The International Speakers Network must have done another one of their emails. I can usually tell because I watch the hits to this blog rev up (see the numbers below) - and I begin to get comments from people they have burned. But there's a new twist - their new names - The Innovator's Group and Insight Publishing.
I got a heads up on this in a comment from Alex - in which he says, "ISN keeps re-branding and changing its' name, to avoid showing up in threads like this one, and the folks that work for them adjust their e-mail addresses for the same reason."
So I looked it up and sure enough: Insight Publishing, a division of the Innovators Group - fomerly ISN, the International Speaker's Network. In truth, they've used these names for years - but now they are trying to shed their ISN ripoff image.
I found several other new businesses and people's names, too, as follows:
ISNworks - that's their longest standing Twitter handle
InsightISN -- that's their new Twitter handle
TracynDalton - is the twitter handle for Tracy Dalton who has worked there for awhile
donamerritt -- is the twitter handle for Dona Merritt - she's been there since they scammed me in 2007!
Wendy Tapp, is signing those famous "we need a speaker" outreach things. Interestingly, I found her on a website that talks about speaker information and scams.
(I wonder if any of them ever worries about being carted off to jail for their participation with ISN?)
It also looks like they are still using BookaSpeaker (got that from Wendy Tapp).
And don't forget the henchman - David Wright - who runs speaker workshops in the East Tennessee / Knoxville / Gatlinburg / Sevierville area. He's the owner or CEO of this entire Insight Innovators ISN mess.
If you go to any of their many websites, don't let that Better Business Bureau Accredited Business logo fool you. They've run way from the names they've used to distance themselves from this blog, and from the people they have scammed. But they can't change their stripes.
Here's the link to their old F rating - now removed:
http://knoxville.bbb.org/WWWRoot/Report.aspx?site=57&bbb=0533&firm=11488
Here are a few more links - others who have had comments to make about ISN, Innovator's Group, BookaSpeaker or Insight Publishing - whatever their name is:
From Cynthia Brian: http://www.redroom.com/blog/cynthia-brian/scam-potential-warning-for-authors-and-speakers
From Chuck Gallagher: http://chuckgallagher.wordpress.com/2010/10/06/motivational-speaker-scam-insight-publishing-something-is-not-right-in-sevierville-tn/
From Ripoff Report: http://www.ripoffreport.com/directory/Insight-Publishing.aspx and http://www.ripoffreport.com/advertising-deceptive/insight-publishing-i/insight-publishing-innovators-c99ed.htm
And for anyone new to this blog, you are either:
1. Checking ahead of time to see whether your money is well-spent with ISN or Brenda Keefer. The answer is NO. Run, don't walk, from anything they tell you.
or
2. Checking after you have already been burned because ISN or Brenda made a promise to you, you gave them money, and they didn't follow through on their promises. I am so sorry. This blog won't make you feel any better about it.
Hope this has saved ANYONE some grief.
.
9 comments:
Thank you so much for your efforts to warn people about ISN, Insight or whatever they're called today. I have been receiving the emails and was about to reach out to them to talk about potential alliances. I am a writer and speaker and also help other writers and speakers with program development and marketing. I am always on the lookout for credible organizations like this that support authors and speakers who aren't quite at the Big Speak or ISB level. Perhaps we should all get together and form our own cooperative?
Boy oh boy am I glad I found this blog.
I too was approached by this company and about to take the next step but something in me shouted "too good to be true" and I jumped on Google.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR POSTING THIS BLOG!
Coach Lin
Walkawayfromcancer.com
WARNING!!! DAVID WRIGHT and all his companies (ISN, etc.) are not only unethical, they are downright illegal!!! I fell for the scam. Now the lawyers representing the famous folks I appear on the book cover with that David Wright sold me are threatening legal action against me. Apparently, David Wright and Insight Publishing had no no legal rights to use the name and likeness of these famous folks. David Wright and his representatives totally and completely misrepresented themselves. In other words, THEY LIE and DECEIVE!!!! In speaking with David, the guy clearly has no trouble continuing his web of lies. David Wright and ISN and all his companies need to be shut down! PLEASE SAVE YOURSELF SOME GRIEF. I hope this helps.
WARNING: I have solid proof that Innovators Group are not only unethical, they are downright illegal! Here is an excerpt of a legal notice I received from Ray Quinney & Nebeker Attorneys At Law based in Utah who represent the famous Dr. Stephen Covey (one of several famous individuals that Insight Publishing uses to lure customers to cough up $3800 to be "on the cover" of books published by Insight Publishing.) This is a direct quote from the legal notice: "The Innovators Group, d/b/a Insight Publishing Company has no right to use Dr. Covey's name and likeness. Insight Publishing was and is without any legal authority to allow the use of Dr. Covey's name and likeness."
WARNING! David Wright, President of Insight Publishing and representatives of Innovators Group knowingly deceive people!!! They are not only unethical, they are illegal!!!
I spoke with Tracy today and was just about to call back and her my CC info when a friend suggested I do more research. Sadly, I was one of Brenda Keefer's victims (that woman is an evil piece of work!) and while she's may not be associated with ISN any longer, I get the feeling her practices may be common place with this organization. Thanks for the post. I think you just saved me quite a bit of money.
Thank you for the warning. I paid Willow Mist and specifically Brenda Keefer $125 for "membership" in her organization. She told me she would be in touch to determine how we'd best work together. She was never in touch and after five phone calls, I gave up trying. Fast forward two years, and she sent out an email asking me to work with her again as if I hadn't before. I replied, curious to see where it might go, and she wrote back saying she'd checked out my information online and that I was a perfect candidate for working with. I called her and she tried to get me to pay even more money for her services. Interestingly, just a week before, Tracy Dalton had done the same thing. I was actually almost convinced by both in brief phone conversations but thankfully I found this blog!
I paid Brenda Keefer of Willow Mist Professional Services close to $800 in Dec 2011 to get me speaking engagements. Once she had my money, I never heard from her again, and she doesn't respond to my emails or phone calls. Obviously I've been conned. I'm interested to know if anyone else has reported her to the local police for fraud, or written a letter to the editor of her local newspaper letting folks in her area know what she's up to.
Kellie,
I've just made a list of places to complain:
Making a Complaint about the International Speakers Network or Willow Mist
Thank you. I will follow through on these items, as I hope anyone else in my position will do.
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