The Learning Annex - Reviews?

[Dave Kaminski]

A business partner of mine and I are attending the Learning Annex Real Estate Wealth Expo in Boston, MA on December 2nd and 3rd. (Hope my stalker doesn't read this ) Anywho, has anyone had any luck with this particular forum of people?

I know the Don is a big tool and Kiyosaki may or may not be a liar. Anthony Robbins is another who gets mixed reviews. I can only imagine that this will be a venue for selling $500 video programs and books etc. If Trump's name wasn't on some huge towers I'd doubt he made any money from anything else. He seems like a hustler.

My skepticism aside, I'm going in with a close-to-empty wallet and an open mind. Any tips?

Thanks!

[alexb5784]

I don't attend seminars that have anything to do with Robert Kiyosaki or Donald Trump. Kiyosaki is always changing his story about his 'Rich Dad'. Last time I heard he claimed he had 3. And he can't legally prove that he owns all the real estate he says he owns. And he can't prove that he owns all this stock he claims to own in public companies. And he's associated with Amway and has been writing "Quit School- Get Rich Quick" books since the 1980's. Go figure.

I think Kiyosaki's books are fine if a person wants to acknowledge that they're headed towards certain financial ruin and need to clean their acts up, but that's just about it. His books are motivators, but not "how-to" guides. Also he paints the picture that becoming wealthy is easy, that anyone can start AND run a successful business and that real estate is the only way to build wealth. This is not completely true. Anyone can start a business but making that business profitable is very hard work. Kiyosaki fails to mention this and therefore people are mislead. He wants to get people to buy his books and daydream about riches...and that's exactly what happens. They dream all day about being millionaires, stay broke and do nothing but buy his books. He's the only one getting rich!

I used to like Trump, but today it seems he is doing anything for money. After watching his reality tv show and watching these MBA type people do stupid stuff to get a job, I started to wonder. Also he just teamed up with Kiyosaki and published a book called Why We Want You To Be Rich. Come on! Do people really think The Donald is going to share specific advice on how he made his billions? I'm sure that you can learn a little bit of something from this book, but it's probably very basic. You can find the same information in a more credible source like The Richest Man in Babylon.

The truth is that building wealth is a hard and long process, unless of course you become some dot.com millionaire. But even then, people spend a lot of time designing the product that either has a market or one is being created for it (I've worked with two tech start-ups, so I know what I'm talking about), they're good at marketing & selling the product/service, and when enough momentum is built, ONLY then are investors attracted to the project. AND even then, the investors check out the management to see if these people know how to responsibly run the start-up. It takes time and people have to trust you if they plan on giving you money to grow your company. Having an idea is not enough. You have to have the idea, the people and some sort of assurance that you can make your business idea/plan/project work.

Kiyosaki fails to tell you all this and I think it's a shame to hide the truth from people. But he will tell you to quit your job because your boss sucks, that you are broke, that you have to start a business to be wealthy, invest in real estate, blah blah blah. He's full of crap and he's The Pied Piper For The Financially Clueless.

Trump's one good book is The Art of The Deal. It contains great business advice on the attitude needed to succeed. He won't tell you how to become rich though. But who cares! You can become rich anyway you want!
Just do what you love and find a way to serve as many people as possible.

As far Anthony Robbins is concerned, I don't know much. I'll read one of his books and get back to you.

- Alex

[Joe Allen]

Trump = Over rated and over sold
Kiosaki = Lucky and inconsistent
Robbins = Makes sense but requires you to really commit (to the message)

Not knowing why you're going or what you're looking for, an open mind is of course important. But not matter what, it will all come down to YOU TAKING ACTION after all the hoopla. That's something you can do without paying $99 for.

[MukulVerma]

I attended the Learning Annex in Toronto. Front Row for Trump, Branson, Stinson, Bach and James Ray. Forth Row for Robbins and Foreman and I had the time of my life. I thought it was a greatly entertaining and fun weekend. I met many new people, I learned a lot. Yes each tried to sell there course, but where the heck am I gonna see these guys for $60 CAD.

I am EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mukul Verma
Mukul Verma - Working Together on Personal Development

[Dimitry]

I really wanted to attend the one in Toronto but had conflicting plans unfortunately. Glad it turned out good though.

[JohnB23]

Kiyosaki is a joke, just terrible.

