“The time felt right,” says the 55 year-old CEO of Venture Communications, explaining how her role on CBC’s Dragons’ Den brings a bombardment of queries all searching for that secret to her success. “I was getting asked so often about what it was that I had done that was different, and I wanted people to know that I’ve made a lot of mistakes along the way and there was no straight path.”

With her back to the glistening city skyline and the golden aura around her iconic red hair projecting an image of absolute assurance, it’s surprising to hear a titan of her magnitude admit any personal shortcomings. But for Dickinson, persuasion isn’t about smoke and mirrors or creating a beguiling, chameleon-like persona. Her method is that of “principled persuasion,” an approach that requires authenticity, reciprocity, and as she makes clear early on, honesty.

She describes a childhood stamped with poverty and a broken home, a personality stacked with self-doubt and apprehension, and a failed marriage caused by her own infidelity. Slogging through a divorce, losing custody of her four children, and unemployed at 31, her past is anything but ideal. “I think people believe that you lead some charmed life and you never make mistakes and that’s how people become successful, and it’s so not true.”

Although flawed, the past is the past, and Dickinson would never let it dictate her future. A year after her marriage ended, she transitioned from a job selling ads for a local Calgary TV station to becoming a partner at a start-up marketing firm known as Venture. Ten years later, she bought out the remaining partner and became the CEO.

However, Dickinson has never been the fire-breathing type. Just as her book, she displays an unexpected openness and a clear contrast to the ferocity displayed by her on-air colleagues. “I always characterized that good guys can finish first, and you can do things in a way that doesn’t step on other people in order to be successful.”

Indeed, Dickinson dodges the ends-justify-the-means mentality of utilitarian businesses to instead lean towards a deontological approach, where universal maxims dictate your actions. To Dickinson, the methods used are just as important as the results achieved. “I think the minute you have to pretend to be somebody else in order to do something is the minute you lose control of your own voice and your own opinion, and I think that sets you up for failure. Because it’s like lying: eventually you get caught.”

Even with financial uncertainty incessantly looming on the horizon, Dickinson feels abandoning your values can only lead to catastrophe. Authenticity is crucial to principled persuasion – part of that authenticity is accepting who you are. “The more honest we are with ourselves, and the more OK with who we are, the less worried we are about doing things to impress somebody, the more, I think, the more people will appreciate and follow us. I really believe that, I do.”

All this boils down to is confidence. As she explains, persuasion entails believing in the person that you are, remembering your voice is important, and never fearing mistakes or failure. Her book echoes this sentiment, noting, “I find it much easier to live with failure than to live with regret over the road not taken.” But even as she explains the importance of strength and confidence, there is an air of fragility floating through her words. In that honest, Arlene way, she acknowledges her mastery of this art is still an “ongoing dialog,” and that fear of disappointing others perpetually lingers in the background.

This vulnerability isn’t necessarily debilitating, however. It keeps her humble, self-aware and away from perceived infallibility. “I always want to be a little bit of a pleaser,” she says, explaining her attitude may be seen as a weakness to some, but it keeps her grounded and gives balance to her life. She always feels the need to push for 150 per cent, staying clear of arrogance and selfishness.

The transparency Dickinson displays is an uplifting departure from the habitually iron-fisted nature of big business. While her book may illustrate the art of persuasion and how to maximize it, the dark days of her past proves that the sun will always rise again, and sometimes it shines unclouded.

www.arlenedickinson.com

CHEF McEWAN’S RECOMMENDATIONS
ONE – Appetizer: Soft scrambled eggs with crisp pork belly, crème fraîche, pork gravy and shaved black truffle. Main: Braised short ribs, caramelized parsnip, carrot-horseradish purée, Yorkshire pudding and natural sauce. Dessert: Sticky toffee pudding with brandy butter sauce. “I think for the fall they’re really reflective of the season, the scrambled eggs would sort of confuse most people, but it’s a really great item. The short ribs are classic for everybody, and there’s the dessert, the sticky toffee pudding, we basically put it back on in the fall and its always been a personal favourite of mine.”

BYMARK – Appetizer: Seared foie gras with sage donut, peach compote and white balsamic reduction. Main: Pappardelle with braised rabbit, lardons and squash. Dessert: Quince tart tatin with bourbon caramel mousse. “Rabbit is a personal favourite, it’s not necessarily the most popular dish, but it’s really interesting, it shows some diversity amongst the restaurants. The foie gras with the sage and the peach is really, really tasty. And the caramel mousse is – again caramel, fall – very different than the others, but it’s a dessert that works really well.”

FABBRICA – Appetizer: Grilled octopus with Genoa salami, chickpeas, peperonata, chili and wild arugula. Main: Black pepper potato gnocchi with braised baby goat and housemade sheep’s milk ricotta. Dessert: Zeppole – warm donuts with cinnamon sugar, orange cream and white chocolate sauce. “Octopus is a big favourite of mine, so I recommend it any time I have it on a menu. The gnocchi with the brazed meat, I just think it’s really delicious and very reflective of the restaurant in terms of its Italian roots. The donuts are a slam dunk.”

NORTH 44 – Appetizer: Grilled pizza with shaved truffle, fontina cheese, white rice and fresh thyme. Main: West Coast halibut baked in banana leaf with leek hearts, braised onions, coconut and coriander, served with basmati rice. Dessert: Fresh ginger cake, pear tatin with honey chèvre ice cream. “The halibut in the banana leaf I came up with the recipe 10 years ago. My interpretation of that recipe, and any time I have tried to take it off the menu, I have had riots from my clients. I like it for the fall season because it’s a hardy fish dish.”

Guest Food Editor, Mark McEwan
Mark McEwan: Host of The Heat on Food Network Canada and author of Mark McEwan’s Fabbrica: Great Italian Recipes Made Easy for Home and Great Food at Home. He’s also the lead judge on Top Chef Canada.

Most children of famous parents would have a hard time breaking free of the enormous shadow that comes with Hollywood success. Times that to the tenth power with a legend like Clint Eastwood. But son Kyle  seems to have adjusted much better and takes it all in stride, describing the father-son creative working relationship quite matter-of-factly. “Yeah. Well, when we work together, when he does some of the composing, he usually comes up with a little melodic theme on the piano and he usually does that when he’s kind of in the process of filming, making the movie and pretty far ahead of time,” explains Kyle, 43.

Kyle acknowledges that it is a bit unusual for father and son to have this kind of symbiotic relationship. Most people know Clint the director, Clint the actor – but not Clint and son Kyle. “But it’s cool,” he says. “Actually, it might be better that way. It makes working together more relaxed. I mean, sometimes for certain films [Clint’s] had a real distinct idea of what he wants, how he wants things to sound like and then other things he just says, ‘Come up with something.’”

