Geoff Negel

Geoff Negel
Appears in The Trainer, and The Academy, where he narrates  The California Way.

A Trainer of Trainers who is not well respected by the majority of his peers, Geoff introduces his philosophy of training in 1980 at an Academy event, where his insistence that gentler, therapeutic co-partnership styles with Owners is the wave of the future. After being strongly rebuffed, he then focuses his attention on Owners, lecturing and allowing them to “train” at his facility as well. Most of his clients are Silicon Valley, as well as Hollywood nouveau riche. His record of contract renewals and slaves returning to him for more work and new sales was dismal compared to what was happening everywhere else.

Personal Description:  Tall, bronzed, grey hair, and highly charismatic.

Geoff has lived what would be considered a “charmed life,” without much fuss. Middle child in a family which made its money in real estate (buying Depression farms in the 1930’s, and selling them to Hollywood in the 1940’s and 1950’s), his father kept him out of Vietnam, and he attended USC majoring in business and minoring in psychology. School activities included lacrosse, tennis, surfing, theatre, and Student Council.

Introduced to The Marketplace by a college girlfriend, Geoff got quickly in contact with Owners and Trainers. Geoff began apprenticeship in 1972 with a trainer of the line of Howard Ward. (Because of this relationship, he is able to attend events at Rothmere, where he brings some of his proteges to meet other trainers, including Dalton.) Opens his own Training House in his family's old home in Santa Cruz in the mid-70’s with a lover, who retires shortly thereafter. Trainers of his line include Michael LaGuardia, Crystal, and trainer/owners Bradley Cofflin and Mr. Lu, as well as two unnamed trainees.

Timeline of Significant Events

1950 born in California to wealthy real estate family 1968 attends college and meets a woman from a Marketplace family 1972 begins training as an undertrainer 1973 attends first Academy 1974 trains in Europe 1976 returns to the U.S. to open his own training facility with a lover 1978 lover/business partner retires 1980 atends the Academy and discusses his new training technique 1982 begins lecturing at Owner events to great success 1991 begins training Michael LaGuardia 1993 attends The Academy in Okinawa.