About Jared Psych Laurence

Psych set out to master the game and has made a rapid (yet incredibly difficult) transformation. Since entering the community, he has been ranked “best new pua” was a coach for the show MADE on MTV, has been a speaker at world wide self-improvement seminars, and has authored many articles, which include writing for Thundercat’s blog and The Seduction Bible, has gained degrees in Pedagogy (the science of teaching) and is currently working on his Ph.D. in Psychology.

As an author, “21 Convention” speaker, and Psychology Ph.D. candidate, he has learned, practiced or winged with all the big seduction gurus. Psych has learned every theory and style out there, created a massive social circle filled with beautiful women, had a long lasting relationship that consisted of couple-sarging (picking-up women with your girlfriend), and has traveled the world coaching men.

His method involves an easy, free flowing structure based on classic psychology and the progression of pick-up, as well as a natural style someone can call their own. Social proof, self-amusement, interesting conversation, and the ability to get women having fun and enjoying his presence in any situation is what he feels “game” is all about.

Psych uses teaching techniques and motivational tactics he learned while obtaining his degrees. A training session involves a relaxed, fun environment in which students obtain useful theory, which is then put into practice. After each approach, Psych goes over exactly what the student did right and wrong — allowing immediate improvement in the next set. His ability to break down a student’s interaction and find hidden sticking points is second to none.

However this wasn’t always the case. Throughout all of high school Psych was clueless when it came to women. The phone rarely rang for him. His passions included watching TV, reading comics, and spending every weekend playing the card game “Magic The Gathering”…by himself. But this all changed once he found the “community”. Now he’s ready to share all he’s learned with you.

~~~

• Watch Jared Psych Laurence T21C 2010 [Sweden]
• View Jared Psych Laurence T21C 2009
• Visit PsychofGame.com
• Add Psych on Facebook

Doug McGuff, MD became interested in exercise at the age of 15 when he first read Arthur Jones’ Nautilus Training Bulletin No. 2. His interest in exercise and biology led him into a career in medicine. In 1989, he graduated from the University of Texas Medical School at San Antonio and went on to train in Emergency Medicine at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences at Little Rock where he served as Chief Resident. From there, Dr. McGuff served as Faculty in the Wright State University Emergency Medicine Residency and was a staff Emergency Physician at Wright-Patterson AFB Hospital.

Throughout his career Dr. McGuff maintained his interest in high intensity exercise. Doug realized a lifelong dream when he opened Ultimate Exercise in November, 1997. Over the past 13 years Dr. McGuff and his instructors have continued to explore the limits of exercise through their personal training clients at Ultimate Exercise.

In addition to his work at Ultimate Exercise, Dr. McGuff is a partner with Blue Ridge Emergency Physicians, P.A. Dr. McGuff Lives in Seneca, South Carolina with his wife of 25-years, and their Children Eric and Madeline.

Doug is the best selling co-author of Body by Science and The Body by Science Question and Answer Book.

• Visit Ultimate Exercise
• Visit the Body by Science Blog
• View 20 pages of notes on Dr. McGuff’s 2010 speech from a viewer.

Three time speaker of The 21 Convention and one of the six stars of The Community Tapes, Tim the Right Hand Man, is in his own words, a “father, son, brother, former husband, and sometimes a lover”.

Architect of The 21 Convention, Anthony Johnson, has added in his own words that …

“Tim has been a personal mentor, leader, and one of the wisest men to ever take the stage at The 21 Convention. His age, ideas, experience, and resulting wisdom consistently bring a new twist to what he has to share with the younger generation — our generation. His thoughts should be heard and heeded by every young man venturing out into the world today, who seeks to succeed where others fail, takes seriously the improvement of his own quality of life, and his development into the man he was meant — and decides — to be.”

In this speech Tim identifies the top ten mistakes to avoid in your 20′s.

• View Tim’s interview in The Community Tapes [Volume 1].
• View Tim’s 2009 speech at The 21 Convention.
• Visit Tim’s blog at RightHandManifesto.blogspot.com

The 2011 speaking lists have been long in the works, and long awaited.

The waiting ends now (Orlando this post, London the previous).

Below I will list the current speaking roster for Orlando, as well as some of the speakers who I have in mind and/or have already sent invitations to (and am awaiting reply, or currently discussing the possibility with).

