People want an authority to tell them how to value things, but they choose this authority not based on facts or results. They choose it because it seems authoritative and familiar — and I’m not and never have been familiar.
— Michael Burry, The Big Short
This story is about a tennis coach I fired for failing to live up to his claims. He might have worked wonders for my game, but if you don’t treat your customers right, I don’t care what you can do for me.
If you look around this site, you’ll find I apply the same principles to everything: That — is what makes them principles. Anyone with an atom of objectivity will see what’s going on here. And yet, on matters of world-altering consequence, I’ve been met with this same behavior for decades:
People proudly refusing to address what the issue is about — spinning their rolodex of excuses to absolve themselves without a molecule of conscience.
Look around!
On results alone, Amir Rahbar is a great tennis coach at his academy The Coaching Vault here in Houston. If that’s all you care about, then my review won’t matter. But the facts of this situation are largely being seen through the prism of those results (along with the positive history people have with him).
However outstanding that history may be — it doesn’t absolve Amir of miserably failing to live up to the expectations of character he set (or even the bare-bones minimum in my book).
I come from a different place. A different time. A different way of life.
And I’m not and never have been familiar
Guaranteed, Amir was about to have a fit the second he saw that opening quote and keyed in on “results”: Ready to roll out the rankings, championships, and trophies to toot his horn with his backing band of believers.
Never mind that’s got nothin’ to do with it.
I had hoped this post was the end of it — as I’ve got a boatload of goals to get back to, and this ain’t one of ’em. But a story has to run its course, and while I wish Amir would have just let it go — he couldn’t help digging himself a deeper hole.
And now I’ve got additional material to all the more expose who he really is — which I’m learning as I go along.
Amir is a liar
I never even hinted at such a charge in my original review. I said he has no honor, but I didn’t call him a liar. In response to my Thumbtack review, he starts lying by the second sentence. In his 335-word reply to my review, he lied 4 times:
- 3 outright lies
- And the worst one of all: Lying by omission — as in leaving out everything in the story that matters
I’ll return to his reply in the addendum — first you need to see how this story unfolds to get the full brunt of how full of shit this guy really is.
We have extensively examined the ways in which evil individuals will flee self-examination and guilt by blaming and attempting to destroy whatever or whoever highlights their deficiencies
One last thing before we get into my original review. The image below is my intro into this post. I doubted I could leave a link — so I just set up the essence of my aim, and fortunately I was able to attach an image that included the URL.
I’m only showing it now to point out the difference in approach from what you’ll see in his response. Why would I take this guy to task in an exhaustively detailed post — but give him 2 stars instead of 1?
- 1 = Terrible
- 2 = Poor
It’s safe to say we’re in “Terrible” territory here, but I just couldn’t go that far — even though I feel it. Because what exactly is “Terrible” in the domain of “overall experience”?
It’s too generic for my taste — so I defined my own ratings in the review: Where I gave him a 5 for actual tennis time.
I have to wonder if he even read it, because every reponse throughout this saga has been a black hole of blankness: Nothing computes! This guy’s like a grade-schooler consumed with maintaining his dominance of stars on the wall:
It’s just pathetic
The evil hate the light—the light of goodness that shows them up, the light of scrutiny that exposes them, the light of truth that penetrates their deception.
By the way
If I were a random person reading his reply, I’d be highly suspicious as to why he didn’t address a single word I wrote (in a detailed write-up on my website, no less).
I’d also take note of how he conveniently neglected to mention that I gave him a 5 & 4 for specific metrics within the review itself. That a coach would fail to factor for that in their response — speaks volumes to me.
On the above alone — I’d know he’s hiding something.
To keep this short . . .
Yeah, because your kind avoids detail like Black Death.
Behavior invariably has history — which is why I was puzzled as to the absence of any reviews that reflected my experience in some fashion.
Turns out I didn’t do enough homework — because in the aftermath of all this, I found some. Not many — but enough to know I’m not alone.
In John Wayne: The Life and Legend, the author relays a story about The Duke growing up as Marion Robert Morrison — and how every day he rode eight miles to elementary school on a horse named Jenny. No matter how much he fed his horse, Jenny was still too thin.
