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Richard Botto, Editor in Chief / CEO of RAZOR Magazine, has created the definitive men's magazine which features the best in men's fashion, travel, sports, autos, celebrities, technology, humor, fiction, fitness and more.
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 WRITINGS:
RICHARD BOTTO
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May 2004
The American Dream
The question that
is asked during the opening credits of The Apprentice is: What if you
could have it all? Every week I stare at my television and think: Why
can't you have it all? I mean, what's stopping you? After all, Donald
Trump, the star of the show and our number one Maverick for 2004 not
only had it all, but had it, lost it and now has it again. If he can
do it twice, can't the rest of us mere mortals do it once?
There's a ton of rhetoric that gets thrown around during an election
year in this country. Recently, a regular guy of modest means who became
a well-to-do actor, who then became a well-to-do left-bashing book writer,
who then became a well-to-do conservative talk show host declared to
his panel of political experts that it was time for the Democratic Party
to come clean on the fact that there is no such thing as the American
Dream anymore. It's out of reach, it's out of touch, it can be attained
by very few if any. In essence, he said, it's a fairy tale parents shouldn't
tell their children. Then, and I'm taking an educated guess here, he
was chauffeured home to his mansion in Malibu.
OK, argue it… Jobs and manufacturing are cruising overseas, our
economy needs a defibrillator, the deficit is growing larger with each
lie out of D.C. Sounds as much like 1994 as 2004. So why now, precisely,
has the American Dream upped and died? From Franklin to Edison to Hefner
to 50 Cent (tell him the Dream is dead), the common denominators for
success are found in smart, innovative ideas backed by passion, pride,
desire and an unwillingness to be told that it can't be done.
This month we once again celebrate 30 people of conviction. People like
Russell Simmons who recognized the demand for rap and later hip hop
music by the mainstream and supplied it. Later, after studying the ways
of his mentor, Mr. Trump, and not at all ready to lie sated on the mattress
of his accomplishments, he recognized the demand for clothing catering
to the hip hop culture and he supplied it. Not bad for a poor kid from
Hollis, Queens. The thing separating him and his neighbor selling crack
on the corner? Desire. You pursue the Dream or you don't. There's no
middle ground.
Pursuing the Dream is not about "what if's" and double guesses.
It's not about going half-assed and it's not about envying the victories
of others. It's about using time, not wasting it. It's about being proactive
first, reactive second, not vice-versa. It's about the boundless pursuit
of self-edification, yet understanding that no man knows everything.
It's about surrounding yourself with the right people and recognizing
their worth.
And make no mistake; the Dream has little to do with money. Initially,
it's a motivator, sure, but using Simmons as an example again, he had
more money than he knew what to do with running Def Jam, but Mavericks
rarely just have one good idea and they have a drive that only grows
in strength with each triumph. They diversify and create anew and, at
that point, money has little to do with it. It's about personal triumph,
personal satisfaction, the rush of reaching the top of the mountain,
the want to do it again and again.
In the early 90s when Trump had lost a large chunk of his empire and
there were serious debt issues, he was walking in front of Trump Towers
with his daughter when he came upon a homeless man. They watched as
a passerby dropped some change into the man's coffee cup. As the story
goes, at that point Trump turned to his daughter and said, "That
man is richer than me."
Years later, Trump is back on top, having resurrected from his financial
woes of last decade and ascending to new heights as the producer and
star of one of the hottest shows on television (diversification). The
theme of the show? Give 13 hungry, motivated people an opportunity to
win the chance to run one of his companies.
Sounds to me that the American Dream is alive, kicking and ready to
be chased by those who are willing. Same as it ever was.
Enjoy the issue.
Richard
Botto,
Editor in Chief / CEO of RAZOR Magazine - The Definitive Men's Lifestyle Magazine
www.razormagazine.com
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