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The Biggest Scams of the 21st Century 43

The Biggest Scams of the

21st Century: Life-

Coaching, the

Entrepreneurial, Personal

Development and New Age

Phenomenon

By Vlad Ciupitu

Today’s society, as we know it, has been formed
on the backs of billions of people’s devotion and
hard work.
These same people rarely get the time to
actually enjoy the benefits that our civilized
society has to offer and continue to remain
oblivious to free time, actual leisure and
comfort.
But there are several groups of people
who for years have struggled to find a way out
of contributing to society and to loaf at the first power” workshops that they organize and you should
category who nevertheless continue to bring • “The workshop focuses on helping you better hurry up because there are only 3 places
actual value into our world. overcome daily life impasses and obstacles” left, and only you have been offered a discount.
These people have decided to exploit the • “Find your true potential, book now for a The rest go full price.
naivety and desperation of the hard working journey to yourself” There are exceptions, as always, but it’s
people by selling them false ideas and promises Sounds familiar? absolutely easy to fall into the trap of throwing
about a way out of the hard work. It’s these adverts that cross our eyes away money to people who decided to skip work
We are not talking about bankers and every day. day and cash in some easy money.
politicians which are, however, the main These so called personal development I have been a client to several “gurus”
parasites of our society. gurus, with certain exceptions of course, realised several years ago as well, there is no shame in
We are talking about lesser parasites. We that surviving in today’s society was not that.
can call them flees or leeches. possible without hard work, and so they decided But I did it out of curiosity.
It’s those people you see advertised to copy some quotes from ancient Buddhism The second I smelled marketing bullsh*t
everyday on your Facebook newsfeeds, where writings and other ideologies, in order to and phony attitude from the “public speaker” (as
they offer you “the key salvation or solution” to persuade the unsuspecting fool to join their they like to call themselves), was the moment I
your problems via their coaching programme. monthly subscription “help” via e-mail and turned away and never looked back.
It’s those people that tell a story about phone or via never ending expensive
how unfortunate and tired of work they were, conferences. 2. The Entrepreneurial Scam
and how they managed to find “the solution” to These conferences are free of charge of
get out of the system and become independent. course, the only fee you have to contribute with This one is the easiest to fall prey to because it
It’s those people that have found their is for the refreshments and the room that they’ve uses your accumulated frustrations towards your
“inner power” and only via their workshops, rented – and it’s quite expensive from their point boring and repetitive job that you currently
will you be able to discover the “secrets” that of view. have.
they have to offer. The free conferences and workshops While I am a convinced believer that we
Be it coaching or personal development, never offer any true information, not even at should all work for ourselves and stop being
this new phenomenon which prays on people’s least the information that they have copied from automatons for corporations, the key to financial
greed and tendencies for an easy way out, have elsewhere. freedom and prosperity does not reside within
fooled tens of thousands of people around the It is just a way of attracting potential the walls of the workshops and the pages of the
world. They have thus become rich by simply gullible clients who will fall for their show with books that these people sell.
talking about concepts and ideas, by selling a couple of nice quotes and “words of wisdoms” The concepts behind being an
packages and workshops which keep the taken from somewhere else as well. entrepreneur are quite simple to read and
clueless (and hardworking for a matter of fact) At the end of the “free conferences”, understand but really difficult to apply in reality.
clients hooked up for years in a perpetual chain they will promote their next day workshop So unless you are ready to do it, and have a
of programmes all destined to offer a better which is worth 3000 euros, yet they offer a really great idea and the finances as well, you
solution every time. special discount to the present people for just 79 can attend thousands of workshops and read
It isn’t long after the line has been drawn euros. hundreds of books, yet there will be little to no
that you realise that these self-proclaimed gurus It is there where they will present some effect on your progress.
in different areas of activities, have collected helpful information. A brilliant man once told me that “If
large amounts of money without producing Information which is easy to Google on you’ve read 5 books on business, you’ve read
anything, and have left the unfortunate the internet. them all.” – Robert Ionescu.
consumers with a stupid smile on their face. There are also books. Their ELITE workshops and
A smile which you can tell it’s not their These people have become writers programmes, their new books or new
smile, but it’s a smile of the deep subconscious overnight and are willing to further offer you a conferences will offer you 98% motivation and
acknowledgement that they’ve wasted time and discount to the current already discounted almost nothing for practical examples.
money on nothing but thin air. trilogy books on “How to do …. in 5 easy steps” I have yet to figure out a business idea
A smile which is borderline to bullsh*t. that will take me to freedom, but purchasing
frustration, due to lack of actual results. For you see, everything they sell is at a products from these overnight self-proclaimed
discount, you are special and if you buy their gurus on entrepreneurial ideas will not offer me
1. The Personal Development Scam product no later than next Saturday, you will get any help.
a package of 2000 euros worth, with just 179.
• “I can teach you to discover your true inner The sits are also limited to any (Continued on Page 45)