Who Do They Think They Are?!

[AllenCrawley]

One of my favorite quotes - "Everybody has something to say. Not everybody is worth listening to."

Here's another - "You will be the same person in 5 years as you are today except for the people you associate with and the books you read."

I hope to address the younger men of this forum. The 18 to twenty somethings.

Please note: this does not apply to all in that age group but a small segment. If this does not apply to you please disregard.

Please be mindful of who you admire, look up to, follow, associate with, work with and/or befriend.

Why am I specifically addressing young men? While it's not exclusive, it seems this demographic is the "market" that people with ill intentions target. They target them by promoting, flaunting and exuding bravdo, greed, money, cars and playboy lifestyles.

Here on the forum they may post threads of self worth or photos of checks and stacks of cash. They like to clash with the more well known respected members (bravado/hoping to demonstrate they are alpha males). Or they may actually use same respected members to unknowingly "validate" their successes and claims. They may insult and belittle others for not being as "intelligent" or "enlightened" as they are. All while building up and befriending those that seem ripe for the picking.

In the real world they do much of the same thing using their instagram, snapchat and personal blogs.

They build a cult following of young "like minded" men that want all the materials things that money can buy.

They promote mindsets of excess greed and believe the end justifies the means. They idolize and glorify people, companies and movies that should be examples of what NOT to do.

Why the warning?

Some of these type of people will use their cred and "celebrity" with these young men to convince them to do things that are frankly wrong, illegal or unethical. Or, they get them to work for them for free in hopes of bigger payouts down the line. Oddly those payouts never materialize. Or they get them to invest in "projects" like ad campaigns, websites or even businesses. Or they coerce them to pay for mentoring. Mentoring that simply falls short. Or they get them to start credit cards and lines of credit in their name and in turn, allow the "guru" to use at their discretion.

Unfortunately, I know that my warning will mostly fall on deaf ears. Most people only learn through experience in matters such as these. I can only hope someone will read this and it becomes a turning point in their mindset and cause them to dig deeper before becoming enamored with the next alpha wolf flaunting their "success".

Develop critical thinking skills.

Trust but verify. Truth always survives investigation.

It's worth repeating...
"You will be the same person in 5 years as you are today except for the people you associate with and the books you read." I'll add - "Choose better."



Further reading...

https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/threads/i-am-not-responsible-required-reading.20271/

"I Am Not Responsible for Your Actions on This Forum, or The Actions Of Any Other Participants.

If you engage in any kind of business activity via either indirect (Phone/Email/Skype) or direct (PMs/Threads/Messages) participation of this forum, you are responsible for your actions, not me or my company. If you engage in a partnership, mentorship, agreement, etc. with ANYONE, you are responsible and liable for any and all actions to that effort.

TFF, MJ DeMarco or Viperion Corporation makes no warranty of any person, any person's financial status, any investment, or any strategy other than to provide a medium to communicate. PARTICIPATE AT YOUR OWN RISK.

DO YOUR OWN DUE DILIGENCE BEFORE ENGAGING IN ANY PARTNERSHIP, STRATEGY, BUSINESS, JOINT VENTURE, RELATIONSHIP, EVENT -- I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE. If you receive emails, private messages, or other solicitations by way of this forum, they are not the responsibility of this forum, myself, or my company. If you feel any solicitations are of illegal nature, please report it to me via email at mj - at -thefastlaneforum.com

If you do not agree nor accept these terms, please leave the forum as you are ineligible to participate here.

Additionally, you should immediately read the forum Terms of Service as your agreement to them is required for continued use and access to this site.

Regards,
MJ @ Fastlane"

 

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[IceCreamKid]

Ban Ubermensch. Cyriex was trying to get people to work for him for free too. Ban them all. Who cares.

I was in one of probably the most infamous groups here I think. I don't personally know of many others. What would be helpful to hear?

