Learning of Trump’s 2015 presidential run
Ivanka says she learned about Donald Trump’s plan to run for president about two weeks before the announcement. She describes it as a rapid, full-steam shift that changed the family’s life abruptly.
Ivanka Trump: My Dad Told Me Two Weeks Before He Ran For President!
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She built an $800 million business…but sacrificed it all when her father became President, now Ivanka Trump tells her story! Ivanka Trump is a world-renowned businesswoman, real estate developer, and entrepreneur who served as Advisor to the President during Trump’s first …
She built an $800 million business…but sacrificed it all when her father became President, now Ivanka Trump tells her story! Ivanka Trump is a world-renowned businesswoman, real estate developer, and entrepreneur who served as Advisor to the President during Trump’s first administration. She was previously Executive Vice President in the Trump Organization, and is the author of 2 New York Times bestsellers, including ‘Women Who Work: Rewriting the Rules for Success’. She explains: ▪️The negotiation tactic used to close billion-dollar deals ▪️Why she permanently stepped back from the Trump campaign ▪️How to build a billion-dollar brand from total scratch ▪️Why most leaders fail to adapt to the upcoming AI revolution ▪️Her mission to develop a pristine Mediterranean island in Albania Chapters 00:00:00 Intro 00:03:12 When You Realize You’re Different What Happens Next 00:05:24 What Her Mother Was Really Like Behind Closed Doors 00:11:27 The Key Difference That Shaped Who She Became 00:15:23 What Donald And Ivana Trump’s Divorce Really Meant For Her 00:18:07 The Reality Of Being Trump’s Daughter What People Get Wrong 00:23:16 How Do You Find Yourself Surrounded By Power And Fame 00:30:38 Why Being Underestimated Became Her Biggest Advantage 00:32:39 What She Actually Looks For When Hiring And Why It Matters 00:37:30 Why She Walked Away From Fashion For Government 00:40:46 What Really Happened When Trump Decided To Run 00:46:04 Trump Running For President What Changed Everything 00:48:33 Ads 00:50:44 Did She Ever Think Her Father Would Actually Do It 00:54:06 Was Leaving The White House A Relief Or Something Else 00:57:48 Was Anyone Truly Prepared For Life Inside The White House 00:59:24 What The Assassination Attempt Changed Forever 01:07:01 What Life Looks Like After Stepping Away From Politics 01:10:44 Ads 01:14:05 How Therapy Changed The Way She Sees Everything 01:20:09 The Loss Of Her Mother And What It Taught Her 01:26:08 The 3 Rules She Believes Define Success And Happiness 01:28:17 What Planet Harvest Is And Why It Could Matter More Than You Think Enjoyed the episode? Share this link and earn points for every referral - redeem them for exclusive prizes: https://doac-perks.com Follow Ivanka: Instagram - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/8tOoNMr Facebook - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/69wVEv5 X - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/9z3Vx7h You can purchase ‘Women Who Work: Rewriting the Rules for Success’, here: https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/F9lFRYu The Diary Of A CEO: ◼️Join DOAC circle here - https://doaccircle.com/ ◼️Buy The Diary Of A CEO book here - https://smarturl.it/DOACbook ◼️The 1% Diary is back - limited time only: https://bit.ly/3YFbJbt ◼️The Diary Of A CEO Conversation Cards (Second Edition): https://g2ul0.app.link/f31dsUttKKb ◼️Get email updates - https://bit.ly/diary-of-a-ceo-yt ◼️Follow Steven - https://g2ul0.app.link/gnGqL4IsKKb
Key Topics
- Learning of Trump’s 2015 presidential run
- Media scrutiny, trust, and early defenses
- Childhood in the public eye without social media
- Michael Jackson attending her Nutcracker performance
- Grandmother as primary caregiver and model of love
- Ivana Trump as a formative role model
- Parent divorce and paparazzi outside school
- How she now views her younger self on trust
- Coping under pressure by finding “signal in the noise”
- Stoicism and mental discipline
- Intentionality in work, relationships, and media
- Becoming her own person within a famous family
- Entering real estate and turning underestimation into advantage
- Negotiation approach: listening, silence, and win-wins
- Hiring values: agency, judgment, EQ, and character
- Family competitiveness and high expectations
- Career pivots: jewelry, fashion, and building a modern work wardrobe
- Shutting down her brand to enter government
- Why she chose to serve in the White House
- Campaign experience expanding her worldview
- White House work and claimed policy achievements
- Choosing family over returning to politics
- What surprised her about power and leaders
- Security realities and living with threats
- Reacting to the July 2024 assassination attempt
- Processing trauma through gratitude and response choice
- Politics as a dark, gladiatorial arena
- Eagle and crow metaphor for handling attacks
- Therapy, meditation, and processing grief
- Balancing life by aligning with priorities, not perfect equilibrium
- Philosophical influences beyond Stoicism
- Planet Harvest and reducing farm-level food waste
- Advice to her daughter on happiness and success
Media scrutiny, trust, and early defenses
She describes growing up guarded due to fame and wealth, worrying about people’s motives. Over time she says she has learned to trust more, accepting the risk of being burned for the sake of deeper connection.
Childhood in the public eye without social media
She contrasts her upbringing with today’s constant phone cameras and social media exposure. She says her parents tried to shelter the family, and home felt like a refuge from outside attention.
Michael Jackson attending her Nutcracker performance
She recounts performing in The Nutcracker as a child and being mortified when her father invited Michael Jackson. The incident becomes an example of how her childhood could be surreal despite a grounded day-to-day life.
