Reliable Education Versus Blue Sky Amazon
This is where I’ll compare Adam Hudson’s Reliable Education, to Sophie Howard’s Blue Sky Amazon. I live in Australia, and I’ll give you a clearer idea about which course is best suited to you.
Why You Should Trust Me
I've bought numerous online courses and been to numerous conferences which have helped me immensely along the way, but doing so wasn't cheap. The trouble today, as it was back when I got started, is knowing who's really bringing solid value to the table.
Therefore, I do my best to outline what's offered within courses so you can make an informed decision. Just like you, I like to do my research before moving forward with a decision which could positively impact my life.
This has been written with the beginner Amazon seller in mind. In writing this, I’ll assume you…
- Have an optimistic, positive and winning mindset
- Are simply not looking for a get-rich-quick scheme
Actually are prepared to put in the work required- Are starting with some capital to fund your FBA business
- Want to do an already established and reputable Amazon course
- You’re committed to
learn from experienced Amazon sellers
My thoughts and experiences are based on experience too – I’m a real Australian Amazon seller, based on the Gold Coast. I built to a full-time income.
There are many training courses out there but here’s one that I’ve found to be genuinely caring about your success online:
- Provides step-by-step training
- Gain access to a global community of like-minded professionals
- Setting realistic expectations
I worked at this for a while, and the results have been well earned. Yes – financial rewards are possible, provided that you understand that selling on Amazon does take some decent effort.
These really are the 2 best Amazon training courses in Australia and New Zealand. There are others such as Alex Ryan, Brendan Elias and Neil Asher which I rank a bit lower. There are a few other pretend wannabe sellers who have low-quality courses, of which should all be dismissed if you want to get started properly.
The Course Comparison
This full Reliable Education vs Blue Sky Amazon comparison is going to take 10 minutes to read. It’s best to find some quiet time to get through this one. As some of know, having been on the blog before, that I deliver a lot of well-researched content and value.
Before starting, let’s establish some things upfront:
- What I look for in a course may be different than your needs & wants
- Both courses are by real Amazon sellers, and students can get results
- Amazon is the best opportunity to build wealth, so the hype is justified
- These are merely my personal opinions as a motivated young person
- Both courses are targeting a different type of person and both are fine
- I have a higher risk-tolerance than most people who start the journey
- Your results are dependent on you first and foremost, not the teacher
- Each course is taught by real Amazon sellers that I absolutely respect
- Deciding upon an Amazon course starts with how you view the teacher
- This shouldn’t be taken as absolute. It’s your choice at the end of the day.
With that out of the way, let’s begin…
The Amazon Teachers
I thought I’ll start this off with the teachers. Who are they? What is their experience? It’s wise to know this, to really understand where they come from. You can feel their experience with each delivering lessons and concepts within their respective courses. 😃
Sophie Howard
Sophie and her husband worked within the NZ Government. They then took a course a few years ago on how to sell on Amazon, found some great success (including 1x 7 figure exit) and now teach others how to build businesses on Amazon. Personally, that isn’t enough business experience for me.
Adam Hudson
Adam has been a serial entrepreneur for 20+ years. He’s founded a range of 7 figure companies, and his life-long experiences really do come through in his course. Like Sophie, he’s found success on Amazon after taking a course 8 years ago, and then created his unique Amazon seller training. But also, a thriving community of 14,000+ students mostly based in Australia, NZ and the UK, paired with excellent software for Amazon sellers.
The Course Content
Both courses are unique, yet their content has to cross-over in many ways. Selling on Amazon is both a science, and an art. Both teach sourcing outside of Alibaba (though Alibaba is still great) and you’ll discover how to best engage with the Chinese, plus source in other countries.
Neither course is sub-standard in any
Sophie Howard
Excellent course content! You’ll really do get a full blueprint on how to sell on Amazon. The content is primarily taught by Sophie. There’s some occasional updates to the course, including the weekly webinars.
You’ll learn how to go into less competitive niches. You’ll learn creative branding, packaging and how to improve upon existing products. Yes – you will be competing with existing Amazon sellers still on products.
Sophie teaches to target more lower-priced products. (HINT: Potentially more competition 😞)
Adam Hudson
The course content is 2 steps above Sophie’s. Given Adam’s immense business experience, paired with his affiliations (dozens of other successful Amazon sellers), you’ll find the content to be designed for those who want that premium experience. There’s also a lot more content, with more added every month, with a massive update to his course coming very soon.
You’ll learn how to go into both less competitive niches, but also, more competitive niches. The average student that joins Reliable Education has more capital to start with, and some are sitting on serious dollars to launch. So going after the more competitive sections within Amazon are possible. Adam’s an advocate of unique design, packagin and ultimately, a fantastic customer experience.
Adam teaches to target mid to higher-priced products. (HINT: Potentially less competition 😁)
The Amazon Support
These 2 teachers and their courses are great, but it’s also wise to consider what’s also included to support existing and upcoming students. This can be a key to long-term success.
Sophie Howard
Sophie’s course comes with mentoring. That’s what appeals to most people when they compare the 2 courses. Unfortunately, it’s 1 hour of direct mentoring, a phone call with one of their team members. It’s minimal, really, barely scratching the surface.
Update July 2019: Sophie now offers 6x 1-hour phone calls with someone and then charges $$$ for more coaching.
Update June 2020: Sophie now offers 8x 1-hour phone calls with her coaches.
There’s also the Facebook community. Questions in her Facebook group often get minimal interaction, as most students are new to Amazon. Weekly group webinars are included in the course, and the past ones have all been recorded. Sophie clearly wins here.
Adam Hudson
There’s no
His course is really quite complete, and you’ll unlikely need
There’s a lot of student support given in his super supportive Facebook community by the hundreds of people that have already become Amazon sellers.
Update June 2021: Adam now offers 3x 1-hour calls with his platinum coaches.
The Live Events
Live events are where the magic happens. It’s something that I really look forward to. There’s a massive difference in these two courses. Both hold student-only seminars.
Sophie Howard
Sophie’s events are intimate, with only a few hundred students. You might even get to speak with Sophie herself! She’s only run 1 event so far, with another maybe coming up in 2019. Sophie has now run 4 great events with numerous planned in the US, UK, NZ and Australia in 2020. She primarily speaks, along with Mia and a few others covering content in the course.
Sophie’s events (post-COVID, whenever that is…?) are complimentary when purchasing the course.
Adam Hudson
Adam’s events are like Tony Robbins….HUGE! Just without the fist pumps, hugs and high-fives. They’re just more real and tangible. There’s been 5 massive events so far and counting. Adam does speak, plus about 20 others as well, which is just a handful of his hundreds of successful students. Adam’s a fan of community-driven teaching, where we can learn from everyone’s direct experiences. Not just 1 person’s perspective.
Adam’s annual events are in addition to the course purchase. Update June 2021: Adam now offers a monthly 1-day event in his Gold Coast studios with 30 to 40 students maximum.
The FB Community
Each course comes with a Facebook community, where you’ll be able to network with fellow students and actual Amazon sellers. Plus, you’ll be able to ask questions and get support.
Sophie Howard
A great community, though almost all of these are students as opposed to actual Amazon sellers. Sophie’s course has recently come out, and since it’s not so established yet, you won’t find the group so lively. But definitely supportive!
13,000+ students. Student results are relatively unknown.
Adam Hudson
Adam’s group is a juggernaut. It’s thriving, it’s community-focused, and best of all, it has hundreds of actual people who have become sellers, instead of just students that haven’t sold on Amazon before. Everyone’s sharing, everyone’s engaging. The community-spirit and lessons to learn are alive and well within this group!
14,000+ students. Results = Approx. $1.5 billion in accumulative sales.
Refund Policy
This is an important consideration. Can you get your money
Sophie Howard’s Blue Sky Amazon has a 7-day unconditional refund policy. You call them up or send an email and they’ll refund your money. Done.
Adam Hudson’s Reliable Education provides an unconditional refund to students on the welcome call. This could take place within a few days or you could be waiting a couple of weeks, especially right now as so many people are getting started. You can get through a few modules within that time to ascertain that this program is right for you.
Quite an interesting difference between the two, isn’t it?
As a fellow student, I believe this to be very fair to the other 14,000+ Reliable Education students on the inside. In the past, some not-so-optimistic people were coming along for a free ride then bailing on day 29. 🙄 They also get rid of dickheads at any time (I’m serious).
If you’re feeling like “I’m so scared and want to make sure I get my money back” then I would choose Sophie Howard as you have a guaranteed 7 days. Most people who go into Reliable Education don’t even think much about the refund policy. It’s just a different mentality I guess. 🤷♂️
Social Media Presence
I see this as an important factor. I want to know how deep and established my Amazon teacher is, and who they are as a person. And what others are saying.
Sophie Howard has been on a few Amazon podcasts. She has only a few average Facebook and Trustpilot reviews for her course.
Adam Hudson has also been on a few Amazon podcasts, with 270+ Facebook reviews. Another HUGE difference.
