The Amazing.com free training is a free webinar that teachers you how to sell products online using your own website or platform instead of Amazon. Amazing.com was founded by Jason Katzenback and Matt Clark back in 2011.
One of their most famous programs is the Amazing Selling Machine course which is an Amazon FBA course that teaches aspiring entrepreneurs how they can achieve financial freedom through fulfillment by Amazon (FBA).
This article, however, will not be an Amazing Selling Machine review, nor will we discuss the ASM business process since we’ve already made an article for that.
This course review will be focused on giving a detailed analysis on the free live training provided by Amazing.com, headed by Matt Clark and Mike McClary.
The training teaches you how you can start selling products using your own website or platform, instead of listing them on Amazon. This way, you have full control over your brand and are in charge of your financial future.
Amazing.com is one of the biggest names when it comes to Amazon FBA or Amazon selling. So why are they suddenly pulling back on their concept and switching from only selling on Amazon to using Shopify and Amazon together? Read more to find out.
The Amazing.com free training isn’t a scam simply because it’s free. However, you might find the free training a waste of time because they teach concepts that have been regurgitated repeatedly already on the internet.
Examples of these are private label, using Shopify as your eCommerce platform, and many others that can be found all over the web.
In addition, Amazing.com doesn’t have the best reputation. The company’s image has been nothing short of polarizing. A few of the negative reviews they’ve generated are:
Here are some reviews given by individuals on TrustPilot and Reddit regarding the company and the courses they provide:
Overall, the Amazing.com free training might not be a scam, but it isn’t a freebie either.
Once you’ve availed of the free training, all they’re going to teach you are surface-level concepts. If you want lessons that are in depth and detailed, you’re going to have to purchase their paid courses.
Simply put, this free training is merely a commercial for one of their upcoming paid programs about Shopify and Amazon.
Even if you successfully launch your Shopify business, you’re still subject to a handful of issues, such as finding the perfect product, product research, tough competition, advanced marketing, and many more.
If you’re after an online business that’s more secure and profitable, consider looking into local lead generation. It not only provides a more stable source of income, it also eliminates issues you would normally encounter on Shopify and Amazon.
Once you’ve launched your business, it requires little to no maintenance.
All you have to do is organically rank your website using SEO tactics, allow local companies and businesses to generate leads through your website, and watch as the money comes in.
Pros
The training is free. You do not have to spend a single dollar.
It is led by coaches who have the skills and experience regarding the subject matter.
The founding company, Amazing.com, is one of the most well-known companies on the internet when it comes to Amazon FBA and Shopify.
Amazing.com has tons of testimonials that further solidify their claim to help you make money online.
Cons
Even though the training is free, the curriculum only touches on surface-level topics which might be a waste of time for some people.
Amazing.com has tons of negative reviews with regards to their teaching style, refund policy, lack of customer support, and many others.
The training is only meant to be an ad or commercial for a paid course they're planning to release.
Price
Free
Refund Policy
N/A
Origin
2022
Reputation
The training is fairly new, which explains the lack of both positive and negative reviews.
What’s Included in the Free Training?
The training is free and provides the following lessons:
- The new “direct-to-consumer” model they’ve created to develop a $30MM a year brand with 90% of sales coming from Shopify and the rest on Amazon
- The 4 criteria to find the RIGHT product to succeed with this model
- Why Shopify is the best platform to start an ecommerce business today (and how to add this as a sales channel if you already sell on Amazon)
- The simple way to fulfill your Shopify orders without having a separate warehouse or “3PL”
- The secret to make any traffic source work (including Facebook ads) by focusing on the ONE thing everyone else ignores
- How to build recurring, repeat, & subscription sales for ANY business (not just consumables)
Does Amazing.com Actually Know How To Use Shopify To Maximize Your ECommerce Profits?
Amazing.com is mostly known for the Amazing Selling Machine, which is a huge Amazon FBA course. They’ve helped tens of thousands of aspiring entrepreneurs launch their own FBA business and attain financial freedom.
But why are they suddenly transitioning to Shopify?
According to the company, your whole online business is at risk if your sales come only from Amazon. The reason behind this is that they believe that being successful means having multiple sources of income, not just one.
Here are some reasons they believe that one of the best ways to sustain your Amazon business and maintain a path to profitability is to use Amazon and Shopify at the same time:
You might wonder - what do they know about Shopify if they’ve been teaching about Amazon all these years?
Here are 3 reasons that prove Amazing.com knows how to use Shopify to maximize your eCommerce profits.
