Yesterday, I announced that pre-orders are open for the new Personal MBA Business Crash Course. If you want to make 2010 the year you finally make things happen in your life and career, you should definitely check it out – participating in the Crash Course is the very best way to train your business brain and get individual attention from me as you learn.
I got a TON of questions yesterday about the new PMBA Crash Course, and the sign-ups are rolling in – everyone seems very excited about this program, and I’m really looking forward to working with everyone who participates.
Here are answers to a few common questions about the course…
How many course videos are there in total?
About 100. The course will feature 5-7 videos per week, each about 10 minutes long. I’m really trying to get down to the essence of what you need to know, so each video will contain the absolute essentials of what you need to know – no more, no less. You can watch the videos on your own schedule, and review them at any time. If you’re trying to improve your career or business, time with this material will be very well spent.
How much time will this crash course take each week?
Plan for 3-4 hours per week. Part of the time will be watching the videos and taking notes, part will be thinking and planning on your own, and part will be participating in (or listening to) any mentorship calls you join.
What’s the difference between this and the previously mentioned Group Workshops?
It’s the same content, but presented in a different format. The combination of online video + twice-weekly phone conversations allows many more people to participate, since the schedule is significantly more flexible.
Do I have to attend every single mentorship call?
No – it’s best to attend mentorship sessions only when you have a specific question to ask. All mentorship sessions will be recorded, and the recordings will be posted on the Crash Course website, so you can listen to them at your leisure. I’m scheduling two mentorship calls per week to ensure that every participant has an opportunity to call in at least once a month, even those with the busiest schedules – you definitely don’t have to attend every call in person to reap the benefits of participation.
Are the weekly mentorship calls included in the price of the course?
Yes – as a participant, you’ll have access to the mentorship calls for the duration of the video portion of the course. (12 weeks.) If you’d like to continue to participate after the video portion of the crash course is over, the membership fee is $97 per month. If you choose not to continue participating, you’ll no longer have access to the calls or recordings.
My goal is to make these mentorship calls so useful that you’ll want to continue to participate well into the future, and that you continue to receive at least 10x the amount of value you invest. Anyone who has participated in group coaching in the past will tell you that $97 a month for the kind of material we’ll be discussing is an absolute steal, and since 12 weeks of mentorship calls are included with the course, it’s like you’re getting the course material for free. (I *really* should be charging more for this, and I’ll most likely increase the monthly fee for the mentorship calls after pre-orders are closed, so sign up now if you’re interested.)
Are any books included?
No – the Business Crash Course will be delivered entirely via online video and phone. Part of the purpose of the Crash Course is to help you learn the essential principles more quickly than via reading, and it’s prohibitive from a time/cost/logistics standpoint to ship books worldwide. The online video + phone conversation approach is much better suited to the purpose, which is to help you master fundamental business principles quickly.
Can I participate if I’m not located in the US or Canada?
Absolutely. To participate, you must be able to sign up using a major credit card, and you must have phone access, either via landline or Skype. I’m in the process of setting up my conference call system, and I’m choosing with international participants in mind.
I want this free – why does this cost money?
Programs like this are what allow me to continue to work on the Personal MBA full time vs. working another day job. My time is valuable, and international conference calling systems cost money. In order for me to justify putting this much time and energy into the program, it must make sense financially.
Remember, Everything Free is Subsidized. If you’d like to support the PMBA and help it grow, participating in this course is one of the best ways you can help keep me focused 100% on bringing you tons of value well into the future.
Would it better for me to sign up for the Crash Course or for 1-on-1 PMBA Coaching?
If you’ve considered participating in PMBA Coaching, you’re in luck – if you sign up for bi-weekly or weekly coaching now, you’ll get full access to the course and all ongoing mentorship calls for free for as long as you’re my coaching client. It’s the best of all worlds – a solid education, group discussion, and personal attention. If you’re interested, visit the PMBA Coaching page and sign up. (Current Coaching Participants: expect an e-mail with crash course access instructions in your inbox soon.)
Interested in participating? Sign up for the PMBA Business Crash Course now!
If you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to contact me. I’m looking forward to working with you – together, we’ll make 2010 a year to remember!
{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Josh
I’m interested in the Crash Course, but my current financial situation (unemployed for over a year) makes the cost a little prohibitive, but I could use this. Do you have a flexible payment program?
Thanks
D
Dave – replied to you via e-mail.
If anyone else is in Dave’s situation, this course would really help you – contact me and we’ll see if we can work something out.
Same dilema, sent you an email through contact page.
