Complaint Review: Klemmer and Associates - Petaluma California

I wanted to share my personal experience and opinion after attending Klemmer and Associates, “Advanced Leadership Seminar” (ALS) at their Bandera, Texas ranch, so that others would not fall victim to this firm’s program of bait-and-switch, psychological abuse, and cult indoctrination.

I became involved with Klemmer on the advice of a friend I have know and trusted for years. Little did I know he had been brainwashed as a ‘Klem-bot’. At the first “Personal Mastery” weekend seminar, the instructor delivered some interesting content which was open ended but led directly to a sales pitch about their next fantastic ALS retreat. I made the huge mistake of signing up without doing any background checks. I should have known when they failed to provide the typical cancellation forms required by the FTC’s Buyers Remorse Rule that something was not right about this company. I have regretted signing up ever since.

A month later when I arrived at their isolated seminar location, my anticipation immediately turned to disappointment, frustration and then outright fear. The “4-star accommodations" they promised were nothing more than old, overcrowded bunkhouses with no privacy. The mental manipulation started immediately with our group being told not to veer off the sidewalks because of what may be lurking in the grass. The seminar room had double curtains on all the windows, the main fire exit was blocked by a large display table, and heavy sliding doors reinforced the closed environment. The whole week just got creepier and more cult-like from then on. I started planning how I could get out.

We were asked to fill out and sign off several forms which were not disclosed to us before our arrival. Since we were now in a closed compound with no easy way out, I felt under duress to complete all the forms. Next came an hour-long session on their rules – how to sit, how to stand, how NOT to use any hand gestures all week long. Our entry into the classroom was timed with a stopwatch multiple times each day, and long, yelling lectures were given if so much as one person had their notebook out of place. Obviously these shysters were playing their authority card. If a person stood up with a concern, they were immediately cut off at the knees. It quickly got to the point that no one would say anything except what was expected for fear of the facilitator’s ire. And what pieces of work this facilitator and her henchman were. The drama, traumatic stories, militaristic rhetoric, and egotism displayed by their so-called leader would make a certified psychopath seem normal in comparison. This was all well-planned crazy-making to throw the attendees off guard and make them easier cult targets.

This event was marketed as a leadership seminar, but the only leadership I witnessed was that of a dictator, barking out commands one minute, and trying to weave together a set of unorganized points mixed with her personal trauma the next. It was truly mind-boggling, but I soon learned that was their intent. Instead of actually teaching leadership and character building skills, these are used as a ploy within which to wrap the real program of authoritative brainwashing into this multi-level marketing money cult. They used every psychological trick the book, from prompting students to rip open old emotional traumas, building false trust, propagating elitist authority, pretending fake comfort, and adoration to their disgraced cult founder. Long hours were made longer by ridiculous homework assignments and sleep deprivation further weakened the victims’ will power.

Instead of education designed to benefit the individual, various exercises and games were played to build one large team of Klemmer followers. Examples of death and suicide were enacted that brought some to tears. There was not a day that went by where some poor soul was not enveloped by their own agonizing grief, while on more than one occasion the entire class was reduced to one sobbing, wailing cacophony.

An outdoor day led to bruises and injuries which was followed by an over-hyped banquet which had the same dreary food we had been served all week. This was all a set-up to hard sell for the next continuing seminar. By this time their brainwashing was really setting in and many in our class looked dazed as if they were in a post-apocalyptic movie. Those that signed up received a sticker for their name tag so the facilitators could easily identify and hard-sell those that had not yet signed up. I saw people who could hardly afford to be there commit to the next 7-day seminar. Some who could not afford this were told to leverage their credit cards, burrow from family, or spend the money they had saved to open their own business or support an aged parent. I had to ask myself how many would blindly continue down this cult path of giving their hard earned money and valuable time to receive the most meager scraps of advice which they could have more easily found on the Internet years ago.

Most objectionable to me was the hypocrisy of it all. For a company to claim to foster leadership and character, but then to do just the opposite and act as vampires to their clients’ money, time, and emotions, is one of the worst things I have ever witnessed. Whatever you wish to call it, bait-and-switch, MLM pyramid scheme, the long con, a money cult, and who knows what else lurks in the greedy minds of these cult leaders, this personal destruction is not for anyone that truly wants to better themselves. These antics should be against the law and probably would be if there was any accountability whatsoever.

Needless to say, Klemmer is the last place one would want to look for business or personal development. Do yourself a big favor and stay well clear of these abusers.

Beware the Klemmer Kult Kon. All this has been my personal subjective opinion. Thank You.