Page 66 - Midas Touch

would be legally binding, but then again there was always the possibility I
could become a big nuisance. It seemed things were hanging on a lot of
“what if’s” at this point.

Robert often mentions the risk factor in being an entrepreneur, and what
happened next is a good example. I received a call from The New York

Times. They’d heard about the deal with Genesco regarding the Bonwit
building. Although we had kept this quiet, I knew it was time to make a
move since Genesco seemed to be having second thoughts. I told the
reporter that an agreement had been reached, that my plans were to build a
tower on the Bonwit site, and that the store would be closed in a matter of
months. I figured that would put some pressure on Genesco. Things had

definitely escalated. The next morning the article appeared and, as soon as
it did, all of Bonwit’s employees went over to other high-end stores to look
for new jobs. The result was that Bonwit’s began to have trouble running
their business. Five days later, I had the contract signed with Genesco.
Like I’ve said before, business can be a lot like combat, and I wasn’t
fooling around. I was willing and ready to break a lot of eggs.

We had seen some pretty big battles already, and we hadn’t even started
the construction of Trump Tower yet! But sharing some of the back story
gives an example of the kind of focus it takes and the battles that must be
won just to get things going. As Robert said, life isn’t easy, so focusing on
the notion that life is easy will get you nowhere and just make you
miserable.

Every entrepreneur, if they are seriously focused on what they are doing

and want to achieve, will learn what it takes to win in the battle zone
known as business. So be prepared to stick it out and take risks when you
need to. When people look at Trump Tower today, they see the beauty,
which pleases me. I see the beauty too, but I can certainly remember the
war zone I went through to get it started. Once again, it was worth it.

Live from New York... It’s Saturday Night!

Focus comes in different packages. So does risk. I remember when I
hosted Saturday Night Live a few years back. I knew very well I wasn’t a
professional entertainer, but it sounded like great fun, certainly a new
challenge, and most definitely a risk. Just like when I first considered
doing The Apprentice, I knew being a new television personality could