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W H E R E T H E R E ’ S A W I L L , T H E R E ’ S A W I N

When The Apprentice aired and immediately became a smash
hit, I had over 30 years of experience to draw from for those
boardroom scenes. It wasn’t just a fluke or something new to me
that I had to learn or fake. I knew what I was doing. Although I
was new to television, the rest wasn’t new to me; I had been mak-
ing high-level executive decisions for more than 30 years.
Business is business, whether it’s filmed or not. My business
credentials and experience were the back-story for a television
show based on a high-stakes New York corporation.
Thinking positively was important in my decision to make
The Apprentice.When I was approached, I knew that doing the
show could be risky, but I was positive that it would succeed. Had
I chosen to listen to the arguments like “Most new television
shows fail,” “reality television is on the way out,” and “you’ll lose
your credibility,” I never would have done the show.
Instead, I asked myself positive questions:

• What if the show was a success?

• What if I enjoyed it?
• What if it proved to be enlightening?

• What if it brought The Trump Organization the recogni-
tion it deserved?
• What if the program proved to be a valuable stepping-
stone to deserving candidates?

• What if the show helped the audience?

My long list of positives swamped the negatives.

Let the positive prevail by being positively persistent.

—Donald J. Trump

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