I would avoid all of these "money making system" kits, conference, seminars. It's always a system, or technique, or something you get in a box, like an instant microwavable dinner in a box. The real world just doesn't work like that.

For example, Don Lapre use to sell 1-900 numbers back in the 90's. Remember those? Get your own 900 line, and make $50,000 a week from your tiny one bedroom apartment.

It might even work for awhile, but you don't know anything about the telecom business. What if text messaging comes along? What if cell phones come along?

There's no perspective, there's no depth. There's no meat.

It could be Don Lapre, Kiyosaki, "The Cash Flow System" or whatever it is. It's always some $39 or $49 product to start out, then once they've got you, they try to sell you more stuff (but to make money, you really need the ADVANCED course, and that'll be $1,995). It's the same old charade.

If I wanted to get into real estate, I'd go to creonline or a site like that. Skip all the sales BS of a "seminar".

[MukulVerma]

Originally Posted by JohnB23

Kiyosaki is a joke, just terrible.

I would avoid all of these "money making system" kits, conference, seminars. It's always a system, or technique, or something you get in a box, like an instant microwavable dinner in a box. The real world just doesn't work like that.

For example, Don Lapre use to sell 1-900 numbers back in the 90's. Remember those? Get your own 900 line, and make $50,000 a week from your tiny one bedroom apartment.

It might even work for awhile, but you don't know anything about the telecom business. What if text messaging comes along? What if cell phones come along?

There's no perspective, there's no depth. There's no meat.

It could be Don Lapre, Kiyosaki, "The Cash Flow System" or whatever it is. It's always some $39 or $49 product to start out, then once they've got you, they try to sell you more stuff (but to make money, you really need the ADVANCED course, and that'll be $1,995). It's the same old charade.

If I wanted to get into real estate, I'd go to creonline or a site like that. Skip all the sales BS of a "seminar".

Please advise your creditentials on being an expert in this area. Have you taken any courses and not succeeded.

Any person with common sense knows a system alone will not make you money, committment and dedication, helping others and working for the greater good will make you do very well.

I thank there people who do not need my money for coming to Toronto and spending time with us.

[JohnB23]

I've had some experience with it.

I'm 28, and in the late 90's, got interested in stocks and trading through Wade Cook. I didn't know much about the market at the time, and Cook was a huge personality, he had a huge training business (selling pagers, seminars, online trading info)and wrote some books that were on the best seller list.

Looking back on it, it was a very shaky trading foundation. I'm glad I didn't go much farther with it.

I enjoyed Trumps book "Art of the Deal" and Richard Branson's biography, "Losing My Virginity", but these packaged "make money" seminars lead people down the wrong road IMO.

Say in the last 10 years, the top infomercial guys that I can think of...

Don Lapre
Kevin Trudeau
Kiyosaki
William McCorkle (he went to jail)

If you google these guys, you see complaints, controversy, all kinds of stuff.

I agree, a system alone won't make you money. But alot of business success comes down to confidence, and if you've been burned by some opportunities, you won't have the confidence that you could have.

I wonder how many people have given up on their dreams of business and investing because they've gotten ripped off or burned in the past (or not know who to trust).

[MukulVerma]

Originally Posted by JohnB23

I've had some experience with it.

I'm 28, and in the late 90's, got interested in stocks and trading through Wade Cook. I didn't know much about the market at the time, and Cook was a huge personality, he had a huge training business (selling pagers, seminars, online trading info)and wrote some books that were on the best seller list.

Looking back on it, it was a very shaky trading foundation. I'm glad I didn't go much farther with it.

I enjoyed Trumps book "Art of the Deal" and Richard Branson's biography, "Losing My Virginity", but these packaged "make money" seminars lead people down the wrong road IMO.

Say in the last 10 years, the top infomercial guys that I can think of...

Don Lapre
Kevin Trudeau
Kiyosaki
William McCorkle (he went to jail)

If you google these guys, you see complaints, controversy, all kinds of stuff.

I agree, a system alone won't make you money. But alot of business success comes down to confidence, and if you've been burned by some opportunities, you won't have the confidence that you could have.

I wonder how many people have given up on their dreams of business and investing because they've gotten ripped off or burned in the past (or not know who to trust).