Some ladies in town took notice of what they perceived as malnutrition and reported his family to the Humane Society. After a vet examined the horse it was diagnosed to have a disease and eventually they had to put her down. On top of losing his beloved horse, Marion was understandably unhappy with how he was treated:
[A] sense of outrage over being falsely accused never left him. “I learned you can’t always judge a person or a situation by the way it appears on the surface,” he remembered. “You have to look deeply into things before you’re in a position to make a proper decision.”
Everything about this situation ties with the times — where people make it nearly impossible to discusss what an issue is actually about. Wars have begun that way. As I wrote on Mentality of a Mob:
Rather than read and digest, people scan and dismiss — frantically seeking any fragment they can frame in their favor.
When someone calls you out for falling short, all ya gotta do is suck it up and apologize — and that’d be the end of it. But in the cavalier communication of our culture today — it’s all about winning and cementing how you see yourselves.
And you get away with it with ease — because you’ve got “friends”:
The individual believer must have social support. It is unlikely that one isolated believer could withstand the kind of disconfirming evidence we have specified. If, however, the believer is a member of a group of convinced persons who can support one another, we would expect the belief to be maintained and the believers to attempt to proselyte or to persuade nonmembers that the belief is correct.
These five conditions specify the circumstances under which increased proselyting would be expected to follow disconfirmation.
I had just recently returned to taking lessons from Amir, and I only had 2 or 3 a few months ago. There’s no denying he worked wonders even in those. But as explained in Some People Are NeveReady — I had a problem with my forehand that I had to deal with on my own.
Right out of the gate, it was clear I had come a long way — and he said so himself. I was ecstatic and ready to take another lesson as soon as possible. But this guy’s big-time booked up weeks in advance — and rightly so. I was lucky to get the lesson I did, but I recalled him saying to check daily due to cancellations.
That’s how I got that one — and the one I had for last Sunday, but he didn’t show.
It’s important to understand that all of my communication with him had been through text (outside of an initial call that lasted quite awhile). I realize this guy’s got a ton of people to communicate with, and managing that cannot be easy. But because of my situation and our conversations, it felt more personal.
I’m not saying I expected it to stay that way — I’m saying I didn’t expect it to vanish without a trace.
The day before that prior lesson — I was heading out the door and he texted to request that we postpone till tomorrow, and I was happy to accommodate him. Everything I had seen out of Amir set this tone of him being very personable.
So when he didn’t respond to my texts on Sunday — I really started to get worried.
This guy is religious about professionalism
That’s what I told a friend in expressing my concern that something surely must be wrong, because this guy would never just casually not show up and then not answer my texts.
That professionalism is what I perceived about Amir — as he sold it and I bought it. But I take new information into account and change my mind when warranted:
I’m old-fashioned that way
It wasn’t until late Sunday night that I remembered the Band app he uses to communicate with everyone. In fairness, Amir mentioned the app when asking if I had seen the bit about one of his students winning a tournament or something.
I had forgotten all about the app — and I never thought of it in the context of cancellations anyway.
Maybe he mentioned it months before — but my situation was unique. I took one lesson at $100/hr and then bought a 12-package deal at $80/hr. Took one or two, and for no reason that reflects on him — decided to go it alone for a few months.
So I was essentially starting over again when I returned — but the personable feeling was still there. From my understanding, the booking system handled cancellations, because, ya know — that would make perfect sense.
The idea that I’m supposed to monitor notifications in an app in case of cancellations — is not what I would call a robust operation. The notification could be about some kid winning a match or lessons being canceled for the day.
I’m not saying I can’t work with that — I’m saying that’s not the way I would do it.
So lemme get this straight
The scheduling system doesn’t drive cancellations — your app notifications do, then you bulk cancel in bundles after-the-fact?
So on Saturday, I can schedule a slot for Sunday that doesn’t exist — then commit the sin of failing to check an app I’d never used (since I just started back after barely beginning 3 months before).
Then you make it official by bulk canceling on Thursday for what happened on Sunday?
On the prior lesson — I was walking out the door and received his reschedule request. Pretty amiable exchange for somebody who turned into a robot two days later.
This “last minute” bit becomes a recurring theme . . .
I don’t know what the hell happened to that Amir — and that’s why we’re here. Maybe you’re not that person once someone gets going on the lessons, and that’s fine — you don’t have to be:
And maybe you can’t be — considering the number of people in your academy.