Plus, he’s made numerous national and international TV appearances, with an extensive social media following including daily videos on Instagram. He’s been on stage with personalities such as Robert Kiyosaki and Gary Vaynerchuk, and has put on to his own stages massive icons such as John Howard and Ita Buttrose.
Course Costs
I’m actually not providing perfectly accurate pricing information, as it can change sometimes. For example, Sophie’s course has been seen between $4,000 and $5,445 AUD, whilst Adam’s course I’ve seen mostly for $2,497 USD. So Adam’s course is usually cheaper.
(Obviously, please check with each course provider for their current pricing)
Please note that Sophie’s conference is included in the course cost, whilst Adam’s isn’t. This is because not everyone can make the live events due to time off work and other commitments.
It’s great that this is an additional add-on to keep the actual course cost lower. Otherwise you’re paying extra today for an event in the future that you might not be able to attend. You also need to factor in flights, hotels and transportation costs in your budget when attending.
Sophie Howard vs Adam Hudson – Overall Verdict
Answer: Reliable Education is simply better produced and costs less than compared to Blue Sky Amazon, and you’ll get some excellent BONUSES from me too. I’m still holding out for Sophie’s course to come up to 2021 standards for production-value.
Mind you, Sophie still has a great course for beginners who are new to business.
I really do believe that Sophie Howard has that potential to get close. In fact, she’s already made some changes including boosting the 6 8.
Adam is way in front for a business course, while Sophie is best for total newbies.
With Adam Hudson, you’ll get…
- A seriously massive Amazon course that takes weeks to get through
- A course built by an entrepreneur, who knows to start, grow and sell successful businesses
- The community of super energetic and winning students and Amazon sellers from around the world (primarily those from Australia, NZ, UK and Europe)
- Access to the optional live conferences that will blow your mind in terms of the success that Adam’s students have had with his system
- Some FREE bonuses from me personally if you decide to use my referral link. You’re welcome to go direct to the course though and miss out on those bonuses.
- A seriously massive Amazon course that takes weeks to get through
- A course built by an entrepreneur, who knows to start, grow and sell successful businesses
- The community of super energetic and winning students and Amazon sellers from around the world (primarily those from Australia, NZ, UK and Europe)
- Access to the optional live conferences that will blow your mind in terms of the success that Adam's students have had with his system
- Some FREE bonuses from me personally if you decide to use my referral link. You're welcome to go direct to the course though and miss out on those bonuses.
Summary
I don’t want to create this illusion that Sophie has a bad course. She has a great course actually, and it will work just fine. In fact, I recommend it to most people. 70% of people should choose Sophie for that hold handing experience and regularity of conferences.
So while Sophie’s course is great, it isn’t up to the higher standard that Adam brings to the table.
This review covered the teacher, the course, the community, the support, the pricing, social media and refund policies. Adam won on every point apart from not offering . Update June 2021: 3x coaching calls for new students.
I really kept this one real and delivered the facts. I personally appreciate the women’s perspective within Sophie’s course. She’s certainly more relatable to some people.
Now, to be fair in this comparison, I had to leave out the gender characteristics in this comparison. I wrote this from the perspective of building an Amazon business that has the potential to take you to a full-time income and beyond.
The Adam Hudson Advantage
Adam sets a high standard for his course, for those who teach in the course, but also the students. He doesn’t want tyre-kickers, and he certainly doesn’t need your money. He already makes a fortune on Amazon.
I know this because I’m one of the very few people in the world who know his exact brand (I’m under NDA) and what he sells. I track his FBA sales every month, and they’re simply eye-watering.
His course is designed for those prepared to work with some capital to start. It’s simply not for those who want to buy for the warm and fuzzy feeling which is evident in some of these Amazon courses. His course is ideally suited for the business-minded person with realistic expectations.
If you want a course that has only recently started, with a smaller community, and with only a few people actually making an income (instead of hundreds), then Sophie Howard is the ideal starting place as the runner up.
It’s also important to note that Sophie gives a softer approach, whilst Adam gives a motivational approach. The F-word comes out with Adam occasionally due to many years in business and straight-forward no BS attitude, and if this is not OK with you, then run with Sophie.
I’m simply outlining that Adam has a significantly better course and is designed for the achievers, hence why his students have sold $1.5 billion so far on Amazon, whilst Sophie is geared for the complete beginner. If you need a hand to hold, then Sophie would be my pick due to those additional coaching calls.
The Sophie Howard Advantage
What I like about Sophie is that she’s more relatable for most people. In fact, only 30% of people should go into Adam’s whereas the other 70% should go into Sophie’s course. Adam can be really overwhelming if you’re a total beginner in the world of business.
Sophie worked in the NZ Government before finding Amazon as a business model. From there she got fully invested just like Adam into her education and found success.
What is interesting is that they both took the exact same Amazon FBA course. They went through the process, invested their capital and found success.
If you’re curious, I generally don’t recommend the course they took as it costs $5,000 USD. Very pricey! You’ll get just about the same in either Adam’s or Sophie’s course for much less outlay.
Sophie has sold a million-dollar Amazon business, unlike Adam. That said, Adam has done at least 1x 7 figure exit with an animation business previously and has since built multiple 7 figure businesses.
Adam hasn’t sold his Amazon business I guess because he still wants to be in the game so to speak.
While Sophie is much less engaged in her Facebook group than Adam, she is more approachable at seminars. Adam’s events are 5x bigger so it’s hard for him to have a chit chat to everyone during the breaks. With Sophie, you’re more likely to engage with her in person for a couple of minutes if you come along to a Blue Sky seminar.
She’s also launched a lot more products, though the bulk appears to be variations of products (i.e. different flavours of tea). Adam recommends keeping just a small portfolio of well-performing products as opposed to a lot to avoid that overwhelm. With Sophie’s experience, her product research phase is quite methodical.
While Adam has a better course, Sophie has launched more products and can be more relatable for most people. It’s designed for the complete beginner, not the existing business person who’s ready for round 2. If you’re the type that likes to fly Business Class, then Adam would be my pick.
At the end of the day, choose the course and mentor that fits best for you and your situation. You may find one teacher resonates more than the other.
I like both teachers personally, especially as they both have results.
Further reading
I hope this Adam Hudson Vs Sophie Howard comparison has opened your eyes to the differences in each course. I’ve provided more information about Adam’s course in this review (including information on the EXCELLENT bonuses) right here…
I’ve also provided more information about Sophie’s course right here…
Naturally, once again, I’ll mention this. It takes work to build an Amazon business. These courses are merely giving knowledge, and both strategies proposed by Sophie and Adam will work just fine. The responsibility is on you to make it work. ✍️
You’ll put your own money on the line. Trust me…you are going to need some decent dollars to start with. This is a capital and cashflow-intensive business model.
Give yourself 2 to 3 years MINIMUM, before transitioning towards living off that income, provided you
It could take you longer. For most people, it will probably take longer. I don’t sell hype around here.
If that waiting time is unrealistic for you, then consider buying an existing Amazon business if you have the funds. You could go from 0 to 100 in 1 month flat.
Aside from the capital, if you don’t have the work ethic to build up from scratch, or you’re not willing to buy an existing Amazon business, then wipe Amazon off your list of opportunities.
Because in life, nothing worth having, comes easy. Otherwise we’d all live the laptop lifestyle already.
Yet a small group of us, including myself, have been able to achieve this. I hope you have the drive and commitment to be next.
My Cliff-Notes
- Adam has a better course and a much more evolved FBA community
- Sophie’s course comes with a phone support service for her students
- Total beginners that need help should really go with Sophie Howard
- Those that are more business-minded should go with Adam Hudson
Hi Joshua!
I read your initial blog which then led me to this blog. Super helpful content thank you!
Feels like I’ve had my ‘gut feeling’ validated re: Blue Sky & Knowledge Source.
I am 100% convinced and inspired by Sophie however not convinced by the Knowledge Source coach who called me.
You said her course is legit and somewhat successful so my question is, ‘how does one access this course?’ Is it only necessary via Knowledge Source?
I am from NZ, can we access Adams programme?
Thank you!
Hi Gina, thanks so much for your positive comments and questions.
There’s hundreds of Adam’s students spread across New Zealand, and heaps of them are coming up to Brisbane for the next Reliable Education Summit which is next week. It’s his most popular country after Australia, though he has students from dozens of other countries too including the UK and the US.
I have confirmed that access to Sophie’s course is unfortunately only through Jon Giann at this stage.
Gina, it’s strange you have had this experience. I too have had exactly the same experience literally. The down to earth image that Sophie gives is genuinely inspiring, and as Joshua says, great for the beginner, however I’m thinking if you have a modecom of capability, and you are prepared to use your initiative to get onboard with the Adam course it could be better in the long run. Joshua has been careful to be very diplomatic on here and has weighed up the comparison between the two very well for me. It still doesn’t make the job any easier when deciding. I want a bit of both! Great blog btw Joshua.
Hey Jason, cheers for the feedback. 👍
Can you expand on the “Jon Giann (ASIC issues)” component regarding Sophie Howard? What’s the story there and why does he get a cut of her fees? Where can i find out more about this?