Growing up in the Eastwood household wasn’t just about movies and Hollywood – it was all about jazz. Traditional jazz. Bebop. It comes as little surprise, then, that music was a prominent fixture in the Eastwood home. Kyle grew up listening to records by jazz legends Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck, Thelonious Monk and the Stan Kenton Big Band with his jazz-loving parents. Kyle attended the Monterey Jazz Festival numerous times with his parents as well. “One advantage of having a famous father was I got to go backstage,” says Kyle, who has a daughter named Graylen. “That’s where I met a lot of artists, greats like Dizzy [Gillespie] and Sarah Vaughan. Looking back on that, I can see how much the musicians I met there influenced my career.”

When Kyle told his father that he wanted to be a musician, he was happy about it. He recalls: “Music has always been important to my family. My parents gave me my taste in music and my love of jazz from an early age. My father plays piano, my mother used to play, and my mother’s mother was a music teacher at Northwestern University in Illinois.”

Currently, Kyle is on tour in Europe promoting the release of his new album Songs From The Chateau (Candid Records). The album was recorded in Bergerac, France at the 15th century Bordeaux wine estate Château Couronneau, right down the road from the vacation home of Dire Straits rocker Mark Knopfler. Once again, the style of the new disc is all jazz, and Kyle says he wouldn’t have it any other way. “Jazz and wine. Just perfect.”

Q&A with Kyle Eastwood
Q: I always read about children of Hollywood celebrities ending up troubled. How have you stayed free of that?
A: I was kind of fortunate enough, I think, and well, now that I look back on it I was probably fortunate that I didn’t really grow up in L.A. I was born in L.A. but by the time I was one my parents had already had a place in Carmel-by-the-Sea [California]. They both loved it there and they both still live in that area.

Q: Is your dad a part of [the scoring] process with you?
A: Yeah. I usually sit down and watch it with him, most of the time. We sit together and pick most of the key spots where we think music should go. Then after that if he has an idea already then I’ll take that and see how it fits in or if I’m just doing something from scratch I’ll usually just sit down at the piano. He’ll put everything on DVD and then I’ll just sit there, look at the pictures and start playing stuff to it and see what works.

Q: Where does the motivation come to create and write?
A: Sometimes you find yourself humming something and you call your cellphone voice mail and hum into it. But usually, a lot of times a deadline is good inspiration for me. A deadline usually gets me inspired, like, ‘This has to be done in two days.’

Q: There’s a darkness to Million Dollar Baby, The Changeling, Gran Torino – do you carry that dark side as well?
A: I like stuff like that. I’m all for the feel-good movie of the summer now and then, but I think sometimes that sort of subject matter is more interesting.

www.kyleeastwood.com

The eldest of four siblings, Branson was born in the suburban area of Blackheath in London, England in 1950. His father was a successful barrister and his grandfather was the Right Honourable Sir George Arthur Harwin Branson – a judge of the High Court of Justice and a Privy Councillor. With such a prestigious history, success was in Branson’s blood. Unfortunately, so was dyslexia. This learning disability was the root of Branson’s academic suffering and the reason he dropped out of school at 15. “With adversity comes opportunity,” explains Branson. “Since I left school, I can see things, perhaps, more clearly than other people who have it. But, the truth is, I still have to try and make a real effort to see things clearly.”

It might seem shocking to see a dyslexic high school dropout achieve such soaring levels of success, but Branson is simply walking the path of many other famous, historical and influential icons who suffered from learning disabilities. Individuals like John Lennon, Tom Cruise, Winston Churchill and even Pablo Picasso were affected by learning disabilities. But calling Branson’s dyslexia a “disability” might be the wrong word when you’re net worth is around US$4 billion and you’re 212th on Forbes’ list of billionaires for 2010.

Never hindered by setbacks and moving forward with a smile, Branson started his first venture, Student Magazine in 1968, after dropping out of school. Two years later, he started printing ads in Student for his mail-order delivery of discount records. Branson’s little magazine was quickly flooded with orders for cheap music, but when a postal strike threatened his business in 1971, he decided to take the next step and open a record store. Virgin Records was born. A year later, Branson opened his own music studio and officially launched the Virgin record label in 1973. This prestigious label was responsible for signing many influential bands such as the Sex Pistols, The Rolling Stones and Culture Club, sequentially launching Branson towards the peak of rock ’n’ roll greatness.

Over the years, Branson has grown and diversified his once-tiny business into the massive Virgin Group Ltd. conglomerate. Today, Virgin’s umbrella houses more than 400 companies, all in various markets, and is a globally recognized brand. Branson has spread his wings and tasted the assorted fruits of numerous industries. He’s transitioned from music (Virgin Records), to airlines (Virgin Atlantic Airways), to mobile phones (Virgin Mobile), to trains (Virgin Trains) and beyond; his seemingly never-ending list of business endeavours rolls on. These monumental entrepreneurial undertakings earned Branson the honour of being knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1999, garnishing upon him the title of “Sir.” However, he still prefers to go by Richard.

By whetting his foot into many pools, Branson has created an industrial goliath with the tools and resources to handle any problematic shifts the sporadic economic climate can muster. “Look at the companies in the world. Coca Cola specializes in soft drinks. Microsoft specializes in computers. Apple specializes in iPods, whatever. By not just doing a one-product brand, a), it’s been a lot more fun and b), we’ve learned to handle a lot more from it, but c), when someone comes and attacks one of our industries that we’re in, we’ve been more prepared,” says Branson.

This saturation of the Virgin brand has created complementing companies that support and supplement each other if one is in need. “The thinking here is if people are spending a lot more money on mobile phones than buying music suddenly – well, we’re in the mobile phone business,” says Branson. “If fuel prices go up, and our airlines are suffering, well, we don’t mind because we’re producing lots of clean fuel which will compensate. Which will ultimately balance the books. So diversification, I don’t believe, was a foolish move. And, almost definitely, saved the company on a number of occasions.” While he may not be faithful in his entrepreneurial conquests, Branson enjoys a successfully monogamous relationship with his wife, Joan Templeman. They share two children, Holly and Sam.

Although Branson is an accomplished entrepreneur and industrialist, he is not oblivious to the environmental problems his business ventures create. “I’ve got four or five different airlines and therefore, I’ve got the responsibility to do something about it.” At heart, Branson is an environmentalist and humanitarian who is concerned with the dangerous path humanity so carelessly walks on. “I don’t think that if you go through every single scientist’s report over the last three years, there is not one sensible scientist who is doubting that we have a global warming issue now,” says Branson. “What’s worrying is you still get articles saying that there are some skeptics out there, but the skeptics are all most invariably the oil companies or the coal companies. There is no rational person who has got a question mark on it.”

