Why I just walked out of a "marketing workshop."

I just walked out of a free marketing workshop I had signed up for, and here’s why.

First, let me start by saying I love men. I think they’re great. I love my dad, my partner, and my son. I believe there’s an element of masculine energy that’s needed in the world. But right now, I’m in a phase of fully embracing my feminine energy, and this extends to how I work, do business, and live my life. The way I sell, for example, is something I still do without issue because I truly believe in what I offer. The room was a mix of men and women. However, when my friend and I walked into the workshop, we both noticed, almost giggly, the overwhelming masculine energy in the room. It struck me that I haven’t been around that many men recently. Most of the networking groups I’ve attended have been female oriented, and even my own business group, which is open to both men and women, is predominantly attended by women. Being around so much feminine energy has been an enlightening learning experience for me.

Back to today. I knew because it was free that I would be sold to, but I was open minded and ready to learn. From the get go, the entire workshop felt like one of those videos where you’re told at the end, “You’ll learn this amazing technique, but only if you sign up and spend money today!” The music was pumping, people were excited, and they required audience participation. They offered a VIP seat for only ￡27, which they claimed was worth nearly ￡1500. Don’t miss out! It felt like it was all about selling fear of missing out, exploiting vulnerability, and using pain points as a tool against people rather than genuinely helping them. The presenter told us, “Rookie marketers do this,” and later told us we’re smart. He asked questions: “Do you agree? Yes or yes?” It was all, “Like me or love me, this is what I think.” “No, no, no, you’re doing it all wrong, and I’ll tell you why.” It was fascinating for me to see the use of language and the psychological cues that were being utilised throughout. As we sat there for half an hour, I kept thinking, “Okay, so when are you actually going to tell us something useful?” Between 10 minute long rambles and videos of people making money by doing the same thing, we still hadn’t learned what “it” actually was. An hour and a half in, I’d been told tidbits of things I already mainly knew and then a lot more stories of how other people have gotten rich using these methods.

Immediately, my gut felt uneasy. I was agitated. It felt like I was being sold an MLM dream, something I still couldn’t quite grasp, but they promised clarity if I stayed the whole day. They talked about how much money they’d made, how they’d invested in coaching and mentorship, and how this is what I’d have to do too if I wanted to be in the top 1%. “If you want to be the best, if you want to stand out, you have to be willing to take those risks,” they said. On the surface, yes, I agree with that sentiment. But beneath it, I felt a deep sense of manipulation and a predatory vibe. It felt like they were preying on the vulnerable, those who don’t yet know what they’re doing or where to start, those of us who feel inadequate and are looking for answers and validation.

At one point, the presenter said, “We don’t want negative people here, not like the people out there.” There was a sense that we were the chosen ones, the ones who had said YES to this opportunity. It all felt so cynical.

The fact that they were talking about investing money into Facebook ads and similar platforms was my first affirmation that this wasn’t for me. Whatever truth there was in what they were saying, it didn’t resonate with my values. When I think about the men behind Trump’s inauguration, Zuckerberg (Meta), Jeff Bezos (Amazon), Elon Musk (X, formerly Twitter), I don’t want to get rich by investing in these capitalist systems. Yes, I want money, but not this way. I don’t want to give my money to billionaires because I believe there’s no such thing as an ethical billionaire. I want money in my hands and in the hands of those who have integrity and will use it morally. But do I want it through this patriarchal, toxic masculine energy? No, it’s not for me, and if that means I don’t have a quick fix, one way ticket to riches, then so be it. (Again, I want to emphasise that I love good masculine energy. This isn’t an “us or them” thing here.)

Am I still on these platforms? Unfortunately, yes. Do I want to actively give them money as well as my time? Nope.

I’m happy to sell what I do because I know it empowers business owners with the tools they need to be visible, profitable, and, hopefully through their business, financially free. Not to be pulled deeper into the grips of capitalism, deeper into debt, to be sold a ticket to a dead dream. I knew this the day I refused to sell store credit cards to customers when I worked as a jewelry salesperson, and I know it now. It means I won’t be standing alongside Zuckerberg, Bezos, or Altman in the future. There is an idea that the people you spend the most time with influence who you become. I have no intention of surrounding myself with people who don’t want to better society or make people’s lives happier and more fulfilled. I want time to spend with my children. I want to teach them to care about others, not to prey on vulnerabilities. I want to spend my time with authentic people, trustworthy and genuine.

I’m sure there are people there who will have learnt something and benefitted from it. This is definitely not an attack on attendees, especially as I saw some lovely familiar faces there.

Should we be paid for what we do? Absolutely. Should people value what they buy? 100%. But should people be sold a dream that leeches off them for the promise of the “American dream”? Hell no.

Walking out of that room was a new experience for me. I know I walked away from potential networking opportunities and maybe even some nuggets of wisdom peppered throughout the spiel. But sometimes, walking away is the most powerful statement you can make.