I'm too hesitant to say much to young untrained ears, as a lot of good, and lifelong friendships, came out of it for me and a handful of others. So I don't want to say that and make it seem like it was all good because it boosted a few into success. In the end you still set your own destiny.

I feel the same way. Lots of good friendships came my way too. One of the guys is even making a legit 7-figure income without having to scam people with shady marketing.

No one has any contact with that person anymore as we all learned quickly it all a front and it was a very toxic person and environment.

Last I heard was that he was leaving the country, not by choice. Screw over enough people and even the country doesn't want you around.

To all of you young kids, take it from a guy who learned the hard way: a real mentor isn't dipping into your pockets, won't be asking you to do pointless work that doesn't add to your skill set, won't be using sketchy marketing tactics, won't be constantly talking about the millions he made, won't be constantly promoting himself, and doesn't have an obsession with being the star of the party. If he starts raising money for some charitable cause like a sick kid then you'd better verify that there really is a sick kid.

If he's over 40 and regularly communicating with a bunch of 20 year olds then you'd better keep your eyes wide open too. It's not guaranteed that he's a scammer, but it sure as hell is a red flag.

Keep your money and invest in yourself through books and real world business actions, not some fake mentor.

Real millionaires don't feel any need to boast about their money because they already know they've got the goods.

 

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[Razz]

So, in my short time here it appears this is a recurring pattern. Imagine that, people that want to better theirselves - find something that works, and make a go of it. There will always be people that will buy and sell shortcuts, take them, and go that route to achieve their objectives.

Snake oil is as old as time. Digital snake oil is pretty easy to figure out. Credibility and authenticity aren't just words. Stop telling me how good you are, how amazing your product is. Show me. The whole verification thing, it's needed - but only when you trust someone.

It takes a lot to give trust, gain trust, and respect it. A lot of people will dress it up in various ways to tease out money to further their valueless objectives. These are generally guru's - riding the coattails of others. Selling an impossible dream, providing no real solution.

Ultimately it's up to you to figure it out. If you're looking to buy - a slick salesman poaching on your greed isn't to blame. They always look for marks, from soft targets to preying on vanity. The Internet allows people to mask themselves, but their product... not so much.

Better yourself, it's a learning experience. I've been mislead by digging through some archives and trying to figure out people's process, and yes - they made me feel like a dumbass. But always remember to look at motive, intent, and what the message is all about. It's part of the learning the process.

It's not them - it's you. Make better, more informed decisions. Learn from your mistakes. Trust but verify, show don't tell. A caveat: learn to show only those that deserve it. And don't be afraid to call it as you see it - i.e. a value waster (a**hole) is generally a value and time waster (a**hole). Be responsible and accountable, back it up by giving your word meaning.

You'll learn who doesn't have the same values, or respect for others.

Those that have stuck around here have made this a pretty awesome place. It's an idea playground - if used responsibly. And somehow, the ones that really care - have filtered the BS the best that they can. Most scammers never go to jail - slick vs illegal is a fine line. A rich fool and his money are soon parted.

Learn to create more value in yourself, and you'll learn to make better, more valuable decisions. And trust your gut - it can save a lot of heartache.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Allen and I enjoyed a cigar last night at the casino and we discussed the usual hodgepodge of forum drama.

This thread came up.

One thing I mentioned is that the specific value of advice (or mentorship) is subjective to our beliefs and values.

If your mentor teaches you how to scam people using unethical (or worse, fraudulent) business practices and that behavior aligns with your value system simply because it generates money, you'll leave the mentorship with "OMG, he helped me tremendously!" or "Wow, I made $15K last month!"

For others with different value systems (Uh, doesn't this border on fraud?) they see the relationship or the advice as "He was a scammer."

So given two individuals reacting on ONE static body of advice, the conclusions drawn will be different and evolving from our inherent value systems.

 

[axiom]

I'll add a couple things I've learned in the last few months:

If you are providing free work for more than a couple weeks with no contract or paperwork in place, leave.

