Review Detail

I took Nick’s Fearless program back in January of 2011, and back then it was a very life changing experience. It opened my eyes to a lot of new opportunities and unlocked more potential within me than I could have imagined at the time. So it came as no surprise that, taking the course the second time around, I would be going in knowing most of the material and treating the weekend as a sort of “review”. I could not have been more wrong.

It started with an email to the five lucky people taking the course containing Mr. Sparks’ new book, which in my opinion ought to replace that Bible (or whatever other book your worship) on your shelf. It contains within the vast knowledge that Nick has chosen to share, and is an amazingly fun read. Having this in our repertoire allowed Nick to cut off hours of lecture time and replace them with exercises and field time, which made such an enormous difference from the last time I took the course. It really showed not only in the feedback I was able to obtain, but in the one-on-one instruction I was receiving (keep in mind that there were five students!) and in the results I was getting out on the field. Nick and his fellow coaches were literally always on hand to answer questions and provided extremely detailed responses that didn’t simply answer your question: they provoked further thought into the matter and provided an opportunity for deep introspection, especially with issues that truly challenged the people there.

The days were packed with exercises and fun homework assignments which really tested our boundaries (grabbing quick numbers off of strangers in the park, for instance), while the evenings were a social whirlwind, sweeping us from bar to bar as we conquered our fears and found new obstacles to overcome. On Friday, I remember that I went to say hello to a cute girl at the bar while getting a drink, and she ordered Jager Bombs for Nick and I (I had WAY too many free drinks that night).

The program lead by Nick Sparks wasn’t just about the individuals. It was about the very strong bonds that we, as a group, formed throughout the weekend. We weren’t just five guys doing our own thing, we were a powerhouse group to be reckoned with that supported each other and encouraged growth far beyond what we could have done alone. I think that this is probably one of the most important aspects of the program, because what Nick does is truly foster a community that cares deeply about one another s’ growth. Not one person there was “in it for himself”. Not a single man hesitated to help and give their voice when someone was having a problem with socializing. I cannot stress enough how important this is, and it really sets apart Nick’s program from the rest: truly displaying his coaching abilities by knowing when to take a step back and let the students discuss and experiment. Those are the best kinds of teachers.

The way Nick Sparks constructed his new program is not only mind-blowingly effective, it truly exposes how deeply that Nick cares about his students and how utterly devoted he is to seeing us not only improve, but continue to learn new things with every single interaction. I want to emphasize that taking the course a second time really allowed me to work out the kinks in my socializing and hammer everything down. Where before I had a multitude of things to work on and improve, I now only have two. Having Nick and his crew there to focus solely on your performance instead of focusing on lecturing for hours is a difference that cannot be measured. I thought the first time was the best I’ve had… and Nick really went out of his way to prove that the best is yet to come.