The 21 Convention 2011 of Orlando Florida

Confirmed:

• Anthony Dream Johnson
• Adam Lyons
• Dj Fuji
• Jason Savage ¹
• Drew Baye
• Tim the Right Hand Man
• Steve Mayeda
• Vince Kelvin
• Robbie from InnerConfidence ²

Potential Speakers (Returning)

• Doug McGuff MD ³
• Bill DeSimone ⁴
• Orlando Owen ⁵
• Dodger Clemons
• Nick Sparks
• Christian Hudson

1. Jason will either speak in London or Orlando, not both. As the London convention approaches he will decide which.
2. Robbie is a speaker I got to meet at Vince Kelvin’s Pua Summit in Los Angeles last September. Like James Marshall for the London convention, I think Robbie will be a perfect fit for T21C on the dating coach front. Check out his website here.
3. I am waiting to release Doug’s speech before inviting him back to 2011. While I cannot explain exactly why, this feels like the right course of action. In any case, he is someone who I would very much like to see back at The 21 Convention. I think this view is shared by many attendees.
4. I got to visit Bill DeSimone at his personal training studio in New Jersey just a few weeks ago. He is open to speaking again so far as I am aware, it just has to make sense on both ends of the spectrum.
5. In addition to London, Orlando has confirmed for Orlando. It is very likely he will be there. I just have to make sure we have the room considering the duration of the event, and the number of new speakers I am seeking to attract.
6. Dodger, Nick, and Christian are people I would like to see back at T21C. Just have to speak with them before sealing the deal, and making sure it works for them and the convention. Nick and Dodger’s 2010 footage release may speed this process up, once their respective videos release.

Potential Speakers [New -- not complete list]

• Keith Norriss
  • Video: Keith Norriss working out on the most advanced exercise machine in the world.
• Peter Schiff
  • Video: “Peter Schiff Was Right” [1.8 million views and counting]
• Robb Wolf
  • Video: Robb Wolf – The Paleo Solution
• Michael Eades MD
  • Video: Michael Eades on Fox News
• Tim Ferriss
  • His 2011 invitation has not been sent yet. It will be.
• Kurt Harris MD
  • The champion medical doctor of nutrition. This guy is a genius.
• Dimitry Orlov
  • Author: Reinventing Collapse: The Soviet Example and American Prospects
• Paul Elam
  • Contributing Author: The Spearhead
• Thomas Mullen
  • Video: Fox News: The Natural Rights of Man
• Neil Strauss
  • I think Neil would be an excellent speaker, with a lot of diversity in topics to pull from. His 2011 invitation has not been sent yet. It will be when the time is right.
• Nathaniel Branden
  • Video: Documentary Style Interview
  • Nathaniel is the champion of self esteem and the “psychology of romantic love”. Having him as a speaker would be phenomenal.
• Lawrence A. Kane and Kris Wilder
  • Authors: The Little Black Book of Violence — What Every Young Man Needs to Know About Fighting
  • I have yet to see any authors more suited to come and speak at T21C about self defense than these two. Recommended by Drew Baye.

Further Invitations?

There are more people on my invite list, but they will not be revealed until a later time. Always feel free to make a request by e-mailing info(at)the21convention.com. Being a paid attendee adds much weight to such request.

Tickets?

The full ticket price for Orlando is $700 USD. Currently there is a $350 discount code. The code is Vday. It expires February 28th 11:59 pm EST. The price will go up after that, although not yet to the full price.

There is also going to be a $50 discount code, combinable with any other event discount code, for everyone who buys a 2010 DVD Series set within the first 72 hours of it’s release.

The sets release tomorrow evening. Stay tuned. And be ready to grab your ticket here.

– Anthony Dream Johnson

Anthony Johnson, aka ‘Dream’, is the founding architect and chief executive officer of The 21 Convention.

Anthony was born (August 25th 1988) and raised in south west Florida, graduating from the IB program at Fort Myers High School in May of 2006. From June 2006 to February of 2010 Anthony attended the third largest university in the United States of America, the University of Central Florida.

During this time Anthony managed to fail “How to Start a Business”, twice, while simutaneously travelling the world to run The 21 Convention, and getting featured in the New York Times #1 best seller The Four Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferriss.

Anthony has since stopped attending college and now focuses his efforts full time on The 21 Convention and his personal blog, The Dream Lounge, where he blogs regularly about life, liberty, exercise, nutrition, and all things related.

Anthony is a self proclaimed

“Floridian first, American second, and friend of liberty and reason above all.”

 
In this presentation Anthony reads his essay “Changing the Course of a Generation“, identifying the following four steps for individuals to take.

• Step 1: Choose uncertainty over unhappiness and act accordingly.