If your "mentor" is constantly talking about the millions he is going to make, without any recent concrete monetary advancements towards those millions, leave.

If you find yourself surrounded by unscrupulous business activities -- masked as "strategy" -- leave.

If someone continues talking about the same deal for over a year, there's a very good chance he hasn't done anything since. So leave.

If you have SPENT more money on an "opportunity" than you've made after a little while (sometimes it does take money to make money in the short term), it is a scam. Leave.

If your "mentor" has a "God complex", get the hell out of there. False bravado is the true betrayer of deep-seeded insecurity (even if the possessing party is unaware).

At the end of the day, I place the blame on myself for putting up with certain things and people for such a long time. That is on me. Yet I know there will be more guys my age that will be blindsided by their own youth, as I was, and waste six months of their lives (and even some money) on somebody who is wholly undeserving.

Yet I'm finding it difficult to feel bitter. I've realized that this is all a reality of business. Now, I am much more prepared for similar situations in the future.

 

[theag]

We should have an entry test on the forum. People get presented with anonymized versions of the Z********n and U********h business opportunity case studies and are only allowed access if they decline both .

 

[Vigilante]

There are really only three main ways to get banned here (or asked to leave, depending on the circumstances):

1. To be such an over the top dumbass that the moderators collectively hate you
2. To be a spammer
3. To have an integrity breach that causes the owner of the forum to not want you in his house as this place suffers by passive association

Those are the three main ways to get banned, although there have been a few creative exceptions. So don't worry about getting banned for bringing things to light. The only thing that usually scatters in the light is cock roaches.

Bullshit artists can't sell their wares here, and eventually head back to the other known bullshit artist hangouts. YOU are the best moderators. Collectively, the forum has a tendency to self regulate. That is always the preferred method of recognizing value or lack thereof.

 

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[theag]

$60k a year... those sound more like your numbers than mine, holmes.

My numbers dont matter here because this is your thread, but they are way higher than 60k/year, 99% passive and automated, made from a sellable asset, not a sales job, and unlike you I dont even need to scam kids on the interwebz to achieve them .

This is the second time you try this here, but unfortunately for you, your opinion doesnt change my reality.

 

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[Razz]

How to be a Victim:

1) Blindly trust someone has your best interests in their heart.

2) Close your eyes, turn off your head.

3) Stop asking questions.

a. This includes others. Those not involved with your venture or industry. You can quickly fact check or evaluate your sanity through someone else’s perspective.
i. Again: You may want to ask someone not in your business.
ii. And not family or with interests.​

4) Think everything is happening to you, and give up control.

a. Most people do things to further themselves, or align with some goal, motive, or plan. You may just be an obstacle, or perhaps fund their way of life.​

5) Give up. Stop trying.

6) Think your time is valueless.

7) Pay someone else to make you money.

a. This is completely different than partnerships with people that have the same work ethic, value system, and reputation as yourself. The same with a proper education, whether from life or books. Many people cannot build their business by themselves, and partner – especially when starting out. The difference here is: are they going to make money with you? Or take money from you.​

8) Disconnect with what you are doing. You aren’t working in a vacuum. You aren’t alone in this world. Look around, there’s people here that have been in your situation.

The good ones, the truly rare unicorns, are the ones that want to help. That want to show you how they overcame the odds.

a. They aren’t trying to show you the way to salvation or redemption. You can save my soul? Really brother, tell me more.​

9) The bigger the show, with the most to gain, attracts only authentic people.

a. Truth: evaluate the merits, the ethic, the work, the end product. Not the story, no matter how persuasive, manipulative, or awe-inspiring. Most people never live up to their hype, their story. Those that under promise and over-deliver – those are the people that care. These kind of people just pitch in because they can, they want to. They don't expect anything back. Stand out in this fashion. Those that do the same will know who you are.​

10) Don’t do due diligence. Over and over again, this is found on here and in life. People are lazy, they cut corners. Some do it maliciously, others don’t. Overall, if you don’t inspect, poke, pry, and uncover – its your own fault. Take my word for it, your Internet Stranger.

