Question for the Group..

Hi

Interesting thing happened that I'd like to get some feedback from intellegetnt people please.

I have a good friend that about 5 years ago began studying commodity trading.. this guy immersed himself in all the books, video's, seminars he could get his hands on.. If you actually speak with him he knows his stuff.. and he can talk about everything there is to know about trading commodities and the markets.

5 years later...Has he made any money himself.. "NO".. in fact he has lost alot of money actually trading.. which is no big deal if you keep learning from your experiences..

about 6 months ago.. he started offering commodity workshops teaching people " you guessed it "how to make money trading commodities".

Now.. he makes 25,000 a months with these workshop seminars.. teaching people what he could not do himself..

I just spoke with him the other day and we were having a discussion on the markets and he was telling me that I actually should join one of these workshops... I almost died laughing..

then he looked at me with a serious look and said whats so funny??? I said to him.. Ron.. I've known you all these years and you never made any money.. why would I take advice from a guy who has never made money in the particular field I had interest in. He stood dumbfounded... almost like it was such a surprise..

Anyfeedback

thanks

Dan

Dan,

Your sense of outrage is commendable, but perhaps slightly uncalled for.

The old adage that 'those that can, do; those that can't, teach; those that can't teach, write books' is often all too true.

Unfortunately for teachers who can do. And there are a lot of them around too!

The fact that your friend hasn't made money isn't itself a major concern. He has learned his stuff. He has given himself real world experience. He has walked the walk.

There are lots of reasons why someone may not make money at what they do. I'd bet that there are only a small percentage of the good folks who read this board who actually bring home the bucks from theur online marketing. Yet many of them would be classed as experts.

Perhaps your friend lacks the psychological grit needed to thrive in the markets. Perhaps the economy has been against his style of trading. Perhaps he has built his portfolio with too many of the riskier investments. Perhaps there are 100 other reasons.

Does this prohibit him from passing on his knowledge? Not in my opinion. Provided he fulfills three criteria:

1. He really does know his stuff and isn't just regurgitating other expert's out-of-date material.

2. He has learned from his own failures what is is that has held him back.

3. That he does not misrepresent himself. If he claims investment success that is not true, then he is a fraudster and should be shut down immediately.

The world is full of people who make a living by teaching others knowledge that they themselves have not profited from. Give him a break. Maybe one of his students will see the lightbulb flash and make a million. Then who is successful, the teacher or the student?

Martin.


BizE-zine: Success strategies that really work.

Dan,

I tend to agree with you.

I would rather learn from someone who has actually done what I want to do...and they have the T-shirt to prove it.

That doesn't mean I can do it just as well as they did it, or even that I can do it at all. But I think my odds would be better as an understudy of a Do-er than a student of a wannabee.

I believe it is possible to teach something you have never done...and still have successful students. (Some students will succeed in spite of the circumstances, not because of the classroom experience.)

But I would rather work as an apprentice with a journeyman than sit in class listening to Kid-Genious quote from a theory book.

Thirty years ago I spent several years studying electronic technology from books and teachers. Now after thirty years of repairing broadcast transmitters, I can tell you that transmitters don't always play by the rules...it takes the school of hard knocks to learn some of the "tricks of the trade" to get those electronic marvels to produce the magic pictures we all watch on the boob-tube. It often takes long hours in the trenches digging to find the culprit that ruined your day when the transmitter tripped off right in the middle of the NCAA finals.

The theory in the books is behind everything that is happening, but give me a veteran troubleshooter when the picture goes to snow.

Still learning,

JDB


Been there, done that...

"How to get people to pay him for his seminars!"

Don Alm


$3,000/wk from Restaurants