Hey Josh,
Sounds like a good idea.
May i ask if the videos will be accessible to people who sign up after the 12 weeks are over and will they be available as podcasts?
Thanks
Simon
Simon – I plan on this course being available for a long time to come, but you’ll have to enroll in the course to participate. These course materials won’t be posted on the PMBA blog – it’s a separate thing.
Hey Josh,
I get that part but do we get access to the online resources after the 12 weeks is over if we are paid for members?
Thanks
Simon
Hi Simon,
I could be wrong, but my understanding is that we get lifetime access to the course by paying the initial course fee. What is separate are the calls with Josh and access to the “question and answer” archives. We have free access for those during the 12 weeks, and then continue to have access should we continue with the group mentorship calls. The videos are ours no matter what.
Josh- please correct me if I’m wrong!
Kelsey
Kelsey / Simon – that’s right. All members will have access to the course materials permanently; access to the calls and recordings after the 12 week primary course is done is contingent upon ongoing membership.
How many participants do you expect per call? I am concerned that within an hour, some of the questions can’t get through. Would you describe a little more of how the group section will be conducted?
Thanks for your reply Kelsey and Josh.
I am sold on your course except for one critical personal problem. I don’t have an idea. I know the kind of businesses i DONT want to start but i can’t think of something that i know i want to spend a lot of time on.
Will this course be relevant for people in my situation and if so how will this integrate with the people who do have an idea?
Thanks
SImon
Simon – we’ll cover business and market evaluation at the beginning of the course, which will help you generate ideas about options to explore. We’ll also discuss market research, which will help you decide which ideas to pursue. I think you’ll find it quite useful.
Roger – everyone will have ample opportunity to ask questions; The mentorship calls are in a Q&A format – you bring your questions, and I’ll do my best to share my knowledge, experience, and perspective to help you out as much as possible. I’ve developed several ways to ensure everyone gets the attention they need, so no worries about being left out. Calls can always go a bit longer if there are more questions, and I can add mentorship sessions if it’s consistently busy.
Hey Josh,
For international participants how would we dialin ? The phone costs could get higher than the cost of the course.
Regars
-Deepak
Deepak – I’m working to ensure international participants will be able to call in via a local access number or Skype; hope this helps!
Hi Josh,
I´m very interested in your course, but I´d like to get some clarifications in order to register.
1) What is the net delivery (i.e without study hours)?. My figures don´t fit:
* Around 100 videos. (see conflict in next bullet )
* 5-7 videos (10 mins) per week (x12) >> max 84 videos, 70 mins/week,
* 2 mentorship calls per week >> avg duration? 1hr?
>> Net delivery per week : 1 hr video + 2hrs mentorship??
2) At what time are you planning to schedule the mentorship calls? (I´m living in CET zone).
3) Call in technology is unclear. I would like to have something concrete.
4) Is it possible to submit questions in advance for this mentorship calls?
5) Is it possible to get access to a kind of agenda prior to the mentorship calls??
This agenda should include the list of questions to be addressed.
Thanks in advance for your clarifications.
Vince
Vince: answers to your questions…
Re: Time – Total video time will conservatively be ~17 hours (1000 minutes, 10m * ~100 videos). I originally estimated on the low side, so you’ll be seeing 8-9 videos per week, with some variation depending on what part of the course we’re in. I’m still finalizing my schedule, but you can expect at least this much. Average expected duration of the mentorship calls will be 1 hour, but could go up to 2 if the conversation is lively. Note: I’m not sure if “net delivery” is the best metric though – the minutes themselves are less important than the value of the information contained in those minutes. Regardless of duration, I guarantee you’ll find this course much more valuable than the investment.
Re: time zone – Calls will be held Wednesdays at 3:00pm MST (GMT-7) and Saturdays at 10:00am MST. They’ll be recorded so you can listen to them if you can’t make it, and you don’t have to participate in both calls unless you want to. (You can use Permatime> to do a quick timezone conversion if you like.)
Re: international calls – I’m using a service that provides a free international Skype call-in number you can use without cost if you have a Skype account. I also have local and toll-free numbers available for France and UK if needed, but recommend Skype – the quality of the connection will be better.
Re: advanced question submission – Yes, I’ll be answering e-mails sent in via the website as well.
Re: call agenda idea – I’m expecting the agenda to be free-flowing, since it’s designed to be less of a presentation and more of a discussion, which can include conversations among the participants as well. I expect that this format will result in a better quality of conversation, which will benefit everyone involved.
Looking forward to working with you!
Josh, is the pre-order price still available? ~ Ton Roque