Page 80 - Trump Never Give Up: How I Turned My Biggest Challenges into Success

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B E P ASSIONA TE

in skyscrapers turns to golf course development? Was I making
a huge mistake? Should I have stuck with terrain that I knew
more about already?
I’ve always told people to know what they were doing first,
to do due diligence to the nth degree, to be cautiously opti-
mistic. I suddenly found myself wondering why I didn’t heed my
own advice. I was facing a lot of new issues where I wasn’t yet an
expert. However, I was excited about the fact that we were
building something outstanding, and that kept me going.
Jim Fazio often says that one of the great things about
working with me is that I never asked him if we were spending
too much money. Instead I’d ask, “Do you need anything else?”
He said that attitude helped his creative process. I’m glad he
thought that because in a big way that’s how it was. I have to
admit that I had a few moments of doubts. Not big doubts, but
doubts nevertheless.
For example, it took a solid year to move three million cubic
yards of dirt and to transplant five thousand trees. This wasn’t
fast going, but it was necessary, and it was painstaking work on
Jim’s part. Then, the Department of Environmental Resources
told us that only 50 acres could be cleared at a time, which
required us to plan the course in seven sections. This also
involved labeling all the trees and building a lake system. So it
took a year before the golf course could even begin to be built.
Fortunately, I’m a patient man when it comes to things I
care a lot about. I was very excited to have a spectacular course,
and I realized that if this is what was required to have that, then
so be it. I had made my decision, and I decided to stick with it. I
also knew I had a real pro working for me. Jim Fazio’s reputa-
tion preceded him, and I could see for myself that he was totally
reliable as well as genuinely passionate about his work. Was I
expecting the impossible?
When you are faced with situations like these, it’s impor-
tant to think about why you are doing whatever you’re doing in

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