• Step 2: Build your self esteem yourself.
• Step 3: Embrace responsibility for your own actions.
• Step 4: As a man, take control of your life.

Visit Anthony’s blog at TheDreamLounge.net

Follow him on Facebook and Twitter

Read the original essay below with added commentary from Anthony.

 
Changing the Course of a Generation

 
The ideas I am about to communicate are of the utmost importance to me. So important in fact, that I have decided to deliver them in essay format, as I feel strongest communicating my ideas in this medium, despite an almost parallel amount of speaking experience.

So what am I hear to talk about today, and kick start the event with? Pickin up chicks? Exercise? Nutrition? Self confidence? Self esteem? Passion? Truth? Standing up for what you believe is right?

How about a bit of everything, or more aptly put, “Changing the Course of a Generation” – our generation, of which, the leaders – whether they know it or not – are sitting in this very room.

Now, if I am here to discuss changing the course of a generation, this begs the question “What’s wrong with the current course?”

Well, that depends who you ask. And at the end of the day … we are all here for our own reasons, we all have our own interests, and our own world views.

As such, I will not give an arbitrary list of arbitrary problems – I leave you to decide and find your own path, your own values, and your own morals – just as I and many others in this very room have found their own, in their own unique ways.

For arguments sake, and to set at least some stage for the following list of suggestions on how to “change the course of a generation”, I present the following idea (with the full disclaimer that I am not here to discuss economics or “public policy” of any kind).

Some estimates put the total debt of our country – including unfunded liabilities like social security – in excess of $110, trillion, not billion, dollars.

Think about what a staggering sum of money that is – money that simply does not, and will never exist.  Now consider the consequences and repercussions of this debt, that is never going to be repaid, and the promises that simply cannot be kept.

This is but one of many dire problems we face as a generation – and how the hell are we going to deal with it? How are we going to embrace the difficulties sure to spring from this, and at the same time, grow as individuals, as leaders, as men?

Perhaps more importantly for our discussion, where did this staggering, staggering amount of debt stem from? What was the ultimate source?

But enough doom and gloom – let’s dig in to the meat of this essay.
 

~

 

Changing the Course of a Generation

 
Step 1: We must choose uncertainty over unhappiness, and ACT accordingly (which by default entails relentless positivity and deeply masculine optimism).

I believe leading is best done by example, so how have I made this choice and taken this action in my own life?

With The 21 Convention 2010 of Stockholm Sweden.

Some of you are aware of this, most of you aren’t – our event in Sweden almost flopped, flat on its face Wiley Coyote style. I grew arrogant in a way I had never experienced before, and was unaware of it until the result of that arrogance was staring me straight in the face mid April 2010 in the form of ticket sales, that were simply not on track to cover the expenses of the Europe event.

Not even close.

I promptly started freaking out, as a solid chunk of 2010 US event revenue had already gone to produce The Community Tapes documentary series, and there would be no money coming to help compensate for the expenses of doing the convention in Europe.

Sweden had to stand on its own two feet as a convention, or disappear into the history books forever.

After frantically scrambling on the internet for a few weeks trying to generate and direct attention to the event, a choice presented itself to me, a choice that provided two possible conclusions for Sweden.

The choices boiled down to this – I can be uncertain over my own future, and the future of this convention, or I can be unhappy, and this convention (and everything it represents) will never happen in Europe.

My decision was made in a single night – uncertainty over unhappiness, and not seeing this convention continue to approach its fullest potential.

By no means was this decision – the decision to IMMEDIATELY fly to Europe, and make The 21 Convention there happen at all costs – easy to make. In fact, it nearly brought me to tears, as this was one of the most terrifying decisions of my life.

Which leads us to the final point of step 1 for changing the course of a generation – the “why”? WHY did I make this decision? Why did I put my entire financial life, and the fate of The 21 Convention ON THE LINE?

Because it’s the only true choice I, or anyone else has left.

If the course of our generation is to change, this choice has to be chosen, individual by individual, day by day. The buck stops with us, and the individual weight of the world rests on our shoulders.

In my case, the “individual weight of the world” I had to bear was our first convention in Europe. I believed the uncertainty of trying to make the convention happen was the “right action”, and I chose accordingly.

The ensuing 5 weeks of my life were by far the most difficult of my life to date, but I have never looked backed. I chose the happiness of following my passion, and I am better because of it, along with all those involved with The 21 Convention 2010 of Stockholm Sweden.
