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Entrepreneurship. Mentorship. Network.

2018 Blacksmith Liberty & Entrepreneurship Camp

August 9 - 13, 2018 Trakai, Lithuania

Want to attend? Apply here

Intensive business and financial mentorship from world class entrepreneurs

Let's face it. The world has changed.

You might have been told when you were younger that if you studied hard, went to a good school, studied even more, and landed a good job, that you could eventually work your way up the ladder to success.

That's just not how it works anymore.

These days that old path leads to a mountain of student debt and job (in)security in a go-nowhere career.

It's extraordinary to see so many young people come out of university these days in debt up to their eyeballs at a level that's so insurmountable they trade all of their hopes and dreams in for a bottle of wine and a Netflix subscription.

But it doesn't have to be that way.

Despite all the turmoil in the world... what feels like constant war, corruption, and debt... this is one of the most exciting times to be alive.

The world isn't coming to an end. It's changing. The financial system is resetting. Wealth and power across the world are shifting.

Billions of people are rising into the Middle Class. Digital Technology is fundamentally changing the way we organize ourselves as a society and engage in commerce.

Today, borders, university degrees, and the traditional career path are increasingly becoming obsolete and irrelevant. And that's a good thing.

You can earn a living and spend time anywhere in the world today, thanks to modern communications and cheap transportation. The entire world is now open and available to you.

And there's an extraordinary amount of opportunity out there for people who have the courage and skills to take advantage of it.

Capitalism has new rules.

Learn them, and you can thrive no matter what...

I'll be honest with you. I hate the term "lifestyle design".

There's an entire generation of young people who have been sold on the idea that life is all about travel and leisure.

I see so many people now who want to start a business for the sole purpose of generating enough passive income to finance their travel lifestyle.

What ever happened to making it count? If your aspirations don't extend beyond your surfboard, this camp is not for you.

We are looking for ass kickers, not tree sloths. We want to mentor students who have the drive to create and do amazing things that really matter.

Your instructors walk that walk. We want to find and invest in the next generation of doers, and arm you with rocket-propelled knowledge and contacts to jumpstart your next project, business, or career.

Learn critical skills to create value in a world full of opportunity.

It doesn't matter what you do... whether you have a job or start a business. Whether you are a musician or venture capitalist. Whether you come from a developed country or developing one.

Your success in life will ultimately boil down to how much value you can create.

Unfortunately, life doesn't come with an instruction book. And university educations are often devoid of practical advice to help you figure out what skills you need to solve the big problems.

That's our focus at the camp each year.

In 4 days you'll learn more about business than any educational program can give you. You'll learn from real, highly successful entrepreneurs who have done it (and learn from their failures as well) in multiple industries, offline and online.

You'll get highly actionable advice and insights in building a business, marketing, sales, finding and talking to investors... and much more.

You'll make connections with extremely talented and driven young people from all over the world-- Sovereign Academy always brings together people from all continents that will, or already are, doing amazing things.

This will provide you with an invaluable network and contacts globally. Many past attendees have become close friends, business associates, opened many doors for other attendees etc.

Most of all-- it will be a lot of fun. Just imagine having 50+ highly energetic and talented young people from different cultures in one secluded lakeside resort. For many past attendees it truly was a life changing experience.

A typical day at the camp...

In these workshops, a carefully selected group of 50 students will be guided by successful entrepreneurs and investors who have independently achieved success.

Each morning will start with optional yoga, followed by breakfast, and then morning instructional sessions by each of the mentors.

This is where you'll get some really revolutionary inspiration, ideas, and actionable skill development.

We'll break for lunch for about an hour, then have another afternoon session with the mentors, followed by an optional group fitness workout.

Evenings involve a lot of time at the lake, bonfires, and more... all to ensure you have plenty of opportunity to develop lasting relationships with both the mentors and your fellow students.

You can see one of the sessions from the previous years right here, to have a better idea of what is waiting for you.

Simon Black - How to raise capital from investors

Your 2018 Mentors

Simon Black established the Blacksmith Liberty and Entrepreneurship Camp in 2009.

