2016 Fastlane Summit, Official Event Thread

[Cantona7]

Amazing event! Was great meeting everyone!

Big thanks to the presenters. Several times I found myself learning important lessons during presentations that I didn't expect to pertain to me.

My goal for next year is to be a presenter and give something back. Already have my topic planned.

And maybe it was just me, but the best parts of the event were the side conversions at dinner and drinks. I was given so many "a-ha moments" from other attendees during those times. People with the same mindset looking to bring value to one another and trying to solve each other's problems. I'm glad I went out of my comfort zone and tried to talk to as many people as possible.

Just being amongst like-minded people was worth the trip and price of admission alone. Seriously.

See you all next year. At least now I actually know what an @MJ DeMarco looks like!

 

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[entrepreneur7]

Still going through my notes and processing everything. As @Dinho7 mentioned, it's worth taking some time to reflect on everything first before jumping in and trying to implement everything. Our subconscious minds are more valuable than we give them credit. Whether you know it or not, we've all been taking the information we've heard and are already applying it to our businesses, personal lives and other ideas/goals we have in life.

With that being said, let's all take one or two small actions to get the ball moving and get that momentum going. I for one have already recommended Homewyse.com (thanks to @Boom ) to a friend looking to install a patio structure. I've also been inspired to begin using Fiverr again for things that may seem quick and easy to do myself but could end up taking hours or days if I end up going down that rabbit hole. Those are obviously small things that don't immediately impact me or my business, but they've given me that first step in taking something new and implementing it in my life.

Here's an interesting little video that shows the power that one small initial step can have in taking on something much bigger:

 

[LateStarter]

Man, I REALLY screwed up not going.
Sometimes we pick the wrong business priorities.

Bad Call This Time...

Thanks for giving me a good swift kick in the a$$ for not rising above my own playbox.

I'm sorry you couldn't make it as well. It would've been nice to put a face to your stories and contributions. Maybe next year? Or should that say, 'Definitely next year!'

 

[LateStarter]

Also, for those of you Chrome users that need some travel porn for your cubicle (while working towards @Sean Marshall's lifestyle)... Check out the Momentum extension. It replaces your default homepage with travel shot from around the world. You can also add daily primary focus as reminders, ToDo lists, etc.

 

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[randomnumber314]

Alright guys... I'm selling a 50$ bill with the VALUE ADD of being once owned by @MJ DeMarco ....

Who will give me 55$ for it? Find me at the summit...

I still have my $1 from last year, I see he upped the story a bit.

For everyone going, remember Eskil's warning last year, right now you feel fire and motivation, don't waste it.

 

[Guest12120]

What a great event that was! Thanks to everyone that organized it and made sure it ran smoothly @MJ DeMarco @Red @AllenCrawley @Eskil @BaraQueenbee @Kreedos Phoenix And of course thanks to the speakers for generously sharing tons of knowledge. Totally worth three flights and crossing 8 time zones

Now it's time to take action. If any of the attendees is considering selling physical products on Amazon and needs some help let me know. I've been selling on Amazon for the past two years and want to help you get started. Send me a PM here or on FB and I'll help you as much as I can.

 

[Eskil]

Yesterday I had to catch up on some business stuff and unwind in the evening a bit with the family - but I wanted to chime in here too about my experience.

This was my 3rd year attending. Someone said how leaving the event was like leaving behind family, and I know first hand that if you're a first-timer - that feeling can border onto emotional. I remember coming home from my first meetup in a state of "Wtf did I just take part in?" and "I just met (and left) the most incredible extended family I didn't even know I had". Strangely overwhelming and emotional, but in a positive sense.

To the first-timers; I want to welcome you to our special place on earth. Now you see what the old-timers have been talking about. The forum of course is special in its own right, but the annual meetup is the TRUE gold of this community. If you miss out, you are REALLY MISSING OUT.

A lot has already been said about the colossal wealth of information that was shared over the weekend. Both in presentations and during meals, evening chats, etc. Needless to say, I agree with everything. I for sure learned specific, actionable things that I know WILL add revenue to my bottom line this year, and will help scale my own businesses to the next levels going forward.

But I would like to once again emphasize something I touched upon in my presentation;
Be afraid of regret. Do NOT find yourself looking back 6 months from now and wonder why you didn't utilize what you learned this weekend to start or drive your business forward.

Start today. And I F*cking mean, TODAY. I started implementing shit yesterday morning.

