In this post, I’ll be exposing Alex Ryan and his Import / Export Course. I’ve written this for Australians who are researching his importing & Amazon training programs.
I created this blog many years ago and share my thoughts on opinions. I’ve spent now $40,000+ on wealth creation seminars and events. I’ve made a 5x return on my investment. These things work, but only if you work hard too with the knowledge you have. Otherwise you’ll get nowhere.
Note: Sometimes I use referral/affiliate links on posts and there may be some below.
Today I have 2 successful eCommerce businesses. It wasn’t easy, but it was worth it. I’m well on track for the 7 figures annually, with realistic expectations for the journey ahead.
My thoughts on Alex Ryan
I genuinely believe Alex is one of the best teachers for importing in Australia. You won’t find me on his Testimonials page, but from the BS I’ve seen over the years, he does come through with some good authenticity.
He’s been importing for over a decade, and has sold thousands of products online. Plus – he’s also knowledge when it comes to offline importing. Like many, he’s become a teacher, since it’s easier to teach importing, than the actual process of running an offline importing business. But you have to go through those hard-yards first.
Alex has my tick of approval for the following reasons:
- He’s got a small YouTube channel and shares some good content
- His website is quite professional and better than competitors
- Alex has been featured in major mainstream media outlets
- His methods are a cross between importing, eBay & Amazon
Of course, there’s some negatives but I’ll provide those insights within the review on his workshops and courses.
Importing / Exporting Coaching Review
Here’s what you’re probably after today – the insights as to whether Alex Ryan’s training is any good, especially for Amazon sellers.
Alex started as an importer and eBay seller years
There isn’t so much a course, but a coaching element as well. It’s not cheap, but a good way to fast-track your results. Alex Ryan is an ideal choice if you want
The truth is, whatever these Amazon teachers in Australia provide, can all be found online for FREE. It’s just very hard to find this information laid out in the open, structured and updated. This is why courses are available to purchase, as there are thousands of hours of experience outlined by these teachers.
So you’re really saving yourself a lot of time and frustration by investing in this knowledge. Again – 5x return on my investment, and I’m working towards 10x.
Upsides of Alex Ryan
It’s always good to share the good and the bad in a review. I want people to have the right insights, so they can make the right decision to move forward. Alex Ryan’s importing program is no exception.
Things I like include:
- Alex has been teaching importing (not Amazon) for the last 10 years
- Students can go with Alex to China’s Canton Fair for the experience
- You’ll get some basic help with Alex’s team to find the right product
- It’s not just Amazon, or eBay, or Amazon, but all 3 combined in 1
- Alex is a great presenter, and it’s clear that he does have experience
- You’ll be able to learn a bit for FREE from Alex’s YouTube channel
- The Import Export Blueprint is only $47 and a helpful to get started
- Cheaper than Matt Buchel, Brendan Elias and Aus Importing Club
- Alex will work with you to get 5x your money back (That’s incredible!)
- It’s a smaller, close-knit community that some other competitors
- The training does cover each aspect of the importing process
- Reputation standards as featured in mainstream media publications
- Alex simply speaks less BS than most other importing teachers
- This is one teacher making more from importing than selling courses
- The 200+ episode podcast has info specifically on Australian importing
So on the surface, Alex does appear to be an excellent teacher.
Downsides of Alex Ryan
Look, there are a few downsides but not many to be honest.
Things I didn’t like include:
- Alex doesn’t run live events often, with a focus towards online delivery
It’s mostly fake (stock-photography) images on his siteAlex has updated his site massively since this review was first done- You’ll get a 10-day money-back guarantee, but any deposits aren’t refundable
- Started teaching 10 years ago, but started his Facebook page on 1/09/2019?!
Very minimal social media following across all platforms (just starting out)Since updated with lots of content (Phew!).- Ideally suited for the younger Australian generation under the age of 45
- Really focused on just importing, rather than exporting from Australia
- The book title says ‘…and make a fortune‘ suggesting a get rich quick scheme?
I do still feel Alex is a great guy. I always share negatives, and no one is immune. This way course creators can use this list to improve their courses and it seems Alex has taken this in his stride. Most importantly, the prospective students such as yourself can weigh up the options.
I’ve never rated a course or teacher at 5 stars, and doubt I ever will. Everyone has room for improvement.
Alex is also connected with Jack Parrotta (Amz Seller Excellence) and so the two of them, whilst sort of competitors is still starting out on their teaching journey. Personally, I would prefer to be in an already established course and community, instead of learning from someone fresh to the teaching world, although Alex’s course certainly is more affordable.
Making a semi-passive income online
I’ve achieved in my early 30’s what would take the average property investor 20 to 30 years to achieve. In fact, it would take 2 million dollars of property completely paid off to get my results. Plus – I have equity to sell if I choose to, as I’m focused on building real businesses as well as generating cash-flow.
Fact: This is where I started, and today enjoy a very good income from selling on Amazon. As I outlined at the start, it wasn’t easy. But it wasn’t so hard either. I just stay committed to the process. I never sugar-coat the process, I’m simply rewarded publicly for the ground-work I do privately.
