Small Events,
Big Deals...
Why I Invested €33,000 in a Coaching Offer, no questions asked, after simply attending a Small, In-Person Event
As I write this intro, I’m sitting in a café in New York,
still trying to process what just happened.
Twenty minutes ago,
I said YES to investing €33,000 in a coaching program.
That’s $38,359.
A split-second decision.
No hesitation.
Full trust.
I’d never invested an amount like this in a coaching program.
So…
What the hell just happened?
Sitting in a café in NYC, asking myself:
What the hell just happened?
This purchase decision was not a moment of recklessness.
It was a moment of complete trust.
And that trust?
It didn’t come from a webinar or an ad.
That €33K sale began at a small, in-person event
A few months earlier, I heard that Eelco de Boer – a highly successful online entrepreneur – was hosting a small mastermind in Amsterdam.
I didn’t think twice.
At the time, my business was doing “fine.”
But if I’m honest… I wasn’t happy.
Profit was okay.
Freedom? Not so much.
Stress? A lot.
What I really wanted was a better quality of life:
More income. More freedom.
Less screen time.Less social media.
I knew I needed input from someone who had already walked that path.
Someone like Eelco.
So, I signed up.
Eelco is among the most successful and connected Dutch online entrepreneurs.
At the mastermind, it was me and just two other entrepreneurs.
The perfect balance. Not as intense as a one-on-one, but still private and safe.
I shared my goals and challenges.
Eelco gave me direct feedback.
And I learned just as much from the other entrepreneurs receiving feedback on their businesses.
I walked away that afternoon with clear, actionable insights to grow our businesses – faster than I could’ve ever figured out on my own. And… in a way that suited my needs as opposed to the business’ needs.
From Amsterdam to New York ✈️
As I was about to leave, Eelco casually dropped a question:
“Do you want to join our Business Mastermind in New York next month?”
After getting so much value in just a few hours, the answer was obvious.
Of course I wanted more.
Of course I wanted to be part of the New York Mastermind.
One month later, our plane touched down in New York.
Traveling to New York for Eelco’s business mastermind.
I spent two days fully immersed in Empire State of Mind – a business mastermind where a group of 40 entrepreneurs got to learn from Eelco’s decades of experience.
Once again, it seemed to hit the sweet spot. The group was big enough to bring diverse perspectives.
Yet small enough to stay personal, with time for everyone’s situation.
We connected as founders.
We learned from each other.
We grew together.
Then came the second day.
That’s when Eelco invited us to take the next step with him.
On day two of the business mastermind in New York, Eelco shared his premium offer.
For a €33K investment, I’d get the chance to work closely with Eelco and his team. To design and launch an online offer that could unlock a whole new level of income and freedom.
Now, did I fly to New York planning to invest €33K?
Absolutely not.
Up until then, I only knew Eelco because he’d show up on my Instagram feed from time to time.
I wasn’t a paying client of his (yet).
I only joined that initial mastermind because it was so accessible. A relatively small investment, no strings attached, just a few hours of my time.
Yet in just two days, the trust and confidence I felt in his ability to help me were so strong, that I invested €33K on the spot.
The €33,000 decision I made on the spot (includes taxes).
No webinar, no sales call, no online funnel could have ever done that.
This kind of trust only comes from real, in-person connection.
Did I go to New York thinking I’d ever spend more than €10K on an offer (let alone €30K+)?
Ab-so-lutely not.
But something had shifted, VERY quickly.
Even though I hadn’t really followed Eelco before,
in just two days so much trust was built that I invested €33K on the spot.
And I wasn’t the only one in the room who said yes…
That’s when it hit me:
Small events can close big deals. Fast.
These in-person events have the unique power to rapidly build trust.
And that trust can help you close high-ticket deals.
Small, real life events build trust in hours, not months.
They cut through all the online noise.
They create real connection, the kind that turns a client’s “maybe” into a full-bodied YES.
Once I saw it, I couldn’t unsee it.
Small events are the ultimate way to Attract Premium Clients.
The sale that led to my €33K investment didn’t start in New York.
It started weeks earlier – in Amsterdam, during a simple 3-hour mastermind at Eelco’s home.
Simple setup. Maybe 30 minutes of prep for him.
But packed with value and real connection.
That one small event made me want more.
So I said yes to the next step: a multi-day mastermind in New York.
Once I was in the room in New York, the value and connection were so strong that I made a €33K decision on the spot.
This was a significant investment for me. Yet I felt so certain of it.
All of it started because of that first small, easy-to-say-yes-to event.
Easy for Eelco to host. Easy for me to join.
A small group mastermind: easy for Eelco to host, low barrier for me to attend.
There’s no other way that Eelco would have landed me as a client.
I don’t attend webinars.
I don’t do virtual meetings.