 

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[Eskil]

Alright, @MJ DeMarco asked for pics... so here we go...
I didn't get to take as many good ones as I had hoped but these are ok.

 

[Eskil]

End of last day with all the presenters - Q&A

 

[Eskil]

Our family album...

 

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[GPM]

Well here I am sitting at the airport. What a wild week. I even got some action at the airport! My wife doesn't even get that thorough.... Let's just say it was surprising how people just shuffle through the body scanner, they didn't like me asking for a pat down instead.

I have my action item list for the things I need to start when I get home, I am very excited to get it done. I have not yet shared with anyone what my actions are that I need to take, but I think I will share with a few key people to help keep me accountable.

@throttleforward motivated me huge while sitting outside the casino. He mentioned how not wanting to disappoint everyone was a huge motivational factor. Now that I know so many of you, I really don't want to let you down.

Do epic shit!

 

[Sean Marshall]

@Sean Marshall Your story is pretty amazing as well!

Thank you @MacApple!

 

[Vigilante]

Here's one of the first things I did when I got home from the summit.

Crystalized focus from @Kung Fu Steve 's challenge to have a number. An exact number. A non-bullshit etherial number. A stated goal.

I found a statistic on the industry I am entering in 2 weeks - the trajectory for industry data and where the business will be in 2020 compared to 2016.

I then printed it out on an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper, and taped it to the wall. If I skype with you, you'll see it behind me.

(It's a huge f'ing number. And we're aiming for #1 marketshare.)

I then printed a smaller one for my car, and a smaller one for my bathroom mirror. I put a fourth one in the warehouse.

Every time I get up in the morning, I am going to see the trajectory.

Every time I get in my car, I am going to see the trajectory.

Every time I get to the office, I am going to see the trajectory.

Every time I get to the warehouse, I will see the trajectory.

Multiple times a day, a kick in my own a$$. Reinforcing where we are headed, and why.

And we're going to get there.

 

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[Magik]

I don't even know where to begin. To call this event great would be an understatement. Life changing is a more applicable description.

Coming into this event, I had a lot of questions, that can be summarized as this one question: How am I going to overcome these obstacles I am facing? Throughout the event, every one of these questions were answered X100, plus I received way more than I bargained for. The collective knowledge in the room was mind blowing.

@MJ DeMarco @Red - Thanks for putting on a great event. You all do way more than you have to, just because you care.

@Eskil @AllenCrawley - Your assistance with the event is greatly appreciated and I enjoyed your talks immensely. You guys started your businesses at the bottom, which gives great hope to me that I can make it too.

@BaraQueenbee - Thanks for working the coffee station, thank you for the compliments on my accent :embarrased:, and thanks for watching my bag at the airport! I envision a trip to Amsterdam in my future.

@Sasha - Thanks for being an awesome roommate and for listening to my musings!

To all the speakers, all of you were fantastic. Thanks for putting in the time and effort to share your thoughts and experiences!

My biggest takeaways from the event:

-If you are starting at nothing or almost nothing, that's a fine place to start, as long as you start.
-Don't go into a business/market with the thought of "testing something". Don't dabble (credit @LightHouse I believe). Go into a market full throttle with full intent on making it work and making a big splash.
-It's generally better to enter a market that has competition because competition means demand, then it's a matter of taking a portion of that market. My biggest mistakes in the past have been entering into small demand areas with little to no competition. Start with the need! The need comes first!
-The ones who put in the most effort are the one's who will be the most successful. Most people are looking for the shortcut. The obstacle is the opportunity.
-The more value you offer the customer (and showing it in your marketing and product copy), the more your product will seem like the correct choice over other products.
-When accomplishing a goal or task requires the cooperation of a company, start with the people who can say yes. Gatekeepers are trained to say "no".

I will leave you with this...

 

[Silverhawk851]

Wow. Having major FOMO haha
Looks like I really missed out

@Eskil @The-J @TheTruth Looking good boys

P.s where do I buy my 2017 ticket

 

[The-J]

@Eskil and @TheTruth are so photogenic and it's not fair

 

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[Sean Marshall]

"The obstacle is the opportunity."

Brilliant

 

[GPM]

Fast lane rocked that Hill!

 

[Kung Fu Steve]

Here's one of the first things I did when I got home from the summit.

Crystalized focus from @Kung Fu Steve 's challenge to have a number. An exact number. A non-bullshit etherial number. A stated goal.

I found a statistic on the industry I am entering in 2 weeks - the trajectory for industry data and where the business will be in 2020 compared to 2016.

