A Full Blue Sky Amazon Review
57 Things You Should Know About Sophie Howard’s Amazon Course
Welcome to the Ultimate Blue Sky Amazon Course Review for 2021.
I’ve spent thousands of hours auditing and reviewing the content from many online courses, including the popular Sophie Howard course.
If you’re ready to enrol but need to know:
How Sophie compares to other popular Amazon FBA courses
What are the common criticisms of Blue Sky Amazon
Who is Sophie Howard and what is her actual experience
If you really can achieve results with her course training
What the Blue Sky Amazon course actually costs right now
Then you’re in the right place as I’ve done the entire thing.
Blue Sky Amazon Overview
💡Core Concepts
Sophie Howard’s course teaches students how to create a part or full-time income selling physical products on Amazon FBA. Her model focuses around low competition and high profit goods with unique strategies.
💰 Current Price
Sophie Howard’s course retails between $2,500 USD and $3,500 USD depending on location. Some payment plans may be available.
🎓 Student Volume
More than 10,000 students have enrolled into Sophie’s training in 3 years.
👍 Common Praise
Very analytical approach to product research. Unique strategy. Weekly webinars. Active community involvement. Sophie really knows her stuff, hence selling an Amazon business for $1,000,000 recently.
❌ Common Complaints
The “Amazon Income Experts” have upset some people over the phone. Course consists of homemade videos. Long and drawn out tutorials. Higher than average pricing.
🔥 The X-Factor
Live conference events and phone support (coaching calls) are included in the purchase price meaning you aren’t being subjected to upsells like in other courses.
📈 Industry Trends
Amazon FBA is growing increadibly fast. In 2020, McKinsey reported 10 years of eCommerce growth in 3 months. Sophie Howard’s students are perfectly positioned to take advantage of this exponential growth.
👨💻 My Verdict
Blue Sky Amazon suits the older generation or stay at home parent who is seeking a new income stream but needs support along the way. It appeals less to motivated individuals.
Check Current Pricing
Course Rating
4.3/5
About Me
Hey there, I’m Joshua. I don’t drive a Ferrari or sip coconuts on the beach.
My focus remains on actual work and consistent progress through:
Search Marketing
Content Publishing
Consulting/Client Work
eCommerce (side hustle)
I’ve been blogging since 2011. Today, more than 500,000 people globally have read my blog and in-depth course reviews.
I’ve had quite a bit of involvement in Blue Sky Amazon as a student. Let’s get this going.
Introduction
Amazon Takes Work
This isn’t for the faint-hearted.
This is serious work that you’ll need to do. Sure – the massive rise of eCommerce is something that you can tap into, but it’s certainly not easy in the early days. It might seem easy but that’s only when you’ve been doing it for a while.
Sophie Has Legitimacy
Sophie started on Amazon approximately 7 years ago while working in a full-time job.
Building her business wasn’t easy. She had to work diligently with the resources available and eventually scaled things up.
Since then, she’s been featured on podcasts, spoken at conferences and continues to sell products while running a family.
10,000 Students and Growing
Between Blue Sky Amazon and Aspiring Entrepreneurs, that’s social proof that she’s genuine.
There are more than 10,000 people who have enrolled into her training. Clearly they value and trust her expertise on Amazon.
Her Facebook group (as pictured above) is a treasure grove of Q&A sessions, so you’re very well supported on the journey.
Amazon Navigator 2021
Module 1
Making a Start
This is really an orientation module designed to warm you up. Sophie touches on some personal development content.
Module 2
Account Setup
With Amazon sometimes banning new seller accounts, it’s important that you get this process right. The course is worth it for Unit 1 alone.
Module 3
Selecting the Right Products
In this module, Sophie and her team go deep on product research and selection. I appreciate that we as students get the perspective of 8 different successful sellers. I found it quite eye-opening and it’s clear that everyone is process-driven.
Module 4
How to avoid being another copycat seller.
To be successful on Amazon FBA, you MUST stand out. Copycats aren’t really profitable so you’ll need to learn branding.
Module 5
Suppliers and success.
Finding a factory in China, Nepal and India isn’t too difficult. Especially as Sophie gives a complete list of ideas and handouts.
Module 6
It’s all about the numbers here.
On Amazon FBA, the financial metrics are essential. This module I really praise because it’s clear that Sophie is into the details.
Module 7
The boring freight and logistics training.
I think that most people would find this module to be quite boring though also quite technical. Sophie takes what is a complex process into easy, bite-sized steps for even the most novice of individuals.
Module 8
Listing optimisation
What seperates average sellers from successful sellers is their listings. Sophie really drills down on both design and keywords.
Module 9
Launch and playing the long game.
In every Amazon course that I’ve done, the PPC modules have gone over my head. I’m a content and traffic guy.
Here in Blue Sky Amazon, things were a little different. Fiona seemed to explained things more ‘human’ than others.
Module 10
Wrapping up.
This is the last lesson in the Amazon Navigator 2020 course. Sophie then leads on to additional resources which I’ll cover later.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Does Sophie Sell on Amazon?
Sophie previously sold tea and hippie goods. Today in 2021, she sells home lifestyle items.
She has sold 2 Amazon businesses. One sold for 6-figures and another sold for 7-figures. Today, she continues to sell goods on the platform for the lifestyle it brings.
Does She Make Money With Courses?
Yes. Sophie makes some money with her course.
Given her analytical approach to product research, many people asked her to create a course. One that makes her a few dollars a month I’m sure. I estimate that with selling 2 businesses and 7+ years of selling, she’s made $2,000,000+ from Amazon FBA. I remain doubtful that she’s made more from her course sales, than from FBA, unlike most other experts in this space.
Why Is The Price So High?
Blue Sky Amazon charges a high price as this includes coaching and conferences.
We also need to factor in the remarkably high costs of advertising on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram.
It wouldn’t surprise me if it costs $2,000 in online advertising to have 1 student enrol. That leaves $1,500 to cover the costs of the conference (hotels usually charge a fortune) and 6 coaching calls. That would only leave a little bit on the top for Sophie.
Keep in mind that this isn’t the highest price around town. I’ve seen a popular FBA course with 30,000 students charging $4,997. Guess what? Students enrol despite then having to pay extra for coaching calls and attending their annual conference.
Can I Get A Discount?
Blue Sky Amazon occasionally offers discounts to prospective students.
I believe these discounts are country-dependent. You might also get a discount if you don’t wish to have mentoring calls.
Why Is Amazon The Best Opportunity?
Amazon and eCommerce continues to surge due to COVID-19 and shoppers not attending physical stores.
Given this rise, it’s far better to rise with the tide if you have enough capital to take action.
How Come I Keep Seeing Sophie Howard Ads?
Sophie Howard’s marketing company, Knowledge Source, believes that you may be likely to enrol.
You may have watched her ads or engaged with Sophie Howard’s content. If the opportunity doesn’t appeal to you, then you can block these ads entirely by using an ad-blocker and purchasing a YouTube Premium subscription.
Do They Offer Refunds?
Yes. A 7-day refund often applies.
It’s wise to check with the “Amazon Income Expert” prior to enrolling as Terms and Conditions could change at anytime.
So The Blue Sky Amazon Course Is Legit?
Yes. Sophie Howard’s course has real students across North America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the UK.
10,000 students and counting paired with coaches and Sophie becoming a millionaire as an Amazon FBA seller.
Where Does Sophie Howard Live Today?
Wanaka, South Island, New Zealand.
Sophie moved to New Zealand from the United Kingdom more than 10 years ago. She lives with her husband and 2 kids.
Who Has Bought Her Course?
Stay at home parents, the older demographic looking to create a new revenue stream and some ambitious individuals.
It’s less likely that you’ll find those who have built businesses before. It’s mostly a beginner demographic who needs help.
Most people are over the age of 30, with 40 to 65 being the core demographic. They often have capital and time to learn.
What Does Her Course Actually Cost?
It depends.
Sophie Howard’s course costs between $2,500 and $3,500 US dollars. Taking a payment plan often costs more than upfront.
How Much Capital Do I Need for Amazon FBA?
Realistically, $10,000 USD.
To have a better chance of success, you’ll need to have at least $10,000 available to you. This is far more than what Sophie quotes in her webinars. The students who I see become successful are those who really have a solid backing.
Many people with bigger success stories start at $40,000 in starting capital, while the big dogs start with $100,000.
Can I Still Do It If I Don’t Have The Capital?
Yes.
There are various ways that students have made good money with Amazon without the upfront capital.
This includes:
👉 Becoming a consulting for brands on Amazon FBA
👉 Going down the Kindle route with publishing eBooks
👉 Partnering up with other students who have capital but lack the time or motivation
Can I Really Replace My Income With Amazon FBA?
Some have. It depends.
Most people who I see become successful aren’t the type to ponder around. They’re deadly serious about success and dedicate time towards product research, raising capital, consistent execution and investing into themselves.
You could make $20,000/month or nothing at all. The results you see out there are individually dependent and based primarily on resourcefulness. I’ve personally seen some staggering FBA results from people with very average backgrounds.
This is a controversial statement, but most people in the western world are quite lazy. Entrepreneurship rewards those who can work consistently instead of doing the bare minimum. If you want to replace your income, then this won’t be an easy walk.
Additional Resources
Sophie includes additional resources in her course. This includes:
Drop Flipping
If Amazon FBA isn’t for you, there’s drop shipping.
This course is quite short than the typical drop shipping course in the market, but a great way to get a feel for the model.
Buy Cashflow
Purchase an existing profitable business and scale it further.
In the fortunate position of being able to buy an Amazon business? Sophie bought one and takes us through the process.
She covers some of the due diligence and sticking points to look out for. It’s similar to Jaryd Krause’s due diligence framework.
Kindle Publishing Income
Lacking capital? Go with Kindle.
Sophie has been able to generate quite an impressive revenue from her portfolio of Kindle books alone. Perfect for beginners.
Extensive Checklists, Worksheets and SOPs
The Blue Sky Amazon Course comes with extensive resources
We’re talking almost 30 templates, SOPs, NDA Agreements and worksheets. Given Sophie’s background having worked for the NZ Government, it’s clear that she’s process-driven.
Weekly Webinars for Students Only
Paid students receive lifetime access to weekly webinars.
Every Friday students receive a live webinar. These are in-depth and zero fluff with Q&A sessions held afterwards.
Common Praise
There is many good things to say about Blue Sky Amazon. This includes:
Sophie’s Knowledge
Sophie is more switched on than most other educators.
While some people may romanticize the business model, Sophie has been more suttle. This is because she’s spent 10,000 hours learning, launching and perfecting the process of selling physical products online.
With 500+ products launched, it’s clear that she has genuine knowledge worth investing into. 10,000 people agree.
Paying $3,500 to learn from someone who’s made over a million dollars on Amazon FBA. She should be charging 10x this.
Total Support
No student left behind.
When you invest into the course, you’ll be receiving phone support from various verified and existing Amazon FBA sellers.
It’s these individuals that can help you make better decisions on finding the right product with less competition.
Not only this, but they’re very active in the Facebook group everyday to help you on the journey. You won’t fall behind here.
Unique Strategy
Sophie teaches a low competition strategy.
Given Sophie’s experience, she’s been able to draw upon some unique ways to find products that others aren’t teaching.
I can’t really spill the beans here but I was quite impressed by just how much she drills down to avoid the competition.
Not only that, but she focuses on products that are above the $20 price point (to avoid Chinese sellers) but below $50.
Further more, Sophie isn’t a fan of betting the farm. This means that students can dip their feet in first for some good trial runs.
Common Complaints
While we’ve seen some great elements, there are also some negatives that have left people less than impressed. This includes:
High Course Price
Yeah…Blue Sky Amazon is a little expensive.
There are dozens of affordable Amazon FBA courses out there often costing between $500 and $2,000.
This makes Blue Sky Amazon an expensive offer. At the same time, we do need to understand the hard costs associated with marketing a course, the coaching calls plus constant updates. This leaves less money on the table than we might think.
I don’t particularly think her course is all that pricey. Sure – someone who’s been living paycheck to paycheck for years will struggle to grasp the price, but those who have had prior online success or are excellent at budgeting will see the value.
Homemade Videos
My pet-hate is the home-style video setup.
You’ll find that the videos aren’t as professional as say YouTube. Most of the tutorials are simply screen-recorded.
Now – don’t get me wrong. I’m not against home-style videos and my favourite website investing course takes this approach. In many of these home courses I’ve bought (20+), everything is recorded in 4k with excellent sound quality.
But with Sophie’s course, things have been overlooked somewhat. In one video, I heard her neighbors chainsaw… 
Now – this isn’t a representation of the entire course. It’s just a small part but it lowers the quality of the course overall.
I know that Sophie has a big focus in 2021 to improve the quality of her videos. Once that happens, I’ll update this review.
Ultimately, she’s more of an Amazon seller rather than a course creator. In other words, her talent is doing rather than teaching.
Phone Sales Team
Blue Sky Amazon uses “Amazon Income Experts” which is a fancy word for sales calls to drive student enrolments.
This practice is unlike most other Amazon FBA courses today. So much so that not everyone is happy with these calls.
They have had a mixed response. Some say that the callers have been rude or abrupt while not allowing questions to be asked.
Others have said that they’re pushy for a sale when they expected this to be merely a “discovery call” first and foremost.
Because of my blog, I was able to raise this to the attention of their team. It seems that these calls have relaxed somewhat.
Now it seemed this was happening in North America with just 1 rogue caller. Still – it didn’t leave a great impression.
Wrong Students Joining
An issue I personally have is targetting the wrong individuals.
Sometimes there are individuals with unrealistic expectations who come in and expected to do *just* a little bit of work.
I’d say this is the worst approach to have. As I’ve said, Amazon requires skill, perseverance, capital, patience and execution.
Some of these wrong students do come on the inside with the strangest of questions. Certainly some gaps in personal growth.
I also see that this whole concept of money makes people a bit…weird. They may be targetting some of the wrong people.
My gripe relates to taking any average Joe off the street and expecting them to get results. 🙄 A low chance of success.
The sales team with Sophie Howard should do more vetting. This way they’ll get more of the right students who can succeed.
Final Verdict
Sophie’s Course Could Be Better
As I’ve eluded here, she’s made great leeway into this space.
I believe that Sophie is simply better at selling on Amazon than teaching courses. That’s probably a good thing actually.
You’ll Need To Work
Yes, another “those” reminders.
This is a potential get-rich-slow-scheme for the person playing the long game. It’s not ideal for those who are messing around.
I think some people come in with unrealistic expectations. Sophie and her most successful students HAD to carve out time.
Dozens Enrolling Every Week
If you’re not enrolling, others are.
In the midst of a Pandemic, dozens of people are still enrolling in 2021. They’re catching on to the trend that others can’t see.
I’ve been seeing the Facebook explore with introductions all the time. Those who decided to commit to a new pathway.
It’s Designed for Mass-Market Appeal
Sophie’s course is designed for a broader appeal.
Die-hard business owners and entrepreneurs aren’t likely to purchase this course. Instead, it’s built for the average employee.
If you’re working in a full-time job or business, then this could is better suited for you. This is especially so if you need support.
Unsurprisingly too, there does seem to be a very high proportion of females inside. Stay at home moms and those 45+
Ultimately
Sophie has been successful on Amazon and her certainly course covers all bases, but could be better.
I’ve noticed progressive updates and content changes in recent months. All of those updates have come free for existing students. If this trend continues, I’m sure we’re seeing Sophie’s course pushing up there into world-class territory. 🔥
Join In The Discussion Below
We’re talking 2 years and 400+ comments below.
If you have a question that hasn’t been answered, I’d love to help. Likewise, I’ll catch you in the Facebook group! 😃
Sophie Howard's Course Summary
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Course Content
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Course Price
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Student Support
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Phone Mentoring
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Teacher Experience
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Course Depth
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Teacher Congruency
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Weekly Webinars
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Refund Policy
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Unique Perspective
Blue Sky Amazon course in a nut-shell
You’ve found a summary of my very long review right here. This is the total rating of Sophie’s course, based on these factors shown. Ratings were considered with the beginner student in mind, the one who wants to become a successful Amazon seller. This is one of the best Amazon courses out there.
Hi Joshua, thanks for taking the time to review sophie and others worth investing time and money with .. I am based in Scotland and have spoken to one of Sophie’s students in the UK (the course has just reached our shores). Having a tough time convincing the missus to take the plunge but I hope this review and your product recommendations with tip the balance. All the best. Brian from sunny Glasgow 🙂
Hi Brian, thanks for reaching out and leaving the comment here. Yes it’s always best to have your significant other on board, otherwise the journey can be tougher until proven profitable. Perhaps your missus will appreciate the women’s perspective?
Hi Brian,
I am hoping to start up in the UK as well – do you have any contact info for a student of Sophie’s local to the UK at all?
many thanks
Louise
Hey Louise,
I am signed onto Sophie’s course as a student and from the uk.
All the best,
Emma
Hi Emma, I am looking to purchase the course. I’m also in the UK. Could I possibly email you to see how you’re getting on? Thanks Nas
Hi Emma
How much was the course for UK student. And would really appreciate feedback now you are 9 months down the line.
Thanks, Corinne
Hi Emma,
Could you provide some feedback on course you have taken. It would be great to get some outside perspective before we take a plunge.
Thanks & Regards
Hi Emma,
I have just discovered Joshua’s site & am loving it so far! I’m also based in the UK & considering signing up on Sophie’s course – did you make it to the end, if so what’s your honest opinion about how it went?? Any success with your first product?
Thanks,
Simone.
Hi Simone, just chiming in as I notice that 80% of people don’t come back to my blog for replies. Most first product launches are break-even and really gives students experience on selling on the marketplace as opposed to profits. The decent home runs come later on at launch #3 to #5.
I found the following training to be more affordable than what Sophie offers, and definitely worth checking out…
https://www.workwithjoshua.com/BestSophieAlternative
Hey Joshua, pleased I found you and great to read your review.
Hi Emma, would I be able to do the same, would you be ok to connect? I am just about to press the button, however keen to learn more to go ahead…
Hi Emma,
I am thinking of signing up to Sophie’s course, one year on how are you progressing? Would you recommend the course? I would be grateful for your comments.
Kind regards,
Star
Hi Emma, I am in the UK and looking into taking the course. Is it possible to connect with you?
Hi Brian I was reading your comment from last year and wondering if you took the plunge and if it was successful?
Hi Joshua, having read your above post and also the comment from Brian Doyle, do you recommend Sophies course for UK wannabe amazon sellers like myself? Im just beginning and trying to read/listen as much as possible. I really believe I can make this work. The only prob I have is I don’t have thousands only hundreds to invest, to begin with. What sort of cost is Sophies Blue Sky courses? I haven’t actually gotten that far yet. TIA. Hollie
Hello Hollie, thanks for your comments and questions. There might be a more local-focused Amazon sellers course, as Sophie isn’t running UK workshops yet. I really hope to see a UK-only Amazon course hit the mainstream in the near future.
The most popular UK course happens to be this one: https://www.workwithjoshua.com/BestAmazonCourseUK
You’ll really struggle with only hundreds to start with on Amazon, though it could take 6 months of work part-time to find the right winning product, in which time you might’ve saved a few thousand dollars ready for launch. Most recently (last weekend actually) I saw the course cost at $3,500 Australian dollars, but keep in mind the price might be slightly different based on different currencies.
Yes – I do recommend Sophie for those aspiring beginner Amazon sellers in the UK, Australia and NZ. Now I also do recommend Reliable Education which is much more established with lots of knowledgeable Amazon sellers, but as a drawback, its events (at an extra cost) are only held in Australia. It’s better for those really motivated self-starters. Many UK students have joined this course, and numerous have made the long trip across to Australia.
Unfortunately there are no Reliable Education conferences planned in the UK at this stage, and Amazing Selling Machine (on par with Reliable Education for quality) is priced quite highly plus only holds its events in the USA, so a double negative on that one as a beginner. Both those programs aren’t so newbie-friendly, as they’re catered for the true action-taker with past personal development or business experience.
Josh/Hollie,
I signed up to Sophie’s course and it’s ok but it cost me $4000 aud. I know she delivers accurate information and knows what she’s doing, and that you can learn what you need to learn from her course.
Good luck 🙂
Hi Emma, thanks for sharing your feedback on Sophie’s course. Hopefully you can make it along to her next Super Seller conference for students, where the rubber meets the road.
Which other course has a better training? I am about to have a conference call and I am not sure if to go with her or Reliable Education.
I read your review. I looked up Sophie Howard’s linked.in and when I looked up http://www.handmade-Direct.com it is not a real website.
Hello Lesley, thanks for your comment. It’s good that you’re doing your research, I also just went through her social media channels too and found that Handmade Direct is simply a parked domain on GoDaddy?? I’m there’s some reasonable explanation to this one, and I’ll see if Sophie can leave a comment here. The rest of her associations I found on social media checked out as OK.
Yes I am wanting to purchase Sophie’s course BUT HOW? And where ?
I am looking at a co. called Knowledge Source but cant tell If they are a scam saying they sell Sophie’s course. Supposedly out of Australia .+03 9490 8888 phone number. They also use the platform kswebcast.com
HELP. I cant tell if they are legit and I need to know asap. Like right now. They are calling me tonight
Malinda Murray
Hello Malinda, thanks for your comment. Knowledge Source is a legitimate company and certainly not a scam. They help share Sophie’s Amazon training course to new students across Australia and New Zealand by running free seminars, and online through the rest of the world. Their webinar platform is in-house I think.
To purchase Sophie’s course, you either need to attend a live seminar, attend a live webinar or phone their team. Thanks again and I hope the Amazon journey goes well for you, as it has for me! 👍
Hey Josh, I attended Sophie’s seminar last month is Sydney. They were offering the course for $4000 if you signed up on the day. Of course I didn’t as I wanted to do some research (of which yours has been really helpful thanks)
I think I will go ahead in June when I will have the investment needed – but it remains to be seen as to whether I will be able to still get the $4000 deal.
Anyone else signed up at a later date and got a good deal?
Thanks
Hey Caroline, thanks so much for providing your comments and updates on the course price. $4,000 last month and $5,445 this month (Stephanie) is a decent jump 😬 though the latter is based on a payment plan. I don’t like these “YOU MUST BUY TODAY!!!” deals and always advise prospective students when looking at any course, to make a rational decision when they feel the time is right for them. ☺️
Hi everyone.
First of all thanks Joshua for your time and the valuable information and review. I signed-up for blue Sky Amazon course just like an hour ago on $4000 from USA. Research is not a bad thing but over-thinking make decisions wrong. I pay this amount not that someone will do work for me, definitely, I am building a long term business. So, I will put my time, effort and initial investment there and have a patience to see the result. I did this investment because she went through this journey. The course cost is little high, Because she know that will be worthy. She and her team put together all those things, for us and for her business.
We are the people from middle class and our thinking will remain stuck in few thousands of dollars.
I did it and I believe I can crack the middle class box and will move the upper class. InShaAllah (By the grace of Almighty Allah).
Thanks.
4000 dollars this is how she is making her money buy people buying her course! Wake up people
Hi Sara, yes Sophie is making money through selling her Amazon course. She sold a business for 6 figures and another for 7 figures. Plus, she still sells on Amazon today.
She has an in-depth training course that she created as an Amazon millionaire, with professional coaching from real live Amazon sellers, for just $4,000? Not $40,000 or $100,000? Just $4k. Absolute bargain if you ask me. I agree with you – more people should wake up to this…..because it’s a low-cost way to learn a high-income skill.
I can confirm it’s still $4k I’m about to sign up for it now. There is a payment plan of about $600 to $700 over 6 months which obviously pushes the cost up. I initially balked at the cost of these courses but after doing several months of research I’m ready to pull the trigger. Ask yourself what price do you put on your education? It’s priceless imo think how much a university course costs and what your ROI is on that? I can’t wait to start! Thanks for your review Josh!
Excellent! Thanks, Gary, that’s what I figure too. The cost is definitely affordable and I’ve repaid my tuition many times over through selling on Amazon.
Hi Joshua, I agree with what you say, but an increase of nearly $1,500 dollars in the space of a month is taking the mick I think. It is disappointing that monetising things becomes the priority for so many. She would not only have more students if she kept the price between $3,500-$4,000 but she would get a true reputation as an educator and be have a supporter of the people who are, as she says, “not trying to become multi-millionaires but increase their monthly income in order to take the pressure off and have quality of life” but she would have loyalty and the appreciation of the people she’s helping.
One of the questions she asks is “do you have £6,000 to start your business?”
This should be “do you have £12,000?”
Without getting into debt, people trying to moderately increase their monthly income don’t usually have £6,000 spare, much less almost the same again for the course.
Even more so now with the COVID-19 situation and so many people who have lost their jobs and taken a significant hit on their income.
If someone has made their millions and then makes their course affordable, they will generate additional income from talks, workshops, endorsements etc. and that would be really admirable. But, as usual, it’s always all about the money, money, money.
