Ace At A Young Age

I recently read a book titled “The Trump Card: Playing to Win in Work and Life." If you have been following the Huntsman Blog, you would probably know that I wrote a blog post on Donald Trump’s reality television show, “The Apprentice.” This time, I am going to write a review on the book written by his daughter, Ivanka Trump.

In addition to being the vice president of Donald Trump’s real estate company, Ms. Trump is also a businesswoman and former model. I first noticed Ms. Trump when she became one of her father’s assistants on “The Apprentice,” where she was responsible for observing contestants as they performed their tasks. She would then report their performances to Mr. Trump to help him decide which contestants should stay and which one should get fired.

In this book, Ms. Trump writes about what it was like growing up in the Trump family and how she started working in the real estate field. I prefer the second half of this book because she provides more business advice such as preparing for job interviews and building a brand.

My favorite part of the book is the “Bulletins From My Blackberry” section, which opens each chapter of the book. This section contains input on empowerment, making an impression, managing a team and other words of advice written by successful people such as Arianna Huffington, Co-founder of Huffington Post; Jonathan Tisch, chairman and CEO of Loews Hotel; and Mark Burnett, television producer.

Ms. Trump also talks about her modeling career, her great interest in real estate and her jewelry business. She writes about her struggles to prove herself when she first started working for her father. During that time period, she talks about how people would assume that she was as smart as Donald Trump, just because they are related.

Ms. Trump might have gotten a head start in business because of her name, but I do not think she would be where she is today if it was not for her sharp business skills.

— Nadiah Johari