- Admin
- #1
MJ DeMarco
I followed the science; all I found was money.
Staff member
FASTLANE INSIDER
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Rat-Race Escape!
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
So I just got back from a little vacation in Cabo San Lucas and upon my return home, I also returned with a little food poisoning. That hung me up in bed for 2 days and as such, I was able to catch up with this reality TV series that has the big thread here, which also was recommended that I watch.
While I read much of that thread, I did not read ALL of it as it started to deteriorate.
As of now, I’ve watched 4 episodes and really want to write my own thoughts on it here in a separate thread.
First let me preface the following:
1. I fully believe the American Dream is not only alive and well, it is more accessible than EVER before.
2. I fully believe that building a business from $100 cash (and essentially homeless) to a $1M valuation is possible in a short period of time, say 1 or 2 years (perhaps even in 6 mos)… however, the 90 days as posited on this show is just plain bunk and truly demonstrates how FAKE and SCRIPTED this show is. I’ll highlight why below.
3. All of the BUSINESS CONCEPTS and STRATEGIES highlight by Glenn are SPOT-ON… I found myself NODDING and thumbs-upping every single one…
4. Note that Glenn isn't "following his passion" or anything related to it, but purely fitting his business to market demand. He leaves the passion for his employees... something to make you go "hmmmm..."
In that respect, this show definitely has some teachable moments for all of us.
Unfortunately this show reminds me why I avoid reality TV because reality TV is NOT reality. It's 90% fake, 10% real.
What Glenn is doing in this show— the specifics— are completely contrived, scripted, and/or not repeatable due to the DOCUMENTARY FACTOR, which as the show describes in effect as, “We’re doing a documentary following an older man who has been in the corporate workforce for all his life and now wants to start over by starting a business.” In short, this pretense, even in being fake and not entirely true, is enough for Glenn to work magic as he rolls Erie around with his film crew.
His path (specifically “the team” aspects) are completely due to the DOCUMENTARY FACTOR that has given him a certain mystique and credibility when undertaking his journey.
Think about that for a moment…
THE DOCUMENTARY FACTOR.
Not sure how many of you know how a documentary works, but you can’t just throw ANY BYSTANDER on it without having them FIRST sign a ton of legal papers— waivers, indemnification, releases, more — it’s literally a clusterfuck of legal paperwork and this usually happens before the first contact. These people on this show aren’t just random folks, they had to be pre-screened and selected at some point, then approached, interviewed, and then sign legal paperwork.
When people watch reality TV, they seem to forget that there are 2 cameramen (2 large cameras), and a boom mic operator -- the person being followed literally has an entourage the feigns as fame, notoriety, and/or credibility. All of these help Glenn, every step of the way.
To give you an example…
Using @biophase and @AllenCrawley as an example, if a 55 year old guy (who looked somewhat desolate and desperate) walked into their warehouse (Allen and Kenric work together) and this older guy had this “great idea!” to start a restaurant or a brewery, they’d smile and talk to him for 5 minutes and then send him on his way.
However, if Allen and Kenric got an email 30 days earlier from the Discovery Channel saying “We’d like to include you (and in some respects, your business) in a Discovery Documentary where we are following the trials and tribulations of an older American who is trying to start over in his life as an entrepreneur after 40 years in corporate America, would you like to participate???”
They probably would, and minimally, pay serious attention.
Mostly EVERYONE WANTS TO BE FAMOUS, or at least, get the benefits of fame.
And then when the documentary subject arrives at their warehouse, 3 people are tagging along with him -- two camera men and a boom mic operator — this is the mystique, intrigue, and credibility that GLENN carries around with him as he trolls the streets of Erie. Allen and Kenric probably would pay attention, moreso than some random walk-in.
Without the DOCUMENTARY FACTOR that Glenn can leverage, folks like Allen or Kenric (and ANYONE in Erie) would NOT drop (or minimally postpone) their businesses and start working full time for some random stranger with a dream, and not only that, do it WITHOUT ANY PAY, or ANY written agreement! It’s complete BS.