Recognizing the harm his various businesses create, Branson bemoans the “inconvenience” of global warming, but understands it is something that needs to be dealt with. In 2006, Branson pledged to donate the profits from Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Trains into research for environmentally friendly fuels – a donation estimated at $3 billion. “I’m an airline owner. I would dearly like it to go away [laughs]. It is certainly inconvenient to me to acknowledge that global warming exists,” explains Branson. “If we’re going to put $3 billion into clean fuel industry, and if conventional fuel budgets collapse, it’s going to cost us a lot of money. But it’s something I feel we should do. I think it’s the right thing to do.”

To further his eco-minded movement, Branson recognizes that if you’re going to battle to save the environment you better practise what you preach. “Well, obviously it’s very important that if you’re campaigning about something that you’ve got your own house in order. I mean, at the moment, we have this small island in the Caribbean [Necker Island] and I’m trying to make it an example as the most environmentally friendly place in the world. We are building windmills… we’re building hydrogen storage capabilities, so when we’ve got too much wind, we can store it.”

It’s Branson’s aspiration that this kind of eco-conscious thinking will spread throughout the Caribbean. “Hopefully, we’ll be able to use what we’re doing on Necker Island to encourage the rest of the Caribbean that’ve got good wind to follow suit and do the same thing.” Furthermore, Branson has also initiated the Virgin Green Fund – an independent private equity firm that invests in companies dedicated to creating environmentally conscious products, equipment and services.

While Branson makes several big strides on the environmental front, he has been criticized for the large, hypocritical carbon footprint his multi-billion dollar air and rail companies leave behind. Further fuel was added to the fire when Branson announced the start of his space-tourism business, Virgin Galactic. However, through Virgin’s investment in clean fuels, Branson notes, “in developing space travel, NASA’s spaceship uses up two weeks of all of New York’s electricity supply every time it sends a shuttle into space. We’ve managed to get our Virgin Space fuel as such that we’ll be able to send somebody into space at the moment for less than the CO2 burned off [for] one economy class passenger flying on a plane. I think some of the technology we’re developing on the space tourism front will be very useful for bringing much more fuel-efficient planes to normal air travel as well.”

With his vision set to the stars, Branson’s Virgin Galactic is currently taking reservations for two-hour suborbital space tours. Passengers will experience four-to-five minutes of weightlessness, floating in the zero gravity of space, sharing a spectacular view of Earth. Seats are priced at $200,000, which also includes three days of training for each customer. Many tickets have already been sold, and Branson plans on taking his family on the first flight, so you’ll have to wait in line. More ambitious flights will eventually see future passengers visit the International Space Station. Test flights are currently being conducted for this thrillingly ambitious adventure, and although Virgin Galactic is hoping to start space tours in 2012, no official starting date has been set.

Although his future waits in orbit, Branson doesn’t forget about his comrades on Earth. With his friend, musician Peter Gabriel, Branson desired to not only improve the future of our planet’s environment, but to also strive to eliminate violent and bloody conflict. To fulfill this desire, Branson founded The Elders, an independent group that offers “collective influence and experience to support peace building, help address major causes of human suffering and promote the shared interests of humanity,” reads its website. This group of esteemed dignitaries was brought together by Nelson Mandela, and includes the likes of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter; Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Ela Bhatt (founder of the Self-Employed Women’s Association of India) and Mary Robinson, the first female president of Ireland. “The world needs people that they can look up to who’ve got high moral authority. Perhaps the person who symbolizes that the most is Nelson Mandela. So Peter and I asked [Mandela] and his wife, Graça Machel, if they would be the founding Elders,” explains Branson. “And then [Mandela] chose the 12 people he feels are the most respected 12 people in the world … to try to tackle some of the major problems of the world. Areas that we are going to look at are areas where we can stop conflicts before they become conflicts, to also try and stop conflicts that have become conflicts.” Recently, The Elders have been working in Cyprus to encourage peace between the Greek and Turkish Cypriots and speaking with Sudanese officials to avoid violence during Sudan’s recent vote for a referendum. Currently, The Elders have been extremely vocal regarding the violent revolt in Libya, beckoning the
international community to put pressure on Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to relinquish his power. There is no question: Branson has created a monumental empire encompassing a diverse range of businesses and organizations. He may sit atop a mighty throne, but Branson still wishes to use his royal powers for the forces of good. “I know I’m in a position where I can achieve a lot and I don’t want to waste that position I find myself in.” In order to not squander the power he wields, Branson chooses to spend time with charities and foundations that look to improve both the environment and humanity. “With Al Gore and our announcement about clean fuel, we were hoping it would encourage other people to do it. Yes, I find myself, not in a unique position, but in a strong position to do a lot of good and I don’t want to waste the position I find
myself in.”

At the end of the day, this golden-haired philanthropist is a man of extravagant wealth but simple pleasures. He loves to read, to learn, enjoys the thrill of kite surfing, loves to smile and laugh and always looks for the best in people. He simply desires that Virgin be an internationally respected name that plays a hand in solving global issues. “It would be wonderful if a number of people could join together to help avert a crisis – and I’d like to play my part on that one – but we’ll see. Helping to solve that would make me proud. But only time will tell.”

With his fortune expanding at a seemingly endless rate, Branson could have taken the easy way out and simply basked in the wealth and glory of the Virgin colossus he so ambitiously created. Instead, he works with The Elders, helping to push peace in war-torn regions around the world; pours profits from his transportation businesses into clean fuels and energy sources and invests in eco-conscious companies that develop green technologies. He doesn’t complain about the inconvenience of global warming. He just smiles and looks for solutions – and has fun doing so.

www.virgin.com/richard-branson

Lassoing the air with informal banter, Wilson makes it known from the get-go that this is going to be an elbows-on-the-table interview. The 53-year-old’s cerulean gaze narrows in on a massive hardcover on the table’s periphery. “Hey, I’ve seen this book before, it’s on my shelf,” he says of Mythologica: A Treasury of World Myths and Legends. Interestingly enough, Wilson has become a bit of a legend himself, mostly because he belongs to the world’s elite few who work only to hand away all of their treasures. And that’s no myth.

“My goal is to give away the bulk of my wealth over some threshold in my life. I’m assuming I’m going to live to 90, so I’ve got some time,” says Wilson, who thinks of corporate social responsibility as corporate social opportunity. “I have great disdain when I listen to people talking about passing on all their wealth to their children. For what purpose? Pass what you need to live on, why wouldn’t you invest the excess as you live in the world? In other words: give it away.”

