Woo.

He's either selling himself, through more books, tapes, consultations, etc. Or he's a draw to get you in, and then someone else has something to sell toward the end. Unless you're paying for the event, you're being lured.

I've heard many of his infomercials, and what he's selling are called "products." It means anything he can charge you for, typically videos of his courses or speeches. He may charge for the speeches as well, or simply use them as a free sample to get you to buy the video products. I have a couple of his audio products, which are a lot cheaper, and his books are good if you understand what he's all about.

Of course, you don't want the products for their own sake. You want what the products are supposed to create within you, which is motivation, self-control, clear values, compelling goals, etc. He seems to have had the most success with athletes, but also appeals to students and salespeople.

I love the guy.

I like Tony Robbins.

He's obviously making lots of money. I think there is a solid philosophy laid out in his books (and seminars). Read one of his two big books and you've heard what he has to say.

I seriously immersed myself in everything he produced - (along with every other person I could find who talked about discovering yourself and expressing yourself - from Whitman, Emerson, to even the infomercial man Robbins - yes, even the fire walk but I laughed through the whole thing because it is pretty funny).

To me, Robbins is basically saying, you can believe whatever you want, you can aspire to any particular thing, and you can take great strides towards that thing. Pretty simple. I worked through everything laid out in his books in excruciating detail. For me, it helped me tremendously. But if it wasn't using his ideas it would have been someone else's book. There's nothing there you can't figure out yourself quite easily, but it's nice to work someone else's roadmap. I gave it all away along with all the other books, tapes, cd's, etc, that talk about developing and having confidence in yourself.

Read up on NLP, Neuro linguistic Programing and find out what Large-group awareness training, LGAT is.

Or just watch Shallow Hal for an example. ;>)

Semi Tough
Fight Club
Yes Man

There are all better movies on the subject

Yes, but Shallow Hall actually has Tony Robbins in it!

That was a really vile movie.

I never liked the hawkster to begin with but if I had, the indignity of being in that mean-spirited, fat-bashing movie would have convinced me all he is is a media hound.

Don't forget the fire walk. That's one way he made a name for himself. He persuades you that you can walk over hot coals.

I thought he quit doing that, but a few years ago there was a controversy when some people got injured doing the fire walk at one of his "seminars."

If you attend one of his presentations, don't do the fire walk. He can be persuasive, but don't do it.

My wife and brother-in-law went to one of his 3 or 4 day seminars... (my brother-in-law has been to several). In my unprofessional opinion he is a non-religious cult leader, based in self help, rather than religious salvation.

Let me explain. Basically, it's all a money making scam. He wants you to buy his books, his products and most importantly more seminars. He uses the same techniques that any good cult leader does:

- Claims that "I don't make any money off these products, look at all my charitable work"... Meanwhile he has numerous homes, resorts, and a substantial amount of wealth, that continues to grow. While he does have a non-profit or two, I find it hard to believe that he's not making money off of the books, shirts, conferences, etc.

- Gets you to perform amazing feats, but "only with the right mind set" and under his specific guidance. Most famously is the fire walk. This is done on the first day of the basic seminar. He makes sure that everyone can see the giant tree's being burned all day long in the parking lot, everyone can feel the heat. He teaches that you can only do the fire walk with the right mind set, that he's going to teach you. My own relatives have stated that while they were doing the firewalk they once felt their mind slipping from the "mind set" (or whatever he calls it) and their feet started getting warm, so they refocused and things got better. Doing about 2 seconds of research on firewalking reveals this is totally bunk. While there is some danger involved, it's pretty darn safe. He was forced to add a bucket of water to step into at the end of each charcoal path because someone got a burning coal stuck between their toes and ended up with a severe burn... to bad, maybe if he had just kept his mind in the right state he wouldn't have been burned.

- He's every charismatic and quirky enough to have such a large following. He has a story for everything to help people succeed. He's and "expert" polo player (the story, when you get down to it is that he bought that status) He's made his millions from nothing, etc.

- He has disciples that he brings on stage to talk about how Tony's plan has basically saved them and brought them millions.

- He uses known low level brain washing techniques during his seminars. Part is to keep the rooms he has his seminars in very uncomfortably cold (but don't worry, he sells sweaters and polo's in the lobby, oh and all profits from the sale of those go directly to non profits! Please, pull my other leg)... He also uses "Nero Linguistic programing". Using specific speech patterns and other methods to bend people to his will. He even tells people he's doing this, but due to the methodology it doesn't matter, it still works.

- Most telling of all, when my brother-in-law and wife got back, they immediately attempted to "convert" my sister and I. The goal being to go to his week long seminar in his exclusive resort in some foreign country, complete with high price tag and quasi-dangerous unforgettable experience. When my sister and I both balked at the huge price tag, they already had the Tony Robbin's prepared answer, "Money's not the problem, you are. We should overcome any obstacle including money to get there"... Um, no, we live paycheck to paycheck, we can't afford several thousand dollars to go to a resort for a week... If we could, I'd rather have a vacation rather than sitting in a cold room and be forced via peer pressure to do something dangerous in a foreign country.

- Weeks later, when the programing finally wore off, my wife finally realized that he had nothing of any real substance in his seminar. He worked really hard to build her up but there weren't any tools to sustain it herself, it was all fluff in an attempt to get her to purchase the next, longer and more expensive seminar, which would have, by all accounts, been more of the same fluff.

To me, the only difference between him and Joseph Smith is that Tony Robbins doesn't claim to get his power from God and Tony has had the good sense to marry every woman he sees, and has a better PR department, so he gets to fully reap the benefits of his cult while he's alive.

Who the F*uck is Tony Robbins? And why should I care?

Tony Robbins claims he teaches or facilitates empowerment...whatever TF that is. I agree...he's just another cult leader...selling his charisma...and like the one we've all left...or want to...it's all about the Benjamins....

Ron Burr