 

~

 

Changing the Course of a Generation

 
Step 2: We have to build our self esteem, ourselves.

Self esteem is an interesting concept, and even more interesting catch phrase thrown around in our social language from time to time, often meaningless at this point along with other such terms as “food” “exercise” and “health”.

Never defined, only abused and pillaged.

For our purposes, I will quote Ayn Rand from The Virtue of Selfishness

“The attack on “selfishness” is an attack on man’s self-esteem; to surrender one, is to surrender the other. “

So how have I built, or perhaps uncovered the layers of non sense surrounding the self esteem I have possessed since birth?

____

 
[Note: "Built" is more accurate in this statement if correlated with esteeming oneself. "Possessing since birth" is accurate when correlated with being born with the foundations for a rational self interest.]

____

In two ways.

One is that I have chosen to become inflexible and “unflappable” in my DEMAND and thirst for truth (hint: the unifying theme of The 21 Convention since July of 2007, regardless of the topic being discussed).

No exceptions, no “buts”, no “ifs”, NO variables. Just truth.

The truth that is always there, irrelevant of all opinions, all meddling, and universal to all fields and subjects.

The second way is that I have become increasingly selfish, in a paradoxically, voluntarily, generous way. At some point I have yet to identify in my life, I decided that a gift I was born with was the unique desire and passion to bring others together.

This transformed into the following, perhaps unique, guiding principal – one of, if not the best way to help myself, is to voluntarily help others.

Solidifying this principal was a quote I read from Marcus Aurelius while in Stockholm this past May.

“No one objects to what is useful to him.

To be of use to others is natural.

Then don’t object to what is useful to you – being of use.”

My interpretation of this was to stop being ASHAMED for doing what was in my best interest – helping others in the most effective and efficient ways I know how.

____

 
[Note: better interpreted, this is translated as taking pride and finding joy in your own ability, and leveraging that ability to your own maximum benefit, without doing so at the expense of others. Or boiled down to it's simplest form: living for your own sake.]

____

 
Your own expression of doing what is in your best interest may be different than my own, but I strongly encourage you to follow it – for your own sake, and mine.

…

The “why” of this step is hidden within the preceding line “and mine”.

Doing what is in your own best interest, is ultimately, in everyone else’s best interest. If you need proof, look around yourself right now, and once again at the closing of the event – and remember this part of my speech.

“We can help each other best, by helping ourselves first”.
 

~

 

Changing the Course of a Generation

 
Step 3: We have to embrace responsibility for our own actions.

No one is responsible for you, or your actions, but you.

This at first seems dis-empowering, and distancing. We are a social species after all. Shouldn’t we help each other? Shouldn’t we care for others?

Indeed these are true statements and well intentioned questions – and I agree, we should help each other, and we should care for each other – voluntarily.

In the meantime, we need to recognize the truth of the matter – that I and only I am responsible for my own actions. Nothing else is even possible. Everything else is a distortion or dismissal of reality.

This however, is a powerful realization to make – one of the most powerful of all in fact.

How AWESOME is it that I have complete and total control over my own actions? Sure I can’t control the environment, and sure I (fortunately) can’t control other people – but I have TOTAL control over every action I take.

It is my “god” given free will to choose every action I take, every moment of my life, from birth to death. Nothing can be more liberating than embracing this fundamental truth.

How did I embrace it?

By receiving more passionate, heartfelt, grass roots support for The 21 Convention than I ever dreamed possible , in Europe, many thousands of miles away from Florida of all places!

Ah but there’s more … by receiving SO MUCH help, more than ever before, another truth was revealed to me – self reliance.

A paradox, yes, but that’s exactly what SO MUCH help taught me. An extreme revealed it’s inverse.

I realized I was the one constant individual in this convention … this movement, and that I was the only individual truly responsible for its success, no matter how passionate the support, it is my weight to bear.

At the same time, I quickly realized there were variables simply out of my control for the convention in Sweden – time among them.

This is when I both embraced and accepted my free will, as a man. I accepted that I had absolutely zero control over the time leading up to the event, the location I had chosen to host it in, and other logistical variables.

What I did have complete, 100% control over were my actions however – and I embraced that. I embraced it by IGNORING what didn’t help me – environmental aspects I could not change – and instead, becoming clever with the resources I did have.

Sweden came down to being resourceful, not how many “resources” I had at my disposal.

