As some of you might know, I have long been a supporter and believer in something called the London Real Academy. LRA is the membership side of the LondonReal.tv website/youtube channel founded by Brian Rose where he interviews successful and interesting people. LRA was founded as a place for like minded individuals to focus on self-improvement across a wide swathe of disciplines – from physical fitness, to finances, to creativity. I have met Brian in person, and attended a ‘focus group’ evening at the London Real studios.
I have not always agreed with some of the views of the guests, but that’s fine. It’s all education.
One guest, and Rose’s mentor, Dan Pena has never been aligned with the intellectual, spiritual, humanistic side of LRA. LRA is not about making money at any expense, it is about making a better person. A better person does not, as Pena does at every event, suggest that participates who are not up to scratch commit suicide. Even saying such a thing for effect (what effect?) is betraying the values that the LRA community supposedly stands for. Pena is an aggressive, violent bully who in the past has participated in attempts at violent overthrows of democratically elected governments for money.
The thing that has tipped the scales for me is to have Pena on, uncontested, supporting Donald Trump. This is a very political and moral statement that I will not pay money to support. (Click image for video)
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I do not question that America needs an overhaul of its political and social systems. I just do not believe that a racist, misogynist, pathological liar who condones (and incites) violence on his behalf against those who disagree with him – or he just doesn’t like – is the most positive way forward. I do not believe that it is an approach that is aligned with all the things I hear in the London Real Academy community.
I do not think it is an understatement to say that Trump’s views – and his access to power – make him as potentially dangerous as any great dictator in recent history. To allow his supporters a platform is by extension to support Trump. I do not think that history will view those who allowed his hatred to propagate kindly. It is akin to having Royal Dutch/Shell oil chairman Henri Deterding on the show to discuss his admiration and support of Hitler. And that is not a statement I make lightly.
I turned a blind eye to LR’s click bait, follower grabbing attempts with Pena – which I should not have – but not with Pena as a Trump supporter.
Of course, Brian Rose and the London Real team are free to do with their channel and other outlets as they wish. I am not for a second saying they should not. I am simply saying that I won’t sponsor it.
31 responses to “Why I am leaving London Real Academy”
I completely agree with you, it’s a bout taking a moral stand which should always over power a financial stand
Thank you, Phil, for this article. I was looking for a more objective opinion on London real.. Some that I found on the web were overly ecstatic, and hard to take seriously in my opinion. Would you say though that the positives outweigh the negatives, thinking of your overall experience with them? Brian does seem to be genuinely nice and very approachable.. Is he the same in person?
london real has been a choke for a while. Brian has just reverted to his money obsesed days. From a guy asking great questions he has become the guy with all the answers. Dan penia and Thai Lopez are to blame to his journy back to the “dark side”.
The comment from salo sums it all up.
London Real was refreshing when it started now its like everything else. Not a day goes by without Brian Rose tryna sell me something. This shameless commercial push alienated the original fans.
Where about in Shoredich is the Academy based?Does anyone know the exact adress of London Real T.V?
Where is the studio of London Real Tv?
The old London Real was amazing it felt authentic, cool and divergent. It had its 1000 true fans. Now it’s gone mainstream, focused on extracting cash and selling products.
Yes. Jesus. Every day a sales email that reeks of desperation.
London real is an scum. I join the business accelerator and spend around 3000€. There was a fake 30 days money back guarantee, I ask for the money and I lost it.
I was shocked the interview got so many likes. Pena was so classless. He was arrogant to make empty assumptions about the viewers. I had to stop watching then bc it just became silly to continue watching someone who displays signs of a narcissist 101. Not surprised he’s a Trump supporter bc they are so similar, toxic.
I cannot think of one great leader who displayed any of that crude behavior, certainly not one that went down in history ‘admired’. It just highlights how unconscious our society still is and still much work to do to bring balance and harmony to our world.
I wouldn’t be surprised if men like Tai Lopez and Dan Pena are actors. I mean how do we really know that what they claim to be their past (achievements, experiences, even family, etc.) is actually real. This might sound farfetched to some, but I wouldn’t be shocked at all that “THEY” plant these rich, successful “types” (archetype) in the media to do exactly what “salo” (one of the commenters in this section) said, and I’m paraphrasing: “To pull you back to the darkside”.