I get “will you invest in my dream” emails every week. I have no choice but to ignore them, or decline them.
However if one of those emails also included a “hook” like having my book featured on the Discovery Channel or giving me exposure, even if just for minutes, you’d think I’d pay attention? You’d think I’d might show up at some shit-hole house and pull moldy carpet for FREE? You bet your a$$.
If someone believes the American dream is dead, I don’t see this show helping, especially if they try to repeat the same type of things without having the benefit of a documentary crew following them around.
Side note: The billionaire, from his voice to his gestures to his willingness to get dirty in the mud reminds me of @SteveO on the forum. I feel like I’m watching him.
That said, here are the specifics that I found most troublesome...
This entire show is kabuki theater -- the bonus of the theater is the drapes which are real ... Glenn's business advice.
And in my opinion, this "reality show" is NOT showing the average downtrodden American how to truly escape the rat race -- it might actually be proving the opposite. Can you imagine dozens of random people showing up in bars to sell stuff? Every street corner having cars for sale? Every parade filled with vendors? There are reasons why this stuff needs permits and/or permissions from private or public owners.
As an entrepreneur who started off in similar straits just as the fake Glenn on this show, it just isn't realistic. And it's probably going to give a lot of false hope and false expectations to those folks who are still in the "try" mentality of entrepreneurship.
Yes, you can flip cars, sell scrap, work odds jobs, and hustle hard to set yourself off on the right foot and build from there... however I'm not buying any of the "TEAM" aspects of this show. None of it. Period. It merely exists due to the presence and pretense of the documentary ... fame, notoriety, free business PR, whatever... and when the "unpaid, risk taking" team angle falls apart, everything else after does as well. The most realistic aspect here is the hustle/arbitraging.
I'll leave with this quote from @JAJT in the original thread...
Moral of the story - don't come for the "reality" part of reality shows. They are entertainment first and occasionally you might learn a thing or two along the way.
I believe this to be the case with Undercover Billionaire -- tune in for the advice, the splendor of the drapes, ignore the theater.
While I read much of that thread, I did not read ALL of it as it started to deteriorate.
As of now, I’ve watched 4 episodes and really want to write my own thoughts on it here in a separate thread.
First let me preface the following:
1. I fully believe the American Dream is not only alive and well, it is more accessible than EVER before.
2. I fully believe that building a business from $100 cash (and essentially homeless) to a $1M valuation is possible in a short period of time, say 1 or 2 years (perhaps even in 6 mos)… however, the 90 days as posited on this show is just plain bunk and truly demonstrates how FAKE and SCRIPTED this show is. I’ll highlight why below.
3. All of the BUSINESS CONCEPTS and STRATEGIES highlight by Glenn are SPOT-ON… I found myself NODDING and thumbs-upping every single one…
4. Note that Glenn isn't "following his passion" or anything related to it, but purely fitting his business to market demand. He leaves the passion for his employees... something to make you go "hmmmm..."
In that respect, this show definitely has some teachable moments for all of us.
Unfortunately this show reminds me why I avoid reality TV because reality TV is NOT reality. It's 90% fake, 10% real.
What Glenn is doing in this show— the specifics— are completely contrived, scripted, and/or not repeatable due to the DOCUMENTARY FACTOR, which as the show describes in effect as, “We’re doing a documentary following an older man who has been in the corporate workforce for all his life and now wants to start over by starting a business.” In short, this pretense, even in being fake and not entirely true, is enough for Glenn to work magic as he rolls Erie around with his film crew.
His path (specifically “the team” aspects) are completely due to the DOCUMENTARY FACTOR that has given him a certain mystique and credibility when undertaking his journey.
Think about that for a moment…
THE DOCUMENTARY FACTOR.
Not sure how many of you know how a documentary works, but you can’t just throw ANY BYSTANDER on it without having them FIRST sign a ton of legal papers— waivers, indemnification, releases, more — it’s literally a clusterfuck of legal paperwork and this usually happens before the first contact. These people on this show aren’t just random folks, they had to be pre-screened and selected at some point, then approached, interviewed, and then sign legal paperwork.