But to turn on a dime is another matter.
I showed up for a lesson that didn’t exist. Was in breach of Amir’s no-contact protocol for a vacation I didn’t know he was on. And failed to do my part to check an app I forgot all about — for a cancellation that won’t officially take place till 5 days later.
And not one word in reply to my concerns — from my good ol’ buddy above.
See you tomorrow at 9, champ
I go way out of my way for my lesson — and even after a couple of polite texts (not one word on that day or any other).
In the spirit of a giving a grace period: Had he just sent me one text to say:
Hey, Rick, sorry about he misunderstanding on Sunday. I’m on vacation and I mentioned this in the app. I know you just got back to taking lessons and haven’t been in the habit of using it.
But please keep in an eye on it in the future for notifications like this. I’ll cancel Sunday so you’ll still have that lesson coming. See you soon!
Got it — loud and clear!
So whatever I think of his half-ass system, I’m in the club now — and I know my responsibility. I found out later that he “doesn’t respond to texts while on vacation.” It just astounds me that he would not make an exception for someone who just started up again with one lesson — afer barely even beginning to take ’em a few months before.
A real pro would have handled this with ease, but it gets much worse.
And believe it or not, how he treated me is not what set me off — it’s how he treated his whole community. I’ve been in IT for 25 years — and I have never treated a single customer the way he treated his entire group.
It’s always the programmer’s fault
That’s what I told a user 22 years ago when she called and said, “I must have done something wrong, I’m getting an error.” I wanted to ease her mind and explained that anything that can be anticipated, should be. And that makes it my fault, not hers.
There are exceptions to the rule — but it’s the mindset of embracing your responsibility that matters most.
Amir has no such notion
As I wrote on Some People Are NeveReady:
I got back into tennis a year ago and decided to hire some help. 5 lessons later, I fired my coach for not listening. The only reason this site exists is because this country refuses to listen and learn, so I damn sure ain’t gonna pay somebody for that.
Amir knows that coach fairly well and we had some some unflattering conversations about him. But how ironic that the first coach was the honorable one. Not only did he issue a refund on remaining lessons in my 10-package deal, he didn’t even fuss over it.
Amir said I should post a review about that guy, and maybe he was right — but I never did. It had nothing to do with getting a refund (just as if Amir offered lifetime lessons for free to avoid this review — I wouldn’t change one word).
My heart just wasn’t in it to broadcast my problem with the first guy. He’s not a very good coach, but in fairness: He could have done a better job without my forehand issue in the way. And since I’d been out of tennis for 10-15 years — that’s when it was at its worst.
I took issue with his lack of listening skills — but Amir’s refusal to listen is on a whole other level. And for that — my heart is very much in it.
There was clear confusion this week — and instead of taking any responsibility for that, he blamed his group. Maybe we should have done this and should have done that, but there’s a flaw in the system.
It would be unthinkable for me to start casting blame instead of rethinking the system and welcoming suggestions for improvement.
I found it off-putting that he didn’t personally address the concern in my message below. I let it go, but it was the first sign of his Jekyll and Hyde transformation.
So you’re “back tomorrow,” change your mind the next day — then blame your clients for miscommunication?
But I refrained from saying anything — as I was waiting until I had all the information. I didn’t text him to ask what was going on and didn’t say a word about the erratic communication I was witnessing.
And this is when it really started to get disturbing. “I AM RESPONSIBLE” for this and “I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE” for that — does not strike me as a “friendly reminder.” Keep in mind — I was never bothered that much by his no-show on Sunday (I was mainly concerned about what might have happened to him).
And I’m not offended by his behavior — I’m saying it’s wrong, and not the mark of the professional I thought I hired. In the grand scheme of things, the no-show is nothing — but what you’re showing me now is everything:
Before signing up I send a note mentioning how important the band app is so I’m assuming that all of you know how to check that before attending class.
I didn’t recall getting that note, but I went back to my earliest text messages and found it. I don’t tell a story to shape it in my favor — I tell it exactly how it happened. So if there’s information that works in another person’s favor — that’s part of the story.
But once again — these messages are from late March.