I barely read emails or social media DMs outside the business-critical ones – let alone the daily flood of marketing junk.
But by creating a curated offline experience, Eelco stood out.
By delivering real value at every step, he built trust.
And by making the right offer, I became a high-ticket client.
Here’s the thing: I get pitched all the time.
I never buy anything.
Until Eelco invited me to his small, in-person event.
Hi! I'm Marcel Wijermars
If you’ve read this far, you might be wondering:
Whose story is this?
I’m Marcel, the founder of the Amsterdam Founders Club.
I founded and currently run the Amsterdam Founders Club.
But it’s not my first business.
Earlier, I co-founded Trending Jobs, a U.S.-focused job platform used by millions.
We scaled it to over $2M in yearly revenue.
That business gave me a comfortable, luxurious life.
I was traveling to conferences, meeting people, making connections to take the business to the next level.
Traveling the world, working remotely.
Road trip in Nevada after a conference in Las Vegas.
I was living my dream.
Then, Covid hit.
The fun parts of running that business disappeared overnight. No more conferences, no more travel.
And without the adventures and business trips, I realized something:
I didn’t get much fulfillment from the business itself.
I missed real life, human connection.
So when the world started opening up again, I began organizing meetups and events.
Just for fun.
Welcoming guests to the Digital Nomad Meetup I hosted in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
I organized events all over the world with zero budget, often in places where I didn’t have any network to begin with.
Pool party I organized in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
Organizing these events gave me social skills, confidence, and friendships I’m still grateful for today.
I loved bringing people together so much that I had to face a hard truth:
The way I made money (running a tech business) wasn’t aligned with what actually gave me fulfillment (bringing people together in-person).
Millions were using our job search platform.
But I never saw the impact on their daily lives.
And me?
I was staring at screens all day.
Real human connection was just a hobby.
I realized it should be the other way around.
So I had an open conversation with my co-founders…
…and sold my shares.
Closing a chapter: I sold my shares in Trending Jobs.
On a whim I decided to fly to Bali, and that’s where my real journey of turning in-person events into a business started.
In March 2023, I hosted my first “Entrepreneur Dinner.”
One of the weekly Entrepreneur Mixers/Dinners I hosted in Bali.
The dinners quickly became a success. Within weeks they turned into one of the most popular weekly social events for entrepreneurs in Bali!
With that initial success under my belt, I set out to host Entrepreneur Dinners in cities all over the world.
Always starting with zero budget.
And zero network.
Entrepreneur Dinner I hosted in London.
After hosting small events around the world, I felt it was time to build a home base.
So I shifted my focus to creating a founders community in Amsterdam.
It took plenty of trial and error, but I eventually cracked the code on how to consistently sell out events, with 100 founders attending each time.
Within two years, the Amsterdam Founders Club had grown into the most popular founders community in the city.
Once I figured out how event marketing worked, it didn’t take long before I was running the most popular monthly founders event in Amsterdam.
Why did people come to my events?
Most showed up to connect with fellow entrepreneurs, build genuine friendships, and gain new skills and connections to grow their business.
But especially in the beginning — before I put measures in place — some founders came mainly to promote themselves.
No one likes the feeling of being sold to.
And as the events started growing quickly, they also began attracting people who only wanted to “work the room”:
Ouch. Not the feedback you hope for after pouring your heart and soul into an event.
No one enjoys being pitched at an event they came to for connection, sharing, and a good time.
So I put countermeasures in place, making it clear from the start that these events were not for self-promotion.
I put measures in place to keep self-promo out of my events.
But the truth is…
I understand why people would come to my events to sell their products and services.
Events are an extremely powerful way to get new clients.
For the longest time, I struggled with the question:
How do I keep my events free of self-promo, while still supporting entrepreneurs to get new clients for their business?
I could clearly see why they wanted to use the power of in-person events to promote themselves.
I just didn’t want it happening at my events.
Then I went to Eelco’s event.
And something finally clicked.
What if, instead of fighting the fact that entrepreneurs want to use events to sell, I embraced it?
What if I help founders attract clients by
organizing their own events?
Here’s the thing:
Until I went to Eelco’s event, delivering my event was the finish line.
If someone bought a ticket and had a great experience, I felt like my job was done.
I didn’t want people pitching or self-promoting at my events, because I feared it would ruin the vibe.
But deep down, I knew the truth:
Founders were walking away from my events having made more money than I did that night.
And I was happy for them.
Because even without direct self-promo, the connections made at these events were so strong… they inevitably turned into big deals:
Founders were making more from attending my events than I was from hosting them.
But I wasn’t getting my piece of the pie…
I’d organise a venue, speakers, event marketing…
Whereas other people would show up as an attendee, and make back the ticket price MANY times over.