It’s easy to start an Amazon business. It’s easy to buy a course on how to sell on Amazon. People who ‘sit on the fence’ when looking at an Amazon course really make me laugh.
The true test is actually building an Amazon business – that’s where the challenge lays. Expect to do 200 different things and jump through some hoops to make it happen.
I’m continuing to expand my digital empire, with full plans to be 100% retired by age 40. Even by age
I don’t write this at all to impress you – I don’t have a fancy car and you won’t find me much on social media. I simply wish to inspire you to set achievable goals, so you too will know where you’re heading.
Closing thoughts
Alex Ryan does have a great course on Amazon, importing and eBay. He’s more in-depth on importing as opposed to Amazon teaching, but that aspect is improving too. I love that it’s a wider approach than just one marketplace.
The main question people have in their mind is whether attending his conference is a good idea. Yes – I would recommend that you attend Alex’s live conference near you in the near future. This way you can make your own conclusive decision.
Certainly, in my opinion, there are better options for Australians looking to learn how to sell on Amazon. These all have a greater community focus. See the TOP 3 Amazon courses for Australians here where Alex recently took the 3rd spot throne from Brendan Elias.
This review is still a work in progress. I did previously had to rank Import Export Coaching a little lower in this review than I hoped to but was recently able to update some things. The power of a blogger. ✌️
Alex is still young, and it’s clearly playing the long game with his Amazon education business. I can see him going places here. It’s therefore assumed that more of these quite mild negatives outlined can be wiped off the board over time, and the content/testimonials will improve. Certainly, his positives far outweigh the negatives.
At this stage, Alex still offers the most affordable and reasonably complete Amazon training in Australia in a more intimate setting. I would certainly recommend students to head along to his workshops and live events.
Should you have any comments or questions, then please outline them below. The more technical questions should go to Alex Ryan himself. I also welcome you to use the FREE resources provided right here on my website without the need to jump on yet another email marketing list.
And remember – this Amazon game is a lot (and I mean a lot) of work over several years. You’ll need a decent amount of capital required to see the big sales numbers.
Alex Ryan Rated
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Training Content
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Refund Policy
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Teacher Knowledge
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Personal Help
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Program Pricing
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Student Volume
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Free Content
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Media Appearances
Summary of Alex Ryan
I’ve rated Alex Ryan for beginners looking to learn importing and selling on Amazon. Whilst there are some better options out there, his intimate workshop approach allows you to actually engage personally with the teacher, unlike many of the rest. Best part: His pricing (at least for the base package) is very affordable.
Hey Joshua, Thank you for posting this insightful review about Alex Ryan. Really appreciate your honest view. Still thinking of investing in an Import Business, have not discounted Matt Buchel Offer yet (on track of saving Capital by the end of the year).
As an Introvert, I’m just researching & evaluating what’s out there in the Australian MKTplace with an open mind. Need some space & time to assess things, weight pros & cons on my investment, without feeling rushed or being pushed.
Contemplating my next Biz move due to having a Brick-&-Mortar Business requiring my time. Again, thank you for taking the time to make this review, while continuing your various Biz Activities in the Amazon Online Space.
Thanks Andrew, appreciate the feedback! Let me know how you go with everything.
Hey mate so gonna handball ryan to the curb and take a punt on you and i never played the game but i like your truths… cheers
Hey Andrew! Surprising that you went in that direction as Alex is a great teacher but yes appreciate the follow-up mate. Cheers
Hi Joshua, thank you for posting your opinion on Alex Ryan’s services! Do you know much about AMZ Importing, they’re also in the same business of Importing & Exporting.
Thanks Andy! Appreciate the comment. Yes, I would rank Alex higher than Amz Importing and I’ve reviewed them previously: https://www.workwithjoshua.com/amz-importing-an-insiders-look/
They aren’t so much into courses/teaching (though they do have some materials) but more of working along with you type of offering. Alex does both actually. It’s best to start with a course first to learn the basics.
Joshua, thanks for the link and great on the content. Do you by any chance have done the same on Neil Waterhouse? I’ve been to one of his road show introductory sessions for selling on Amazon.
I haven’t reviewed Neil Waterhouse but he’s been selling / teaching eBay for years. From what I heard he’s quite reputable and knowledgeable. Seems like he’s joining the Amazon bandwagon as eBay doesn’t have their own fulfillment network, so this training would be new and without too many reviews.
Hi Joshua, this is really good information, thank you for taking the time to review the courses. Do you have any option on Sophie Howard? Her team has been in touch with me.
Cheers,
Hi Cici, thanks for the feedback and yes I do: https://www.workwithjoshua.com/a-review-of-sophie-howards-blue-sky-amazon-training-course-written-by-an-actual-amazon-fba-seller/
Hi Josh 🙂 Thanks for writing such comprehensive and well thought out reviews!
I was just curious, does what you wrote above still stand in light of the A Current Affair piece on Alex Ryan? Based on your review is it your perspective he was hard done by on the show?
Just a bit scary not being able to tell for real who’s genuine.
Hi Illy! Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
Luckily Simon shared the video above otherwise I wouldn’t have known about this one. I haven’t owned or watched TV for 15 years. 😅 I didn’t know shows like this still existed.