Hello Hollie, thanks for your comment. I don’t want to provide information here about ASIC issues, as I don’t know the inside story. I only want to provide accurate and correct information. There are multiple references to Jon Giann online through Google, and you can find more information on the ASIC website and the ‘Pissed Consumer’ website, where others have shared bad experiences.
Jon runs a seminar company, and these companies need to get paid somehow. When they find speakers who sell courses, they’ll take a cut of the course fees, and it can range in percentage. To me personally, Jon does come across as a reasonably good guy. I think issues from many years ago can be forgiven.
I’ve been reading through your blog a bit and I just want to say I appreciate how positve you are…. what a breath of fresh air! I wish you all the best~
Hey Carita! Wow thanks so much for the great feedback. I am positive, but also critical. I look at the facts. I hope this comparison has been helpful to you, as it has been to many people. 🙂
Hi Joshua!
I just wanted to say thanks! Your blog has been super useful and the only objective one I found so far which actually provided background info on Sophie Howard. Her ads reached me here all the way in Singapore!
I went through the free webinar and took the call – and was actually on the verge of signing up. Until i asked if I could delay for 2 weeks before my one year started (as I was about to head off for a business trip) – the caller (KS coach) became very sarcastic and immediately wanted to hang up my call. I asked for him to drop me a mail so that I could sign up when I’m back but he didn’t. Not impressed. So I’m three days back now from overseas and furiously doing more research and then I came across your blog. And wow maybe it’s fate he did not send me that mail!
I’m reading up more about RE now and this looks good as well.
Price-wise- It does seem more pricey. For Sophie Howard – they were quoting me US$2,995 for a year and for an installment plan – it was US$299 to be paid out over 13 months.
Still! More to read and digest!
Oh and I wanted to find out your opinion – would you suggest doing it yourself first and then signing up for the course if you get stuck? Or will it be best to sign up for the course to save time and skip the learning curve? Will it also work for me here in Singapore? What do you think?
Otherwise just wanted to reach out and say thanks again and keep up the great blog!
Hi Valerie, thanks for your positive feedback here! I just had a woman from Singapore and her husband jump on board with RE yesterday thanks to my blog, we’ll all be at the Canton Fair and the gift fair in Hong Kong.
I’ve also heard the KS salesmen/coaches can be a bit pushy and rude though I haven’t had that experience personally. Another Sophie Howard student said KS never replied to multiple emails or voicemails when she demanded a refund, though admittedly she was more than 7 days after the refund policy expiry.
Sophie’s course changes in price quite often. RE is right now $2,497 USD and has been constant like that for a long time, though it may rise in a few months. I’m not really sure as to when that would be, and there’s also a payment plan available.
There are 200+ steps to learn how to sell on Amazon, and that’s why I highly recommend a course in video format to get the complete picture. I don’t think learning by error and making mistakes is a good idea, especially when your own capital is on the table. I’ve brought out some excellent free content here on my blog based upon my training and real-life experience, including finding products, sourcing samples and placing orders. You’ll find them in the navigation tab at the top. A good starting point.
There’s likely to be hundreds of people in Singapore selling on Amazon US right now, as Amazon allows most countries to sell in their marketplaces. Your location isn’t a problem at all. What you need is predominantly the investment in a course, managing your time and capital through the process, and the commitment to work through the challenges. Hope that helps!
Hi Joshua – that’s great! Oh shoot I think I saw the wrong page – the page I was on showed US$4,998 something – for the course. I just found your affiliate link and saw that the price is very much in line with what you said – US$2,497. Thanks and will let you know once I make the leap!
Thanks so much for your support Valerie! It’s Amazing Selling Machine which sits around that $5,000 USD mark with events only run in the US, which puts it out of reach for most people. Looking forward to helping you out through this journey. 🙂
So what course is best and how much is it and do we do it from???because I live in Australia.Would you be shown step by
Hi Pamela, I’ve compared both courses here: https://www.workwithjoshua.com/amazing-selling-machine-vs-reliable-education-the-ultimate-comparison
ASM is slightly better. All courses show you step by step regardless of your country.
If you’re completely new to the business world, then Sophie Howard would be best to start with.
Hi Joshua
Great content and very helpful. I am based in UK and set for intro Call from BlueSkyAmazon on Wednesday. You have given me some useful questions to ask. Will be interesting to see how they respond.
I will also look at the Reliable Education course.
Would I be better suited to look for a UK based course? Are you aware of any?
Thanks again
Ian
Hi Ian, thanks for your positive feedback. There’s no UK course that I’m aware of that brings so much to the table, that both Adam and Sophie both have created. They both independently market to UK students since there isn’t yet a course of such high calibre out there. There are small UK courses out there I’m sure, and if you find one, be sure to compare them on the criteria I’ve laid out here: https://www.workwithjoshua.com/the-6-factors-that-make-an-excellent-amazon-course/
I’ve found numerous Amazon courses out there, usually created by inexperienced guys in their 20’s driving a Ferrari. They market low-quality courses to college students in their late teens and early 20’s, usually sold as a get-rich-quick deal to fund the Ferrari. It’s wise to look for high-quality courses taught by experienced and mature Amazon teachers, for which both Sophie and Adam meet this criteria.
Wow …how l got here and wish I new before I registered with Blue sky. ?..knowing what options and choices that feed my desire in life business wise. ..your respect for her l agree with. …lve just started with blue realising that your platform has great value and is a showstopper lm still paying my monthly payments and my wife and I have researched YouTube video, …..some good but most are not worth wasting time overall, ..we both work in our late ages and retire in 10 years so l decided that I needed to be resourceful with my religion and Bussiness Minded to ever forsee what life has in store for what can be a………..Realalatey ..so we are product researching on a small budget to start with. ….too reinvesting. …we love Sophies knowledge source……but there’s one Jon Giann ……..? We may consider. ,,!….time will tell……..and thank you so very much for your time and effort to get this out that the grass is greener on thee other side of the fence. .?.Thank you you’ve been a great inspiration to me knowing this ingredient …..God bless you
Poncho & Chrissy
Hello Poncho & Chrissy, thanks for your really cool comment. I’m constantly getting a feed of positive feedback from my readers for simply stating the facts. Great to hear that you’ve made some progress with the Blue Sky Amazon (It’s still a good course!) and are already into the product research stage with a small budget. I look forward to hearing how your journey unfolds.
Hi Joshua. Great blogs. Very informative. Quick question on Adam’s course. Does it cover some basic content / details like how to setup Seller central account, how to select business/brand names etc.thank you!
Hi Shitanshu – thanks for your comment. Yes all courses pretty well cover those topics, but they’re quite simple in nature and most people would generally skip over such videos.
Thank you Joshua for quick response. Looking forward to start Adam’s course in June. After my busy work travel period. Currently got full time job ( 50 to 60 hrs) so hoping this course will keep me motivated on part time basis.
For sure will your referral link :-).
Thanks so much Shitanshu, almost everyone starts on a part time basis with either of these two courses.
Hi Joshua, which course would you recommend for someone who has a lot of experience designing brands, packaging (ie a graphic designer) and just wants the guidance on which products to concentrate on and get selling, especially in the American market (aussie dollar at under 70 cents at the moment).
Hi Rick, it’s Adam hands down for an actual brand to build on Amazon. Many Amazon courses are about selling products on Amazon, and this one is about going beyond to build a brand on Amazon with IP, trademarks and patents.
Hi Joshua, I just came across your blog; very informative. I’m scheduled for Blue Sky phone interview AM Friday 14 June ‘19. I’m located on the US West coast. Are their reliable courses in the US?
Hi Robert, thanks so much for your feedback and question. Both the Blue Sky Amazon and Reliable Education courses are available for those in the US, and each course has US-based students on board. They only have live events in Australia. If you’re looking for a course to network with those predominantly in your home country, then I mention quite a few on this list with ASM as the winner: http://www.workwithjoshua.com/a-complete-list-of-all-amazon-courses-available-in-2019/
Hi, WSO is offering the Reliable Income course for $169 – is this something different from the full course that you’re comparing here?
Hi Robin, seems someone must have called their course Reliable Income by mistake. I haven’t been able to find it on WSO. None of the courses there are of any high quality, nor do they run live events, seminars and conferences paired with coaches.
Nope, it’s definitely ‘Adam Hudson – Reliable Income’ potential copyright infringement / rip off maybe?
Yes definitely would be. I’ve seen a few scam sites out there reselling numerous Amazon / eCommerce courses for less than 10% of the actual course price. You gotta wonder if it’s actually the full course inside, or just a little snippet (a few videos) so they can’t get sued for infringement. Buyer beware with these other sites, as you don’t know who’s really behind them.
Hi Joshua – thank you so much for sharing this information which I have found to be really valuable. I have been researching online for months now as to how to become an Amazon Seller and trying to decide on which course would be most beneficial to me. I had narrowed it down to two – Reliable Education and Blue Sky Amazon funnily enough. Therefore, finding your blog today has now given me confirmation that both Adam and Sophie are genuine entrepreneurs. Now it’s just the dilemma of deciding who I will go with. If I was to decide on Adam’s course, how would I be able to obtain the bonuses which you offer in your blog?
