Think BIG and Kick ### in Business and Life

[Steve]

Gopher-preneur book of the month, May '08 Think BIG and Kick ### in Business and Life by Donald J. Trump At first I wasn't going to get this book because I have read a bunch of books already by Donald, but I gotta say, this one is his best one yet. What I like most about it is his personal stories and how he dealt with different issues that arose in his life. Donald J. Trump is an icon: the very definition of the American success story. The star of The Apprentice and developer of some of the planet's most prestigious real estate, he's been on the bottom and risen to become one of the world's wealthiest men. Bill Zanker started The Learning Annex with $5,000 and grew it into a $5 million a year company. That was before he met Donald Trump. Thirty months later, after Zanker learned to think BIG himself, The Learning Annex is generating over $100 million a year in sales**and still growing. Together, they're living examples of how thinking BIG and knowing when to back up your opinions aggressively**regardless of what your critics or opponents might say**can help you maximize your personal and professional achievements. For the first time ever, you too can learn Trump's secrets to thinking BIG and kicking ###! Learn: * Momentum: the Big Mo. How to get it and how to get it back. * Revenge: how and when to get it (and why it's so sweet). * "I love you, now sign this!" Why contracts in business and personal life are so important. * Real-life stories from people who've applied the think BIG formula in their own lives. These strategies are proven and attested to by those who've learned to think BIG from Donald Trump and found success in their own lives. Bill Zanker used Donald's strategies to grow the revenues of The Learning Annex twenty times in under three years. Both of them have been down and out, and know what it's like to feel the whole world's against you**and both have risen to dizzying heights of success by thinking BIG and kicking ###! It is an attitude that can be easily learned. Questions for Donald Trump http://www.amazon.com/Think-BIG-Kick.../dp/0061547832 See previous books of the month here.

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[StartALawnCareBusiness]

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Steve: Thanks for the recommendation. *I am going to read this book. There is a local real estate developer who always seems to ride these huge waves of success and destitution. *When I first learned about him he was living in a huge mansion. *A few years later, after some apparant bad deals he was living in a small duplex with his family. It has always amazed me how he keeps fighting. * Do you remember hearing Trump say, during one of his shows, that every single day is a fight for him...like he's fighting for his life? * Trump enjoys the fight but it is amazing to hear a guy who has tremendous financial success claim that he fights for his life everyday. Like I wrote to the Dump Truck Kit guy on another board, I play this seasaw battle all the time between playing it conservatively and playing it as big as possible. After reading Trumps book, what are your thoughts about this seasaw battle? Keith

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[musician/lawnman]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (StartALawnCareBusiness @ May 02 2008,6:44)]I play this seasaw battle all the time between playing it conservatively and playing it as big as possible.

I do the same thing. I tend to think go big or go home all the time & have to stop myself. The big risks can bring huge gains though they can also bring devestating losses just as easily. In my case I have my wife & 2 little ones to look out for. I'm not risking just my welfare but that of the people I love most. So I slow myself down a bit, Though that reckless side of me wins over most internal debates. I often aggonize (spelled incorrectly I'm sure) over what to do & end up taking calculated risks often. Call them well though out leaps of faith.
Which as I'm typing this I'm thinking that's amazing, as I tend to be a pesimist, but my pesimistic attitude doesn't seem to apply to myself? I believe I can do it (it being anything really) but I have no faith in most other people....

A control freak of sorts.

Sorry to run on.

[Steve]

I am really glad I was able to spark an interest in this book and a discussion on it. Thank you for your insights!

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]Thanks for the recommendation. I am going to read this book.

There is a local real estate developer who always seems to ride these huge waves of success and destitution. When I first learned about him he was living in a huge mansion. A few years later, after some apparant bad deals he was living in a small duplex with his family.

It has always amazed me how he keeps fighting.

Here is my take. I think real estate is very capital intensive. People who get into it are usually underfunded and over leveraged. When times are good and they have a positive cash flow, everything is well. But when things slow and the cash flow slows, you can find yourself in a bad spot with cascading effects. You can't make payment on one piece of real estate, then two, then three and then it all falls down.

This is what happened to Trump in the early 90's. But lucky for him, the bank didn't want to lose out on all the money he owed them. So they were able to renegotiate. Smaller investors probably wouldn't have the same options.