I took a couple lessons and didn’t return for almost 3 months (never having used the app). So if you wanna argue the letter of the law, I was properly informed of my duty — and I made a mistake months later by failing to follow protocol.
If there’s a problem, I’m not gonna jump to the conclusion that:
You’re not doing exactly as you’re supposed to — and that’s the problem.
Maybe you need a better system so they don’t have to. How about asking the group for input on how it could be done better? Maybe you shouldn’t send such a critical note about the app in a text.
That’s too casual for something of that importance.
Why not put it on your site along with some screenshots about the app and have people sign something that says:
Yes, I have the installed app and I understand my responsibilities in keeping an eye on the notifications.
You had all kinds of options — but you settled on barking at your clients for what they failed to do. Why bother considering what you could do better when you can just blame it on them.
You made that choice not to charge for same-day cancellations — and if it’s a problem, you need to find a way to work it out (so maybe a person gets a break on one but no more for a few months or something).
Either way — you’re running a business and dealing with problems comes with the territory.
I’d seen enough
A couple minutes later — someone followed suit by saying they wanted a refund for the 17 lessons they had left: And then Amir really started ramping up to show his true colors.
Apparently, we all signed a no-refund clause or something. I never saw anything like that, but maybe it’s mentioned in the booking confirmation section or something.
From the get-go, this guy put on his pitch about how he much he cares about customer satisfation.
But in the end
Always the dollars — always the f#*$%&’ dollars
He bounced me from the group immediately after my final comment (which I unfortunately didn’t get a screenshot of first). I reminded him of the person he claimed to be, and that the image he portrayed — didn’t include throwing a “no-refund clause” in the face of unhappy clients.
And told him if that’s the way he wants to play it — he can keep his goddamn money, because there’s no way in hell I’m taking another lesson from him.
And so began the following text exchange . . .
What you’re about see are the typical tactics of the times — predictable as day and night for people who’ll do anything to evade accountability.
I know the type — all too well:
Bullshitters seek to convey a certain impression of themselves without being concerned about whether anything at all is true. They quietly change the rules governing their end of the conversation so that claims about truth and falsity are irrelevant.
— Blurb to On Bullshit by Harry G. Frankfurt
This is why conducting business through text and apps is a bad idea for an operation of his size. But again, I’m still in personal mode — and since he knew all about my frustration with my former tennis partner, I shared my exchange that led to Some People Are NeveReady.
I had no idea he was on vacation — and since that was Saturday, why was I able to schedule a slot for Sunday? My mind was elsewhere and I missed the “Monday” he mentioned. But “Out with fiancé” somehow didn’t register as on vacation.
Fine, I made a mistake — but once I replied, “See you at 5:30 Sunday” — why not correct me and clear all this up?
If you really wanna send a message about the importance of the app — now’s the time. Apparently, I was in breach of the rules by contacting him while on vacation, so your message is:
I’m gonna ignore Rick to teach him a lesson about the app?
“Hi, Amir. I’m a little confused” — was sent on Monday morning. No reply from Sunday nor Monday. I never heard from him again till I took him to task in the app on Thursday — at which point he wanted to take it offline.
I took issue with the way he treated the group — so I aired my concerns for all to see.
You can message me directly here . . .
You mean because that’s my only option after you booted me off the group to proect your image?
Richard, a little respect goes a long way . . .
So does a modicum of courtesy. Ya know, like sending a tiny text to someone who just returned to taking lessons who’s unfamiliar with your precious protocol — who thought you might be in a hospital or dead.
Just a thought!
The “wish you the best” crowd just kills me. You can’t make a hairline crack in their hermetically sealed minds, but they wanna skate away scot-free feeling like they’re the bigger man man by showing some grace.
I don’t care if they mean it or not — it’s empty and meaningless to me.
You wanna “wish me the best” — wish yourself the best by listening and learning from your fellow man.
One clarification on my former tennis partner:
His lack of honor is not at all like Amir’s, and I should not have lumped them together like that. And “no honor” was an overstatement regarding that player. Amir is another matter, as he’s keeping roughly a grand he didn’t earn.