11) If it feels funny, sounds strange, or strikes you as off, then something is most likely wrong.

12) Don’t stand for anything, fall for everything, don’t help others, and know deep in your heart you deserve greatness. Create the ultimate recipe that fuels your self-destructive behaviors. Be super ignorant, you can't go wrong. Keeping eating what you find, from the bitterness, over processed and empty crap that has become your life. Because you’re awesomely selfish, a misunderstood genius, or obstinate recluse that can do everything but has nothing to show for their amazing life.

13) Stay knocked down and don’t get up. That’s the best way to let someone else win, to fully embrace your victim status. Most of the time, in a much larger and universal perspective, you may have just gotten the wind knocked out of you. Cheap shots happen, people can surprise you. Those that get defeated by small things only achieve small things. Learn from it, get smarter. Build muscle, get stronger. Develop better. Those that refuse to be defeated by large things make the biggest gains. And it makes everything else comparatively easier.

This post inspired by all of those that are on this journey. The countless souls that have been through this before - whether on this forum in in life. Many of you got lost, will never read this. For those that do - It doesn’t happen overnight, and there’s potholes, IED’s, unexpected detours, and construction that creates the foundation before you start hitting the open road.

While you may never be able to fully understand the scammer or the value drainer, because you may not think that way, you don't have to because you can spot one. Examine, question, and stay cautious – the higher the odds, often the more complacent and accepting people become.

Even when _____ has earned your trust, respect, and admiration – people are still human too. You never know who sold them a line of pyrite masquerading as gold to get where they are. Their can be such a chain of fraud that 100s or thousands have no idea what occurred.

Keep your inner circle small and don’t be afraid to raise your hand. But be damn sure you aren’t just asking a valueless question and are able to back up your assertions. You have a voice to add to the conversation. Cut ties with frauds, make the experience your own personal case study, and move on. Better things await.

 

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[axiom]

Allen and I enjoyed a cigar last night at the casino and we discussed the usual hodgepodge of forum drama.

This thread came up.

One thing I mentioned is that the specific value of advice (or mentorship) is subjective to our beliefs and values.

If your mentor teaches you how to scam people using unethical (or worse, fraudulent) business practices and that behavior aligns with your value system simply because it generates money, you'll leave the mentorship with "OMG, he helped me tremendously!" or "Wow, I made $15K last month!"

For others with different value systems (Uh, doesn't this border on fraud?) they see the relationship or the advice as "He was a scammer."

So given two individuals reacting on ONE static body of advice, the conclusions drawn will be different and evolving from our inherent value systems.

Agreed, completely. I suppose it all comes down to the type of person you want to be -- the type of character you want to maintain.

I always think about life in the following terms:

The only thing that matters at the end of the day is how you feel about yourself. Everything else -- the money, the arbitrary "success" -- is ultimately unimportant. After all, what good does money do you when you die? Absolutely nothing.

I wanted to get into the energy and construction industry because it has been and will forever be a foundational piece of our existence. Dropping all political arguments, we ARE destroying our own world.

And I thought I had found somebody that had the means to change its very fabric. I knowingly ignored his pathetic ramblings of self-deification in favor of his seemingly vast knowledge of the industry; in this I was horribly mistaken. Instead, I found someone so absorbed by his own bitter shortcomings that he found solace in monetary gain at the expense of others. I realized this fact in his actions towards others before I realized it in his actions towards myself. That mistake has costed me money, and most importantly: time.

I want to live every single day without regret. Without doubt. And without guilt. Some have reached the point where guilt is nearly nonexistent, and they are able to f*ck over anyone in their path because it will lead to some "number" that they consider adequate retribution for the pain they've endured. I feel sorry for these people. For one, they will NEVER reach this number. For two, they will ALWAYS blame their failure to reach this number on the ones they've f*cked over. Funny how things work.