Thanks Michelle! The majority of serious Amazon business builders in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom are choosing Adam over Sophie for the reasons I’ve outlined here. But again, it’s the choice of the individual as to what type of results they’re looking for.
Once you join Adam’s course, then let me know and I’ll check on my end that you used my link. Then I’ll simply email you through the bonuses as I’ve done for dozens of people now.
Thanks Joshua.. l still haven’t quite decided as to which course. I feel a leaning to the more intimate smaller group of Sophie’s. Still in decision mode at this stage but thank you for your response.
Thanks, Michelle! With more than 3,000 students in Sophie’s course, you’ll certainly find Blue Sky Amazon more intimate.
Thanks Joshua, With all the pop ups on social media etc it became overwhelming that I stopped for a week to clear my mind and set it to what kind of training I might want. nI found your blog a couple of days ago and it introduced me to Adam. I feel inclined toward his approach though am also in awe of Sophie as she is so relatable.
I have watched Adams videos and liked his ways. If I were to buy into Adams training where would I find that link on your page?
After too much research and mind boggling information I consumed I do thank you for your in depth reviews. It has cleared and steered me to which path is best for me.
Hi Sheree, thanks so much for the feedback! Yes, it can be overwhelming the number of courses that are popping up.
Here’s the link to Adam’s course: http://www.workwithjoshua.com/ReliableEducationJoshua
Hi Joshua,
I am interested in Adam’s course, but am a little tentative, as I know nothing about business and am a complete beginner. Would Adam’s course be suitable?
Thank you,
Lou.
Hi Louise, excellent question! There are plenty of people who started out as beginners like you.
Sophie’s course would be better suited if you need coaching sessions through the journey, whilst Adam’s course is better suited for the motivated person with some experience in business. So while I would say that Adam’s course is definitely suitable for you, I think you’ll find slightly more value with Sophie’s course because you’ve got someone to help you through, over the phone, at various stages of your Amazon journey.
Hey Joshua.
Really appreciate your candor and down to earth approach. I’m a kiwi girl who recently signed up with Blue Sky.
I have to say that the guy who called me from KH was really approachable and professional and followed up with me as he promised so I have no complaints there.
Your’e spot on with how we resonate with the teachers. I come from a similar background to Sophie and actually work in the same city as she did so that seemed to make the opportunity more tangible, real and relevant. Sophie felt like someone I could relate to. It helped also because it felt closer to home. ‘If she could do it, so could I’.
I paid around $3,700 NZD ($3,500 AUD, $3,260 USD) which seems to actually now be lower than RE cost. I went to Sophie’s conference a couple of weeks ago (included in the fee as you say) which I found really informative and very professional. Sophie and her team were approachable and encouraging. They also pointed out the pitfalls which I appreciated as I know this requires effort and understand this is not a ‘get rich quick scheme’.
Sophie’s course so far, seems to have the tools I need to get started. I reckon it will probably take a good 6 weeks to go through and get my head into the game before I take the plunge into launching. There is a shed load of information to absorb.
I have noticed that on the FB group that although most seem to be the students posting, a couple of the successful sellers respond regularly which is really helpful.
I guess we’ll see how it goes, but I’m willing to follow Sophie’s blueprint for now and crack on.
Just a point to note that I did actually watch quite a few of Adam’s videos and ultimately decide to go with Sophie. Go figure!
Thanks mate 🙂
Cath.
Hey Cath! What you’ve written is pretty much spot on. 😃 Whilst Adam does have a better course with significantly more student success stories, it isn’t for everyone. I would always recommend complete beginners to go with Sophie. Especially if you resonate more.
Her course content is certainly good with lots of content as you’ve highlighted. I’m glad to hear that the Auckland conference was a great experience and I’m looking forward to coming along as well soon.
Hey Joshua, I really appreciate all this information that helped me to make a decision and go with Sophie since I am a beginner.
Thank you so much to clear up my mind that was so overwhelmed from reading about this business and educate my self, but afraid to waste money taking courses that could be a scam.thank you
Thanks, Maria! Absolutely no problem at all choosing Sophie, especially as those coaching calls can be helpful for complete beginners. Both courses are very legit with thousands of real students. Good luck with your FBA journey ahead!
Hi Joshua, fantastic comparison. I just walked away from Sophie Howard’s course, its not thorough at all. Adam Hudson is doing a much much better job. He knows his stuff much better. Sophie’s fee is not commensurate to the service she renders with the shallow calls from her team, follow up is so so poor, and her coaches are not very dedicated. I couldn’t even successfully ship after almost 5 months, I know I was being ripped off.
Hi Peculiarpicks, thanks for sharing your personal experiences here. I think dozens will appreciate your insights too as well as mine.
Hello Joshua,
Thank you so much for this article and to responding to so many comments even months after the original article date.
It really has given me some great insight.
I had a call yesterday with Sophie’s team, and what intrigue’s me the most about her program is that it sounds as if she sources different than other mentors. Can you share any insight about the differences in sourcing methods?
I absolutely want to build a brand so am very much split on which course to go through.
Thanks, Angie!
80% to 90% of Amazon sellers currently source from China, so this is what is generally taught in courses too, given the high quality, good margins and higher trust-factor that Chinese factories now have with foreigners. I also source from China currently.
Like others, Sophie also teaches to source from China. But she also highlights others such as Vietnam, India, Nepal, Indonesia etc as she has sourced from some of these countries personally. Given that Trump has increased the Tariffs from China, a lot of courses are updating their content and existing sellers (including myself) will start sourcing from other countries. This also includes attending trade fairs which aren’t in China.
So whilst Sophie was a little unique in her sourcing strategy before, it’s quickly becoming mainstream to source Amazon products outside of China. There are numerous websites that you can use to find new suppliers which aren’t on Alibaba, with Adam currently updating his course to show alternatives too.
A friend of mine wrote up this guide for me as he sources from India: https://www.workwithjoshua.com/sourcing-fba-products-from-india-a-good-viable-alternative-to-china/
If you’re split, then as I say in the Cliff-Notes: It’s best to go with Sophie if you’re a complete beginner in business, as it’s more relaxed and comes with mentoring. Run with Adam if you have some business experience, have more than $5k in starting capital and are looking to build a rock-solid 6 or 7 figure business, instead of a little part-time income.
Hope that helps!
How about the sourcing methodology? Sophie sounds like her sourcing strategy is to find low volume selling products with higher margins, whereas it seems others like to source higher selling products with lower margins? Also, I am in the U.S. which is now having me second guess Adam and Sophie’s course.
I have started looking into ASM, but the sourcing methodology is my largest hang-up.
I appreciate your help!
Adam and ASM are both high margin, and medium to high competition. Most of their students have a lot of dollars in the bank account before launching, so can start off going up against the big boys: the existing brands that have been in the offline and online marketplace for years.
Sophie is into the low search volume and low competition strategy but with also some good margin too. Ideally suited towards beginners, where as the other two courses are geared for existing business owners. A couple of complaints in Sophie’s FB group from students who went with the strategy only to find that their products are sitting in Amazon’s warehouses and only selling a few units per week, which is hard to scale or let alone quit your job with.
Where is the link I can use to apply for Adam’s course?
Hi Raul, if you’re ready to get the free training, it’s here: http://www.workwithjoshua.com/freetraining
If you’re ready to get started with the community, it’s here: http://www.workwithjoshua.com/ReliableEducationJoshua
Thank you for the support!
Hi Joshua,
I have been thinking about doing this business to eventually replace my income. I am a teacher who is tired of getting casual work based on student cycles. I had a look at your articles and reviews on these 2 courses and was wondering what should a person who is a total beginner do if they are also interested to eventually growing the business. I do not want to get stuck at just having a small stream of side income if there is more potential for the business to grow. This makes it hard to decide on whether to go with Adam or Sophie because they offer a combination of what I need. A beginner who does not want to stay small. I also watch the webinar of Alex Ryan and now I am totally confused. In 2 days time I will be getting a call from Sophies company and I am not sure exactly what I am going to say,but am hoping not to get forced into buying. By the way her course is super expensive now because she is charing in US dollar and from memory of the notes I took, it goes up to 5000 aussie dollars. Hope you can clarify some things for me. Regards, Sharra
Hi Sharra, thanks for your comment and question.
Sophie Howard would be the way to go as Adam caters for those with lots of past personal development and/or business experience. It’s a better course and it has to be, as his results-driven students expect a very high level of content delivery.
Sophie’s course can help you replace a full-time income. While choosing the right one for where you are today and your future goals are important, it’s the work ethic and starting capital of the individual or partnership more than the teacher/course/community.
Hello Joshua,
thank you for putting out your experience here. I was about to get a call from Sophies company … but now I am hesitating … Is her or Adams courses actually only for Aussies, NZ-landers and/or for people living in the UK? I am from Germany … so my amazon business would be also in Germany. I just wonder if the course also deals with online-sales-laws / communication policies/ refund policies? It’s quiet different and much more restricted than in the US/Australia or the UK. I better look for a german course. Is there any german FBA course you know about?
