Archive View (February 2006)

Chairman, Trump UniversityThere has been a lot of controversy recently over Martha Stewart and the fact that she blamed me for her version of The Apprentice doing so badly in the ratings. The fact is her show didn't work. For some reason Martha just wasn't very good at it. She tried. She put in the effort, but it didn't have what it takes to make a successful show. In life, you have failures and there's really nothing wrong with that. But when you have a failure, try not to blame other people. Martha's version of The Apprentice was a failure. Mine more...

Trump University FacultyI teach at a top-ranked MBA program and when I just mention the word "sales" or "selling" I watch as my students' eyes roll. Then they wince like they've just tasted a less-than-perfect Pinot, and make comments like "I did not pay fifty thousand dollars and spend a year of my life to prepare for a sales job."In contrast, last week I conducted an intensive two-week seminar where I invited successful entrepreneurs to present their own case studies of successfully launching, growing, and, in some cases, exiting their companies.The cases were presented by entrepreneurs like Karl Eller, who at more...

Chairman, Trump UniversityI know that the "Trump" name is a powerful one. Nearly every day I'm approached by one company or another wanting me to put that name on some product or service. They know that with the Trump stamp of approval comes immediate recognition and an expectation of quality and success.I think you'd be surprised at some of the proposals that come through my office. To be honest, many of them don't warrant more than a glance. Some of them get my attention, but it takes a lot for an idea to actually get any serious consideration.I recently put my more...

Chairman, Trump UniversityI'm certainly enjoying the Winter Olympics in Torino. Apart from the usual excitement of any Olympics competition, there's also one very good lesson you can learn: in business and in life, always be willing to try something new.The United States team this year has several high-profile athletes who have crossed over from other sports hoping to bring home some gold medals. They've started from scratch, leaving their comfort zones and training in entirely new sports. That takes a lot of nerve.These are athletes like Shauna Rohbock, who once played professional soccer and ran track. She's now at the Olympics more...

President, Trump UniversityThere's nothing like hearing an inspiring story from a customer to truly understand the impact Trump University is having. Indeed, the voice of experience speaks volumes about what is really going on "out there," where aspiration, learning, tenacity, and success converge to give a decidedly human dimension to this online arena in which we find ourselves. Patrick Gross, a Long Island, NY print shop owner has been a member of Trump University almost since we launched. Last summer he participated in our fabulously successful program, "The Trump Way to Wealth," and he says it changed his life. "I was more...

Chairman, Trump UniversitySo, it's the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks in this year's Super Bowl. No sporting event anywhere is quite like this game. Nothing anywhere is quite as American.I read that an estimated 800 million people will catch at least part of the big game in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. Some 140 million of those TV viewers will be in the United States. When you think about it, that's even a little better than The Apprentice does in the ratings. That's hard for me to believe, and I'm not happy about it.But all those more...