I don’t know what I signed and I don’t care — he sold himself as someone he is not. That’s a breach in my kind of contract:
In the book: DUKE, We’re Glad We Knew You: John Wayne’s Friends and Colleagues Remember His Remarkable Life — in the forward is a 1979 article that includes the following:
To him a handshake was a binding contract. When he was in the hospital for the last time and sold his yacht, The Wild Goose, for an amount far below its market value, he learned the engines needed minor repairs. He ordered those engines overhauled at a cost to him of $40,000 because he had told the new owner the boat was in good shape.
Please don’t use the word “clients”?
What? . . .
Maybe the people on the app aren’t all clients — I have no idea what that’s about. But what on earth is going on in Amir’s mind when splitting hairs over terminology is of importance to him in the midst of all this?
That I immediatedly corrected my “tested” typo with “Treated” and he blew right by it — perfectly captures the lickety-split communication of today.
You’re racing to respond — and not a nanosecond is spent considering what someone just said. All that matters is #winning.
I have no honor because I went on vacation?
Jesus, this guy is some piece of work . . .
You go ahead and write your review because my response will be with evidence.
I just howled when I read that — and it wasn’t the first time I had some laughs at the clown you became.
“Did Dis Dude Just Did Dis?”
The following text exchange with a friend would be cryptic without this clip to capture the absurdity of Amir’s attitude. And like the second example that follows with another friend, these people are coming into it cold.
The only thing they know about Amir is that I’ve been singing him praises on the quality of his coaching and the character I incorrectly perceived:
This guy is religious about professionalism
But they see these screenshots and are puzzled as I am — along with being mystified by his no-show Sunday without a peep in response to my concerns.
I decided last minute to stay gone longer
— RJ
One of the best things about that best friend — is that he’d never agree with me in a million years on anything he didn’t really believe. I’m a big fan of people don’t go along just because.
I don’t do innocent or guilty by association — so I sure as hell won’t accept that from anyone else.
This client’s concern about scheduling difficulties doesn’t matter either. After all — it must be entirely his fault.
Yeah looks like it’s cancelled again . . . becoming really hard to book these days . . .
“He blamed me” . . .
Well that sure sounds familiar:
And this — is just priceless . . .
My friend and I were exchanging concerns about Amir for days. But when she saw his flippant commentary in the app, she instantly nailed it:
You change your mind
Like a girl changes clothes . . .
‘Cause you’re hot then you’re cold
You’re yes then you’re no
You’re in then you’re out
You’re up then you’re down
You’re wrong when it’s right
It’s black and it’s white . . .
You might be thinking
Is it really that big of a deal that he changed his mind 2 or 3 times while on vacation? For an average coach who doesn’t boast about about his stature & standards — maybe not.
But taken in totality of how he left me hanging for days — and with what I witnessed of him blaming everybody but himself over his beloved system:
Even if you could put that trophy in my hands — there’s no way in hell I’m putting up with this crap for this kind of money.
And about those lawyers
Do I strike you as someone you can intimidate? These people thought they could shut me up too:
On top of all that — I have never misrepresented anything or anyone.
Abigail and I go way back . . .
You cannot be, I know, nor do I wish to see you an inactive Spectator, but if the Sword be drawn I bid adieu to all domestick felicity, and look forward to that Country where there is neither wars nor rumors of War in a firm belief that thro the mercy of its King we shall both rejoice there together.
I greatly fear that the arm of treachery and violence is lifted over us as a Scourge and heavy punishment from heaven for our numerous offences, and for the misimprovement of our great advantages.
If we expect to inherit the blessings of our Fathers, we should return a little more to their primitive Simplicity of Manners, and not sink into inglorious ease.
We have too many high sounding words, and too few actions that correspond with them.
— Abigail Adams, 16 October 1774
Just as I could talk about Amir’s qualities, I could talk about how the banks built my career — and that I’m eternally grateful to Bank of America & all companies that shaped my career. This isn’t Occupy Wall Street and I don’t do The Big Bad.
This is a particular situation where people did not deliver on their word.
A pattern emerging?
Rick’s the type of guy who would lose his job on principle
— CH (circa 2007)
I’m not trying to sabotage Amir’s business any more than I was trying to sabotage those people at the bank or hurt the company I’m forever indebted to.
They were dead wrong and needed to be accountable in some fashion — just as Amir does.
And I’m that guy — I’ve always been that guy.
Rick’s the most honest guy you’ll ever meet
— ES (circa 2011)
I don’t need to be careful — the truth is what I do.