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]Do you remember hearing Trump say, during one of his shows, that every single day is a fight for him...like he's fighting for his life?

Oh absolutely and I believe it. But I think he loves the fight. In many of his books he talks about how he has enough money and he doesn't do this for the money as much as for the deals. He seems to love dealing.

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]Trump enjoys the fight but it is amazing to hear a guy who has tremendous financial success claim that he fights for his life everyday.

In my view I would liken it to a boxer who is a champion yet decides instead of bowing out while at the top, he wants to keep on fighting for the sport of it.

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]Like I wrote to the Dump Truck Kit guy on another board, I play this seasaw battle all the time between playing it conservatively and playing it as big as possible.

After reading Trumps book, what are your thoughts about this seasaw battle?

I guess it comes down to, what are you doing and why are you doing it? I think there are a lot of things that you could probably take or leave it depending on your mood. How many people really are driven on any given thing? I think it's a small small percentage.

When you sit there and think about it, you might say, well I enjoy having free time to travel versus I want to devote more time to a business. I think human nature is to stay at rest. Most people probably would rather rest than work if given the option.

It is just very difficult to stay driven. You might sit there and think to yourself, why am I so driven with this or that? If you can't come up with a good enough reason to justify the time and energy to be put into a project, then you just might not do it.

What's your view?

[StartALawnCareBusiness]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]It is just very difficult to stay driven. You might sit there and think to yourself, why am I so driven with this or that? If you can't come up with a good enough reason to justify the time and energy to be put into a project, then you just might not do it.

It is difficult to consistantly and constantly stay driven.

We have spoken before about the pros and cons of partnerships. One big pro is having someone to spur you on when things aren't going exactly right or when you just find yourself out of ideas. It is always great to have someone to keep you focused (and for you to keep focused) when you lack direction.

Steve, have you ever thought about getting an Amazon.com sellers account? You can place your books-of-the-month on your list and we can buy them off the forum. Referral commissions will put a few bucks in your pocket to keep the great suggestions coming.

Keith

[Steve]

Hi Keith,

I think you are right on with this. I know a lot of business owners who are very isolated and don't talk much about business. They get stuck in their ways and never change. As time marches on, their once great idea tends to flicker in the wind and then at a certain point burns out.

That is one of the reasons why I love the forum so much because of all the creativity.

I like that idea Keith about the amazon sellers account. I signed up for something in the past but I am not sure if that is it. I haven't played much with it but I should look into it more.

Also, I am in the process of getting my book "Stop Lowballing" to be listed on amazon. Another project I am working on now is getting the GopherHaul episode guide into book format and onto amazon as well.

I am asking all my friends on here who want to take part, to send me some pictures of them that really show off who they are. Then I also want to include a bio about them along with a plug for their business and their website.

I want the cover to be full color and have a collage of all the pictures. I think it is going to be so great!

If you can, please check out the other bios I got so far and send me one of you.

http://www.gophergraphics.com/forum....;t=7967

[Steve]

Any information you have about the amazon sellers account, I would appreciate as well. I would love to be able to show all the books in my reading list. I don't know if you can do that but I know I would enjoy reading books from others so I want to share my reading list as well.

Thanks!

[landonkade]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Team Gopher @ May 07 2008,3:48)]Any information you have about the amazon sellers account, I would appreciate as well. I would love to be able to show all the books in my reading list. I don't know if you can do that but I know I would enjoy reading books from others so I want to share my reading list as well.

Thanks!

I got Trumps book" Think Big Kick ####" with Bill Zanker


great book.... a must read

i got it for $4.98 at barnes & nobles

steve,

When does the book bios end, i would like to participate

[Steve]

HAHAHAH Me too! I couldn't pass that up!

What did you like most about the book? What stood out for you?

[landonkade]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (Team Gopher @ May 07 2008,8:10)]HAHAHAH Me too! I couldn't pass that up!

What did you like most about the book? What stood out for you?

Well Steve actually ALL of it was good, i can't think of any bad sections in the book. Very business like.

Bill Zanker took a chance by offering Trump several deals to get him to the annex and Trump refused, teaching Zanker to THINK BIG and it will pay off. I think Zanker offered Trump $1 million to come to the annex, when the annex was was doing $5 million a year at that time.