Archive View (January 2008)

 I’ve heard of plenty of people getting caught goofing off on the job, but here’s a great story. A woman in Iowa was fired from her job at an industrial equipment manufacturing company for working on a romance novel on company time. The woman, who had a desk job, began her job in August. After a few weeks, her supervisor noticed that she was typing almost constantly. A computer technician examined the woman’s computer and found what appeared to be a romance novel. It focused on the activities and desires of a teenage temptress. The company fired the woman, who challenged the decision and more...

“Making money is not enough,” says J. J. Childers, author of the new book Trump University Asset Protection 101. “What most people fail to realize is that the protection of wealth goes hand-in-hand with the creation of wealth. Asset protection is an essential step for anyone seeking to create and build lasting wealth.” Childers is an attorney whose proven wealth-structuring strategies have helped thousands of ordinary people minimize income and estate taxes - and enjoy ironclad protection from frivolous lawsuits. The end result? Extraordinary wealth, secure wealth. Trump University Asset Protection 101 is a unique and powerful book. It belongs in your success more...

You’ve probably heard the Greek myth of Sisyphus. You remember him - he was the guy in Hades who kept rolling a big stone up a hill. As soon as he got to the top, he lost his grip and the stone rolled back to the bottom again. He was condemned to repeat the pattern forever. Why the lesson in mythology this morning? It's because a lot of people behave just like Sisyphus every year in regard to their taxes. They kill themselves to get all their financial records organized at this time of year. Then as soon as the meeting with their tax-preparer more...

Sure, you’ve heard about normal infidelity, but what about financial infidelity? That’s when women hide their spending from their spouses. According to several recent stories I’ve read, women are likely to buy expensive designer items with cash. That way, it’s easier to hide their spending from their husband or boyfriend. In fact, it gets so serious sometimes that more than 80 percent of American women go so far as to actually hide department store shopping bags from their men so they don’t even suspect they were out buying things. Some people say it’s only fair. Lots of guys cheat in the bedroom, so what more...

If you love Celebrity Apprentice, be sure to visit Trump University's Celebrity Apprentice Blog today - and every day - for the latest news about your favorite show. We've already posted some very useful lessons we learned from the show  last night - practical lessons that can get your career on the right track. Plus on Monday, we'll be posting a special commentary by Andrea Lake about last night's episode. You remember Andrea. She was the stylish-but-tough contender who fought her way into the topmost ranks of Apprentice candidates two seasons ago. So click here and get in on the action. It's a more...

If you have been reading the financial headlines, you could reasonably think that nearly all lenders are going broke, nearly all mortgages are in default, and that no homebuyer or real estate investor stands a chance of getting a new loan or refinancing an existing mortgage.  Unfortunately  -  and as is often the case - journalists have distorted this story. True, some investment banks and some primary lenders have suffered larger-than-expected losses on their subprime/underqualified borrower loans and the corresponding mortgage-backed securities. However, for the great majority of credible homebuyers and investors, the mortgage market is improving - not falling apart. Here's the Real Story First, contrary to the dominant news stories, it's a promising time more...

Be sure to watch Celebrity Apprentice tonight. There are some terrific lessons to be learned. One of my favorites reveals the power of taking your time when negotiating. I can’t reveal the details until after the show airs, but I can say that during a negotiating session, two of the male celebrities are trying to pressure two of the women to make a snap decision. The women stall, and that allows them to get exactly what they want out of the deal. That reveals one of the fundamental principles of powerful negotiating that Donald J. Trump often writes about . . . When more...

For a long time, it never used to be much of an option for young men. When it came to choosing between careers and love, it was a no-brainer. Most men opted for their jobs first. Women, on the other hand, often looked to marriage and babies and relationships. But not anymore. According to a new scientific study, these days men are more willing than women to sacrifice their careers for romance. Only about half of women prioritized relationships over professional goals while more than 60 percent of men put love first. Women are much less likely to disrupt their careers now in order more...

A front-page article in today's New York Times reports that a home buyer in California has filed a suit in North County Superior Court, claiming damages because she paid too much for her house.  The buyer claims that the broker, in an effort to protect a commission, concealed the fact that comparable homes in the area were selling for less than the price that the buyer had agreed to pay. It is a bombshell, and a case that is worth watching. Frankly, I doubt that the court will award damages to the buyer. After all, isn't it the buyer's responsibility to do a market comparison and be more...

