Short answer:  BOTH!

 

VALUE:

I’m often asked, “Was the Tony Robbins seminar worth my investment?”

My answer is “Yes!”

I definitely came away with 2-3 times the value that I paid for the seminar – and it is value that Priorities Group, Inc. will realize within our business practice.

So, first and foremost, I’m very glad I went to the 5-day Tony Robbins Business Mastery course in Las Vegas #BMLasVegas2016.

(Remember this as you read on.)

That said, I find myself incredibly relieved that Tony Robbins uses his power for good!

And, I do believe that he does.

He is a BRILLIANT businessman, and even better salesman, but he is hell-bent on providing value to the consumer for the dollars they pay him (in all of his businesses.)

His money-back guarantee for this course was a comforting full refund if you didn’t feel that you had gotten “one million dollars of value by the end of the first day” of the seminar.

Well, I didn’t ask for a refund, but I certainly didn’t get one million dollars worth of actionable value on day one. So let’s just agree on that point.

However – if I hadn’t thought at that point that it would bring me the 2-3 times value that I noted above, I could have gotten a full refund.

So at that point, the decision was entirely in my hands, and I decided to stay.

 

KOOL-AID:

But, Caveat Emptor!

If you are considering this course, know that at least two full days of the five day course were (very effective) sales pitches for Tony’s other (and affiliated) products.

They were smoothly integrated into the curriculum; and to be fair, they were very relevant, high quality, and valuable products.

But remember, we were in this room 12-14 hours a day, five days in a row – fully energized, fully “electrified”, and fully engaged.

So if you weren’t careful – and got too caught up – you could have easily  dropped between $20,000 and $150,000 on promotional offers “only available today”, and thus take the value you HAD gained and throw it right into investment in the next product.

And a number of people did just that.

Luckily, although I was moved by the energy in the room, I recognized long-marketing when I saw it; and I remembered that at the time, I was a pre-revenue venture!

The reason all of this is important is that – make no mistake – when Tony enters a room, he causes nothing less than lightning-level electricity: I felt it; the room felt it; it was palpable, contagious, and inspiring.

So I also came away with  an even deeper impression: seeing his power in action, over a room of 2,000 people, I finally truly understood – more than just intellectually – how individuals have created and motivated terrible events throughout history.

Luckily, Tony told people to high-five and hug each other; but others in history with his same magnetic power have told people to kill each other.  And now I understand that power and its two edges first-hand.

And in this light, there was one serious disappointment.

Tony has a Platinum Club, in which it costs about $150,000 annually to fully participate (including travel, etc.)

It promises hobnobbing with powerful people on high-cost adventures all over the world.  His pitch for this club was the culmination to a long story and talking point titled “Proximity is Power”.

Now, the club itself doesn’t bother me.

What didn’t sit well is that he encouraged participation even if you can’t afford it (right now) – with the insinuation that your proximity to power would lead to the income you desire, and more than pay for the cost of the club.  (After all, he, himself lived in a one-room apartment at one time and couldn’t afford the rent.)

That one sales pitch, along with a misleading (and unnecessary) math shell game in one of the tools that he shared for  growing your business, did leave me somewhat unsettled.

As it stands, I am still a Tony Robbins fan at the end of the day.

I saw him do amazing things in that room during the five days; he changed lives right in front of me.

He is exceptionally  good at what he does – he is intuitive, insightful, caring, and one of the best coaches I’ve ever seen. I also made incredibly valuable connections; and am glad to say I made new friends.

So on the whole, in the “Kool-Aid vs. Value” balance, I tip the scales in favor of: VALUE!

If you can afford it – it’s a fantastic experience, and I highly recommend it.

But sew up your pockets, and don’t make any additional investment decisions until you get home.

And prepare to dance – because it’s impossible not to!

P.S.:  In the meantime, check out the documentary on Netflix titled “I’m Not Your Guru”.  It does give a very good “behind the scenes” view on what goes into these mega-events; and evidences how much he cares about his work and the people it affects.

 

Author, Virtual CFO, and Finance Coach
Your First CFO: The Accounting Cure for Small Business Owners” on AMAZON