Conscious Growth Workshop Results (Blog)

[Angela]

D'oh!!! When are you folks gonna start talking about your growth and breakthrough experiences!!!!????


I'm on pins and needles, can you tell?

[James81]

Originally Posted by spirit4711

I'm not sure what the costs would come too, but it sure isn't free.

And: nobody is forced to buy the DVDs.

It seems a bit like saying BMW is too expensive for me. It is, but I don't complain about it .

Heh, I was going to reply to your "consider the costs" portion of your posts, but I decided it's not worth it. The cost of producing a DVD and/or setting up a section on this site to sell a downloadable copy is not the expensive portion of the costs. That's pretty cheap to do actually. The big costs have already been covered by (and built into the) cost of the seminar. *shrug*

And I don't think Steve looks at pricing in terms of costs anyway. I think he looks more in terms of value. What value is offered by this product? At least that's how I imagine he looks at it based on his blog posts.

And when I look at it like that, and look at he cost of the seminar itself (Which was like $500, right?), I ask myself...is the value of the DVD really considered to be half (or over half) of the value of actually attending the seminar?

That I'm not sure of.

[James81]

But on the other hand, the price of the DVD is very much on par with the other personal development products out there. So it's not like he's gouging us in comparison. In fact, his prices when stacked up to other DVD sets are pretty competitive.

I guess I'm trying to understand why, as a whole, personal development products in general are always pricey compared to other products that use the same medium. Any thoughts?

[Mad Scribbler]

Hi Steve, you got it half right when you said I asked someone directions for the nearest slot machine in the sea of slots! That was after I asked a cop whether gambling was legal here. I had such a rush after that!

It opened up things for me. The random acts of kindness excersise was shockingly hard for me. I guess I was afraid of looking stupid or getting rejection. I was couldn't get past opening doors for someone, etc. (lame because those weights aren't challenging for me).

After causing the paradign shifts with the cop and some poor random guy among the slots, I knew I faced the fear of rejection head on with amusing results and then did bigger acts of kindness. During lunch, a woman whose job was to clean tables came up to asked if I needed anything else (which wasn't expected). I told her no, except to tell her that she is doing a great job managing the tables. She told me I made her day. My response was that I'm glad I did, and that she made mine too. The small acts of kindness flowed easier after that; there were too many small instances to remember, and each a small stretch.

I'm glad you did your comfort excersise and went through with this workshop! Everyone there made my day everyday!

[Savage]

Originally Posted by JoeRad

.........do I sound totally bitter???

To me you sound a bit attached to scarcity, but I wouldn't call it bitterness.

If you don't think the DVDs are worth $200-300 to you or if your power is such that $200-300 represents a major burden to you, I'd say it's pretty doubtful that you'll be a good match for the material contained within. Save your money and use it for something else instead.

Personally I think $200-300 is on the low side. $400-500 would be a more competitive choice IMO. But I think $200-300 is such that people who are a good fit for this product will derive far more value from it than that and consider it a very good deal.

As a number of people pointed out to me, I under-priced the workshop too, but I knew that going into it. $1000-1500 would have been more competitive.

This workshop is definitely not for everyone. It's designed for a specific type of person, and that includes someone who has at least reached the level of power necessary to afford the price w/o it being an undue burden to them. If it's an undue burden, that's a clear sign that you're not in the right demographic for it. So you can relax in knowing that it's not a good fit for you and that you aren't missing out on anything you need right now.

[JoeRad]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

To me you sound a bit attached to scarcity, but I wouldn't call it bitterness.

If you don't think the DVDs are worth $200-300 to you or if your power is such that $200-300 represents a major burden to you, I'd say it's pretty doubtful that you'll be a good match for the material contained within. Save your money and use it for something else instead.

This workshop is definitely not for everyone. It's designed for a specific type of person, and that includes someone who has at least reached the level of power necessary to afford the price w/o it being an undue burden to them. If it's an undue burden, that's a clear sign that you're not in the right demographic for it. So you can relax in knowing that it's not a good fit for you and that you aren't missing out on anything you need right now.

