 "Photo: Emre Kelly")
At first glance, Anthony “Dream” Johnson may seem like an average UCF undergrad.
But a few clues indicate that he might be a bit different, like his blue tie-dye toe-shoes, the fact he’ll wear his sunglasses throughout an interview and his prized Tucker Max “I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell” backpack.
His book, The Dream Way: The Story and How To Book For Getting Laid With Your Wii is now available to the public for free, and tickets for his fourth annual men’s success convention are now on sale.
“The major theme of the book is the infamous ‘same night lay,’ which is what I had the most success with and felt qualified to write about,” said Johnson.
Johnson, a 21-year-old interdisciplinary studies major, is studying entrepreneurship, education and health sciences. When he was 18, Johnson decided he wanted to learn more about dating and relationships and decided the best way to help himself and others like him was to hold an educational convention.
Johnson put down a deposit on a conference room at a Holiday Inn on I-Drive and recruited speakers. The convention, originally known as the “Under 21 Convention,” was a total success, he said. Now known as “The 21 Convention,” content not only includes dating but also nutrition and exercise. Tickets will be sold this year for as much as $400 apiece.
Johnson wrote his e-book during his sophomore year of college, which sold online for about $60. He recently decided to make it available for free through The 21 Convention Web site.
“My thoughts on life, women, work, school and so on have evolved much since publishing [the book]. As such, it didn’t feel right to sell them for much anymore,” Johnson said.
The 21 Convention costs about $9,000 to host, Johnson said, including paying for the conference room, the video crew, speakers and other staff.
In 2008, he moved the convention to the Crowne Plaza downtown and sold his car in order to pay for the convention expenses. In September of this year, Johnson finally made a profit after hosting the convention for the third year.
But Johnson said he doesn’t hold the convention in hopes to make money. He said he uses the conventions as a way to help himself and to help other people.
“You can’t chase the money, you have to chase the dream,” Peter Murphy, a friend who is currently making a documentary about Johnson and the convention, said.
Johnson said he picked the name Dream because it sounded cool and no one else had it.
According to a 2005 article in the newspaper The Independent, members of what is known as “the seduction community” are a subculture of men who strive for better success with women through a greater understanding of social psychology. Members often have nicknames. Erik James Horvat-Markovic from VH1’s TV show The Pickup Artist goes by the nickname “Mystery.”
“I have these dreams, and I make them actually happen,” Johnson said.
This year, Johnson not only plans to host the annual convention in Orlando but also hopes to take it to a multinational level by hosting The 21 Convention in Stockholm, Sweden.
Johnson’s book, along with footage from The 21 Convention, are available for free online at www.the21convention.com.
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