When people watch reality TV, they seem to forget that there are 2 cameramen (2 large cameras), and a boom mic operator -- the person being followed literally has an entourage the feigns as fame, notoriety, and/or credibility. All of these help Glenn, every step of the way.
To give you an example…
Using @biophase and @AllenCrawley as an example, if a 55 year old guy (who looked somewhat desolate and desperate) walked into their warehouse (Allen and Kenric work together) and this older guy had this “great idea!” to start a restaurant or a brewery, they’d smile and talk to him for 5 minutes and then send him on his way.
However, if Allen and Kenric got an email 30 days earlier from the Discovery Channel saying “We’d like to include you (and in some respects, your business) in a Discovery Documentary where we are following the trials and tribulations of an older American who is trying to start over in his life as an entrepreneur after 40 years in corporate America, would you like to participate???”
They probably would, and minimally, pay serious attention.
Mostly EVERYONE WANTS TO BE FAMOUS, or at least, get the benefits of fame.
And then when the documentary subject arrives at their warehouse, 3 people are tagging along with him -- two camera men and a boom mic operator — this is the mystique, intrigue, and credibility that GLENN carries around with him as he trolls the streets of Erie. Allen and Kenric probably would pay attention, moreso than some random walk-in.
Without the DOCUMENTARY FACTOR that Glenn can leverage, folks like Allen or Kenric (and ANYONE in Erie) would NOT drop (or minimally postpone) their businesses and start working full time for some random stranger with a dream, and not only that, do it WITHOUT ANY PAY, or ANY written agreement! It’s complete BS.
I get “will you invest in my dream” emails every week. I have no choice but to ignore them, or decline them.
However if one of those emails also included a “hook” like having my book featured on the Discovery Channel or giving me exposure, even if just for minutes, you’d think I’d pay attention? You’d think I’d might show up at some shit-hole house and pull moldy carpet for FREE? You bet your a$$.
If someone believes the American dream is dead, I don’t see this show helping, especially if they try to repeat the same type of things without having the benefit of a documentary crew following them around.
Side note: The billionaire, from his voice to his gestures to his willingness to get dirty in the mud reminds me of @SteveO on the forum. I feel like I’m watching him.
That said, here are the specifics that I found most troublesome...
- Glenn’s journey is mostly benefited by the DOCUMENTARY FACTOR (see above).
As Glenn wanders around Erie, he is entouraged by 3 people walking around with him: 2 camera men and a boom operator … You don’t think people will give him special attention? More so than some random bum?
- His flip projects are probably illegal
Trespassing on private property and stealing tires. OK. I can’t speak for Erie, but I know in Chicago or here in Arizona, you’d probably be arrested after a few days of trolling through abandoned property. Abandoned property still has an owner; a corporation, person, maybe a bank. You can trespass on private (or public) property and take what you want. I own land -- if someone rolls onto my property and mines a two ton quartz rock, they've stolen from me. This is either FAKE, ILLEGAL, or the beneficiary of the DOCUMENTARY FACTOR. None of it is good.
In my own example, I once tried years ago to load up my truck with a pile of large rocks I found in the middle of the undeveloped desert -- the rocks weren't dumped or anything, just natural landscape! Within twenty minutes, I had a state land official kick me off the property to telling me it was illegal and if i returned, I would be arrested.
- Selling St. Patty’s gear in a private bar?
Really? Try that. Go ahead and try selling stuff on private property and see how long it takes for the owner (or the bouncer) to KICK YOU OUT. I'm guessing 10 minutes. Again, the DOCUMENTARY FACTOR (see above) allows Glenn to get away with it. I'm sure the owner was OK with it, because well, my bar will be on TV!
- Selling St. Patty’s gear during a parade.
Sorry, in most jurisdictions you can’t do this either without a PERMIT or a LICENSE. They can be terribly expensive. Again, I’m guessing the DOCUMENTARY FACTOR once again gave Glenn this privilege, or he did it illegally.