“I am the benevolent dictator... does everyone understand that?” said the ever-entertaining and charismatic Gene Simmons. It sounded like a Gordon Gecko quote straight out of the film Wall Street. And I loved it. Gene’s style of leadership is your old-school Gordon Gecko-esque, thick-skinned alpha male. And it’s all completely natural. He’s confident in everything he does, believes he is capable of achieving anything and has the consistent mental posture for success. These are all the winning qualities of a true leader. So why was he fired? Ego. Ego is the number reason why so many quality candidates on The Apprentice are more...

It’s only January, but so far, so good. According to a recent Gallup Poll, most Americans are “very satisfied” with their personal lives. More than 8 in 10 Americans are pleased with the way things are going with things on the home front. Just six percent say they aren’t happy. Although Americans are generally satisfied at home, that’s in sharp contrast to their feelings about the way things are going with our country. Only a little over one-quarter of Americans are content with the state of the United States right now. And I’m right there with them when it comes to the state more...

If you love Celebrity Apprentice, we have some great news for you! Trump University's new Celebrity Apprentice Blog goes live today, with great features about every episode. Make it your first stop the day after every episode airs - and on all the days in between - to make sure you're not missing out on all the information, all the gossip and all the fun. Wasn't Gene's firing last night a great moment in Apprentice history? It sure was. Get the inside scoop on all things Apprentice by clicking HERE. more...

Jeff Elgin’s recent article in Entrepreneur, “Top 10 Reasons for Buying a Franchise,” takes my breath away.  Sure, there is logic behind some of the reasons he spells out for buying a franchise  - you’re also buying a recognized brand, he writes, plus receiving promises of training and advertising. But I have heard them all before and my experience tells me that buying a non-franchised business is a vastly wiser business decision every time. Further, reality dictates that not all franchisors come close to living up to the representations they make when “selling” you the concept. In fact, I put together a more...

Many people mistakenly believe that they don't need an asset protection plan because they're insured. Nothing could be further from the truth. While insurance does have a place in your asset-protecting system, it must not be your only line of defense. Insurance proceeds are only paid in accordance with the terms of the policy. Sure, insurance companies are in the business of accepting the risks of others, but it's on their terms. Think about how casinos make their money: Casinos know that some people are going to win at the tables, for example, but because far more people lose than win, at the more...

"What lies behind us, and what lies before us, are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." - Ralph Waldo Emerson I receive a lot of mail every day -- piles of it. Not too long ago I received a letter from my kindergarten teacher. It was a big surprise for me to come across that in one of those piles of letters. She mentioned that what she remembered most clearly about me is that I never stopped asking questions. I was the most inquisitive student she had ever had. I wrote back to her that some things never change - more...

An article by Floyd Norris and Peter S. Goodman in yesterday’s New York Times paints a grim picture of real estate trends in the U.S. Here's some food for thought: New home construction has fallen by 40 percent since in 2006. New home sales have plummeted even faster. The large inventory of unsold homes could depress home prices another 15 or 20 percent before the turnaround comes. And to make it all more troubling, the authors of the article wonder out loud whether lowering interest rates again will do anything can to strengthen the economy in the short term. We’ll be offering focused advice for real estate more...

First of all, I want to say hats off to Mark Burnett and Donald Trump for coming up with the best concept for The Apprentice yet - an all-celebrity cast where every task is based on raising funds for charity. This season there really are no losers!!!  The task was to create the best commercial to sell Pedigree dog food to raise awareness of Pedigree’s Dog Adoption Drive. Gene Simmons and Nely Galán were selected by their respective teams to be the project managers. The teams picked Nely based on her TV expertise, but sometimes, as we’ve seen on many of The Apprentice more...

So far, the New Year has been shaping up very well. The Celebrity Apprentice season started off as the #1 show on Thursday night, and word has it that it’s sharp, funny and insightful. I thought so when I saw it earlier, and realized it must be good if the hour zipped by as quickly as it did, but it’s nice to have back-up opinions that are similar. We’re looking forward to a great season, and we hope you are too. Don Jr., Ivanka and George Ross are back as Mr. Trump’s advisors. Later this month, Mr. Trump’s new book, Never Give more...