Grandmother as primary caregiver and model of love
She credits her grandmother with raising her, cooking meals, and expressing love through constant care and feeding. She becomes emotional describing her grandmother’s current health struggles and the privilege of caring for her now.
Ivana Trump as a formative role model
She depicts her mother as glamorous, resilient, ambitious, and a trailblazer balancing motherhood with demanding work. She says her mother normalized building a support system rather than pretending to do it alone.
Parent divorce and paparazzi outside school
She recalls learning about her parents’ divorce amid aggressive reporters outside her school. She says the experience shaped her toughness and early mistrust, and also strengthened sibling bonds through shared stress.
How she now views her younger self on trust
She reflects that being guarded at 25 felt appropriate given her experiences and undeveloped instincts. She says she now lets people in more, relying on improved judgment and a quicker read of others.
Coping under pressure by finding “signal in the noise”
She describes learning to ignore outside attacks and focus on what matters. She frames it as a deliberate choice about response, rooted in clarity of values and identity.
Stoicism and mental discipline
She cites Marcus Aurelius and ideas about thoughts shaping the soul as influential. She emphasizes living aligned with values because acting otherwise feels too costly internally.
Intentionality in work, relationships, and media
She says she avoids engagements that feel misaligned, including combative interviews. She describes doing fewer things with more focus, choosing conversations and projects that elevate her well-being and relationships.
Becoming her own person within a famous family
She argues children are not extensions of parents and should be seen as complete individuals. She says her parents allowed respectful dissent at home, which helped her remain true to herself.
Entering real estate and turning underestimation into advantage
She describes being underestimated as both a wealthy child and a young woman in real estate. She says she used that dynamic as motivation to over-prepare and gain leverage in professional rooms.
Negotiation approach: listening, silence, and win-wins
She stresses understanding what the other side wants through attentive listening. She describes silence as a tool that prompts disclosure and enables deals that feel mutually beneficial with minimal sacrifice.
Hiring values: agency, judgment, EQ, and character
She prioritizes self-starters with strong judgment and room-reading skills that are hard to teach. She emphasizes working with people she trusts and respects, and says being a good person matters more than trophies.
Family competitiveness and high expectations
She acknowledges a performance-oriented upbringing and sibling competitiveness. She contrasts that with her approach to parenting, aiming to ease perfectionism and validate character over achievements.
Career pivots: jewelry, fashion, and building a modern work wardrobe
She describes launching a broad, accessible brand designed for a multidimensional modern woman. She frames it as filling a gap between unaspirational workwear and life outside the office.
Shutting down her brand to enter government
She says ethics rules limited growth and the use of her image, making the business unsustainable without expansion. She chose to end on a high note when moving into government service.
Why she chose to serve in the White House
She describes being asked by her father to help navigate Washington and feeling it would be wrong to refuse. She frames the decision as service to a country she loves despite anticipating hostility and scrutiny.
Campaign experience expanding her worldview
She says traveling during the campaign exposed her to perspectives outside her New York bubble. She describes it as mind-expanding, sometimes reinforcing and sometimes changing her views.
White House work and claimed policy achievements
She lists efforts including child tax credit expansion, paid family leave for federal workers, conservation legislation, career and technical education modernization, and anti-trafficking measures. She says she has no regrets and is proud of the impact.
Choosing family over returning to politics
She says she does not have “Potomac fever” and will not ask her children to bear the costs of renewed public service. She highlights the finite window to be present, especially with a teenage daughter.
What surprised her about power and leaders
She says power amplifies who people already are and that global leaders are still ordinary humans with personal problems. She describes the experience as demystifying and reducing intimidation in high-stakes interactions.
Security realities and living with threats
She describes a radical change in security, relying on the Secret Service and acknowledging increased danger tied to politics. She expresses gratitude for protection while calling the correlation between service and violence deeply troubling.
Reacting to the July 2024 assassination attempt
She recounts being in Bedminster, seeing events in near real time, and shielding her children. She says she felt horror and fear but also an immediate belief that her father would survive.
Processing trauma through gratitude and response choice
She says she resists becoming negative toward the world because it adds more negativity. She emphasizes focusing on the blessing of survival and choosing a constructive response rather than dwelling on worst-case scenarios.
Politics as a dark, gladiatorial arena
She says the combative nature of politics feels at odds with her temperament. She distinguishes caring about policy from liking politics, and says she now prefers impact through private-sector work.
Eagle and crow metaphor for handling attacks
She shares a story of an eagle flying higher to shed a pecking crow, using it as a model for refusing to fight on an attacker’s terms. She frames it as training a muscle to rise above noise.
Therapy, meditation, and processing grief
She describes therapy as a tool for internal inventory rather than a formal program. She links seeking support to compounded stressors including her mother’s death, leaving Washington, and her husband’s cancer scare.
Balancing life by aligning with priorities, not perfect equilibrium
She argues balance is elusive and easily disrupted by family or work crises. She aims instead for most days to reflect her priorities and values, accepting the inevitable tipping of the scale.
Philosophical influences beyond Stoicism
She cites religious texts as moral frameworks and mentions Taoism, Buddhism, and the Tao Te Ching. She emphasizes accepting reality and seeking flow states as a guide to what brings her alive.
Planet Harvest and reducing farm-level food waste
She describes co-founding Planet Harvest after working on a pandemic food box program and seeing persistent waste. She says the goal is creating demand for surplus produce, increasing farmer revenue, and improving access to nutrition.
Advice to her daughter on happiness and success
She advises loving the work, being authentically oneself rather than copying, and building resilience with openness to pivots. She emphasizes believing in yourself before the world does and starting before confidence is externally validated.