He is an accomplished entrepreneur, writer, investor, and free soul who has explored the world across more than 120 countries on all 7 continents, primarily to build relationships and seek out lucrative business and investment opportunities.

He is the co-founder of SovereignMan.com, as well as the founder and Chairman of Agricultural Land Corporation, a Chile-based agricultural firm that produces blueberries and walnuts.

Agricultural Land Corporation is one of the world's largest businesses in its industry, with thousands of acres of productive land and hundreds of employees.

Additionally, Simon founded Strategic Bank in 2015-- a boutique merchant bank that focuses on private investment opportunities around the world.

Through the bank, Simon has purchased a number of private businesses and invested in a multitude of others, ranging from sports media in Europe to cannabis production in Colombia to a leading apparel brand in Australia.

Craig Ballantyne is one of the world's foremost Internet marketing gurus, as well as one of the most sought-after fitness entrepreneurs on the Internet.

As a workout routine and fat loss expert, Craig has taken his offline credibility from being published in Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines, and turned it into a multimillion dollar fitness enterprise at TurbulenceTraining.com.

Craig is also co-owner and Editor-in-Chief of EarlytoRise.com, one of the most popular personal development websites in the world.

He is a true master of written communication and developing strong, lasting relationships with customers. Craig has been Simon's constant partner in this entrepreneurship camp since the very beginning.

Matthew Smith is one of the most gifted entrepreneurs you could ever hope to meet. Like some of the most successful people in the world, Matt dropped out of college.

Instead of wasting away in school, he spent his early 20s learning valuable skills from the most talented people he could find.

In doing so, he developed almost unparalleled business and marketing prowess which he has used to generate vast income streams and build successful businesses.

Matt has sold hundreds of millions of dollars worth of products and services through his various ventures.

Matt's most recent tenure was as CEO of Stansberry Research, one of the largest financial publishing firms in the world with a circulation larger than the Wall Street Journal.

He's now the CEO of a financial technology startup in Denver, Colorado.

Clifford Mee has been an online entrepreneur for the past ten years, selling tens of millions of dollars worth of products direct to consumers.

He currently resides in Byron Bay, Australia, where he runs a large business in partnership with Simon.

Cliff is a five-time instructor at Sovereign Academy; his brain is probably one of the most incredibly resources you could ever hope to access, particularly when it comes to marketing products and services.

It doesn't matter where you are at in your business development... or how much you already know about marketing. You will learn a LOT from Cliff.

Why are we doing this?

Even though there is no cost to attend, this isn't some kind of charity.

No, this is an INVESTMENT in people. And we can't think of a better use of time and money.

Think about it... how amazing would it have been to make early investments in Steve Jobs, Richard Branson, Larry Page, Mark Cuban, etc. when they were in their early 20s?

Not to mention tens of thousands of other movers and shakers (that most people have never heard of) who were wildly successful in making a profound impact on the world..?

We have no doubt that many of the individuals who come through our events each year have the potential to reach this point.

And we are all privileged to be part of their ultimate success... to help mentor them, work with them, and invest with them.

This is why the acceptance bar is so high.

This isn't some summer party week (though there's plenty of that).

This is serious business... and we want people who are not only willing and ready to learn, but also people who have the guts to go back home and execute.

We don't want to waste our time, the other instructors’ time, or the students' time, on anyone who isn't willing to step up and put what they learned to good use.

For a huge number of past students, the summit has been profoundly life changing... in a positive way. If you're not ready for this, don't apply.

With only around 50 spaces available, it’s going to be a tough competition to join.

Each year the attendees seem to get better and better, and surely this year will be no different.

There’s no catch.

It may be hard for some skeptical people to believe. Why would a bunch of successful people spend their time teaching skills that took them years to learn to complete strangers… for free!?! What’s the catch?

Well, there’s no catch. We do this because we think it’s important. We think it makes an impact. We’re genuinely excited to develop relationship with the next generation of champions.

If you can’t imagine doing something like this with your time… if you can’t imagine investing in something that matters… then you’re probably not the right person for this camp anyhow.

50 Participants From 35+ Countries

Perhaps the part that’s most compelling for students is being around each other.

Year after year, the groups have been getting better and better. Last year’s participants (roughly 50 students) were selected from thousands of applicants.