Look around
I have all your texts about how awesome I was and I benefitted you . . .
Well, now you’ve got a website that says so too. I may never be as good as I hoped to be with your help. But just being an awesome instructor doesn’t get it done, not for me, anyway.
On that note — it wasn’t all awesome.
I only bring up the following because it bears on your lack of listening skills and insufficient inquiry to understand a problem before you make assumptions straight out of canned perception.
Some People Are NeveReady has some history on how I my f*#%@! up my forehand 15 years ago — and not even a team of the best coaches on the planet could solve this problem with only sporadic sessions.
And while I can afford the lessons — I’m not rolling in dough where I can rack ’em up without worry about making the most of them.
Before I had something happen to me in interstate traffic a long time ago — I could not possibly understand what an anxiety problem was like. It took 10 years to get over it. And however ridiculous it sounds, my forehand issue is an anxiety problem.
I had hoped that coaches could solve it — but they can’t and it’s not their fault. Each one helped move me along, but I needed to take me the rest of the way — at least to the point where it wasn’t bogging down my lesson time.
When I recently returned to Amir — I was ready, and it showed. I did it my way and it worked — because I fully understand the problem. I didn’t expect Amir to or anyone else. But I expected that someone of his caliber would inquire about it before making uninformed opinions about my plan.
I know he meant well, but his opinion below is run-of-the mill and formulaic at best. It’s not that it bothered me — but it sure as hell didn’t impresss me.
Lo and behold: You can be a great coach with killer accolades — and still have things to learn.
Imagine!
Bad habits?
It’s like I’m learning to walk again and you’re concerned about my form.
You are not the almighty Amir with wisdom beyond your years. You’re a great player and coach who’d rather rest on your laurels than listen when it matters most.
The wall could backfire and you shouldn’t go with Green Dots
Maybe the wall and reduced-bounce balls aren’t the way to go for some students or maybe most. But a master of their craft would recognize the need to examine each situation on a case-by-case basis.
This is not “I told you so”
This is me saying you’ve got a helluva lot to learn about people and managing situations to make the most of ’em.
And that “I AM RESPONSIBLE” for this and “I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE” for that: Is pathetic leadership — and no number of trophies and clients is gonna change that.
So as long as my criticism was aimed at other coaches and companies — I’m golden . . .
The level of satisfaction he takes in people stroking his ego is sickening:
What about that other person who wanted a refund in light of what I wrote in the app? At what point we do our concerns count? What exactly would that number of people be?
Only when it impacts your business — is that your calculus?
America is dominated by a culture that worships people who lie for a living — so you think I care about your academy’s groupthink standards on what they’re willing to accept?
If I knew for a fact that your entire crew would delight in deriding me for sticking up for them — I’d still drop the hammer on you in a heartbeat.
Cancel by bundle?
You can bulk cancel but ya didn’t on the day it mattered most?
I’ve dealt with automatons like Amir my entire adult life — and then some:
It is as though with some people — those who most avidly embrace the “we are right” view — have minds that are closed from the very get-go, and they are entirely incapable of opening them, even just a crack.
There is no curiosity in them. There are no questions in their minds. There are no “what ifs?” or “maybes.”
— Laura Knight-Jadczyk
Once again . . .
I’d like to know how I could schedule a slot for Sunday for someone on vacation all weekend and well into the week. And even if that was an oversight for the scheduling, why not bulk cancel for Sunday?
And if not any of that — what kind of person would not respond to someone who just returned to taking lessons and is clearly not used to the system?
What kind of person would go from being so personable to being ice-cold at the drop of a hat? Not the person I thought I hired.
And again — what’s with this “Please don’t use the word ‘clients’” bit? . . .
I take my job seriously and my clients are my family. I will always listen . . .
You’ve earned it — and set the tone from our first call
You set those expectations — I just held you to them.
By the standards of today — a lot of people would probably go along with Amir. I don’t care how many people would — as I have a different set of standards and always have.
Looks a little somethin’ like this:
You see a society that looks anything remotely like that?
Early on in COVID, I was ridiculed for refusing to take a position on something I knew nothing about.
I’m old-fashioned that way
A lot of things are old-fashioned on here — and my willingness to admit mistakes is one of ’em. With the right spirit, you can even have fun with it — as I did in Elephant in the Room Award.
