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TRUMP UNIVERSITY WEALTH BUILDING 101

Listen to Your Gut

We all have instincts—the important thing is to know how to use them.
Knowing how to use your instincts is a mystery, even to those with sharp
business skills. Some instincts you can’t explain, but there are signs that can
guide you to—or away from—certain people and certain deals.
Within a few seconds of meeting Mark Burnett, the creator of The
Apprentice , I liked him, both as a person and as a professional. At other times,
I’ve met people that I dislike for no particular reason. I try not to be judg-
mental, but I’ve learned to trust my gut and steer clear.
How do you learn how to do that? Tune in.
Have you noticed when you’re in a situation that produces heightened
alertness, how careful you are about what you say or do? Those are your
instincts working for you. Trust them. Together, logic and instincts will help
you make the best decisions.

When I first started building golf courses, my instincts told me it was a
good business decision. I knew that if I combined my passion for golf with my
knowledge of the process, I would succeed. So I found the best golf course
designers in the world and spent many hours working with them. The results
have been spectacular because I paired instinct and logic.
Spend some time with this innate aspect of yourself. Learning how to
handle your instincts can give you an edge in many situations, business or
otherwise. There are many things we can’t see or hear; that is when we need
to use our instincts to guide us.
Listen to your gut, and you will always have a reliable guide!

Enjoy Competition

I like competition. I think it’s healthy.
On July 12, 2005, I broke ground for the Trump International Hotel &
Tower in Las Vegas. Starting a new building is always a big deal, but this one

was particularly special. It was my first real estate venture in that town, and

the fulfillment of a longtime dream.
Adding to the drama was the fact that the building is right across the road
from Wynn Las Vegas, the signature property of my one-time nemesis, Steve
Wynn, who reinvented the Strip with such mega resorts as The Mirage,
Treasure Island, and the Bellagio.
Steve Wynn and I go way back. We squared off over the Hilton proper-
ties in Atlantic City back in the 1980s. Both of us have always built big, and

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