Thank you! Best Sangit
Hello Sangit! Both courses are geared towards starting on Amazon USA so you’re not really restricted as to which country you reside in. Both courses do deal with the issues that you’ve outlined. I’m not familiar with any German courses but if you do come across any, then do let me know!
Hello Joshua,
Thank you very much for your reviews. It helped me to choose who to go with. Sophie Howard, as I’m very green when it comes to starting and running my own business.
My question to you is based on a comment you made about this not being a good business for most people…..? A: what did you mean by that ? And B: Why do people fail at this business? I really want to know what to look out for.
FYI Sophie’s business as of yesterday,( 10/23/19) was $5000 but if you put $500 US dollars down you would pay just under$3,500, and would have only a week to come up with rest. The only payment plans she offered was at full price half now and half in a month. And you don’t actually start until it is completely paid for. And the $500 you put . down is completely nonrefundable.
Also, I asked the same question to Nikee who is a person that works for Sophie. She gave me a little info but mostly was very defensive about me even asking the question, and told me I need to change my negative attitude or I was never going to make it, just because of asking her this question. Definitely, not the best reaction in my opinion.
If I hadn’t read your review, I would have NOT signed up. But, one persons prospective is hopefully not the whole companies opinion about me ( someone that they don’t even know)…..?
Thanks for your time.
LeighAnn White Colorado, USA
Hello LeignAnn,
Thanks for your comment and questions.
Most people aren’t suited to the Amazon business model.
There is a false belief that this is easy money. There was a time that Amazon was easier but it’s a level playing field these days and requires a lot of consistent work to make it through.
I talk more about that here: https://www.workwithjoshua.com/amazon-business-failure
There is another false belief that it’s almost risk-free. There are many risks outside of just supplier issues. I highlight more here: https://www.workwithjoshua.com/amazon-seller-risks
But wait, there’s more! Lots of sellers have concerns: https://www.workwithjoshua.com/heres-10-real-concerns-that-amazon-sellers-face-daily
Why am I the only person highlighting these dangers and risks of selling on Amazon? Probably the same reason so many people trust me – because I’m in the trenches every single day.
I think Sophie’s team should hire me to teach their phone staff on
a) How to treat people properly and;
b) How to answer people’s questions as I’ve done thousands of times on my blog freely without being paid a single dollar.
I’m glad that I’ve helped you get a feel that selling on Amazon might still be a good opportunity for you. It’s possible for those committed to hang around for the long haul, backed with capital and the right knowledge. Sophie herself is way better, her team is just letting her down (still…)
Hi Joshua,
Thanks for your valuable information.
I also like Sophie Howard but not the coach I got from KS. He never write me back. How can I contact him if I later have questions about the course?
I was about to pay and when I asked a link for the payment, he said that he could do it for me by phone. I prefer to do it myself but he said then I won’t get a discount of US$ 1,500 of US$ 5,000. It gives me doubt whether to take the course. I really want to contact Sophie directly but it seems that’s only possible via the coach.
I’ll read about RE through your link.
Thanks again,
Kindeng
Hi Kindeng, thanks for your feedback.
Maybe try emailing him again? Shame they can’t simply provide a basic payment link.
Yes, Sophie is busy with her children, her Amazon business and running her community. There is some occasional engagement inside her Facebook group.
I only came here because for the past week or so, Youtube has been inundating me with ads from both Sophie and Adam – both of which ANNOY THE HELL OUT OF ME! They may both be at the top of their game, but I would gladly pay them NOT to talk. So, Joshua, if your voice is better than either of these two, perhaps one day you can corner the market by attracting all those people who are interested, but just cannot stand listening to Adam or Sophie for another minute.
Hey Anj, a different perspective than most people here. 🙂
You can pay to block them and everyone else out with a YouTube Premium (Red) subscription. Not sure which country you’re from but it’s only $10/month here in Australia. More details here: https://www.youtube.com/premium
It stops ALL the ads from marketers on YouTube and you can play videos you want instantly without waiting/wasting time. I haven’t seen an annoying YouTube ad for years and totally forgot that they (Adam and Sophie) have ads on there. Apart from blocking all ads, I can download videos for later when I’m overseas.
There are also some free plugins on Facebook that stop ads too, so you can block them over there. I haven’t figured out blocking ads on Instagram yet but I hardly use it anyway.
Hi Joshua have to start by thanking you for all the in-depth information, review and advice ,you provide, I am Australian like you from Melbourne, and after reading your reviews, I am a total beginner but have sold stuff on Gumtree.I am serious about starting an on-line business and being a woman, geared towards Sophie but just reading about the price and the unhelpful coaches and bad experience of a seller who had stock sitting at the Amazon’s warehouse, I feel like deciding over RE, even though I am not a business person.I wanted to ask you if Adam’s course is video-based content, as I can’t stand being in front of a computer for more than two hours to read non-stop.Does his course include videos and hard copy books? . Out of curiosity, which teacher did you sign up with? Both? Do the courses include all the shipment, storage, factories, suppliers information?Thank you Joshua!
Hi Gabby, great to hear from you and I really appreciate the feedback. Both Adam and Sophie have courses in video content, so you won’t need to read long-form content like what I have on my blog. Some people spend hours reading my blog content actually which I’m always impressed with.
I’ve done both courses and both are great! Adam’s came first then Sophie’s. Each includes everything that you need to get started selling on Amazon. Of course things like factory information isn’t going to be shared, since no one shares out their product range for fear of being copied. It isn’t hard to find factories because there are tens of thousands on Alibaba.
Adam’s course includes some very helpful mind maps but 95% is in video format.
The course is only 30% of the program. Beyond the course you can:
1. Go on a Reliable Foundation charity trip. I just got back from one and shared my experiences here
2. Network online with an extensive community of motivated people around Australia.
3. Join in the yearly student-only Summits (additional cost but 200% worth it!)
4. Join in the complimentary student Accelerator online training.
Clearly it is much more than just a course.
Yes Sophie is generally better suited towards non-business minded people but some people still do choose Adam over Sophie. While she has a home-style video setup, I do enjoy her video lessons and a systematic approach to product selection. Being a former government employee, you can see that she’s very methodical in her lessons which no doubt helped her previously to get the 7-figure exit.
Either way, you can’t go wrong.
Joshua, I have been weighing the pros and cons between Sophie and Adams course. Sophie claims you can take the training and launch your first product for around 6 grand. I don’t recall Adam making any claims like this. Is it possible to get started for around the same amount taking Adams course?
Hi Charles, you’ll need more to start Adam’s course. In fact, you’ll need more to start Sophie’s course too.
Amazon is an expensive business model and if funds are tight, it’s hard to make any real progress. This is why Adam recommends much more than Sophie. Sometimes I wish Sophie would match what Adam is saying in regards to capital.
I recommend $5k USD minimum and ideally $10k USD + the cost of your education. Starts to add up, doesn’t it? The #1 reason why people don’t make progress once joining a training program is the lack of capital, so it’s good to know this upfront.
RE says free video “series”. I only was able to view the first one.
Yeah, it’s a 5-part video series. If you watch the 1st one until the end, it then unlocks the 2nd one. Watch the 2nd one and it unlocks the 3rd one…and so forth. Sometimes you’ll have to wait until tomorrow to watch the next video in the series.
Hi, Thank you for your information. I am looking into Sophie Howard. I never did this before so really excited to start something new where we can make good money and be self employed. The question i have is being that there are a lot of scam artist out there doing the same thing, and that her course is costly and will cost $6000. Is this real and can make money or will invest money into this and not make anything. I know you can make good money with amazon but just want to make sure she is legit. Thank You. Deborah
Hi Deborah, all results are dependent on the individual student. You can make good money or none at all, or even lose money. I’ve lost money on Amazon a few times now, though I recoup loses over time.
If you’re looking for a safe business model or investment with guaranteed income, then Amazon isn’t it. Please avoid. In fact, I wouldn’t recommend any type of business model. They all come with risk.
I’ve found very few ‘scam artists’ out there, so quite the opposite. I guess I’m tuned to look just for good people achieving solid results? Most Amazon educators I’ve found are excellent.
Sophie, for example, has sold 1x business for 7 figures, 1x business for 6 figures and still sells on Amazon. She’s been doing this 5+ years (that’s longer than me btw) and has spoken on stages like the Global Sources Summit which is difficult to get a speaking gig at. In addition, she has been teaching for 2+ years with multiple student conferences and now thousands of students with some of them already selling on Amazon. Through her course I found her content to be very much on point and it’s clear, by now, she’s pretty legitimate.
As far as Amazon as a business model goes, there are thousands or even tens of thousands of people making a full-time income. The catch is: They all had to do some pretty hard work and put in a substantial amount of capital to make any solid progress, plus deal with the technical challenges of sourcing and selling internationally. Let’s not forget the competition here. It’s not easy and it’s not fast, and often times it isn’t fun either though it’s made up for in the lifestyle advantages.