I was amazing at setting the stage. I just didn’t capitalize on it yet.
What I’ve now come to realize is that at your own events, you set your own rules.
Just like how I set rules at my Founders’ Events
Just like Eelco did at his.
You get to invite your ideal clients.
And if you want to pitch – during the event or in the follow-up – you can.
Or rather, you should 😉
For so many founders, learning how to organize, sell out, and sell from small in-person events would be a game-changer.
You could attract your premium clients –
Without having to be online 24/7…
What if I could teach you just two skills that change everything:
#1: How to create a small, simple event that attracts your ideal clients.
#2: How to get the right people in the room.
Master these two skills, and the way you do business will never be the same.
The ability to close big deals with small events?
That’s life-changing for any founder.
Attracting clients and closing high-ticket sales with small events… It feels almost unfair how fun and easy it is.
As an entrepreneur in 2025, you might experience that…
🟡 You love working with your clients, but client acquisition drains you.
🟡 You spend a lot of time on social media.
🟡 A lot of your interactions are online, but you’d rather talk with people face-to-face.
🟡 You feel restless.
🟡 Your carefully written social media post gets only 7 likes, and no new leads.
🟡 Others in your industry get clients easily, while you struggle… even though you deliver better value.
🟡You’re tired of keeping up with new social media platforms.
🟡 You worry about how AI will impact your future.
🟡 You’ve invested in coaches and consultants, but didn’t get the results you hoped for.
🟡 Marketing and sales takes too much of your time.
🟡 You’re selling a premium product, but your social media content looks cheap.
🟡 You’re confused by all the conflicting advice.
🟡 Being “always online” leaves you drained.
🟡 You miss the days of making connections in real life.
🟡 Your content looks more and more like everyone else’s.
🟡 You feel pressured to post – even when you have nothing to say.
🟡 You’re chasing clients instead of attracting them.
🟡 Taking a 2-week vacation would break your business.
🟡 Your clients see you as a commodity, pushing you into a race to the bottom.
🟡 Your daily tasks look nothing like what you imagined entrepreneurship would be.
🟡 You wanted freedom, but your business became your cage.
If you learn the “Small Events, Big Deals” method, this will happen:
🔹 Sales & Clients:
✅ You can fill a room with dream clients anytime you want
✅ Your clients pay premium prices without comparing, because you’re irreplaceable
✅ Your email list grows quickly
✅ You’ll get more warm leads for your business
✅ You’ll get more opportunities
✅ You sell more, more easily
✅ You can raise your prices – and clients keep coming
✅ No need for ads
✅ No complex funnels and tech headaches
✅ No sales calls (unless you want them)
✅ Your sales cycle gets dramatically shorter
✅ Clients reach out to you – you don’t chase them
✅ No more draining cold outreach or “discovery calls”
✅ You have your clients’ full attention when you share an offer
🔹 Authority & Visibility:
✅ You’ll become the authority in your niche
✅ Your social media posts perform better – because you always have event photos to share
✅ You always have amazing photos and videos of yourself in action
✅ You become the superconnector in your niche
✅ You’re seen as the thought leader everyone wants to connect with
✅ You don’t have to compete with AI-generated content
✅ Your future feels more secure – AI can’t replace your reputation, personal brand, or network
✅ You get invited to speak on stages
✅ Industry leaders want to collaborate with you
🔹 Lifestyle & Freedom:
✅ No more pressure to post daily on social media
✅ Most of your time can be spent offline, not glued to a screen
✅ Your days are filled with real, in-person connections
✅ You decide how many (or few) events to host
✅ You can check your phone only once or twice a day – and everything still runs
✅ You’re fully present with the people you choose to spend time with
✅ You stand out in a fast-moving world by slowing down and going offline
✅ Traveling the world? You can host events anywhere you choose!
✅ Running your business feels fun again
✅ You attract clients who energize you
🔹 Personal Growth & Impact:
✅ You have the freedom to “fire” clients you don’t enjoy, because others line up to work with you
✅ Clients thank you for the experiences you create
✅ You build an immense amount of goodwill that money can’t buy
✅ You make friends while making money
✅ Your network grows 24/7 as attendees become fans and ambassadors
✅ You feel proud of the impact you’re making
✅ You gain the confidence to lead any room
✅ Public speaking starts to feel natural and exciting
✅ Hosting events makes you magnetic – people are drawn to your charisma
✅ You grow as a leader, communicator, and connector
✅ You build a lasting legacy through your community
There has never been a bigger opportunity for small, in-person events.
The very few entrepreneurs who master the skill of strategic in-person events…
Live a completely different kind of life.
I’ve hosted over 2,000 entrepreneurs at my own events – and I’ve seen both sides.
So many talented founders feel imprisoned by their own business.
Not because they lack skill.
