Episode Details

Donald Trump is inarguably one of the most interesting personalities in the world today.

Regardless of what you think of Donald Trump, you have to acknowledge that his decision to leave his highly successful day job as a property developer and run for President of the United States was gutsy.

For years I used to watch him from afar, I've read his books, watched him on TV and I used to admire his supposed success.

It's very different today - now he provides me with a very different type of entertainment, but I also keep learning lessons from him – more recently lessons of what one shouldn't be doing.

Now before I get any hate mail, I want to acknowledge that what we're going to discuss today is not a political statement of any kind. It's just an observation of some life lessons you can learn from Donald Trump – some things you could start doing and some things you shouldn't do to help you become more successful at whatever you choose.

Because I think that if you sift through all the negativity on both sides and look deeper, you will find some amazing life lessons everyone will benefit from what I'm going to discuss in today's episode of the monthly Build a Business, Not a Job podcast that I host with Mark Creedon, founder of Business Accelerator Mastermind.

Donald Trump's Terrible Success Lessons

Like or loathe him, and there are very few people who sit on the fence, there's no denying that the current President of the United States knows how to get people's attention.

As I explained in the main introduction I'm not going to talk about Donald Trump's suitability to lead his country or the world – that's not my area of expertise – but I think he's provided a few lessons of what one could do and what one shouldn't do if you want to be successful.

We know he's arrogant and Trump has been quoted as saying: "You know I'm, like, the smartest person"

• If you're the smartest person in your team you're in trouble

"Nothing is easy – but who wants nothing?"

• For once this quote makes sense

"I have never met a successful person that was a quitter, successful people never, ever give up."

"Always try and learn from other people's mistakes, not your own – it is much cheaper that way!"

"If you hang around with losers you become a loser."

• The corollary of this is that if you want to become successful, you should hang around with successful people.

"I try to learn from the past, but I plan for the future by focusing exclusively on the present. That's where the fun is."

• Yesterday is past, and tomorrow is yet to come, so the only time that you actually have is the present. Use the moment to make smart and profitable decisions that will lead you towards success. Respect time as it is the most valuable resource available to you.

"Sometimes, by losing a battle, you find a new way to win the war."

• If you fail at something, remember it is only a natural process and perfection takes time. Once you fail, think of it simply as if you have discovered another path that does not lead to success. It does not mean that you are lost, it only means that you will probably choose the correct path the next time.

"As long as you're going to be thinking anyway, think big."

• Leave "little thinking" for people who want to accomplish little things, but not you. Success begins with thinking big.

"If you're interested in balancing work and pleasure, stop trying to balance them. Instead, make your work more pleasurable."

• It is important to love what you do. It is only logical that a person will be self-motivated and more likely to work harder at something they love. Loving what you do is thought to be the first factor toward making you successful at what you do.

"What separates the winners from the losers is how