Wilson’s financial claim-to-fame came from co-founding a Calgary oil company called FirstEnergy Capital in 1993, which he’s since stepped down from. His dedication to economic gain ultimately led to a divorce, but a harsh reality arrived in time to rescue the relationship with his three kids, whom he travels with regularly. As chairman of private investment company Prairie Merchant Corporation; chairman of Canoe Financial ($1.5 billion in assets), reality TV veteran and full-time philanthropist, his first decision of the day is which hat to wear – though he leans towards cowboy. “My values, as a Prairie boy, are based on what my parents did as community citizens – the honest and integrity issues, the value of a handshake. I can remember my dad selling all sorts of cars on a handshake,” says Wilson. It’s not surprising that he’s shaken more hands than any other panelist on Dragons’ Den, a show that sees ambitious entrepreneurs pitch products and business models to five thriving venture capitalists. “It resonated with me that a deal was done when you said it was done, not when it was signed,” says Wilson, whose held onto a total of 30 deals throughout the show’s due diligence process.

One crucial contract that Wilson didn’t shake on made headlines across Canada this past February. Dragons’ Den’s loyal followers of more than two million were shocked when CBC unexpectedly announced that the fifth season would be Wilson’s final. The show’s reputed friendly dragon and Canada’s major public broadcaster could not agree on contract terms, initially stemming from a scheduling conflict and ultimately surrounding a lack of time and a more complicated branding matter relating to the promotion of Dragons’ Den deals. “For the first time in two years, I’ve got all three of my kids together at the end of April, and the other Dragons’ schedules were such that they needed to shoot then. So initially I had to walk from the show over [scheduling conflicts] but CBC was gracious enough to figure out a way to let me shoot two of the three weeks, so they made a great accommodation to let me still stay on the show,” says Wilson, adding that other obstacles are what eventually led to the dust-up. “CBC had an internal schedule that they had to meet and I respect that, there’s no issue there … While I am no longer an active dragon, I am still very much a dragon with all my connections to the shows fans and my investments.”

In terms of investment dollars alone, Wilson’s departure is a big loss for a show that’s seen him commit over $5.4 million in final deals throughout the last three seasons, a staggering figure in comparison to the other four panelists. “We thank Brett for his many contributions and wish him success in his future endeavours,” Jeff Keay, head of CBC’s media relations wrote in an e-mail. Whether or not his future endeavours include a return to the Den is presently unknown. “No one’s asked me that and I haven’t even thought about it, I mean I would never say never,” says Wilson, who will be succeeded in the sixth season by Bruce Croxon, co-founder of the online dating site Lavalife.

When Wilson was selected to be a dragon in 2008, he says he was initially told that he wasn’t “mean enough.” His philanthropic approach to entrepreneurship and everday life is irresistibly evident in the many actions he’s taken both professionally and personally. A few months ago, Wilson was in Afghanistan embracing Canadian troops at Kandahar Airfield with Defence Minister Peter McKay. “I just stood there and said ‘thank you.’ You are out of sight but you’re not out of mind, and that’s the important message. We understand that freedom isn’t free, you are here on the front lines,” he says. Wilson proceeds to pull out his iPhone, adding colour to his story with pixilated imagery. Though his trip ended after seven days, Wilson’s mission in Afghanistan continues.

In season five of Dragons’ Den, the do-gooder makes a deal with Barb Stegemann, whose east coast company, The 7 Virtues, sources organic oils from Afghanistan and Haiti to produce empowering fragrances. Embedded in the business model is a goal of promoting trade and building peace by bringing new opportunities to war-torn, poverty stricken countries. Not only is his partnership with Stegemann enriching on a global front, it’s turning out to be a highly lucrative investment. Available for purchase at Hudson’s Bay Co. across Canada, sales of The 7 Virtues perfume line have sprung from $75,000 in 2010 to well over $200,000 in just the first quarter of 2011. Stegemann joined Wilson in Vancouver recently at his charity event called Operation: Western Front that he 100 per cent financed, co-chaired and co-hosted. The sold-out fundraiser featured notable politicians and celebrities that included Gene Simmons, and raised $1.5 million for members of the Canadian military and their families.

Aware that Wilson has only an hour for the interview and photo shoot, I hustle to wrap things up. It’s here that he flashes his varying colour palate of generosity: “Don’t worry about the time. I’m in no rush, no rush,” he says, excusing himself from the room momentarily. When he marches back upstairs, he’s no longer solo. Canadian actress Lisa Ray is following behind. Wearing flat riding boots, jeans and minimal makeup, Ray is beaming with an echelon of natural beauty that could keep an insecure woman in bed for days. Her chemistry with Wilson is emphatic. What do you do when you have a dragon and an elephant in the room? “This is my dear friend,” says Wilson, truncating the grey enigma. Both “cancer graduates” (as Wilson calls it), the two were introduced by a mutual friend who thought they would jive. “Cancer gives you an opportunity to re-evaluate your time, your commitment to your physical health, your emotional health, your intellectual health … I think the concept of a cancer graduate is more empowering. Cancer survivor implies it was a fight, a struggle, and you just made it. No, most of us who’ve come through cancer have done more than just made it. We’re a lot better for it,” says Wilson, who was diagnosed with an advanced stage of prostate cancer in his early 40s. Along with experimental treatments, Wilson turned to sports psychology, “mental toughness” and movies like Rudy and Saving Grace.

Two hours past his initial timeline and Wilson is waving goodbye – a lunch meeting and pitch party are on the horizon. The year ahead holds endless possibilities of books, investments and travels with his kids. What lingers after he leaves is the entrepreneur’s response to whether he ever feels like the beneficiary of his own philanthropy. “There’s no such thing as pure altruism … I get a feel-good out of all that, there’s no question, because it really strikes me that there’s an opportunity to change the world if we each do something.” www.wbrettwilson.ca

In historical Westchester County, New York, just outside the quiet hamlet of Bedford, Gere’s elegant eight-room Bedford Post inn welcomes astute travellers looking for a quiet rustic retreat. As a member of the exclusive and prestigious Relais & Châteaux group of luxury hotels, the tasteful Bedford Post is a Dutch Colonial style residence that was originally built in the early 1760s, and is one of the only three original structures remaining from the 18th century in Bedford. “It was a hotel/boarding house in the early 20th century. When I moved up to the area, it was no longer a hotel but a restaurant called Nino’s, which was like a clubhouse for the community and the only restaurant around,” divulges Gere, who is also a talented musician. “After it closed, [my wife] and I watched with a great sense of sadness as it deteriorated. It was a beautiful survivor on its last legs. When it went up for sale we felt an obligation to bring it back to life.”

The sheer natural beauty of Westchester is what pulled the 61-year-old actor and his wife, model and actress Carey Lowell, to the area, and eventually to purchase a residence of their own in the pristine pastoral setting. “My wife Carey and I are area residents and have always had an affinity for the beauty and relaxation of the area. We were drawn to the beauty of the property and were committed to bringing it back to life. It is a magical place.”