As the person responsible for marketing at TrumpU I am always happy to find news about our company getting picked up on Digg.com.  Today we found out a blogger wrote about one of our entrepreneurship tests. The test referenced in the blog rates your leadership skills against Donald Trump's qualities and the post received a Digg. If you are an active reader of this blog and want to help us push this particular story up we would appreciate if you could take a look at the posting and vote for us.  If you are not familiar with Digg you should check out the site since there are always interesting more...

As we finish up 2007 and roll into 2008, it is time to adapt a new kind of business planning, which I call "plan-as-you-go" business planning. I laid out some of the essentials in an earlier post on the Trump Blog. But since a new year is the time to put the power of good planning behind your enterprise, I’d like to revisit the basics of PAYG planning from a slightly different angle. As you plan your business . . . Start anywhere. The plan is a matter of interlocking blocks, so some people start with a numbers task, like a sales more...

Among the business trends for 2008 is an even greater increase in teleworking. Last year, 12.4 million Americans worked from home at least one day a month. But by 2010, an estimated 100 million Americans will do some work from home. Of course, most employees love the idea. They don’t have to waste time commuting and fighting traffic. They get to work from the comforts of home without the hassles of meetings and office politics. As for employers, they save money, conserve resources, and ideally boost productivity and morale. Some managers, however, have been reluctant to allow employees to work from home, afraid they’ll goof more...

Stefanie Schaeffer, last season’s Apprentice winner on NBC, offers her take on the first episode of Celebrity Apprentice in this exclusive commentary on today’s Trump Blog. Overall, I thought week one was entertaining and it's clear there will be fireworks throughout. The only shrinking violet in the group has already been fired. In this game, it's eat or be eaten and Tiffany, though beautiful, just lacked the fire.  Mr. Trump is all about being bigger than life and wants to be surrounded by people of the same ilk. Omarosa and Carol Alt both defended themselves, Tiff just didn't. Oh well, lesson learned I guess. The lesson for more...

It seems like we only hear bad news when it comes to education. We read about poor schools and low test scores and how we struggle to compete with other countries academically. But now there’s some good news for a change. According to a recent study released by the Educational Testing Service, over the past decade, teacher qualifications have risen rapidly, improving significantly over their predecessors. This news suggests that more qualified candidates have been lured into teaching. It also means that teachers’ colleges have strengthened and toughened their classes. This new generation of teachers is stronger and more academic than they were more...

It has been a terrific year at the Trump Blog.  We've done our utmost to deliver powerful success strategies to you every day.  To help you start the new year right, we've handpicked 65 of our top posts from 2007. I’d urge you to click on the titles below and absorb all the lessons. The wisdom they contain will make you a fortune in the next year. 15 Inspirational Posts from the Great Donald J. Trump Always Have a Fallback Plan by Donald J. Trump Be Thorough by Donald J. Trump Blueprint for Success by Donald J. Trump Build Your Reputation by Donald J. Trump Dress for Success by Donald J. Trump Experience vs. Education by Donald J more...

"A man in Alaska strangled his boss by putting him in a neck-hold after an argument . . ." What was the worst thing you did on the job last year? Took an extra-long lunch? Called in sick so you could golf? Raided the supply closet for some staples and sticky notes? As you start a new year on the job with a clean slate, here’s a look at some of the worst employees of last year, courtesy of CareerBuilder.com. (Read more here.) An ambulance driver in West Virginia went to jail on a charge of DUI after running two red lights with a patient more...

Trump University is giving you a holiday present today. It’s a list of 20 success top tips we distilled from Donald J. Trump’s previous posts on this blog. They’re all you need to make 2008 your most successful year ever.  Think big Be positive Follow your passion Learn something new every day Listen to your gut Be patient Put a great team behind you Put beauty in everything you do Learn to negotiate, because everything you want demands it Always go for the biggest win possible Real estate investing is the best investment there is Take risks Be audacious and get into the public eye Be your own brand Enjoy doing some work seven days a week and more...