Ivanka Trump and Tom Capizzi
Ivanka Trump advises Tom Capizzi on what it takes to run a successful construction business and how to create more value for your clients and organization by revealing some of the Trump Family secrets and philosophies.
Ivanka Spoke & Tom Capizzi Listened!
Tom Capizzi - “At 27 years of age, Ivanka Trump is an impressive individual who keeps an incredibly busy schedule – traveling the globe managing multiple projects for the Trump organization. She is extremely smart and ambitious; she has tremendous instincts that have enabled her to have phenomenal success in many areas of her life. I aspire to adhere to the many philosophies which Ivanka shared with us. Ivanka is Vice President of Development & Acquisitions for the Trump Organization; she is responsible for all of their existing construction projects as well as for the procurement of new deals for the company. Ivanka started with the company in 2005 after working for another developer for several years. One of Ivanka’s first efforts was to establish the Trump Hotel Collection, which has grown to thirteen facilities to date.
Ivanka graduated from the Wharton School of Finance where she studied real estate and finance. Her first internship was at the age of fourteen; she worked on Trump World Tower shadowing the foremen and has spent much of her life on construction sites.”
Ivanka Trump: “First question I get is: what is it like to work for Donald Trump? In a word, I would say equally bizarre and fascinating, a combination definitely of the two; it is a tremendous challenge.
My father always believed that you have to work very hard for what you get. My Grandfather (Donald’s father) used to say to me as a child – ‘To whom much is given, much is expected.’ The balance is that I have been given much in the way of privileges growing up and also now, tremendous responsibility for someone my age. And with that responsibility comes enormous pressure. In my case, that pressure has been great for harnessing energy and pushing me to be productive and pushing me forward. I think especially in a climate that we are in today it is very easy to find an excuse for why you are holding yourself back. For many children of privilege or accomplished or famous parents, that is a really easy thing to do. You can crouch anything with the fact that you’ll never succeed on the same calibur or same level as those who came before you and you’re afraid to try.
From a young age, I had a slightly different response; where it is paralysis for some people, it really motivates and pushes others. My brothers, who I work with now, are both the same as to how they respond to this challenge. You work harder. You constantly push to defy those expectations. And I think in this climate that is very important. In this environment, that we are in today, your energy, the right energy, is as important as anything else. So that is one of those things that I definitely learned and inherited from parents. So much of success that I have noticed and so much of getting past things that are challenges is just the attitude you bring everyday as you get up and go into the office.
In terms of the second question, that is: what is it like to work for my father?
Ivanka goes on to explain that there is an incredible amount of accountability and flexibility within the organization. She explains that if someone has an idea, they let them run with it and if they do a great job, they let them do more; that is how people have really grown within the company.
Ivanka also explains that one of the earliest memories she has of her mother, Ivana, is when she was managing the famed Plaza Hotel in New York and also the casinos in Atlantic City, was her attention to detail. She would walk into a room and see a blown light bulb from a mile away. One can’t have that attention to detail and dedication to excellence if you are just not all that into what you do. You may be the smartest person in the room, but somebody less intelligent and more determined will beat you. Ivanka knows she is in rooms at times with more intelligent and experienced people, but she will work harder and that will bridge the gap between their experience and hers. That is why the most important thing for success is to love what you do.
Ivanka spoke about the one thing she believes is so important, and that is to create a track record as an honest person; being a good person to deal with is worth more than anything else you can do. You must honor your word and stay true to it. It pays off in multiples.
In good times anyone can succeed; in bad times, only the best will succeed. People today will not allow themselves to be harassed to make a purchase. Building a brand standard of expectations that people can count on constantly is what will keep them coming back.
Ivanka spoke of the above at the Dan Kennedy Super Conference…
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