Designed by Lowell and Tiffany Vassilakis, Bedford Post features five different contemporary room layouts – most with built-in fireplaces – and marble bathrooms with handmade, imported and antique claw-foot tubs. As well, the inn provides two sensational dining experiences: The Farmhouse, with its modern American entrees; and The Barn, with its more casual and traditional breakfasts and lunches. “When the property became available for purchase, my wife, our partner, Russell Hernandez, and I felt that the Bedford Post could one day become the centre of our community,” says Gere.

With the restoration complete, the revitalized and rejuvenated Bedford Post matches its lush surroundings, which, according to Gere, look quite breathtaking during the fall. “Travellers who have not yet visited the region will find understated elegance and beauty. A picturesque setting that is beautiful year-round, especially during the autumn months,” explains Gere.

Solidifying his position as a Hollywood star in the 1980 film American Gigolo, Gere has also starred in a range of classics, which include An Officer and a Gentleman, the box office smash hit Runaway Bride and the iconic blockbuster romance Pretty Woman. In 1991, Gere was named People Magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive.” It wasn’t until his performance in the 2002 musical Chicago that he finally obtained a coveted Golden Globe award. Much like the beautiful romance films he stars in, Gere wanted to make his inn something to love. “We also hoped [Bedford Post] would be a place of extraordinary natural and architectural beauty – a place of contemplation, meditation, yoga, tai chi and music … We set out to feed the heart and soul, as well as the stomach.”

Gere’s desire to enrich the “heart and soul” is reflected in his passion for Buddhist practises, including meditation and self-actualization. His attraction to Buddhism first began during a journey to Nepal with Brazilian painter Sylvia Martins in 1978. Gere has been a practising Buddhist ever since and a disciple of his holiness the Dali Lama. To facilitate his love for spiritual enlightenment and freedom, Gere uses his Zen-like style to incorporate the essentials of a spiritual lifestyle, including a yoga studio and Zen garden. “The Yoga Loft is a light-filled and tranquil space with elevated ceilings and windows overlooking the property’s Zen Garden, which is planted with ferns and Japanese maples.”

There is no question Gere is a romance icon, and no doubt an integral part of many passionate female fantasies, but with Bedford Post, he has developed one more piece of art for the public to ogle over.

www.bedfordpostinn.com

Del Toro spent his adolescence in the densely populated peninsula of San Juan, Puerto Rico, where culture is rich and the land is married to six breathtaking bodies of water. The acclaimed actor credits his kindergarten teacher as one of the first people who helped pave his way. “She used to walk me home after school … just because I was a kid and it was around where I lived and when class would finish, she would just walk me home,” he recalls. With both parents and much of his immediate family working in law, acting wasn’t exactly a prudent pursuit. “They were like, ‘Really, come on, that’s not a profession, that’s a hobby, a phase.’ You know, it was like, ‘The kid is doing something to get out of something,’” remembers Del Toro. His earliest performances were creative attempts to entertain his mother, Fausta Del Toro, who died from hepatitis complications when he was just nine. At 13, he moved to Pennsylvania with his father, where he attended boarding school and inadvertently uncovered his gift.

Enrolling in the University of California at San Diego years later was simply a tactic to kill time, quips the forthright film star. “I went to college, I had no idea what for, but [my] major was business when I started and then, I switched it to theatre,” says Del Toro, who made the move after being offered a role in the college play which was restricted to non-drama majors. Short of completing his degree, he was awakened by the city that never sleeps and fled to New York to receive classical training at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting. With its prestigious alumni peppered with high-profile performers like Marlon Brando, Salma Hayek and Robert De Niro, this conservatory has become the source of some of this century’s most inspiring success stories.

At 43, Del Toro’s cinematic benchmarks include an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in Traffic and a landslide of other critical acknowledgements for his engrossing performances in 21 Grams, The Usual Suspects and Sin City. “I’ve been lucky … and I’ve worked with great people,” says the character-actor, who’s famous for mumbling. With his milestones, Del Toro also faced some heat for his roles in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas – which he gained 45 pounds for – and the critically contentious biopic Che. “Things got tough before The Usual Suspects at some point there, and I think that after Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas more personally in some ways because there was a lot of work involved in that film that was just thrown out and it disappeared, it got really bad reviews, unfairly so, I think. So it was kind of tough,” he admits. But negative critiques only come in handfuls for the 6-2 star.

Del Toro has been hailed by just about everyone who steps on set with him, perhaps most notably by Sean Penn, who helped stimulate his Indie career by casting him in The Indian Runner in 1991. “He’s like an acting animal, this guy who comes out of the forest to make movies better. He’s fearless, and he has a very distinctive imagination for character. He’s one of the few who can make flamboyant choices that never just say, ‘Look at me.’ He’s not showy. If he stands out, it’s only because the rest of the people haven’t risen as high to the bar,” Penn told The New York Times in 2001.

Del Toro’s industry credentials and carnal magnetism have most recently catapulted him onto the pages of Campari’s iconic calendar for 2011. Throughout a 12-month spread, his amorous character produces a full-bodied concoction to be served on the rocks. As the Italian alcohol brand’s first male face, Del Toro’s evasive stare is joining the ranks of fellow Latin American sex symbols Salma Hayek and Eva Mendes. Though his cultural roots are firmly planted, the actor has several branches when it comes to his identity. “I’ve never looked at it like ‘Are you on this team, or that team,’ and I’m not playing on any team, really. I’m playing on the team of, you know, good filmmaking right now,” says Del Toro, who dedicated his 2001 Traffic Oscar to the movie’s bordering film sites: Nogales, Arizona, and Nogales, Mexico.

Despite the star’s sweeping onscreen success, some family members still encourage him to consider other career paths. “I’m very close to my godmother and to this day, she still goes, ‘You can get a degree or something,’” he shares. Thoroughly authentic in so many ways, Del Toro’s fearless approach makes him one of few in his field to take risks and rebound from losses. At the core of his craft is a powerful attraction. “I think that it’s the ability to express yourself or the ability to make an interpretation on a written piece. And also, there is a little bit of tension.”

www.campari.com

BENICIO DEL TORO: Q&A By Amanda Sweeney

Q: When you reach a certain level in Hollywood, do you think it gets harder to distance yourself from your race? I’m wondering if you find that hard?
A: Well, no. I play the character, and, you know, it’s interesting because, it’s interesting that … because I do think about it. If there’s one scene I have to do in Spanish, then, everything is going to be in Spanish – I did a whole Hollywood movie all in Spanish – the Soderbergh film Traffic – and it was the director’s decision and my decision, and he was quite aware that if it wasn’t in Spanish, I wasn’t going to do it. Like, when I see someone of a Latin persuasion here in the States, I speak to them in English, you know? But it’s not like abandoning my roots … I think that we’re in a good time right now, we have really good, interesting actors that we know like Antonio Banderas, Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz … and there are others that we don’t know so well. The talent is there and when it comes to Latin stuff, I think that what we need is like the Francis Ford Coppola’s and the Martin Scorsese’s, and if we don’t get them from Latin America, then, it’s interesting to try and suck in some of this talent the same way that I’m working for them.