See, the thing is, I'm seeing more and more attitudes around her that seem to indicate the tendency to concept of a class-based society, not as a social ill, but as a good. Am I reading to much into this, becuase it certainly is looking that you would prefer everyone 'stay in their class' and only strive what what can be obtained right in front of them. This is in stark contrast to the Steve I remember who taught boundless potential for all persons.

[Savage]

Originally Posted by James81

And I don't think Steve looks at pricing in terms of costs anyway. I think he looks more in terms of value. What value is offered by this product? At least that's how I imagine he looks at it based on his blog posts.

And when I look at it like that, and look at he cost of the seminar itself (Which was like $500, right?), I ask myself...is the value of the DVD really considered to be half (or over half) of the value of actually attending the seminar?

I don't approach this from a cost-plus model because it doesn't make sense to do so in this case. Value is a big part of it, but it's not the only consideration. In terms of value, my main goal there is to underprice what I offer, so there's way more value for most people than what it costs. Then that excess value overflows into goodwill, which in turn helps generate more referrals.

I designed this workshop with a particular type of person in mind. It was never intended for someone who can't afford or wouldn't feel good about spend a few hundred for it. If I try to sell this to people for whom it's not a good match, it will only create customer service nightmares because those people will be disappointed.

People who are broke or close to it generally use a different approach to trying to solve problems than people who can easily afford such a product. Those differences (and the ultimate causes behind them) will make it hard for them to relate to the content. They will most likely either be lost or frustrated by it.

When I create something intended for people that are broke, I release it for free and charge nothing for it, using a media like blogging or podcasting.

[Savage]

Originally Posted by JoeRad

See, the thing is, I'm seeing more and more attitudes around her that seem to indicate the tendency to concept of a class-based society, not as a social ill, but as a good. Am I reading to much into this, becuase it certainly is looking that you would prefer everyone 'stay in their class' and only strive what what can be obtained right in front of them. This is in stark contrast to the Steve I remember who taught boundless potential for all persons.

Not classes per se but merely levels of development. If you develop yourself to a certain point, how hard is it to earn $200-300. An empowered child can earn that much by mowing lawns to buy a new bike.

If your current financial experience is less than that of a child with a strong desire for a shiny new bike, it means your power is rather weak. So how can you benefit from a course that requires a certain minimum level of power to benefit from it?

What you're asking is akin to opening up an advanced yoga class to people who've never done yoga before. That is not a good fit and is only going to frustrate people.

If the price is an obstacle, that's simply because it's supposed to be an obstacle.

[Savage]

Originally Posted by James81

I guess I'm trying to understand why, as a whole, personal development products in general are always pricey compared to other products that use the same medium. Any thoughts?

Duh...

Because what's being sold is not the medium. If you want to buy the medium, you can get blank DVDs really cheap.

[Savage]

Originally Posted by Mad Scribbler

Hi Steve, you got it half right when you said I asked someone directions for the nearest slot machine in the sea of slots! That was after I asked a cop whether gambling was legal here. I had such a rush after that!

It opened up things for me. The random acts of kindness excersise was shockingly hard for me. I guess I was afraid of looking stupid or getting rejection. I was couldn't get past opening doors for someone, etc. (lame because those weights aren't challenging for me).

After causing the paradign shifts with the cop and some poor random guy among the slots, I knew I faced the fear of rejection head on with amusing results and then did bigger acts of kindness. During lunch, a woman whose job was to clean tables came up to asked if I needed anything else (which wasn't expected). I told her no, except to tell her that she is doing a great job managing the tables. She told me I made her day. My response was that I'm glad I did, and that she made mine too. The small acts of kindness flowed easier after that; there were too many small instances to remember, and each a small stretch.

I'm glad you did your comfort excersise and went through with this workshop! Everyone there made my day everyday!

That's really awesome. I edited the post to clarify based on what you wrote. I forgot that you did both of those things.

