SUBMITTED: Friday, September 09, 2005
POSTED: Wednesday, January 11, 2006
I have fortunately not fallen victim to the many scams that are reported here. However, to specifically comment on Don Lapre, and his Making Money offer, I feel it necessary to contribute my thoughts, to perhaps offer some life-long assistance to your readers. This is a great service you offer, however, making people aware of the problem isn't enough.
I am well aware of who Don Lapre is, and for the past 15 years, have seen every single commercial he has ever made. I too do not approve of Don Lapre's methods, his business practices, or any of the other allegations I have read about him.
However, although I sympathize with anyone who has been ripped off, by him, or anyone else, I must place blame ultimately on the consumer, as it relates to Don Lapre anyway.
I have watched television programs that show people who handle snakes, (snake handlers) and have seen them interviewed afterwards, stating that it isn't scary, and that even if the snake DOES bite you, it does not hurt. I'm sorry, but no matter how believable and sincere these people seem, and despite the fact that I am watching it happen right before my very eyes, I am not going to run out and handle a snake. Snakes are dangerous, and must be handled with extreme care, much in the same way a business should be handled.
Tiger Woods makes Golf look really easy, but I can tell you from personal experience, that it is NOT as easy as he makes it seem. Tiger Woods could develop a home study course on how to play better golf, and after reading it, I would still suck at playing golf, and I can't blame Tiger Woods for that, even if he told me in his course that I "should" play better.
However, if I CHOOSE to dedicate myself and my time to playing better golf, and really work hard, and train hard, and practice and practice and practice, and never ever give up, and golf is something that I really want to do with my life, then I can GUARANTEE you that I will be a better golfer, with or without his home study course.
Tiger's "course" isn't going to magically transform me into a Top Notch golfer, without a whole lot of effort (not to mention ability) on my part, much in the same way Don Lapre's course isn't going to magically transform you into a muli-millionaire over-night. It takes far more than mere "desire" to accomplish anything, whether it be successful in business, happily married, or a good father to your children. It takes tons of effort, lot's of hard work, a little luck, and is ultimately all up to you.
I can't blame the tobacco companies for giving me cancer. I can't blame Smith and Wesson for getting shot by one of their guns, I can't blame my children if I am a rotten father, and I can't blame God, if I go to hell.
As I read through all of the posts, it seems abundantly clear that people are looking for their "success" in every place other than where they should be looking, which is in the mirror.
I have been an entrepreneur since I was 18 years old, and today I am 38. I started with nothing but a dim hope, and a pocket full of ambition. No money, and not a new idea mind you. Not a breakthrough, just something I could see myself doing every day, and something I could be “passionate” about. That passion goes deeper than money. I do not have a degree in business, or a degree in anything for that matter.
Throughout the years I have had times where business was booming. Money was rolling in, business was good, and life was great. I have also been through times where I had both legs hanging over the fence of complete and bitter failure, scared out of my mind, fearful I was going to lose everything I had worked so hard for. I have thought about giving up and throwing in the towel a thousand times… but... I never did. Even when times were tough, I hung in there... changed and enhanced things that were not working, cut costs, cut out fringe benefits, all in order to keep the business alive. Throughout the years I have been given some very good advice. I have also been given some very bad advice. I owe no profit to those who gave me good advice throughout the years, no more than I should sue the people who gave me bad advice. I am the one who ultimately acted.
Somewhere, we have lost our basic common sense about things. We've given in to the Hope Preacher. Did you really think Don was going to tell everyone how to do what he did, so he could create millions and millions of competitors? Do you think Bill Gates is going to start publishing the Code to Microsoft, so everyone can have a Software business just like him?
Within each one of us is the ability to live out our wildest dreams, and to live a happy, prosperous, and full-filling life... but.... YOU are going to have to work at it. YOU are going to MAKE that life for YOURSELF, and YOU have to decide what it is you WANT to do. You don't need a magical idea to be successful. You need motivation, ambition, and a never-ending drive to constantly move forward. No course can give you that, even if the idea is revolutionary.
We hear stories about “overnight successes” but fail to realize that it wasn't overnight. Yes, there have been musical groups (or whatever) that appear to have come out of nowhere, but little do you know that for 15 years prior to them becoming famous, they were playing gigs in Barnyards, county fairs, garages, and every other crappy hole in the ground they could get into. No money, no bus, no fame, no glory.
Think about life 120 years ago. There were no cars, and everyone owned a horse. When Henry Ford started talking to people about building an automobile, everyone thought he had completely lost his mind, but with diligence, he succeeded, and automobiles KILL people.
Look at Donald Trump. Was a millionaire, and lost it all, then, came back to become more successful than he was previously.
Before you crucify people, think about your part in this. Does Don's course NOT say, “As with some business programs, you could make more or less?”. I'm sure I read that somewhere.
Are there no classified ads in newspapers any longer? Is there one newspaper on Earth that doesn't have a classified section? Obviously, classifieds work, or you would never see them. That is not Don Lapre's opinion, it's fact. Grab your newspaper if you don't believe me.
Maybe the product you chose was no good. Maybe your ad copy was no good. Maybe your product, and ad copy, weren't fitting for the market you were advertising in. Maybe you didn't give it enough time. I'll bet if you ran a classified ad in tomorrow's newspaper advertising your garage sale, and stated you had baby clothes; your garage would be filled with people by 9:00 a.m.
Think about going into the Staple business, manufacturing and selling staples. Sounds ridiculous, but I can go into any big Kmart or Wal-Mart store, and buy cases of them. Somebody manufactures and sells staples, and makes a darn good living at it. On the outside, it doesn't sound very appealing, but sure enough, there they are on the shelf.
So what's the answer? To truly take a stand on these people who sell “hope” to all mankind, mankind itself needs to not be so naive. You can slam all the bad people in jail, but as long as there are naive people, the problem you have here will never end. Yes, Don Lapre should not be selling his course to anyone, but on the flip side, you should have ever bought it either. And remember, at one point, you were about to do the exact same thing you are avidly protesting now. It's simple, no sales, no Don.
Just realize that your life-long success is something that each one of you already has inside of you. Search deeper, make educated decisions, listen to your “gut feeling”, and when you've done all of these things, remember to never ever give up, even when it feels like failure is right around the corner. Do this, along with treating your customers right, and you'll find success beyond your wildest dreams.