Page 70 - Midas Touch

be among them if I chose to be. I was starting completely over! I was
dejected and angry, but what were my choices? I was definitely interested.
So I got over the pride issue and went all out for it, again.

I took the extra time we now had to work on a tremendously detailed and
well-researched presentation. I made sure we would comprehensively

cover every question, every angle. If I thought we’d worked hard before, I
was wrong. This time we went at it with everything we had, plus some. We
took into account the profitability of the property as well as countless
small details. (Remember the asbestos problem? That would need costly
remediation.) While I knew I’d made a good first impression, I didn’t
count on any goodwill or brownie points. When Robert talks about combat

and those who go back for more, I can relate. I went back for more and in a
big way. My focus became even more fierce.

After my presentation, I can’t recall exactly how long it took, but General
Electric finally called me. This was a GE power group, which included
Jack Welch, Dale Frey and John Myers. They’d decided to go with my
proposal. I was elated. Focus paid off again.

According to our plan, only the steel structure would remain when we
began to renovate the building. That was in 1995. Philip Johnson would be

the architect along with Costas Kondylis & Associates so I knew the result
would be elegant and contemporary. We also decided to make it a hotel-
condo. A mixed-use building was an innovative concept at the time. I
didn’t think it was innovative as much as common sense. Since then, this
format has been copied around the world. It has proven to be a tremendous

success and is an example to all entrepreneurs of the advantage of using
common sense. It can be a real time-saver and lead to new ideas that are
well grounded.

This story is living proof that if you try once, you should try again. Keep
that focus exactly where it should be—on winning. That’s how the old
Gulf and Western/Paramount Building became the number-one hotel in
New York—the Trump International Hotel & Tower at 1 Central Park

West.

I have a lot of golf courses now, but there is a special story that goes along
with my Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles. It’s pertinent to this
chapter because it has to do with goals, focus, and vision. This golf course