I was talking to Daan last night, and he was able to start up a conversation with a couple he didn't know in an elevator and get two hugs within less than a minute. That's going to be a hard record to beat! Even he admits it will be hard to top that one.

[Savage]

Originally Posted by Angela

D'oh!!! When are you folks gonna start talking about your growth and breakthrough experiences!!!!????


I'm on pins and needles, can you tell?

I think the most appropriate answer is, "You had to be there."

As you must already know, a breakthrough is an energetic shift. How does one verbalize such a thing?

Be careful not to slip into running the pass-agg pattern in this thread. It's not really appropriate for what was such an intimate and connected experience for a lot of people.

[James81]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

Not classes per se but merely levels of development. If you develop yourself to a certain point, how hard is it to earn $200-300. An empowered child can earn that much by mowing lawns to buy a new bike.

I can attest to this, actually.

A few years ago, the thought of earning extra money beyond my day job seemed like an impossible task.

Nowadays, I think to myself "wow, there are so many opportunities out there that I could easily recoup what I'm making at my day job...and more...if I just find the right focus and offer the right value."

I haven't seen the manifestation in that mindset yet, but I'm confident I will. The fact that I think of it in terms of being "easy" though, really resonates with me and the level of growth I'm at.

Thanks for explaining your position, though, Steve. When you put it in those terms, it does make a lot more sense to me.

[James81]

Out of curiosity, has Erin ever thought about doing a workshop/seminar for psychic development? I bet that would be equally enpowering (in a different kind of way).

Probably equally exhausting too though.

[Mad Scribbler]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

I edited the post to clarify based on what you wrote.

thanks! As you pointed out, its hard to try to verbalize breakthroughs!

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

I was talking to Daan last night, and he was able to start up a conversation with a couple he didn't know in an elevator and get two hugs within less than a minute. That's going to be a hard record to beat! Even he admits it will be hard to top that one.

In getting to know Daan, it isn't surprising, yet I know it was huge for him. Less than a minute? We're talking professional caliber stuff! We'll have to break out the stopwatches and start guns to measure it any quicker than that!

[Angela]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

I think the most appropriate answer is, "You had to be there."

As you must already know, a breakthrough is an energetic shift. How does one verbalize such a thing?

How about "I had an energetic shift!"? Like, an energetic shift in the area of courage talking to strangers, generating intimacy or connection or freedom or whatever, or seeing a relationship or career in a new way. What I'm interested in hearing about is: what's possible now that wasn't before, out of your participation? Like what Erin created for herself about public speaking -- that sort of thing. She verbalized that very well, I think. I love stories about energetic shift! Especially amongst such an inspiring group. It sounds to me like breakthrough was rampant in there -- I'm excited for y'all and eager for news!

(p.s., I think you might be projecting a bit with that pass-agg remark. )

[AuspiciousEight]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

Not classes per se but merely levels of development. If you develop yourself to a certain point, how hard is it to earn $200-300. An empowering child can earn that much by mowing lawns to buy a new bike.

If your current financial experience is less than that of an empowering child with a strong desire for a shiny new bike, it means your power is rather weak. So how can you benefit from a course that requires a certain minimum level of power to benefit from it.

What you're asking is akin to opening up an advanced yoga class to people who've never done yoga before. That is not a good fit and is only going to frustrate people.

The price is only an obstacle if it's supposed to be an obstacle.

Steve,

The only reason you enjoy financial success is because of your customers. The people who read your articles and purchase the products that you create and recommend. People like myself, and others on this forum. If tomorrow no one was behind you, you would be back at where you were at running Dexterity Software. Oddly enough, I still remember some of the articles you wrote back then. And Dweep, for that matter. It wasn't that long ago.

We're offering you honest feedback about the price of a DVD set. If I believe that the price of a product is out of line with the value it offers me, then I'm not going to buy it. Many other people wouldn't buy it either. This isn't because we're suffering from some financial illness. It's because we're intelligent consumers. We won't buy something if we believe it's overpriced.