I was also a fan of London Real in the beginning, but all the advertising at the start of every YouTube video and having to go to Brian’s website to view the entire interview (in some cases) has turned me off. Plus, the quality of his guests — not all — just keeps going down; many of them, like Pena, are so out of alignment with what London Real is (was) about.
Glad to see that I wasn’t the only one that found that Pena a full on materialistic jackass. You don’t have to an asshole to be rich. You don’t have to be evil to have enough money to fulfill your needs. That is a lie. That’s what the darkside wants you to believe; it wants you to “sell your soul”, to betray YOURSELF by doing things you FEEL are WRONG. That’s what the devil does. The father of lies. 😉 And this guy PENA exemplifies it.
Hey Phil, just found your channel and enjoying it very much. Im also a person somewhat perplexed by LRA – it seemed to be doing so well. And that Pena, and the “revelations” in Fire and Fury. Im also an avid reader of biz books, so it was a pleasure to find your youtubes. BUT WHATS going on with this web page? It peaks out my processor to 95% utilisation…. u bitmining with it or something?
Thanks…I have no idea what’s going on with the site that would cause that. It doesn’t do that for me…
London Real helped me find Dan Pena and for that I am truly grateful. Glean the best of what you see and hear and ignore what does not fit your situation. Cast a wide net to be a learner of the liberal arts. Dan wants folks to be aggressive in doing what it takes which is a step above from the pantie waists who just say do your best. Set your goals higher than what you can achieve. Consider that conventional wisdom is wrong. Get a good mentor. Quit hanging around with losers. Spend time with those that are exceptional. Be a capitalist and make some money. Once you have made some money, then you can give back and feed the hungry and clothe the naked. Dan would like you to have some self esteem.
not sure why I just google searched “LR scam”, but I’m having the same thoughts as many others here. After my 1st experience with Ayahuasca about 3 years ago, discovered Brain & Nick’s interview and was hooked. I sucked up all the interviews, made notes and tried to improve my life. Then something shifted.. it’s really weird, Brian worships psychopaths like Joko and Pena etc, but then interviews Ike and also loves Dorian.
And yes, I’m getting peppered with emails for his courses, sorry but not everyone wants to open their own business or wear three-piece suits. I’m here to listen to innovative, forward-thinking, conscious living and enlightened souls, not A-Holes like Pena. I even paid to listen, why not, we all got to make a living.
I still love the concept and even got my 18 yr old son to start listening, just hope he gets the right message now .. I hope Brian is making a good living, just stay on the right course dude!
AND another thing…..
Is Dan Pena REAL?
Why isn’t he on forbes list? What is his track record really? Isn’t he just a scammer and the only succesful mentees are those who replicates his scam, right? (Like the new london real).
I was shocked when I saw a video from london real, saying that people should thank Dan Pena for the affirmations – like he invented that LOL
Scam Scam Scam and more scam….
I was just one the Business Accelerator course with Brian Rose, and it was horrible! He over promised and under delivered so bad many of us are seeking bank returns on “fraudulent advertisement” and looking at making claims with EU trading commisions.
It is really unfortunate because I was a fan of his for quite some time, but the way he is running his business now is terrible. He gains the trust of people through his YouTube channel and then destroys all of it in a matter of a few months!
I literally either spoke to via either messenger, or some email communication with the LR guy about Pena. I said same, like dude this guy is so abhorrent, so vile in his views- and yeah he got you to wear a suit ok so that makes him palatable? I could tell Brian (got very uncomfortable) and like basically thanked me for sharing my opinion. But yeah lack of congruence is key, don’t sell you brand out for money…it will kill the brand long term. And yeah Gary V. or Bedros K, are not vile and still give advice and that masculine energy- so it is possible. I feel like he sold his soul…
I took the Business Accelerator in 2016. Before signing up, I searched and searched the London Real website for a more affordable, online-only version of the course but the only offering listed was the very expensive full-on version. I finally signed up on the last day it was offered. The next day I received an email offering an online version only for a third of the price. When I requested to be moved to the more affordable option, I was told by Brian that the email had been sent to me by mistake, and was told very sternly that the course fee was non-refundable. That if I continued to insist on the more affordable version, I would be out of the program.