I didn’t have the money for a massive advertising campaign, but I did find the funds for a speaking tour around Europe to promote the event.

I didn’t have the capital for a sick conference room, but I did have the drive to ask people who knew of better ones, at more affordable rates.

And so on and so forth. The examples are not the point, the point is that I learned very clearly, that whatever potential for success was left in The 21 Convention 2010 of Stockholm Sweden, was in my hands the minute I landed in Stockholm.

And here I am, speaking to you about a convention that was a total success, for everyone involved.
 

~

 

Changing the Course of a Generation

 
Step 4: We have to get our lives handled, as men.

Woman can take right action as well of course, and live their lives as they see fit – these are human, not gender based traits and rights – but when it comes down to ‘it’, the bottom line, the responsibility lies with men to lead.

It is our birth right as men to lead, hunt, and protect. The specifics of those roles change from generation to generation, millennia to millennia … but the roles themselves are constant and ever present.

As such, it is up to us as men to lead the charge, the change in course of an entire generation, men and women alike.

We can do this by focusing intensely on shaping our lives as we see fit, and uncovering the truths of the world hidden all around us.

More specifically …

• We have to get our social, and people skills down PAT. They are beyond foundational.
• We have to dig deep and find the core confidence we were born with that requires nothing but our reason.
• We have to experience the world and to get back to our born innocence.
• We have to try, try and try again to find out what we are meant to be doing for a career. Still can’t figure it out? Lost, dazed and confused? Try again – your purpose is waiting for you behind those failures
• We have to learn to think independently, and become filters of the wealth of information available at our fingertips.
• We have to have the initiative (the balls) to spark new ideas, and begin new ventures.
• We have to challenge the status quo, and conventional wisdom in all fields, be it nutrition, exercise, history, or even government.

Most importantly of all, we have to rise to the call of action, and GET SHIT DONE.

Taken one step, one individual at a time … it is doable.

…

Hell, look around you, it’s already in motion.
 

~

 
And there you have it, that’s my speech, a written essay. Detailing the four steps that I as an individual see for changing the course of our generation.

1. Choosing uncertainty over unhappiness and acting accordingly (don’t forget the ‘act’ part).
2. We have to build our self-esteem, ourselves.
3. We have to embrace responsibility for our own actions (embrace our free will)
4. We have to get out life situations ‘handled’ as MEN.

I hope this essay has helped you in some way, shape or form, and I hope you decide to spread the word through your individual interpretation of what was said today, to your friends, family, and even random strangers.

No questions on stage, I want this to resonate with you for a while. I will take questions personally throughout the event however. Thank you for listening, enjoy The 21 Convention,

See Chris’s 2007 speech here.

Unfortunately my introduction for Alexander was lost in processing. Never the less, it should be noted that Alexander contributed to the founding of The 21 Convention in late 2006/early 2007. It was a great experience finally meeting him in Sweden last Summer. Alexander is currently an instructor for Charismatic Revolution.

The deal is simple, and begins today.

Sign up for either 2011 event, before 11:59pm December 28^th, save hundreds of dollars, and gain exclusive first run access to The 21 Convention 2010 DVD Series.

The full price for T21C London is $800. Sign up by December 28^th and save over 50% with discount code Newyears2.

The full price for T21C Orlando is $700. Sign up by December 28^th and save over 50% with discount code Newyears.

There will be more early bird discounts in early 2011. They will not be as large as this discount – which is my reward for those with the courage to take action in advance.

Likewise, the pre-sale, first run offer on The 21 Convention 2010 DVD Series ends December 28^th, along with the event discount code.

This pre-sale is for registered attendees only – past and present. The ONLY way to gain access, if you have not attended previously, is by signing up for a 2011 event. There are no exceptions.

The pre-sale on 2010 DVDs offers first print shipment of the DVDs (you get first dibs the minute they are printed), as well as a $50 discount across the board.

• $199.95 for the 15 DVD Stockholm set instead of $249.95
• $249.95 for the 20 DVD Orlando set instead of $299.95
• $399.95 for the full 35 DVD set instead of $450

Front row seating and a private dinner with all available speakers is still available for purchase at each event.

• The cost for front row seating is $100.
• The cost for a private dinner with the speakers is $75 (dinner included).

If you want both, there is a $25 discount. Simply select upon checkout if the option is still available.
 
Enjoy your holiday by using that time to do something great.
 

 
-Anthony Dream Johnson

ps — Did you see The Plan for the Footage?