Nothing leveraged based is easy and requires hard work and capital. I was simply curious when I received a banner from Sophie. I am a 10 year veteran of a home based network marketing essential services business in the UK. Its a risk free business with a 90 day money back guarantee. It is NOT a get rich quick scheme but it IS a business that provides essential services as important to people as Air and Water.
I cannot wrap my head around people that think people are going to provide training for free. She has been successful on Amazon for years. She figured out a system that works for her and now she has put it into a training program others can possibly benefit. It is ridiculous to think successful people will just do things for free!
Yep, spot on there!
Agreed. The training is very important, but more than that is the dedication to the process that the student/trainee puts into their business. The amount someone is willing to invest in their learning is a really good indication of their success in whatever business they choose.
100% 👍
Hi Malinda. Go to FB page. You get very fast info and response
Hi Malinda, I was reading your response and wondered if you made the move to buy Sophies program and if you did, is it beneficial? Are you showing signs of success?
Hi Joshua
Thankyou for your honest comments & appraisals of Sophie Howards courses!
I have a good ‘gut’ feeling regarding Sophie and am very keen to enrol onto her course. I have already listened to her webinar and have hade a couple of phone conversations with one of her tutors who just like Sophie comes across as genuine and trustworthy! My only concern at this point is the actual start up costs! The course cost is approximately £2300 + 1st product costs of between £350 – £700! The product costs do seem to be on the low side and i’m stalling on making that final commitment until I feel confident with this overall level of investment. Although I have yet to discuss my concerns with Sophie or her team I would very much value your opinion and advice on this!
Kind Regards
John Sharpe
Hello John, Sophie Howard’s course cost seems to be higher than what I saw early last month. It was a touch under £2,000 when converting from the Australian price. I’ll check if the Australian price has risen too. It would be good if the UK price was lower, given that Sophie Howard (to my knowledge) isn’t yet running live Amazon events in the UK.
The cost of your 1st product seems low, and likely is the AliExpress strategy. This is an excellent way to get started and learn the ropes using minimal funds, but difficult to make a sustainable and profitable business. £2,500 to £5,000 would be ideal and realistic. I’m just launching a 2nd Amazon brand now with my factory in full production mode. My up-front cost for 1 product is £7,000 before even turning a profit.
Hi Josh,
I have no idea if you can point me in the right direction but I sat through Sophie ‘s webinar last week, had a coach call today, sat through another webinar with “Cole”. I texted and emailed him asking if I had additional questions if he was available to speak. Crickets! No response. I invested my time exploring this to see if this would be a good learning investment. I feel if you want to charge me thousands of $$ I am entitled to ask questions. Makes me wonder what kind of program this really is and if it even exists.
Thoughts???
Hi CH (you can use your real name here 🙂),
The program has 6,000+ students now (including me) who all paid to get inside. Will probably rise to 30,000+ by the end of next year with the way things are going. So it’s very much real but sounds like people’s questions aren’t being answered properly on the front end. The course itself is quite good though.
Thanks Josh!
I am not even able to get to the course. I finished the 2nd webinar which at the end gave the price and I was told to get back with the guy on the coach call. I cannot reach him. I invested this time for it to go nowhere. Thoughts?
Christie
Hey Christie, he’s probably got a boatload of other people that he is also talking to. I see you’ve also sent me an email so I’ll answer that in a moment. 🙂
Hi John, I was reading your comment from last year and wondering if you have had success with Sophies program??
Hi Joshua, Thank you for sharing your thoughts on Sophie Howards amazon sellers course. I attended a seminar here in Hobart a few weeks back and was interested but not ready to sign up there and then. I have been unable to get in touch with them since, can you point me in the right direction? Cheers Beth.
Hello Beth, thanks for your comment. It’s good that you took a step back and evaluated if Sophie’s course was right for you. The seminar was very likely put on by Jon Giann’s seminar company Knowledge Source, and you can call them on (03) 9490 8888. Likewise, you can email them or contact them through their Facebook page. Hope that helps!
Thanks Joshua, yes very helpful. I’ve since been doing even more research and have come across a guy called Adam who runs Reliable Education in QLD, he also seems fantastic and has a pretty slick operation. He seems much more experienced and his strategies are more main stream, with Sophie’s more niche… now I’m not so sure which one to go with…. What are your thoughts on Adam?
cheers Beth.
Hi Beth, I’ve done a direct comparison between Sophie’s course and Adam’s course since they are the top 2 best courses available for Australians, Kiwis and those in the UK. I’ve previously placed a link to that comparison already at the top and bottom of this review. Hope that helps!
Hi Beth, I was reading your comment from last year and wondering if you have had success with Sophies program??
Hi Joshua,
Great review and appreciate your intelligent thoughts and insight! Any recommendations for an Amazon FBA course in the U.S.??
Hi Dennis, thanks for your feedback. Yes, the course I highly recommend is this one: https://www.workwithjoshua.com/BestCourseUSA
I’ve just booked for their student conference in Vegas in June. This US course gets updated every 6 months unlike Sophie’s. So a real advantage there, especially in a fast-moving digital world.
The downside is for Australians…the initial cost is quite high, plus US-only conferences. But their team does offer some direct mentoring.
Hi Josh – I am in the US. Do you still recommend this course (link you have above) for the USA above Sophies course? I like sophies approach with private label and going for niche products. I think the cost for the course is extremely high however and I absolutely can’t stand her sales team. If there is better course for me in the US, I’d like to look into it and you seem to know what your doing. I am a self starter, am highly motivated and ready to move forward now but need to make sure i’m doing the best course possible. Can you offier your advice? thank you!
Yep, that’s definitely the best possible USA-based Amazon course. It’s more expensive but that’s made with the many success stories and premium content experience. If people buy that course at the price it’s offered, they’re even more serious than Sophie’s own students.
Sophie’s cost is on-par with value and there’s a lot of costs in there including constant marketing (those annoying Sophie Howard YouTube ads 😅), coaching, content production/improvement, staff/student support and the live events, so she and they (the company Knowledge Source) aren’t making that much on the backend.
As a great alternative to both, there is a free course option on one of the tabs here on my blog which is also very well-suited to the US and is the best-value course around. Note: I say best-value as in it’s cheap yet very good quality, but it isn’t the best in the world as it’s designed for the budget-conscious person.
thank you so much for this info. I’m at a loss as to what to do. would you say that people who take the more expensive courses have a better chance of launching a successful product? I really wish I could have a conversation with people who have taken each of these courses. I want to hit the ground running however $4K or higher is a lot of $ and leaves me with less working capital to launch products. Hummmm… any other thoughts?
People who take the most expensive courses generally just have a lot of starting capital. They don’t gasp at the price of a course and really want to hang around with action-takers. So that’s one part of why people are more successful within the more expensive Amazon courses…because they simply have dollars to invest and aren’t struggling. The other part is the content: When you’re paying so much, the course creator needs to deliver excellence otherwise new students will get shaky hands and refund a few days in.
Personally, I think it’s the tribe surrounding you that’s just as important as the course itself. I generally avoid the cheap Amazon courses for this reason as you do get some quite weird people, but the cheap courses do have a few minor success stories which is good to see. For the most part though, whether it’s a cheap or premium FBA course, the growth challenge still remains for new sellers. That’s the starting and ongoing capital required as FBA requires constant input.
And for that reason, if money is an issue, I’d probably just grab this good value offer: https://www.workwithjoshua.com/free-amazon-course/
Good value and enough for you to learn the ropes.
thank you for your help!! I think i’m going to go ahead & sign up for Sophies course b/c of the 8 hours of mentorship that they have now. I think that will go a long way.
You’re welcome Aimee, good choice! ✌️
Your review and people who comment seem like they are mainly from Australia, UK & New Zealand. How do people in the U.S. compare? The person we’ve been talking to that says he represents Sophie is in Australia. I /we watched her webinair lasting about 70 minutes or so and then asked to be contacted. This guy Yanni called us at a pre-determined time and are next call is coming to us in about 20 minutes. There seems to be a lot more to this than initially meets the eye. I want to know exactly what I’m tackling before spending $4000 on her “University”. I’m not sure I feel that way so far.
Hi John, thanks for your comment and great observation. Yes, Sophie’s course previously was most ideal for those in Australia and NZ, perhaps the UK too. Recently she has started live events in LA which is awesome. ASM is the best comparable course in the US, but often costs more $$$ and doesn’t really come with mentoring (it’s an upsell) so you’ll be on your own. I believe this is the same course Sophie actually took in the day, so you’ll be learning directly from the source. 👍
That said, some students on my blog have jumped directly into Amazing Selling Machine (ASM) given that it’s had over 30,000 students join in the last 7 years. The course content is being constantly updated and featuring literally thousands of experienced Amazon sellers sharing their experiences, instead of just a few in Sophie’s. But it’s a higher-level program and I would certainly NOT recommended for complete beginners.
Hi Joshua – Given the time difference between the US an Australia, are you saying that Sophie’s live events are not saved and able to view the following day? In other words, I like her approach to selling higher quality less competitive products vs mainstream products. Does ASM practice the same model?
Just trying to understand if I would be wasting my money if I purchased her product and I live in the US.
Hi Rusty, thanks for your question. Sophie’s live events aren’t streamed live or saved for later viewing. Some snippets of her live events are saved and available for viewing within the course. That said, ASM and RE follow the same path. It’s these live events that I value just as much as the courses themselves, and so I recommend choosing courses that have events in the country in which you live.
Joshua – Thanks for the clarity. What I have read from Sophie’s approach, it seems to be less mainstream product focused and spend time on quality product that is not easily copied. Would you agree that ASM and RE give the same type of training? Sophie made mentioned on more than one occasion that the “other” training was too focused on copying other products. That is not the business model I am trying to accomplish. Any incite would be appreciated. Thanks for all that you do!
Hi Rusty, all 3 courses teach students to be differentiated. Sophie teaches that “99% of other courses aren’t teaching this!!!” 🧐 But there isn’t 99 other courses on the marketplace, maybe 20 at best, and everyone wants to give the impression that theirs is better. That’s marketing. 😅
I actually recommend looking at competitive products – that’s where the money is. I want a faster return on my investment (the money I spend on the product) than say a niche which has a low amount of buyers. I’ve just spend $15,000 on a new product with massive competition, it’s that my new product completely breaks through the mainstream players who have been delivering average for years.
So you’ll still ‘copy’ with Sophie’s course, as you want to find competitors who have sales. You’ll then make a unique design and packaging offerings like all courses teach. Low existing competitors often (but not always) means low sales 😞 and you’ll struggle to build a profitable business through low sales volume.
Hi Joshua,
I just attended an into today from Knowledge Source in the Sunshine Coast the current price is $5445- I have signed up for $495- plus 10 payments of $495. You can get full refund in 7 days if you are not satisfied. It is very hard to establish credibility on the basis of one 90 minute presentation. But there is something about the model that seems a bit more down to earth and I have nothing to compare it with. I will qualify sellers when I get the opportunity but her delegate Mia was very likeable. We shall see.
Stephanie
Hi Stephanie, thanks so much for letting me know the current price on Sophie Howard’s Amazon course. The cost is certainly higher now and with a shorter refund policy than Reliable Education and most other courses. What was the upfront cost of the full course that you saw today without the payment plan? Pricing seems to be all over the place.
And you’re right! It’s hard to gauge credibility during a 90-minute presentation and it’s good to see many people here are doing their research as opposed to joining on the spot.
Hello. Sorry to be the elephant in the room here, but it seems like the folks on here leaving messages are decent and nice people, however it DOES pay, as Joshua says to do research. Be wary of dealing with Knowledge source and Jon Giann as a long time ago he had a bit of an issue with ASIC here in Australia.
Hello Steve 😮 great research! Thanks for bringing that to the attention of everyone here. While I had done my background checks on Sophie, I hadn’t done them on Jon Giann (he seemed like a nice guy…). Yes, there’s some ASIC references of him from a very long time ago. I think one mistake in 15 years due to an Options Trading course (highly risky strategy) back when he was starting Knowledge Source could probably be forgiven now.
Hi I just want to add some thoughts. I am currently doing my homework too. I would like to point out that no one who is successful in business hasn’t failed at some point so Giannopoulos certainly can be forgiven for that. However, I do have an issue with Sophie plugging to get a nibble, handballing to Giannopoulos who sets up the live gig by Mia, not Sophie and when you want to ask any questions before parting with money, suddenly everyone is incommunicado. Does not fill me with any faith.
Hi Athena, thanks for your comment. Yes I can agree – everyone makes mistakes at some point. His ASIC issue was from 15 years ago back when he was starting out. Customer service and communication from Knowledge Source isn’t their strong point, but it seems to be improving.
Thanks. Appreciated. We may need to talk. ☺️
Hi Joshua
My mum paid for this course and is trying to get a refund all he email address for customer support refuses to deliver and no one else is responding and she has no numbers to call, she feels scammed. The live call was recorded in June everything so far has been a farce can you please help.
Hi Jamie, I think the team has been off for the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. Please contact Knowledge Source (customersupport@knowledgesource.com.au) or (03) 9490 8888 on Monday and they will be able to process that 100% refund for you. It shouldn’t be an issue.
Sophie Howard seems like a nice person and I’m surprised she would align herself with knowledge source and Jon Giaan
Joshua,
Do u know whether Sophie Howard has a education program that doesn’t partner with Knowledge Source. As I too have researched as much as one can Knowledge Source and can confirm Steves comments but as you say they are minor. I have also researched Sophie Howard and as yet have found nothing negative. However, why would she firsty not check out Knowledge Source and why then would she enter into a marketing partnership. After all Sophie, according to my research, is highly educated and appears credible. She has MBA, worked for the NZ Government Foreign Affairs Dept. as well as a number of companies and has a number business awards.
I would therefore prefer dealing with her directly………..any thoughts on how this can be achieved ?
Do you know how long Sophie been involved with Amazon ?
How long she has been running an Amazon course ?
Why did she get involved with Knowledge Source ?
And how long she has been involved with Knowledge Source ?
Any assistance would greatly appreciated
Kind Regards
Gwyn
Hello Gwyn, thanks for your comment and questions. I did ask Sophie a very similar question a few months ago directly, yet there was no reply. Perhaps try her personal Facebook or Linked in profiles? From my best research, her course has been available to the public since early 2018. I can verify that she’s been a seller from at least 2016, and likely earlier.
I think she chose Knowledge Source as she had the choice between Jon or Stuart Zadel (Think and Grow Rich seminars) which really are the only 2 local seminar companies in Australia. Success Resources is international and might be too large for her. Stuart’s speaker line-up is probably full, whilst Jon primarily has just Sophie and Aaron/Nicole right now. I think James Dawson recently left and is going through Stuart now.
I’m sure Sophie’s been involved with Jon since Day 1, as it’s much easier to launch any course with someone with a seminar company and existing email list of people interested in wealth creation. Jon would receive something like 30% to 60% of the price you’re paying to Sophie.
That’s not all profit however, as there’s expensive costs such as hotel venue hire, staff, travel costs, marketing and other incidental expenses that come with running a company such as Knowledge Source. I imagine one day Sophie will be able to go solo and do her own in-house marketing, once the course gets some traction in the marketplace. Hope that helps!
Hi, I am very stressed as I read your blog. I have sent a request to Sophie on Linkedin, No reply or acceptance at yet. I have been dealing with Jianni and he works with Knowledge source. I have already committed, now not sure if this was legit…
Hi Maryke, sorry for creating the stress! Then again, I always keep things real, and lay down the facts. I can assure you that Sophie’s course is legit, and will teach you how effectively become an Amazon seller. It’s 1 of the 3 reputable Amazon courses in Australia, and I’ve got it ranked at #2.
I believe the course is legit yes, its just my payment….not sure if I am comfortable with paying money to knowledge source
Hi Joshua – sorry it’s me again. I’m still undecided about Sophie’s course and noticed today from her Facebook video that popped up on my Facebook feed showing a woman named Fiona (i think) sharing her success story due to Sophie’s course (you can probably check if it’s still on Sophie’s FB). She said joined the course in 2016. That is odd to me if you say her course has only been out in the public for the past two years? So are there fake success stories? Thanks for all your help.
Hi Sarah, I’ve turned off Facebook advertising using a plug-in called “Facebook ads blocker” -it’s free if you search that term on Google.
From my best up-to-date estimations Sophie started building her course in late 2016 and so Fiona is probably one of her first students. From there, she really just had a smaller community that wasn’t advertised at all online called Aspiring Entrepreneurs in 2017 (I noted some documents in her course say ©2017) and in late 2018 she partnered up with Knowledge Source to really build her community strong. Inside her Facebook group, there are two coaches called Fiona so I think this testimonial is maybe one of them.
I don’t think there are fake success stories and starting in 2016 to finally getting success in 2020 is reasonable, provided you have the capital and ambition to keep pushing through.
She only worked for MFAT for 15 months or so, and at one time lived in Island Bay Wellington.
Hello Joshua, I live In Canada any recommendation for a course? Thanks for you posts here very informative
Hey William! Thanks for your comment and question. I haven’t yet come across a Canada-specific Amazon course and will update when I do. Amazing Selling Machine is probably the closest there is at the moment, but Sophie’s course is cheaper and includes a ticket to her workshop in the US.
Thanks, I was reading their disclaimer These member’s results may not be typical. ASM members joining between 2013-2016 who completed the program and launched a new brand had median annual revenue of $60,750.00. Some consumers may make little or no profit”
Is it still possible to start in 2019 and make money, seems like the opportunity is lost now…any thoughts
It takes time to actually get started on Amazon, and ASM has used a 4-year window. Those who started ASM in 2018 are likely not yet to be live, as their products are in production. Some who joined in 2017 are still in the research stage. Hence why they won’t increase more recent years right now, but will in the future. The speed at which students become live on Amazon varies massively, based on their capital, willingness to work hard, their spare time and a few other factors.
The opportunity to start selling on Amazon is easier now than it was 5 years ago in my opinion, as the quality of training has increased, buyer demand has increased, and Amazon has become tougher on rouge sellers and actually want us independent sellers to succeed. I really do praise ASM that members who joined as a student and actually went live, on average, had an annual revenue of $60,000+ USD per year. Quite impressive!
Hum…So if you sign up now it will take more that a year to go live and get revenue? Thanks for all your great information. I really want to try this, so I am researching it a lot to make sure I fully understand what I am getting into
Hi again William, you could go live sooner, even within a few months of joining and start earning revenue. Depends on your motivation, capital and other factors.
On average, students do take a while to go through the course, look at products, order samples, negotiate with suppliers, and do all the other steps required to get a product to the Amazon marketplace. When you finally start making revenue, you don’t want to live on those profits. You want to reinvest that for a while.
I always recommend 2 to 3 years MINIMUM before you can transition away from your current job or business. It could be 5 years or more. I want people to have realistic expectations of becoming Amazon sellers.
Thanks Joshua…I totally get it now. I saw a good advertisement from amazing selling machines ( it popped on yesterday on YouTube) where they explained the process. I can see why you say their course is a good one. Going to short list a few, if you have any others you recommend to check out let me know. Would probably check out 3 and make a decision, and also factor in any recommendations you may have as well
One more question for someone living in Canada would you recommend Reliable Education or amazing selling machines. I saw your ranking or courses…amazing job!
Hi again William. I’m not sure I could recommend one over the other for someone living in Canada. Amazing Selling Machine has an annual event in Vegas (which I’ll attend in June), where as Reliable Education usually has twice-yearly events in Australia.
The cost for you to fly to Vegas is much cheaper, yet the upfront course cost for RE is less than ASM. The location of the events is an important consideration, as the conferences are HUGELY beneficial for growth as an Amazon seller. There is however 10x more Canadians in ASM than there is in RE. The content in each course is A-grade. Probably more Canadians in Sophie’s than in Adam’s too.
Thanks, I will use your link to which one I choose. Yes RE is half the cost so possibly I can save there and we have friends in Australia so maybe we cross Australia off out bucket list :). The other consideration is ASM only has 2 enrollments a year and we do not know when the next one is. If I do wait for ASM in the interim what would you recommend, to at least start getting knowledge and research products so I have a sort of head start (ASM has a free live webinar on the 25th maybe there will be an announcement of an enrollment time period then),…thanks again William…
P.S. I really hope it is still a good investment in 2019 and the ship has not sailed so to speak. I am buying the two books that RE recommended The DIP and The One Thing
Great! I have semi-confirmation recently from ASM’s team that they’re opening up again in April. They’ve opened every April through the last 3 years, so it’s almost guaranteed. Perhaps I’ll catch you at their annual sellers conference in Vegas that has 3,000+ students! 🙂 Set some realistic goals for the future, and consider the type of person who you want to serve with a product. I’m continuing to build more content on my blog too, and naturally use the PDF guide here for research in the interim too.
Awesome!. I guess I will have a better idea after I attend their webinar on Monday. I really like how honest Adam is…. hope ASM is equally good in that department. I will soon find out. Tough decision! So you have done both I guess since you attend both conferences!
Hi Joshua. I joined Sophie’s course after watching Mia Munro, but unfortunately jumped in rather than hanging back and doing more research. I had been tossing up between Sophie’s and Adam Hudson’s course. I signed on the dotted line to pay $495 per month for 10 months with a $495 fee up front, which I paid. I realised after going through some of the units, watching the videos, after about 11 days, oh my god, this is so not for me. It’s certainly so much harder than I was led to believe in the presentation, and I don’t have the wherewithal to do this. I contacted the company to ask if I can cancel my contract but no one has replied to me, despite me contacting them several times explaining my situation. Do you think I have a change of cancelling my contract or do you think they will make me pay the full amount? A hard question perhaps, but I’m interested in your opinion. Many thanks. Carolyn
Hi Carolyn, thanks for leaving your comments and your experiences with Sophie’s course. Unfortunately with the Blue Sky Amazon course, there’s only a 7 day money-back guarantee. With Reliable Education it’s 30 days, same with some of the Amazon courses in the USA too.
With Adam, despite being a more in-depth course, you can pretty well complete the entire course in that time frame. I think you’ve got a slim chance of cancelling the contract with Sophie unfortunately.Just being realistic here, and you may wish to reference back to the contract that you signed. Definitely a hard place to be in I know.
Selling on Amazon isn’t so easy, especially as I’ve covered here but there’s some excellent income potential for those committed to work. There are many steps to go through, and it’s good that you invested in a course. Sophie is a great teacher and is the 2nd best Amazon teacher in Australia that I know of.
If Knowledge Source doesn’t reply, or if they don’t offer the chance to cancel future payments, then here’s what to do. Go through her entire course. Then go through it again. The 2nd time will be easier. ✌️ Keep repeating several times the lessons and concepts that you find are challenging. Ask for more clarification in her Facebook group on particular topics. Then you might start to find this journey easier.
You might just be in a state of overwhelm right now, as there’s a lot of content to take in. It might appear hard, but it really isn’t that hard, if you can just get past the hurdle. Then you can get into the fun part of product research, samples, placing your order and eventually becoming a live Amazon seller. Definitely I would attend Sophie’s next student-only conference too (waiting for the dates to be released). It’ll be an excellent learning experience.
Joshua, thank you so much for your in depth reply and comments, which I do so appreciate. I’m sure you’re right about going over and over this until I get it. I do feel there is some level of misrepresentation here, to be truthful. Only an hour a day, it’s so easy, anyone can do it, etc. etc. I’m a bit miffed that it has been presented in this way!
Thanks Carolyn, and you’re welcome. It’s only recently that I’ve created a full-length comparison of Adam’s course against Sophie’s course, and I’m personally a bit miffed that I didn’t do so earlier. It really helps students paint the right picture as to what they are actually getting, especially through my realistic perspective.
It’s not easy, as I’ve said on here many times, but I can say that I work 7 to 10 hours per week on my Amazon business. That is all the steps – from concept, calculations, samples, ordering, photography, being live, keywords, ranking and continuous expansion.
An hour a day, as quoted by Mia, is actually somewhat accurate. Some days more, some days less. I wish I could do more, but I still run a range of websites (outside of my blog) that demand my time, energy and resources right now.
You’re learning something new, with some foreign ideas and concepts. Don’t give up here, even though you definitely feel some buyers remorse with Sophie and Mia and their presentations. It’s a course with some technical lessons that I’m sure you’ll overcome in time.
And yes – there’s a distinct difficulty in going for products that have low competition. The other sellers have probably figured out that there’s not many buyers there. So you’ll be stuck with products that are slow sellers, and get charged Amazon storage fees in the process. That’s why I like to go for products in the mid to high competition playing fields and deliver a better quality product to the market. This way I know I’ll be on to a winner from Day 1.
Thank Joshua. I appreciate your perspective.
Joshua, one more question. Do you know why John Giann has been in trouble with ASIC?
Hello again Carolyn, good question. There’s some references to him on the ASIC website. I don’t want to provide details here, as I don’t know the inside story on his minor issues from many years ago.
This is the 1st time that I’ve heard of Philip’s course. From the first few minutes after covering lots of Amazon teachers, I can tell you that he’s very humble and genuine. Seems very legit. I think you’ll find his course to be very good especially as you’re in Canada, and it appears to have some excellent feedback. I think you’ll do well with his course, paired with another course that has the community and fun element. Philip doesn’t look as lively, fun and engaging as the rest, despite having real Amazon seller content. 🙂 I was honestly falling asleep a little there.
