I took the Long Island Rail Road from Massapequa to Penn Station with a friend. The year was 2004. The month was March. It was my last rodeo -- as far as "auditions" went. I had been trying to break into the acting scene while attempting to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. I decided that journalism was the way to go. However, there was one more thing I needed to do before I could bid adieu to my short-lived acting career. I had to meet Donald Trump! 

On this dreary night, I made the trek to the Trump building on Wall Street to audition for season two of The Apprentice on NBC. It was cold. I couldn't feel my toes. I wore a cheap suit I bought from Mandee (does anyone remember that clothing chain?). It started snowing. Total disaster. I ended up getting a wristband (I think I was one of 500 applicants selected to enter the building for an interview). 

When I got inside the building after many, many hours in the freezing cold, I ran into Mr. Trump. Literally, I ran into him! 

I stopped dead in my tracks and looked up at this man. He was so cool. He wasn't even mad. He wished me luck (How cool is that?!). I looked around and saw a bunch of tables set up with chairs. Mr. Trump walked over to one table that had a few stars from the show at the time (including Carolyn Kepcher and George Ross). The other tables looked like just regular job interviews. Well, would you know it? I ended up at Trump's table!! 

I sat there in my cheap suit, soaking wet from the elements. Trump asked each candidate a question. It was something along the lines of, why should I hire you? 

When it was my turn, I just... froze. All that waiting in horrific weather, and that's what I did with my two minutes with Trump! He could not have been nicer. He waited to see if I would answer him. When I didn't, he smiled and moved on to ask the other applicants at the table the same question. Some froze like I did. After it was all over, everyone stood up, and Mr. Trump thanked every single one of us for showing up. He smiled. He was pleasant. 

He didn't make me feel like I failed, even though I did. I was very young (20-something) and silly, but I was happy I did it. 

In 2016, Donald Trump was elected president of the United States. Never in my wildest dreams would I have ever thought in 2004 that I would run into a future president, but I did! Today, I'm a producer for Bill O'Reilly, and Donald Trump is running for president again in 2024. What a difference 20 years makes!