Your Compass In The Fog Of Overwhelm

Nicola here from The Money Gym,writing to you on 1st January 2010 with my third very important message….

Think about this for a second………..

In the olden days, humans were able to find their way around the globe, in any kind of weather, even if the fog was so bad they were unable to see a few feet in front of themselves….

How did they do that?

http://www.TheMoneyGym.com/silverelite

They were able to find their way forward because they had some deceptively simple tools…

Tools that were simple to use but were so sophisticated that they delivered exceptional results every time…results you could depend on…

Those tools were….

The Stars and a Compass.

Yep, that’s pretty much all they used to sail ships across the vast oceans, to go somewhere so far away it literally took months, if not years to get there and then to come safely home again.

Would it surprise you to discover that there are some deceptively simple tools you can use too, to navigate your way through all the financial confusion you might be experiencing right now?

Well, no!  I’m not going to tell you about those tools, I’m going to show you….how to create and use them yourself.

http://www.TheMoneyGym.com/silverelite
Warm regards

Nicola, Judith & The Money Gym Team

P.S.      Watch our brand new video to discover some of the simple but effective tools we use to navigate our way around our financial world!

http://www.TheMoneyGym.com/silverelite

Struggling Financially? Blame The Fog!

Nicola Cairncross from The Money Gym here, and I’m writing to you today, on 29th December 2009 in the middle of the worst credit crunch anyone can remember.

Can you remember more difficult financial times?

I certainly can’t.  We never imagined it could get this bad, did we?

All around the world people are worried for their jobs, businesses are going down and banks, while taking money from their governments certainly are NOT lending it out again to consumers.

Even if you pay off your credit cards, the companies are taking your available balances right down or even taking them away and don’t even get me started on the interest rates they’re charging!

People are so confused……….so worried………so stressed about money……….they have NO IDEA what to do, which way to turn…………they are stumbling along in the dark, in the fog, they feel overwhelmed and incapable of taking action..

Even if they knew what action to take!

BUT !!

Would it surprise you to know that there are people out there who are not only NOT hurting, who are not confused, or overwhelmed…….. but who are actually thriving financially?

People who are making more money than ever before, who are starting successful businesses, who are getting online, who are creating multiple streams of income, who have control of their cash, people who know on a week by week basis, what’s coming in and going out, and WHAT TO DO with what’s left over?

People who are not phased by changes in the economy, who just switch their strategy to one that suits the times and just works better?

People who have a whole TOOLKIT of financial strategies to fit the moment, the situation, the need.

Who are these people?

Financially Intelligent People, that’s who!  You could call them FIPS for short!

Now, I just bet FIRSTNAME that you would love to find them, join them and become a Financially Intelligent Person – who wouldn’t?

Well, now you can…..

Because we have created a brand new video that can get you started down the road to becoming one of the Financially Intelligent People – right now.

Come on over, watch this exclusive new video and get some FIP savvy!

http://www.TheMoneyGym.com/silverelite/

Warm regards

Nicola, Judith & The Money Gym Team

P.S.      Watch our video to find out how to beat the credit crunch, throw off that overwhelm and become one of the Financially Intelligent People today!

http://www.TheMoneyGym.com/silverelite/

Passive Investments Liquidation | Further Money Gym Statement

Last week the news broke about Passive Investments going into liquidation and Greg Ballard and Andy Shaw facing bankruptcy proceedings and one of the most difficult phone calls I had to make was the one telling my much-touring singing sister, Heather, about the news.   In my journey as a wealth coach, and the subsequent journey of creating and building The Money Gym, I don’t think I can remember such a difficult and horrid week.

As you know, I regard Andy and Greg as friends of mine, and they helped me so much, both practically and emotionally, when I was going through the difficult time with trying to sell the hotel, after the planning permission for change of use was refused.   I really could not believe that they had done anything wrong.

While all of my friends and family are grownups and able to do their own due diligence and make their own decisions, I still feel responsible that I have introduced them – along with my treasured clients – to something that I really believed at the time was good, even great, but now turns out not to be.

As more and more information comes to light about Passive Investments and the way they have treated some people, I am starting to feel very bad indeed about having promoted them, but I can only say that I (and then the Money Gym) did that in good faith, and the moment we started to suspect that they might not be delivering on the customer service in the way we would have liked, based on Judith’s personal experience as a client, we ceased to do so.

