But as yet it is unclear whether business will be as brisk for the latest Internet venture that this unusual couple — now both out of prison and married last summer — have undertaken: an empowerment seminar for which they will be asking $35,000 a person.
The course and the book at its center, “The Science of Activating Your Supreme Power,” are written by Mark Brener and Cecil Suwal — once Internet procurers, then, in relatively short order, federal defendants, federal inmates, man and wife and now empowerment entrepreneurs.
Their One World Initiative, billed as “the perspective that unifies the world’s diverse religions and beliefs,” is nothing if not ambitious. Its Web site's headings include “Supercharge Key Relationships,” “Rise Above the Competition,” “Be Rich Forever” and “Look and Feel Half your Age.”
The book, published last month by CBN Media, according to Amazon, offers even more.
“Transform your relationships into oases of bliss, love and emotional support,” the promotional copy on the Web site says. “Generate additional millions and billions in financial wealth; and have the mind-set that allows you to fully enjoy it.”
Indeed, it seems there is little that the book does not offer, if you read the promotional copy.
“Become immortal and adore every minute of it,” it continues. “Live the life of your dreams.”
Ms. Suwal, who has a seemingly irrepressible giggle, acknowledged in a telephone interview on Monday night that some people might find it surprising that she and Mr. Brener, who were married in August 2010, had undertaken this new venture.
“It may seem that way,” she said, “but like anyone else, Mark and I have many facets to our personalities, and this is something we’ve been into for years.”
She pointed to the old Emperor’s VIP Web site, which she said even then reflected a measure of their philosophy, and quoted from some of the marketing copy that graced the gauzy photographs of women in lingerie: “Our goal is to make life more peaceful, balanced, beautiful and meaningful.”
Mr. Brener, to whom she eventually passed the phone, said he did not expect to offer the empowerment seminar for six months or so, by which time, he said, he expected the book would be widely read and “people who can afford it will definitely contact us.”
The underlying ideas, he said, were refined in prison — he was released in May 2010 and she in November 2009 — where he read a great deal, including meditations by Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson and the psychiatrist Viktor E. Frankl.
“I was thinking about, basically, there is a pattern in this world if we start thinking about crossing the desert or being in the wilderness and we found ourselves — right? — in very similar situation, we were under enormous pressure,” he said.
“Anxiety, depression, for a number of months, and after that we found ourselves time that we can think, analyze and basically the outcome from our perspective, it’s very positive,” he continued. “I would say it was like — because I was reading a lot when I was in prison — it is like diamonds; they’ve always been created under pressure and fire and heat.”
Asked about the cost of the seminar, which appears to include a provision that participants will give 3 percent of the first $1 million they earn as a result of having taken the course to Ms. Suwal and Mr. Brener, Ms. Suwal said, “Well you know, it’s not really that far from a lot of industry standards.”
Samples from the product range. Would any of this deeply caring
Feminists notice there aren't many blacks here? Quite
possibly. Would they go public, whining about it? Maybe but they would not admit
being envious.