I then printed it out on an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper, and taped it to the wall. If I skype with you, you'll see it behind me.

(It's a huge f'ing number. And we're aiming for #1 marketshare.)

I then printed a smaller one for my car, and a smaller one for my bathroom mirror. I put a fourth one in the warehouse.

Every time I get up in the morning, I am going to see the trajectory.

Every time I get in my car, I am going to see the trajectory.

Every time I get to the office, I am going to see the trajectory.

Every time I get to the warehouse, I will see the trajectory.

Multiple times a day, a kick in my own a$$. Reinforcing where we are headed, and why.

And we're going to get there.

You are incredible -- and you can do it!

We'll skype tomorrow. I'm tired tonight (4 days of no sleep and too much booze will do that to a guy) and I have another workshop in the morning.

Let's rock this thing, team!

 

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[JonnyC]

Re-post from a PM:
---
My main 3 takeaways were

1. Think bigger and pick up the phone (Vig and Red)
2. Eliminate the shit you're bad at (Common and a few others who explained about VAs and processes)
3. Make an exceptional product (Biophase, MJ, Lighthouse and Eskil)

---

I had a really great time at the event meeting you all, and I'm already looking forward to next year's! Going was so worth it, not just for the knawledge gained, but like others have said just for the time spent on the patio or at meals. One specific conversation I had may actually turn into a business deal which would cover the cost of the trip several times over.

"The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire."
Ferdinand Foch

You go through your day, in line at the bank, the grocery store and you see a lot of tired, dormant, faded people. There's no fire, you know. It's sad and sometimes I wish I could open their eyes to what's possible.

Sometimes though, I'm lucky enough to meet someone whose "soul is on fire" out in the wild. When I do, it's like seeing a unicorn.

However... not once in my entire life have I seen so many fiery souls in one room. It blew my mind and I felt so lucky to be present among you.

You guys (and gals) are some of the most fascinating and inspiring people I've ever met, and I sincerely hope 2016 is the best year of your lives.

To those who I met but didn't swap contact information with, PM me to stay in touch. If we talked for more than thirty seconds, you fascinate me and I want to talk to you.

To those who said they were going to do something or post a progress thread, f***ing get on with it!! Better have some good stories (wins or losses) for next year.

 

[csalvato]

Wife and I just got back and settled in. On the journey home, it was really clear this meetup was well worth it for both of us, and our respective businesses.

The only real downside is the emotional drain we both felt as we had to leave. It really was like leaving family. Even going to bed every night during the meetup was difficult, because we didn’t want to leave the conversation, the camaraderie and the knawledge.

The crazy thing is that most people we chatted with were people we met for the first time. Some of my best friends from this forum and meetup are those I have only met in person for a few hours or days. But the impact on my life, and my family’s life, is pivotal. I can’t thank you all enough.

But I’d like to specifically call out:

@MJ DeMarco Thanks for creating this awesome forum and the book that changed both my life and the trajectory of my family. This is something I haven’t said enough, and can’t really be said enough.

@Red Thanks for planning the whole damned thing. I’ve planned events not even 1/10th the size of this thing, and it was hard as hell; you’ve done something amazing here.

@LightHouse Thanks a F*ckton for convincing me to come this year. I almost didn’t come. Not coming would have been a big mistake. Your talk has changed the way I look at every action I take. "Don’t dabble" hits home.

@1step If nothing else, this meetup was just a great excuse to finally meet up with you again in person. When I heard how awesome you did this year, all I could say was how proud I am of your achievements and the freedom you’ve secured for yourself – it inspires me more than almost anything else.

@TheSilverSpoon I can’t believe what one year has done! From affiliate marketing struggles to software development and arbitrage success, your story has been crazy and I hope I can continue to help you this year as you continue to progress.

@biophase Your talk had the most impact on me. There were so many golden nuggets: experience life to find problems; research the shit out of your competitors; embrace the barriers to entry; give consistent, constant effort. I can’t thank you enough for the perspective.

@Envision Your presentation was incredible. Like so many other talks, you made me realize how even when I was running myself into the ground overworking myself, I wasn’t hustling. You define the hustle, have found ways to build an incredible network and take on life without letting anything hold you back. Even though I am over 11 years your senior, I have so much to learn from you.

@Kung Fu Steve It was incredibly awesome and inspirational to hear you speak and finally meet you. The world of self-help is flooded with bullshit artists, but you’re not one of them and it’s really refreshing.