If we use your referral link, will we get the 6 bonuses that are advertised on the RE webpage…it expires in 13 hrs?
Hello again William. YES – All RE bonuses (including the 6 on offer right now) are provided to you if you use my link. That is – mine are still included, and RE’s bonuses are still included.
Thanks for your feedback again Carolyn, so good to see people doing their research!
😬 I hope you can get a refund on this one! But if not, as I suggested previously, just work through the modules and training. Some of it is foreign and challenging I know, but will start to make sense.
Hey Joshua. It’s been great reading your comments and those of your online “community” of like minded interested persons
Thanks for the reality check regards time money and effort required to make selling on Amazon a reality.
I was wondering if you could advise someone like myself who has little cash in hand (at the moment) but still very determined to start a financial savings plan over the next 12 months with a view to joining up with either Sophie or Adam this time next year… what should I do now, what educational courses can I do, that will help me to learn more about this business in the meantime?
Thanks. Walt
Hi there Walt, thanks for your comment. Great to hear that you’re committed to getting started while understanding that it’s going to require some capital to at least make a proper start.
Easily the best offer out there for education to start today and learn more is this one right here: https://www.workwithjoshua.com/free-amazon-course
In other words, it’s a completely free Amazon course. 😃 The catch – gotta pay for a monthly software subscription and it’s for the exact same tool that Sophie uses for her product research.
Check out the link for more details.
Does sophie’s course include just the limited free Helium 10 subscription I assume? It looks like we will need at least the Platinum subscription if we plan to stick with Amazon selling beyond 30 days and that will cost an additional $97/mo on top of any course cost. Is that correct? Just trying to figure out overall budget. THX!
Sophie’s course doesn’t include any software so you’ll have to pay extra for that. That’s the case with all courses on the market though.
If you choose Sophie then you can start with the lowest software plan initially just to learn the ropes. Helium 10 has a 30-day trial so some people just use it for a few weeks initially and intensely while they have time during the lockdown. Really, you only need software for product research and afterwards, you can cancel it until you’re in stock and selling where you’ll then use it for scaling everything up (Listing optimization, PPC campaigns, further product launching etc)
Thanks again Carolyn, it seems that many complaints are against Dymphna Boholt. I think Sophie is very genuine, though as you say, doing her course and selling on Amazon seems easy. Which it isn’t.
Hi Joshua used your link to sign up with RE. Just going through the opening welcome videos…pretty late here In Canada will finish the remaining 4 getting started video’s tomorrow morning.
Thanks,
William
Hey again William! Surprised you didn’t go with Sophie but thanks so much for using my link for RE, and for emailing me afterwards. I’ve sent those bonuses to you. Hope to be of help to you in the journey ahead. 🙂
Hi! Joshua, can I have RE link? I am in Canada, and I would like to take that course through your link.
Hi there! Sure – http://www.workwithjoshua.com/ReliableEducationJoshua and many thanks 😊
Hi Joshua,
I attended Sophies webinar and been approached to undertake the course. Thank you for your time and trouble with this post. I will look into the other two courses you recommend. Regards Lin.
Hi Lyn, thanks so much for your feedback. I hope you find the best Amazon course that suits you. Be sure to use the FREE Amazon guides in the navigation bar at the top as well, dozens of people have found them quite helpful.
Hi Joshua, We had a call with a Knowledge Source representative here in the States and after looking into things more decided to proceed with signing up for Sophie Howard’s course. It was quoted verbally at $4k broken out over 4 smaller payments or $3k in one lump. When we asked some questions and also for a contract, what we received was poor answers to our questions and a very VERY vague agreement to sign up. I wrote back asking for a contract outlining the full details of what we were paying for – (the price, that it was with Sophie and her coaches, duration, frequency of educational videos and live broadcasts, the Facebook group membership, and any other details) – I would never sign a paper and submit my credit card to a vendor with a lack of details like they sent! We are not buying a pair of shoes. This is a pivotal life changing decision and an expensive one that should feel right in every way. They replied that this was their only paperwork and referred us to the Aspiring Entrepreneurs site to know what we are buying. I am so disappointed but we feel this is a huge red flag and will not be moving forward with this. It is troubling to me that Sophie would align herself with Knowledge Source and that others are falling for this poor business practice. We are going to have to look for another mentor and will review your other options you’ve reviewed. Thanks for your insight!
Hi Alicia, thanks for sharing your experiences about Knowledge Source and Sophie Howard. The price for the course seems to be all over the place. $4,000 USD x 4 payments is approximately $5,600 AUD. I can totally understand your desire for a proper contract, the frustration you have and your decision to decline the course.
Sophie is certainly much better as a person, but Knowledge Source is letting her down. Their hard phone sales techniques through “coaches” is redirecting a lot of people to my blog. The Blue Sky Amazon course is the only one on the market which uses a 3rd party marketing agency and sales team. I hope this is short-lived, so that Sophie can offer her great course at a cheaper price to everyone who wants to learn how to sell on Amazon.
Hi Joshua, I live in NZ and was also interested in the Blue Sky Amazon course last week 1 April 2020, after watching a webinar by Sophie on the benefits of Amazon selling. I indicated my interest in the course and was notified I would receive a phone call and questions could be answered at that time. On receiving the phone call I was told by Sophie’s caller that she wasn’t interested in hearing or answering any questions and that she had 1000’s of other people just waiting to sign up to the course, I was wasting her time. I pointed out to her that if I was a teacher I would be required to meet certain KPI’s Key Performance Indicators and if she wasn’t prepared to hear and answer my simple questions, how could I establish what the course was offering me, the financial benefit of handing over $3500 dollars. I thought to myself that if this is how you treat a person simply wanting to ask a few questions before signing up, how do you treat them once you’ve got their money. Seems as though by Alicia’s comments she also had the same issue when trying to obtain more information. Does not bode well. Anita
Hey Anita, sorry to hear but uncommon either. Unfortunately, one part of their business that should really improve as it’s a bad upfront experience. Luckily, it’s a bit better on the inside.
I believe everyone has the right to ask the right questions and hope you get value from my blog here and my responses in the comments. I know dozens have still enrolled in Sophie’s course and are enjoying the journey.
As there are 6,000+ Sophie Howard students now and counting, the person you spoke with had some truth in terms of having others to sign up. But then I wonder if they actually joined with these bad vibes?
Hi Alicia. As someone who signed up to Sophie’s course after attending a Knowledge Source presentation in my local area, I can only say make sure you know exactly what you are signing up for. It’s presented as, anyone can do it, only an hour a day, etc. etc. but in reality it really isn’t any of these things. Personally, I think that Adam Hudson’s course is significantly cheaper and offers more in all sorts of ways. I am doing neither now, and had to back peddle very hard to remove myself from the ‘contract’. Only out of sheer luck and persistence did I achieve this. Joshua’s reviews of both courses were very helpful, and I wish I had come across his blog before signing up with Sophie Howard’s course. Nothing is ever as easy as it is made out to be, there are no free lunches, and so on and so forth. I hope Joshua doesn’t mind me posting this opinion.
Hi Carolyn, no problem at all. I’m always an advocate of consistent hard work to attain results. Amazon is no different, though it just has many more upsides than traditional business.
I recall we were discussing how to get a refund on Sophie’s course last month after multiple unsuccessful attempts to contact Knowledge Source. I’m glad to hear that it finally worked out for you!
Hi Carolyn, I’m glad you were able to get a refund but sorry you had to go through a few hurdles! Thanks for the advice. We are deciding to look at other courses instead after our experience.
Joshua – I agree – it seemed like Sophie was such a good person but the experience with Knowledge Source wasn’t. Hopefully she can remove herself from that relationship because it is inadvertently giving her a bad name and I believe what you say is true that she is a good mentor. It’s really too bad.
Hi Joshua
I have been searching for ways to get into online businesses for a bit now after listening to the 4 hour work week 3 times now and have had a bit of trouble finding information I can trust as I can be a tad skeptical. I came across Sophie’s course just recently and it took a bit of searching as there is a flood of get money quick courses online at the moment. Basically it came up because I am also from New Zealand and was specifically searching for NZ related information because most other courses were hard to relate to being mostly US based. I took a call from them today and they seem pretty eager to get me signed up right there and then but I had to fend them off as its not the kind of money one just has laying around so i decided to sit down and did more and this comes up, I like the way you have given another perspective on it as it can be easy for people to just fall for the dazzle of it all and the testimonials. My wondering is from your perspective for someone like myself a self employed tradesman with a stay at home partner and 3 little kids just looking to one day replace the daily grind with something a bit more flexible and not really just “get rich” do you think this particular one my be worth the investment. Your page is very good and I will be having a good look through everything as I have been trying to obtain as much information as possible before taking the plunge.
Hi Brad, thanks for your excellent comment, I think a lot of people reading can relate. I went searching for an Amazon FBA course a few years ago, and I just didn’t like the US courses. Can definitely understand where you’re coming from. ✌️ This is likewise after reading the 4 Hour Work Week back in 2012.
In regards to your situation – selling on Amazon in my opinion is the best opportunity right now, particular for an average person to build a real online business. As outlined, there’s both a capital requirement, and a time requirement. Plus work, but being a tradie you’d have some decent work ethic already. There’s dozens of tradesmen in Australia and NZ who are learning the process or selling on Amazon part time at the moment.
It’s not a case of if this strategy works. There’s tens of thousands of successful Amazon sellers are making either a part time or full time income, myself included. Your particular hurdle Brad is probably the time. You start work early, and both your afternoon and weekends are loaded with family life. You need to find that 7 to 10 hours per week somehow to build an Amazon business. The next one being capital of at least $5,000 on top of the course cost. You seem to have the mindset to get through the process.
Hope that helps! Currently writing this from the Canton Fair in China Phase 1. Just about every possible product you’d find on the shelves at Bunnings is here. Maybe a good starting point for you, given your background on the tools.
Thank you for this review. I was put off this course by the personal call after watching the prerecorded webinar. I don’t want to commit to the course without more information
To pay $5500 for this course, Sophie Howard needs to differentiate herself from the rest. What is special about her course? Her own success is not enough. Was it luck she has done so well or did she have deep pockets when the cashflow issues began to bite?
It is worth noting that you are completely right in saying you need more than $300 to start ( that is what Sophie Howard started on); In fact if you are not prepared to commit $10000
then dont even think about it. It will help if you understand social media, have a decent following, be organised and able to commit
Regards David Jacobs
Hey David, thanks for your feedback. Yes numerous people here have left comments or contacted me about the hard sells. Other courses don’t use this hard-sell approach, which is really good and allows the person to make a personal decision for themselves to get on board.
I generally don’t defend any program creator but “Her own success is not enough” isn’t something I agree with. Someone who scored an early retirement through a 7 figure exit and who has a panel of mentors is someone who I’d want to learn from, as opposed to the college kid with his course and lack of business experience.
Sophie Howard has launched over 500 products on Amazon, probably close to 1,000 now. I see Amazon products as like investment properties. 500 investment properties is an accounting nightmare. I’d rather an easier business to manage with just a few well-performing products to keep tabs on. So I think Sophie’s course is special in that you’ll discover how to launch lots and lots of products, unlike everyone else who suggest the simple approach.
I’m not sure how Sophie got started with just $300, though I’m seriously impressed! After some early success she did work as a consultant to brand owners who weren’t yet on Amazon, which is a great strategy in her course. She charged 4x $1,500 per month to help them manage their Amazon listings, SEO rankings and PPC campaigns and later instigated the profit-share model. This is a good beginner-strategy to bring in more cashflow.
Hi Josh,
In regards to your answer to Rusty I really appreciate that info about higher selling items. I think that as a newbie it would probably be good to start with the lower selling products to get your foot in the door and earn a little cash with little cash upfront and this technique will allow you to be number one-three on the Amazon search for your product. Getting your feet wet with Amazon so when you do have the higher volume selling items you will have reviews built up from your prior sales. Does this sound about right?
Hi Kathleen, thanks for your comment. I understand that newbies always want to start with lower priced items as a learning process. Though with all the effort that goes towards launching that 1st product, it’s wise to actually try and make that one a winning product too.
The technique you propose won’t guarantee being at the top of the search results on Amazon. If anything, there’s so much competition for cheap products, that many other sellers will out rank you anyway. It’s a competitive market down there.
Also, using the strategy simply to get some seller reviews provides very little effective value. I understand that when buying on eBay, we always look at feedback scores. On Amazon USA, it’s a different story all together. Most customers literally think it’s Amazon themselves selling the product, and aren’t likely to look into the FBA seller (us) and individual seller feedback. Even when they do, generating sales with no prior feedback is quite easy as people know, like and trust Amazon already.
But as for a learning process, it’s certainly a free education on the entire process. I appreciate that you shared it here. Through this you’ll be much much more confident the 2nd time around. Waking up to that 1st sale overnight is incredible (even for me 2 years on with multiple daily sales) and becomes addictive too. AliExpress is a good starting point for those considering this technique where MOQs are minimal.
Hi Joshua, I saw an advertisement for her book at the special price of $4.95. I paid and haven’t seen anything in my inbox since. They have plenty of negative comments from others who have not received theirs either ( but there on top of it because they just delete the negative comments, which actually leaves nothing more). To me they are just trying to make as much money of peoples naivety whilst they can. Thanks for your review I found it informative and I notice you also answer people questions. Sophie Howard’s lot don’t reply they just delete. Neil
Hi Neil, thanks for sharing your experiences. I think the book is going to some people’s junk mail folder and I think the Knowledge Source team is looking to text everyone the link too to avoid confusion.
When you bought the book, the money gets taken immediately but you have to click through 4/5 pages of sales videos where they are trying to upsell various parts of the course etc. Only once you have clicked through all of them will you get a banner at the top saying “Order Complete” – sounds like you may have just closed the window after purchasing? Not sure how you would go about getting the book from there.
Sowiie Howard blue sky is a scam. Some with the name Brent called and took some money but never sent details of course or whatsoever. DO NOT BE DECEIVED
Hello Ola, thanks for sharing your experiences. I don’t know who Brent is and I don’t believe the course or Sophie Howard to be a scam at all. It’s a great quality Amazon course for beginners but does need some improvement in the content, and especially its marketing team. It comes with complimentary coaching which is helpful for beginners because otherwise, it can be a lonely journey.
Maybe you’re just thinking of her eBook? You’ll probably find it in your junk mail folder.
Hi Joshua, got an email last night from the Sophie Howard site. Jon Gaian ( director) who said it was him up front left right and center to quote him. He said he didn’t know anything about securities investigation as per the link one of your other comment people put in, so I sent it back to him and haven’t heard anything since. I did click on his profile and was able to get a look at some of the comments he has been work colleagues and or friends and there was nothing about helping clients just closure rates of between 5% and 27% on a good day. That is all it’s about. Just closing rates. Sophie sounds like the real deal but she needs to align herself with an organisation or company that realises that the course and Sophie sell themselves on there own merits.
Hi Neil, thanks for your comments again for everyone looking into the course. Sorry I am a little confused here – do you mean nothing about helping clients, as in not helping Sophie’s students? And closing rates in relation to how many students they’re getting signed up from the phone sales calls?
Yes I would agree that Sophie is definitely the real deal, and her course is improving but should also come down in price. I’d also agree that she doesn’t need high pressure sales teams. She’s the only one in Australia that has this strategy in place.
I did speak with someone recently that said Jon did indeed get in trouble years ago regarding some online trading courses (no details), but has been all fine in recent years. Personally I do feel Jon is genuinely a good guy, his marketing strategy is a bit too aggressive though.
Hi,I had a planned call today from Jacob.I was told he was part of Sophies team.From these comments I guess it was Knowledge Source.I was asked for 2995 USD for Sophies course.The comments on here have made me take a step back and do more research.Sophie looks genuine ,but until these reviews I was not aware of this other outfit.I live in the UK and realy surprised no one is doing training here.He did mention a seminar in Bristol in June ? I did manage to get Sophies book sent which seems a rare event from these comments.All in all its a shame.
Joshua who would you recommend in the UK?
Hi John, thanks for relaying your personal experiences. A different price again for the course, but glad to hear you’ve at least received the book.
I haven’t heard details about the upcoming seminar in Bristol, but hopefully is a student training workshop instead of an evening to talk about & sell the course. At this stage, I haven’t found anyone beyond Sophie’s level in the UK. Whilst they don’t run events often, these guys are a reasonably good alternative: http://www.workwithjoshua.com/affordableamazoncourse
Sophie just offers more than them though. Live events, networking, coaching, webinars and more. She’s one of the very few that also got an early retirement with a 7 figure exit.
Thanks very much Joshua.
I think Sophie has what I want,but I am now reluctant to go through Knowledge Source.
Is there any way you know how I can reach Sophie direct?
The “Jetstream” book is mainly a marketing tool,with no in depth training.Just basics,reviews and a link to a webinar.So not much use to start a business.
I am a newbie to this so any help would be appreciated.
Hello again John, yes I noticed that with her book. Adam’s book has a little more content to use (it’s available on Amazon), but again it is mostly a marketing tool. It’s what some of these Amazon course teachers use to bring students into their respective communities.
So far numerous prospective students have tried without any success to reach Sophie directly without the middle man, which is really unfortunate. In Sophie’s case, she does have a young family and understandably needs to place them #1, hence why her marketing, sales and student support is managed externally. If she could find a way to manage it herself, then I imagine she would do a much better job.
Hey John, yes Sophie certainly has a small team, all of which sell on Amazon at various stages of their journey. 6 coaching calls is unique in this industry, and if you think you’ll need someone helping you through over the phone, then this is the course for you.
Yeah pretty sure Jacob’s associated with Knowledge Source, not with Sophie herself.
Hi Joshua, I went to a Sophie Howard “Blue-Sky” presentation last night and was impressed by the talk apart from a few wee things. I was asked to pay $3490.00 right there and then or pay a deposit of $749.00 and then 5 x monthly payments of $749.00. I didn’t as I wanted to do some research first and so pleased I came across your blog! I have read your review and read every comment left by you and your followers which has given me so much information so a massive thank you to everyone. I am expecting a phone call from Knowledge Source on Monday which I will go through with to gather even more info. I believe in Sophie Howard but I am doubting Knowledge Source. The one thing I didn’t like about the presentation last night was the whole raising your hand and saying Yes to everything which made people subconsciously comply to what they were selling. I know this is a selling technic but to me was a bit off putting! Definitely doing my research so thank you for your upfront and honest blog!
Thanks Angela for your comments and for sharing yet another different price for the course. Actually, $3,490 seems to be the cheapest that I’ve seen Blue Sky Amazon now. I feel sorry for everyone else that had to pay more previously for the same course. Yes, I’ve been to enough wealth creation seminars over the years to understand exactly how and why presentations are structured the way they are.
Interesting – sale of $3490 on 30th May, yet at my seminar on 21st June the price was a whole $500 more expensive, at $3990.
I signed up but I am doing thorough research and may get my refund. It gets my back up a lot that the price has just gone up before I purchased; and within the same marketing tour. I would understand if it inflated slightly from season to season, perhaps as more content was added, but Angela’s presentation that she attended is clearly part of the same tour and they’ve just raised the price 🙁
Thank you for your blog Joshua, I’ve just come across it but it’s invaluable to me. Thanks for your time!
Hi Emma, thanks for your question. Yes, the pricing is all over the place. Almost every other course just runs at one standard price to avoid confusion and reduce student friction. Hopefully they fix up this overcharging issue as well, as my blog has been influential in fixing up past issues. I appreciate the feedback about my Amazon content here too – thank you. 🙂
Yes, I will definitely be hanging fire on this, and doing more research.
Different prices and I was told 6 x 1 to 1 sessions, lifetime mentoring by Sophie and weekly calls.
Hopefully Sophie gets some of this feedback and changes things.
I am sure I will be back Joshua.
Thanks very much.
You’re welcome John! Glad to have helped. Some good changes have come in recent months due to feedback here, but still a fair way to go.
Hi Neil, thanks for your comment. I hear you! As per Facebook comments on Sophie’s page, dozens upon dozens have purchased her book and didn’t receive anything at all. Those buyers were mostly ignored for a while too, or told to check their junk mail. Some apparently still didn’t receive anything.
Sophie’s course is new and her focus should be on building (and repairing) her reputation right now, especially on Facebook where she rates at only 2.4 stars currently. The course is still good however, has some credibility within her community, and she has spoken at leading industry conventions such as Global Sources Direct.
Joshua,What is your FB page called.I have tried the obvious and the FB link on this page goes to your personal one dated 2017
Hi John, I don’t run a FB page or any social media for my blog, though I do for one of my Amazon brands. My FB, just like my Instagram, is just my personal one for close friends and family, and I hardly use it nowadays.
Hi Joshua,I think you said there is no one in the UK doing training courses? Do Amazon do any themselves?
Hi John, there’s probably some UK Amazon workshops, but no one as good as the Amazon teachers mentioned on this blog. Sophie is one of the best. Amazon does have some training videos on their website, but they’re very much average and they don’t teach you the step by step approach, nor do they help with understanding how to find products. It is Amazon’s own lack of training or community for sellers that has caused this boom in Amazon training courses around the world.
Thanks again Joshua,I have found some in the UK,so I will do more research.
But sophie seems to have decent training. So good on you for the blog and helping people see what teh course is like.
I don’t quite get the different training methods.Surely selling on Amazon is selling on Amazon ?Could you briefly explain the different methods please.
Hey John, yes Sophie does have some great Amazon training indeed, and dozens of people in the UK have joined.
Everyone wants to pitch a ‘unique way of selling on Amazon’ 😅 but really there’s 2 predominant strategies – the margin model and the volume model. The margin model means you sell less items, but you go for 30% to 50% margins. The volume model means you sell much more everyday, but at slim margins as low as 10%.
You can also go wide and launch hundreds of products, which hard to keep track of. Alternatively you can go deep and just launch a few great products, and focus upon making them the best available on Amazon.
In past years, Amazon was a game of organic keywords and SEO. That is until Amazon launched their own paid ads system. Today PPC is necessary in most cases, and if you’re in the volume model, then there isn’t much profit left to spend on PPC ads to get traction in the marketplace.
Hope that helps!
Hi Joshua,
great blog.
‘ the margin model and the volume model’ have you tried both and in your opinion which is better / and why?
Thanks
Henry
Hi Henry, thanks for the feedback. I’ve done the margin model and now I’ve just started the volume model so I can’t really say just yet which is better. Should know in a few months. I do think I can compound my capital faster with Sophie’s strategy after going through all the course content, so I’m pushing down this pathway going forward.
Thank you.So what does Sophie come under.I think you said she has 1000 products? Also what do the other guys teach,both or just one strategy?
Sophie’s more into the go wide strategy, and a volume based model. It’s a model that works. This is good as you’ll get your money back faster (through product sales) though with smaller margins too. Always a trade off, no matter which strategy you go with. The margin and go deep model requires a larger capital base to begin. As I like to go into competitive products, I need larger margins to allow for PPC expenses.
wow Joshua, thank you. I have recently been the victim of fraud where I lost the amount of £140,000 and I am finding it hard to trust anyone. I have recently lost my job as well and feel at a dead end. So I will probably buy your guide books and hope my spell of bad luck ends and I will be able to find a cheaper or free course with your help, Reliable Education or Sophie’s. Somewhat I feel if something is too good to be true it probably is.
Hey Pretty, thank you so much for the feedback and sorry to hear about your fraud situation and financial losses. At this time it’s probably best not to invest into anything if you have a sense of scepticism into Amazon, especially as it takes more capital and 2 to 3 years to really build to a full-time income. All businesses come with risk. I think it’s best to take some time to relax and move past this bad experience before starting another journey.
Sure, there are some cheaper courses out there, but the more you pay the better you get generally. Course quality, support and community are all stronger with Sophie and Adam’s courses. My guide books are of little use without purchasing a course, and I bundle them up as a bonus for students.
A very newbie question but do any of these courses or yourself recommend selling on amazon Australia or is that not really going anywhere yet and is amazon US best for Australian sellers?
Hi Gulliver! All comments are welcome here. You’re right, Amazon Australia isn’t going anywhere yet. I mean, it has certainly grown, but will never be like Amazon US which is around 100x bigger (not exaggerating). Always best to start on Amazon US and the process is the same.
Interesting! I just started Sophie’s course and the first thing I picked up on is that the model is based on starting in the US marketplace. Up until now I had been convinced that if you are a newbie seller you should start in your domestic market and then scale out. I’m confused now as to what the best strategy is because I believe now is the best time to get started in Oz? Your comments appreciated
Hi Gary, where you are located has little to do with where you sell. After all, you won’t see your products or customers anyway. I’ve sold thousands of units on Amazon USA and won’t touch Amazon Australia yet. The goal of many people is to generate sales and make profits as fast as possible. This is why 99.9% of people start on the US marketplace, since your business growth will be too slow on Amazon Australia.
