Who else was bummed that Blake Shelton and his country singer Jake Worthington did not win The Voice? I know I was. And it sounds like Cassadee Pope was, too.

As one of the show's winners a few seasons ago, Pope says she is a little disappointed on the rare occasions Shelton isn't the winning mentor.

"I'm always bummed if Blake doesn't take it home," she told me during a call from some R&R time at the beach in California. "But I am happy for Team Usher. And (winner Josh Kaufman) is very talented. I'm sure it stings a little bit, but the guy's got a lot going on."

On the other hand, don't be surprised if Shelton takes a more aggressive approach as a judge and mentor on the next round of The Voice.

"I'm sure this loss will just add fuel to his fire for next season," Pope said. "He's the kind of guy that fights fire with fire. So we'll see. He'll probably go in guns hot next season."

Sounds about right. I could see Shelton being more and more motivated to get back on his winning streak. But what about Worthington? What should his next steps be?

I asked Pope what he could do to win in the real world, even though he didn't win on the reality show.

"I would say that this is when the real works starts," she said. "As hard as you think The Voice is -- with the grueling schedule and the lack of sleep -- it's gonna be twice as difficult once you get out because you need to work twice as hard.

"I would suggest going on a country radio tour. They really appreciate when you actually go to their radio station and perform in their conference room, as awkward as that can be sometimes. Just get your hands dirty. It'll be worth it."