We were paid commission on referrals by Passive Investments. However, I can say, hand on heart, we never introduced Passive to anyone that we felt would not benefit from their service, and both Judith and I often actively talked some people out of it.   If an investment opportunity does not feel right in every way to our clients, we discourage them from proceeding with it.   We can honestly say that we have never introduced anything to our clients for the purposes of securing our introduction fee only; that is a bonus only.

Judith has educated me, over the weekend, about how Passive should have handled the client fees and how it seems they may not have complied with proper accounting procedures.

With hindsight, the statement we released last week was written hastily in response to the discussions on our private forum and comments on the blog and came from our hearts, but perhaps we should have waited for a few days before issuing it while the full story filtered back to us.

My position has always been that I (and The Money Gym) would only promote something that either I, or someone very close to me, had invested our own money in and were happy with.  The service that Passive offered was so attractive that nearly all my friends and family jumped on board, followed by a lot of our clients and subscribers.  However, in light of the developments last week, I feel that The Money Gym will be reviewing it’s stance on introducing anyone or anything at all, let alone quite so wholeheartedly, in the future.

I apologise unreservedly for my part in bringing the services of Passive Investments to the attention of so many people.

Nicola Cairncross

Note:  James Tickell, director of Portland Business & Financial Solutions, the insolvency practice chosen to disband the Passive Investments empire, says the matrix of firms will formally enter liquidation on 11 December.

Contact:  London Office, 43 Pall Mall, London, SW1Y 5JG, Tel: 020 7925 2651 / Fax: 020 7925 2652 / Office email: post@portbfs.co.uk

Why I Have Sent Tudor Equity A Cheque For £2.5k With A Smile On My Face by Clare Hanbury

Money Gym Subscriber Clare Hanbury-Leu says: The relationship with Passive Investments was built on trust. I have trusted them to find the right properties – to renovate them to a high standard – to rent them out as quick as they can – to advise on the best mortgage deal – to re-mortgage and turn things around as soon as they can etc.

Most of us must be happy to accept risk to put so much trust into the hands of people we don’t know well. My friends, my financial adviser, my partner all felt nervous of the arrangement and advised against it but I pursued it – uncharacteristically ignoring their advice. My instinct felt strong on this one.

I have been involved with Passive Investments for 3 years and have two properties. The rental on one of these was a little slow in coming and the turnaround on the first mortgage again a little slow. I had one property fall through and lost a bit of money on legal costs and survey etc. All this said, I have been delighted with the results of the investments to date and delighted with every contact I have had with the company. I have felt totally supported by them. I like having them in my life. Every glitch, every query has been dealt with quickly, politely, humorously.  I have been happy to talk to two potential clients and chat through my experiences with them.

I have had some contact with Greg in the last few months and found him open and straightforward. He is an ideal business partner. Even prior to my contact with him there was no doubt in my mind that these are very tough times for the company with its peculiar business model that clients pay when we have done well and not until then! I am staggered that he has stuck at it as long as he has with no salary. I know he has worked for the future of his own properties (which is good thing) but he has also worked free for me too!

When the letter came though last week, the trust I had placed in them suddenly felt foolish. However after a few minutes indulging in panic…most of what I felt was what a WASTE of the talent and expertise that is this team. I felt upset that I would not complete the portfolio. I felt nervous about having to deal with the properties on my own and I felt frustrated to have to do so when they have a good system in place. I have a property in London too which I manage myself and would much rather it was in Passive’s care! Then I read that Steve wanted to keep things going with the team there and I was keen to know how I could help.

So…..there is this 2.5k (which is a LOAN) to help Tudor Equity capitalise – this is money that the very same advisers, partners friends etc will describe as throwing good money after bad – but I don’t think so. From a numbers point of view…Because the 15K back payment /property has been reduced to 10K this means that by the end of completing the portfolio of 5 properties, there will be a SAVING to me of 25K from the original agreement AND I’ll get the 2.5 loan back.