Thanks Josh, some good insight from you and just goes to show the value in comparing different courses before jumping in blindly! Personally I would still like to make a start on AMZ.au so that when it takes off I have my ducks in a row. I might split my inventory 80/20 in USA favour and see how it goes providing I can do it cost effectively. Presumably it should be easy enough to copy your listing from the.com to .au platforms?
Yep good idea with the inventory split. Keen to know how many units you’ll sell compared to the US. The best I’ve seen across multiple Amazon communities is 1 in 50 ratio, but perhaps once you go live, this might be closer to 1 in 30. Amazon Australia is having a very slow take off.
Pretty easy to copy the data from your USA listing on to the Australian platform. No more than 30 minutes.
Hi,
Please help me, I have recently brought this book from a commercial on you tube, I have no idea at all how to get it! Do I down load it and if so how? Do I wait for a copy to come through the post? I have a email invoice but nothing else. I’m in the uk
, don’t know if that makes a difference?
Thanks Krissy
Hi Krissy, this appears to be a common problem…people purchasing the Amazon Jetstream Income book and receiving nothing. You may want to check your junk mail folder within the email address you used to purchase the eBook.
Hi Joshua,
I live in the UK and have been thinking about doing Sophie’s course but decided I needed to do some research first rather than simply diving in! That’s when I stumbled across your site and your very honest and in depth reviews, a breath of fresh air I must admit!
I was just wondering if you have heard of a course in the UK by a Laurence Britten called AMZHeroes and if so have you managed to review it?
Many thanks!
John.
Hi John, thanks so much for the feedback! I’ve never heard of the AMZHeroes course before, and after a quick look on Google, the content appears minimal, likely having very few students and zero reviews anywhere.
Hi Joshua,
Many thanks for getting back to me regarding AMZHeroes.
I am currently watching the 4 part Beginner friendly videos from Reliable Education, have watched the first 3 and am eagerly awaiting No.4!!! Whilst waiting I am making my way through the fantastic guides on your website, very informative indeed.
Keep up the great work and thank you once again for your invaluable help!
John.
Thanks so much John! Appreciate the feedback.
I went to one of the information evenings. They mentioned that once you buy the package you will get a personal coach. I am really wondering who is in the team of personal coaches? What is their reputation etc.
During that evening you could buy the “special offer” which includes 5 coaching calls(valued at 500 dollar). However, how much will an additional coach call cost?
Hi Elliot, thanks so much for your question. I think this one would be best served by Knowledge Source.
Hi Joshua, Thank you for this fantastic blog, I found its very helpful . Ive recently signed up with Bly Sky Amazon course, did some research about this and Reliable Income course. Look like Adam Hudson is targeting higher end market and Sophie is doing low-middle range market. Wondering if you think its worth it if after Ive done Sophie’s course, I should sign up to Adam Hudson’s as there are some thing I could learn that Sophie one hasn’t cover as they have different approaches to Amazon market. My plan is starting to go with medium price range products, once I know the market better I could start invest in higher end products. Or should I just choose one and its enough ?
Thank you and hope you could keep it up with this great blog.
Hang
Hey Hang, thanks so much for your feedback here! And congratulations on starting the Amazon journey! You’ve described pretty well one of the main differences between the two courses. Unless you’ve got some decent capital to invest in another course and community, I think the main focus should be going live on Amazon based on the knowledge you now know. Then you can consider upgrading your knowledge in the near future.
I have try to get in touch with the details they mention in the invitation email:
Any questions, please email support@knowledgesource.com.au or call 03 9490 8888
My email got bounced and on the phone number is nobody answering. I believe they will be legit but I expected a little more service for a course with this price tag.
Hey Diane, thanks for your comment here! Yes keep persevering over several days and they should answer the phone. There’s a lot of students coming on board right now so they might be busy with enrollments.
it seems to me that all the sellers try to present this business as something easy. But the truth is that very often people need to work on it at least a year and spend quite a lot of money in the process before they achieve any success.
Yep, at least a year for sure. 2 to 3 years to get to a full-time income and 5 to 7 years to perhaps a million-dollar business. Those are minimums. Of course, it’s all down to the student.
Some may find success faster, most will be slower. Then there’s plenty who won’t even summon the courage to get a product live on Amazon. Some people do pitch this as easy which it certainly isn’t.
It takes capital, work, time, knowledge, energy, patience, persistence, and most importantly, a strong and compelling reason to keep moving forward.
Let’s be honest here; all courses you see nowadays online say things are “easy”. Every person with a normal IQ understands that you need to do hard work for whatever business it is. If it was so easy everybody was doing it right?
Are you searching for something that’s gonna make you rich within a few weeks, keep on searching(you might never find it).
Exactly right Helen!
I didn’t bought any of the courses yet, but what I take in consideration when I choose a package is something with coaching. From what I have understood this is included in the package of Sophie Howard. I found out that you can choose from : James Ramsay, Andrew Murray, Fiona Prout or Kylie dyer if you buy the Sky Blue course. Extra coaching cost you around 1000 for 5 or 6 calls. Of course I don’t know how skilled these coaches are in helping others.
I believe coaching will be very helpful for your first product launch if you don’t have experience in this field at all. Joshua did you ever got help of a coach?
I am wondering if any of the American courses have coaching available, and if so, what are the cost? They might be 1000 bucks cheaper but if you don’t have 1 on 1 coaching it’s kinda the same price isn’t?
Joshua, can you maybe explain a little bit more about the attending to events? You call it a disadvantage if you can’t participate in a event because it’s in another country(or if you don’t wanna fly that far). Is it really a big deal if you do everything online? Or do you believe it’s a waste of money because you might have paid for the events indirectly?
Thanks Joshua for all your information on this forum. Very helpful website! Keep up the good work. I am gonna follow you.
Hi Helen, some excellent questions here! I’ve personally not used a coach before due to my self-motivation but feel that for most people (especially total beginners) this would be very beneficial. I have been in Mastermind groups however and I can recommend joining or creating a weekly Mastermind.
Every Amazon course in the USA, UK, Australia, NZ, Europe has coaching as an additional add-on, so it’s nice that Sophie includes this in her course. Some are group coaching and some are personal 1 on 1 coaching. I’ve heard good things about Kylie Dyer.
Events are highly recommended as this is a lonely journey otherwise. Hiding behind a computer screen day in and day out gets old real quick. The live events allow you to meet fellow students and mentors face to face, those who are on the same journey and most find it very encouraging and worthwhile.
I’ve attended numerous Amazon conferences are they certainly represent a very effective return on investment and are just as effective as the courses themselves. It’s also true that you can do everything online yourself, and I know of a couple of people who have done this.
By the way, what method of selling on Amazon do you recommend? Online/Retail Arbitrage, Wholesale or Private Label. From what I know the most risky is Private Label – you can waste a lot of money on products which do not sell, and I know many people recommend wholesale, but the truth is that many brands do not want to work with Amazon sellers and once you tell them you want to sell their stuff on Amazon, they’re not interested.
Also: is there an Amazon course that you would recommend specifically to people from Europe? And is there one Amazon course available online that you recommend the most to anyone, doesn’t matter where they’re from?
Hi again Luke, I’ve done all those methods. I recommend private label as you have the best control over the listing, the supply chain and product. Plus the margins are the best. Brands are becoming very restrictive with online/retail arbitrage (it was much easier years ago) and the wholesale model where margins are already tight. Private label will take more capital to start with.
For those from Europe, I’d highly recommend this Amazon course which has the most testimonials and success stories. I recently met numerous European sellers (selling on Amazon USA) in Vegas.
Thank you so very much Joshua for your diligent work. I also checked out Neil Roar local or AOE . he did respond to my e-mails though but there are way too many negative comments to trust him also I contacted some of his alleged stars of his program.His current advertising uses their stories etc… their 2 years and more old and most didn’t have anything favorable to say..
Sophie sounds much better. Thanks for the great work.
Thanks Glenn, yeah this industry is getting some bad names. There’s only a few good people I would recommend in the Amazon teaching space.
“There’s only a few good people I would recommend in the Amazon teaching space.” Who are they?
The few good people include Adam, Sophie, Larry, Stephen, Alex and Kevin King.
Hi Joshua, I’m a newby and I’ve also been doing alot of reading and research into the best training courses out there. Your reviews and information have been fantastic.
What are your thoughts on Aussie Entrepreneurs? They have an incredibly comprehensive book called Amazon Domination, very informative and packed with tips, but it is alot of reading. They charge a subscription every month that you can cancel anytime for access to their private group and training modules.
Hi Sonya, thanks for your comment and question. Yes, I’ve reviewed Aussie Online Entrepreneurs course previously: https://www.workwithjoshua.com/aussie-online-entrepreneurs-by-neil-asher-an-existing-amazon-seller-takes-the-course/
This one is cheaper, but a real case of getting what you pay for. Basically, there isn’t much there and I was quite disappointed. There’s a few upsells (to different modules) in the course too. If you type in ‘Neil Asher scam‘ into Google, you’ll get loads of interesting results worth reading.
By the way, Joshua, do you have to have a company (LLC) from the very beginning when you want to start selling on Amazon?
Hi Luke, I’m not an accountant. Personal experiences: I operated under a sole trader/EIN number in the very beginning, especially as the costs to get a Pty Ltd/LLC company is a bit high. I’m now in Pty Ltd for both brands.
While Amazon permits individual sellers, you might have unique circumstances that are worth discussing with your accountant where a company structure might have to be created.
Hi Sonya, thanks for the feedback. Nine University is suited mostly for the younger crowd under 25. Too many jump-cuts and editing for my liking, but that aside I’ve heard good things about this US course and will review it in the coming weeks.
Great thanks. I see they also offer Boost Nine which some people are saying it’s better than JungleScout. Thanks again for your invaluable info.
Hi Amanda, thanks for the great question. I haven’t reviewed Oliver Denyer’s course yet, but I was doing some research a few months ago. I found that he was a bit amateur and lacked consistency in the videos, with no reviews at all regarding eCommerce Freedom and very little student success stories.
His social media was thin and very vague media appearances so it’s hard to validate if he’s the real deal. I do look forward to evaluating this course, and it certainly it would appeal to the younger crowd under 25.
Presently going through the course. Reasonably priced for a decent amount of information. A lot of the info is aimed at those who have never started or run a business though, so much of it will seem basic to people who have other business experience. I would say, from what I have seen, Sophie’s course goes much further into the product discovery and selection but does cover a lot of ground with the basic “mechanics” of running an Amazon private label business.
One very good absolutely fee (or very low cost) way to get information from experienced Amazon sellers that I have found, is to join a local Amazon sellers Meetup group. We have a local one in Boston and it is excellent. It’s usually a great opportunity to meet as small to medium sized groups, and even affords some opportunities for some great one-on-ones with experienced sellers.
I would like to go on one of her trips to the destination countries. Right now, I am pretty much “all-in” in putting everything back into the business in the way of new products, but it is on my list. Made the mistake of starting too many new products and brands at the same time. Working on six new products, and it is just too much. Didn’t quite realize the effort required for each new product. And, they are sourced for all different manufacturers and even countries (U.S., Portugal, China, India and Nepal) Just getting all of the shipping coordination (required for U.S. importation) done alone is a lot to do.
Wow! Thanks for sharing your experiences here as another student. Quite an achievement importing from several countries at once!
Yes, I would agree regarding the Amazon meetup side of things, otherwise, it’s a very lonely journey. ✌️
Aren’t you guys done filling the world with garbage consumer products that end up thrown into the world’s oceans?. This is not a life to be proud of.
I agree with you, Tom! I choose to only sell high-quality products that people need and will use for a long time. I simply can’t stand one-use plastics and wish more sellers would take this ethical approach.
Hi, I just got off the line with one of Sophie’s reps, the introductory kind of call. The course was pitched to me as costing US$3,495. Is this right? Seems so much! Are you still offering your 2 bonuses? I couldn’t find a link of yours to get them.
Hi Jilly, the course price is about right. Yes! I’m still offering my bonuses to Sophie’s students.
I have decided I want a full refund on the Sophie Howard course, it just isn’t for me. I was assured of the refund if I requested the ‘no questions asked’ refund within 7 days (I still have 5 days), even if I managed to get through some of the course. I began sending messages to a number of contacts (2 mobile numbers probably for VAs) last night and now some 18 hours later, no response. And oddly enough, my message through “Contact us” can’t be delivered due to some error which I have screen shot. I do believe they may try to ignore my request until the 7 days is up. Any advice how to proceed?
Hi Naomi, sorry to hear that it didn’t work out for you. Their lines are probably inundated with new students signing up so please be patient. Emails to them sometimes bounce back, but I’m sure the Knowledge Source team will come through with the refund eventually!
Also, since you’ve used your full name here and it shows the date of your comment, it’s pretty evident that you’re trying your best within your student refund window to get in touch. So you’ve got a pretty good case. 🙂
Hi Naomi,
Thanks for sharing. We are also interested in her program. Thx Josh as it’s good to know that we can get a refund after joining if we don’t like it.
Hi Joshua,
Thank you for your site and candid information! Earlier you said:
“Personally, I’d prefer to be in a well-established course that already has hundreds of people making an income, instead of just a few dozen. There’s a few out there that already meet my high standards, and most of them cost less money.”
Can you divulge these resources?
Hi Natasha, thanks for the great feedback!
Sure, the first starting point is the massive list of Amazon courses: https://www.workwithjoshua.com/a-complete-list-of-all-amazon-courses-available-in-2019/
In terms of those specific criteria you’ve quoted there, there is a few. These include ASM (the USA and Canada) and RE (Australia, NZ, UK, Europe) which all reasonably match what Sophie is offering, but without any mentoring initially (it’s an upsell). ASM which really a worldwide student base is credited with thousands of people making an income, though their program is priced higher as they’re looking for serious achievers. Not recommended for beginners since Sophie has a softer approach.
Thank you so much Joshua,
Do you know of anything system that allows you to start a program without the 4K starting point capital? I’m not afraid of the hard work, I just don’t have that kind of money.
On another note do you have any opinions or feedback for the Zeroup system from Fred Lam that use the Shopify platform?
You’re welcome! I’m not a fan of Fred Lam and he generally targets the younger college student. It’s always best to start on Amazon before diversifying towards Shopify.
Amazon businesses require capital. They have a medium barrier to entry and aren’t suited for those with limited starting capital. It’s really hard to make this opportunity work without some money set aside. I know a few people who have hustled (2nd job, drive for Uber, sell their unwanted stuff etc) to find the money to start their Amazon business.
Thank you. Those are great ideas but as a stay at home mom to a toddler they are not ideal at the moment. Can you recommend anything else online that is little to no cost to start? I don’t mean YouTubing or blogs full of affiliate links.
Is the whole ad posting thing a legitimate way to go? Is there a free way to get started with that or anything else I’m not thinking of?
For low-cost (less than $1,000) I can only think of:
1. Network marketing / MLM schemes. Amway, Isagenix, Doterra etc (Very high drop-out rate)
2. Dropshipping products from eBay, Amazon & other online stores (Very competitive landscape)
Those that post online ads have huge budgets, marketing/PPC experience and have decent starting capital, so not a recommended pathway.
Hi Joshua,Is reliable education totally an online course or the students need to return to the actual classroom for some classes? I saw on the Youtube ad, Adam did have a studio in Gold coast somewhere. I am interested to sign on the course but can’t commit for the traveling and leave the family obligation behind.
Thank you
Hi Anna, great question! Both courses are totally online. There is no need to attend classroom sessions (which are actually large conferences) to get the content, though many students choose to at some stage. Adam does have a professional studio whilst Sophie records her videos from her house.
I am a little confused. You said you can tell Sophie has done ASM kind of implying they aren’t very different, but her entire webinar is that she has a very different strategy to sourcing products and negotiating with suppliers. I guess I am trying to figure out if it is worth buying her book – although the comments above make her book just sound like a sales pitch for her course which I don’t need. I already did ASM and I honestly can’t stand those people, so Sophie appears to have a better strategy and is more relatable.
While Sophie likely has done ASM, she’s isn’t using the same strategies. It’s just good to see that the teacher has invested in her knowledge and skillset, plus has experience. Both the book and webinar are of course sales pitches into the course but do have some good content.
What didn’t you like about ASM?
The examples of successful people they use for ASM you find out at the conference they were in brand marketing beforehand or they used PR firms and things like that weren’t taught in the course. They lead you to believe these were beginners who learned everything from them. Half of the people at the conference I went to also did something called Rapid Crush, which seemed to be more beneficial and you could sign up through them an get both – they did wind up giving Rapid Crush to ASM members a few years later, but I don’t know if that is still the case.
Also they are always trying to tell you something else. It is relentless with them being like well we discovered this one thing – just $97 more dollars. $37 for this other thing we want to teach you. They just rubbed me the wrong way with constantly trying to get you to spend more money with them. And then like one of the founders just put out a video saying he floundering and losing money during this time period which is when I bought in, and had to recalculate and this is my new thing…buy it now. And I was like seriously you were selling this to me when it wasn’t even working for you but telling me how much it worked for you. I just don’t like the disingenuousness of all of it.
Thanks for sharing your in-depth experiences KG! Yes, I also didn’t like the constant upsells from Rich Henderson and Jason Katzenback, though the course and conference is still great.
Thank you for your reply KG. It was helpful.
I went online and bought your book TWICE. I NEVER received the digital books. IWANT MY MERCHANDISE OR MY MONEY BACK!!!
Hi Joseph, please check your spam folder. Sometimes Sophie’s book is sent there. If not, please get in touch with Knowledge Source. It’s not my book, it’s Sophie’s and they look after everything.
Thanks for this useful information
Cheers Shija! Glad you found value here.
Hello I was wondering what the upsells are I know about the $37.00 book and training then the 98.00 upsell but is there a last upsell if so how much is it ?
The last one is the course. Unsure on the exact price, as it keeps changing. Knowledge Source will be able to advise further, based on your country and currency. I think there’s a payment plan available.
Wow Joshua. You have my respect and also my gratitude for the thoroughness and clean responses you have given in every regard. I’ve been on a call with one of Sophie’s ‘Amazon Income Specialists’ this morning as I’ve been impressed by Sophie’s message and also her general delivery. I now understand more about what the program offers and entails thanks to your review and the ongoing responses here.
The process I’ve been through to get to the call was interesting… I never actually went through to purchase the book although intended to several times, seeing the ad come up on a youtube through social media or other had me interested but I didn’t purchase there and then on my phone.
And still I was somehow immediately contacted by a bot (?) to wonder why I didnt go through with purchase via my texting / phone number. Thinks to self, hmm, how did they get my number?…hmm but still I’m interested enough to open the texts that now start to come in at different stages over the next weeks. And then I get a link to a webinar that overlooks the book and cuts straight to the message ie, the coaching/mentorship package. I watch and again I’m impressed by the delivery of Sophie and her product. Nice package and I’m influenced by a desire to really wanting to believe I can do this online Amazon selling. . .
The first message about the call with the ‘Income Specialist’ came through a UK area and then the actual call came through from Kansas Missouri.
Silly me, I thought it would be a conversation with someone but every time I asked a question I was responded to with a script. If I didn’t comply to the script it was a little bumpy for the woman on the other end. . .
I really wanted to ascertain whether or not I would be able to do this training and have back ups from the calls, like recording the sessions so I can go back in to learn in my own timing and through repetition.
Somehow I didn’t believe the response when eventually told that they might be able to be recorded. Any response from you here Joshua?
I’ve so often wanted to work within tight systems and other people’s timings but by and large I really function best with being able to learn in a wide range of ways. If I commit this amount to a learning I’d like to own the material and be able to refer back to the coaching sessions if needed.
Another question for you Joshua – would the course assist me in learning how to get any of my own handmade products on Amazon? We currently only sell through our own website? So I’m interested in what are the additional benefits to learning about selling and product branding that this course might offer? Any input there about this course or RE in that regard would be great.
And here’s another one – is it possible for someone who’s not great on systems management to really achieve a humming business with systems such as this? is there room for creativite management as well as compliance with the system in this way of learning?
The rep said that the only people who don’t succeed with the program are
-those who are unteachable – the know alls
-those who get frustrated and quit
-those who learn the system and then try to turn it into their own…*&^”(:~# (what does that mean I wonder?)
Oh and the UK price today was quoted as £2845.33 equivalent to $3495. That price will hold for three days – it’s a special $500 discount that the rep was authorised to give based on my continuing interest in joining the training and my request for a three day period to do my research and decision making. After Friday the price will revert to the ‘actual price’, $3995. I guess this is a US $ although I neglected to ask. As an Aussie living in the UK I’d quite like to know what the Aussie $ curent price is!
In truth I reckon I’ve come to realise that Sophie’s value is in what she knows and sharing it could be great for more of us but the sales company express train is just another massive turn off and bit by bit erodes one’s confidence and enthusiasm. I wonder what else is possible?
As I said at the top of this rather long response – Thank you for your fab blog and throughness and everyone else’s input. My research continues.
Hello Heather, thanks so much for now claiming the #1 spot for the longest and most thought-out comment here. 😁
Rightio, so let’s begin…
They request your phone number when you go to purchase the book. They did this because previously her book was being sent to people’s junk mail folder and customers couldn’t find it. This technical glitch was solved by sending a link (via SMS message to your phone) to access to book immediately after checkout.
Now, if you don’t purchase the book, then they still have your phone number on records (but you can definitely ask them to remove it anytime) and some people receive follow-up messages as you’ve noted.
I’m not sure how Knowledge Source has structured their team and phone systems, but I know they have support members across Australia, the US and UK. You’ll have the confirm the AUD course price with them directly.
You can record the phone coaching calls on your end so you can go back later. I guess Knowledge Source and your Amazon coach would have no problem with that. There are apps for your phone that can do that such as TapACall. Plus all the live student-only webinars are recorded too.
The course doesn’t really cater to selling handmade items on Amazon, since many people build Amazon businesses for the time-freedom and lifestyle, as opposed to making things at home. That said, I can’t imagine any difference between asking a factory in China/India/Nepal to hand-make something vs just making it yourself and sending it. At least you know the quality and workmanship is A1.
Both courses are geared for the Amazon marketplace, which has a significant buyer volume. There is extensive modules about product selection and brand building, with the scope to extend beyond Amazon, such as eBay, Shopify and retail distribution.
Both courses are also systems orientated. Sophie was a government employee, whilst Adam has built multiple 7 figure businesses. Both depend on systems.
Creativity is what seperates the average Amazon seller from the Page 1 Amazon seller. My products are quite creative and innovative, yet with an established buyer volume who had to previously settle for mediocre. So if you’re a creative person, then Amazon is a great platform where you can scale much easier than Etsy.
No one can guarantee success with any program. Fact: Most people who buy an Amazon course will NOT build an Amazon business. It will just be another course on the shelf to collect dust, even after attending the conference. Many people will either not start or just quit early on “It’s too competitive“, “My Chinese factory doesn’t speak perfect English” or my personal favourite “I can’t find a profitable product” when most things sold on Amazon are profitable. Not everyone is cut out for this game. No sales rep will ever tell you this. 😉
Then there are the course providers that want to claim that they have the ‘perfect system’ which there isn’t any. Courses just have varying degrees of content, support, student calibre and success stories. Another personal favourite is the “We’ve found the magical formula that all the other courses aren’t teaching!!!” in order to create exclusivity.
Really, the power is with you first and foremost. There are tens of thousands of successful Amazon business owners worldwide, so it’s quite evident that this works. Most of these have had to start with a course, as there are just so many things to learn. Even with the courses I’ve done, I’m still learning 3.5 years on.
The program is merely a tool. One that can get a job done. How you choose to utilize that tool and its potential is completely up to you.
Joshua, thank you so much for this very informative and ‘real’ blog. You saved me from making a huge mistake. I started to go through the process of signing up fo Sophie’s book at $4.95 and then was encouraged to upgrade to the $37 package but when it was time to pay, the lack of usual security assurances was missing. This worried me so I went looking and found you. While I was reading your blog and comments, I got two text messages (at 1:30am UK time) giving me 60 seconds to sign up for this ‘exclusive’ offer that I would never see again! Yeah, right! Reading through your excellent information, I realised that I did not have the capital requirements to do this business justice. Maybe in a few years time as I now know how much I would need but as I am 70 now, it may never happen. Yours is the best review site I have ever come across so I will check back here often and certainly BEFORE I dive into anything online. Thanks Joshua. Kathy 🙏
Thanks Kathy! I really appreciate your feedback. Anyone without starting capital to begin should definitely hold off and instead focus on saving some money first. Likewise, anyone above the age of 60 shouldn’t be starting anything to do with Amazon, or any type of business venture. That’s an age I would be playing defence and protecting the retirement nest egg.
“Likewise, anyone above the age of 60 shouldn’t be starting anything to do with Amazon, or any type of business venture.” I’m not sure it’s the best piece of advice. Sounds like when you’re 60 your life is almost over so don’t take up any new challenges.
What a load of BS! Age should not be a barrier to try anything new, as long as you have a little money to invest and are willing to learn and follow through, anyone can do this regardless of age
Luke and Gary – you are sort of right. Age is not a barrier of entry, but say advising my 5-year-old son to build an Amazon business wouldn’t work out so well.