Most beginners on the outside don’t realize the amount of work and capital involved here. Today in 2020 it’s more than just a game of “Get a product and slap it on Amazon to make a fortune” though in the past it was easier. It remains an excellent opportunity (with better seller protections) that is if you can be creative and go beyond the current marketplace offerings. Most people still go the copy-cat approach and wonder why they’re not making anything.
If you’re looking for an alternative and cheaper business model, then please look up Income School on YouTube. Plenty of free content and nothing to do with selling on Amazon. Likewise, driving for Uber, using Airtasker or the Airbnb are good strategies.
I hope that helps.
How would you compare ASM to Sophie Howard since it almost costs the same. ASM is popular but Sophie has been out for a few years. Please help me? I need to reply back tonight in order to get the $1500 discount and the prices wi go up another $500. That’s what I was told. I hate making decisions when feeling pressured.
Hi Nadia, Sophie Howard is better for beginners and most of her students are women. ASM is better for experienced business owners or corporates in other industries and who are transitioning to Amazon FBA. Men make up approximately 75% of the ASM student base from memory.
Sophie’s events are more workshop-based where you can engage with her directly (at least for now, her student volume is small in the US). Should only be around 100 people at her workshops, she has one coming up in Vegas actually. If you go to ASM then it’s hard to engage with the speakers (Jason, Mike, Matt, Rich etc) with 2,000+ people at their conferences.
I went last year and it was great: https://www.workwithjoshua.com/sellercon-review-read-my-317-notes-from-amazing-asm-conference/
In terms of content, both are very good. ASM is slightly better for content delivery but Sophie has more of an emotive perspective when choosing products. ASM is focused on profits while Sophie is “Let’s think about the customer and what they want”
Hey Joshua,
Well done on the blog and your personal achievements. I second all of the compliments from other comments here.
I’m about to receive a phone call from Sophie’s course and now familiar with Adam through your comparison article. Thanks for that.
My question is about the business experience requirement you mention for Adam’s course. I have no experience on ECommerce but plenty general business experience, managing a lot of financial aspects of the company I work for, including project management and and client relationship. Would this be enough business experience to jump into Adam’s or I need specifically EC knowledge? If he’s course is complete I don’t mind not having coach calls at all.
Your description of his approach to products is more appealing to me than Sophie’s. Less products with higher quality and still high profit margin, but he will still teach you to tackle both high and low competition niches. Am I right in concluding he teaches Sophie’s method plus another one she doesn’t? Feel like I’d come out with more complete training from his.
One thing that Sophie got my attention is her mentioning a long checklist to find the right product, does Adam provide similar tool for evaluation of products?
With no previous EC experience I’ll need all training I can get, so just worried Adam’s requires something I don’t have yet.
Thanks!
Hey Arthur, great to hear from you.
I’m estimating that 80% of people who go into Adam’s course have no eCommerce experience but regularly have business/corporate experience. Sorry if what I’ve written has confused you (and others) previously. You don’t need EC experience to join either of them.
Adam still teaches you how to go for both high and low competition niches. In fact, some of his most successful students are in very competitive niches like Fitness and Kitchen goods. Of course, in order to tackle these more competitive broader niches, you need the bigger dollars behind you ($100k minimum). However, through hunting, you will find products accessible at a lower price-point within each subcategory.
I think people get caught up in the strategies a little bit since some teachers like to say “We’re teaching this unique whizzbang idea that no one else is” when really, it just comes down to the two: High profit with low volume or high volume with low profit. Adam straddles the middle a bit more in my experience, with a strong focus on branding so you can move on to Shopify/WooCommerce and other distribution channels as numerous students have.
Instead of a checklist, Adam uses a mindmap or otherwise known as a decision tree for evaluating products. You might have used these before in your company. I find these easier to use (these days I’m a metrics type of person) but if you’re looking for more of a simplified product evaluation template, then Sophie’s is perfect and does the job well.
There is nothing missing in either Sophie’s or Adam’s courses, so you won’t miss out on any aspects along the way if you choose one over the other. The type of students inside is the biggest difference in my experience. Sophie caters for the beginner so the coaching calls and live events are included. Adam’s unique position is that he’s catering content for a higher demographic which is those with a greater net worth, generalized business experience and will actually do the hard work.
Either way you go, it still remains as a student-driven process with many hoops and jumps to get through. It’s frustrating, costly and hard work at times on Amazon. Luckily, putting the course content aside, these two have good communities attached to them to help you through the journey.
Hope that helps!
Hi Joshua
I think I read on one of your review pages that there is a recommended/required monthly software subscription needed with Reliable Education. Would that be ZonGuru?
And did I also read that that software is included with Sophie Howard’s Blue Sky Amazon?
If so, which level is included with Blue Sky? And for how long? It sounded like indefinitely.
Depending on the answers to the above questions, the balance in value may shift to Blue Sky…
Hi Chad,
Yes, ZonGuru is the preferred software to use with Reliable Education. Some of the more experienced students choose Helium10 which is very good in my experience though it is more pricey. I have a 50% discount code for Helium10 ‘JOSHUASDISCOUNT50’ for the 1st month. ZonGuru was kinda ordinary when it started but has vastly improved over the last 12 months with a much better end-user experience. It’s cheaper too.
I’ve never seen software included in Blue Sky. I just logged into the member’s area again (haven’t logged in for 2 months now) and nope, can’t see anything new included. Maybe Sophie is working on one? Getting any new software off the ground successfully is a lot of work. At the moment, from what I can see, the main recommendations from Sophie are still JungleScout and Helium10.
Essentially with any course, it really helps to have software to help you run the numbers. And yep, this is going to cost extra. I’ve noticed that some sellers and especially beginners become too reliant on tools though and completely miss opportunities. For example, tools can’t spot upcoming consumer trends nor can they see innovation. They are merely part of the greater picture.
Hi Joshua
thank you for this blog. I am looking into starting an Amazon business and had initially come across Sophie’s course, however, Adam’s course has also come up, so I have watched both short introduction clips, then started researching reviews and came across your blog.
I have never written in response to something like this, but as a person genuinely looking for an on-line business, I have to rely on others to present information accurately and factual in order to make a good decision.
I found some things you mentioned very helpful and others confusing in your message. For eg: You mention at the beginning of your blog that this “has been written with the beginner Amazon seller in mind”, yet you state at the end of the blog Adam’s course is superior but “is ideally suited for the business-minded person with realistic expectations”…..”whilst Sophie is geared for the complete beginner”.
You mention they are the “2 best Amazon training courses in Australia and New Zealand”…”both courses are unique”…and that “both strategies proposed by Sophie and Adam will work just fine”…but then downgrade Sophie’s course as “runner up” compared to Adam’s.
Even though you have presented some credible facts (you did mention this was based on your personal opinion), therefore, I felt, it did come across as biased rather than letting the reader use discernment on factual presentation.
For eg: you mentioned about Sophie’s experience – “that isn’t enough business experience FOR ME”…”I really do believe that Sophie Howard has that potential to get close”…”I don’t want to create this illusion that Sophie has a bad course”…you purposely add in crossed out statements… and constantly make negative comments and put downs, which is unnecessary let alone disrespectful to a person you say “I absolutely respect”.
You talk about cost difference between courses. Lets do the maths:
Sophie’s course – you say, has “been seen between $4,000 and $5,445 AUD”…or between USD $2398 – $3264 (as of todays rate).
You mention you’ve seen Adam’s course “MOSTLY cost USD 2497” or converted to AUD $4163 (as of today’s rate). Are there additional costs?
Yet Sophie’s course includes a seminar whereas Adam’s does not.
You highlighted paying (in advance) for a seminar would be a disadvantage, yet on the other hand you mentioned Adam’s “Live events are where the magic happens”…and he has hosted “5 massive events so far” and is “a fan of community-driven teaching”, so no doubt Adam would be advocated his members to attend…at an additional cost to the course.
I find it interesting you say – “I had to leave out the gender characteristics in this comparison” yet on the other hand I quote – “I personally appreciate the women’s perspective within Sophie’s course”.
“I’m simply outlining that Adam has a significantly better course and is designed for the achievers, whilst Sophie is geared for the complete beginner. If you need a hand to hold, then Sophie would be my pick”…
Jon Giann – Are not commissions part of business life?
Didn’t you state at the beginning of this blog – “I may earn a commission from any purchases made as a result of content displayed anywhere on this blog post”.
I was hoping you would “really kept this one real and delivered the facts” but but what I will take away from this blog is your final words….”These courses are merely giving knowledge, and both strategies”..”The responsibility is on you to make it work. Give yourself 2 to 3 years MINIMUM, before transitioning towards living off that income, provided you research your product, your target buyer and factory well”.
I do acknowledge this is an old post and appreciate that your opinion may or may not have changed by April 2020.
Many thanks
Lita
Hey Lita, thanks for the comment. 🙂 My opinion is still the same as I’ve done both courses. I’ve updated this comparison routinely since I first published it around 12 months ago. It is pretty accurate and I’ll continue to update it as time goes on.