Certainly, you could just say "next", and sell the DVD set to the other 500 hundred customers who are waiting in line. Certainly there are many people who would buy the set for $300 dollars. Or you can decide, instead, to shoot for the masses. You can decide to raise the consciousness of the whole planet, instead of only a few hundred individuals.

Quite frankly, I feel you're thinking too small. Would you rather sell the DVD set to 500 people, or would you rather sell the set to 500,000 people? Not only are you pricing out the exact customers who need your product the most, but you're limiting your own financial abundance.

Just my opinion, of course. I wouldn't want to speak out too much against the all mighty Steve.

[Erin Pavlina]

Originally Posted by James81

Out of curiosity, has Erin ever thought about doing a workshop/seminar for psychic development? I bet that would be equally enpowering (in a different kind of way).

Probably equally exhausting too though.

Yes I've thought about it a lot. I have a lot of options and i"m not sure what's best.

I could do a 1 hour presentation or a 1 day workshop.
I could do it on life path stuff: career, relationships, etc.
I could do it on psychic development
I could do it on becoming a professional intuitive

not sure what the biggest draw would be. I should probably post a poll on my site to find out

[seeker5]

Originally Posted by Erin Pavlina

not sure what the biggest draw would be.

Which of these would be the biggest path with the heart for you?

[Gooseus]

Hey Steve, thanks so much for the workshop, it was a great experience and everyone could tell that you were pouring out all of your energy in to it. What struck me was how much you wanted everyone to understand and start viewing their life through the lens of the principles (I still want to call your model the Triforce of Pavlina... to me Truth/Love/Power is quite reminiscent of the Wisdom/Power/Courage Triforce from Zelda), it was like all my best teachers in school, you couldn't help but learn because they're connection with the material and with helping others understand it was so powerful.

As for breakthroughs, the analogy that comes to mind is that if we looked at our true self/potential as a core of Awesome frozen inside of an iceberg, then we could see breakthroughs as anything that melts or breaks away a noticeable and significant amount of that ice and brings us closer to that core.

I've never been to a Tony Robbins seminar or anything similar with ra-ra techniques and social pressure... but from what I've gathered speaking to others and what I imagine in my mind is that in these types of seminars Tony or others take dynamite and blow out various sides of the iceberg and create large change and progress to the core in a short amount of time... which is good, but still leaves you with a large lopsided iceberg.

At Steve's workshop, I feel like what he did is helped us with a few fractures in the ice on different sides and then taught us to analyze the iceberg ourselves and make our own fractures in specific areas which will weaken the overall integrity of the iceberg and eventually cause sheets to fall off and enormous collapses on all sides. He also taught us (this was my big lesson) that by allowing yourself to be open to the warmth of Love, you can melt the iceberg as a whole on all sides while you work at chipping away.

For me, the biggest lesson was that if you don't open your yourself to Love and connections, you keep your iceberg out of the sun... and while you can analyze the iceberg from all sides and in many different ways, and toil at the iceberg with hammers of all sizes, if you deprive yourself of the warmth of Love, then the ice will be hard, unyielding and subject to re-freezing.

So yeah, my own TLP analogy:

Truth - Your analysis of the iceberg's integrity, structure and makeup... you can hammer away all you want, but if your strikes aren't well placed, you can waste a ton of energy without making much headway

Love - The energy you apply to the iceberg from without... is your iceberg in the shade close to the North Pole, or have you put it the direct sunlight and are moving it closer to the equator?

Power - Your hammer and icepick... all the analysis in the world won't help you if don't pick up your hammer swing, and ice melts real slow just watching it.

Man, I had a lot of fun writing and thinking about this... inspiration has been coming to me huge for the last few days. I still have a bunch of ideas to share with everyone and I think I'll start a couple threads of my own (definitely start the one I promised Shauna and everyone else I'd talk about at the end of the workshop)

I had a tremendous time meeting everyone and connecting (which isn't my strong suit) with so many people... I think I might just drive out to Vegas to hang out for the next workshop even if I don't actually by another ticket for the shop itself, then sit outside the room at 12 and 5pm to go to lunch/dinner/shows with all the attendees (let me know if that's cheating Steve).