Both my parents are in their 60’s and I would never advise them to get started in any type of business. It’s a time to relax and enjoy the years of hard work they have put in.
Some people in their retirement age have such little money, it would be totally unethical for me to suggest that they invest in an Amazon business. See – all businesses come with a risk of losing all your money, including Amazon.
Almost anyone can do this, but not everyone will be successful. Have you noticed that most Amazon gurus generally don’t tell you that? It’s harder to sell a course if you simply share the truth.
You could lose every single dollar you put into this. It’s not something I would wish on someone who has limited money, especially at an age where they shouldn’t be taking on an online business venture, as is the case with Kathy.
No BS with me, simply a Duty of Care guys. I do appreciate that some people at this age will be positive and resourceful to find a way through the challenges, but most should be enjoying their retirement years.
Also, business are not fast, they’re often not fun, they’re not easy and they’re also expensive to sustain. Online is a little easier, but takes a shitload of work. My generation often misses this because of instant gratification.
The older generation has earned their retirement because of their work ethic. They have my full respect and don’t need to start something new after crossing the finishing line.
Gary. I totally agree with you. I am 62 and want to try to get a passive income so I have some money coming in when I retire from my 5 day a week labor job. Joshua…you say people after the age of 60 should enjoy their retriement after all the years of working. What about all those people who haven’t been able to put away enough money to retire “comfortably”. Government pension isn ‘t enough to enjoy retirement. If it’s true in what you say that it takes a couple of years to make some decent money on Amazon ,then from the age 60 to 75 or 80 thats quite a few years you can be making some money to be able to enjoy retirement
John it’s Amazon as a business model and the ‘gurus’ that’s the issue, more than the older individual. People are getting this false sense of belief that Amazon is this whizzbang perfect business model that’s cheap, could make them a fortune and is 100% RISK-FREE. It’s so far from the truth. 😞
It takes money to start and a lot of money to keep going. Very few people get the million-dollar exit let alone 6 figures annually and there’s certainly risk. In 2.5 years of selling I’ve lost money 3 times. If you can’t handle losing money, then this isn’t for you. It’s a real business after all and it comes with risk. No one else wants to talk about this elephant in the room – I wonder why?
(Now obviously I’ve won more times on Amazon than I’ve lost but I learn from mistakes and keep powering through)
Those like myself could lose everything tomorrow and start from scratch because age is on my side. Psychologically and financially it’s going to be significantly harder for someone that’s much older. That pit in your stomach when you discover you’ve lost money (thousands of dollars) makes many people stop. It’s rare that I see people above the age of 60 finding success on Amazon but it does happen. It takes a lot of money, requires some technical ability, work and financial risk. If someone lost say $10,000 (potentially their entire savings) then recovering mentally is going to be challenging.
I wrote an entire article on the risks involved: http://www.workwithjoshua.com/amazon-seller-risks
I also wrote another article on why businesses fail: http://www.workwithjoshua.com/amazon-business-failure
It would be good if everyone else was more transparent about this. I don’t mean to knock someone’s dreams (we all have dreams regardless of age) but Amazon is a real business model that is challenging.
But there is some positives and greener grass. Why not consider alternatives? You can drive for Uber, become an Airbnb landlord or find online jobs through Upwork. Very little capital required and less risk too. Best part – you don’t even need to buy a course.
In Australia we also have handyman services (Airtasker) and even dog walking services to help people generate a part-time income. Amazon isn’t the only thing you can do, but it’s one of the most challenging. Anyone who says this is easy and you’ll be making guaranteed money in a few years should be avoided. My personal and realistic experiences. I say 2 years minimum to achieve some results but it will probably take longer.
Hi Joshua
Could you possibly review Alex Ryan’s Amazon course too, please?
Thanks
Hi Lynne, sure I’ve reviewed Alex a few months back: https://www.workwithjoshua.com/alex-ryan-review-import-export-coaching-courses-australia/
Hi Joshua
I stumbled upon your blog and I am so grateful for this. I have signed up to Sophie’s course but realized after only a couple of days this was not for me. I have experienced a number of problems that I won’t go into here and have requested a refund. I will be signing up with Adam. Again many thanks for your insightful comments.
By the way how do I go about receiving your two products that you mentioned thanks.
Kelly Brown
Thanks Kelly for sharing your experiences. Please contact me via the Contact Form. It hasn’t been working properly the last few days but should be working now.
Thanks for your insights, Stephen. Much appreciated! I thought it was 1-hour support calls, maybe they’ve recently reduced the time.
I’m in the same boat and will be asking for a refund. Knowledge Sources are pushy and misleading, if Sophie is the real deal she needs to ditch this mob. The course material is comprehensive and like Stephen says the videos are very long! It would take months to get through it all and it doesn’t seem well structured, the resource material is in another module so you have to go search for it rather than having a link to it under the video. How they can say that you will be selling in 12 weeks is just another misleading statement by KS. The Q&A sessions are on a Friday morning, most people doing this course will have a day job and find this time inconvenient, so there is no opportunity to interact with Sophie. You get the feeling that KS are her online bodyguards, nothing gets through them, they even moderate the FB group and all posts are screened. Not happy
Approved Refund $3495USD (£2800GBP) 06 September 2019 08:20:42 AEST … Good result … For a change 🙂
Great result! Glad to hear you got the 100% refund Stephen, but the fact that you got a bit messed around is frustrating. KS needs to address the course structure AND their refund processes, at the minimum. It’s costing Sophie her reputation, as Gary has pointed out.
Also thanks Stephen for sending the email to let me about the 503 error I had on this page. Should be fixed now. 🙂
Thank you so very much for this article, Joshua, and for all your thoughtful replies to these comments. I’ve bought Sophie Howard’s book for $4.95 and her masterclass audio files for about $100, but that’s about all I can afford at this point! Your course comparisons were great too, so thanks for laying out all this complicated stuff in plain English. After reading all the pros and cons, I’m a little less frightened and apprehensive and I’m starting to get excited to go on this journey and invest our capital a little further down the line, once life settles down a bit. Thanks to all the people who wrote in with their own experiences too— those were really, really helpful to read. In my opinion, the word “empowered” is way over-used these days, but that’s what I’m feeling! Thanks everyone!
You’re very welcome, Allison! I’m glad this has really helped you to do your research. Like I say, make a start when you feel the time is right for you. 👍
Joshua, how long does it usually take before one starts to earn at least $1k a month on Amazon in profits? What is your experience? You need at least 2 years to start making a full time income on Amazon? And what is the minimum amount of money one should invest for a start? I suppose it depends if someone wants to sell in a private label model or wholesale for example. As far as I know you need more cash for private label.
Hi Luke, that can be a real piece of string. It depends on your starting capital, how much time you have, if you go to China or just source on Alibaba, your level of motivation and the product you choose. So many variables. If you’re looking for guaranteed results and guaranteed income, then online businesses aren’t the solution.
It took me several months from launching to I hit $1k/month in profit. It often takes people longer. A mate of mine hit $1k/month profit in 4 days, but he also launched with $220k right at the Christmas retail rush. Another family I’m friends with did it in their first month with $40k. Yet another mate is in a super competitive niche and breaks even every month. See – big variables.
You’ll need $5,000 minimum and $10,000 ideally. I started with $7,000 but have invested $35k more over the last 3 years.
Yes, generally speaking (but not always) you need a bit more money for private label. But in turn you get your share of 25% to 40% margins. If you’re looking for 10% to 15% margins, then wholesale is the way to go. You might find it a bit more challenging (though not impossible) to do wholesale from Australia, NZ or the UK into the US marketplace though, as you’ll be on phone calls to wholesalers, in order to negotiate deals.
OK, thanks for the answer Joshua. So you invested $7,000 in inventory, ads, transportation and whatnot, right? And who did you learn from when you started? Who was your first teacher and were you successful with your first product (I understand you started with private label)? I’m asking about who you learnt from because this part can also be expensive. It can cost even a few thousand dollars. So even if someone had $10,000 to invest, they would probably have to spend like $3-4k on trainings, and the rest, i.e. $6-7k on inventory, ads, etc.
Yes, $7,000 total to launch, above the course of investing into an Amazon course. I started with Reliable Education, then went Amazing Selling Machine and then Blue Sky Amazon. Sophie’s is definitely more geared towards the beginners, whereas the other two are for existing business owners. If you’ve never done something like this before, then best to start with Sophie.
I had some past experiences making a little bit of money online here and there by trying some things out, but never enough to transition to a full-time consistent income until I discovered Amazon FBA. Definitely successful with my 1st private label product.
Yeah, I have been making some money online as an affiliate marketer, but this income is very unpredictable. I never know how much I will earn the given month. I started to think about Amazon FBA hoping that the income from selling on Amazon will be more predictable, but I’m fully aware that it may not work for me.
Hello Joshua,
Can you please explain to me the difference between Sophie Howard’s course, Blue Sky Training and University Product Training?
I only want to do one course to start selling on Amazon. Just something to get me started. Also how much each of this courses?
Hi Muriel, good question! So it’s actually all-inclusive. Start with the Amazon Navigator before going into the advanced modules in the Product University. You’ll need both to get started actually. One to learn the ropes of selling online through Amazon, and the other to help you find profitable products to sell.
Hope that helps!
Hi Joshua
I am from Switzerland and just read your revue, which is fantastic with great answers. You did a great job. I watched Sophie’s Webinar and arranged a phone call for this afternoon. Now, I am not sure, if her course is the right thing for me, as I live in Europe and we have a 6 houre time difference. What can you suggest me? Are there courses in Europe jet or another course in general for a total beginner like me?
Thanks again for your efford and answer to this.
Kind regards. Danny
Hi Rohrer, thanks for the feedback. I don’t know anyone else in Europe which is more suitable. If anyone has any suggestions, then they’re welcome to drop them here.
Good recommendation Athena. I reviewed that course recently: https://www.workwithjoshua.com/marketplace-superheroes-review/
Hello Athena (what a beautiful Name…)
Thank you very much for your response and answer. I will check this out. I wish you all the best for all your projects. Regards from Switzerland Danny
Whilst Sophie might be good at what she does, I wasted many hours listening to her spiel just to hear her say, “If you don’t have at least $6000 to move forward with, then don’t bother”. In other words, “if you’re struggling and are really desperate to find something to put money in your pocket, this is not for you”. Disgraceful !!!
Hi Kerrie, actually it’s true. It takes some decent capital to start properly on Amazon. Whilst you might be able to start testing with a few hundred dollars, I think most people are looking to build a proper business. One that brings them a solid part-time or full-time income. For this reason, Sophie needs to show some realistic figures so people are starting out fully informed of what it really takes.
Let’s see off the top of my head from experience: Buying samples, paying for inventory, paying for freight, getting 3rd party inspections done, paying for extra packaging, customs duties, advertising costs and Amazon fees. This is after you pay for your education, and before you make that first sale. Not exactly a cheap operation. Let’s not forget going to visit factories and trade fairs, accounting and legal fees. Those hidden costs really add up.
If you’re struggling and really desperate for quick income, then building an Amazon business probably isn’t the right idea. It takes a long time to build to a healthy part-time or full-time income. Those success stories you hear of are those who started with decent capital, with $5,000 at a bare minimum. I don’t think it’s disgraceful, since Amazon businesses don’t put money in your pocket from Day 1. You need to reinvest your profits over time, so you can build up and then take a profit eventually.
I don’t understand why you think that she was disgraceful in saying .“If you don’t have at least $6000 to move forward with, then don’t bother” You should appreciate the fact that she was ,unlike most of the others, upfront on the basic cost to start. I was grateful for that because from there you can decide whether or not to advance with the course
Hello Joshua,
I’ve read through your article and thank you for going in depth with informing us on your experience and education on comparing both. Upon reading your article is how I learnt of Adam Hudson. I was intrigued and excited about Sophie as she seemed authentic in her delivery and didn’t sound overall as a pushing sales pitch. And so I reached out and had my first call yesterday. The team member took about 20 minutes asking various questions trying to ensure I might be a right fit, however I felt she was very abrupt in her answers and when I started to ask questions kind of cutting me off to ask something else. Although very pleasant she did not seem genuine but if you have no money then buy. I totally understand building a business takes capital and effort but if I’m going to invest $6,000 I also need to feel that your company is the right fit for me as well to learn from. After all if I’m successful so will you. I have another call from the coach tonight to give a definite and to move forward. Based on your experience do you believe that Sophie’s course for a beginner like me really gives value, support and produces the results within a set period? I really want to move forward and although my husband is hard to persuade, I want to be confident that this is indeed the right move especially with a high starting capital we have saved to start my own other business and now I’m steering to do Amazon. Continue with the great work and insight. Greatly appreciated.
Hello Soshanya, thanks for sharing your experiences. It seems what you experienced from the team members is becoming a common occurrence. 🤔
Yes, Sophie does provide a reasonably good amount of value and support, especially for complete beginners who haven’t built a business before. Results and within a set period is based on student motivation more than anything.
Most people with more capital tend to lean towards Adam as he certainly tends to attract the big achievers. The phone mentoring calls with Sophie is certainly a drawcard for the new starter. Chris Thomas recently came on board with Sophie and is an excellent coach.
Both are great options, but attract a different type of student. Total beginners are better off with Sophie. Hope that helps!
Hi Joshua,
I just had a call from one of Sophie’s team members. Very polite initially until I started asking some questions about student success rates and the conversation just turned 180 and she was exceptionally abrupt and pretty much told me that it did not seem like I was the right fit because I had to go and think about whether to buy the course or not and she ended the call. It was almost like I had no right to ask questions even though the call says you can ask questions. I think her staff is out there just to sell the course as fast as possible Nd if that does not happen you hang up. It was off putting because even if I went and thought about it and did want to buy it a few days later, now that has confirmed to me that her staff may be pretty much like this and who would want to be coached by such staff. I was told that because I was not committed yet to the purchase that they do not wish to have students like this who are uncoachable. Well I’m a very coachable person considering I’m a teacher and as a teacher you are constantly a student. That was a very poor strategy to speak to anyone.
Hi Sharra, thanks for sharing your personal experiences after your previous comment a few days ago. Sorry to hear that the lady on the phone was rude and abrupt. If I recall correctly the actual coaches are different from the sales team you speak with initially on the phone.
There are some excellent coaches on the inside but it’s very frustrating when you have this bad initial experience. Like you say, some people do want to think about taking the course and need time to do research, such as reading through my blog and the comments throughout here. I would love for them to improve their training and processes, without the pushy approach, so people like yourself can have a better upfront experience.
I still recommend Sophie (or even better…Adam!) for those that need those live events and networking, otherwise, this Amazon journey is a very lonely one being stuck in front of the computer.
Hi Josh – Firstly Thank you for such an informative blog.
I had the same experience as Sharra today. I was so so keen to start the course and adventure but when I told the lady I was only able to start in early January because of huge family commitment and Christmas – the conversation turned sour and I was told that they were not interested in people like me who were procrastinators and not wanting to committ . I was told off just as Sharra was, and made to feel like a failure. Up to that point I had a high opinion of Sophie and her program, sadly that sales strategy and pressure sales does not go down well – especially when a person in a position like myself would be very vulnerable and taken advantage of. I kept asking myself “did she really think I would change and sign up after being told off.””
I was glad to read your information and advice on doing research etc before jumping in – so I don’t feel the failure or procrastinator I was made to feel today..
Thanks again and keep up the excellent work you do.
Regards
Frank
Thanks for sharing your experiences Frank!
Sorry to hear about that. I mean, you’re just about ready to go, but for most people right before Christmas isn’t a good time to start. January is better and for someone to be incredibly rude (sounds like the same bad apple is turning off dozens of students during phone calls) doesn’t really help paint a good picture of Sophie’s community.
While you and Sharra have shared it publicly here, I’ve also had a few people also inbox me with the same sour experiences. Sad really. It should be a case of the right student at the right time. No pressure. Sophie has a good value-offering and people will join when they’re ready, so there is no reason to belittle them.
Hi Sharra, I had exactly the same experience as you, when Sophie’s staff phoned me. The minute I tried to ask a question she rounded on me and accused me of wasting their time & said I wouldn’t be a good fit, a disgraceful marketing ploy & all it achieved was a 180 degree in the opposite direction by me. People should be entitled to ask for more information so they can feel confident to invest in the course. Anita
Hi,
I am writing to get more information on if I could transfer my account to someone who is keen to do the course. I had bought the $4000 course at one of Sophie Howard’s seminars in Sydney but have not been able to keep up with the course. I am willing to sell my course pack to someone in need at a lower price.
Thank you
Push
Hi Push, thank you for your generous offer. Maybe get in touch with Sophie’s team to see what they can do to help out regarding this?
Did you end up selling your package to someone else?
Hi Joshua, it is refreshing to see someone giving good information on the different courses available. I have been looking at Sophie’s course and got a call from George today. This was before I read your blog posts, but the gist of the conversation was that Sophie is not looking to get a lot of students and seem to be qualifying people. Questions asked relate to your business experience, financial experience, motivation, etc. However, no mention of price. When I asked George how long he had been doing Amazon, he replied that he had only started about 2 weeks ago. His business is as a “life coach” and had been involved in Network Marketing for a number of years. He is based in Michigan in the US, while I am in the UK. He has now arranged for me to see a webinar, and given me some homework to do, prior to another phone call to his mentor, a million dollar seller on Amazon. I will do that phone call on Monday night. Reviewing your blog and the posts, it has given me some questions to ask, before I commit. Although I own several businesses, past and present, I wanted to get something going that creates residual income. Thanks for the great advice.
Hi Charles, great to hear this feedback from someone who has owned several businesses. Feel free to share here which way you decided to go next week. 👍
Hi Charles, I’d be keen to understand what you decided as I have also had a call from George and will be doing the 2nd webinar tomorrow myself.
Hi Joshua,
I would like to know, when applying for a Amazon course, why most (probably all) Amazon courses asking for full contact details like full name, address, contact numbers…etc
What’s your options on that.
Thanks you
Hi Jensen, sorry for the delayed response as I have been away at the Canton Fair (my 3rd trip now).
Good question! Maybe it’s so they can better plan events? “We clearly have 3x more students in Melbourne than Sydney, so it’s best run our next student workshop in Melbourne.”
But yeah they could just ask for your city only, as opposed to your full address. I recommend using a PO Box as I have done if you’re worried about that one. Adam offers a welcome call and Sophie offers coaching so asking for your name and phone number is understandable.
Hi Vincent, I’d say Marketplace Superheroes because it’s so much bigger and you’ll likely find students in your own area. They also run offline workshops.
Hi Vincent, I would say Marketplace Superheroes because they are 20x bigger than Myles Dunphy. His Facebook group is a bit of a ghost town. But he still has a great course that is on-par with what Stephen offers. They also offer UK and US-based workshops which is awesome to help students better grow an Amazon business.
Hi Joshua, thanks for the reply
I did questioned some Amazon courses regarding to full name, address, contact numbers…..etc, I ask them about their privacy policy, how secure their online payment system and what they do with the data they collected……….seem some of them are not interested in given me the answer.
Hopes you can find your next best selling products at Canton Fair.
Have a nice day.
Hey again Jensen, wow that’s a real shame and frustration. You’d think they would be more willing to be open and transparent about WHY they need that data and exactly how secure it is.
I did find some great products and can highly recommend the Canton Fair. A great experience for that every Amazon seller should experience at least once in their journey.
Hi Josh,
My only concern is the payment method, when it was time for me to make payment, I was really uncomfortable about the payment method which was to be processed over the phone, givving out one’s account details and 3 numbers behind your bank card . I had to decline making the payment as I wasn’t sure if this was genuine.
Hi Emmanuel, yes that’s a concern I have too. I don’t like giving out my credit card details (and especially the 3 digits on the back) to a random person over the phone. You don’t know who’s listening either on that phone call. I think it’s best to ask for a payment link which is SSL encrypted so you can get started safely and privately in your own time.
Hi Josh,
I am still not clear about the money to be paid for Sophie’s Blue Sky Amazon training course
Does the money cover just the course or the course and the FBA business (operations, shipping) I asked and was told so by the marketing team. That’s strange as I feel that the money alone to start the FBA business cant be less than $2500. Can one get clarification on this?
Hi Emmanuel,
For the money you get:
1) The full training program that’s regularly updated with content. It will teach you product selection, operations, shipping and launching.
2) 1x Ticket to Sophie’s weekend live training seminar (now held in Australia, NZ, UK and USA). I think you can take a spouse or business partner.
3) 6x coaching calls with an existing Amazon seller to help you through the journey ahead, especially towards product selection.
4) Access to the Facebook community so you can network with other students like yourself and form alliances.
Your investment initially is the training course and from there you will invest your own capital to get started with samples, talking to suppliers, manufacturing and launching a product. It’s going to be a challenge to launch with just $2,500 but you can still learn the ropes at least by testing a few products with low MOQ.
Hope that helps!
Hi Emmanuel,
I am also unclear about the same thing. I spoke to one of Sophie’s coaches the two days ago who told me the course cost $3995 but I was to set aside an additional $2000 for my product selection. Reading your thread just now, I am a bit confused as to what that amount will actually get me. I think I recall seeing Sophie say she launched her first product with approx. $300 – having started the course, how are you finding it so far? Do you think $2000 enough to get your first product + private labelling etc onto Amazon’s shelves?
Thanks, Simone.
Hey Simone, just chiming in if Emmanuel doesn’t reply. Most people take many months to launch a product and with just $2,000 put into a product at a 30% profit margin is only going to yield, at best, $600 before tax. It could take weeks or months to sell down a product too.
So sure, you can get started and gain some experience selling on Amazon with so little. But as for building a genuine business online that provides real income to live off down the track, you will need more than just $2,000 in capital.
Thanks Joshua!
How much is the course? I think that’s an important piece of information that was left out.
Hey Catherine! The course price varies. People have been quoted different prices depending on the country. Best to get in touch with Sophie’s team.
Hi I want to find out when are my books are coming I ordered the free book paid for shipping then the Product Finder Masterclass do I download these I have not received links to see or find that course.
Hi Penelope, please contact Knowledge Source. They can help you out. 🙂
Hi Josh! I’m from Canada. Thanks so much for your insightful review! It’s really very helpful, especially for one who’s trying to make an informed decision whether to sign up or not for Sophie’s course. I just finished talking to one of her Income Experts, and had watched a 1-hour video of a coach interviewing two applicants. It was very educational, indeed, and very encouraging! It showed the enormous potential of an Amazon online business. However, when it came to the price, I was told it would cost 4995 USD for the whole course. But if I decided to enroll within the next few days, I would be given a discount of 1500 USD, bringing down the price to 3495 USD. After reading some of the comments here, I’m really surprised at the variation in the prices, from 4000 AUD to 2300 pounds to 2845 pounds. Like you said, the course price seems to be all over the place! Is it really like this? Or does it depend where one enrolls?
Hey Noli, thanks for sharing your experiences. The course is a good one and certainly, Amazon as a business model has some serious potential if you have the capital available.
The ever-fluctuating course price of Blue Sky Amazon is, unfortunately, something that really lets it down. Yep, it still really is over the place depending on the month and where one is located. I think I’ve seen 3 or 4 different prices alone for Australia? $3,495 USD for Sophie Howard’s course is about right for Canada assuming you get 6x coaching calls included.
Also, I think Sophie has an upcoming event in Canada in 2020. Australians, Kiwis, Brits and North Americans get a complimentary event ticket for that price so just check that this is also included as part of your package. I’ve just checked my course dashboard and nothing is in the schedule for 2020, only the USA, Australia, UK and NZ events.
Hello, I have signed up to a course with Sophie but never got sent any way to access it, but money came out of my account. Since listening to her webinar I realize I don’t have the cash necessary to do this (minimum $6K she said). I wish Sophie would have warned her potential students of this in her advertisement. I want to get my money back but no answers. How can I resolve this? Thank you
Hi Rosemary, she does warn students in her webinars though. While $6k is alright, $10k is even better in my opinion and experience.
Refunds are easy, just email customersupport@knowledgesource.com.au or get back to the person who helped you get on board originally with the course.
Hi Joshua. Thanks for the review – very interesting. I was struggling to read the content of the Course Modules that you have included photos of. Only the first photo – 02 Amazon Navigator – is clickable. But that takes you to Reliable Education, not a zoom view of the photo. Am I missing something?
Hi Shaun, thanks for picking up on that for me. I recently moved to a new hosting company as I was getting bugs and slow speeds with Hostgator. I’ll get that one fixed up! 👍
Hi Josh, thanks for this great review of Sophie’s course. Like you, I have concerns about the students selling cheaper producst. I would prefer sell good quality items that are well-priced but not cheap – to a certain degree even premium items. If I did Sophie’s course, do you think I would miss out on learning how to position a product that is not lower priced? Thanks in advance!
Hi Helena, Sophie does teach some elements of mid-tier product selection now. However, ASM and RE do provide more of a concrete foundation on this, especially as they are brand-centric.
