Crosswind Project Management (Crosswind Learning) Reviews 7

I want to take a moment and express real gratitude to the Crosswind PM team for giving me an incredibly solid foundation from which to successfully take and pass my PMP exam on the first try!

When you get trained by Tony Johnson - you are dealing with a project management master (I am not kidding). This is a man who knows the curriculum inside and out, left and right, every which way, and he can meet you wherever you are at and take you much farther than you thought was possible. Tony wraps his great teachings into very logical thought packages that shape your mind until natural understanding emerges as to how to dissect PMP questions. And his manner of teaching is simply engaging, fun, humorous and lively - he takes what could be dry subject matter and turns it into something truly enjoyable - get ready to laugh and smile, all while growing immensely as a professional.

I had a truly great experience working with Tony and his team, Denise and Alfredo. Not only has Tony authored dozens of books, but the administrative side of the Crosswind PM business is smooth and efficient - materials arrived on time, in good condition, and the online learning portal was easy to navigate once I got oriented to the system.

I am currently a UC Berkeley construction management and leadership program student - Tony authored a chapter in one of the books I read for class. I view UC Berkeley as a top notch school, and so for Tony's material to be included in material I am reading for one of the UC Berkeley classes spoke to me of Tony's quality and legitimacy (which was subsequently confirmed after taking his class).

One final point - and perhaps the most important one...Crosswind PM is more than just a business - Tony is deeply invested in your success - he wants you to succeed! And he will go the extra mile for you, no matter what. That means he was available on several occasions to meet with me after class to craft an individual plan of attack for myself, he was available via phone and email, and he truly prepared me in every way for the most challenging exam I had ever taken - the PMP.

Tony told me to call him after my exam, which I did. He wanted to know how I did. And when I passed, he was almost more excited than I was. That meant so much. And we even had an opportunity to toast via Facetime with our beverage of choice!

I truly recommend Crosswind PM as the best possible option if you are going for your PMP. I feel tremendously lucky to have found them, and am very grateful that I have crossed this major threshold in my career, and am excited to step into new horizons as a result of now being a PMP...

Thank you Crosswind PM! Thank you Tony!

Sincerely,
Chris Bryden, PMP

I apologize for the novel, but my journey to PMP was 7 years in the making, including being ban by PMI and not allowed to apply to take the test for 1 year, so I wanted to capture what an impact Tony had on my success in earning my PMP after being traumatized 7 years ago.

Miracles do happen! I never thought I would be a PMI Certified PMP Project Manager or be able to pass this test. I have never experienced a test like this in my life. A test where there IS NO RIGHT ANSWER, only, which one the least terrible option.

I have 22 years experience starting as a project coordinator. 7 years ago, when I officially moved into a Project Management, I thought earning my PMP would be a good thing. I have always been a good student and KNOW how to study, so I purchased the PMBOK 5th edition and read it cover to cover 2 times, actually reading it out loud and recording each chapter, so I could listen when driving to and from work, I made 600+ flash cards to memorize terms and flows, and diagrams, etc. I then scheduled myself to take the exam...and I failed.

I continued to study throughout the year, my work had a contract through a video training company, where I watched videos, trying to see if this would make a difference. I watched videos on YouTube. I took the test 2 more times, and failed those as well. I failed so many times in 2015, the PMI ban me for 1 year from applying to take the test again.

Fast forward 7 years, to January 2022. My mother-in-law was raving about this guy, Tony Johnson and his company Crosswind that came to her office 20 years-ish ago, and taught her how to pass the PMP.

I decided to use the guy that taught my Mother-in-Law how to pass the PMP Exam on the 1st try. My first class with Tony, we spent several hours learning just about the test: understanding that this test is something different than you have ever taken before, that you cannot read and memorize vocabulary, diagrams, etc. and pass the test. In order to pass this test, you actually need to not only understand what the vocabulary, diagrams, process, inputs, outputs, and tools are, but you need to be able to apply them in real scenarios.

You don't need to memorize the 1440 ITTO's, Tony will give you tips and tricks, to help you know what goes were in regards to Inputs, Outputs or Tools and Techniques.

During my first class, my mind was blown, and I decided I should guzzling the Kool-Aid! I attended his classes, I tried my best to do the homework and come to class with questions (this is very important to be able to explain your thought process on why you choose an answer, as this will allow Tony to walk you and your brain through how to decode what the questions are asking for.

Tony has teaching the PMP down to a fine art. He is the only person I know who can take a dry subject am make it entertaining and cheesy...It was those cheesy saying, that were in my brain on test day. If you do exactly what he says, you will pass the test, with flying colors, every time.

If you are looking for someone who can actually teach you, not only what each concept is, but how to apply that concept in the real world and in "the world of PMI land", Tony is your Dude!

My advice:
Do exactly what Tony says...
Attend Class and Pay Attention
Do your practice test questions and come to class with questions
Write your Brain Dump everyday.
...and take as many practice exams online, as the more scenarios you see, the more your brain/mind start to think in the PMP way. (I personally did somewhere between 1700 and 1800 questions)

What you are doing, will make absolutely no since at all at first, literally a foreign language, but the more I wrote my brain dump over and over, the more quizzes I took, the more examples Tony could relate to me, one day it's like the light bulb just comes on...and it not only makes since, but it made me want to dig in deeper on the processes and the why's and how's.

I am one who over does it, so I did purchase the 6th and 7th edition books, I spent 40 dollars on a testing app for my phone, and my company has ties with learning video site, so I found some videos to watch.
After about 2 hours of bouncing between these additional resources, I can tell you that all 3 were a waste of money and a waste of time. All you need is what Tony provides you, and nothing else.

What I love in addition to his teaching style, is the one-on-one attention given to each student. He has an exit exam/exit process once he has covered all the content. He will review with you your quiz results, help you go through and identify and evaluate everything going on in your life, from work, family, etc. to help you know when you will be ready to sit for the PMP exam. He truly cares of about of his students and was there for me every step of the way.
Thank you Tony! You are the ABSOLUTE BEST.

I have Crosswind Training and Study material. The content is very good, simple to understand and all the small hints that were given during the trainings have been very helpful. I studied nothing but this study material & practice exams to get AT on all three domains on my PMP certification exam. They have been very prompt in getting all my non-stop questions in a very timely manner. I will strongly recommend Crosswind to anyone who may be preparing for their PMP Exam.

We have used Crosswind material as our flagship curriculum for the past 8 years. The content is relatable, simple to understand and the graphics are very helpful. My students really appreciate the online questions provided as part of this course. I am strongly recommending Crosswind to anyone who's prepping for their PMP Exam.

Love the material, just wish I could get the book in a PDF format.

Easy ordering process. item received in a couple of days. Had an issue up front as it appeared I needed to create a login ID IOT purchase the item (as the error message indicated). A quick response by the staff allowed me to make the purchase without incident.