There are times that I do make mistakes and do slip up on the journey through a lapse of judgement. In the past, it’s true that I’ve made comments that I’m not proud of (hence crossing out things) and as I learn and grow, I only seek to get better and lessen the confusion.
Still, Sophie is best for total beginners and Adam is best for business-minded people. Adam delivers his content more professionally and overall, from my own experience, it is a better course. Beginners often do find their way into Adam’s course instead of Sophie’s.
Actually, now that I think about it, I understand how this might be confusing. “Sophie is better but Adam is better…” so thanks for raising this. For content delivery, Adam is very professional with full-on production and editing. Sophie’s videos are mostly filmed in her house. Sophie’s seminar is built into the price of her course.
As I’ve indeed written this for the beginner student in mind, I do recommend most people should go into Sophie’s course. And with the recent change in the exchange rates, it’s cheaper too. Sophie’s “women’s perspective” is mentioned as she’s more creative in her product ideas as I noticed inside the Blue Sky Amazon course. Why would Adam’s course be better? It’s a big upgrade in the content delivery and entire experience, but that can be overwhelming for some beginners. It’s better for those seeking to hang out with other business owners.
I believe it’s very fair that I close with saying that it’s pretty hard with building an Amazon business. And it is, based on my experience over the years. Businesses are just hard and not for the faint-hearted. I think most people underestimate the time it takes and the capital needed to see this through from start to finish. And yes, the responsibility is on the student to do the work.
HELLO Joshua, and thank you SO much. I interestingly googled ” Is Sophie Howard a scam?” and came across you review.. lol
I completely appreciated your frankness and found the review to be very comprehensive ..The first to be honest about a 1 -2 year timeline … Sophies advisor created the impression of months not years and not very many of those either !! ;0 I was just left wondering which category you might consider me to be in, in terns of both Financial Limitations and “Total Beginner’ or not .
I am teetering on the edge of which way to jump.. I loved the 5 videos by Adams R.E. I found he provided a glimpse of the whole process with far less pushy sales techniques, than with Sophies approach, which tends to have me running for the hills thinking Huh oh !! … My instinct is to go with Adam as he feels more upfront and also because has he had a much greater proven student success rate.
.. but there are two things you mentioned that I wondered if you could help with .
Firstly – Adam mentions start up capital of between $4k – $10k + training fees – do you think this is about right? And secondly – I’ve been a self employed architectural designer & property developer for about 15 years ( not surviving all the relentless market changes though ;/) so I’m used to working tirelessly and but I’m not E commerce savvy at all,, SO I was wondering if you would you say that puts me in the ‘Total Beginners Group ‘ and to go with Sophie or more suited to the Adam world ….. I have 3days and about 2 hours to make up my mind and save $500….. apparently … 🙂 Many thanks again Shelagh
Hello Shelagh, it’s funny as it seems people typing in “Sophie Howard scam” is the biggest reason people come to my blog 😅. It’s a good course but yes, there are some downsides. You might get a product live within months but as for living off income, 2 to 3 years realistically as a minimum. And on average, 3 to 5 years. I wish they were more realistic about this, and not just Sophie’s team but all course creators out there globally. It takes a lot of time, effort, energy and capital to build a business from scratch.
Adam’s proposal of $4k to $10k USD is about right. And look, we’re all slightly different in this approach. I say $5k USD minimum and $10k ideally + education. The big student success stories had much more than this. I’ve chatted to numerous ‘Rhinos’ (those who have done $100k USD in a single month or more) and the lowest I’ve seen in $40k invested + education. Often much more.
Reliable Education tends to attract a business-minded student with some really wealthy individuals on the inside. For example, Adam Hudson’s net worth is around $7 million AUD (by my estimates) but dozens of his students are $10,000,000+ in their net worth through success in past ventures. I’ve met a few of these. And yet some of them are just here for the show with little to no desire to get started on Amazon. Very interesting. I think they just like to hang out with people with the same drive and ambition.
In addition, Adam attracts more of the corporate crowd. The bulk of his students are earning 6-figure salaries already and have tertiary education, so I believe you’ll be more suited to this side. Most students haven’t had an eCommerce background either. The let-down is the (now higher) price and lack of coaching calls unless you upgrade to Platinum Partners.
At the end of the day, pick the one that resonates with you the most and you believe will deliver the most value. Look at the long term (3 to 5 years) and stay committed to the process.
Hi Joshua.
Can I first pass on my huge thanks for your range of FBA course reviews and details. You provide information in a very clear and trustworthy way – essential when so much BS is swirling around the internet today.
I was drawn to your details having decided to set up an Amazon FBA venture, initially drawn by Sophie Howard’s adverts and style; she too presents well. Having attended her 60 minute webinar and having had the KS consultant call I needed to do further research before making my decision on the FBA course,
Thanks to you, I feel more educated in my options and, having largely had a self-employed business career I’d switched and pretty much made the decision to go with Adam Hudson’s Reliable Education. However. in your post “A complete list of all Amazon courses available in 2020” you state that the best value offer out there is Freedom Ticket with Helium 10.
Much of my self-employed work has been in consultancy and online marketing, and I’ve found that a service that combines good information/process with supporting software to be very powerful.
Can you offer some comment on a choice between Reliable Education vs Freedom Ticket/Helium 10?
Many thanks
Nick
Hey Nick, great to hear from you!
Reliable Education is the best course for the business owner or corporate person, or those with lots of personal growth exposure (Tony Robbins, Grant Cardone, Gary Vee etc). Most people in the course are already on 6-figure salaries which explains the course price and the main complaints about this course is, as you’d expect, based on the high price. Yet in under 5 years, 10,000+ people still paid to get their way inside.
The word “Best” is also quite subjective. For me, it’s the best because of the level of motivation and work ethic I have to build businesses over the next 20+ years. For the K-mart crowd, it’s certainly not the best (and for them actually, a terrible option) and they should go for something super cheap. Likewise, if people need personal mentoring, Sophie’s coaching calls are a solid offer.
Freedom Ticket/Helium10 isn’t as good but still a great course. What it lacks is that premium community, as given the low price, you seem to get just everyone trying to make some dollars online without much prior business experience. Indeed, the best overall value in the world simply goes to Helium10/Freedom Ticket because of the low price + high-quality education compared to pretty much every course at this price. I display this offer so prominently as I know people are lacking capital right now and it’s a great alternative. Coincidently, it’s the same software that Sophie recommends.
As for you Nick, you’ve made the right decision to choose Reliable Education given your background. It’s pretty much a match and you’ll see plenty of introductions inside the Facebook group that are identical to yours, even some from outside Australia. If money is no object and you’re genuinely motivated, I’d go RE all the way. If you’re struggling with capital, then go Freedom Ticket. If you want a real person to talk (coaching calls) to then go with Sophie’s crew.
Thanks for the feedback you’ve left too and I strive to continually improve here. 👍 I still get my fair share of haters and trolls, and I do feel sorry for where they are in their life. I believe that’s the anonymous nature of the internet where I see their not-so-pretty side. The general mood and sentiment of the world right now (COVID-19) probably plays a large part in that.
Thanks for all the reviews Josh, great work.
After reading all reviews I’m plumping for Sophie’s course due to be being on the beginner side of things.
I have 20K to put into this, would you say this is enough? What did you start with?
Also is there a link to Sophie’s course so you can get some recognition for the review?
Cheers
Rowan
Hi Rowan, thanks for the feedback! Yep, Sophie has a great course and $20k is more than enough. I don’t have a link so you can go direct. 🙂
Totally optional: You may use my Helium10 software link paired with the 50% off coupon (JOSHUASDISCOUNT50): http://www.workwithjoshua.com/helium10
It’s the software Sophie recommends these days (she used to recommend JungleScout which hasn’t kept up the pace) and I also use Helium10 often.
Hey Josh,
thanks so much for all your amazing and honest articles – you are a real talented writer! I’ve literally spent hours and hours reading through a lot of your reviews, comparisons, comments Q&As and related content, and by the way none of them are just ’10min to read followed by 15min or so for the comments section’ 😜
I was tossing up between Sophie & Adam – Sophie was that got me looking into Amazing FBA, and upon googling for due diligence I landed on your page and then found RE. I really wanted to support another woman and a fellow kiwi, but after watching Adam’s 5 videos I knew RE would be right for me.
I did sign up for an initial call with KS – they emphasised about getting your store up and running before 23 July – apparently thats when Amazon is releasing some financial numbers include how great the sellers are doing, so Sophie predicts that after that date there would be a rush to sign up as Amazon sellers, and Amazon may then have to start to restrict the number of seller accounts. Wanted to get your thoughts on this? they are calling this the D-Day,,,, 🤔
Lastly,, thanks for your 101 product ideas bonus, it really did open my mind up 🤩 I watched the RE’s initial 5 videos from clicking your affiliate link, but am signing up with this 30% discount they currently have for this weekend (what an awesome deal!) so not sure if that counts as signing up via you 🤷♀️ I have worked with the NZ destiny rescue – so awesome that you support them!