Would you miss out? Not really as it’s covered to an extent and you’re looking at a minor issue. Just remember that the bulk of her students aren’t in a financial position to sell more expensive products.
On the big picture, you’re still getting phone coaching, a ticket to the live event included in the course price and the knowledge of having your teacher having sold 2x Amazon businesses.
Hi. I was just about to buy Sophies book, but after seeing all those negative comments on amazon about the book and course beeing fraud, it kind of hesitate…
Hi Daniel, the book is a lead-in (or rather, a sales pitch…) for her course as it is for many course creators. The course itself is real with thousands of genuine students, but yes, there are many negative reviews for her book.
I, too, read the negative reviews but perhaps it is a good thing because it forced me to begin a search for course reviews and I found you, Joshua. I have been speaking to the first tier of Sophie’s employees, the cashier, if you will. The cost of the course was high for us, especially since it was for something that we know nothing about. I am a retired Executive Director of Elderly Housing and my husband worked in the same field. Neither of us get around very well, but since retirement income is not even close to what we expected, we are forced to supplement our income or lose our home. Her people are telling us that we need $5000 – $6000 to start making money. From your review, Joshua, it sounds like those numbers are on the low side. Is that right? I read on another review that Sophie’s method of teaching is difficult to take notes, that she does not focus on one subject but rather jumps around between subjects. Do you agree? If so, that is not for me, at least on subjects that I am not familiar with. You also refer to success being determined by how hard you are willing to work. Does this include much physical work? I need $2000 a month minimum to make ends meet. Do you think it will be difficult for me to make this. If you don’t think Sophie is for me, can you give me any advice where I should go from here. Thank you for being honest about this training. I just wish I was 30 years younger!
Hey there DK! Yes, definitely $5,000 is on the low side. Those who have big results (including part-time or full-time incomes) just had a lot of starting capital in most cases. We’re talking $100,000+ commonly.
Actually, none of the other reviews on Google are by actual students as you can see no screenshots. Only mine. They’re just estimating that she’s challenging to stay on track with in order to share potential downsides of her course (they are agents for other courses FYI but it doesn’t phase me). Now they are slightly accurate in their prediction, I have felt that in some of Sophie’s videos, they aren’t so on point. They are also quite long to get through in most cases. If you put that aside, her marketplace experience really does come through in her training videos.
Not much physical work involved with selling on Amazon, especially no sending out orders unless you choose Fulfillment by Merchant which very few people do. It will always be difficult to make any type of income online especially if it’s time-critical. Reaching $2,000 per month, for most people, is a couple of years away even if they do the work. You earn revenue first before generating a profit.
It’s a long-term play with Amazon which is why there are so few success stories with Sophie Howard’s course and in fact, most of the courses out there. Most people just don’t have the capital though are hopeful that it will all work out. 😬
If you’re looking for a more affordable and lower-risk business model then I’d check out Income School on YouTube which is a completely different strategy. Something that I highly recommend for those who are struggling with the capital side of things but have time on their hands. Plenty of information for free on there. 😃
Hi Joshua, That was an excellent review!
I was convinced by the initial video and call that I wanted to start the course with Sophie – luckily, having mentioned it to my husband i thought to do more research. Tbh, it all does sound too good to be true – even the initial webinar makes it sound like you’re making atleast $1000 dollars in profit after the first month.
Please, can you comment on exactly how much money you think I will need after the payment of the course to get the business going and generate profit.
Also, when you mention ‘hard work’ please can you elaborate on the type of work that will be involved and how hard it will be – I don’t want to leave my day job just yet but I need to know that I will have the time to put in for this side business as well.
These sales videos are really annoying in that they don’t really tell you the real details and just make it sound so wonderful!
Thanks for your comment and question Zainab.
After the payment of the course, you’ll need at least $5,000 USD and ideally $10,000 in my opinion. Sure, Sophie might say less, but the more capital you have the better. As for profit in the first month of selling, it’s possible but depends on a range of factors. Essentially, if you’re looking for instantly quick cash flow and profitable business model, then it’s only achievable on Amazon FBA if you buy an existing business which requires a significant capital outlay.
Hard work means doing 300 different things to get your business sustainable for the long term. Dealing with your sourcing agent, samples, variations, packaging, trademarks, patents, listing optimization, PPC, inventory management, customer service and much more. Amazon is hard as a business model to get started with, with the good times and relaxing lifestyle coming long after you’ve started (with many people falling off the bandwagon along the way).
Essentially, you need to think long term and sustainability with this as short term results are rarely found.
Hi Joshua, just another question – do you think I can make it by myself without investing in a course – or do you think it’s worth doing?
You pay either way. You’ll pay with your time (months figuring it all out on your own) or pay with your money where someone else like Sophie has already figured out all the steps. Given that you’re putting capital at risk, I wouldn’t feel safe thinking “Hmm I hope I’m doing this right…” and instead invest into my education to avoid an expensive mistake down the road.
Sophie isn’t the only FBA course out there. This one is the best offer available: https://www.workwithjoshua.com/free-amazon-course/
Hi Joshua,
This site is so informative, the more I read the more I learn, thank you! So I am realising that $5/6000 cost to get your product out there is a very conservative estimate! How common is it for your startup costs to run to $100,000 as mentioned in one of your posts & is it entirely possible to keep it below the $10,000 mark?
So, I am quite intrigued by the free Reliable education free course (link above) – before I consider it, I just wondered what is on offer – did you attend the course? I think I saw 5x free videos which I’m guessing will only give enough information to whet your appetite for the fully paid course, is that right? 🙂
I also wondered about the Helium10 – for those of us who’d prefer to spend our money on getting our first product launched as opposed to on a course, is it as good as it says on the tin? Do you think it’s equivalent to Sophie’s course content, but effectively for $97 x2? And for 10% of each month or 50% of the first month, it really sounds too good to be true… or am I being too cynical? Thinking I could opt for the Reliable education freebie course, get some good grounding, then go for the 8 week Helium 10 course at $194 – what do you think? 🤔
Hey Simone, it’s certainly possible to keep it below the $10,000. In fact, this is where most students start. 🙂 The point I’m just making there that it’s the big results and million-dollar success stories that require deep pockets.
Reliable Education course was the 1st one I did years ago and it’s how I got started selling on Amazon. Then people started asking my opinion on other courses and so I bought more courses to learn and compare them to others. In fact, way too many courses that my brain got overwhelmed. 😬 I’ve learned that 1 course is enough and they all have enough content to at least give you the basics. Some are more evolved than others in terms of their content delivery, educator experience, student calibre and live events.
Helium10 (Freedom Ticket) is a good course and enough for you to get a product live. There is great content there, but as Kevin doesn’t really make much coin with it nowadays, he hasn’t put in as much as some other course creators. The reason it’s cheap is that they wanted to get more people on to the software who can’t afford the full-on training courses with events, community and the like. As I get plenty of people on the blog who have so little capital to get started, I display that offer quite prominently in the ‘Free Course’ tab on my site as a great alternative. I like showing that offer (and my 50% off coupon is a gift) as it’s more ethical to help someone with limited funds to get started down that pathway.
Reliable Education’s free course actually runs for a few hours with some great product ideas shown and some initial FBA training. Your approach of taking their freebie version then going on to Helium10 is a good idea. That’s what people often tend to do actually. 😃 Where Sophie is better is the live conferences and coaching calls which are offered complimentary, and the whole feel is more toned down and easier going. As you’re likely a beginner to the world of online business, I still believe that Sophie could be quite helpful to help speed up your journey.
Hi Joshua, thanks for your prompt response. I also have a gut feeling that Sophie will be a good fit & in fact the sales guy sent another email yesterday reminding me of this, stating that a lot of their competitors sell “the same software program for the same product from China which ends up with price wars & no profit” – is this the case with the Helium 10 guys? Do they gear their training only towards China, or do they teach you to go off the beaten path & source unusual products from other countries? I have to say the latter approach is what drew me to Sophie.
I note your comments also regarding Kevin, but I also wondered, in the absence of coaching calls, were you able to get any form of telephonic one-to-one support from kevin or his team when launching your product or otherwise, or was this only done through a Facebook group or some other medium?
I am currently on a career break & prior to covid-19 was in the process of setting up a freelance consultancy, hence the need to diversify. I am swaying towards Sophie’s course, but just need to be mindful of the rising costs. In your view, with the 8 week Helium 10 course, as a total beginner to e-commerce, do you get the relevant support & guidance to comprehend the world of Amazon, conquer the private labelling concept, develop rapport with suppliers etc & successfully launch your first product on a budget of $5-10k? 🤔
Hi Simone, yeah Freedom Ticket really leans towards China and not much in other countries. China is still a great place to source from.
You won’t get any support at all from Kevin’s team apart from entering a generic Facebook group which is mostly full of newbies. There is an upsell if you want to get coaching but not sure on the price (likely several thousand). And while there’s enough to get your product launched, you won’t get access to live events but it will obviously be cheaper.
Kevin is better for the self-motivated person who has the motivation to go solo, while Sophie is better for support and guidance for beginners (her training, her summits and her support is all geared for beginners), while Adam is better for motivated business owners.
From what I see, Sophie sounds like the best option for you to really get yourself going, as well as to connect with others in person (once COVID-19 restrictions lift) at her live events.
Hi Josh,
Thank you for your honest article and also taking the time to reply to each and every one of the comments!
I just had a Bly Sky sales call today and am waiting for some money to come through to sign up to the course.
My question to you is – with the COVID-19 crisis at the moment, yes obviously everyone is in quarantine in the US and Amazon sales are way up so it seems like I good time to get started, but I am worried it will be difficult as a noob to try to begin sourcing products now that basically the whole world has shut down… What are your thoughts or experience with this?
Cheers,
Nathalie
Hi Nathalie, thanks for your feedback.
Yes, now is a good time to get started in learning about how to sell products on Amazon FBA. China is still manufacturing because otherwise, their economy basically stops. As a country, their work ethic is pretty intense from my 4 visits there over the last 2 years, so they’ll keep charging through the tough times. That’s China. I can’t comment on other countries as I don’t yet source in Indonesia/Nepal/India etc.
It seems China are really getting back into full production over these next 2 months so once people finish the course, getting samples and ordering bulk products shouldn’t be too much of an issue. I’m even able to get samples now whereas 5 weeks ago I was repeatedly told “No sorry Mr Smith, we are too busy” as I’m trying to launch a new product as we speak, so that’s very reassuring. A bit more challenging to get a bulk order, but certainly not impossible. Just depends on order volumes.
Thanks for your response Josh. Do you think that sales will eventually go down due to the economic impacts of the virus on millions of Americans?
I guess it depends on the type of product you choose, right?
Hi Nathalie, I’ve replied to your email (that had this same question) yesterday. It should be in your inbox. 🙂
The money is still in America. People are just more selective on where they spend their money right now and are choosing needs instead of wants. So essentially, sales are already down for some sellers. You like, like selling barbeque accessories, soccer balls or 10-piece dinner sets probably isn’t the best idea right now due to social distancing. Some sellers are making a fortune right now too and it isn’t just cleaning/antibacterial products from what I’ve seen. Home exercise products are doing extremely well as are school accessories.
With any slowdown, it’s precedented by a lift up. Give it a year or two and I imagine it will be business as usual globally. Not only that, but people are now much more accustomed to buying things online instead of wasting 20 minutes driving down to and from the local store. I had no idea that you could buy toilet paper online until this all started.
I believe we’re going for another big growth on Amazon over the next 3 years. 2014 to 2017 was the first round of stellar growth. Given how long it takes for most people to launch a product (often 6 to 12 months), the timing to get started learning how to sell on FBA is pretty well perfect.
Hey Josh, Thank you for you great review which is extremely helpful. I find myself in a odd situation which you maybe able to point me in the right direction. I purchased Sophies course a few years ago when she first started and it was I think just pre or just post her working with Knowledge Source. Unfortunately I have not been able to act on it due to work commitments but my motivation at the time was I knew there would be a window that will open up and I will be able to get into it big time. Well that wind is now here as due to the virus it looks like I will not be working for the next 6 months, so the time is now regards making a Amazon income. Now the course has had some additional elements added to it which I feel would be VERY beneficial being the Coaching Calls and the Summit. I contacted Knowledge Source and suggested I pay the price of the course LESS what I originally paid enabling me to get access to these additional elements. Knowledge Sources response was that I need to pay for the entire course again! Not happy as they want me to pay for something I already have being the engine room of Sophies course, the ‘Navigator’. Oh and she also has now on the course the KINDLE program of which I paid for separately as well (I didn’t even go into this with Knowledge Source). So I’m sure you would appreciated the disappointment I feel with Knowledge Source. So that’s the back ground. Q: do you have any contacts or suggestions on how I can access the coaching calls and the summit. I am not expecting to get them for free as these are added extras to what I originally paid for. Thank you in advance. Regards Roger
Hey Roger, sorry to hear about your disappointment with Knowledge Source. You’re right – now is the time to take action and start learning the process as many of us have time.
It does suck that you can’t simply pay the balance between what you originally paid and what the price is now. Your suggestion to them is exactly what I would’ve done too. It’s a win-win for everyone.
At the same time, great to hear that you still want to stay on board. The coaching and summits are very beneficial and do separate Sophie’s course beyond just watching some videos at home like other courses.
I’ll see if I can pull some strings for you. Stay tuned!
Hey Joshua, thank you so much for sharing your ahhh-mazing content! For a newbie like me considering Amazon selling for the first time, it has been invaluable. I’ve looked at a few YouTube videos on becoming an Amazon seller, but decided to go one step further with Sophie’s blue sky academy as something she said appealed, I think it was the “weird & wonderful”/low competition approach she favours. So I spoke to one of her coaches yesterday & as you have outlined in your blog, the course sounds pretty cool. However at a cost of $3995 + a further $2000 for your first product, it’s not to be sniffed at. I spoke to a chap called Drew Smith who who spoke at a 1000 words a second, but sounded pleasant enough. We exchanged a few follow-up emails yesterday & he’s already called & sent me another email today. I do need to consider all my options & give is serious thought however & don’t want to feel pressurised into making a decision.
My question is this: it’s good to research & get clued up, for eg. I am not familiar with the wholesale & retail arbitrage strategies & wondered if Sophie’s course cover these? It is not possible to have all those boxes ticked before throwing yourself into a new venture like this – so in your experience, when is a good time to knock the old “analysis-paralysis” in the head & just make a decision??
Thanks, Simone.
Hey Simone, thanks so much for the feedback! I get a lot of praise but the first time I received “ahhh-mazing!” 😁 Thank you. And really great to hear you’ve spoken to someone who isn’t pressuring you to sign up and is answering questions.
As for your question: Sophie doesn’t really go into retail arbitrage and brands have really tightened their grip on this. That is – they don’t want you selling their stuff on Amazon/eBay unless you’re an authorized reseller. Years ago this was much easier. Also, like most other Amazon courses, Sophie doesn’t go into wholesale either. This is a very different strategy with lower margins but you can get started a bit quicker.
The best time to make a decision and get started is when you’ve found the educator that best resonates with you. That could very well be Sophie or someone else. That is best done sooner rather than later since much of the world is at home right now with time on their hands. With coaching calls available for all students, Sophie is a very good choice for beginners who need some direct help and guidance along the way.
Hi Joshua, Great reviews, extremely helpful! I would value your input on the following. I will be doing either Sophies course or Adams and at this stage it is the toss of a coin. My dilemma is that I purchased Product University (Sophies Course) just when she started and it was for a life time membership. But due to work commitments I have had not started on it, however that has all now changed due Corona Virus. I now have 6 months where I can really get my teeth into it. The problem is that what I purchased Sophies Product University it did not include the Summit live event or the 6 coaching calls of which I think would be very beneficial for someone starting out? Now that Sophie runs everything via Knowledge Source I approached them to see if I could pay the balance of approx $3,000 so I could access the Summit and the Coaching Calls and was told and I para phrase here ‘bad luck we cannot split those items up so you will need to pay the $3995″ My response was ‘feel that this is a bit rough as I already have the engine room of the package being the Course itself because with out this the other things are useless’. Again I was met with ‘you will have to pay the $3995’. This is a big expense for something I already have and I would rather put that money into my product. So I am considering going with Adam as given my experience with Knowledge Source I am not a big fan. 1: Would it be worth still doing Sophies Course with out the Summit and Couching Calls?. 2: Do you have any suggestions or contact regards me trying to pay the extra for the Summit and Coaching Calls?. 3: with out the Summit and Coaching Calls would I be better off going with Adam? Bottom line is I have 6 months to really get into The Amazon world and set my self up with a good foundation to move forward in this world and I want to make this 6 months as productive as possible. Thank you in advance for your input as it is really valued. Regards Roger. You are welcome to call me if that is easier.
Hi Roger, thanks for the feedback. I replied to your previous disappointments with Knowledge Source which maybe you haven’t seen yet. Also, I’ve slightly edited your comment to remove your mobile number right at the end as I don’t think you want random phone calls from others. 😉
To answer your questions:
1. Yes definitely worthwhile just using what you’ve already got. Given the current situation, we just don’t know how long until the next convention with anyone will be happening. So yes, Blue Sky Amazon without the coaching and calls is better than nothing at all.
2. The team hasn’t replied to me yet given it’s the 1st day back from Easter. Hopefully, I can get this sorted for you but can’t promise anything. I know they don’t like me so much as I’m not super positive about Sophie’s course. Well, most-so the way it’s advertised and the way people are treated. The content itself is great.
3. You’ve already got yourself started with a course. Adam’s is better if you’re business-minded and want to work with a higher calibre group of people. But again – you already have the resources to learn and make a start. Down the track you can upgrade to Adam’s course if you feel you need it, and I know several people who have done this.
To be honest, them saying no to your offer of $3,000 is crazy! Especially in this economy and it’s so close to the actual course price. I’m sure their expenses for 6x coaching and 1x conference ticket wouldn’t cost them more than this. So hang tight, hopefully I can get this sorted for you.
Great Blog. Thank you.
I had an “interview” call last night with one of Sophie’s team who was presented to me in email as an “Amazon Income Expert”.
The call was presented as an “opportunity” to see if I was an eligible fit. Immediately I’m confused….you want my ££££££ but you also want to gate keep? A Private Members club in London might do this, but an online course?
Here’s where I am at:
1) I’m UK based and I started the call expecting to get ZERO detail on methodology and techniques – I was open to the fact it would be a sales call. Anything is would be naive.
2) The emails and texts that bombed my phone and in-box before the call were purporting to be from Sophie herself (but I’m relaxed in assuming they are auto generated content). They are very poorly written and overwhelmingly sales based. Not a good start IMHO.
3) The call was cringe-worthy. For example, I asked the Amazon Sales Expert about who regulated Sophie’s “Academy” and was informed that: “Australia regulates the academy and they are very strict.” Seriously? The lack of regulatory knowledge is a true marker for concern.
4) Frequently the Amazon Sales Expert would throw out alluring facts about “7 figure” incomes and that sort of thing, but when pressed, was able to provide absolutely no detail, including what currency those incomes were in ….I need to know, because some of face financial repatriation issues etc etc.
5) This whole thing smacks of One Coin in a BIG way! Selling educational packages, with hazy details about where the success lies but promises of making it big as part of a community that shuns skepticism and heralds the echo chamber of success.
6) My call was with an “Amazon Sales Expert” but she admitted that whilst she was selling some products via FBA, she was actually doing better pushing Sophie’s courses.
7) I was quoted $3,995 for the course but again, there was no clarity on whether this was in US or AU. Oh, and the price was touted as follows: “Normally the course retails for $10,000 but today we can offer you a discount and provide it to you for $3,995.” …… oh…OK.
8) The best nugget I got from my call was that Sophie did NOT actively market her first brand (tea). She was approached and she got her break – credit to her for closing the transaction, it’s brilliant. BUT I think that it is imperative that we all understand that most companies don’t just get scouted and bought.
I’ll keep going with my research into this course. I might even buy the book.
I do want to sell via FBA, but the screaming lack of professionalism around this course and the overwhelming sales tone doesn’t rest easy with me.
Again, Joshua – thank you for your blog.
Hi Edward, great to hear about your direct experiences. I agree – they certainly can be way more professional in their approach on the front end. The course is very good but their damaging Sophie’s reputation by going straight into a pitch.
I believe it’s best to lead with value first and foremost. Imagine if they switched to spending the bulk of the calls sharing Amazon product ideas, where to source and how to source then I believe it would be more helpful for both sides. And sure – some people might walk away with some free info and might never buy the course, but I’m willing to bet that more people would see their professionalism and trust be willing to invest their time and money to become part of the community.
Seems like some random guy on the internet (me) has built more trust than these callers. Thanks for raising your points too as I laughed at #4 😅 and reminds me of a quote I heard recently: “I’m a 9-figure Amazon seller…but don’t tell ’em it’s just in Indonesian Rupiah!”.
At the end of the day, building online businesses is hard work, whether that’s Amazon or anything else. 10+ years in the personal development industry and being part of such events shows me that most people are looking for quick wins and instant success. A few do make it and certainly there are success stories within Blue Sky Amazon, but it seems on the front end, most people (both potential students and the sales team) aren’t being realistic on what it actually takes to succeed.
Hi Joshua
I have an update.
I eventually received another email containing links to videos of webinars that Sophie’s team were conducting, and one of Sophie herself which must have been recent as it cited Covid19. This email was my homework ahead of a second call with the Amazon Sales Expert.
So……
1) I’ve made a conscious decision not to proceed on the course. If I am missing content that will help me, then this is more the fault of the on-boarding process than anything else. (As you say, it’s best to lead with value first and accept that some losses will probably be outweighed by greater gains of trust and revenue.)
2) One video was a webinar of a consultant in the US working for Sophie. He was asking two participants to respond to some questions. I’m no shrink, but the language and structure of the call was fascinating – ultimately, the participants were guided into a very strong sales drive (to join the course), but the webinar actually yielded very little for them.
A quick search reveals that one of the participants is back in her old line of work – did FBA pan out for her? Not sure, but it doesn’t look like it.
3) The video of Sophie was centred around how now is a brilliant time to start on FBA because Covid19 is driving sales.
This is the moral indicator I think I was looking for. When the boss declares overtly and happily that an opportunity exists BECAUSE of Covid19 – at a time when people around the world are straining financially, health wise and socially – it speaks volumes about the moral compass of the leadership and the business.
Sure, set up on FBA now.
Sure, it probably IS a good time, if you can catch the wave – but Sophie says herself that it generally takes up to a year sometimes before you get up and going remember?
I just don’t think a great play should be made of global circumstances right now.
4) Video 3 was a sneak peak into the portal element of the course. This really didn’t yield much. It showed – I think – less than 10 mentors that participants could work with. Which speaks volumes about, either, a) course participant levels being low OR b) that real time with mentor input will be scarce.
I went into this eyes wide open and I would have signed up if I was satisfied with information provided.
I’m going to continue with FBA (as opposed to Shopify), and I am expecting a lot of bruises along the way!
Thanks for your blog Joshua – and hats off to you for your FBA success.
Edward
Hi Edward, I highly agree and slightly disagree.
I agree that driving course sales during COVID19 isn’t ethical. People are hopeful and desperate for money and Amazon is NOT a good short-term solution. It’s 2 to 3 years minimum for a full-time income and 3 to 5 years on average. For those on a tight budget, it’s even longer. Then people don’t realize how much market exposure they’ll need to be successful over the long term. I’ll still be doing FBA in 10 to 15 years as I’m not looking for instant retirement (despite already having success on FBA) and have no desire to fall short.
But on the other hand, it is genuinely a great time to get started. The world is quickly transitioning to online sales and most people are stuck at home too. So yes, a good time to get started, but only for those where Amazon is something where people want to commit to for the next 5 years at least and have the capital to do so without burden. It’s slow, expensive and time-consuming to breakthrough and become successful. Like anything, it gets easier the more you practice.
Which brings me to the point on student success. The course is new (around 18 months) and given how long it takes to become profitable, it’s hard to find people (yet) who have had a solid run. The mentors have been Amazon sellers typically for 4+ years now and statistically, based on what I’ve seen in the industry, most people just won’t put in the effort. So even over the next couple of years, there are only going to be maybe a few hundred students that generate a good part-time income through selling online. Only a few dozen will reach a full-time income and typically, have started with a large capital base paired with a solid mindset.
I do like that you’ve shared your perspective Edward and it’s somewhat like the elephant in the room, right? It’s also good to see that you’re still keen on FBA as a business model and there are some great alternative educators out there that might serve you better. 👍
Hi Joshua,
I’m in the UK and thinking of doing Sophie’s course too. I’m just a bit put off by having nothing that feels concrete, my only personalised connection being a phone call with Jon from Australia and being expected to give my credit card details over the phone with nothing to show for it. He was a booked call from her webinar session. I’d like to have the course outline sent to me formally and a more formal payment system as a few hours now after the call this hasn’t come through to my email asId requested. He said he was in Australia, Melbourne and Knowledge Source. Hmmm But is it legit? Seems scammy.
