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Robert Kiyosaki and Me October 26, 2008Attending my first Robert Kiyosaki seminar was an eye opener in many ways.  Kiyosaki, who wrote the best selling book, Rich Dad Poor Dad, has become a world reknowned leader in the area of financial education.

But for me, the weekend took a surprising turn.

Becoming an Active Learner

One thing I have learned when attending any seminar is to get up to the microphone and contribute in some way at the very beginning.  Two things happen when you do this. 

First, you set the tone for your own experience and what you will get out of the seminar.  By contributing to the discussion early on in a public way, you put yourself in the mindset to be an active learner.  When you are actively engaged in the process, you will internalize your learning much more effectively than just sitting back and listening to what is going on around you.

Secondly, you introduce yourself to the entire room at once.  At these events, you will find that you wind up meeting the very people who are most likely to begin a mutually beneficial relationship. 

The first person I met while standing in line to go in to the seminar was a personal development specialist which is very much in tune with the work I am doing in helping people build customer relationships.  We were meant to meet. 

But when you get up to the microphone, you make yourself easier for those who need you to find you.

What Can You Share with Robert Kiyosaki?

My contribution at the microphone was not earth shattering, but it was on topic.  Robert Kiyosaki simply asked that we share what had brought us to the seminar and what we hoped to get out of it.  I told the story of my fourteen year old nephew, how Robert was his idol and the impression that had made on me. That, coupled with my own lack of financial education beyond balancing my checkbook was what had brought me to the seminar. 

You don't have to wait until you can offer a brilliant insight before you participate at these things.  You do want to be sure you are directly on topic, however.  It would have been inappropriate for me to give a sales pitch about my business or to go into a long spiel about some other investment scheme. Short, sweet, and to the point will get the job done.

In this particular setting, on the subject of investments, economics and making financial predictions, I did not meet anyone who was less informed than I was.  In other words, I was the absolute, hands down ROOKIE in the room.

If you find yourself in a similar situation, it's okay to listen and soak in the information.  Ask questions. People don't mind answering your questions because it helps them solidify their own learning.  So don't be shy about asking someone to clarify a point you didn't quite get.

The point is not to allow your position as a relative newcomer to limit your idea of what you can accomplish. This is true for every aspect of your business.  If there is something you don't know, the fact that you are seeking out the information you need is part of what makes you a legitimate entrepreneur.

An entrepreneur knows how to find people who know more than they do and get whatever facts, figures, experience, and resources they need to move forward.

The Smallest Things Can Have the Biggest Impact

Here was the unexpected surprise I got out of that one little trip to the microphone. 

Robert Kiyosaki had made arrangements for his image consultant, Antoni Patrik to choose five people and create an outer image to match their business offerings. 

One of Robert's business associates was going to be introducing him at an event the next week. Because he is so close to Kiyosaki, he was having difficulty coming up with what he wanted to say.  My story about my nephew gave him the material he needed.  We talked about it over lunch.

That conversation caused him to grab Antoni and point me out to him.  Meanwhile, seated next to me at lunch were the two people in charge of choosing the makeover participants' wardrobes. Antoni came over to speak with them, then turned to me and offered me the chance for the makeover.

Robert Kiyosaki doesn't give this stuff away.  He just makes it possible.  He believes if you give something to someone without teaching, your good intention will be wasted.  If, however, you show them how they can make something happen for themselves, you have really helped them.

The rules were: you pay for the clothes, you get the $1000 consultation session for free, along with hair and makeup.  He did request Antoni be tipped for his time and effort. You were NOT allowed to ask questions. You were NOT allowed to have input on what would be done.

Why an Image Consultant?

The last day, they put up our before photos.  The attendees then guessed what they thought each of us did for a living and how much money they thought we made.  I was told later that they had guessed I was a realtor - not bad since it was a room full of real estate investors.  Still, while they thought I looked "sweet" and would be happy to do a small deal with me, they didn't feel I looked as if I could pull off a major deal.

When the "new" me was revealed, the change was amazing.  Not just in my looks, but in the way I carried myself. Robert asked what kind of an income or deal I could work now and someone in the back said, "Anything she wants!"  

When I got up to the microphone that first day, my knees were knocking together.  Who was I to get up and speak in front of Robert Kiyosaki?  I did it because I knew it was important.

That last day, I wasn't just at the microphone.  The other makeover participants and I were up on the stage.  And we were given command of the room. 

Most surprising was that after studying such serious issues like our current economy and what has led up to today's financial crisis, something as seemingly trivial as a change of hairstyle and clothes should have such a dramatic impact on the people in the room. 

The other four makeover recipients and I realized other people were drawing on the power and confidence we were feeling.  People were coming up to us and thanking us for setting an example. People clamoured for our business cards, to be photographed with us, to meet us and learn from us.  It was mind boggling.

