All Forum Posts by: Miranda Simon

I hate to sound like an echo, but has anyone used Atlas Financial LLC out of Miami? I'm looking to put an application in but want to make sure they are the real deal before handing over my social.

Hey @Miranda Simon, that is a really great question.  I am a real estate mentor, and have been on the side of both paying for so called "gurus", and getting called a "guru" by Facebook trolls. Many people have been burnt by gurus, or haven't had success with guru programs so "guru" has become a negative connotation.

So I'd like to answer your question in three parts:

#1) Why do "Gurus" have a negative connotation?

#2) Why are "Gurus" important?

#3) How to pick a "Guru" and filter out good from bad.

So first, why do Gurus have a negative connotation?

Simply put, because people don't get results for what they pay for.  There are some popular real estate gurus out there like Robert Kiyosaki, *************, and Carelton Sheets.  I have taken all of their courses and it literally changed my life.  I made over $387,000 in passive income in one year by applying the knowledge and found my own real estate niche.  But when I read reviews on them, I hear people calling them snake oil salesman, and all kinds of horrible scathing things.  

So why is my experience of these gurus so different?  Because I actually applied the knowledge whereas the critics didn't take any action.  I offer a real estate course called the flip and flow formula.  I was surprised when I first got started when I saw how many people bought the course, and didn't even open the FIRST module.  You'd be surprised too.  It's over 50%!  And there's nothing I can do to change that.  I can have follow up email reminders, I can have a facebook group, I can put on contests, I can have follow up support..but the old saying is correct, "you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink."  So, in my opinion, many so called gurus get a bad name because people need someone to blame for their own lack of action.  I had one student email me saying, "it didn't work".  Of course, I can see whether or not they watched the course videos.  And I wonder, how can it possible work if you don't watch the training or take action?  How can you catch fish without throwing a single line in the water.  

Second, why are gurus important?

You may have heard of the famous author John Assaraf who wrote the book "The Secret".  He also has owned multiple multi million dollar companies.  When asked about his secret, he said that he just learned from a mentor to follow the blueprint.  If you want to build an airplane, the stupidest thing you could try to do is figure it out on your own.  There's already a blueprint for that.  If you want to do real estate, theres already a blueprint.  Stocks..a blueprint.  The smartest thing to save time and ultimately a lot of money, is to pay for speed.  To pay for the blueprint, instead of wasting time and money trying to recreate the wheel and figure it out on your own.  

Third how do you find the right guru?

Here are my tips:

1) Look for "social proof" of their results.  Do they have video testimonials of people they have helped achieve the result.

2) Do they offer a 30 day money back guarantee?

3) Does what they are teaching match up to your goals?  For example, if your goal is to have passive income, you probably shouldn't be buying a course on flipping houses or wholesaling.  You should be finding out how to buy and hold rental property, apartments, etc.

Hope this helps.

 And how many angels can dance on the head of a pin...you're just a rule-followin' stickler, aincha Miranda? Ain't nothin' shady 'bout you, nosireebob!

@Miranda Simon there is a lot of anti-guru sentiment here on BiggerPockets. Like @Ned Carey , I have also spent a considerable amount of money on guru trainings (maybe not as much as Ned, but approaching six figures). For me, I do not regret spending the money on those gurus because my business did grow 10 times since going through the year long program. In 2015 I did 3 flips. In 2016 (the year of the program) we did 6 plus 1 owner finance deal and invested in some duplexes and an SFR out of state. In 2017 we did 6 flips and 17 buy and holds. And this year we have done 10 or 11 so far.

What I learned in my education, along with the connections I made, has created more than 6 times the cost of the course in networth in roughly a 2 year period of time.  I see myself spending more money in the future to learn from more gurus in the areas that interest me. But I also understand my own personality and that I learn best from working with others and getting coached along the way. So where there can be crooks and honest people in any field, I’m not one to say like @Caleb Heimsoth that they are not worth their time or money. I think it highly depends upon you’re personality whether you get much out of a guru training.

@Miranda Simon well this is one sign of a guru. This is what popped up when I clicked the link on profile page. My spam blocker warned me before I could even click through. Maybe it is time for you to disclose your agenda: