I don't know Jim Bagnola and have never heard of him up until today. The only reason I visited his website is that it was mentioned, in passing, on the thread about Doug Henning.
For all I know, Bagnola could be the nicest guy in the world. Whatever. What has irked me, however, is how he bills himself as an "expert" in the field of "leadership" and his claims to having the ability to "awaken greatness" in those who see fit to pay him money to do so. If someone is going to make all these claims, I suggest that he should have proven himself in leadership and greatness in some significant field PRIOR to going into the industry in which he gives seminars showing others how to have these skills. And, no, a significant field does NOT include the field of giving seminars on greatness and leadership. Contrary to MMY's analogy, it is NOT enough to open up a health food store if you are a sick man; I say you've got to be one hell of a healthy speciman who has lived and eaten a health food diet for years before you can open up a health food store if you're also going to tout its benefits. Track records talk; bullshit walks. And that's why I was curious to see what Bagnola's track record is and whether it is sufficient to back up his "leadership" and "greatness" claims. So I linked on to the "About Jim" link to get an idea of his track record. Of the 9 paragraphs on this link, only the middle three give us any idea of what he has actually done and accomplished (aside from giving seminars and lecturing on greatness which is what the other 6 paragraphs mainly talk about and, as I've indicated, doesn't count). I am reproducing the three middle paragraphs below and interspersing his text with my comments which I have put in bold to differentiate them from Bagnola's text. My comments are, I suggest, how to read between the lines if you were to ever consider hiring this guy: "Born in Canton, Ohio, and now residing in Austin, Texas, Jim has traveled to more than 70 countries for both adventure HE WAS, FOR MANY YEARS, SCATTER-BRAINED WITHOUT A DIRECTION IN LIFE SO HE BUMMED AROUND THE THIRD WORLD FOR MANY YEARS WITHOUT A CENT TO HIS NAME... and work. ...HE EVENTUALLY HAD TO BEG FOR MONEY AND TAKE ODD MENIAL JOBS JUST TO MAKE ENDS MEET... He is an avid sports fan, ...HE SAT IN FRONT OF THE TV ALOT BECAUSE HE COULDN'T GET ANYONE TO HIRE HIM AND HIS FAVORITE PROGRAMS WERE FOOTBALL AND BASKETBALL... health enthusiast, ...HE HAD SO MUCH TIME ON HIS HANDS THAT HE HUNG OUT AT BALLY'S... and lifelong reader. ...AFTER 6 HOURS IN FRONT OF THE TV EVERY DAY, HE RESTED HIS EYES BY READING. HE HAS READ THE "LORD OF THE RINGS" 17 TIMES... "He was educated in political science ...A DO-NOTHING MAJOR UNLESS YOU BECOME A POLITICAL CONSULTANT, WHICH FEW PEOPLE DO (AND WHICH, APPARENTLY, BAGNOLA DID NOT DO OR ELSE HE WOULD HAVE TOLD US THAT)... and communications ...PLAYED WITH VIDEO CAMERAS AND SAW ALOT OF CLASSIC MOVIES. A REAL "FUCK OFF" MAJOR... at the University of Akron and has been a certified stress-management instructor since 1975. ...i.e., HE BECAME A TM TEACHER. 'NUFF SAID... He is also an executive coach to Fortune 500 company leaders. ...YAWN. ONE OF THE PERKS OF BEING AN EXECUTIVE AT A BIG FORTUNE 500 COMPANY IS THAT, FOR RECREATION MORE THAN ANYTHING, THEY SEND YOU OFF TO SEMINARS FOR THE DAY OR, IF YOU'RE LUCKY, FOR A WEEK AT SOME POSH RESORT. IT'S JUST A CONVENIENT WAY TO GIVE YOUR EMPLOYEES A WELL- DESERVED DAY OFF OR A VACATION AND ARE ABLE TO WRITE IT OFF AT THE SAME TIME BY LABELLING THE EXPENSE AS "RETRAINING" OR "EDUCATION". THE NEWEST VERSION OF THESE "SEMINARS" IS TO HAVE A "COACH" WHICH APPARENTLY BAGNOLA DOES WITH THESE "FORTUNE 500" COMPANIES. BUT REALLY, THIS IS THE EQUIVALENT OF TAKING "ART APPRECIATION 101" OR "CINEMA OF THE 1950s" IN COLLEGE AS AN ELECTIVE BECAUSE IT'S REQUIRED TO GET THE NECESSARY CREDITS TO GRADUATE. THAT IS, COURSES IN WHICH YOU DON'T HAVE TO EXERCISE YOUR BRAIN MUCH BUT YOU HAVE TO DO IT BECAUSE THE RULES REQUIRE IT. AND, HEY, IF YOU CAN BE AMUSED AT THE SAME TIME. ALL THE BETTER. THINK OF BAGNOLA AS A GLORIFIED COURT JESTER...SOMEONE WHO TAKES AWAY THE MONOTONY OF A STRESS-FILLED EXECUTIVE POSITION... "He has had varied professions throughout his life: He owned his own business, ...YEAH? AND WHAT, PRAY TELL, WAS THIS BUSINESS EXACTLY? I'LL BET YOU A DOLLAR TO A DONUT THAT IF IT WAS A BUSINESS THAT HAD EVEN THE REMOTEST SEMBLANCE OF EITHER SUCCESS OR LEADERSHIP, HE WOULDN'T BE SO VAGUE AS TO SAY "HE OWNED HIS OWN BUSINESS", HE'D TELL US EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS, WHAT IT'S SALES WERE AND WHETHER HE ACTUALLY SUCCEEDED AT IT. CHANCES ARE, IT WENT OUT OF BUSINESS IN 6 MONTHS WHICH IS THE RATE OF FAILURE FOR 95% OF BUSINESSSES IN THE US... held corporate VP positions, ...THERE IS NO BETTER INDICATION OF MEDIOCRITY ON A RESUME THAN TO SAY YOU "HELD CORPORATE VP POSITIONS". 95% OF ALL CORPORATIONS ARE SMALL, PRIVATELY HELD CORPORATIONS OF 10 PEOPLE OR LESS. IN OTHER WORDS, EVERYONE IN THE CORPORATION WHO ISN'T THE PRESIDENT GETS TO BE A "VICE PRESIDENT". THE MERE FACT THAT HE WASN'T AN ACTUAL PRESIDENT, TELLS US HOW LOWLY HIS POSITIONS WERE IN WHAT IN ALL PROBABILITY WERE LOWLY, UNSUCCESSFUL S CORPORATIONS... served on university administrations, ...i.e., MIU. AGAIN, 'NUFF SAID... and managed world-famous magician, Doug Henning." ...ANYONE THAT HAS TO QUALIFY A WORD WITH THE EXPRESSION "WORLD- FAMOUS" HAS DELUSIONS OF GRANDEUR. WHAT HIS USE OF THAT TERM TELLS ME IS THAT, UNFORTUNATELY, BEING IN THE TMO AND AROUND MMY RUBBED OFF ON HIM. HE PROBABLY HEARD MMY REFER, ONE TOO MANY TIMES, TO EVERY PERSON IN HIS INNER CIRCLE AS ONE OF THE WORLD'S BEST KNOWN PHYSICISTS OR ONE OF THE WORLD'S GREATEST EXPERTS IN THIS OR THAT FIELD, ETC. EVERYONE IN THE TMO IS IS "DR. KAPLAN" OR "DR. FELDMAN" WHEN, IN REALITY, ALL THEY GOT IN THE REAL WORLD WERE B.A.'S (OR, WORSE, B.A.'S AT MIU). YEAH, AND EVERYONE IS "WORLD FAMOUS".