Q: Do awards mean much to you? I mean, you’ve been nominated twice for the Oscars, won once, lost once. How do you prepare for an award like that?
A: Actually, I practised in front of a mirror twice. The first time I won and I was really happy all day long.

Q: What did you say when you lost?
A: Well, I was upset all day long and then I realized, they were all both like, you know, unreal. So you know, the work is done and if it happens, something like that is a compliment and I just take it for what it is. I won’t take it for granted, but I don’t think about. I really refuse to have those ups-and-downs. It’s just like wishing for rain, you know, it’s beyond my control, I have no control. I would like to have control over things in some ways, it’s not that I’m a control freak, but this is beyond my control. The work is done and it’s a compliment that people are talking about it like that and thinking in those terms, and I’ve been working now for some time.

Q: Are you happy with the state of your career right now, you must be excited?
A: Yeah, yeah.

Q: Can you talk about that a little bit, has it been a long struggle?
A: Well, I’ve been lucky, you know, and I’ve worked with great people.

Q: What is your favourite junk food?
A: Pizza, that’s junk food, right? Yeah I’m definitely a pizza man. [Laughs.]

Sitting in his home office of olive Venetian plaster, Shemar Moore steps away from his hectic 15-hour-day work schedule to trade case for cause. Unlike the role of Morgan, Moore uses his alpha male magnetism to instead crack the code of a different kind of life-robbing transgressor: multiple sclerosis. “I’m a very athletic person – I have been all my life. I found out through some referrals that I could not only enjoy a hobby of mine – which was riding bicycles to stay in shape – I could do it for a good cause, which was raising money and using my celebrity to get the issue of MS out.”

Every year, the activist for change participates in the southern California ride of National MS Society’s Bike MS program, an organized cycling series that helps to support research and service programs that will enhance the lives of those living with MS. In 2009, the Society raised $209 million, of which Bike MS contributed $75 million.

In 1998, Moore’s mother, Marilyn Wilson, was diagnosed with MS. Refusing to succumb to his mother’s kryptonite, his liquid-chocolate eyes turned a blind eye. “It was hard to accept and for a couple of years we were both in denial. I wanted to play it down; I didn’t want to believe it was true. I thought, ‘OK, get over it, toughen up and you’ll beat it – you don’t have MS.’” As her physical abilities weakened, Moore acted on the life lesson of strength his mother taught him by taking the lead and plunging into research. “I’m an only child raised by a single mom and so I didn’t have dad around to be superman, I had mom around to be super-mom, superwoman,” says Moore, who is now brother to three half-siblings that live in Japan with his father. “Like any child, you’re used to them taking care of everything; you’re used to them kind of being the rock. I wanted to stop [MS]. I was trying to figure out what to do to get her mindset strong so she could fight it. Because she’s such a fighter it’s just taught me to be a fighter.”

According to the National MS Society, MS is a disease of the central nervous system that affects the ability of nerves to conduct electrical pulses to and from the brain. MS affects more than 400,000 people in the U.S. and 2.1 million worldwide. Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada says that Canadians have one of the highest rates of MS in the world, with women more than three times more likely to develop MS than men. “My mother feels profoundly proud that I’m willing to get up and sit on a hard seat and ride the bike ride,” says Moore, who is joined by fellow Criminal Minds cast members on the ride. Over the past four years, the Criminal Minds bike team has raised more than $60,000. “It’s been a 13-year challenge. On good days, she’s dancing around the kitchen and she’s swimming in the pool, and on bad days, she’s house-ridden and bed-ridden. The bad days are less and less as we continue to fight it and do our homework.”

He prepares for the 100-mile ride by training three-to-four months of the year, riding his bike to the set of Criminal Minds or leisurely along the coast of the Pacific Coast Highway in Los Angeles out to Agua Dolce and the mountain range nearby.

Luckily for Moore, he was quick to recover after a serious bike accident last year. “An old guy in an old-school Cadillac veered into the bike lane over by my house and hit me at 40 miles from behind. I broke my leg and cracked my collarbone and a couple of ribs. I was lucky … it could have been a lot worse. It wasn’t my time that day I’d like to think,” says Moore, who endured physical therapy for months. “Here I am a year later and I have my strength back, I have my mobility back. My mom taught me that you can stumble and fall but always get up, dust yourself off and keep fighting, keep pushing forward. She is the strongest woman I know,” says Moore, who was born in California and raised
in Denmark.

With an Irish and French-Canadian mother and African-American father, Moore faced criticism as a child. “When I came to the States I wasn’t black enough because my skin wasn’t dark enough. I wasn’t white enough because my skin was too dark.”

The emotional trauma of racism trickled into his adolescence and adulthood, plummeting his confidence. His lack of self-belief resulted in severe bouts of nervousness while acting. “I was being the Shemar Moore everybody else wanted me to be or I was afraid of not being accepted … My mother always told me at a young age: ‘Don’t worry about being the Shemar Moore that everyone wants you to be – you be the Shemar Moore you want to be. You’re not a colour, you’re a man – you’re Shemar Franklin Moore.’”

In the way that he talks, in the way that he walks, Moore’s actions display a man that has come a long way from those vulnerabilities. Staying true to oneself is a poignant quality that defines him. “… Before I do a talk show or before I do an interview with you; before I do a scene at work, I whisper to myself: Find your truth. That helps overcome my nerves, helps me overcome my insecurities and helps me walk a straight line. Don’t try to be someone you aren’t.” Leaving arrogance off the table, Moore espouses a karmic outlook on life. “I believe in basic goodness. I’d be too naïve and too arrogant to think I’m living this life by myself …. I know I’ve been given a gift. I know that we are all one-of-a-kind; we just have to dig within ourselves and bring out our true potential … we’ve all been dealt a certain deck of cards and raised in different situations and circumstances and faced different challenges … but I do believe in the energy that you put out that that energy comes back.”

Achieving superior physical strength is also a way Moore stays strong and free – all the while satisfying his sweet tooth. He gets his blood going and breaks into a sweat with 10 to 20 laps in the pool in the morning, followed by an hour’s worth of exercise in the “gym on wheels” – a gym in a truck – that is available to him and other crew-members at work. He then gets to enjoy Ben and Jerry’s Half Baked ice cream and peanut M & Ms guilt-free.

Best known for dropping jaws on the soap opera The Young and the Restless, Moore is quick to acknowledge that while his looks ushered him into Hollywood, his acting ability is what has kept him there. “If my six-pack and physique were going to get me through doors so to speak, I took advantage of it,” says Moore, who received, among other accolades, a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2000. “Hopefully at this point, when people look at me, they pay attention to my acting ability. I really love the craft of acting and work hard,” says Moore.

