Ten candidates arrive in Chicago to compete for a position working alongside Marcus Lemonis.

Marcus gets to know who the five remaining candidates really are in a series of character tests. First, they must create a marketing campaign to show who they are as a brand. Then, Marcus challenges their backbones during a complex investment assessment.

Marcus gives the candidates their most difficult task yet: teamwork! Their leadership, salesmanship, and communication skills are put to the test during two group challenges. But as pressure rises, the candidates begin to turn on each other.

Things get personal when Marcus puts the candidates to work in his current Chicago stores. Some excel and some fall behind when faced with real-life business challenges. It’s crunch time for the candidates to prove that they really knows their stuff and can take the heat.

Marcus chooses the final two candidates and gives them their most important challenge yet: walking a day in his shoes. The finalists are tasked with assessing a struggling local business and putting together an investment plan. Based on this information, Marcus will finally determine who The Partner will be.