Ivanka Trump dishes on her hotel empire

It is sometimes challenging for Ivanka Trump to balance her role as vice president of development and acquisitions at Trump International, as well as being the co-founder of Trump Hotel Collection. But, the 29-year-old entrepreneur, who just launched her own shoe line, is taking it all in the stride. “I’ve seen some people really crater under the pressure and long shadow — either trying to distance themselves from the parent so much that instead of using the advantages at their disposal, they just become unproductive, or they get totally paralyzed and do nothing because of fear of failure,” she told the Financial Times. As the daughter of The Donald, Ivanka shares her father’s passions. “My father wanted to stop developing property and start acquiring, and we thought: How can we grow?” she said. “Hotels seemed a logical opportunity… We saw room to be a strong operator that had a background as an owner and builder.” There are now five hotels in the portfolio, with two openings in Panama and Toronto set for next year. Still, “my focus is not to grow my personal brand, but the Trump Organization,” she added. [Financial Times]