The fact that they hid the second option until people were locked into their more expensive version of the course came across as highly manipulative and unscrupulous. I completed the program and learned a lot (although not enough to warrant the price, by a long shot), but never lost that feeling of having been had.
I agree with you. I lost my respect for Brian Rose after watching the program with Dan Pena.
Researching this organisation. They are pretty secretive, but beyond doubt some of the individuals in the videos are not at all the great success stories they claim to be, some of them are complete fantasists, at best, at worst narcissistic liars. How much do LRA charge for these videos? Presumably the subjects pay to be interviewed by Brian Rose. Clearly no verification of the claims to having successful businesses made by these individuals is carried out by LRA. Please post your experiences. Particularly the cost and what you learned about other participants.
I found this when I googled London Real review. I don’t know about that Pena mentor guy, but frankly, I’m not surprised. Having watched part of the “Life Accelerator” on the LR website, it just came off of as jazzed up American capitalism. Sloganesque advertising with all the bells and whistles, straight up manipulation if you ask me. I think spirituality should speak to the heart, not to be turned into this life-on-steroids, money-making, predatory practice. ‘Cause you know, maybe there’s like a middle ground between being an aggressive asshole and a slacker.
I’m all for growth and self-betterment and for that you need to face fears, get out of your comfort zone, be disciplined, determined, willing to work, not be stuck in a victim mentality. I get all that. But people also need safety, love, understanding, human warmth. To be loved and appreciated regardless of who they are or what they have or have not achieved. Because every human deserves dignity and respect. In such a place, healing can take place and we can grow from there. And like someone else mentioned, not everyone wants to be famous or an entrepreneur. What’s wrong with living a simple life?
In the book “The subtle art of not giving a F*ck” the author makes the point that a lot of self-help books just make people feel worse, because they are constantly affirming that you’re not sufficient and should improve. So maybe you’ll be able to exercise for a while or try to install other new habits. That is until you get fired, or another setback strikes, or you just give up after a while, because the underlying feelings of loneliness, insecurity and deficiency are not addressed. And then you’re in even deeper because you cannot live up to high societal standards and (another) failed attempt just increases the self-loathing and attraction to fleeing into drugs and self-destructive behavior. And so what was supposed to solve your problems becomes part of a downward spiral.
Don’t tell me it’s the individual either. Depression, suicide, addiction, drug abuse are plaguing modern society. Let’s put two and two together shall we? Because basically, you’re telling (an increasing number of) people who are struggling in life, and because of that, vulnerable and looking for help, that they should either become these super successful people with high status, lots of money and whatnot, and if they’re not, they’re trash.
This isn’t just high- pressure; it also puts all of the responsibility squarely on the individual, not taking into account socio-economic background, personal history and possible trauma, or just plain setbacks. There’s a matrix of individual vs collective on one axis, with responsibility vs accident on the other. Reality is complex and so often there are various contributing factors, though some may weigh in more heavily than others. Point is, putting all of the blame on the individual, is reductionist, unfair and unethical too because of what this does to people’s mental health and self-image.
And another thing. Modern consumer capitalism is pretty darn schizophrenic and sadistic in trying to play into people’s weaknesses for the sake of money (from aggressive advertising of all kinds of goods and subsequent loan sharking, to gambling, alcohol and porn, to video games specifically designed to maximize addictiveness), after which societies proceeds to negatively judge these individuals for caving in and falling short of an idealized image, which for a lot of people is (young, healthy, married, highly-educated, handsome, busy social life, rich, successful, famous).
But you don’t hear voices calling this out often enough, ’cause it’s sharks who tend to take the floor and shout loudest (*cough* Trump *cough), being the egocentric, narcissists that they are. Criticism can be dismissed as coming from “losers”. But y’know what? What goes around comes around. I wonder, who will they be, how will they feel, once they lose fame and fortune and go back to being plain normal, or what they refer to as “a nobody”. I guess they’re too busy holding on desperately, because the prospect of that must truly terrify them. Enough so to sell their souls.
