Seminar teaches how to be ideal man

For those on the quest to become the ideal man, the 21 Convention offered a little something for everybody.

Nearly 70 people attended the convention, including speakers and staff, according to Anthony Johnson, founder and architect of the convention. The event featured a variety of speakers, covering a range of topics from how to pick up women, to building confidence, nutrition and exercise.

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One of the featured speakers at the event was Adam Lyons, a pickup artist who has supported this convention since 2008.

He said an important factor in deciding whether to pursue a woman is qualification, which he defined as assessing whether a person is a potential fit for a product, service or something someone has.

"Qualification, essentially, lets us be choosy. And if we're choosy, we're in a position of power, because we're making the choice," Lyons said.

He also said keeping a woman engaged in a conversation that they are interested in is a critical step in successfully pursuing a woman. He said qualification can also be taken into a darker form, using a concept known as "pre-loading," which is the process of putting ideas in people's heads through their subconscious.

Stephen Grosch, a pickup artist who goes by the name "Bravo," spoke at the 21 Convention about self-defense as well as having online "game." He has his own website, bravopua.com, where people can request his services. He said meeting women online is not a substitute for having game in the real world. He recommends using plentyoffish.com because it's free and allows people to quickly view profiles. He said one important detail is the profile picture, something he looks at when working with clients.

"When I do critiques, the first thing I'll say is, ‘Dude, your picture sucks. Why are you wearing that? Your clothes are out of style,'" Grosch said.

Grosch said one's profile picture should convey their personality and demonstrate higher value. He also recommends keeping the "about me" section of the profile brief. He said the most effective section that he's ever had was made up of five sentences. He also had tips on what to do when conducting searches for women on the Plenty of Fish website, such as carefully scrutinizing profile pictures.

"If I can't see a girl's nose, or half of her mouth because she photoshopped it so much, that's a good sign that she has something to hide," Grosch said.

Richard Nikoley, a blogger who hosts his own website, freetheanimal.com, spoke at this event. Nikoley's speech revolved around getting the most out of your 20's and avoiding what he considered to be mistakes. He said many of the traditional decisions we make are not appropriate for what he considers to be a free "human animal."

"You can always get married, have two and a half kids, become a Democrat, a Republican, go vote, go to church, do all these things," Nikoley said. "If that's the life you want, you're welcome to it. But I don't think it's a life fit for an animal. I don't think it's a life fit for a free animal."

He said men need to think more like animals in how they live their lives. One example he provided was changing what we eat. Nikoley said he weighed more than 240 pounds once due to not eating correctly. Five years ago, at the age of 45, he lost 60 pounds using the Paleo diet, a diet which advocates the elimination of grains and dairy from your diet, and instead eating wild game and fresh produce. He said this diet has helped him stay healthy and live more like a human animal.

Attendees all left the convention with their own unique experience.

Phil Roman, an aviation consultant who lives in Ft. Myers, came to the 21 Convention for the second time. Roman said he was originally attracted to the first convention he went to in the summer of 2010 due to what it had to offer.

"I looked at the lineup of the speakers that they had, the content, and I figured that it would be a good impact in my life," Roman said.

He said attending the convention a second time was a good networking experience for him, and that this convention is a refresher for him on what life is all about.

"What I take away is a new thirst for life. A lot of times, we go through the same activities day in and day out, you kind of lose perspective on what life is all about, and all of the opportunities that it holds," Roman said.

He said he would like to attend more conventions when his time and finances permit.

David Wright, a hotel clerk who works at the Hammocks at Marathon, attended this convention for the first time. He said he was drawn to this convention due to the potential for self-improvement.

"I was looking to improve my skills with women, also with work, business, exercise and nutrition," Wright said. "I'm just looking for a higher quality of life."