We're all here to coexist. In a paradox misunderstood by many: our feeling of self-worth is dependent on our ability to aid those surrounding us. The goal of life is not to relentlessly seek success at the expense of others. In fact, this is a surefire path to failure. My "mentor" severely underestimated the importance of this fact. And he continues to underestimate it, as I have become aware of his desperate attempts to haul his workload onto other unsuspecting kids once again.

It is not of my concern what happens to the oh-so-wonderful-God among us. I've wasted enough time on him. The reason I post this now is that I am sure he will do the same thing to others here as well. Guess that brings it full circle -- helping those around me avoid a toxic tumor of a man is important, I believe.

Anyways, MJ, I apologize for the drama. This radioactive bulls*t should have no place in business. But it does, unfortunately.

PS. Despite the lack of invite, I'd gladly enjoy a cigar with you and @AllenCrawley sometime in the near future.

 

[Supa]

Please take those next words from someone who used to be a selfish idiot..

Stop giving a shit about what you want, start caring about what others want. I don't mean to say to not have goals or lose respect for yourself, but to forget about your own selfish needs in order to make a difference for someone else.

There is nothing better in this world than making another person smile and feel really happy.

I can't emphasize that enough. Everything that happens to you is in your state of mind. If you are only looking for a way to make dollers off people you'll be easy to fall victim to the next guru or money-making-poster-with-a-great-opportunity-that-ends-tomorrow.

Putting your own selfish desires away will help you to see who does what he or she does for the same reasons like you do.

You'll ignore the assholes and find yourself learning from posters like Vig, ICK, MJ, Andy, Allen, bio, Kak, Steve, snowbank, and all the ones of that kind.

It starts within yourself, your beliefs will lead your actions and therefore attract the things into your life that fit those beliefs. This can go the negative way in the form of trusting scammers while chasing money, or it can go the positive way by learning from people who do what they do to make others lifes better.

It's your choice, and it all starts in your mind.

 

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[theag]

OMG, it's deja vu. This road looks familiar...

 

[AllenCrawley]

Law 27

Textbook.

Law 27 from the 48 Laws of Power:

People have an overwhelming desire to believe in something. Become the focal point of such desire by offering them a cause, a new faith to follow. Keep your words vague but full of promise; emphasize enthusiasm over rationality and clear thinking. Give your new disciples rituals to perform, ask them to make sacrifices on your behalf. In the absence of organized religion and grand causes, your new belief system will bring you untold power.

 

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[theag]

@Ubermensch what did you do now?

 

[Andy Black]

Textbook.

Law 27 from the 48 Laws of Power:

People have an overwhelming desire to believe in something. Become the focal point of such desire by offering them a cause, a new faith to follow. Keep your words vague but full of promise; emphasize enthusiasm over rationality and clear thinking. Give your new disciples rituals to perform, ask them to make sacrifices on your behalf. In the absence of organized religion and grand causes, your new belief system will bring you untold power.

Ugh. That's actually written down somewhere for people to follow?! My mind boggles...



EDIT:

Be careful who you listen to.

Be careful who you follow.


Keep the following saying in mind, not just about you, but about others:

"How you do anything is how you do everything."​

 

[GatsbyMag]

Totally, agree, even someone I vehemently looked up to: Tony Robbins. I even wanted to become a life coach after spending months consuming his material. He turned out to be not the person I thought he was, I'm not saying he's a bad person (who am I to judge?) but I am saying that as young people it's very easy for us to model the people we admire because we're so impressionable. That's why it's so important to never consider anyone a "guru" and to always 1. Think independently (critical thinking as OP said) and 2. Understand that there's always more to a person and you can never know their full story.

Just some lessons I've learned.