Hmnnn why is this a difficult one to agree to? I guess that it’s difficult because of trust. Do I trust them again? The way I see it is that they have ALREADY done so much for me re: my properties that they have ‘earned’ this AND if the team don’t think they can make a go of it because there are not enough of us signed up – we’ll get the money back anyway…and if they DO think they can make a go of it – well I am willing to give them an opportunity to do so.

My cheque is on its way to them with a smile on my face. I really want to help keep this business going and I am grateful to them for giving us a chance. I have not yet spoken to anyone outside of Passive and I have not looked on the internet to read what is being said so my words are unaffected by others’ opinions.

I don’t see any point in NOT supporting the team now. I feel the market is not only stabilising but strengthening – I think we all know this and what we also know is that we have a dedicated team and they will be even more so if this can go ahead. I really hope there are enough of us to give them a chance to navigate a path to creating a robust business again. I’m sure they can do it. The banks won’t help but I will.

Clare Hanbury B.Ed (Cambridge) MSc (London) MA (London)
International Development Consultant ClareHanbury.com

Passive Investments In Liquidation | The Money Gym

Read The Latest Money Gym Statement Here>>>>

Nicola says: Following the shocking news that Passive Investments have gone into liquidation, and that Andy Shaw and Greg Ballard are being made bankrupt by one of their larger creditors, many people are asking us to comment, both on the blog and in our private google group.

When I first met Greg and Andy, back in 2004 I think it was, they struck me as two highly intelligent, funny, energetic, successful guys, who had been in traditional business before, who thought very differently to many people and who had created a FANTASTIC model for investing in property. They were also helping their friends and family invest in the same way, on a fairly small scale, as well as building their own portfolios which numbered about 150 properties in those days.

I immediately knew that our Money Gym clients would love to meet them and hear about this method of investing in property, getting your money back out and going again, as the need to leave money in a property was frustrating many of our clients. We organised an Open Day at my hotel, The Acacia, and many of the clients who were there wanted Greg & Andy to do it for them, like they were doing for their nearest and dearest. Greg and Andy put together an offering, and I spread the word into the Money Gym group of clients and subscribers.

I introduced them to Gill Fielding, my first wealth mentor, who immediately invested with them, ditto Maria Davies. Gill then started presenting this opportunity for them. When Gill could no longer present, Maria Davies took over for a while.

Everyone loved the concept, especially busy professionals and people who wanted to invest in property but didn’t have the first clue about how to go about it. Most people really took to Greg and Andy too, as they shared their knowledge freely, helping many, many people make money along the way. I particularly remember one lunch where they helped a Money Gym client to negotiate a purchase, making him an extra £80,000 along the way. They then took him under their wing and mentored him for a while in his own property deals.

Pretty soon, they were so swamped with people wanting them to invest for them, that they had to create a company to handle the demand. Passive Investments was born.

We are also aware that they then developed a “private investor” scheme whereby people with money sitting idle in a low interest bank account lent the money to Greg and Andy personally for bigger property projects, and because I was not one of those people, I didn’t find out any further details and they never sought a public platform for that opportunity though the Money Gym.

My sister Sarah and brother-in-law Nick invested, my sister Heather invested, Steve Watson and I both bought a “place” each too. I would have happily bought more “places” if I could. The company still owe us for some of the second “place” so my family and I are all out of pocket as well as those of our clients who chose to invest alongside us.

One ray of hope is that those of our clients and family who have properties may make up the monies they have lost (by having paid a fee for a service that now won’t be delivered) AND may ultimately end up better off, due to now not having to pay Passive the agreed “back end” fee on the eventual refinancing of their properties.

Judith Morgan, ex-accountant, Money Gym client and now our business partner, invested the entirety of her inheritance from her Mother into her two “places”. This should have meant ten properties in the fullness of time but she only has three. Her portfolio could not be grown once it became impossible to achieve mortgages or re-finance.

I have heard some horrible stories going around about things that Greg and Andy are supposed to have said and done and while I have no personal knowledge of those things, I’m working on the “innocent ‘till proven guilty” theory. I have always liked and respected Andy and Greg, and I feel sure that most of the rumours are unfounded.

Only yesterday Andy’s website was apparently hacked into, allegedly by someone known to the company, and a personal message to members and investors was changed beyond all recognition to cast the worst possible light on Andy. Here is a link to Andy’s correct personal statement.   Remember to click on the Free User button and then the blue Download button.

