Robert Kiyosaki Training Program

[Behan Salamati]

This is my first post and maybe not the most appropriate way to start participating in the Bigger Pockets community. However, I am a bit frustrated.

Just as a quick background, my paradigm shift occurred when I first read Rich Dad, Poor Dad. Along with a few other well timed catalysts, I changed my projected career path from psychotherapy to real estate investment and financial freedom. I began my journey by first becoming a Realtor and started my education here with the Bigger Pockets podcast. Big shout out to Josh and Brandon for all the exceptional work they have done thus far.

Recently, at the office I was listening to music on Pandora and saw a banner for the Rich Dad® Success Workshop which was taking place in my area. My thoughts...'awesome, this guy helped me take charge of my future, lets see what new benefits he can bring to my life.' Did I mention it was a free seminar! Double Awesome!

The one hour seminar that occurred was outright disturbing. As I assumed (free seminar) Mr. Kiyosaki was not in attendance. Instead one of his "most trusted" trainers lead the seminar. During the seminar, he taught just enough about stock day trading (I was under the impression that the seminar would be about money management and RE investment strategies) to put someone at grave financial risk. It also seemed like the majority of the people in attendance were just hungry enough for a little extra money to try out this system and loose whatever finances they still had in their names.

But don't worry comrades! ...there would be a three day seminar the following weekend for the Low Low price of $599 so "we" could learn more about these amazing investment strategies.

After hearing so much on the podcasts about the evils of "gurus", I was outraged and thought it sad and despicable to see the guru method first hand.

I know this maybe a pointless diatribe, but I am a bit angered to see someone so respected by the podcast guests to be taking advantage of so many unwitting individuals for his own gain and in the name of helping people reach financial freedom.

Maybe I am completely wrong and misguided and if so please let me know. Maybe the up sell training really is exemplary and will change peoples lives. I don't know. All I do know is that I was left embittered and grateful for places like this.

Thank you and once again, much respect to Josh and Brandon for all their hard work and this amazing community they have created.

[Scott Stevens]

They are selling an idea, education, information, etc....

Just like at colleges, they just need one person to go and tell the subject to other people. Start them out with a bacherlor degree (free seminar) and then sell them on a master's degree (3 day workshop). Then out of the master's degree, which still won't explain a whole lot, they'll say they are looking for a select few individual's to join the Rich Dad team and go to their advanced training (PHD). After you get that PHD, you will realize you got jipped and that they never actually discussed anything concrete with you.

Robert Kiyosaki always talks about all his units, but whenever you hear him talk, he sounds like he only speaks concepts. At least you can go and see Donald Trump's buildings. Lately, ever since Robert started getting called out for being a fraud, he has come across as being arrogant and rude. I have really noticed a shift in the way he talks. He talks as though people are idiots. He is not about educating people the way that Bigger Pockets is doing. He is only out to make money of his "educational programs".

Rich Dad Poor Dad was a real eye opener, and I also enjoyed Cashflow Quadrant. Those were really the only two substantial books I saw from him. All his other books just kept repeating phrases and concepts and went in circles.

[Behan Salamati]

A far more succinct explanation of what I began to witness tonight. Thank you

[Naseera Mohamed]

My husband and I also signed up for the 'free' seminar. But my son always checks things out before committing to anuything and he found this to be a rip-off venture and stopped us in time! Pays to go online for a few minutes before doing anything like this!

[Paul Timmins]

@Behan Salamati

Welcome. Remember any free session you will be pitched but 70% of the reason you are there is to shake the hands and talk to everyone there. Time to build the foundation below.

Check out the Start Here page http://www.biggerpockets.com/starthere

Check out BiggerPockets Ultimate Beginner's Guide - A fantastic free book that walks through many of the key topics of real estate investing.

Check out the free BiggerPockets Podcast - A weekly podcast with interviews and a ton of great advice. And you get the benefit of having over 70 past ones to catch up on.

Two Great reads, I bought both J. Scott The Book on Flipping Houses,The Book on Estimating ReHab Costshttp://www.biggerpockets.com/flippingbook

Locate and attend 3 different local REIA club meetings great place to meet people gather resources and info. Here you will meet wholesalers who provide deals and all the cash buyers (rehabbers) you will need.

Brandon Turner put together a good read The Real Estate Agent's Ultimate Guide to Working with Investors

http://www.biggerpockets.com/renewsblog/2013/08/24/real-estate-agents-working-with-investors/

You might consider Niche or Specialized Housing like student housing. Rents can be 2-4 times more. Remember you don't have to own a property to control it.

Download BP

[Engelo Rumora]

Originally posted by @Behan Salamati:
This is my first post and maybe not the most appropriate way to start participating in the Bigger Pockets community. However, I am a bit frustrated.

Just as a quick background, my paradigm shift occurred when I first read Rich Dad, Poor Dad. Along with a few other well timed catalysts, I changed my projected career path from psychotherapy to real estate investment and financial freedom. I began my journey by first becoming a Realtor and started my education here with the Bigger Pockets podcast. Big shout out to Josh and Brandon for all the exceptional work they have done thus far.

Recently, at the office I was listening to music on Pandora and saw a banner for the Rich Dad® Success Workshop which was taking place in my area. My thoughts...'awesome, this guy helped me take charge of my future, lets see what new benefits he can bring to my life.' Did I mention it was a free seminar! Double Awesome!

The one hour seminar that occurred was outright disturbing. As I assumed (free seminar) Mr. Kiyosaki was not in attendance. Instead one of his "most trusted" trainers lead the seminar. During the seminar, he taught just enough about stock day trading (I was under the impression that the seminar would be about money management and RE investment strategies) to put someone at grave financial risk. It also seemed like the majority of the people in attendance were just hungry enough for a little extra money to try out this system and loose whatever finances they still had in their names.

But don't worry comrades! ...there would be a three day seminar the following weekend for the Low Low price of $599 so "we" could learn more about these amazing investment strategies.

After hearing so much on the podcasts about the evils of "gurus", I was outraged and thought it sad and despicable to see the guru method first hand.

I know this maybe a pointless diatribe, but I am a bit angered to see someone so respected by the podcast guests to be taking advantage of so many unwitting individuals for his own gain and in the name of helping people reach financial freedom.

Maybe I am completely wrong and misguided and if so please let me know. Maybe the up sell training really is exemplary and will change peoples lives. I don't know. All I do know is that I was left embittered and grateful for places like this.

Thank you and once again, much respect to Josh and Brandon for all their hard work and this amazing community they have created.

Hi Behan,

Rich Dad, Poor Dad was the book that started my real estate investing and changed my mindset about finance and spending.

I also attended a few seminars and have never felt as uncomfortable as I did at Kiyosaki's.

It was a very very pushy sales pitch and not much content was delivered.

I still think the book is a must read for everyone without the basic knowledge on investing.

Thanks and have a great day.

[Behan Salamati]

@Paul Timmins

Thank you for the welcome Paul. It is a pleasure to finally be here after having listened to the podcasts over the past couple weeks. Thank you for the suggested resources on the website.

@Engelo Rumora

I couldn't agree more with you. Although both the seminar and book did not contain much substance, I also found the book helped shift my frame of reference. As in everything in life we have to start with the basic and general before specializing and strengthening specific skills.

[Engelo Rumora]

Originally posted by @Behan Salamati:
@Paul Timmins

Thank you for the welcome Paul. It is a pleasure to finally be here after having listened to the podcasts over the past couple weeks. Thank you for the suggested resources on the website.

@Engelo Rumora

I couldn't agree more with you. Although both the seminar and book did not contain much substance, I also found the book helped shift my frame of reference. As in everything in life we have to start with the basic and general before specializing and strengthening specific skills.

Thanks Behan and good points

[Jonathan Quintanilla]

I have to agree with what all of you guys are saying. I remember when I was first really learning about real estate I got suckered into the 3 day training program. At the time it only cost me $100 because of this steep discount. I learned some information, nothing I couldn't have learned here honestly, and that's when they pitched the advanced $4000 program full of this and that. 

Kiyosaki's original message and content is still valuable, but, as everyone else said, his organization has become worse and worse by the day.

[Brandon Gentile]

I for one am an ardent Kiyosaki supporter. The man has almost single handedly sparked an entire generation (if not two) of real estate investors. In, all honestly he has done more for - I would venture to guess - 90% of the BP community than any person walking on this Earth in terms of introducing financial literacy and how currency works.

I had no one in my family or any friends who thought this way. After reading all of his books, listening to all of his podcasts, attending a couple seminars, watching dang near any YouTube video I can find on him, and playing his CashFlow game over and over he has cemented in to my brain that assets pay for my liabilities and that cash flow is king. I have never looked at currency the same and nor will I ever. I have him to thank for that and I will do just that some day when I meet him.

