, beating out more than 215,000 applicants to land a job leading the development of Trump International Hotel & Tower in Chicago.
Since The Apprentice, Bill has co-founded RPM Restaurants with Lettuce Entertain You and the Melman family, hosted The Mega Brands That Built America on the History Channel, written a New York Times bestseller, published a novel (First Light), and launched Rancic Family Foods — a line of authentic Italian sauces, pastas, and salamis now sold in over 4,000 stores nationwide.
How Did Bill Rancic Win The Apprentice?
Bill Rancic won Season 1 of The Apprentice in April 2004 after being cast as the show's 17th contestant — the alternate. A fellow finalist failed a drug test, opening the door for Bill to step in with two weeks' notice. He told friends and family he was traveling to Cuba to buy tobacco fields, then flew to New York to begin filming.
Before the show, Bill had already built and sold Cigars Around the World, a monthly cigar subscription business he started in 1994 out of a 400-square-foot studio apartment in Lakeview. A single 35-minute radio interview with Chicago morning host Jonathan "Johnny B." Brandmeier drove $100,000 in sales and put the company on the map.
What Restaurants Does Bill Rancic Own?
Bill Rancic is a co-owner of RPM Restaurants, the partnership he and Giuliana built with Chicago's Melman family — RJ, Jared, and Molly — through Lettuce Entertain You. The group now operates nine locations across the country, including:
- RPM Italian (Chicago, Washington D.C., Las Vegas)
- RPM Steak (Chicago, Las Vegas, D.C.)
- RPM Seafood (Chicago)
- RPM on the Water and RPM Events (Chicago)
The group is also expanding into West Palm Beach and Orlando. The flagship dish — Mama DePandi's Bucatini Pomodoro — is named after Giuliana's late mother and remains the top-selling item every night.
P.S. We've got an episode with the Melman Brothers too
How Did Bill Rancic Meet Giuliana?
Bill met Giuliana DePandi (now Rancic) in 2006 when she interviewed him for a press tour while he was a judge on The Apprentice. After learning Bill was single, she proposed dinner. Ten months later, he proposed back — in a helicopter over Michigan Avenue, with Domino's pizza and champagne, looking out at the Christmas lights.
The couple later starred in Giuliana and Bill on E! for eight seasons, openly sharing their journeys through breast cancer treatment and infertility — conversations that helped destigmatize both topics. They have one son, Duke Edward Rancic.
What Did They Discuss on the Podcast?
Pat and Bill cover a lot of ground in this episode, including:
- Growing up on Chicago's South Side and attending Saint Michael's, Carl Sandburg High School, and Loyola University
- The Johnny B. radio interview that turned a startup into a real business overnight
- What it was like being sequestered in a hotel during The Apprentice casting
- Hosting viewing parties at Ditka's during the original Apprentice run
- Spending five days in Kuala Lumpur with Neil Armstrong
- Pulling 9.3 G's flying with the Air Force Thunderbirds at the Air & Water Show
- Building Rancic Family Foods and getting into Kroger, Mariano's, Ralph's, and Harris Teeter
- Why losing his father pushed him to take the risk that changed everything
The Real Lesson: Show Up, Take the Shot
What makes Bill's story land isn't the wins. It's the willingness to be uncomfortable on the way to them.
He took a job he didn't love, then quit it. He got laughed out of a metals company office for pitching a cigar subscription business. He sent a cold letter to a radio host asking for help. He flew to New York with two weeks' notice. He showed up to The Tonight Show in the same suit he had worn for The Apprentice finale because nobody told him to pack a second one.
The common thread? He kept showing up. Prepared, presentable, and ready for whatever came next.
The Tiege Hanley Connection
That mindset is exactly why we built Tiege Hanley the way we did. Whether you're walking into a board meeting, a first date, an arena, or your kid's parent-teacher conference, confidence isn't an accident — it's a routine.
Bill talks about being grateful for the opportunities, never taking the spotlight for granted, and treating every appearance like it matters. That kind of preparation starts before the cameras roll. It starts at the bathroom sink.
That is why our system is built around three simple steps: cleanse, exfoliate, moisturize. Two minutes a day, no overthinking, no cluttered shelf, no excuses. The same approach Bill takes to business — keep it simple, stay consistent, and show up looking like the version of yourself you want people to meet.
Because the guy who takes the helicopter ride, opens the restaurant, writes the book, and bets on himself is also the guy who washed his face this morning.
Find your routine in under 60 seconds with our skin care quiz →
Watch or Listen to the Episode
🎥 Watch on YouTube 🎧 Listen on Spotify 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts 📱 Watch Clips on Instagram
Follow the Guest
- Bill Rancic on Instagram: @billrancic
- Rancic Family Foods: @rancicfamilyfoods
- RPM Restaurants: rpmrestaurants.com
