Page 116 - Midas Touch

people like me, and a lot of people don’t. That’s okay, because my brand is
solid and so am I. I can take the negative commentary because the positive
impressions are so superior to the reports of the detractors. But I will set
the record straight when it might cause damage to my brand or my

reputation. People know I’m a fighter in that sense, and they will think
twice before going after me, because I’ll go after them with everything
I’ve got. When it comes to building your brand and protecting it, you’ve
got to set boundaries. Robert mentions the periods of trials and
tribulations, and I agree. Just realize that those experiences are to be
expected, especially as your success escalates, and that each situation
should be dealt with individually. Being a brand requires being tactical, as

well as being strategic.

Years ago, an article came out about me in The New Yorker that was
basically a hatchet job. I was very angry and was going to call the editor to
complain. Then I realized that would be adding some big numbers to their
sales because it would end up being a very big story, instead of just a badly
written article that would pass in a few weeks. When reporters called me
about the story, I’d say it was so long and boring that I couldn’t even finish

it. No reaction was the strongest reaction in this case. I eventually wrote a
letter to the editor after the magazine was no longer on the stands, and I
made it clear I was unhappy with “the long and boring story” and couldn’t
keep my eyes off the Knicks game on television long enough to finish it. I
also advised them never to ask me to do another story with them.

Another article deserved a response and the letter I sent won Best Letter to
The New York Times Book Review, as judged by New York magazine. I

ended it with good wishes that the writers of the mediocre article about me
might astonish us someday by writing something of consequence. There
are boundaries to be considered and sometimes a light-handed “toughness”
proves useful.

Robert speaks about his various partners over the years. My projects can
be huge and involve a lot of partners, too: contractors, designers,

architects, managers, general staff, and so on. As he mentions, it matters
very much that the fit be a good one. When I have someone design a golf
course, for example, we have to have the same vision. Their technical
ability is necessary, of course, but more importantly, we have to click, or a