We have also been re-educating our clients during the credit crunch to take a more active role in managing ALL their investments, including this one which was originally intended to be passive.  You might want to read about one of our clients (who is not alone by any means) who feels that she will go forward with Tudor Equity, the company that some of the management team is putting together to take the portfolios forward.

Feel free to comment on the blog here but be aware that we reserve the right not to publish any comments that are potentially libellous or are simple repeating content from other people’s blogs or emails.

Later Note: James Tickell, director of Portland Business & Financial Solutions, the insolvency practice chosen to disband the Passive Investments empire, says the matrix of firms will formally enter liquidation on 11 December.

Contact:  London Office, 43 Pall Mall, London, SW1Y 5JG, Tel: 020 7925 2651 / Fax: 020 7925 2652 / Office email: post@portbfs.co.uk

A Week In The Life Of Another Wealth Coach: Annie Kaszina

Many years ago, when I was starting out along my own Money Gym journey, Nicola told me in that tone of hers that brooks no opposition: “You have to be bare assed in the Universe”.  (Why me?  She didn’t say that to all her clients!)

Being, naturally, a rather private person, I resisted, and Ms Cairncross was vindicated, as usual, when the seam in my trousers split dramatically from waistband to crotch in a very public place.  (I do think she had meant her words metaphorically in the first instance…)

This week, this Money Gym coach has been doing something she still doesn’t feel that comfortable with; writing, at some, length about herself.  Naturally, I blog, I write an ezine (or two) for a specific, long term, niche of mine– warning: this material is not for the fainthearted – and I use anecdotes from my life as a parable, but writing at any length about ‘my story’…Yuk!  Still, that is what I have been doing for Gerard Donovan’s forthcoming book about coaches and coaching,  ss well as being under the Wealth Strategies spotlight!  “Too much exposure”, I say.  It makes the trouser splitting option look quite attractive.  (It’s also a tried and tested way to empty a room!)

Nor does the writing stop here.  I’m also completing the final revision of the business book written with my wonderful business partner John ‘Bald’ Donnelly: “You Don’t Have To Know The Answers, Just Much, Much Better Questions”.  The antidote to conventional business books, this is fast, funny and goes straight for the jugular, faster than a Rottweiler with attitude.  It is, I guess,  the unlikely first fruit of the partnership between an ex-Fluffy Alternative Therapist and an ex-Corporate Soldier who served, allegedly, under the retail equivalent of Attila the Hun.
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A Week In The Life Of Another Wealth Coach: Marion Ryan

It’s been a good yet hectic week for this wealth coach, writing to you from Tipperary where today, the sky is blue, the sun is shining – and it’s pouring with rain.  Raining so hard in fact these last few days that roads round here are starting to get flooded and outside my very gate, a deep pond has appeared that is starting to look pretty threatening to me and my water-shy motor.

So I am blessed really that I can work from home and make money with nothing more than my laptop, my phone and my coffee pot.  And, er, some chocolate.
For those of you who don’t yet know me, I’m Marion Ryan and when I’m not coaching Gold clients in the Money Gym I’m running ReadySteadyBlog helping small business owners and entrepreneurs with many different aspects of their internet marketing, whether that’s creating their website, their ebook covers and Twitter designs or their Google Ads campaign.  Love found me in my native London and brought me to this wretched wet place which I’ve grown to love for its peaceful greenness and lack of traffic jams.  More likely to be stopped by a herd of cattle crossing the road than a red light where I live.

So what have I been up to this week?

As well as being contacted by one of my very earliest coaching clients for some more coaching – we last worked together in 2001! – I’ve also been catching up with Gold client, Suzanne Barnett which is always an opportunity for exploration, insights, business planning and some giggles.  Suzanne has recently found a new business partner – via the Money Gym – and they have been pouring all their creative juice into a new IT training business – we’re expecting the launch any day now.

Though Suzanne can be tough on herself, those of us who know her find her enthusiasm, energy and can-do attitude infectious and very attractive.  Apart from any other entrepreneurial, financial and marketing skills she has, her ability to connect with people, to get involved, to solve problems quickly and efficiently, make her someone you want to help and do business with.

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Strange Old Week (And It’s Only Wednesday!)