But because in 2025 and beyond, they’re forced to stay “visible” online at all costs.
I see it again and again:
Founders spending hours on social media, cold outreach, Zoom calls, funnels…
Trying to stay relevant while hating every second of it.
Because it’s not their zone of genius.
Here’s the truth: almost EVERYONE is tired of it.
The endless posting. The constant calls. The digital hamster wheel.
And that’s why, if you put together an in-person event the right way, people WILL flock to it.
My mission? To give founders the tools to run their business more offline.
Through real, in-person connections.
And in a way that’s more profitable than ever.
That’s why I created:
Small Events, Big Deals
A program that teaches entrepreneurs exactly how to:
✅ Attract premium clients with small, in-person events
✅ Build trust fast, without endless content
✅ Convert leads into high-ticket sales
✅ Do it all with minimal touchpoints and zero complex funnels
If you get the right people in the room,
create genuine connection, deliver real value —
and make the right offer…
The right clients will say YES.
At premium rates.
The Opportunity to leverage Offline Events is NOW
People are tired of endless screen time.
They’re tired of algorithms designed to keep them scrolling.
That’s why small, offline events are the future.
And right now, you still have the chance to use them with a first-mover advantage in your industry… IF you learn the skills today and take action.
I’ve spent 2+ years testing, failing, refining, and invested over €80,000 on coaching and mentorship programmes. All this to master the art of attracting ideal clients with small events.
Many of these events I organized in places where I had zero network and zero budget.
The strategies I uncovered are worth tens of thousands of euros to the right founders – all they need is a handful of high-ticket deals.
Now, I’ve distilled everything that actually works into a condensed, easy-to-implement program:
Small Events, BIG Deals
At some point in the very near future, access to Small Events, Big Deals will be priced between €999 and €1,899.
Here’s what you’ll get instant access to when you join:
Small Events, Big Deals
The step-by-step system to attract premium clients with small, in-person events.
While the investment to join this program will be at least €999 in the very near future, this is a brand-new launch… And right now, my #1 priority is collecting case studies.
That’s why, for a limited time, the investment to join today is significantly lower. (This could change tomorrow.)
So if you’re reading this now, it’s a very special moment.
We’re at a unique moment in time: people are craving real, in-person connection.
This gives you a golden opportunity to get results fast with your own small events.
And the price of this introductory offer reflects just how unique this moment is…
Instead of 999 euro, the investment to join today is only:
299 euro
And to make this a total no-brainer, I’m including a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
If you’re not absolutely happy with the program, you’ll get a full refund.
No questions asked.
Your access to Small Events, Big Deals comes with extra bonuses to help you fully master in-person events:
Bonus #1:
The €342K Small Event Case Study
When I sat down with Eelco, I realized he was making more money with small events than I thought was even possible.
He shared story after story of generating hundreds of thousands of euros through simple, in-person masterminds with as few as 3 attendees.
One of those events?
€342,593 in sales.
And the setup?
✅ One story on Instagram
✅ His living room as the venue
✅ Some nuts and fresh fruit on the table
That was it.
Maybe 30 minutes of prep in total.
In this exclusive interview, Eelco breaks down exactly how he structured the offer, the event, and the conversion process.
No complex funnels.
No big production.
Just a clear offer, the right people in the room – and a powerful conversation.
Bonus #2: Lifetime Access to the Small Events, Big Deals Mastermind Community
Every successful event organizer has a secret weapon: their network.
Inside this private community, you’ll connect with fellow organizers to:
✅ Share what works (and what doesn’t)
✅ Exchange tips on the best venues and locations
✅ Explore co-promotion opportunities
✅ Get support from people who actually understand the game
And the best part?
Your access is lifetime.
Bonus #3:
Case Study:
Sold Out Every Month
How I Built Amsterdam’s #1 Founders Event in Under a Year.
I invested over €20K in mentorship to learn these strategies from the best in the industry.
If you’re aiming to scale beyond small-events, this bonus is for you.
I built Amsterdam Founders Club from scratch into one of the city’s most popular entrepreneurial communities, hosting events that regularly sold out with 100+ founders in attendance.
In this bonus, I’ll share exactly how I did it: How to plan and market events How to leverage partnerships to fill the room How to build community momentum that keeps events selling out
This is your blueprint to scale from intimate small-events to large gatherings with strategies that work every single time.
So, what are you getting exactly for just €299?
Full access to: Small Events, Big Deals
Exclusive Case Study: How Eelco de Boer generated €342,593 from one small event (3 attendees)
Lifetime Community Access: Small Events, Big Deals Mastermind Community
Bonus Training: Sold Out Every Month – How to consistently fill events with 100+ paying guests
Here’s the thing: you already have the expertise.
All you need is the right people in the room.
The future is in-person. 
Marcel Wijermars