They hailed from dozens of countries as diverse as Kazakhstan, Burkina Faso, Argentina, and Thailand. And it was an incredible week.

But don’t take our word for it:

- Michael, US

- Nate, Vietnam

- Alberto, US

- Sydel, Australia

- Curtis, Canada

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IMPORTANT: Who should (and shouldn't) apply

Each year we receive countless applications from people all over the world, in all age ranges and all walks of life.

First and foremost, we don't really have an age limit.

The average attendee is probably between 25-28, but we have had attendees in the past from age 17 to 45.

We do call this a 'youth' camp. Youth, like entrepreneurship, is a state of mind.

Often the older we get, the more we accumulate financial and mental anchors which keep us tethered to the status quo.

To us, 'youth' means that you're free enough, nimble enough, and flexible enough to take action... and that your mind is pliable enough to be able to discard old ways of thinking and adopt new ones.

Second, we don't care where you're from.

Past attendees have ranged from places like Zimbabwe, Iran, Iraq, Venezuela, and Nigeria... along with China, Russia, Canada, the US, Australia, and all over Europe.

Third, we don't care in which stage you are.

Each year it's common for us to have dozens of students who have already built very successful businesses.

And we LOVE to see that. Even if you have already achieved success, I can guarantee that you'll learn a TON, and it will be a great opportunity for you to share your own lessons with others.

We also have people who are just starting off and trying to figure out how to turn their idea into a business.

We have students who aren't interested in starting a business at all, and occasionally some who need inspiration.

Remember, entrepreneurship is fundamentally about creating value.

And anyone can do that, whether you have a job, work at a startup or non-profit, or are an artist.

Entrepreneurship is a state of mind.

We don't care about where you're from, your educational background, or what you've accomplished so far.

We're interested in your direction. Your drive. Your willingness to take action. Your ability to be completely ruthless with your own self-assessment and kick your own self in the ass.

So if you don't have those qualities, please do not apply.

If all you aspire to is travel and leisure, this camp is not for you.

If you're terrified that you don't have enough saved for retirement and want to build up your nest egg, this camp is not for you.

If all you're looking for is the latest internet marketing hack, this camp is not for you.

If all you want to do is learn how to generate passive income so that you can go chill out somewhere, please don't waste your time or ours. This camp is not for you.

We're interested in investing in driven people who want to create real value, solve real problems, and do amazing things that actually matter.

If that sounds like you, then apply to this camp for a life-changing experience.

Practical Information

The camp will be held in Trakai, Lithuania from August 9 - 13, 2018.

Participants who are accepted will be accommodated in a wonderful lakeside resort.

There is no fee to attend the camp. Our foundation, SOVEREIGN ACADEMY, handles everything — bus transport to the facility, lodging, food, etc.

You are only responsible for your own travel to Vilnius, Lithuania. Should you require a visa, we may be able to assist.

How To Apply

Again, life doesn't come with an instruction manual. There is no “How To” guide. You just have to figure things out as you go, learn from your experiences, and grow.

It's for this reason I’m not going to give you a long list of questions to answer, or some multi-page application.

All I ask is that you make a video. I’m not going to tell you what to say, how long it needs to be, or what information you need to cover. No instructions. That’s life.

This is your chance to persuade me that you’re a good fit for this event.

So just be real. Remember, I am personally reviewing potentially thousands of other videos. Demonstrate to us why we should accept YOU, and not someone else. No rules. No guidebook.

What to do:

1. Record a video of yourself, keeping what you've read above in mind.

2. Upload your video to the Internet. I don't care where... and if you want to password protect it, or make it private, that's fine.

Just make sure we can see it. Every year, hundreds of people don't get accepted because they've made their videos inaccessible and I'm unable to watch their application.

3. Along with the video link, please tell us your full name, age, country of citizenship(s), and country of residence (we need this information for visa purposes).

4. Send the link and information to: [email protected]

The application deadline is March 31, 2018

The application deadline is March 31, 2018... and you will be notified whether or not you were accepted by May 31, 2018. This gives you 2-months’ notice, which should be plenty of time to arrange your travel.

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