At 40, the feisty Aries is single and looking. “I had Playboy tendencies and it was my way of keeping my distance because I have been very focused on my career,” says Moore, who bought himself a sleek black Audi R8 on his birthday. “My grandmother always told me: ‘Don’t go looking for it, when it’s time and she’s right she’ll show up out of the blue and bite you on the tush.’ I’m waiting to be bitten on the tush,” laughs Moore. While he waits, the self-declared “undercover” interior decorator (he renovated his entire L.A. home) expands his artistic talent with his upcoming clothing line, Royalty Soul, and continues the fight to find a cure for MS.

“My life is a journey and I’m having fun letting it unfold and evolve. I’m hoping that what I do opens people’s minds and inspires people to be the best in what they do. I love my mamma, and I’ll continue riding my bike to give her a voice.”

Anticipating a future in independent and feature films, Moore’s path is paved with an uphill climb. “I haven’t caught that bus yet but I’m going to get there soon. Just know that I’m not done knocking down doors,” he says.

www.shemarmoore.org
www.bikems.org

In this world, it’s easy being sleazy, especially when you’re as handsome and talented as Figueras. So we honour this man of honour, because they say you don’t truly know what la dolce vita really means until you’ve worked hard enough to earn it. Nacho has done that, and he’s not impressed. He’ll stay unimpressed until the average consumer can turn on the television and watch some polo.

The general assumption would be that this Argentinean Adonis with a lover’s heart carries some sort of humble morale with him wherever he goes. Women are not his vice. He is not Tiger Woods. He uses his fame to promote his game. Don’t be jealous – let him inspire you. After hearing him explain his passion for polo, any inherent envy will become an ephemeral emotion.

Charlie Rose wasn’t convinced. In a 2005 interview he tested his loyalty to this sport. “Because of your attractiveness, people identify you with movie stars Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt … is your future in something other than playing polo?” His demeanour relaxed and sincere, Figueras is very honest and a special young man. This is what came out: “My thing is being a polo player. I love playing polo, and that’s what I’m always going to be. With all the attention I’m getting from Ralph Lauren, I want to popularize polo. Not for me, for the sport.”

Beyond the glory of playing such a dynamic game, he has accumulated multiple scars from uncontrolled wooden mallets and balls: a 25-stitched cut above his right eye; a broken collarbone after his horse collided with another horse, sending him to the ground (riders often fall once, even three times during a match). Everything he does, as he told Rose, and plans on doing – whether it’s a future Hollywood movie or another championship trophy – is all in the name of polo. “My purpose in life is to make polo a big sport. If it’s a polo movie and my wife doesn’t get too jealous, I would love to do it.” He would love to do it, and we would love to see his dreams come true. If so, polo will be popular, and Figueras will be remembered as a legend in a legendary sport that dates back to 3000 BC.

The island of focus that he lives on is surrounded by a world of temptations, like few before him, and hopefully more to come in the future. His passion is what keeps him honest, his passion is polo, and his dream is to make it a marquee sport, enjoyed by the masses, not just by the elite.

The world might be interested in uncovering the man behind the pretty face, but Figueras considers this a waste of time. What he wants is the world to discover polo, the kind of polo that would be recognized as a major sport, in major markets, all across the world (unless you live on a mountain – that’s just not fair for the team at the bottom).

All this passion for polo started with horses. Figueras grew up with horses – a commonality for many Argentines. By eight he developed an interest in polo. After developing a bond for horses, polo came naturally for the competitive young muchacho. When Figueras was 12, his uncle bought him a Ralph Lauren polo shirt – it was his favourite. At the time, they were both completely unaware that one day Figueras would not only be able to afford his own polo shirts in whatever colour he wanted, but he would get them for free. His love for the leisurely pastime on the plains of Argentina took him all the way to New York. It was there that the 17-year-old Figueras began his polo career.

At 23, Ralph Lauren offered Figueras the opportunity to model for his polo-inspired brand. “I wanna be the polo player that represents Ralph Lauren. It all makes a lot of sense,” he said during the interview with Rose.

With this perfect match between polo player and model for Polo Ralph Lauren, Figueras began solidifying the belief that would serve as the foundation for his future goals. The global exposure he got from modelling made him a star, and since then, he has used himself as a spotlight for the sport of polo. At first, he was a model for the Black Label line and in May 2009, he was named the international face of Polo Fragrances. His efforts to become the unofficial royal ambassador of the game continue to open new doors – and take him to places, introduce him to people – he never thought possible.

He has been interviewed by Oprah; he has sat across the table with Charlie Rose, and when he speaks with intent, when he uses the words ‘love’ and ‘passion,’ he’s talking polo. His wife is his life, his kids are his legacy, but when he is in front of the camera, he is on a mission, a mission to prove that polo is more than an elite and snobbish pastime for the rich and famous to gather and socialize. Figueras is trying to sell it for what it is – a sport, and a good one at that. As he explained to Rose, “You don’t need to be rich to play [or enjoy] polo. If it’s in you, if you really have passion, there’s nothing that can stop you from enjoying it.”

Some people have it all and they keep going, keep climbing, keep riding, reading, learning, yearning, driving, flying, creating, inventing, acting, drawing, etc. These people have trouble explaining how the word ‘plateau’ relates to their incredibly ambitious lives. Figueras is definitely part of this ambitious crowd. He dominates the sport of polo, he’s a model, a husband, a father, a spokesman, and he is willing to do what it takes to give polo the attention he feels it deserves. He won’t stop until polo stops being referred to as “the sport of kings” and starts being referred to as the sport of the people.

Up at 5 a.m., he devours the morning news and the New York Post’s Page Six before getting to work. “I’m usually in my office by 8:30 a.m. and usually stay until 7 p.m. when I’m not travelling. I have a jet and a helicopter, which helps the travel aspect of my work, as I have properties worldwide. Several evenings a week I have events or business dinners to attend, so it makes for a full work-week.” Trump is a man who knows what he wants and knows what he is best at – skyrocketing standards of excellence as he builds the best and biggest. And no one has yet to conquer his success. In 2000, the UJA Federation awarded Trump his greatest honour: The Hotel and Real Estate Visionary of the Century award.

“The most important aspect for me is self-respect. I know when I’m doing a good job better than anyone else, and that matters a great deal to me,” says the 63-year-old, whose hairstyle continues to be the subject of gossip columns. But Trump doesn’t pay too much attention; he knows the cachet of his name and his enduring confidence has men wanting to be him and women wanting to be with him. When he began sporting crimson red ties – the ultimate colour of power – many followed suit. “I’m smart, fun and handsome,” he says. “He’s sexy, too,” coos his alluring wife, Melania Trump.