- Selling a random car on a random street corner, or on private property.
Again, Glenn seems to get away with a lot of stuff. Here in Arizona, if you do that, typically your car will get towed within a day, either by the city, or by the land owner. But again, I’m sure Glenn benefits from having a DOCUMENTARY behind him, so he can just sell his cars on “his favorite corner.” Additionally, where is the title transfer? Notary?
- Glenn can find cars for $1000 and flip them days later for 400% profit ...
Not only once did lightning strike once, but twice and just in days! With 400%+ profits, why not just do that for 3 months?
- The willingness of business owners willing to share their secrets with a potential competitor.
Quite possibly the most ridiculous thing yet and the most audacious affect of having a documentary behind you. Imagine someone walking into Allen or Kenric’s warehouse and saying, “Hey, can you tell me how profitable selling dog gear is? Or personal grooming is? I’d like to maybe start something similar!” Ha Ha — you get a quick “thanks, but no thanks”
And yet, Glenn can do it with ease — to get the coffee lady to talk as well as breweries as if he has some special power. Well he does — the power of the DOCUMENTARY and the power of people wanting to be on television.
- Glenn gets a bank loan to flip a house.
Wow. Tell me, where can I get a loan with a FAKE NAME, NO JOB, NO ASSETS, NO CREDIT and NO SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER? Sign me up! If he has this special knowledge, then he used "special knowledge" something which he wasn't supposed to do.
- Glenn gets a spot at the BBQ FEST.
I’m guessing without the power of the DOCUMENTARY behind him … he would have never gotten a spot. These types for events are typically SOLD OUT months in advance, and also have registrations and applications so only the best are admitted. But Glenn gets a spot and at the last minute, and with no experience. Yea, right.
- Glenn’s visit to the Hospital ER — it only cost him a $250 co-pay.
In other words, he has health insurance and not only that, CADILLAC insurance. Since Obamacare has become law, deductibles are extremely high, $3K, $6K, and $9k. As an entrepreneur, health insurance is one of my biggest expenses, and on top of that, it is shitty insurance.
Every visit to the ER for myself since costs minimally $1,500 or more, depending on tests and treatment.
Glenn, compliments of his Cadillac Health Insurance plan (which is not disclosed in his cost structure) gets out of it with a mere $250 … again, where do I sign up for that?
- What billionaire wouldn’t know that it would take months to get the proper licenses to brew beer?
He has access to the internet and I refuse to believe he is that obtuse. No, this was just a pre-set SCRIPT designed to set us up for the strategy of THE PIVOT.
This entire show is kabuki theater -- the bonus of the theater is the drapes which are real ... Glenn's business advice.
And in my opinion, this "reality show" is NOT showing the average downtrodden American how to truly escape the rat race -- it might actually be proving the opposite. Can you imagine dozens of random people showing up in bars to sell stuff? Every street corner having cars for sale? Every parade filled with vendors? There are reasons why this stuff needs permits and/or permissions from private or public owners.
As an entrepreneur who started off in similar straits just as the fake Glenn on this show, it just isn't realistic. And it's probably going to give a lot of false hope and false expectations to those folks who are still in the "try" mentality of entrepreneurship.
Yes, you can flip cars, sell scrap, work odds jobs, and hustle hard to set yourself off on the right foot and build from there... however I'm not buying any of the "TEAM" aspects of this show. None of it. Period. It merely exists due to the presence and pretense of the documentary ... fame, notoriety, free business PR, whatever... and when the "unpaid, risk taking" team angle falls apart, everything else after does as well. The most realistic aspect here is the hustle/arbitraging.
I'll leave with this quote from @JAJT in the original thread...
Moral of the story - don't come for the "reality" part of reality shows. They are entertainment first and occasionally you might learn a thing or two along the way.
I believe this to be the case with Undercover Billionaire -- tune in for the advice, the splendor of the drapes, ignore the theater.
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum:
Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.