Much time has passed since the twin 2010 live events, and for a majority of that time, I have remained silent on this site. There has been a lot of activity of course – the changes of this website are evidence of such activity – yet, no continuous updates as in years gone by.

Just, silence, on my part.

On your guys part?

Anything but! I have received a ton of questions about 2010 footage. And I know for every person that asks, there are another dozen behind him thinking the same thing – where is it!!?!!?!?!?!?

Well, at this point, I’ve seen it, and I’m pumped to release it to the world. The twin 2010 events in tandem produced nearly as much content as we have on the site right now – which includes three live events and a six episode documentary series – which to me, represents a giant leap over the tipping point for The 21 Convention.

• The tipping point where things begin to snowball exponentially.
• The breaking point where some people don’t care for the direction I take the convention, and others are ecstatic about it.
• The point where this convention finds it’s deeply rooted polarity, attracts the type of people it was meant to, and repels those it wasn’t.
• The point where The 21 Convention not only becomes a vehicle for truth, but the vehicle for a tomorrow that doesn’t suck.

A vehicle for young men with the right head screwed on their shoulders, yet unjustly starved by the politically correct masses for resources brimming with inspiration and truth.

For those of us born just before the dawn of the 21st century — and now going through the most pivotal years of our lives in the very beginning of that century, destined never to see the beginning of the next — general consensus tells us to be ashamed first and proud second, to shun heroic effort, to never stand out, to celebrate mediocrity, to be men of moderate integrity, and to do as we’re told – that is, to be obedient, accept arbitrary authority, and never ask questions required to think critically, and for ourselves.

I ask: why not flip all of this on it’s head with The 21 Convention as an intellectual battering ram, and throw what garbage is left out the f*cking window?

…

If it’s not apparent by now, I have used these past few months of visible silence to isolate myself and think hard about where I want this convention to go, what I want it to do (to achieve), and what I want it to stand for and against.

This has been difficult because as many of you well know, this convention started out, mostly, as a “dating conference” for men under the age of 21 in 2007.

And as Adam Lyons recently commented in Austin Texas while I was visiting – it is the best dating conference in the world.

Or at least, it served that purpose at one point.

But what now?

Well, there in lies my silence while I make what may be the most important decisions of my life – including how to spearhead The 21 Convention to the next level while remaining true to my own core principles – that is, without betraying my self in the process of being a leader for something with limitless potential.

Now, I’m sure some of you are wondering, WTF does any of this have to do with the 2010 footage?

Well, it has everything to do with a “Plan for the Footage” as far as I am concerned, for a plan without a purpose is no more than an intellectual house of cards – which is no plan at all.

 
I had the opportunity a few weeks ago to take the convention footage, finish editing what was left of it, and release it to the world.

And I didn’t take it.

Why?

Because I don’t own it yet, and I would sooner put a gun to my head and pull the trigger than take that which is not mine by force or fraud. I find that idea morally repulsive and obscene to the highest of degrees.

Why don’t I own it?

Because I have not completed payment for it. I have racked my brain for months in an attempt to find extra capital to pour into the convention to compensate for financial mistakes of the past, and the results have been slow in coming.

I could push tickets harder for 2011 of course, but I cringe at yelling at people to buy way in advance, and paying half or even less than half of the full price ticket. That is financial suicide as I see it, since you guys actually listen to me now – unlike in years gone by where this convention was unproven, and 80% of attendees waited till the last few weeks.

The inverse happened this past year when ~80% of people bought way in advance – much to my surprise – and I was left doing a big fat FACEPALM during the final few weeks when I realized this.

Does this mean I want people to pay more for the convention than it’s worth? No, I do not desire to take that which I have not earned. But I do want people to pay an accurate price for the value received in return, which necessitates only the people who genuinely can’t afford the full price to grab the discounts – and anyone else deserving of recognition for being a long time supporter (and contributing value in other ways during that time).

Basically, I learned I have to stop shooting myself in the foot as a business owner, and let people who want to wait to the last minute, wait to the last minute, and pay a price accurate to the value received from attending.

In any case, that leaves me with the careful balance of searching for extra capital while continuing to “run the show”, and plan ahead for it’s future, while simultaneously clarifying the vision I have for T21C, and leading by example in my own personal life.

As far as extra capital goes, I am fresh out. I sold everything of significant value I own – including two cars – and poured every ounce of capital I had (and a bunch I didn’t have) into this convention.