 

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[Vigilante]

You know who, is guilty of scamming people on the forums.I had believed it would have been punishable, but it seems not.I'm not even complaining for my sake, just doing so to make sure future people don't fall in the same trap.


p.s. pls don't ban me

If ANYONE has ANY specific evidence of ANY forum members scamming ANY forum members or ANY forum members scamming people at all, and you have specific evidence of it, see my post above. We'll take action on credible, real evidence. We'll not take action on rumors, hearsay, second hand stories, or other non-direct communication. Where there is smoke, there is usually fire, but we're not going to start throwing stones at people unless there's a specific reason to. So, if you have a reason, and can back it up, please see above and relay it either publicly or privately, depending on the situation.

 

[jon.a]

One of my favorite quotes - "Everybody has something to say. Not everybody is worth listening to."

Here's another - "You will be the same person in 5 years as you are today except for the people you associate with and the books you read."

I hope to address the younger men of this forum. The 18 to twenty somethings.

Please note: this does not apply to all in that age group but a small segment. If this does not apply to you please disregard.

Please be mindful of who you admire, look up to, follow, associate with, work with and/or befriend.

Why am I specifically addressing young men? While it's not exclusive, it seems this demographic is the "market" that people with ill intentions target. They target them by promoting, flaunting and exuding bravdo, greed, money, cars and playboy lifestyles.

Here on the forum they may post threads of self worth or photos of checks and stacks of cash. They like to clash with the more well known respected members (bravado/hoping to demonstrate they are alpha males). Or they may actually use same respected members to unknowingly "validate" their successes and claims. They may insult and belittle others for not being as "intelligent" or "enlightened" as they are. All while building up and befriending those that seem ripe for the picking.

In the real world they do much of the same thing using their instagram, snapchat and personal blogs.

They build a cult following of young "like minded" men that want all the materials things that money can buy.

They promote mindsets of excess greed and believe the end justifies the means. They idolize and glorify people, companies and movies that should be examples of what NOT to do.

Why the warning?

Some of these type of people will use their cred and "celebrity" with these young men to convince them to do things that are frankly wrong, illegal or unethical. Or, they get them to work for them for free in hopes of bigger payouts down the line. Oddly those payouts never materialize. Or they get them to invest in "projects" like ad campaigns, websites or even businesses. Or they coerce them to pay for mentoring. Mentoring that simply falls short. Or they get them to start credit cards and lines of credit in their name and in turn, allow the "guru" to use at their discretion.

Unfortunately, I know that my warning will mostly fall on deaf ears. Most people only learn through experience in matters such as these. I can only hope someone will read this and it becomes a turning point in their mindset and cause them to dig deeper before becoming enamored with the next alpha wolf flaunting their "success".

Develop critical thinking skills.

Trust but verify. Truth always survives investigation.

It's worth repeating...
"You will be the same person in 5 years as you are today except for the people you associate with and the books you read." I'll add - "Choose better."



Further reading...

https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/threads/i-am-not-responsible-required-reading.20271/

"I Am Not Responsible for Your Actions on This Forum, or The Actions Of Any Other Participants.

If you engage in any kind of business activity via either indirect (Phone/Email/Skype) or direct (PMs/Threads/Messages) participation of this forum, you are responsible for your actions, not me or my company. If you engage in a partnership, mentorship, agreement, etc. with ANYONE, you are responsible and liable for any and all actions to that effort.

TFF, MJ DeMarco or Viperion Corporation makes no warranty of any person, any person's financial status, any investment, or any strategy other than to provide a medium to communicate. PARTICIPATE AT YOUR OWN RISK.

DO YOUR OWN DUE DILIGENCE BEFORE ENGAGING IN ANY PARTNERSHIP, STRATEGY, BUSINESS, JOINT VENTURE, RELATIONSHIP, EVENT -- I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE. If you receive emails, private messages, or other solicitations by way of this forum, they are not the responsibility of this forum, myself, or my company. If you feel any solicitations are of illegal nature, please report it to me via email at mj - at -thefastlaneforum.com

If you do not agree nor accept these terms, please leave the forum as you are ineligible to participate here.