Obviously, I still learn from BP and many other people and books and experiences but his mindset/paradigm shift is the one thing people need to gain from Kiyosaki. Take that mindset and bring it to everything that you do in your life.

[Account Closed]

Kioysaki should be on BP and talking to all of us for free. :). Paying it forward does not mean charging for it. Hahahha.

[David Dachtera]

Originally posted by @Brandon Gentile:

I for one am an ardent Kiyosaki supporter. The man has almost single handedly sparked an entire generation (if not two) of real estate investors. In, all honestly he has done more for - I would venture to guess - 90% of the BP community than any person walking on this Earth in terms of introducing financial literacy and how currency works.

I had no one in my family or any friends who thought this way. After reading all of his books, listening to all of his podcasts, attending a couple seminars, watching dang near any YouTube video I can find on him, and playing his CashFlow game over and over he has cemented in to my brain that assets pay for my liabilities and that cash flow is king. I have never looked at currency the same and nor will I ever. I have him to thank for that and I will do just that some day when I meet him.

Obviously, I still learn from BP and many other people and books and experiences but his mindset/paradigm shift is the one thing people need to gain from Kiyosaki. Take that mindset and bring it to everything that you do in your life.

That's an astute observation, Brandon.

See, the "hard" part of real estate investing is not education, though that is of ultimate importance: learn how before attempting to do it, and it's not marketing though you will need buyers or renters in order for your exit strategies to be effective as well as needing sellers and strong team members in order for your lead generation and property acquisition strategies to be effective.

No, the "hard" part of real state investing is entrepreneurship: that which distinguishes the average consumer ("poor Dad") from a successful entrepreneur ("rich Dad").

For example, the average consumer ("poor Dad") looks for ways to spend money. The entrepreneur ("rich Dad") looks for ways to invest money to produce income.

The average consumer looks for reasons why things can't be done. The entrepreneur looks for ways to get things done.

I could go on with those comparisons, but those two are some key fundamentals. Conquer them and rest will fall into place quite easily, almost as if "by magic".

Disclosure: I have no relationship of any kind with Robert Kiyosaki or the Rich Dad organization.

[Brandon Gentile]

Originally posted by @David Dachtera:

Originally posted by @Brandon Gentile:

I for one am an ardent Kiyosaki supporter. The man has almost single handedly sparked an entire generation (if not two) of real estate investors. In, all honestly he has done more for - I would venture to guess - 90% of the BP community than any person walking on this Earth in terms of introducing financial literacy and how currency works.

I had no one in my family or any friends who thought this way. After reading all of his books, listening to all of his podcasts, attending a couple seminars, watching dang near any YouTube video I can find on him, and playing his CashFlow game over and over he has cemented in to my brain that assets pay for my liabilities and that cash flow is king. I have never looked at currency the same and nor will I ever. I have him to thank for that and I will do just that some day when I meet him.

Obviously, I still learn from BP and many other people and books and experiences but his mindset/paradigm shift is the one thing people need to gain from Kiyosaki. Take that mindset and bring it to everything that you do in your life.

That's an astute observation, Brandon.

See, the "hard" part of real estate investing is not education, though that is of ultimate importance: learn how before attempting to do it, and it's not marketing though you will need buyers or renters in order for your exit strategies to be effective as well as needing sellers and strong team members in order for your lead generation and property acquisition strategies to be effective.

No, the "hard" part of real state investing is entrepreneurship: that which distinguishes the average consumer ("poor Dad") from a successful entrepreneur ("rich Dad").

For example, the average consumer ("poor Dad") looks for ways to spend money. The entrepreneur ("rich Dad") looks for ways to invest money to produce income.

The average consumer looks for reasons why things can't be done. The entrepreneur looks for ways to get things done.

I could go on with those comparisons, but those two are some key fundamentals. Conquer them and rest will fall into place quite easily, almost as if "by magic".

Disclosure: I have no relationship of any kind with Robert Kiyosaki or the Rich Dad organization.

That is an awesome response as well. Thank you for tacking that on to the end of my post. That is so true!

[Jay D.]