As for those discussing the DVD price... I can't say whether the price will be worth it. I don't want to hurt sales, but I must be honest and say that a good amount of the actual content is already present in the blog and in the book. For me though, being present with so many people of like-mind and around the energy was the most valuable part... you can watch videos of expert athletes playing golf or tennis really well and teaching you pointers, but playing tennis or golf with those people will have way more impact on your game. The same goes for learning to be more conscious, you can watch these people talk and interact on a video, but being conscious around conscious people is going to have way more impact since there are communication channels open between everyone present which extend way beyond the limited bitrate of audio and video.

Really though, the price is QUITE reasonable, I once bought the full DVD set of Sex and the City for my ex gf's birthday, it cost $200something dollar (on sale) and that was 7 seasons of conscious-lowering garbage (my apologies to those that have a strong connection to SJP or that show). What Steve's giving you for the same price is not just a DVD set but a Home Study Course complete with DVDs and most likely worksheets and some other material. For those who are unsure, I'd personally say save your money now... then continue to save some more money and be sure to sign up for the Early Bird on the next workshop.

Alright, enough from me for now... look for my new threads to discuss more concepts and explore other ideas regarding TLP, Humanity's alignment, and the next Great Leap Forward, all coming soon...

One Love,
Shawn Marincas

[Savage]

Originally Posted by AuspiciousEight

Steve,

The only reason you enjoy financial success is because of your customers. The people who read your articles and purchase the products that you create and recommend. People like myself, and others on this forum. If tomorrow no one was behind you, you would be back at where you were at running Dexterity Software. Oddly enough, I still remember some of the articles you wrote back then. And Dweep, for that matter. It wasn't that long ago.

We're offering you honest feedback about the price of a DVD set. If I believe that the price of a product is out of line with the value it offers me, then I'm not going to buy it. Many other people wouldn't buy it either. This isn't because we're suffering from some financial illness. It's because we're intelligent consumers. We won't buy something if we believe it's overpriced.

Certainly, you could just say "next", and sell the DVD set to the other 500 hundred customers who are waiting in line. Certainly there are many people who would buy the set for $300 dollars. Or you can decide, instead, to shoot for the masses. You can decide to raise the consciousness of the whole planet, instead of only a few hundred individuals.

Quite frankly, I feel you're thinking too small. Would you rather sell the DVD set to 500 people, or would you rather sell the set to 500,000 people? Not only are you pricing out the exact customers who need your product the most, but you're limiting your own financial abundance.

Just my opinion, of course. I wouldn't want to speak out too much against the all mighty Steve.

I shot for the masses with blogging and podcasting.

I shot for a different audience with my book. It was never intended for the masses... hence the title.

This workshop and these DVDs definitely aren't aimed at the masses. They're aimed at people who are in a good position to become conscious transformational leaders themselves.

I'd rather sell 500 copies of these DVDs to the right people than 500,000 to the wrong people. Hundreds of new leaders will have far more impact at this time than hundreds of thousands of "customers."

[Savage]

Just to be super clear, if you don't feel good about buying the DVDs as they are priced or for any other reason, do not buy them.

How simple is that?

[Angela]

Thanks, Shawn! It sounds like you got tools for generating breakthroughs for your future, is that right? and that aligning yourself with love may be one of your most powerful overall tools?

(It's funny, that sex and the city box set sprang to my mind, too, when I was reading about the value of the dvd sets )

[AuspiciousEight]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

This workshop and these DVDs definitely aren't aimed at the masses. They're aimed at people who are in a good position to become conscious transformational leaders themselves.

I see.

When will you have a workshop for the rest of us?

[SMA]

Nice post, Shawn, and you know I look forward to hearing more!

To all of you who attended, thank you SO much for being so open -- it was such a joy getting to know you a little. I know I missed even saying hello to lots of people since our time was limited, but this is the beginning of very good things.

About the DVD's, I was speaking to the gentlemen Steve hired and they are VERY experienced and I would presume talented, having produced packages for people like Jack Canfield, etc.. Steve obviously hired the best in order to provide further value to people, whether we attended the workshop or not.