Customer Relationships and Your Client's Point of View

I teach my clients that the most important aspect of building customer relationships is to always frame the process around the customer's perceptions of reality. Everything must revolve around the way the customer sees your product, your business opportunity, your leadership.  That is your first and last point of interest.

The change in outer appearance, and the more subtle inward changes that came along with it made a dramatic shift in the way my prospects perceived me.  They still saw me as being "sweet."  Suddenly, they also saw me as being capable and powerful as well.  A good combination. Honest, trustworthy, good hearted and still strong enough to get the job done. 

One more lesson on top of a weekend loaded with  challenging and interesting concepts.

Robert Kiyosaki, author of the Rich Dad Poor Dad series, and financial education advocate gave an interview with Mike Dillard last night.

Mike Dillard, for those of you who don't know, is one of the key people in our network marketing industry due to his groundbreaking book, Magnetic Sponsoring.  A quote from a recent newsletter of his explains how he has put Kiyosaki's teachings into practice by building his own empire - and building it out; not relying on a single company.

"I’ve been able to produce a multiple six-figure income from my primary opportunity, and a multiple 7-figure income by serving the 95% who said “no” to it…"

During the interview, Robert Kiyosaki was calling all of us to action. If we don't take charge of our own financial futures, NOW, and stop depending on our politicians, bosses, or anyone else to fix things for us, we are going to be in serious trouble.

It was a powerful interview and if you missed it, go to BetterNetworker.com and look for information about the call.

This article is about how Robert Kiyosaki and The Law of Attraction have been at work in my life and business. My purpose in writing about this is to tell you that YOU have the power to do literally anything you set your mind to.

This past August, I was in Los Angeles visiting with family.  I found Robert Kiyosaki's book, co-authored with Donald Trump, Why We Want You to be Rich on my nephew's bookshelf. Since I hadn't read it yet, I spent the afternoon devouring the vital messages the book contained.

I thought a lot of Robert Kiyosaki before, but somehow this book sent me over the edge. It helped clarify an even bigger picture of what I want to accomplish in my business in terms of creating programs that will eventually be available for young people to help them take control of their own financial futures.

That same week, I finally got to see "The Secret."  The Secret teachesThe Law of Attraction which states that you can achieve anything you want, by declaring your intent to have it.  Sounds a bit mystical, I know. 

The way I think of it is this; when you make clear to yourself what a certain goal is, you will then heighten your own awareness of the opportunities and methods that will lead you to the goal. 

You can't wish for a million dollars and expect it to fall into your lap.  But if making a million dollars is your specific intent; you will begin to see the actions you can take to create that income.

So, I told my nephew, Darren, who is a huge Kiyosaki fan, that we were going to put the Law of Attraction to the test. I declared to him out loud that within the next two months, I would meet Robert Kiyosaki.

I didn't know how, when or where, but I knew I could make it happen.

The next day I flew to Austin to attend Mike Dillard's houseboat party. I had never met Mike. I was invited to the party because I had signed up through him for Eben Pagen's Guru Mastermind program. The party was a way for fellow masterminders to get to know each other.  Thanks, Mike!

I told Mike Dillard of my intention to meet Robert Kiyosaki and he grinned at me and basically said, "good luck!"  It turns out that he and his team had been working for months to arrange an interview with Kiyosaki.

To make a long story short, Dillard pulled off the interview last night.  Because I had gone to the houseboat party, I had made it a point to make better use of my time over at his social site, Betternetworker.  I got the word that he had managed to get the Robert Kiyosaki interview and dropped everything to get on that call.

Robert Kiyosaki is holding a seminar at the end of the month in Scottsdale, Arizona.  It's pricey, but not nearly as expensive as it could be.  However, Mike Dillard had arranged for a discounted price for a few of the people on that call.  It made the difference of being able to come up with the money or not for me. 

Truth be told, I would have found a way no matter how much it cost because I feel down to my core that Robert Kiyosaki's message is that important not only for the well being of myself and my family, but for all the people that I work with.

But the invitation wasn't just to attend the seminar.  It was to "hang out" with Mike Dillard and Robert Kiyosaki.  My fingers were hovering over the computer keys waiting for Mike to give the link to sign up, even before I had any idea what I would have to pay.  I'm bound to have been one of the first people to lock in my place.

When I got off the phone, I looked at my calendar.  From the day I made my declaration that within two months I would find a way to meet Robert Kiyosaki to the day I will be shaking his hand, was one month and three weeks!

The series of events that led to this opportunity were put into motion the day after I had made the declaration.

Now, I don't care how you want to describe these events. Was God looking out for me? The power of the Universe? Plain good luck? However you choose to look at it, what you need to GET out of it is this:

You and only you hold the key to your own destiny.

And that key can open any door you want it to.

You just have to set your mind that once the door is open, you'll walk through.

If you want to learn more about how I am building MY business empire, come see me at Renegade University and give the free membership a try.  I will personally walk you through the system and show you how to start taking control of your financial destiny and get your business going and growing.