MMA Millionaires 'club'...
Found this interesting. Basically summed up everything I thought to be true about the MMA millionaires club/scheme.
Posted by Will Horneff, Ralph Gracie blackbelt
After reading Ryan's message and particularly a few responses Justin Garcia's post, I decided I wanted to share my experiences in the MMA Mastermind Group which might help other school owners who may be searching for some direction in how to run a business. My start and end to being in the group reminds me of this scene from the classic film "A Christmas Story," which I attached below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdA__2tKoIU
I initially started going to the seminars becuase I needed to learn how to run a martial arts school. There is so much more that goes into running a school than simple knowledge of BJJ. I wanted to provide the best experience, instruction, and customer service for my students and I wasn't really sure where to get that education. Naturally, I sought out people who had already succeeded in that area. I was impressed by both Lloyd and his seminar. In fact I thought it was fantastic and I still think so today, at least the initial one I went to. He laid it all out on the line and opened my mind to so many things that I needed to do to provide better service. And whats even better is that I would pick up little hints and details for where to look to continue my own education. I soon realized that there was so much more that went into running a martial arts school than being a good teacher or having good technique.
Why I got off the bus so to speak:
SELLING THE DREAM
Selling the dream usually involves a rags to riches story, pictures of the speaker in front of expensive cars, exotic locations, fun trips smiling with their wife. The story teller was just like you. They were broke and on their last dime, but they invested in themselves and became part of a mastermind group and with the specialized knowledge that they learned from their mentors they were able to become a success. Usually at some point in their story they make it a point to talk about the fact that they didn't have the money to invest in themselves so they had to borrow it from someone else. You can be just like them...but you have to invest in yourself. If you don't have have money, borrow it from your retired father just get it. They will understand later when you are successful. Those people who are telling you it's a bad idea are haters. They are 97%ers.
CONSTANT UP-SELLING THAT INSULTS YOUR INTELLIGENCE
After a few seminars I decided to expand my knowledge by joining the "mastermind coaching program." A "Little Annies Secret Society" if you will where you could ask questions and get feedback about your business and the way you were doing things. All too frequently questions would be answered with a "I have a product coming out about that....just wait," or "You'll have to attend my August even to find that out," or "That info is only for the highest level of of the mastermind." I remember the moment that I decided that enough was enough. I was on one of the monthly coaching calls when the Coach was telling about this amazing way that he had discovered to decrease the amount of appointment no shows. "Yes finally something that I really need to know. Man I have been struggling with this so bad. Quick let me get my decoder ring and run to the radio." So I asked him what it was. His response: "Oh man listen I'll be going over that in my next August event. It's too hard to explain to you over the phone, I have to show you there"
"Be sure to drink your ovaltine. Ovaltine? A crummy commecial?"
ADVERTISING ONE THING DURING THE PITCH AND THEN CHANGING THE DEAL AFTER YOU SIGN UP
One of the main reasons I signed up for the mastermind was so that I could bring all of my instructors to an instructor training in order for them to become better teachers. The agreement that I signed and still have a copy of to this day advertised that I would be able to bring my instructor(s) plural. At the event it was presented the same way. Months later after I had been paying for the coaching and it was time for the instructor training they decided that only those members who were in highest and most expensive level of the mastermind would able to bring their entire staff, but that people like me that were in the lowest level could only bring 1 person. They said that when the training came around again a year from now (and a year of more payments) I would be able to bring more people.
A MORALLY BANKRUPT VIEW OF PEOPLE AND PURPOSE
97% Whiners vs 3% Winners" and "Money can solve all problems that not having money creates."
This last statement was repeated very often. It is a truism hardly worth putting into words used to validate greed. I am not against making money. I'm not against being prosperous. I work really hard so that i can provide a good life for my family. What I'm against is money being an idol and the ultimate pursuit above the well being of others. I'm against having a utilitarian view of people. Here you have someone selling you the dream, trying to appeal to your greed, telling you that if you give them your money they will give you the tools to be like them. Whether you succeed or fail with those tools is up to you because they make no guarantees. Chasing money is good and only broke 97% whiners are going to tell you otherwise. Don't you want to have a custom Aston Martin, fly in helicopters, go to Hawaii and smile for pictures with your wife? If you call their message materialistic and greedy you are automatically classified as a 97% whiner.
The philosophy that was communicated multiple times for approaching life and business was utilitarian to the extreme. For instance the goal is usually to make lots of money and to do this you need to surround yourself with the 3% and dissociate yourself from anyone who may slow you down or make it more difficult to achieve your goal. Logical and effective, but kind of misses the point of life.....by a lot.
When you fire an employee, don't tell the employee why you fired them. Additionally don't tell any other employee why said employee was fired. That way all your other employees will be paranoid and will be on their best behavior. Will it work? Maybe, but again it kind of misses the point of life by a whole lot. If you want a good competition team you should buy a fighter house, give them transportation to and from the gym, $100 a week for food, free training and have them write blogs and run errands. If they are currently a college student you can give them 60 seconds to decide if they want to drop out of college to join the fighter house. If they take longer than that you automatically write them off and withdraw the offer.
Is this really the kind of thinking and attitude that martial arts instructors should be having towards their students or people in general? In short it is a "no excuses, win at all costs, big money, self help success cult."
One day we are going to take our last breath. At that moment we are going to wish that we treated others the way we want them to treat us. As martial arts instructors isn't the essence of what we do to have compassion and patience for peoples weakness in the hopes of making them stronger? To look out for their benefit? This isn't to say that we shouldn't follow good business practices. A business can't survive without them. But it's a real danger when you take the soul out of martial arts instruction.
I'll leave you with a quote from the email I got when I tried to cancel to allow you to make up your minds:
"Will I'm not sure what to say, out of over 100+ mastermind members you are the only person to have an issue with this. I'm at a loss, I've never had to deal with this from a Mastermind member. Master Lloyd has a strict screening and selection process so that the Members who are selected are not complainers, as you and every one else knows he makes this fact very clear from the first stage."
Sincerely,
Wil