1. Matt Clark, one of Amazing.com’s co-founders, has a coffee company that makes $2.5 million per month on Shopify.
LifeBoost Coffee is a coffee company that was launched by Matt Clark in 2019. In just three years, Matt grew the company from making $17,000 per month to now generating $2.5 million on a monthly basis.
The brand also earned a spot on Inc. Magazine’s list of fastest growing companies in the US.
He even provides resources on their website and YouTube channel, teaching how he achieved that level of success on Shopify.
Matt Clark would not generate millions of dollars in profits if he doesn’t know what Shopify is, let alone use Shopify to run a business and maximize profits.
2. Amazing.com has many resources about Shopify
Despite the reputation Amazing.com has garnered for being one of the biggest Amazon FBA courses on the internet, their website has a handful of articles that teach individuals how to launch a Shopify business.
Here are some headers they use in their articles:
- “REAL $500,000 Per Month Shopify Sales Funnel”
- “$17K To $569K Per MONTH On Shopify”
- “Shopify Vs. Amazon”
Their YouTube channel also has videos that talk about Shopify. Here are some examples:
Clearly, the guys over at Amazing.com have a good understanding of what Shopify is and how you can use the platform to further maximize your eCommerce margins.
3. They’ve been selling another Shopify course ever since
Even before they offered this free live training, Amazing.com already has a Shopify course called “Beyond FBA”. It is a mentorship program that outlines the essentials of launching a Shopify business along with an Amazon FBA business.
A few things this course teaches includes:
The company also hired Shopify expert and SmartMarketer CEO, Ezra Firestone, to run this program alongside Mike McClary.
While there is a lack of testimonials and reviews surrounding this course, it is difficult not to recognize the knowledge and experience the guys over at Amazing.com have when it comes to selling on Shopify.
3 Key Aspects to Consider When Scaling Products on Shopify According to Matt Clark
Product Quality: The first step is to assess if the product is high quality. If it is not, it needs to be improved or replaced. Selling high-quality products is crucial in growing a Shopify store.
Market Size: Second, assess the market size. Choose products that have a large market. The market size should be substantial for the store to grow.
Differentiation: The third aspect is product differentiation. Sell products with unique features and selling points because it makes it stand out in the market.
Matt Clark's Case Study of the Sentinel 1300 Durable Flashlight
When Matt launched the Sentinel 1300, he started a marketing campaign which highlighted the durability of this flashlight. He also mentioned the other features of the product like its brightness and how it's a daily self-defense tool. However, he realized that the product didn't have a belt clip and was too big for daily use. In this case study, Matt concluded that even though the product was high-quality, if its features do not meet the needs of the target market, you need to drop it.
Who is Matt Clark?
Matt Clark is an entrepreneur who was born in Houston. He graduated from the University of Houston in 2008 as a double-degree holder in Finance and Entrepreneurship. He finished his studies at the top of his class.
Growing up, however, he didn’t exactly have a life that was cut-out for success.
He spent most of his time with friends who were bad influences. He skipped school, did drugs, and even sold drugs. Thankfully, he never was entangled in any of the legal trouble his friends went through.
This was enough for Matt to realize that his life would amount to nothing if he continued to pursue the lifestyle he was currently living.
At 22, Matt started his first online business - selling and distributing health products and supplements - and grew it to a multi-million dollar enterprise.
Today, Matt has sold over $200 million worth of products across a variety of online markets and platforms.
He also co-founded the Amazing Selling Machine, which has over 30,000 students across the globe, all of which have a combined total sales of $9 billion.
Who is Mike McClary?
Mike McClary wasn’t part of the original founding members of Amazing.com, nor was he a pioneer of the Amazing Selling Machine Program.
Before he became an important piece of the company, Mike was a regular 9 to 5 employee who initially worked as a consultant for Ernst & Young. After 5 years, he became an independent consultant.
In 2012, after working for a Telecom company for twelve years as a third-party contractor, he became a full-time employee for the firm.
Unfortunately, he got sick of working in the corporate world. Even though he had a stable job that paid him well, he had more responsibilities than free time.
He was paid a lot, but he was also working a lot.
Later that year, he stumbled upon the Amazing Selling Machine and was immediately hooked.
The idea of selling your own products instead of filling somebody else’s pockets was appealing to him. He was in love with the concept of being your own boss instead of working for someone else.
Finally, in 2013, he signed up to be a part of the Amazing Selling Machine course. After a few years, Mike established several businesses and has six different income streams, all of which generate approximately $3 million annually.
In 2019, Mike McClary caught the eye of Matt Clark after all the success he found because of the course. He was invited to become AMZ’s Chief Product Officer and has worked with them since.