Both Alex and his students featured were hard done by.
Firstly, his students featured should have been offered a full refund if they were unhappy. It’s that simple. Whether that be at the base-level course/workshop or the platinum coaching package to Canton, even after 30 days has expired. It’s just too much negative karma to be hanging on to when you’ve got a student who was unhappy with your product or service offering. You just give ’em their money back and move on. At least if I ever offered something like this, then that’s the approach I would certainly take.
A lot of educators are offering plenty at their base course/workshop, but when it comes to their coaching upsell, it’s often not providing enough value. I always recommend that most people would learn more by skipping the coaching upsells and jump into the work of getting a product or 2 on to Amazon (this part takes months…). Afterwards many would realize that they don’t need coaching or mentoring. I also hate when things are sold as “easy” to prospects. Sophie takes this approach sometimes but not so much Adam; he just tells you that any business is hard (and it is…).
I can also see that Alex was a bit hard done by. See – these shows have a captive audience of negative people that loves the word “Scam”, “Rort” and “Dodgy”. Instead of getting into the trenches and actually doing the work to improve their lives (Amazon is just one of several great online business models today), their viewers instead vegetates in front of the television. It’s depressing, really.
Then we have the shows which clearly only have a one-sided approach with next to no positivity. Even their approach of flying in with “OMG YOU’RE GUILTY UNTIL PROVEN INNOCENT!!!” 🙄 with the cameras rolling, then not even giving the individual being featured a chance to explain their side of the story. I noticed many years ago that this happens on every episode like clockwork. I’m sure Alex provided a good explanation than what was creatively sliced and diced on the show. Then we have the “Here’s some old dating stuff from 9 years ago we dug up” smear campaign as well. Just more fuel to the fire. Again, quite depressing and poor form in Australian journalism.
To be clear, I have NO business relationship with Alex or Peter Sun. Neither has paid me to help anyone get into their course (I’ve sent 5 people so far if I recall) nor has Alex paid me anything for what I write here. For instance, months ago I had his course rated at 3.9 stars. Today he’s doing some more congruent things in this space (including a lot of free content) but needs to improve given his minimal business experience.
While he only has 6 products, it’s perceived somehow like a bad thing. 🤷♂️ I’d recommend just 5 to 10 good products. I know someone doing 6 figures with just 2 products. I know people facing challenges with 40 products. A friend of mine with 300+ products on the US marketplace is selling his business because he’s completely over it.
At the end of the day, Amazon businesses aren’t easy. It’s not fast and it’s not cheap to get into either. I’ve lost money 3 times on Amazon which is about $10k. However, I’ve made much more than I’ve lost over time. Amazon is a great business model and very much on-trend but has its risks. I’ve documented this several times on the blog. Of course, the educators making good money in this space too. “In times of a gold rush, sell the shovels”. I continue to dig every day in Amazon are the opportunities are still there. I’m even off to Shanghai on Christmas Day for product sourcing. That’s when you know you’re committed towards success. 💪
Now, you don’t need to spend up a fortune on education either. I prominently display this excellent offer: https://www.workwithjoshua.com/free-amazon-course
You learn best by actually getting that 1st product selling on Amazon. That’s a key reason why I don’t offer mentoring/coaching, but also, I haven’t done anything remarkable in my Amazon business either. It had taken me 3 years to actually be profitable. A long time to wait, right? Luckily I knew the expectations upfront as shown to me in a better FBA sellers community. Today I just like to focus on launching more products as well as sharing the journey here on the blog, including the challenges.
For those featured in the TV program, I do hope they get their full refund before Christmas. Not only that, but I hope they can psychologically put this negative experience behind them. This way they can start the new year strong and continue building their Amazon business. It still remains as a great business model for couples and families, if you’re committed to working hard and dealing with marketplace headaches.
Alex remains genuine as a smaller seller and clearly has room for improvement in his paid education offerings. I look forward to seeing him provide more value and follow-ups, but also, to see his dozens of real student testimonials continue to grow over the coming years.
Hey Simon! Interesting to watch that one. Thoughts are still the same – Alex HAS to improve his offering. It has gotten better in the last 12 months (and actually has some testimonials now) but would still like to see some improvements there. While the student experiences featured are likely true, ACA clearly hasn’t given Alex one single chance to represent himself properly and merely slicing and dicing to show only the negative.
Already addressed below but thanks for sharing Shaun! 👍
I know these two students from Alex’s course and they were trouble as soon as I met them. I’ve now been to 3 of the trainings Alex offers (I get to go to as many as I want without paying extra which is good) and I met these people twice now and both times they were very quite negative to me and my husband. They were out to get blood I think. Alex posted something in our FB group after it happened telling more about the students and the silly story. https://alexryancurrentaffair.com/
Either way don’t believe everything you see on TV lol
T
xx
p.s Alex is the most genuine guy out there and this story is completely one sided. I don’t think its in Alex’s nature to talk badly about clients which is why probably he didn’t let it rip on them on TV
Thanks, Tiff! Pretty well agree. 👍