The short version:

Pro's:

-the 3-day seminar was worth the $525 I paid; it provided a lot of general info and had several workbooks to help you get rid of bad ideas that people have about money

Con's:

-the presenters at the free 2 hour seminar/conference were not completely honest

-$525 for the 3-day seminar (was sold at the end of the free 2-hour seminar/conference)

-At the end of the 3-day seminar, RK's people tried to sell me a course on real estate ...the cheapest was something like $17,000. For people like me that couldn't afford the $17,000 (cash), they eventually called me back after a few days had past and asked if I could afford $4,000 for just a portion of the education...at least it's something, they said

I am an avid supporter of Kiyosaki's "Rich Dad, Poor Dad." So, I went to Kiyosaki's free introductory seminar, hoping to have some "inside tips" to get ahead. They presented some good info about real estate via slides, though it was general/vague. They soon started to create excitement by slowly offering prizes to people who spoke up and "showed initiative". The presenters were pushing the idea that, those who were "go-getters" would be rewarded; it was just the natural consequence of taking action...which has some truth. The Kiyosaki presenters were leveraging tactics to build excitement.

 As the seminar went on, they offered more prizes that were of sequentially more value. This pattern continued as the speaker would periodically pause and ask, "Who wants a free _____." Again, this is a sales tactic to build excitement. For example: At one point, the speaker helped fuel this frenzy by asking, "Who wants this book?" [holding up a book]. He repeated the question and no one did anything. Then someone said, "I want it." His response was, "How do I know?" The room was awkwardly silent until he replied, "How do I know you want it?" The lady got up and walked over and took the book from his hands. He said something to the effect that she was a "go-getter" and we all should applaud her. 

In retrospect, I notice the pattern of increasing excitement and prizes a tactic that worked on the subconscious to lead up to the final sale for a 3-day course taught by a "real estate specialist". "Don't let this opportunity pass you by!" we were told. The Kiyosaki representative was using a sales tactic that is based on the principle of scarcity. It's the same BS about "limited-time offers". They're not limited-time offers...just wait until the next commercial tomorrow or next week.

At the time, I was suckered in. $525 dollars later I had a cheap tablet and some books which I am sure were "valued" at $1,000. So, I was set to go to a 3-day seminar that would take place the following month.

I went to the 3-day seminar and learned a ton of general info. It was like a crash course in general real estate knowledge. If you're just starting, I would say this is worth the money. Again, it's just info, but they had some great general advice and really showed how many different areas that one person can invest in real estate. REO's, wholesaling, trailer parks (and amazing return on investment!), and many others. I had no idea a person could make so many deals so many different ways.

But there was a down side. I asked the speaker at the free seminar if I would learn how to do wholesaling, which I was most interested in. His reply was slightly dishonest. He knew I wanted to have info on specifics of how to complete a wholesale deal. The way I expressed it in person was not ambiguous that I wanted to know how to do a wholesale deal. Instead of answering my question directly, he was sly; he answered it just the way any salesman would: in half-truth.

The presenter (salesman) stated that I would, "...learn all about it [wholesaling houses]." His statement was true--I would learn about wholesaling, but he never did answer what he knew that I was implying, "Will I be able to do a wholesaling deal after this seminar?" He went "around" the question in order to sell me the program. That kind of pissed me off...but hey, I did learn a lot at the 3-day course.

I would recommend the 3-day course, just be careful not to have unrealistic expectations (like me!).

IF YOU DECIDE TO GO TO THE 3-DAY SEMINAR:

-exchange contact info with the people at the seminar as soon as possible! The presenters will tell you that you'll have plenty of time to exchange contact info at the end of the seminar. This is not true! They intentionally control the time at the 3-day course to dissuade people from having contact info.

-bring a blank notebook for notes!

Hope this helps someone! Feel free to let me know if it does!

Truly,

Jay

[Jeremy Roll]

I have just recently learned of Kiyosaki and have been interested to learn more about him and what kind of information he has. I just read "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" and found it very interesting and easy to read. I did notice that it seems to be a book that is full of general knowledge, but nothing specific. 

This thread seems to state the same as other articles I have read about Kiyosaki: a lot of vague, but no specifics. I have read where people have payed the $17,000, or more, for his training and learned nothing more than what they could have learned from a book at Barnes and Noble or from a resource like BP. And he has had many people file lawsuits against him for this "training" with many settling out of court. 

I have been watching many videos on YouTube with Kiyosaki and I have to say I don't like how he keeps calling people idiots and stupid etc. If anything, people are just financially ignorant, to no fault of their own, as the education system is not teaching people how to be, as Kiyosaki consistently points out. So if he knows this about the education system then why call the learners idiots? Makes you wonder if he has a bet with himself to see how high these "idiots" will pay X amount of thousands of dollars for his inside knowledge. Sorry don't really mean to be dogging on him as I think he is a good resource for someone starting out and needing to learn the basics, lingo, general ideas, etc.