Amazing Selling Machine vs Amazing.com Free Training
Amazing Selling Machine
2012
Uses Amazon as its primary business platform.
Focused on helping ASM members launched their own Amazon business.
Teaches Fulfillment By Amazon as the main business model.
Launched all the way back in 2012 and has had 13 updated versions, all of which are called the Amazing Selling Machine Evolution.
Amazing Free Training
2022
Focuses on a “direct-to-consumer” business model instead of going through a middleman like Amazon.
Unlike Amazon FBA, this training is geared towards helping aspiring entrepreneurs launch their own platform where they can sell their products.
Uses Shopify as the main platform.
The first session was held last December 13, 2022, which makes it relatively new.
What is Amazing.com?
Amazing.com is an organization that helps individuals launch their own online business in order to attain financial freedom.
It was launched in 2013 by Matt Clark and Jason Katzenback, intending to impart their knowledge to the average Amazon seller and aspiring FBA business owners.
One of their most successful programs is the Amazing Selling Machine, which was launched back in 2012.
The course has over 30,000 members across 138 countries. It has been updated 13 times, with Amazon Selling Machine 13 being the latest iteration.
According to the company, all students who have enrolled in any ASM course have a combined revenue of approximately $9 billion.
The company has also worked with a handful of famous personalities and entrepreneurs, such as:
- Daymond John: Founder of FUBU, “Shark” on Shark Tank
- Robert Kiyosaki: Author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad
- Sir Richard Branson: Founder of the Virgin Group
- John Mackey: Co-Founder & CEO of Whole Foods Market
- Dave Asprey: Founder of Bulletproof Coffee
- Sara Blakely: Founder & Owner of Spanx
They’ve also been featured in some of the biggest entrepreneurial websites and magazines. These include:
- Forbes
- Entrepreneur
- Business Insider
- MSN
- Success
- CNBC
Aside from Matt Clark and Jason Katzenback, ASM is also being managed by two other entrepreneurs - Rich Henderson and Mike McClary.
Rich Henderson serves as the Chief of ASM Course Materials, which makes him in charge of all the training resources being used by the program.
Mike McClary, on the other hand, works as the Chief Product Officer.
Apart from the Amazing Selling Machine, Amazing.com is also offering a free training that is focused on launching an eCommerce business and selling products outside of Amazon. This program will be directed by Matt Clark and Mike McClary.
What is Amazon FBA?
Amazon FBA is the process of sourcing products, either from a retail store or third-party supplier, and selling them on Amazon.
It’s easy to start an Amazon FBA business as long as you have the right knowledge and guidance.
Amazon FBA does not cost money up front. You can start selling on Amazon without spending a single dollar. You will, however, get charged for any products or items you sell.
Anyone can absolutely make a living off of FBA. Statistics show that approximately 50% of sellers on Amazon make $1000 to $25,000 on a monthly basis. To add to that, there are a handful of Amazon FBA sellers who make 6 figures per month.
Read our full breakdown of Amazon FBA startup costs.
Other Amazon FBA and Online Business Courses
Conclusion: Is Amazon FBA + Shopify Really The Formula For Financial Freedom?
Amazing.com claims that selling on Shopify while running an FBA business on Amazon is much better than Amazon FBA alone.
Not everyone, however, can be successful on Amazon FBA. A lot of sellers leave Amazon because of the expensive fees, product selection, tough competition, and many more that ultimately affect business performance.
You also have to keep in mind that Amazon takes 15% for each product sold on top of the hefty Amazon fees you have to pay. You cannot avoid Amazon fees. The best you could do is to minimize them in order to make enough margins.
To add to that, the company states that Amazon FBA sellers get paid on a bi-weekly basis. Amazon, however, has also been notorious for not releasing funds immediately.
There have been reports that Amazon takes up to 30 days before releasing funds to its sellers.
Shopify also has its fair share of risks that you have to watch out for, such as expensive pricing plans, issues with content marketing, difficulties in customizing your store and coming with the perfect product page, and many others.
Contrary to what the guys over at Amazing.com claim, reality sets in pretty quickly once you understand how harsh the eCommerce world can be.
If you’re after a more stable, less-saturated online business that provides significant profit, try looking into local lead generation.
All you have to do is organically rank your website under Google’s algorithm, allow local companies to advertise their products and services on your website, and make money for each sale.
Local lead generation also does not require as much maintenance as Amazon or Shopify, which makes it a potential source of passive income.
If you want to attain financial freedom while also having full control over your time, local lead generation might be the answer to your problems.