Any opinions? And who exactly are you please? Ha x
Hi Philippa, good to hear from you. Sophie’s course has 6,000+ genuine students so it’s very much a real thing, with a few thousand of these in Australia as well as the UK and US. It would be good to have a more concrete payment system instead of credit cards over the phone.
As for me, I’ve been running this as a personal development and small online business blog since 2011. I advocate that online businesses are hard and take a lot of time to see results with. I’ve done Sophie’s course and enjoyed it, but their upfront sales strategy isn’t so good.
Hey Joshua,
As I’m new to the world of Amazon FBA selling I’m trying to do as much research as I can to ascertain the best training course to get me started & I came across another Amazon trainer by the name of Oliver Denyer – did you try his course by any chance? In his Private Label Launch Roadmap course, he claims to teach you all you’ll need to know to select a winning product, how to get it launched successfully, select a reliable supplier, negotiate a good price, ship the product etc etc He’ll even throw in a free 90 minute advance training video showing you how to grow your Amazon business. All of this for $297 reduced to just $7!! Sounds too good to be true to me & am wondering what your opinion is?
If you took the course, was the training purely video training which students complete by themselves, if so how many hours is it/how long would it take to complete? Does he offer any coaching calls at all or interactive webinars/zoom calls? Is it the FBA method that he teaches & I was wondering if he covers sourcing products from other places like India, Africa or is the focus mainly on China?
Ultimately I guess I’m just wondering whether there’s sufficient content in the training video to guide a newbie from selecting a great product to making that first sale on Amazon?
Whatever info you’re able to share will as always be appreciated Joshua! 🙏🏽
Thank you 🙂
Hi Simone, I haven’t done Oliver Denyer’s training and I don’t vibe well with him. But that’s just me and I imagine that some of his students really do work well with him. I checked out his Facebook page last year which had very little traction or reviews. I like that he’s got 5.5k subscribers which gives you a good feel for what he has to offer before going further.
I think the questions could be best answered by him or his team. Better still, it’s only $7 so I think it’s safe enough to buy and see what’s actually there. 🙂
Hi mate… thanks for all the info here
What surprises me is that all the comments out there are from people who are newbies and about to start and all Sophie student stories are published by herself.
Apart from you I would like to see comments of her students. Surely there are some who haven’t succeeded . But it seems to be very difficult to find such info on the web! What are your thoughts?
Hi Manoosh, good observation and yes it’s largely newbies here. I’m preparing them for the realities of selling on Amazon or building any type of online business.
As the course is newer, it takes time for people to build traction. The majority of people won’t “succeed” because of the amount of work involved in the long term.
Inside her student-only Facebook group, there is actually a lot of traction and comments. You just won’t find these people randomly commenting on blogs and such.
This is the case with most courses as people have limited time and are already past the “must research this training course” stage in their journey.
Thanks for providing all the information Joshua.
On her public webinar Sophie says it would cost about $6000 (i guess AUD) to join her course and launch a product. Does that make sense to you? I guess it would be a very cheap product?
Thanks
Hi Eli, appreciate the feedback. The price of the course in Australia appears to be now locked in at $3,997 AUD which sounds about right for a program like this.
This leaves $2,000 to launch a product. Yes, you can launch a cheap product with such little invested but as for building a profitable and sustainable business, it’s going to be very very hard unless you’re thinking long term (5 to 7 years) to see results from such a little commitment. Some people do get started with so little and will use the lump sum capital that comes over time (tax returns, company bonus etc) to help them build their business but that’s dependant on individual circumstances.
I recommend $5k USD minimum and $10k USD ideally for your starting capital for those really serious about results. Most of the big sellers among the Amazon groups that I’m in, and indeed several Sophie’s own students with results, have started with much more.
Hi Joshua,
Thank you for your insightful review of Sophie’s course. Like everyone else her I am tossing up between Sophies and Adams Courses. I am torn between both at the moment. I like the idea of a smaller audience with Sophie and the fact that it has been mentioned that she is better for ‘beginners”. I have made the decision to do one of these courses but I sat through a ‘live webinar’ last night of Adams which really struck a chord with me as well. My concern is that his course is targeting people who have experience in this field? I have a small amount of experience with suppliers in China as we used to have a lighting business. Would this be enough experience to do Adams course? I am concerned that I will be in over my head, but maybe not? Thank you Brooke
Hi Brooke, thanks for your feedback and question. I actually think Adam’s is spot on for where you are. A previous offline business is quite normal for Adam’s students and only a small percentage have built online businesses prior.
Also, not everyone in Adam’s course has built a business before but many have had exposure to personal development or have a corporate background. As in – they generally just get stuff done and don’t need any coaching/mentoring.
It’s interesting as I’ve seen the massive opportunities surrounding lighting and indoor fans on Amazon. Everyone needs one and if they upgrade their home, they generally need more than 1 unit – often 4 to 8 given how big US homes are.
Hi Joshua,
Thank you so much for sharing genuine and reliable content. Only your blog, thus far, seems to hold a massive lot of information about FBA selling courses, their comparison.
Today I received a call from KS. The conversation was smooth and I was told the current course fee is AUD$3990 for a one-time payment with two complimentary tickets to the Seller Conference and a bunch of multiple income stream bonuses like the ones you have mentioned above + Sophie’s private label supplier and her business contact details. The other option was AUD$831×6 months = $4990 with only a complimentary ticket and a partner ticket to be purchased for $990. (Too expensive I reckon?). For now, I was told the course include 8×1 hour coaching sessions. For now, I received an e-mail for follow-up.
When I asked the caller if $6000 would suffice, she said yes as they believe we start with a small quantity, do not take much risk, and feed the profits onto buying more products later. Is this really possible with the amount of competition…especially as this course gears towards low-mid-valued products?
Having researched further, I am now torn between choosing RE and Product University Joshua. Need your insights here please:
1. I watched Adam’s free videos and I have to say he is amazing. His presentation, enthusiasm, and realistic expectations are indeed practical, I feel. I am an organised person, no wonder his course mindmap in the free webinar looks fascinating and provides a step-by-step approach. Is this the same with Sophie’s? Is there a specific sequence to her course?
2. One major thing that bothers me is the lack of extensive online presence for Sophie Howard/Product University. Comparatively, Adam’s RE page is flocked and is up-to-date. I saw a recommendation or a review or a post until a couple of days back. However, Sophie’s FB page is bare, not pulsating with inspiration or much info sharing. Can you actually provide a link for the Product University FB page Joshua? I don’t seem to find one. When I asked the caller today about this, she said it’s private. But I guess we can take a sneak peak even at a private FB page right? Been long since I was on FB, not sure if things have changed?
3. I am a stay-at-home mum with no background in e-commerce or business whatsoever. But I do grasp things quick. Do you reckon RE is a better choice for me or should I stick to PU?
4. I know RE goes for ZonGuru. Does Sophie suggest any specific software in her course? Either way I should purchase a subscription on ZonGuru or JungleScout right?
5. Live events…When I asked the caller from KS about the number of live events Sophie covers annually, she said it depends and she does not have a number right now. Probably COVID issues? Or does RE cover better live events?
Thanks so much for your patience and goodwill Joshua.
Hi Ramya, thanks so much for the feedback!
Yes, my blog is the only one as I’m the only one selling on Amazon lol. The other blogs are by people who haven’t bought and taken Sophie’s course and simply take people into other alternative business models.
I’m not sure if you’re in Australia or not? $6,000 AUD is barely enough to become profitable but certainly enough to get your feet wet and learn the ropes. I recommend $5,000 USD minimum but ideally $10,000 USD if people want to see genuine results from a product launch. Got $40k and above? Even better. I’m the only person leading with such high numbers as I know what it actually takes and the success stories simply had a lot of starting capital. I think for most people they’re looking to replace an income with the Amazon business model and it’s wise to know capital expectations upfront as this is a real business requiring real risk.
1. Yes, Adam’s is certainly incredible but it’s only designed for the organized action-taker as there is no phone coaching included but the Facebook community is a fantastic incubator. Sophie has a great sequence to her course and SOPs but the layout can be much more improved. If Sophie took Adam’s course to simply see how he’s levelled up then she could massively improve her training program layout and structure as it feels a bit like 2007, not 2020. Someone the other day commented to me that it feels like a school project and I laughed. But look – her actual individual training videos are solid and analytical with less emotion and more metrics (she’s a fan of the numbers), it’s just that she could really improve the brand experience for students. It just feels…monotone? I’m not sure if that’s the right word to describe it. For many of her existing students, the course still has served them fine as they have nothing to compare it to.
2. Yeah, Adam’s course is well established now with extensive social media following and lots of Facebook reviews. You can actually follow him on Instagram (@adamhudsonofficial) for daily updates but like you, I don’t use social media that much. Sophie’s team could definitely put a lot more effort into their social media. This is Sophie’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SophieHoward.Amazon and they haven’t activated the review tab. I’m thinking they might get too many trolls leaving 1-star reviews on her course since the YouTube ads are being blasted like crazy I hear.
3. Tough call. There are a lot of stay-at-home mums in RE actually but the same is true for BSA as well. Are you resourceful to use the training and make things happen? That’s most RE students. Do you think you’ll need help and a real person to talk to? That’s most BSA students. After considering the resources offered in each, I think go with the course and community that feels most true and genuine to you.
4. Yeah, Zonguru is recommended in RE but honestly, you can use anything as they all work reasonably well yet none are perfect. I’m less reliant on software nowadays but when I started they are definitely needed even for just the first few months. Sophie used to suggest JungleScout but now recommends the more expensive Helium10 software. I tend to agree as H10 has gone 3x beyond what JS offered but you’re only paying 40% more.
5. In 2019 I think there were 3 or 4 live events for Sophie’s enrolled students with several hundred people in each, but remember this was split over the United States, Australia and New Zealand. I think Australia had 2? Not 100% sure. There are no live events in the UK yet but there would’ve been if the world was still normal. Going forward I believe this trend of 3 to 4 live events per year will continue once COVID is sorted… but don’t quote me on that. 🙂 While there’s a renewed sense of optimism in the world, I know a lot of the event organizers (education companies, trade shows etc) are holding off until they get a clear signal which is why the caller doesn’t have confirmation right now. RE has epic events which are a premium experience, but as I haven’t been to a BSA event yet I can’t really compare them properly.
Anyway, hope that helps! Both courses are great but serve different types of students. Simply choose the one that feels right for you.
My sincere thanks for your quick reply Joshua!
I live in Australia. USD$10,000 is hard to come by but I am glad you are laying down the facts and not giving offhand, impractical figures. Wish I had 40k though:)
1. and 2. I have to give some thought to the ‘monotone’ element. I believe social media presence is everything. There may be frequent questions around the selling process and I presume 8 hours of coaching at a set time is fine, but does not do justice completely. I would rather prefer a regular option to clarify my doubts.
3. I am a thorough researcher and do not need a real person to talk to. Thanks again for making this clarification!
4. Wasn’t aware of Helium10. Will take a look.
5. Aaha! Seriously, those RE events add so much jazz and inspiration.
I hope to come to a decision soon.
We owe you so much for sharing and advising around the selling!
Once again so darn glad I stumbled upon your informative blog:)
Thank you so much Joshua for all your amazing feedback. You Rock!! I am very thankful I stumbled across you blog.
Ramya – it sounds like I am in a similar situation as you. The cash outlay is a serious consideration for me. I have done well over 50 hours of research on the best course for me and am leaning toward Sophie’s however I have the same concerns as you. I was also considering the Freedom Plan with the Helium 10 platinum software purchase just to leave me more capital to launch products faster and more effectively. I am organized and want a well organized, dynamic program. I do like the idea of the mentorship in Sophie’s course as I am brand new to online marketing. However, I am very self motivated having been in the corporate sales world for many years & having previously owned and sold my own brick & morter company. I’d be interested if you have made a decision. Let us know ! 🙂
Hello Aimee,
It seems you have done a serious amount of research into the choice of courses. It’s a relief to share space with someone who is extremely diligent and does lots of research before investing such a huge sum of money. I do not have any business background and currently lack a bit of capital. To be in line with Joshua’s remarks on the capital, I guess I need at least $15k for starters. I am not happy with the $6k quote from Sophie since there are a lot of costs involved post choosing a product and actually launching it. Investing only $6k seems dicey to me! I obviously would not want to invest too less, buy cheap products, and fall into the trap of high competition, lack of sales, and ending up paying storage fees to Amazon for nothing. I guess if I had some business experience and a decent capital, I would go for RE. Just a thought! 🙂
May I suggest an alternative business model? I’ve been building a portfolio of cashflow producing websites (aka digital assets) for almost a decade in different niches. Selling on Amazon is still my side hustle outside of building content on these other sites and doing client work. 🙂 Selling on Amazon doesn’t take so much time during the week (7 hours out of 55) but it certainly does take capital and playing a long game.
The strategy is much less capital intensive BUT requires much more time-input and patience than an Amazon FBA business. It’s essentially a trade-off. Really slow going initially but great if you have time on your hands (10 hours per week minimum I recommend, preferably more). Quite honestly, you’ll only need $1k max.
If you’re keen then look up Income School on YouTube and watch like 20 episodes. Despite my experience, I still learned a few things from these guys and even bought their course too. Beginners can learn heaps for free as Jim and Ricky who run the channel don’t really hold much back. 👍 This strategy is a bit HARDER than selling on FBA since it requires writing a lot of content, but for those limited with starting capital, makes a good viable alternative if you have the tenacity to stick to it.
thank you for that idea Joshua!! I checked it out. Definitely something I might be also interested in doing if my current furlough situation continues. I did end up registering for amazing selling machine. I had signed up for a webinar that Matt Clark and Damen Johnson were doing and they offered a tremendous deal. $4K USD with 30 day refund AND they guarantee to buy back up to $5K worth of product if it doesn’t work out as long as you follow the program and launch your 1st product in 4 months. That sealed the deal for me!! My main concern was overall cashflow esp if my 1st product didn’t work out. I want to dive into the ASM program and get rolling but this looks very interesting and something else I might want to do if I don’t return back to work soon. I have some idea that could be fruitful. 🙂
Wow, that’s a pretty epic deal! Launching your 1st product in 4 months will be tough but with $5k worth of inventory on offer certainly will help students stay motivated.
Good to know Joshua that I need to get started fast and get on the ball to launch my first product. the only part I’m concerned about is not having the individual coach like Sophies course has but aparently they have some sort of mentorship program. Hoping they are helpful as i’m a complete beginner. good news is i have 30 days to see how I like it.
Thanks for the Income School mention Joshua!
@Aimee, that is a really good deal. I love their buy back option…seems definitive. Thank you for sharing this! And good luck with the study:)
Good luck to you too Ramya!!
Hi Joshua
Thanks for all of the information you have offered here. I am right on the cusp of signing up to Sophie’s course as becoming an Amazon seller is something I feel like I have to do and grab a piece of the pie. Plus I have been selling on eBay for many years on and off as a side income. But I need something to help me go full-time with it and Sophie’s course seems like a good way forward. Obviously the sales team and the initial webinars will sugarcoat it all a bit, but they say that you will probably need around US$6000 to get your 1st product launched, including the US$4000 course fee. Are you saying that this isn’t at all true? And that you are unlikely to make a profit for the first year? Despite them saying that they practically guarantee your product will sell because of their methodology? Are the people in the webinars simply making false claims and you end up spending a lot more money than they let on?
Your feedback will be very much appreciated. Thank you.
Nadeem
Hi Nadeem, thanks for the feedback!
I believe that $6,000 USD including course costs are just way to low to see tangible results. I imagine that most people are looking at this as a way forward to actually replace their incomes? If yes – then $2k starting capital just isn’t enough. I recommend $5k minimum and $10k ideally. I believe it’s best to start with realistic numbers.
Most people who have become successful have started with much more. There are some isolated examples of people who started with less than $2,000 USD and reinvested over time to later become successful some years later. Within this isolated group, most of them would have had outside capital later come in a year or two into the journey. Let’s say they got a sizeable tax refund, sold their unused boat, sold off an investment property, big inheritance etc. Often you don’t hear about this sudden cash influx and I’m still waiting for my sudden cash influx, but actually, I’m not waiting around for it. I’m working towards building brand equity.
That lack of capital for me is why I’ve struggled to get bigger results with FBA and I imagine the majority of people will go through this exact challenge. I’ve now diverted towards using a very strong SEO strategy to build both my brands instead of relying on simply Amazon as a platform to grow.
So I wouldn’t necessarily say that people on webinars are making false claims. You can start with $2,000 USD sure and you’ll learn the ropes…but as for tangible results? Well, it’s going to just be harder to scale with so little. The more you have, the easier it is…provided students do the research properly and don’t just jump in. You can also make a profit in your first year, but I wouldn’t take that profit off the table for living expenses until year 2 or better, year 3. Most of the money comes actually when you sell the business to cashed-up investors as Sophie did twice. That isn’t likely until years 5 to 10.
Maybe I’m just hugely biased because I’m in the long term thinking (I think of my own business journey in terms of years and decades, not weeks and months) and overlook that some people do become successful so quickly. Or maybe what I’m saying is completely true. You know, it is actually a long term and expensive play. And most people won’t be successful as it’s harder than it looks and they give up way too early, if they even start.
I guess almost 5 years since taking my first FBA course, I’ve learned a few things about student progress. One thing I can say, without a shadow of a doubt, is that results are primarily student-centric, with a combination of strategy, skill, psychology and most importantly – consistent action. While I’ve had *some* success and struggles while having the benefit of starting early, I’m still working every day on this while most people would’ve called it quits.
Hi Joshua
Thanks for all the information you have provided. I am really keen to pursue a future in FBA but sadly have very little money to invest. I would love to join either Sophie or Adam’s course but simply can’t afford to just now.
You posted a few names/courses that you would recommend and suggest steering clear of anyone else however, as I am UK based and see you mention another course (Marketplace Superheroes), that may be better suited to those in the UK. This course is not one of the ones in your initial list of recommendations but they do offer a course for less than £1000 (much more affordable for me).
Would you say this course will offer me enough to get started and contain enough step by step guidance to help me avoid making big mistakes? This would allow me to save more for initial product supplies but I don’t want to waste money on a course that is no use just because it is half the price of say Adams.
I could throw a hundred questions your way but choosing the right course seems to be my main concern at the moment.
Thanks
Barry
Hi Barry, yes I should add Marketplace Superheroes as an alternative to Sophie’s. It’s a great course which I’ve bought and reviewed here:
https://www.workwithjoshua.com/marketplace-superheroes-review/
The problem is though, with such little capital, that you’re going to struggle no matter which course you take. I love that you’re honest about having so little to start with as most people aren’t and think they’ll make it with $1k in the marketplace. As I’ve said a few times, Amazon FBA as a business model is better for those with deeper pockets.
I’m actually going to write up a guide here on the blog showcasing 5 cheaper alternative business models where you could attain a similar end goal without needing to invest so much, so watch this space. 🔥
Thanks for your reply.
I am currently watching the Marketplace Superheroes online intro. I is interesting but they mention about not shipping direct from the manufacturer to Amazon but using them to ship to somewhere pre Amazon… this confuses me as it seems like it would just be adding a ‘middle man’ which would be an extra cost. Does that sound right to you? Its the first I’ve heard that being suggested so I am unsure about it.
I do find it all a bit confusing as I get geared up for trying FBA then I see an ad saying FBA doesn’t work and I should be thinking of dropshipping and high ticket items only. It starts to get difficult knowing who is the real deal and who is talking nonsense.
Whats your thoughts on these type of conflicting messages?
Thanks again,
Barry
Yes they mention using a 3PL. This is actually common in other courses but most don’t mention them in an intro.
With 3PL’s, they can be hugely beneficial if you want to drip-feed stock into Amazon. Since Amazon charges so much for storage, you can ship to these 3rd party distribution centres for storage until you’re getting low on stock. Also – they can properly palletize stock which the Chinese factories struggle with. I recently had them load my cartons on to plastic pallets which is a big no-no for Amazon distribution centres. The challenges is that 3PL’s are only effective once you’re at a higher volume and if you’re just starting out, just send to Amazon directly. That’s all I do even if it costs me a bit more as I don’t want another step in the sequence. I’ve got no problem with paying middlemen if I still have good profits.
FBA works. Drop shipping works. Niche sites work. SaaS businesses work. It all works. They’re all also quite challenging and competitive for the most part, unless you’re breaking something to the market which is freaking amazing! Most of the competition is in the copy-cat space though. I’ve noticed that drop shipping generally attracts those who are quite financially challenged but as a result, you also get many more people with time on their hands able to discover product opportunities.
With any pursuit, you’ve just got to outwork the rest.
Hi Joshua
I really appreciate for sparing your precious time to offer free information for people like me who envision to make extra income but do not know where to start who to trust in this days.
I first watched Sophie’s Amazon ads and found it interesting as a business mind person wanted to give it a try. I am not a person who just jump on to the wagon i like to make some researches before making a decision, as most people mention her review introduced me to your page.
My question is do you know Davith Meng? could you please give information about him regarding the amazon business. Here is his link https://www.fba-academy.com/precall
I am not new to the business but i do not have enough capital right now but i very much motivated and i know there are up and downs in business. I do not expect income flow the next day, right now i am registered as a seller with amazon and waiting for there final approval in couple of days.
I know i have to attend a course to be successful i red your comparison between Adam and Sophie the 3rd one in my list is Davith Meng.
Hope i get the right info from you. by the way i am from Canada.
Regards,
Kasahun
Hi Kasahun,
Thanks so much for your feedback. I don’t know Davith Meng and nothing comes up anywhere online, though that video is by a different guy called David Zaleski who has an established YouTube following. Seems great! Going by his YouTube content, he’s experienced and checks out as legitimate. 🙂 It seems on the surface that they offer is a Done For You system which doesn’t really teach you the nuts and bolts. Essentially they do the initial work for you. As there is a bigger labour cost involved, you can expect that to be expensive and wouldn’t surprise me if it’s $20,000+ USD. Still worth enquiring to get a quote and ask questions on how they operate. If it feels good, then go for it!
These Done For You packages are fantastic for those who have a lot of capital but lack the time. Essentially, the basics (website setup, supplier negotiations, product sourcing, listing optimization and photography etc) can be built for you in the background while you’re at work. There will still be an inventory cost and given the expense of Done For You services, I’d recommend an additional $30k USD minimum on reserve to launch several products to make the initial cost of these services worthwhile. $100k is even better. Plus I still recommend a course to learn the ropes once the handover is done.
It seems like you, like many, would be priced out of a service like this and will need to take additional time to do the groundwork yourself. I’m always concerned too when others are picking products for you since you’re reliant on them to get things right, so that’s why a course is still recommended. You can double-check their work. I’m still looking for the perfect Canadian-based Amazon course that I can recommend but it’s slim pickings at the moment??! 🤔 Surely there has to be some good options out there. 🤷♂️
Hi Joshu
I really really appreciate for you 911 response to my question one more thing do i need to create or have a website in order to sell on amazon?
Again Much appreciation
It’s certainly helpful and highly recommended as it shows professionalism when dealing with suppliers. You can setup WordPress websites pretty easily and cheaply nowadays.
Hi Joshua, great blog, thank you.
Have read a lot of the comments from others – they are all really useful.
I am at the point of deciding to start an on-line business using Amazon FBA and was potentially looking at Sophie’s course as a starting point.
I live in the Middle East, although I am from the UK originally.
My question is, would Sophie’s course be the right one for me – you say she focuses on Aus, NZ and the USA (and hopefully the UK soon), would it make any difference where I am based ?
| do like the initial one-to-one support she offers from her team.
I have have a corporate sales background and have capital to invest within the rages you have mentioned, so this would hopefully provide a solid foundation for the business. I have also run a bricks and mortar manufacturing company previously a while ago, so have this experience to leverage too.
I’d very much appreciate your opinion on this taking into account your own experiences of where the various courses are focused as to which would be the best one for me.
Just want to make sure I give myself the best chance possible to succeed.
Thanks Joshua.
Hi Roger thanks for the feedback. It doesn’t really make a difference where you’re based with courses unless you take into consideration the live events. These are optional but highly worthwhile to improve your chances of success.
Flights from the Middle East to London are short and direct with business class being quite affordable, so with Sophie running events there soon, it will be very advantageous for you to choose her course. There are hundreds of students in the UK already.
The two other contenders at this level – ASM and RE – still provide student support adhoc in their respective groups (phone mentoring is extra) unfortunately don’t yet run events on your side of the world.
Thanks for the advice Joshua. As you say, I can get to the UK easily enough, so that’s the way forward I guess. Will keep reading the blog – great work and thank you.
Hey Joshua, I think you should make people aware that one of the reasons you have to promote Sophie’s course is that you are an affiliate marketer and you are paid every time someone sign up for her course via your affiliate link. So, the more you recommend her or other courses, the more affiliate money you will make.
People need to be aware of this.
Hey Nathan! You’re right – I’ve made bazillions of dollars every month from all these course sign-ups. You should join in! We’ll become mega-rich together. 😃 Ferrari or Lamborghini?
