Life coaching and copyright

[randombodymind]

When shooting videos or running workshops how different does your material have to be.
Particularly I love Tony Robbin's tools for creating change with people.

6 human needs
Primary Q
emotional triad
crazy 8 
are very powerful tools.

I am wondering if I can talk about them in workshops and videos and if its a good idea to rename them and change the explation slightly vs explining them the same with the same names and crediting tony. 

What's the best way to share the best tools with people and any advice on what kind of things are considered copyright infringement and you can get sued for.

for example Tonys
Primary Q seems to be based on a werner ernard tool called 'the guiding principle of someones life' 

so often these tools evolve from teacher to teacher being renamed and re-explained. Even Tonys 6 human needs seems to have been renamed by brendon burchard as his own '10 human drives' which do sound erriorly similar.

so how does this process work and where are there lines.
Doesn't sound like a nice game to play by trail and error.

Edited February 8, 2016 by randombodymind

[MIARIVEL]

As a life coach myself, I reference everything and every idea just to cover my ass.

However by consuming a lot of information, you can still develop your own materials and name it but if you use an idea from someone else work, I would reference it or put the idea into your own words and your own way of interpretation so it sounds like you and not a copied version of Tony Robbins. 

It is challenging at times because we learn from so many great coaches and leaders and they have excellent information but make it all your own work. I don't know too much about getting insurances to cover yourself legally and copywriting (maybe hire a copywriter or someone to go over your material?).

Leo may know more about this

[Leo Gura]

The self-help industry is so incestuous that basically everyone rips off or references someone else.

Most of Tony Robbins concepts are not his but "rip offs" from other teachers and authors. I do it to an extent too. I try to cite sources to be generous but it's hard to figure out where to draw the line because there are few truly original insights to be made about human psychology and whoever you cite probably wasn't the original source of the idea. You could cite Tony Robbins for the 6 Needs but they certainly aren't his. I remember reading an older self-help book which listed "his" 6 needs and upon realizing that I said, "Woah! So that's where he got it from. Straight up copy." I forget exactly which book that was.

If you're gonna use someone's well-known concepts, like Tony Robbins, definitely give credit. It actually makes you look good. Otherwise you look like a dick.

Eben Pagan is one of the best examples of a self-help guru who cites his sources VERY generously. And it makes him look awesome.

A great quote I read once in a creativity book that applies to this situation went something like this: "If you're worried that your work is too similar to someone else's, then you're being too derivative and not creative enough."

[randombodymind]

Thanks, I defiantly have no problem at all with citing.
I guess my question is if I referance ideas like tonys can i use them in my coaching at all? and do the rules become different if it's filmed

Can I explain his 6 human needs and crazy 8 and all in a lot of detail and not get sued even if I referenced them.

Also he has some powerful stories in some of his interventions, can i ever used them in coaching in a workshop by saying "I heard this story from tony robbins, blah blah blah blah blah" and get in trouble for using his story even though it's genuinely helpful to people.

So my question isn't to cite or not to cite is it - can I use tonys tools in workshops?

Edited February 8, 2016 by randombodymind

[Leo Gura]

If you cite him, then you can definitely use his concepts, like the 6 Needs.

As far as actual tools he's developed, that might be a bit of playing with fire.

Like I said at the end >> BE MORE CREATIVE! What use are you if all you do is parrot Tony Robbins and use all his tools? Be you! Develop your own style and ideas and tools. Go study other people besides Tony Robbins. Then you won't feel like you're encroaching on his turf and you'll be a lot more fulfilled. It's not actually fulfilling to parrot other people. Whenever I parrot someone else, I feel dirty. You gotta be yourself.

[randombodymind]

I guess I'm just getting a feel for what the rules are by pushing the edge a bit with the last comment. In reality I definitely have much more of my own style. What I'm gathering is I think in reality since I am really careful I should in fact worry a bit less about all of this

[randombodymind]

Is there a time leo you were struggling with this delima and how did you resolve it - if that's not to much to ask. know how busy you are trying change the world and enlighten that ass at the same time

[Leo Gura]

Yes, I struggle with it a lot. My best advice is to BE MORE CREATIVE and be generous with your citing. Then you can't lose. It takes more effort to do it this way, but ultimately it's the right way.

[randombodymind]

All right, guess it's hard to get more specific than that, so thank you - i'll roll with that. That's always been my mindset anyway but nice to get this out of my own head a little

[randombodymind]

Although it takes more time it's cool making your work feel less hey look at this cool thing and more your own art anyway