I apologize for getting into a broader reflection of modern western society. Videos with prominent people in all kinds of fields can be inspiring and fascinating. I’m all for that. I don’t equate success or fame to egocentrism either. There’s some pretty darn humble and inspiring people out there. I just think it’s important not to get caught up in a “the sky’s the limit” type of rat race, with few winners and lots of losers, because of all the aforementioned injustices and detrimental effects it has on individuals and society.
I do hope Brian Rose can appreciate the Cosmic Mother he talks about as a healer, life teacher and opportunity to Holy Union first and foremost, instead of merely a tool for becoming a more successful individual. Be humble, give back.
In the Cosmovision of the indigenous peoples, the health of individuals, society and the environment are all interrelated. If one member is sick or has problems, this has repercussions on the whole. We are unmistakenly living this reality in our current Western societies, with all of the fall out we’re experiencing (war, refugees, rise of fascism, poverty and increasing inequality, destruction of nature, climate change). If we are to heal and lift ourselves out of the current convergence of crises, working towards a more compassionate and just society is of critical importance.
To the OP: happy you made a statement.
Many of the guests on London real are successful because they sell Courses to people who want to be rich. Guests such as dan pena, grant cordone, Tai Lopez amongst others. I was initially intrigued but the facade became apparent very quickly once I did my research.
Just stumbled upon this Pena guy and he’s exactly like Trump, an overweight, greedy, violent and sociopathic buffoon. Sadly this is what embodies the “dark side” of American culture which currently is in charge of the leading the globe. I’m done with the self help gurus they all recite the same talking points over and over again. Only have “amazing friends”, get a mentor and read self help books till your ears wiggle.
I’ve never purchased any of their programs so far because I’ve came realise they are mostly con men looking to line their pockets with the many people who wish to be successful and rich and are looking for a quick fix.
I’m here because I googled “dark side of Brian Rose” after I found an odd comment under one of his YouTube interviews.
The commenter said BR was a parasite, selling all of our personal information to scammers.. the commenter said if you doubt it, just sign up for any of his publications or classes…
Then I immediately connected the dots to it has been four days since I signed up for a webinar.. requiring my phone number
And it’s been four days of many strange out of area phone calls and scammer text messages…
It’s really a shame… I was so impressed with his interviews with high vibration quests like Gregg Braden and Bruce Lipton… among many others…
I feel sick to my stomach right about now….
He did have a gleam in his eye as he told James Altucher how he wanted his employer to pay for his Visa to London…
My antenna were triggered… then I saw the comment about his selling out personal information to the worst of the worst.
Sad….
Hi! Thank you for taking the time to post. I joined and now am unjoining. It’s way, way too commercial for me. It’s all about money and how much you can give them. I also dislike being told “how to be successful” and having to follow their formula. It may work for them, but it’s not for me. And when I read your article and found that they are Trump supporters, it turns my stomach. To me, Trump is one of the least successful people I know unless you compare him to other grifters and criminals. I have no use for anyone who supports Trump. He has made America a very sad and divisive place.
Complete agree with Salo and the Author. London Real lost its principal. Notably, also dissapointed in the panel attendees who, at first, seem to stand against what Peña is, but yet put their values aside and went for the money and were part of the panel. I am still hopeful for Wim Hof to do the right thing and stop supporting LRA.
All these so called ‘self – help’ businesses are scams to get your money. I’ve researched a number of them over the years and met many vunerable individuls who paid thousands for courses, that in the long run only resulted in one thing – poverty!
Looks like these comments didn’t age well. Anyone following Brian Rose lately with scammy fund raiser for a freedom plateform because YouTube did the right thing to remove David Icke live stream
BR is the f’ing devil. Lures you in…he’s the f’ing devil.
Dan Pena IS a psychopath. He even admits it on a YouTube video. Just search on there for “dan pena psychopath.” Not that you need him admitting it…you can just look into his crazy psycho eyes. He is the personification of evil.