Yet, I carry no regrets, because put quite simply, very little matters to me in this world right now than the ultimate and lasting success of this convention. Organizing The 21 Convention I feel, is my true purpose, currently expressed in the most potent and clear way possible.

While “sacrificing” all of my stuff (and credit) may seem self-destructive, I find it anything but. To me, it has been self-investment in the purest and most fulfilling of ways – a way that has made a huge difference in my own life, and subsequently, the lives of thousands around the world.

It has been a win/win in the most absolute and deeply rooted sense – one I plan to continue for a very long time.

It doesn’t appear that way at first glance of course – and as a result, the criticism on the business side from those with near-sightedness has been heavy – but external first glance is not something I think about, nor have ever thought about.

People who move the world don’t do it by subjecting themselves to the whims of others – they do it on their own honest judgment, every step of the way.

MOVING ON

 
This convention needs some financial input to correct for errors of the past — English translation: I f*cked up — there is no simpler way to put it.

Sponsors are good option (especially considering our web traffic), but are slim this time of year. And, as Bijal said in slightly different terms, this convention is extremely hard to classify to the lay person expecting to see the next snap, crackle, pop product/service/event.

Advertising in the videos may prove fruitful in the long haul, but in the short term, the revenue is hardly relevant.

Outside investors are an option, but, there are less than a handful of individuals I would even consider trusting ownership of this company with. (This is an option I would like to avoid at all costs).

Health/fitness training on my blog is a good option, but not scalable to the necessary degree, without bashing my head into a wall by working with people I have no desire to work with.

Which basically left me to combine two remaining options: more capital from me personally, and monetizing the footage. The capital is going to come from further obliterating my personal credit, and a 50-60 hour a week job that I am highly qualified to do and have plenty of experience in. It’s not the most effective thing to be doing with my time, but it’s not something I hate, and will gladly do over the short term for the extra funds I can throw at the convention.

As for the footage, it’s extremely valuable, insanely popular, and oozing with quality. You guys know this from years gone by, along with a zillion other people.

But, as I’ve mentioned, footage is and always will be 100% free so long as I am in charge.

Which probably leaves you to wonder: how on earth would it then be monetized (advertising aside)?

My solution is this: footage comes out on DVD first, and online free to stream second.

TRAITOR!!!

 
Ha! Actually, the real betrayal would be for this convention to never turn a significant profit, and run itself into the ground – ending with a whisper, not a bang.

I’ll take a pass on that one. Care to join me?

Now, the question some may have is: why buy footage on DVD when it can just be streamed for free?

And, won’t people just torrent it anyway?

 
The answer to the first question is actually quite simple: there is a very real difference between something sitting digitally on a server in some far off land, and something you can hold in your hands and play any number of years from now on a DVD player.

You can choose to own something rather than just viewing it publicly – which entails a lot of variables behind that seemingly simple image you see moving on a screen. It’s impossible for me to guarantee this footage will always be up for ever and ever on this website – if I did I’d be lying to you.

But I can guarantee that once you own a DVD or DVD series, it becomes your responsibility to take care of and maintain – potentially, for the rest of your life.

Plus, there is nothing like popping in a DVD in the pursuit of persuading someone else to watch something you find important. As a counter example, try getting someone to watch a 60 minute video on YouTube in person … good luck.

Now, as for people torrenting the 2010 footage, contrary to popular opinion for someone in my position, this is no concern of mine. In fact, I expect it to happen, and would be surprised if it didn’t.

And why should I care? I suspect most of the people who bother to torrent such a large batch of files – you’re talking 35 DVDs here – are the same people who would have just watched it on the site later anyway (without buying the DVDs), and will probably take part in the discussion and dissection of the videos all the same – and maybe even turn up at a live event some day.

There’s a margin of people here for sure that simply do not value the footage and will never attempt to return the value received from watching it, in any way/shape/form, but, I believe that is a shrinking margin.

I also believe it is not me or The 21 Convention they are betraying in their quasi-theft, but their own souls. Torrenting something of such value, produced in the most independent, grass-roots way possible, and never contributing back to the creator of it is but a small expression of the underlying attitude this person has for his or her life in general.

This is what the movie industry – among other industries – does not get. These people continually raise ticket (and DVD) prices and cite piracy as if it were the root of all evil.

Yet, this is the exact opposite of what they should be doing. Even in the face of inflation, ticket prices should be going down to discourage piracy and encourage attendance at the theaters – the experience of which is mildly better than watching a torrent of the movie, and opens up other possibilities as well (social outing for example).

