Think Like a Champion: An Informal Education in Business and Life (9 page)

You have to be the same way, and you
can
be the same way. Just be tough, be strong, be willing to learn—and you will learn. So don’t be afraid of mistakes or setbacks.They can be your learning tools on the way to building something great for yourself. We all have something to learn today. Remember that and your chances for success will increase dramatically.

—MARK TWAIN

I
have a friend who is extremely accomplished and also extremely wealthy. Uber-wealthy, as they say. But one day he called me up to see if I could get him reservations at Jean Georges Restaurant and I had to ask myself, “What’s the point of his immense success if he can’t even get a reservation in New York?” The only reason he can’t is because no one has ever heard about him. He’s shy about using his name, to the extent that it serves him no good. He has to call other people, like me, to help him out.

That got me to thinking about the toot-your-own-horn theory, which is something I believe in. Here’s a perfect example of why I believe in it. This poor rich guy might as well be just a poor guy when trying to get in the right places. The power of a name can be incredible. It can open doors like nothing else. A lot of people might have been richer than Aristotle Onassis, but when people heard the name Onassis, they knew who he was. I’ve
mentioned before that one of the perks of being famous is being able to get restaurant reservations without any problem. My uberrich friend has not entitled himself to very many perks.

Ever notice if you introduce someone and then later add on something like, “as you know, he won the Pulitzer prize,” that the reaction to the person becomes entirely different? It goes from polite to excited in no time flat. Suddenly the nobody is a somebody. Suddenly their PR power, or their buzz effect, has escalated. But unless you have someone around to toot your horn for you, you’ll have to get accustomed to doing it for yourself. The well-established brand name literally speaks for itself. Some people may not even like the designs Karl Lagerfeld comes up with for Chanel, but because it says Chanel, they’ll buy them, wear them, and love them.

A name can speak volumes, but until you have a “household name” you might do well to tell people who you are and what you’ve done. It’s a start. It’s also a way of networking to find out if you might have common interests. Can you imagine if Luciano Pavarotti had been singing, contentedly, in some obscure place his whole life, what we would have missed? Or if Elton John was happy to just sing for himself in a garage somewhere? There’s nothing wrong with bringing your talents to the surface.

Having an ego and acknowledging it is a healthy choice. Our ego is the center of our consciousness and gives us a sense of purpose. People with no ego will have very little life force, and people with too much will tend toward dictatorial personalities. As with everything, keeping a good balance is important. Your ego can serve to keep your momentum moving forward. It can keep you vibrant and productive. It can keep your focus where it should be, which is on your work. After awhile, you won’t have to tell people about your success because they’ll already know about it. Do not disregard your ego.

It’s very important to be your own best friend. As Mark Twain put it, be comfortable with your own approval. A lot of times, people will enjoy belittling your accomplishments as well as your ambitions. If you are steadfast in your self-respect, that will not even bother you because you will be able to see those people as the small fries that they are. Critics serve their own purpose, and that’s fine, because you’ll be smart enough to serve your own purpose, too. Think about it: If you can’t say great things about yourself, who do you think will? So don’t be afraid to toot your own horn when you’ve done something worth tooting about. Let’s end with another statement from Mark Twain: “I am opposed to millionaires, but it would be dangerous to offer me the position.”

—MALCOLM FORBES

P
rescience
is a word that defines vision, foresight, creative discernment, or perception. I have often been called a visionary, but not until 2006 was I noted for having prescience. The same day as the book launch party in Trump Tower for my book with Robert Kiyosaki,
Why We Want You To Be Rich,
which was October 12, 2006, was also the day the Nobel Committee announced the 2006 Nobel Prize winner in literature. What does that have to do with me? Well, I was getting calls and letters of congratulations for having the “prescience” to recognize the Nobel winner’s talent before the Nobel Committee did. This came as a surprise to me—that people would remember my letter to the
New York Times
in 2005 in which I mentioned the very gifted writer Orhan Pamuk (along with John Updike and Philip Roth) as being an example of what a great writer should be. Pamuk won the Nobel Prize that day, and considering he wasn’t exactly a household name, people were suddenly saying I had prescience.