Acknowledging error is liberating and leads to enlightenment.
On my Precision Matters profile site, I See You Fell on Your Sword is about taking responsibility — even though my manager had already covered me on my mistake. Houston, We Have a Problem is about the February freeze — and the importance of looking out for others.
We lose sight of that sometimes, and it’s good to be reminded — as I was.
In all likelihood
Amir will never know the opportunity staring him straight in the face — and not just for him, but for the future of all those in his academy now and all those to come.
He’ll work wonders for their game and growth as competitors — which are phenomenal tools for life in a variety of forms.
But the growth from this gift is beyond measure.
Nobody says, “I’m wrong” anymore
And while this incident may be but a blip on the radar of your ways, you taught some lessons to your academy without even knowing it.
You taught them the feeling of reward for circling the wagons without question or any understanding of where the outsider was coming from. You taught them to accept less for your offer of more.
In and of itself — it doesn’t amount to much.
But you just made it easier for the next time, which makes it even easier for the time after that. For the youth: You set the wheels in motion for a lifetime of habits that look nothing like those listed in the book above.
And the rest: Ya just reinforced behavior that’s taken this country totally of the rails with habits in development for decades.
The guy behind this story below is one of the best minds in my business — with a loyal following throughout the world. He’s also a jerk — and I wouldn’t hire him or any one of his sycophantic followers.
I’m not suggesting that Amir’s supporters are sycophants — and while he’s acting like a jerk, he isn’t one on the whole. But there’s a parallel in how leaders and followers find truth in numbers.
We have different motivations — and what they’re essentially saying is that I’m wrong because their motivations are right.
Look around — does our culture reflect Amir’s ways or mine?
Majority Rules
In the world-altering story below — majority rules was rigged to outvote nuclear scientists on an issue were fractions of a millimeter matter.
Centrifuge experts were the only ones qualified to make the call — and they were trumped by the same mentality that Amir is wallowing in.
And for my efforts to tell the undeniable truth that shaped the world you see — that mindless mindset has practically spit on me for nearly 20 years.
By people who couldn’t craft a sound argument on the subject to save their lives.
So when you tell me
That’s why my clients are texting me about you right now and how poorly you are treating me — and none of my clients are leaving me or offended . . .
You can’t even imagine how meaningless that is to me . . .
Button your lip and don’t let the shield slip
Take a fresh grip on your bulletproof mask
And if they try to break down your disguise with their questions
You can hide hide hide behind Paranoid Eyes
Then there’s this crowd . . .
A whole other breed of bullshitters.
These people defend the indefensible when they don’t even know what they’re defending. Are they in the right because they’ve got the numbers?
They are not aware when life asks them a question . . .
Amir isn’t either
Ridicule just rolls right off me anymore:
I’m not dealing with individuals — I’m dealing with a collective machine that’s been programmed to put me down.
My job is to jam up the gears — and get these gears going again:
I like the cut of your jib, sir
And then there are those memorable moments when someone surprises you with the simplicity and elegance of a line like that.
In a sea of insults, one kind comment is like wind in your sails.
Outside of the last line below and 2nd one to boot, these lyrics don’t apply to this situation with Amir. But as a culture — this is what defending the familiar looks like when you lose your way.
Oh, you’re so condescending
Your gall is never-ending . . .Your life is trite and jaded
Boring and confiscated
If that’s your best, your best won’t do
When you become so preoccupied with protecting an image — you can’t see that the best way to build a brand, is to reinforce its foundation from your failures.
And I would know
Remember that guitar in a museum in Tennessee
And the nameplate on the glass brought back twenty melodies
And the scratches on the face
Told of all the times he fell
Singin’ every story he could tell . . .
Lie I
It was just a couple days ago when Richard was super thankful that I took him on as a client as I have a overbooked scheduled working with athletes from all over Texas and some even around the United States.
First off
It’s comical that he never misses a moment to adverstise.
And if it’s not about tennis it’s his precious sports cars — which he made a point of mentioning twice at our lessons. Last time it was the Jag and now it’s the Vette.
I don’t lease because I mod . . .
What? “Modify” — ah, gotcha!