The information and entertainment avenues are changing, and ever higher prices outweigh the benefit of attending that particular type of (easily distributed and replicated) entertainment event.

Unless a movie is outrageously good, it just doesn’t make sense to drop $15-$20 on an experience you may hate – the bulk of which you can get for free off a torrent site.

This begs the question in my mind of whether or not the convention should follow such a course of action, and my decision thus far has been no. The 21 Convention live event is not “mild” in difference from the footage, is is extreme in difference. They are literally two separate entities – one the blanket, eternal version of the former, the original. Attending in person is an expereince that can change your life – the footage at best, can lead to such an experience – be it T21C or another experience of your own – but it will always be the experience that drives and is an expression of the change, not the video itself which is a combination of 1′s and 0′s on a computer screen.

 
The same concept applies for a DVD or Blu-ray disc – you can get 90% of what the disc contains with little effort – but you can’t get the disc itself, the casing, the artwork, and any bonuses that come with a special edition.

A man has a right to his property, but if the laws to protect his property have not caught up to modern technology – or if potential laws would be more destructive to a man’s rights than they would be protective – then this is the playing field with which we live.

Adapt or die.

…

Anyway, that’s the jist of the plan. 35 DVDs will be coming out this December packing 7 days and ~50 hours worth of film.

I am going to set the prices as accurately as possible considering the value of them to you guys, and with respect for the production cost – which is a bit higher than what Universal Studios and other billion dollar companies pay for the mass produced DVDs you see at a store.

They will only be available in set form initially – Stockholm and Orlando – and a bonus for buying both.

Individual DVDs will come out at a later point, but that point has yet to be determined (a possible release point is when the free footage begins releasing).

As for the free footage, it is coming as soon as the videographer is paid in full. When this will be is impossible to say at present.

That may not be what a number of you wanted to hear, but that is the current state of affairs on the back end of the convention. It is 100% my responsibility to correct course for this imbalance, and like it, love it, or hate it, the above is my plan of action.

-Anthony Dream Johnson

Note: 2010 attendees will be receiving a special one time discount on the DVDs for their respective event.

Note 2: The free streaming versions are going to be released one at a time, twice or thrice weekly depending on the nature of the chosen speeches (and other factors). While longer in duration, I find this style of release a lot less chaotic than a “one shot one kill” style as executed in 2009, and a lot more fair for the speakers to have their shot at the spotlight.

PS- You can check out larger images of the 2010 cover art and read the back covers on my blog below.
Orlando
Stockholm

It was three years ago today that The 21 Convention kicked off as an official live event in Orlando Florida. Ha, we could hardly get a conference room back then. Hotels thought I was joking at 18 years old trying to reserve a room for two days…

Fortunately a Holiday Inn on International Drive decided otherwise when I was willing to throw down my credit card for the room.

And here we are three years and four events later on the eve of the fifth 21 Convention, online tickets available for about another 8 hours.

So is this the last event to be held in Orlando?

Certainly not, but, next year will be for the forseeable future.

I’ve thought about this for quite some time actually, and while I love Orlando – it has been my home for over 4 years now – I think five years straight is plenty.

Four is probably enough as it is, but I would like to give people who have been following the event but not yet able to attend once last chance to visit this part of the world and experience what everyone has been talking about.

As such, 2011 will be the last time The 21 Convention is held in Orlando Florida. It will be heading for another major city in North America the year after that … which one, well, I think it’s best left a surprise .

In any case, if you have considered attending The 21 Convention in Orlando, 2011 will be your last chance. “Mega Early Bird” tickets went on sale last night. They are $150 until August 10th.

However, I am capping the number of sign ups for that price at 10. I simply can’t keep releasing tickets at that price as they just don’t track with hard event expenses, such as video production/room rental/staff/photography.

I chose 10 because the “mega early bird discount” for London moved 9 seats, so limiting Orlando to 10 for the same numerical price (150) seems fair to me.

Even so, 12 seats moved for Orlando 2010 in July of 2009. As such, if you are 100% committed to attending our last event in Orlando, and want to attend for the absolute lowest price possible, I recommend signing up asap.

It’s far off, but is the best option for those who know they are attending 2011, and it helps the convention by allowing me to better track attendance statistics and plan the budget accordingly.

After 10 seats are filled the price is $195. Save $45 today and sign up for The 21 Convention 2011 (North America).

I should also mention, The Community Tapes are now available on DVD, and will be available at the event this year. Find out more by clicking the box art below.