Additionally, you should immediately read the forum Terms of Service as your agreement to them is required for continued use and access to this site.

Regards,
MJ @ Fastlane"

Why?
Because we've seen it happen.
Here.

 

[AllenCrawley]

Reopened as we have many new members who should be reading this and it's gotten buried.

While I did not call out any individual in the OP I obviously crafted my post based on a few notorious members. With that in mind, not all the warning signs are apparent in any one person.

Again,

Develop critical thinking skills.

Trust but verify.

Truth always survives investigation.

Before reaching out to a forum member do as much research on them as possible before entering any type of deal or arrangement. The research includes reading all available information about them on this forum as well as off the forum. Check for scam and fraud reports, attorney general lawsuits and the like.

As always - IMPORTANT! - I Am Not Responsible... (Required Reading)

 

[LibertyForMe]

Thanks Allen. I would also add that looking up to the titans of industry can also be damaging to a person just getting started.

I was listening to Elon Musk's biography and it made me feel like crap. It was definitely motivating, but to sleep for 4 hours in your office and work non-stop and have a photographic memory really just isn't something that I can do.

It was really hard for me to accept that, because I've always felt like I could do anything I wanted to do. But I guess the mature part of me realized that I DON'T want to do that, even "for a few years so I can live like others dream".

So be careful of who you associate with, but also don't set unrealistic expectations for yourself based on 3 or 4 people in the last 100 years who have dominated.

 

[Andy Black]

So, in my short time here it appears this is a recurring pattern. Imagine that, people that want to better theirselves - find something that works, and make a go of it. There will always be people that will buy and sell shortcuts, take them, and go that route to achieve their objectives.

Snake oil is as old as time. Digital snake oil is pretty easy to figure out. Credibility and authenticity aren't just words. Stop telling me how good you are, how amazing your product is. Show me. The whole verification thing, it's needed - but only when you trust someone.

It takes a lot to give trust, gain trust, and respect it. A lot of people will dress it up in various ways to tease out money to further their valueless objectives. These are generally guru's - riding the coattails of others. Selling an impossible dream, providing no real solution.

Ultimately it's up to you to figure it out. If you're looking to buy - a slick salesman poaching on your greed isn't to blame. They always look for marks, from soft targets to preying on vanity. The Internet allows people to mask themselves, but their product... not so much.

Better yourself, it's a learning experience. I've been mislead by digging through some archives and trying to figure out people's process, and yes - they made me feel like a dumbass. But always remember to look at motive, intent, and what the message is all about. It's part of the learning the process.

It's not them - it's you. Make better, more informed decisions. Learn from your mistakes. Trust but verify, show don't tell. A caveat: learn to show only those that deserve it. And don't be afraid to call it as you see it - i.e. a value waster (a**hole) is generally a value and time waster (a**hole). Be responsible and accountable, back it up by giving your word meaning.

You'll learn who doesn't have the same values, or respect for others.

Those that have stuck around here have made this a pretty awesome place. It's an idea playground - if used responsibly. And somehow, the ones that really care - have filtered the BS the best that they can. Most scammers never go to jail - slick vs illegal is a fine line. A rich fool and his money are soon parted.

Learn to create more value in yourself, and you'll learn to make better, more valuable decisions. And trust your gut - it can save a lot of heartache.

^^^ Love this.



I read a story of a business owner who got fed up with his staff always looking for "Who's to blame?".

He wrote a note and put it in his desk.

Whenever the blame game started he'd pull the note out to show everyone.


It said:

"It's my fault."


Then he'd say, "Now, how can we fix it and prevent it happening again?"


Look in the mirror first, then move forward.

 

[AllenCrawley]

When the lights are turned on, the cockroaches flee.

Thank you to all who contributed their experiences and advice.

 

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[The-J]

Hopefully we're not going through another round.