Sometimes we just have perceptions about certain people or things, and this was one of those times. Did I know he was going
to win the Nobel Prize? No, but his talent was certainly developed enough to make him a contender, and I might have bet on it. I’ve written before about using your gut instincts, and sometimes that’s what prescience or foresight is. It’s a valuable ability, especially in business, and it’s worth giving it some thought.

More recently, we experienced a historic day in the financial sector. What happened on Wall Street was unprecedented, and it was rightly called “the shock market” in mid-September of 2008. Neal Cavuto asked me to make a comment about it, and he found footage of an appearance I’d made on his show eight months prior to this debacle in which I’d predicted something similar happening. I had seen the indications that we might be entering a very difficult phase. Is this ESP? No, it’s just paying attention on a daily basis and looking into the future a bit.That’s insight and foresight working together.

We all have hidden areas of expertise. I may have instincts when it comes to real estate, but I have also spent many years developing them. Your instincts may be more acute in another area. There’s nothing wrong with very solid knowledge and experience to go along with our perceptions. In fact, that is when you will be playing with a very full deck. Experience, knowledge, and prescience are a formidable combination of powers. Do not underestimate any of them.

—MARK TWAIN

W
hat transpired on Wall Street on September 15, 2008, is one day for the history books. I had predicted this would happen about two years ago and again about eight months ago when I appeared on Neal Cavuto’s show. That the landscape of Wall Street could be altered this rapidly is something we should think about. September 15, 2008, was the worst day on Wall Street since right after the 9/11 attacks, with a fallout of some financial giants that we thought were untouchable.

Here’s my view of this situation. We survived and prospered after 9/11, and we will do the same this time. The components are different, but I believe the government is doing the right thing with this financial mess. They have worked hard and long, but a mess is a mess. I won’t equivocate on that. I saw the indications that the world was in for a tough period of time, so I can’t say I’m terribly surprised.

Here are some points to consider. The price of oil, which is the life blood of all economies, is down. That’s good news. I’ve already written about that subject and about the many tankers full of oil treading water and going nowhere.

Out of chaos comes reinvention. That can be a good thing, although it won’t be easy. There appears to have been a lack of balance, and this is one way of starting something new that might be more effective. Necessity creates a place for creativity, and having the facility to implement a plan B strategy is something everyone should strive for. I’ve learned that having a plan B is common sense. We’ll just have to come up with one, and it could eventually be better than what we’ve had.

As a Manhattan real estate developer, my observation is that there will be more people looking for jobs than will be looking for apartments. That’s not great news for the real estate market in New York City, but it’s not dire. A lot of things are and will continue to be changing, in our country as well as around the world. There is a well-known Greek motto that I think is pertinent to today’s economic situation: “The sea gets sick but never dies.” The Greeks have been around for a long time and they’ve watched the ebb and flow of history for many centuries.

Remember that things are cyclical, so be resilient, be patient, be creative, and remain positive. Reinvention can be a good thing for everyone.

—AYN RAND

F
inancial literacy is financial intelligence. Robert Kiyosaki, the author of
Rich Dad Poor Dad
, explains how he learned about money from two father figures, his poor dad and his rich dad. He had a mentor who explained how money works, and since his own father was highly educated but poor, the lessons were brought to light in a very tangible way for him. If you haven’t read
Rich Dad Poor Dad
or
Cashflow Quadrant
, I would suggest that you do. He has very sound advice that can make a big difference in your quality of life and your approach to money.

The reason we wrote
Why We Want You To Be Rich
is because the more independent people become, the stronger a nation becomes as a whole. As we’ve noticed with the recent upheaval on Wall Street, things aren’t always as solid as they seem. That calls for individual responsibility and financial intelligence. We can’t rely on systems to do the work for us or expect things to fall in place because the people who are smart about money are supposedly
working there. I have always been wary of the stock market. It’s a gamble, but it can be lucrative, which is the lure.