@kamanuci & @GIlman - Thanks a ton for shedding even more light on how to hire people to get the job done right. My hiring efforts in the past have been lukewarm at best, and you made me see the dozens of ways that I was the problem and can hire better. That’s my first priority this year.

@GIlman - Special shoutout to you as we share a common thread in software. Seeing another software guy in this group who has an amazing plan, an amazing background and an amazing business model has been truly inspirational – even more this year than last year.

@thorn - Thanks a ton for sharing your story with me on the first day. Your story has really opened my eyes to the opportunities the hustle can bring, the importance of never being satisfied and how to ensure you have passion in your business.

@throttleforward - In Alexandria you told me you were embarrassed to present about your “little bullshit company” (or something similar), but your story is incredibly inspiring. Your ability to do this while having a demanding full time job, doing consulting and taking care of your family shows me how much more I am capable of, too.

@Arrabista - I can’t believe I only met you twice. Thank you for making my wife and I feel incredibly welcome and at home in the tribe. It’s always inspirational to hear your adventures through the year, and the business opportunities you’re pursuing.

@Vigilante - Your perspectives on crafting business deals and balancing all of the variables at once was enlightening. The fear of non-delivery is still strong with me, despite how hard I work to overcome it. You’ve made me realize it’s a fear worth overcoming.

@Boom - Thanks for sharing your story, struggle, and journey. It was eye opening that no matter where you come from, no matter what shit we go through, success is there if we decide to choose it.

@Sean Marshall - The journey you and your wife have gone through is similar to ours, and you’ve given me a new way to think about living life to the fullest as an entrepreneur with a family. It’s a lesson for which I am truly grateful.

@JonnyC - Your story was like hearing a case study of the amazing advice @biophase laid out in his talk. It’s incredible what you’ve done so far, and I am glad we were able to have a chance meeting so that I could hear your story just before you left.

I still haven’t thanked everyone who had a huge impact on me this year. If your name isn’t on here, chances are it should be - and I’m sorry I couldn’t type it all out!

But all this is nothing without action and execution - so I've got my big rocks to tackle.
Ready. Go!

 

[Envision]

Man, I dont even know where to begin and there's way too much i could say. I reread the book on the plane ride home and reset everything I intend to do in 2016. You all made me realize I wasn't pushing myself enough.

Thank you to @MJ DeMarco and @Red for putting on such a great event and thank you to all of the speakers who provided so much value and blew my mind with what they have done and are doing. I'm still going through notes and applying everything. The best part about this was all of the people that I got the chance to meet and the conversations that were had, everyone was so cool and down to earth I can't wait to see you all again next year.

And thank you to @Vigilante for your motivating words after my speech. I didn't get a chance to thank you and talk to you as much as I'd like to. But it meant a lot and it lit a fire inside me. Thank you.

I feel like this whole event unlocked a part of my brain, that was me holding myself back. Some bullshit beliefs I created a long time ago still lingered in my head before and now their gone.

I'll see you all again soon!

"Don't dabble, don't F*ck around. Just work and execute."

 

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[farmer79]

Well I can't add too much to what has been said other than it is all true. It is very hard for me to get away (business/family) but thanks to a great spouse was able to make it. It was an incredible event.

One major great thing about this event that cannot be stressed enough is that MJ does not desire to be a guru. If anyone has ever attended real estate/personal development events you know that even if you feel like you are getting value the event serves primarily to upsell something to you. Free event/$1000 event/10,000 event/40,000event. I have attended a few 1000 dollar events for real estate because I absolutely love real estate and while I learned a few things it was nothing like the fastlane summit. At the risk of sounding arrogant or like a snob I didn't meet one person that I would want to continue staying in contact with. Why? Because almost everyone there thought they needed a guru to give them all the answers. The tone of the Summit is so completely different. From the official greeting, "What are you working on?" to people buying gumball machines it is truly the coolest most amazing group of people.

Thanks to MJ and Red for organizing and setting up. Thanks to Allen for MCing and not only to all the speakers but all the attendees. I will be hiring 10 VA's to all be sitting on a computer madly clicking to get a ticket next year.

Remember never accept a no from someone who can't give you a yes.

 

[throttleforward]

Had a serious conversation with my wife. She told me not to "pussy out"; I'm quitting my day job March 1.

It's time to go all in.

Thank you again for all of your support. I won't let you guys down.