“One reason why my work is respected is because I have the integrity of purpose in making it the best. It’s my nature, it’s not a false effort or façade.”
— Donald Trump

Like a moth to the flame, Trump gravitates towards the spotlight, with his fearless actions simulating the brand that he has created for himself. As CEO and chairman of The Trump Organization, which pegs his net worth at $6 billion, the grandeur of his accomplishments is habitually overlooked because of his passionate public bravado in keeping the Trump legacy intact. This feeds the most popular adjectives used to describe him: pretentious and arrogant; boastful and overconfident. Love him or hate him, he is the smartest man in his industry, the king of realty, the world’s best dealmaker. “One reason why my work is respected is because I have the integrity of purpose in making it the best. It’s my nature, it’s not a false effort or façade,” says Trump, whose cutthroat boardroom disposition takes centre stage on The Apprentice, one of the highest rated shows on television. (The Emmy nominated reality series has now morphed into Celebrity Apprentice, with stars determined to defy Trump’s infamous “You’re fired!” – voted the third greatest TV catchphrase of all time). After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business in 1968, Trump joined the ranks of his father, Fred C. Trump, a successful real estate developer building affordable rental housing in New York City. “My father told me: ‘Get in, get it done, get it done right, and get out.’ He was very efficient and that’s something I learned from him.” Coupling his father’s proficiency with his sharp business sense, Trump smelled an abundance of economic opportunities in Manhattan. “Some of the best deals were made by my son,” said Trump’s father, who passed away in 1999. “Everything he touches seems to turn to gold.” Donald Trump’s first forays into commercial real estate had a resounding impact on the city, as his quick nature and revolutionary ideas ousted the co-ops that littered the Manhattan landscape. This created the condominium boom. “He single handedly turned the whole image of Manhattan around in the 1970s, when nobody wanted to live in New York,” said Shark Tank’s Barbara Corcoran during a visit to the Larry King Show in 2008.

The Trump name continues to be synonymous with prestige, and his eldest children, Donald John Jr., Ivanka and Eric Trump, carry on the family tradition as executive vice presidents of The Trump Organization. The Trump children were born a brand. “They are focused, disciplined and enthusiastic about life and work,” says Trump, who coached his children about the real estate industry by exposing them to it. “That’s how I learned and children are good at watching. It’s much more vivid than talking or reading about it being done. Seeing it is a visual that will stick,” says Trump, who steers his children towards achieving the best. “We had to work, we had to learn what it meant to earn a dollar,” says Donald Jr. “He’s taught me about life – especially as it applies to the business world and trying to be successful in the world in which we live. Maybe in time, I’ll have the ability to have the same level of confidence … I hope to attain the level that he’s achieved some day.”

Cultivating his It-man status from a profound reputation of building grand residential and commercial towers, sumptuous luxury hotels and golf courses, Trump has recently extended The Trump Hotel Collection by expanding his New York state of mind to key locations across the world: Las Vegas, Chicago, Panama, and Waikiki, Hawaii. The imminent 2011 debut of the Trump International Hotel & Tower in Toronto will introduce Canadians to their very first Trump property and a new standard in downtown luxury. “An indication of life is growth. I also love what I’m doing, so I like the daily challenges that come with running a large business,” says Trump, a golf aficionado and friend to golf great Tiger Woods.

“The most important aspect for me is self-respect. I know when I’m doing a good job better than anyone else, and that matters a great deal to me”
— Donald Trump

Trump’s life is his work, and his big-bold-brash persona unveils itself in everything that has his name on it. Whether he has invested in a property or licensed his name to it, once the Trump signature graces a project, the asking price increases by an estimated 25 per cent. Everyone wants a taste of the Trump glamour.

Trump’s triumphs colour the world’s landscape with grandeur. His vast collection of properties and burgeoning portfolio of holdings include The Trump World Tower, recognized as one of the tallest residential towers in the world, and one of the most successful condominium towers ever built in the U.S.  Trump Park Avenue, with its gleaming floors and views of Central Park, debuted in 2004 as one of most luxurious buildings ever built on American soil. Its price per square-foot set new records. Trump International Hotel & Tower, a 52-storey super luxury hotel and residential building, is one of three hotels to receive a double Mobil Five-Star rating. It was voted the No. 1 business hotel in New York City by Travel and Leisure Magazine. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club, the ultra-luxurious estate where he often vacations, is not too far from the Jim Fazio-designed, $40 million Trump International Golf Course.

In 2008, Trump sold his magnificent 515 South Ocean Boulevard estate in Palm Beach for a record $100 million. “Deals are my art form. Other people paint beautifully on canvas or write wonderful poetry. I like making deals, preferably big deals. That’s how I get my kicks,” wrote Trump in his best-selling business book The Art of the Deal (1987).

“You have to love what you do – otherwise, the passion won’t be there to get you through the hard times or discouragements,” says Trump, who is no stranger to struggle and controversy. He faced business bankruptcy in 1991, but by 2000, this Comeback Kid once again reigned as billionaire. “Few things are easy, and once you have achieved success, you are an easy target, which brings another set of challenges to deal with,” explains Trump.

A word to the wise: Trump’s No. 1 rule for success is to never give up. “Remaining complacent is a good way to get nowhere.” His recent, contentious venture into Scotland to build Trump International Golf Links on the sacred sand dunes of Aberdeen was initially refuted. That didn’t stop him from his dream of wanting “the best golf course in the world” in Scotland, the birthplace of his mother. The Scottish government has now approved this venture, where a hotel, holiday homes, houses and a clubhouse will be sprinkled across three miles of spectacular ocean waterfront. “Progress is often considered controversial, and that’s exciting. Artists are very often ahead of their time as are architects, and then the dust settles down and everyone is pleased,” says Trump.

Standing tall at 6 foot 3, Trump is also successful on the home front. Melania, 40, attributes her husband’s accomplishments to his privately held qualities, which he often hides from the eyes of the public. A former model whose stunning looks mask her grace and gentle demeanour, Melania can’t put her finger on the one particular trait that makes Trump so great. “It’s just the way he is. It’s hard to say one thing over the other, I see him as a whole person,” says Melania. “He has a big heart; he’s kind of an open book. He will always say what he thinks. He’s a man of his word.”

Trump has lavished her with expensive gifts, but it’s the emotional security he provides her with that has her blushing. “Hearing ‘I love you’ every day is what is most important. That’s a beautiful relationship.” It’s no surprise how fiercely devoted she is to him and their four year-old son, Barron, whose golden ringlets and baby blues are not without substance. He has already declared his intentions to be “just like daddy.” Besides being a mom and wife, Melania fulfills her passion for design with the recent launch of her own jewelry line, which sold-out once it aired on QVC.

An untouchable real estate mogul conquering market changes and hungry entrepreneurs, the pulse of Trump’s main competitor beats to a tick-tock rhythm. “I have so many projects to get done and having the time and using it well almost seems like a competition.” www.trump.com