Ha! Now in all honesty, there is a clear disclaimer at the very start of every page, and most people have figured it out regardless. Also the affiliate disclaimer page: https://www.workwithjoshua.com/affiliate-disclaimer/
Yep, I make money here which helps Destiny Rescue using the links on my blog. There are evidently so few bloggers who even care about charities or doing some good in the world. There are also many critics and jaded folk which comes with the territory. Fun times! It’s easy (45 seconds) to make such remarks but it’s hard to execute on the mountain of work ahead (3 to 5 years).
I started affiliate marketing in 2011 and have a decent portfolio of other websites, and ALSO sell products on FBA where my learning journey began in 2015 and selling from 2017. Both models are great, but I push people away from FBA courses if they’re broke and subsequently miss it on additional revenue from course sign-ups. Gasp! Why should I be so truthful? If you haven’t noticed, this review is a bit negative despite me being an affiliate. Sophie’s course is better than it used to be but still needs to improve slightly in several areas.
There is a lot of courses that I’m not an affiliate of yet I praise i.e. a lot of the YouTuber courses have pretty good teaching but you’ll likely never meet them in person, unfortunately, nor get the in-person support you need.
Affiliate marketing is a great business model and you don’t need to create a blog. You can create a generic website that brings in tens of thousands of views per month. Gardening, pets, exercise, office equipment etc. Unlike FBA, there are so few good people teaching this. I recommend the Gold Standard of affiliate marketing courses: https://www.workwithjoshua.com/digital-assets/
For my two brands, I’m actually doing both. This way my brands can make 4 to 5 streams of income instead of just 1 on FBA.
Then again, I would only recommend an online business model or course for those with a growth mindset. We’re only here on Earth for such a limited period and we’re gone. If you’re not ready to commit to anything yet, then start with the Impact Theory channel on YouTube and start cultivating a more optimistic attitude as many of my readers have. It’s all there for free.
There are dozens each month who reach out to me to use my links and I believe that’s when I know that I’ve done my job well. 🙂
Hi Joshua!
I had signed up for ASM11 a month ago. I haven’t found a product yet after probably 100 hours. they are launching ASM12 this week which has an entirely new product selection process that sounded like it would be much more efficient. they wont let me switch over to the new course for 3 more weeks and I dont have that much time to wait. Unfortunately I have only until today (30 day mark) to decide if I want a refund so I went ahead and asked for one. I think i’m going to sign up for sophies course instead. I feel like I could use some additional guidance with the mentorship. does this sound like a better route for me?
Hi Aimee,
Yes, definitely a better place to start. I was a bit taken back and surprised that you went with ASM initially as it isn’t beginner-friendly. It’s designed at a higher level (i.e. those who aren’t brand new to online businesses) and launching a product in their short window is challenging.
Sophie’s is a better choice for beginners given the mentoring and complimentary events provided. Plus – it costs less money. I love ASM, but for you, this is a much better route for sure. 🙂
that’s great to hear. both courses were the same cost actually – both $4K. I got enticed by the 30 day money back guarantee with ASM and the guarantee that they will buy back up to $5K in product if launch within 4 months. Sophie’s course only offered a 7 day refund window which concerned me.
After going through the program for a month with a gazillion hours invested already – I now know how hard it is! I definitely know that I want a little mentorship – just someone to bounce ideas off of on occasion would go a long way. BTW – do you offer direct mentorship per chance?
Yep, not for the faint-hearted! That’s true of the courses and Amazon as a business model. There are nuances and technical aspects that one must overcome.
ASM is $4k USD while Sophie’s is quite less (I think around $2.5k USD right now, or $4k AUD) and offers more value. Coaching, conference etc all included. 🙂
I currently offer direct email assistance for RE and ASM but may end that soon for new intakes as I’m just overwhelmed with a full plate over the next 12 to 24 hours.
so strange – the sophie howard salesperson told me $4K USD and with only a 7 day refund policy. I’m going to reach out to them again today but 100% thats what they told me in May. Praying you’re right & maybe they dropped the price a little! thank you for all your help as always. If you ever offer your services for hire as a mentor – I would be very interested!
Hi Joshua
Thank you very much for your blog, its very informative and there lots of valuable information. But I have some quirise about Sophie and nine university course (KT9). I talked both of organisation’s consulted and thinking to join any one course next week. Either Sophie or KT9 but as I am living UK, it would be great if I find any UK based seller (found one course called seller pro academy).
Sophie course fees is 3995 dollar in Pound 3200
KT9 course fees is 1995 dollar in pound 1600
Sophie focus on long term business like find a really good and make it brand while KT9 focus on choose the products from same competitor’s supplier and sell it.
Any recommendation for me would be appreciated.( which course will be good for me as a new)
Hi Shahinur,
KT9 is very good but I’d say Sophie has greater evidence of her results and that of her students. There are a few 7-figure exits including her own brand, so I’m more inclined to recommend the more expensive version for the depth of training, mentoring, support, conference etc.
KT9 is a much younger crowd (under 30’s generally) while Sophie is for the 35 to 55 age bracket and long term results. MPSH is a good viable alternative but Sophie will be running events in London soon once COVID is lifted. After all, she is from the UK originally.
Hi Joshua
Thank you very much for your reply.
I saw you give your opinion or recommendation about MPSH and Jonny’s Seller pro academy.
I am really appreciate and looking your recommendation which one is best to you after your researching.
Seller Pro Academy ( Jonny’s one or MPSH )
Hi Joshua
Thank you very much for your reply.
Just need more recommendation about MPSH and seller pro academy ( Jonny’s) .
Which one do you think more and best for beginners specially in the UK market.
MPSH is much bigger and offers conferences/networking in the UK and US. I think they might even run Australian events in the future given how much they’ve grown as a training organization. Johnny’s is much smaller though it is growing too. Both have fundamnetally great training for beginners so just find the one that resonates the most with you.
Hi Joshua. Interesting reviews as I have read Your reviews on ASM, RE and Sophie Howard. You seem to push more for Sophie Howard with beginners. So do you mean to say RE and ASM are useless for beginners although with a good starting capital of say $15-20K?
Hi Athif, a reasonable amount of starting capital!
Beginners can do well with ASM and RE but only if they’re driven and committed. If I were still new to Amazon FBA as a business model I’d take those courses over Sophie because I can work things out myself and resonate with the entrepreneurial spirit and “work harder” vibes that ASM and RE bring forth. In fact, I started with RE and had no support at all – just a willingness to make this work. Most people do need that support and toned down element so Sophie Howard is recommended more for the total newbies.
I know plenty of beginners who have taken the other more premier courses with some reluctance, as they just wish they had a mentor to speak to on the phone every once in a while. Vice versa others love the experience and find all the help they need in the respective forums/support groups.
Hi Joshua
Your article reviewing Sophie Howard’s Blue sky program and the comparison of that with RE were extremely helpful in terms of the info and your perspective. I am an entrepreneur for the last 15 years and based out of US. My current business has come almost to a halt due to variety of reasons. I am in my mid 50s.
Would like to see your perspective as to which of the two might suit my profile. Not sure if I am asking an unrealistic question but was impressed with the way you articulated your thoughts on different readers’ questions above. Looking forward.
Hi Murali! Thanks for the feedback as it’s humbling to get the perspective from someone who has been in the business trenches for longer than I have.
I’d go Adam in a heartbeat but Adam and his community have a more of a “Stand up and take charge!” attitude which appeals to me, while Sophie and her crowd is softer, relaxing and chilled out. Students feel like they can go at their own pace with BSA.
Given your age, you might find Sophie a better choice despite her training course/system/community to appeal more towards total beginners. There are other experienced business owners who have also bought her course and are enjoying the experience, so the choice of a course shouldn’t be based on this metric alone.
I guess ultimately you’re reading the perspective of an early 30’s guy (me) who’s hungry and loves personal development, business building and finds influence through much of the same authors and icons as Adam does. Think Seth Godin, Brendon Burchard, Ray Dalio, Grant Cardone, Gary Vaynerchuk, Tom Bilyeu, Robert Kiyosaki, Tony Robbins and more. Sophie hardly touches on personal development and its impact on business, while it’s very much the foundation of Adam’s course.
Given this, I do find Adam’s course much more appealing and indeed many others have too. Then again – Sophie still offers a great platform if you simply want to learn simply how to build an Amazon business. She has plenty of students in their 40s and 50s many of which are going into business for their first time. while some do have past experience. You no doubt would’ve learned a significant amount about personal growth over the last 15 years by actually doing the work every single day and so Sophie might be the ideal educator.
As always, just go with the one that feels most right for you. It’s more about the genuine connection you feel to the teacher, the type of community you’re seeking and your desire for success than it is about the course. Both ultimately teach Amazon FBA from start to finish but go about it in quite different ways.
Hi Joshua, Thank you so much for your well thought-out and a quick reply. Couple of quick questions:
1.One of the significant difference between the two programs is obviously the price of 1000 USD. Does Adam do any live event in US and if so, any general ballpark as to what would be a typical budget for attending such events in your experience? Because with Sophie that is included in the course and I believe she has started doing live events in US (in Los Angeles, I guess).
2. To plan for 8000 USD income/month (not sales) consistently, what would be an ideal investment given that the course will teach me to get the best product with handsome margin.
1. Adam doesn’t run any US-based events currently though this may change after COVID. I know the US and the UK/Europe are where he wants to expand his foothold. Yes, Sophie has already run one event in LA and there is one in Las Vegas coming up in March 2021 according to the events calendar. There are already a few hundred US-based students inside her course so this conference should fill up pretty quick.
2. An income that you’re seeking is quite impressive but will require a lot of capital to achieve this sooner rather than later. You don’t really have 10 years to build things up slowly at age 52 so I would say $100k USD minimum but it will be easier if you have $200k or more available. Better yet – buy an existing business as this is what others in their 50’s often do. You’re likely aware of the opportunity available to US-based citizens called the SBA loan program which you might qualify for. Essentially you won’t need to put up much capital in order to buy a business and can be earning an income from Day 1 without the initial legwork and time-cost. (Disclaimer: Speak to your own financial advisor and seek independent advice.)
It is good to note the upcoming conference of Sophie Howard in March 2021 in LV.
I have been in touch with Sophie’s team and the person assigned to me and I have had few calls so far. One thing that I observe that is shared by few in this thread, is that the front end needs improvement. I have already had situations where the automated email for confirming our calling appointments comes with erroneous date/time or both, the same person calls me from more than one number and my text to those numbers are not returned always. For instance, I was supposed to have had a call today and the call did not come and my text to both the numbers to find out the reason has not been responded yet.
Regarding my monthly income expectation, I need to do more research into this based on the numbers that you are suggesting for initial investment which is not what I was planning even remotely. What are your thoughts regarding my potential monthly income if I plan to spend between 2000 and 5000 USD initially for my first product launch and work my way forward ?
Anyway thanks so much for your prompt response and appreciate your work in running this blog and sharing valuable information to the potential Amazon FBA entrepreneurs.
Yep, you got it! The upfront experience isn’t a representative of Sophie (her course is great) but the company who helps manage the enrolments into her course. It’s a shame as it’s tarnishing her reputation slightly as a professional Amazon seller. No wonder why people search for negative reviews and experiences and discover my blog.
I recommend $5,000 minimum but ideally $10,000 USD to get started. On the capital you’ve got…well…you can certainly start but the results you’re chasing would certainly be a number of years away if you do make it (because I’ve noticed most people quit early). I guess it depends if you can wait that long. Amazon FBA, being an inventory-based business model, is best for those who have the capital to spend on product among other things.
Thanks for making it very clear as to what to expect as far as the Capital investment and profit (income) equation is concerned. It makes me rethink the whole proposition.
Based on what I have heard so far from talking with Sophie’s assigned person and looking at her videos, I thought I should be able to start with minimal investment and work my way up taking little as monthly income initially and ploughing back the majority of profit back into the business (assumption: hitting the right product with at least a 5X to 10X potential cost to sale margin and start building the product portfolio before the end of first year of selling to increase the odd of making more incremental income and averaging the risk). Let me know your thoughts on this, when you get a chance.
Again I thank you so much for sharing your thoughts.
You certainly can and indeed that’s what most people do. I simply convey that the majority of success stories are people who simply had more capital to play with. I’ve noticed that many people learn the ropes with their limited capital in the hopes that more will find its way into their life. New job, selling a property, boat, inheritance etc at which stage they have the experience in the marketplace paired with the capital to now go big.
One thing I forgot to mention is that Sophie also teaches how to become an Amazon brand manager as she did this in her early stages while she lacked capital. A lot of Amazon sellers are trying to do 20 different things at once and once they’re up at a certain level, will need someone managing certain aspects including their sourcing, shipping, listing copy and PPC campaigns. Essentially if they are able to get these nitty-gritty things off their plate then they’re able to scale their business higher.
If you picked up 6 clients paying $1,500/month which is the general going rate for a consultant, then after a couple of years from now you might be pretty close to your income goal. The best part is that you won’t need to put any capital in at all yourself because it’s their business. As a consultant, you’re just helping them grow while having the flexibility to work from anywhere. The downside is not owning the business(es) yourself but I guess a compromise we have to accept. At least you have the freedom which I think ultimately this is what everyone is chasing. Plus this also gives freedom for the Amazon business owner, so a win-win here.
The catch is that…well…you’ll need to buy her course to learn the ropes. 🤪
That’s great piece of information. So if I were to become a Brand Manager and get 6 clients @ 1500 USD/month I am hitting my goal immediately as I was only planning for 8000 USD / month. But on Sophie’s frontend team, the person assigned has not responded to my voicemail and texts so far and so not sure how that’s going to pan out. But certainly, I learnt some important tips from your responses and am really grateful for that.
Yep – one caveat though. I believe it’s best to launch some products initially after taking her course so achieving this goal isn’t so immediate nor easy, but certainly doable.
It’s much much easier to convince Amazon sellers to work with you and come on board as clients if you have real experience in the field with your own product launches, even if that experience is milder due to capital limitations.
Yes, you’re right.
Just FYI. I have not received any call back from Knowledge source, the front end company of Sophie Howard. I had an appointment to be called on June 24th and I was almost ready to signup for the course. I had left voicemails, texts on two different numbers, on June 24th immediately, from where the previous calls came.
😕 Not good! I’ve been saying this for over 12 months now that they need to improve systems and processes, especially when people are eager to finally enrol.
Hi Joshua
Thanks for all your timely response to my questions and it has been a great support in the decision-making process. I had been doing a crazy-level research and comparison between Adam and Sophie and was leaning more towards Sophie only because Adam does not have any live events and strong community in US. But Sophie’s front office (Knowledge source) really let me down and that made me to start looking for US based educators and found Jim Cockrum’s “Proven Amazon Course 2.0” (PAC 2.0) pretty appealing as the course and educator seem to come with several years of proven experience and also seem to have a engaging and cheerful FB community (58000+ members!). The main kicker to me was the price of the course which seems like a steal. They also have a monthly subscription plan which is pretty appealing. I have just signed up for PAC 2.0 and keeping my fingers crossed.
Again, you are doing such a wonderful job of helping people navigate this critical process by providing your objective assessment. Keep rocking!
Hi Murali,
Care to give updates on your progress with the Proven Amazon Course ?
Hi Alix
I have been thru a detailed research like you and Joshua’s blog was a great and a timely resource. I ended up signing up with Marketplace Superheroes by Robert & Stephen and am loving it every bit. These guys are so fantastic and they have built several 7 figure businesses and continue to inspire several others with their well thought out, highly objective and methodology-based training to make you a successful Amazon FBA business owner. The course fee is much more affordable than other courses but still a top notch one with value for money. The comprehensive tools and resources, vibrant and thriving FB community of Amazon sellers inspired by the founders, brilliant coaches and their own logistics ecosystem is a winning combination. They also offer some pretty advanced course once you sign up (it is fully optional) and involves a good investment but they will hand hold you all the way through for your first 3 products. It has been a great ride for me and worthy of every penny invested.
Good luck with your business
Hi Joshua, Interesting comments. Could you give me a guide to pricing fro Sophie’s course? You mentioned that a few people have been quoted different amounts? Also, have you heard of Nine University (FBA course). Positive & Negative? Regards Nick
Hi Nick, I think they have kept their prices stable now given my frustration towards this specific point here on my blog. $3,997 seems to be quite normal now.
Nine University is great but is for a younger crowd i.e. college students and those under 25. I’d probably choose Myles Dunphy or Marketplace Superheroes over them though.
Hi Joshua,
Can you give your insight into the difference between Adam Hudson’s Reliable Education course and Sophie Howard’s Blue Sky course?
I have been looking at both. Adam’s course seems to be around $2500 whereas Sophie’s course is $4000. Reliable seems like it is bursting with resources, but from reading your blog, it seems so is Sophie’s, but with less of a marketing drive than Reliable Education. I mostly have an issue with selecting the product(s) to start selling and really wanted an assured teacher guiding me on that. Of course the whole selling process is important for me, but given my main priority of wanting hep with choosing a product, which course would you recommend?
What kind of steps do the courses actually take to help you find the product you chose to pull the trigger on? On Adam’s site, it states specifically that they “do NOT provide support” on how to “How to find & vet specific products”.
I would appreciate your comments on this.
Thanks in advance
Hi Alix,
Thanks for your comments and questions. I’ve done a full comparison here: https://www.workwithjoshua.com/adam-hudson-vs-sophie-howard-a-comparison-of-the-2-amazon-fba-courses/
In summary, Adam’s is a much better course for the serious and independent action-taker with many resources and thriving community, yet Sophie’s is better for beginners with the mentoring/conference provided (whenever that will be, COVID has clearly killed the event space for now). I’ve found the presentation/style/audio/explanations to be much more professional with Adam’s though Sophie is improving as she goes.
If you want specific help choosing a product, I’d go with Sophie and her panel of coaches. Adam’s course provides support inside the Facebook group but as for specific products, only an Amazon business coach can provide such detail. RE has coaching on offer too but it’s an additional cost with intakes only offered every 6 months or so and there is an application process.
As for specific steps on choosing products, I’ve evaluated dozens of Amazon courses and it’s always generic. I.e. choose products you would use, don’t go for anything too big or small, avoid fragile, look for a point of difference. As such, you won’t find anything super-specific but there are always plenty of examples given. A large element is looking at the financial metrics of how products stack up based on seasonal trends, supply/demand ratios and product improvement strategies which can improve margins.
I’ve seen some students take both courses – Adam for the experience and Sophie for the mentoring calls though this is obviously only available to those with the bigger budget. Either way, both are good options but sounds like Sophie would be a better way to go for you.
Thanks Josh. I’m usually the type of person that jumps straight in. Due to a current cashflow restraint, I have taken a much more measured approach and glad I have now. I was leaning towards Sophie’s course, because of exactly that coaching point.
Hopefully I’ll enrol into Adam’s course later as it seems full of energy (reminds me of a Tony Robbins event I went to a couple of years ago!).
Thanks for your input. I’ll keep my progress updated here as I go along.
Good stuff! Looking forward to those progress updates. 🔥 Yep, Adam definitely draws much more of the Tony Robbins, Tom Bilyeu and Gary Vaynerchuk crowd!
Hi Murali,
Thanks for feedback on “Marketplace Superheroes”. I have eye on this course & will take at certain stage. I already bought their “SuperHero Vault” which I am going through now. Could you guide me once I finish “SuperHero Vault” which course I should pick next ?
Thanks & Regards
Hey Josh,
I would love to hear your perspective. I’m considering starting an amazon business, just like everyone else here. After some hesitation, I watched Sophie’s introductory webinar. Of course, I know this was pre-recorded, which I did find a bit off. From there, I signed up for a sales call with a nice gentleman but he was pushy. We set up a call the very next day, in which he asked me to sign up for another webinar on the spot. Before the webinar even ended (again another pre-recorded one) he was calling me to see if I wanted to sign up.
This all felt just too gimmicky for my taste. I’m a 30 something, who grew up enthralled with the internet, and am a digital marketer in my day to day life so this felt… plain odd. He quoted me about $4500 USD, which as a Canadian is kind of astronomical, especially given our current global situation. He made me feel as though I only had a few days to get this rate, which doesn’t feel right to me either.
I have had no vision into what the course looks like from Sophie’s team, no discussion about what I get from the course, or anything – except for my own research that I have done (ex: your blog!). This feels so fishy to me! Why are they pushing this course so hard on people?!
That being said, I have only about $5k to get my business started. I’ve narrowed down a handful of products already with a 30-40% margin, that I am interested in sourcing. The hesitation for me her cost and how gimmicky it feels. I’d love to know from your perspective if you think this would be a good course or if there are any others you can recommend. My background is social media, digital marketing and strategy so I am wondering if her course is just TOO beginner for me – or if there are others that don’t feel like I’m being scammed. And, trust me, it does feel like I am being scammed.
Thanks!
Hey Samantha,
Thanks for sharing your experiences. It’s a legitimate course but isn’t being marketed properly more-so in countries outside of Australia. I think they use 3rd parties to promote the course and given the strange experiences, many people are drawn to my blog for research. While being an affiliate of Sophie’s course, I’m quite tough on the promotional strategies.
The course is great and Sophie has done quite well on Amazon (sold 2 businesses for big paydays) and still sells on the platform today. I just wish it were marketed better and they should let people know that it’s pretty hard work and takes capital plus time, because it truly is…based on my experience.
With $5k to get a business started, expect it to be quite challenging to get off the start line properly unless you foresee a bigger sum of additional funds coming in within the next few years to help you scale up. Not impossible though, but just harder than the common folk. I wouldn’t expect an income from your initial seed investment for a few years.
You may find her course a little bit beginner for you given you’ve already had a lot of experience online and Adam’s might be a better choice. Then again, with the experience you have…why not create your own digital marketing agency instead? The margins are pretty high and the cash conversion cycle appears to be quicker from what I hear, though I haven’t worked in this space before. Likewise, you could take the course (or any FBA course for that matter) and then offer your services to aspiring Amazon sellers. I have a solid content marketing strategy for both brands but I would say easily that <1% of Amazon sellers are doing this because they are reliant on this single platform, so a prime opportunity to help them branch out and help them build a genuine brand.
If you can get past the strange marketing practices, the course is very good at the core and the coaches know their craft well. The most affordable alternative is MPSH which a lot of people have bought through me, though to be fair, everything else you need (coaching, workshops, monthly webinars etc) comes at an additional cost. Sophie's course is inclusive.
I still come back to thinking that you've got some great online skills already that could be put to good use. You sort of have the 'freedom lifestyle' already given that you can work from anywhere, so I'm not sure if actually selling on the platform would be worth it for you. Instead, supporting other brand builders with content strategy could be a great way to ride the wave.
Hi Josh 🙂
I live in Iraq , and I am very excited about starting a business on amazon , but, my country is not listed in the amazon acceptance list of sellers. I have a brother now lives in Germany , I thought I could use his name and his credit cards with his phone number to register as a seller on amazon , would you tell me if is that legit or will I face any problem ?
Hi (Mr Interesting name 😅)! Yeah, it shouldn’t be a problem though I would be inclined to use a VPN and set your country to Germany anytime you’re jumping on the Amazon website, whether that’s to the customer portal or the backend of Seller Central. Maybe start selling on Amazon EU/UK first and get some runs on the board before moving into the US market as it may be logistically easier too.
Hi Joshua,
Does Sophie still offer this course? I can only find information on her book and one on one coaching.
Kind regards,
Jessica
Yep still going strong and I think she has grown to something like 15,000 thousand students now. I haven’t kept up with social media lately (I’m busier than ever 😩) or the dozens of courses now out there but yep, still open for enrolment. 👍
Hey all,
Just my two cents, take from it what you will.
I’m currently working through 2 Amazon courses – Reliable Education and Sophie Howards Kindle Publishing Income. Straight up, I don’t recommend trying to do more than one at a time, and I’ve put KPI on hold. RE’s course is brilliant in my opinion, but as Josh states, its for the more motivated individual, generally with more cash (the ‘Platinum Partner’ upsell is currently around 20k!!) Adam Hudson in my opinion is a brilliant and genuine guy and sincerely wants everyone to succeed. I’m still working through the course and finding it quite challenging as I don’t have a particularly savvy business mind or a background in business or marketing which would be a great help in this course. Don’t be put off by the slick marketing, RE is a serious course with excellent content and I would highly recommend it.
KPI is a whole different ball game. Admittedly, I have not finished a substantial amount of the course as I found I simply could not focus on both courses at once. Choosing to pursue RE over KPI was a no-brainer. KPI is in my opinion, a sloppy, lazy, thrown together course. The presentation is of very poor quality, i.e. mostly screen recordings with poor audio on a home computer. Several of the modules consist of Sophie rambling on with no real useful teaching points. I have received multiple automated emails where my name is missing from the email, and in one a completely different name was used. Time and time again it just comes across as a completely amateur course. My advice would be to stay away from the KPI course at least as there are $20 Udemy courses which deliver better content. Which brings me to my last point which is that in her ads, Sophie claims KPI to be a ‘completely new and different way of making income from Amazon’ bla bla, which is blatantly false.
The end
Thanks for your feedback Joey and I agree with your assessment.