 

[Vigilante]

Re-post from a PM:
---
My main 3 takeaways were

1. Think bigger and pick up the phone (Vig and Red)
2. Eliminate the shit you're bad at (Common and a few others who explained about VAs and processes)
3. Make an exceptional product (Biophase, MJ, Lighthouse and Eskil)

---

I had a really great time at the event meeting you all, and I'm already looking forward to next year's! Going was so worth it, not just for the knawledge gained, but like others have said just for the time spent on the patio or at meals. One specific conversation I had may actually turn into a business deal which would cover the cost of the trip several times over.

"The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire."
Ferdinand Foch

You go through your day, in line at the bank, the grocery store and you see a lot of tired, dormant, faded people. There's no fire, you know. It's sad and sometimes I wish I could open their eyes to what's possible.

Sometimes though, I'm lucky enough to meet someone whose "soul is on fire" out in the wild. When I do, it's like seeing a unicorn.

However... not once in my entire life have I seen so many fiery souls in one room. It blew my mind and I felt so lucky to be present among you.

You guys (and gals) are some of the most fascinating and inspiring people I've ever met, and I sincerely hope 2016 is the best year of your lives.

To those who I met but didn't swap contact information with, PM me to stay in touch. If we talked for more than thirty seconds, you fascinate me and I want to talk to you.

To those who said they were going to do something or post a progress thread, f***ing get on with it!! Better have some good stories (wins or losses) for next year.

You are on my speaking short list for next year.

 

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[passion518]

Had a serious conversation with my wife. She told me not to "pussy out"; I'm quitting my day job March 1.

It's time to go all in.

Thank you again for all of your support. I won't let you guys down.

I had the same damn conversation with my fiancé! I'm getting married April 1st so I'll be a few months behind you on going all in, but its coming soon...and she's fully on board. Setting everything I learned in place, for now I just don't get much sleep lol.

It's awesome to have her support plus all the inspiration from the amazing network of guys and gals I met at the summit. Like everyone already said, I feel like my family just grew.

Cheers to everyone's successes!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk

 

[ExCubeCommando]

Made it home close to midnight Monday, and with a renewed sense of urgency! When you get older, the more time seems to fly….don’t I repeat, DON’T look back and worry about the years wasted. Take stock in the years you have left.

Being fairly new to all this, just finding out and joining the forum last October, I didn’t know the concept of a fast lane business, or really put much thought into the time vs. money thing. To me, that was just a concept I blew off as just so much Amway MLM type crap, which I had tried years ago.

I just figured one would need to have a regular business, work your a$$ off and trade your product/services for money as it relates to the time and effort one puts into it. It’s pretty much all I’ve been doing for the last 5 years after a layoff.

I only missed about 3 days from my business in exchange for 3 days of meeting with all you outstanding people who came to share your knowledge. Knowledge one cannot put a price tag on, until your time on this Earth is gone and the sum totals of your efforts are finally tallied up in the end as a result of this knowledge gained.

It doesn’t matter the amount, thousands, millions. Who cares? Every dollar more you earn as a result of the information gained from this summit, is a dollar you never would have earned by not putting the information to use.

You’ll see in the photo, the slow lane business of mine, the stack of boxes after a trip to my mailbox and the resulting work waiting for me upon my return to Colorado late Monday night. I’m fortunate though. A lot of people in slow lane business would panic at the thought of taking a few days away from their businesses.

Well, time to get back at it and get caught up with this. Planning to catch this up by tomorrow, and start reading my notes from the summit and laying out some plans!

 

[Sean Marshall]

Had a serious conversation with my wife. She told me not to "pussy out"; I'm quitting my day job March 1.

It's time to go all in.

Thank you again for all of your support. I won't let you guys down.

NICE!!! WAAAHOOOOOO!!!!!

 

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[throttleforward]

NICE!!! WAAAHOOOOOO!!!!!

Your presentation flipped a switch in my head-I said to myself if you could do it, I could too.

Just got a handshake deal to have an official corporate partnership with one of the largest apartment management companies on the east coast. 36000 units!

 

[LateStarter]

Had a serious conversation with my wife. She told me not to "pussy out"; I'm quitting my day job March 1.

It's time to go all in.

Thank you again for all of your support. I won't let you guys down.

That's AWESOME! After hearing your story more outside of the presentation, I know how meaningful this is for you. Having that support at home can be a real game changer.

While I shouldn't speak for everyone, I think it's safe to say that you have our complete support. You've got this!