Incredible Helen, thank you for your feedback! And a fellow Destiny Rescue supporter on my blog! 😃 They’re totally stoked with my reach and influence with the blog and I’ve inspired people to look at what they do and shine the light on that entire industry. Have you seen their first documentary? They released it last week. The documentaries from Operation Underground Railroad are also very powerful and emotional too which only serves to make me work harder.
Yes true – it’s now a little longer now than 10 to 15 minutes for content and questions. People have kept asking more and more questions since this was first published around a year ago so it really has grown organically. Plus Sophie’s course has gotten better and with more students, but Adam’s still way ahead in terms of content quality.
Now umm…Amazon D-Day? I never heard of this July 23 cut-off to be honest and I’m in like 6 to 7 FBA seller Facebook groups. Now I don’t think a restriction is likely as Amazon already audits every new seller account, but given Sophie’s experience and daily exposure, I’m willing to bet that this could happen. Then again I think the rush to get products on to Amazon is happening right now lol by the sheer growth of the platform in the last 3 months. Getting a product live and selling within 3 months is quite a big mission unless you’re simply throwing in a tester product to learn the ropes.
Anyway thanks again for your vibes! ✌️ I’ll check my Dashboard on Monday or Tuesday to see if you’ve enrolled with me as it takes a day or two sometimes to update. Even if you haven’t, welcome to selling on Amazon!
Hi Joshua,
This has been so helpful, I just wanted to thank you for your amazing blogs.
I was going to buy Sophie’s course but I was charged for a cheat sheet US $197.00 and US $97.00 for a webinar that is free, I’m new to this so I guess losing money on this quest is part of the process!😢
After reading your article I’m going to buy Adam’s course. I’ll be forever greatful to you and I look forward to reading more of your articles.
If you use social media please let me know to follow you in all of them.
God bless you and be safe.
Maigua.
Hi Maigua, thanks so much for the feedback. I think you can get a refund? I did find those cheat sheets and webinar quite handy though, but glad you made a decision between the two. 🙂 I only have LinkedIn which I check rarely, while I avoid the rest (Facebook/Instagram) as they are merely time wasters.
Hi Joshua,
Thank you so much for your answer.
I’ll love to use your referral link for Adam’s course.
Can you please sent it? Sorry but I don’t see it in the article.
Thank you again for your guidance and support.
Warm regards,
Maigua.
Hi Maigua,
Sure! I’ll share both links otherwise it might seem biased.
https://www.workwithjoshua.com/ReliableEducationJoshua
https://www.workwithjoshua.com/BlueSkyAmazonJoshua
Hi Joshua
Thanks so much for this comparison. It’s been really helpful! I’m leaning more towards Adam’s course as I like his style of presentation. However have taken a call from KS for Sophie’s course as well. I’ve been deferring them for a little while while I do a bit more research. I’m still wondering though which one might be better for me. I don’t have a lot of business experience per se however have parents who have run a business from my home for 20 years and I feel I would be able to help me fill in a lot of the blanks and answer many of the business questions I’d have, and I have done a little bit of business study at university. Would you still reccommend Sophie as she’s more for beginners or would I be ok in Adam’s course? (knowing a little bit about things like capital, overheads, margins, etc and being able to get guidance on a lot of business stuff)
Thanks!
Hi Finn, Adam’s course is fantastic and my experience better than what Sophie offers, yet I generally say 70% should go into Sophie’s pretty much for the mentoring calls and support. Adam’s crowd is different and for the most part, won’t need that hand-holding element.
Now, if we pretend for a moment that Sophie doesn’t have coaching calls at all and it’s simply a course vs course comparison, then Adam is way out in front and I would only recommend Sophie’s for 20% of people. Essentially they HAVE to offer the mentoring calls to make up for the fact that the course content and presentation simply isn’t as good. They recently rolled out a big 2020 update to Amazon Navigator which has improved the student experience but it’s still home-style videos/powerpoints but with more guest speakers (most are Sophie’s students) which is genuinely great to see, but still some way to go.
Given you understand the basic elements of business, then Adam would be my pick as long as you don’t foresee the need for mentoring calls. Keep in mind that Adam’s Facebook group has way more traction and well-detailed responses to questions so you are still supported.
Also, I don’t know which country you’re in and Sophie runs events not just in Australia, but NZ, UK, US etc. These events happened before COVID and will pick up again soon with even more regularity. Something to keep in mind too since at this stage, Adam’s events are only in Australia.
Hi Joshua
Sorry yes forgot to mention, I’m NZ-based! Thanks for that! That’s some great perspective you give in Adam vs. Sophie and mentoring calls etc. Just weighing up everything now but I think Adam might be a better fit for me given your comments.
Thanks heaps!
Hi Finn, 6 weeks ago I was at exactly the same position as you. I had the same dilemma. Sophie was definitely the hook for me, honest approach and simplicity of the concept. I did my research, I asked Joshua for a little more information as much as I felt I could without trying to appear to get free time from him. He was very impartial and gave the facts as he saw them. Without that sounding board I would have not had the courage to go further. I had a call with KS at the same time but did further research. Overall I made the decision to go with Adam based on what I saw and how it suited me. I’m pretty resourceful, and fairly savvy, and fairly well motivated given that this is for me and my family. I also hold down a very demanding day job. I know there is a mountain of hard work ahead of me, but Adams course breaks it down into bite-size chunks. I took a big gulp when I purchased the course and I’m just in the process of setting up my business framework. Am I glad I did it? A resounding yes. Am I on my own? no. There is a very good support network in Adams organisation. One thing Adam does is make sure that you are the right person. If on your interview call, his team do not think you have the right personal qualities or are a fit for doing this, they will refund your money. . The network is based on individuals taking a professional approach to this, which I like. I am 10% on this journey and have a mountain of work ahead, but am confident that if I follow the process things will work out. I’m enjoying it also.. I’m learning things along the way and looking at things in a different way than I did before. It certainly opens your eyes. I just saw your post, (as I now subscribe to Joshua’s blog), and thought I would share my journey if it helps.
Uh! Now someone’s gonna think I paid you to say that… 😅
In all seriousness, thanks Jason! Great to see other responses/experiences to questions than just mine.
I’ve had people who started with Adam then went with Sophie, so definitely a two-way street.
Thankyou for the Honest and descriptive blog and prompt response to everyone’s questions. I’ve found reading through them all very informative. I am however still stuck with which course to go with. I lean towards Adams because I’m less interested in the coaching, plus although I’ve not ran my own business before I’ve come close to it in my career todate. I also prefer the idea of having fewer premium products which seems to resonate with Adams course however my capital is lacking currently – I have about £10k all in to play with which would need to include the cost of the course too. Is that enough considering Adams strategy?
I’d be interested to see some stats on the number of successful students who started out with a similar budget.
Thanks for your time
Jemma
Hey Jemma, thanks for your comment and question. Sounds like Adam will be a great direction for you to go.
£10k = $13k USD at this time so that’s more than enough to get started. I always say $5k minimum but $10k ideally. Take out the cost of the course and you’ll still have $10k to make a solid start if you have a long term vision.
All Amazon courses have historically low follow-through rates of like 2% to 3% as “life” gets in the way for most people. So out of the 100 people who enrol, only 2 to 3 people even get to the market with a product, and even less become “successful” i.e. full-time job-replacing income, unless they stick it out for a few years at least. You’ve probably seen some of the timeframes I’ve given here on this blog so people need to think in terms of years, not months. Adam seems to be slightly higher than this (I’m guessing 4 to 5% getting to market and selling) but he does attract a slightly different calibre of people who generally have a higher budget and motivation.
The biggest hindrance is naturally the capital (or lack thereof) but sounds like you’ve got it. Then there’s the time to get through the training program, then the time to start actually building a business (months of research, waiting on samples, product shipments, listing, optimisation etc) and then the energy one needs to deal with the routine headaches of running an online business. It’s understandable that so few people progress forward after going through what is ultimately the easiest part of the journey: buying the course. This does leave a lot on the table for those prepared to keep at it for several years.
Hi Joshua
A little confused as I see I can access free Reliable Education training on this site but what is different to signing up with Reliable Education?
Cheers
Brendan
Hi Brendan, the free training is available to anyone but not everyone wants to sign up to the course as it’s quite a commitment. The course itself has much more to offer than what’s covered in the free training.
Should they decide to join RE through me, I provide additional resources to help them in the journey. The best two are email support and product idea guides.
Hi Joshua,
Found your posts after researching FBA Amazon courses, super helpful!. I have seen both Adams videos and Sophie’s and think as a beginner Sophie is a good fit for me. Trouble is Knowledge Source is the stopping point for me as I have had a horrific experience with them previously. Is there anyway you know of that I can bypass KS? I simply cannot in good faith deal with this company in any shape or form.
Thanks Joshua!
Hi Susan, thanks for the feedback. It seems to be a common trend with Knowledge Source not looking after people properly. Sophie was accepting direct enrolments years ago through a thing called Aspiring Entrepreneurs but I think it’s all through KS nowadays.