It's going to keep happening, I think. It's not too difficult to gain influence around here if you've got a wealth of knowledge in a particular industry. This forum is mainly populated by people my age: early 20s. We are easy enough to influence and our bullshit meters aren't tuned well enough. Not to mention that a lot of what happens is behind closed doors. Some of the victims of a previous FLF scammer have never shared anything about their story on the forum.

Someone with respect on the forum doesn't need to say anything in the open forum about their business dealings while they scam some poor kid who messaged them to thank them for a post they made.

 

[The-J]

This post is about 2 1/2 years too late... but hopefully it will stop people from seeking shortcuts through Internet hotshots

 

[Ravens_Shadow]

I ended up doing one of these opportunities 2 years ago. Got me out of my comfort zone, did some cool stuff, and learned a shitload.

Despite this, I would highly advise any of the younger guys to follow @AllenCrawley's advice and pick the people you look up to and hang out with very, very wisely, as the endings generally aren't pretty in the slightest.

Do yourself a serious favor and get rid of the wrong friends so you can make room for the right ones.

As noted above, there are many things that have gone on in the background of the forum/off the forum, and it'd be very wise to intensely validate xyz offer/opportunity/deal/partnership is.

 

[Vigilante]

All you people that like to bitch in the shadows

Speak now or forever hold your peace.

If you have anything that you would like to bring to the attention to the mods or the forum owner pertinent to this subject,

1. post it here
2. PM it to a mod that accepts PM's
3. Contact forum management

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

I'll add a couple things I've learned in the last few months:

If you are providing free work for more than a couple weeks with no contract or paperwork in place, leave.

If your "mentor" is constantly talking about the millions he is going to make, without any recent concrete monetary advancements towards those millions, leave.

If you find yourself surrounded by unscrupulous business activities -- masked as "strategy" -- leave.

If someone continues talking about the same deal for over a year, there's a very good chance he hasn't done anything since. So leave.

If you have SPENT more money on an "opportunity" than you've made after a little while (sometimes it does take money to make money in the short term), it is a scam. Leave.

If your "mentor" has a "God complex", get the hell out of there. False bravado is the true betrayer of deep-seeded insecurity (even if the possessing party is unaware).

At the end of the day, I place the blame on myself for putting up with certain things and people for such a long time. That is on me. Yet I know there will be more guys my age that will be blindsided by their own youth, as I was, and waste six months of their lives (and even some money) on somebody who is wholly undeserving.

Yet I'm finding it difficult to feel bitter. I've realized that this is all a reality of business. Now, I am much more prepared for similar situations in the future.

OMG, it's deja vu. This road looks familiar...

 

[Vigilante]

The airing of the greivances on Fedtivus. Fitting.

Not much for the mods to intercede on. It's MJs sandbox, so he can do what ever he wants. We generally would let someone defend themselves against accusations made. We're not going to guide the rules of a bitch fight other than to shut it down.

MJ has parted ways previously with others over substantiated malphesance. Absent of that I've not seen sides chosen in an off-forum incident.

I'd encourage you both to shut the F*ck up, drink some eggnog, and slip into 2017 better for having had the chance to gain a few more scars.

To that end I am closing this shit show down. If either of you want it reopened take it somewhere else.

Merry Christmas.

 

[AllenCrawley]

Am I somehow included in this because my name was used a couple of times? Until I read through this entire thread, I had no idea what this was about.

You never crossed my mind @SteveO

 

[hughjasle]

Some of the victims of a previous FLF scammer have never shared anything about their story on the forum.

I was in one of probably the most infamous groups here I think. I don't personally know of many others. What would be helpful to hear?

I'm too hesitant to say much to young untrained ears, as a lot of good, and lifelong friendships, came out of it for me and a handful of others. So I don't want to say that and make it seem like it was all good because it boosted a few into success. In the end you still set your own destiny.

No one has any contact with that person anymore as we all learned quickly it all a front and it was a very toxic person and environment.