Don’t even get me started on the silly slang people invent to sound slick (as if “modify” for a kick-ass car wasn’t cool enough). They do it in IT too. I refuse to use ludicrous terms like “the ask” (as if we weren’t getting by on “request” all these years).
I don’t begrudge anybody makin’ bank and buyin’ whatever they want. But there’s something icky about seeking adulation for it. The cool cat doesn’t say a word and just gets in their car and drives away.
Like me — with 23-year-old Honda Passport I bought new in ’99. I’m drivin’ that puppy into the ground and I’m proud of it.
But next time I need a repair that calls for a chunk of change (like $900 to replace my catalytic converter that was recently stolen): I’m gonna remember my grand goin’ into this fraud’s fancy cars.
And that — is really icky!
Secondly
What part of any of that super-thankful bit do you see in this text of me telling Amir that I booked a slot for 8:30 Thursday night? My package was paid for 3 months before, so all I did was go out to the site and click a few buttons with my built-in package.
Lemme enlighten you on how this game works.
When I first talked to him back in March (in what might have been a 90-minute call) — he told me he was pretty slammed and taking on new clients sparingly.
At this point — you really have to wonder what’s real and what’s bullshit, but leaving that aside:
What he’s doing is recycling my appreciation on a call that happened 3 months before — to fabricate this fantasy to fraudulently claim it took place last week.
How ironic that my return was met with the same “last-minute” bit that brought about my final departure.
Lie II
Richard deleted his band app (not sure why) and he arrived at the tennis courts thinking our lesson was a go.
That’d be one helluva trick for somebody who forgot all about the app after installing it 3 months before and never opened it again initial setup.
People who don’t have a leg to stand on and still try to desperately defend themselves — fail to grasp how shoveling this horseshit paints them in a light I could never illuminate on my own.
This genius went from a review that didn’t even hint that he was a liar — to one where it’s crystal clear that he is.
And about that 90 minutes . . .
Lie III
[My first coach] is another instructor on this app. Him and I are the top instructors on thumbtack. What are the chances the he takes lessons with both of us and we both are not up to Par???
My first coach doesn’t need to be dragged into this goddamn drama — so I blurred his name out in the images and replaced text with “My first coach.” If it gets out because of Amir, that’s out of my control.
I’ve been clear about my reasons for not reviewing my first coach, but in order to smack down this unconscionable crap — I have to mention what happened on that call back in March.
How would I know that my first coach and Amir went to Dallas together for a tournament and supposedly the former faked an injury to get out of playing a superior player to avoid being beaten — and used the trip as a recruting tool for clients.
And according to Amir’s source — he’d done it before.
Jesus, is any of it true?
We swapped stories and laughs about my first coach on that call — and now I’m embarrassed by it. That this [m$#%^>)* _ f#!*&%@+$] took pleasure in painting my first coach in the worst possible light.
Then props up the very person he pounced on — because now it’s convenient to do so:
You — are a despicable creature.
Lie IV
Everything he left out
In addition, He wrote a very inappropriate message to me on the band app, to a point where my other clients in the academy started writing back to him to share their discomfort. To further this story, he told me to STFU by text message when I tried to talk to him about the miscommunication.
I am transparent about everything — you are transparent about nothing. So the “STFU” is already in the images provided throughout the story (which I told — and you didn’t).
But lemme be even more clear about that message.
You don’t know when to shut up — You don’t know how to shut up . . . You are a coward son of a bitch!
And you’ve got friends
And One Voice Became Two
And two became three . . .
He wrote a very inappropriate message to me on the band app, to a point where my other clients in the academy started writing back to him to share their discomfort.
For the love of God
Enough with this crybaby culture: Grow up, grow a pair, do anything that could crack open your mind to the wonders to be discovered in discomfort.
Lara walked along the tracks following a path worn by pilgrims and then turned into the fields. Here she stopped and, closing her eyes, took a deep breath of the flower-scented air of the broad expanse around her. It was dearer to her than her kin, better than a lover, wiser than a book. For a moment she rediscovered the purpose of her life.
She was here on earth to grasp the meaning of its wild enchantment and to call each thing by its right name, or, if this were not within her power, to give birth out of love for life to successors who would do it in her place.
― Doctor Zhivago (referenced in Into the Wild)
One Voice Became Two 