While we can't possibly pass on the 'connection' we all felt (although some early posters in this thread said they feel it! ), the lessons and examples would prove valuable to someone who was in the mindset to really learn from the material. (I'd like to think we're all connected anyway, not just because we're human but by virtue of being interested in a personal growth/development forum such as this.)

Shauna

[Erin Pavlina]

Originally Posted by seeker5

Which of these would be the biggest path with the heart for you?

They all have a heart. I think actually the answer is to do all of them. The question is, which one first? I dearly love helping people remember their life purpose and giving them the tools to get going on that path. I like to motivate and empower people to achieve their goals.

I'd also love sharing what I've learned as a professional intuitive to help create other professionals who can go out there and help others.

I'll have to see what's next. Maybe my guides can help me out

[Manomanman]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

I was talking to Daan last night, and he was able to start up a conversation with a couple he didn't know in an elevator and get two hugs within less than a minute. That's going to be a hard record to beat! Even he admits it will be hard to top that one.

I gave Daan about 7 hugs in the 30 minutes before I left, and his presence attracted me to sleep in and miss school on Monday (a huge synchronisity). That morning, we were helping another attendee have a powerful "power growth experience" and I hope Daan was able to create an even stronger experience with her after I left. We actually showed her how to walk up to a winning slot-player and say things like, "Rob the casino blind!!!" which in turn created insane smiles all around

This is Jesse BTW for anybody who wants to PM me. I'm no longer considering cutting myself off from the world into my own private Darkworker universe!

[Angela]

Originally Posted by Manomanman

I'm no longer considering cutting myself off from the world into my own private Darkworker universe!

Now, THAT sounds like a triumph over the past!

[Manomanman]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

Not classes per se but merely levels of development. If you develop yourself to a certain point, how hard is it to earn $200-300. An empowered child can earn that much by mowing lawns to buy a new bike.

If your current financial experience is less than that of a child with a strong desire for a shiny new bike, it means your power is rather weak. So how can you benefit from a course that requires a certain minimum level of power to benefit from it?

I was about to post the same thing.

One thing most non-attendees won't understand is the shift in vibrational alignment that everybody experienced. Simple exercises like asking a stranger if its legal to gamble in Las Vegas produced unbelievably profound shifts in the attendees, and then the energy they shared in laughter with that person resonated with everybody at the conference. If you've never experienced a dense interconnectedness like that before, your conscious growth will forever be stunted.

By the end, we were all connected to each other in many complex ways. It's like a complex web of interconnectedness.

Even though I didn't connect with Steve directly (no hugs or kisses), I connected with people who literally changed my life, and through them, I connected with Steve indirectly.

That workshop was worth $15000 to $25000 in terms of the 10% value rule. In other words, Steve added roughly $200,000 worth of economic value to the average attendee. I am confident that my income will go from $20,000/year to something like $200,000 by the end of next year. And on top of that, my life will be infinitely more meaningful.

If I am able to stay on the path of conscious growth, my annual income will surpass the million dollar level in a few years.

I have a lot of very powerful feedback (I'm an expert public speaker and expert evaluator), but I'm not sure if the world will receive any value in return for it, due to the weakness of my connection with Steve. I suppose if the other conference-goers wanted to share some of it with Steve (I told a lot of conference-goers what I thought), it might get integrated into the next workshop.

Feel free to PM me if you want to stay in touch,
-Jesse

P.S. My blog will be up and running soon, as promised

[James81]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

Just to be super clear, if you don't feel good about buying the DVDs as they are priced or for any other reason, do not buy them.

How simple is that?

I think you should do an 8000 word blog post explaining it in more depth for us.


























j/k

[seeker5]

Originally Posted by Manomanman

One thing most non-attendees fail to understand is the shift in vibrational wavelength that everybody experienced.

Please, let's not assume that everybody at the workshop experienced the same thing simply because you and the people you talked to did. I can assure you, not every single person experienced the same thing.