It’s been a very strange old week so far, but it really has highlighted the benefits of working for yourself, from home.  The benefits of not only being flexible with your time, but with your money, and getting the best help for whatever job needs doing at the time, in time.

I was SUPPOSED to be writing up the final three BlogTalkRadio live shows, where we showed three more people how to make £10k in 90 Days EXTRA from their new or existing businesses.

On each of those emails I was SUPPOSED to remind you that we have extended the deadline for expressing your interest and joining the Money Gym Boardroom, and securing your launch discount of 30% on the whole year.

More info here: http://www.themoneygym.com/boardroom

And in time to join us for a lovely dinner this Thursday night, and then at the first Boardroom meeting, the next day, this Friday 6th November.

I was SUPPOSED to be reminding you that all you need to do is email Judith by midnight, tonight, to secure that discount and your seat.

However, the best laid plans of mice and men…….and wealth coaches…….”oft gang astray”, in the words of the poet.

Monday was a day of broken hearted, love struck teenagers, living rooms full of handymen, the first visit of new math’s tutors, frantically ironing huge swathes of curtains for said handyman to put up, then in the late afternoon, of emergency doctors appointments and shocks to the system.

Tuesday was a day of more handymen, phone calls to insurance companies and doctors surgeries, contacting specialists offices and friends coming and going with large hugs and cups of tea.

Thank goodness for friends, tea and large hugs eh?

But here we are at Wednesday, and I’ve not had a chance to write a word, and I’ve not yet reminded you about tonights deadline.

Tut tut. Sorry guys.

But, as I say, being your own boss means being flexible. Looking after things including yourself and your family. And we want to help you become your own boss, or if you are already, to be the best boss for YOU, that you can possibly be.

So, here’s your reminder and, between mentoring calls today, I’ll write up the other radio shows and get them out to you and onto the blog.

Well worth a listen.

Just email Judith [at] TheMoneyGym.com before midnight tonight, if you want to secure that 30% discount no matter when you want to start OR if you want to come along to The Boardroom dinner on Thursday and then get stuck into your business on Friday.

I’ve seen the agenda, and it rocks!

It will rock your business, your money and your life.

See you there!

Nicola

A Week In The Life Of Another Wealth Coach: Philly Fuggle

As Judith mentioned in last week’s newsletter, between now and Christmas, all of us coaches will be sharing with you a bit about what we are up to.  Judith called on me to be the first, because I think she was a bit concerned that I would not get to do my bit before I got myself all tied up in dirty nappies and sleepless nights and before I started talking “Ga Ga” to you all.

Yes that is right, for those of you who did not know, I am expecting, due on 8th December and soon to be a Mum.  So as you can imagine life in Philly’s world is all go, along with the baby preparations, I am busy automating as many of my tasks as possible and getting things in place so our wealth creation activities keep building for us whilst we have a bit of time off to welcome our new family member.

This week has been an eye opening and exciting week for me with the start of a year’s relationship with a wonderful new Gold Client, being hit by the “Boiler Bang” and meeting a COMPLETE newbie to the internet.

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A Week In The Life Of A Wealth Coach: Judith

Nicola is taking a holiday from writing the Note from Nicola and you will notice that Steve is freshening up the way the ezine looks.   Nothing stands still around here at Money Gym Towers .   Our abundant coaches have agreed to been strong-armed by me into each taking a turn over the next few weeks and I get to kick the whole thing off today.   We have been well briefed by Nicola to talk about one thing we have done to move our own wealth creation forward, one thing our clients have done to do the same and a little about each of us personally.   Like a typical rebel, I am going to ride roughshod over my directions whilst trying to meet the brief all the same.

I am grateful that it has been my turn to write this particular week and it’s been a fabulous week in which to be a wealth coach, largely due to beginning every day with the adrenaline rush of a 15 minute live radio broadcast at 9 a.m.   As part of our pre-publicity for the launch of the Money Gym Boardroom on 1st November and the whopping great discount you can get if you bag your seat before 31st October, Nicola and I have worked with five clients this week – Yvonne, Rob, Karen, Suzanne and Karen (no relation).   Holidays in Champagne, honeymoons in South Africa, a body-piercing studio in Croydon, £20k from innovative new online software training and a gorgeous niche dancing business.

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