Honestly if you read any of these guys, Kiyosaki is huge on it, you will fail, you will fail over and over again until you get it right. Trump says it is not smart to put all your eggs in one basket. I love his method that you put 10% of your portfolio in, if it does well, put more. If it does not do well, you are not blow away.

Learning to master failing, learning and growing.

I have personally done 6 business plans, tried 3 ventures, only my original one worked and I have been very successful since I am not scared to fail, hedge my risk and get up and go. I would say that a course will make make you millions, but it will lead you there with hard work, non emotion and so on.

Do not buy a name or based on what they tell you, buy it based on facts.

Exaple my Real Estate agent won Rookie of the year, out of 22 units, he got the lowest price for someone else, I got 3rd lowest. These are facts, you cannot lie or hype up. The guy who reccommended my painter had 5 houses done my this same person. So he is not sellin his friend, he believes in it.

[da1prophet]

Originally Posted by Dave Kaminski

A business partner of mine and I are attending the Learning Annex Real Estate Wealth Expo in Boston, MA on December 2nd and 3rd. (Hope my stalker doesn't read this ) Anywho, has anyone had any luck with this particular forum of people?

I know the Don is a big tool and Kiyosaki may or may not be a liar. Anthony Robbins is another who gets mixed reviews. I can only imagine that this will be a venue for selling $500 video programs and books etc. If Trump's name wasn't on some huge towers I'd doubt he made any money from anything else. He seems like a hustler.

My skepticism aside, I'm going in with a close-to-empty wallet and an open mind. Any tips?

Thanks!

I've read Robbins' books and found them to be of some value. I can't say it changed my life or anything, but there were at least some sound concepts there.

I'm very familiar with the casino gaming industry, and its important to keep in mind that the Donald damn near went bankrupt with his Atlantic City casinos. If you've got the kind of name recognition he does and can't run a casino profitably I really don't have much interest in taking any sort of financial guidance from you. I don't have anything personally against Trump and he's always struck me as a pretty entertaining guy, but a lot of his success was more a case of being in the right place at the right time vis a vis the NYC real estate market. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but its not like he reinvented the wheel or anything. He's done better marketing himself and selling the "character" of Donald Trump than he has at anything else....

Having said that, if you can avoid being hoodwinked by the hype (and it definitely sounds like you can) I think it'll be a worthwhile experience. I know I'd sit through the gig if I were you. I had a professor tell me once that if you got even a single valuable concept, idea, etc. from a book it was valuable to you. I'd suggest its the same deal here. I've found inspiration in a lot of strange places--for example, I've always had this strange fascination with tele-evangelists. Not serious preachers and theologians, but the full on snake oil salesman types that come on late night infomercials and late night AM radio here in the south. I got one of my most financially successful business ideas while watching one of the real bottom feeders of the TV preacher industry, Benny Hinn. Granted, I'm a notoriously non-linear thinker but the light bulb popped over my head due to something I saw "Pastor Benny" doing on one of his shill fests.

Along this line, even if the "Trump-a-palooza" thing you're going to degenerates into a hard sell for books and videos that could still provide inspiration or value--even if its just observing the techniques they use to pitch their wares and what works and what doesn't.....

[da1prophet]

Originally Posted by JohnB23

For example, Don Lapre use to sell 1-900 numbers back in the 90's. Remember those? Get your own 900 line, and make $50,000 a week from your tiny one bedroom apartment.

It might even work for awhile, but you don't know anything about the telecom business. What if text messaging comes along? What if cell phones come along?

There's no perspective, there's no depth. There's no meat.

I know a number of people who've been involved with the 900# industry. Even back in the 1990's, if you were using the sort of "turnkey" type system that Don was shilling you might as well throw your money into the street. I had dinner a year or so ago with a guy that *did* make a fortune in the 900# business--by selling them and servicing them. We talked at some length about Lapre's program--mainly because he was one of the more entertaining late night hucksters. This guy said that he'd be surprised if more than 100 people made *any* money with Lapre's 900# system, let alone $50k a week. This guy got out of the game not long after Lapre's infomercials became ubiquitous on late night TV because he saw the writing on the wall that his "golden goose" was on life support. He said he hasn't regretted his decision for a second...

Lapre does belong in the "Huckster Hall of Fame" but that's really the only credibility I'll ascribe to him....