Ellievated Academy is an online learning platform by Ellie Diop with courses on starting and scaling businesses, such as digital products, real estate, and vending businesses. Ellie Diop is also the woman behind Ellie Talks Money, which is her YouTube channel for her consulting and business coaching company. There, she consistently uploads entrepreneurship videos that teach people how to build business credit to create multiple income streams and how to apply for grants to secure funding for their businesses.
Ellie has built multiple income streams herself, and she encourages her students to do the same. This is why Ellievated Academy has courses that cover many different topics. All of them are priced affordably compared to similar programs, so they’re great for beginner entrepreneurs. But this also makes it hard to choose if you’re not clear on what income stream to first focus on.
The best courses in Ellievated Academy teach real estate investing, specifically REITs and hotel ownership. Although, there are also courses about building business credit, Instagram marketing, grant writing, and building generational wealth.
Ellie Diop’s Ellievated Academy Review: Pros and Cons
Pros
Lifetime Access: Once you enroll in a course, you gain lifetime access to the materials and content updates. This means you can revisit the content whenever you need a refresher.
Supportive Community: The academy fosters a supportive community of like-minded individuals also on their entrepreneurship journey. This community can provide valuable insights, motivation, and even potential collaborations.
Affordable & Transparent on Pricing: The courses are offered at affordable price points compared to similar entrepreneurship programs. All courses also have their prices listed, so you can compare them when you’re making a decision.
1:1 Mentorship: You can get personalized guidance through Ellie’s 1:1 mentoring sessions.
Valuable Freebies: The Ellievated Academy courses have valuable freebies to complement the course materials. These resources may include worksheets, templates, guides, and other tools.
Cons
Non-Refundable: Courses are non-refundable. Once you make a purchase, you’re committed to the program, regardless of your expectations or learning style.
Lack of Reviews From External Sources: While there may be testimonials on the Ellievated Academy website, there aren’t a lot of independent reviews from external sources.
Potentially Overwhelming: Ellievated Academy has multiple programs teaching different business models and income streams. This can be confusing and overwhelming for beginners with no idea where to start.
Price
Ellievated Academy’s courses and programs are priced between $20 to $777. The cheapest courses, including the beginner courses, cost $20-$97. Advanced classes cost $149-$497. And the course bundle costs $777.
Refund Policy
All Ellievated Academy courses are non-refundable.
Reputation
Ellie Talks Money started in 2020, but Ellievated Academy was launched recently in 2022.
Overall Ellievated Academy Review: Who Is Ellievated Academy For?
Ellievated Academy is for women-owned businesses and entrepreneurs of color who typically have a difficult time getting funding. The platform has numerous courses that teach you how to get capital for your business by leveraging small business grants, business credit opportunities, and community development financial institutions (CDFIs).
However, Ellievated Academy is a good resource for any new or seasoned small business owner. Especially if you’re in the real estate, Airbnb, content creation, or digital product space. Or if you want to grow your business into a long-lasting 7-figure company, particularly through social media.
The academy is also for aspiring and current mompreneurs who want to improve their personal and family finances. And it’s for entrepreneurs interested in diversifying their income streams and exploring passive income opportunities for their business.
How Does Ellievated Academy Help You Make Money?
Ellievated Academy helps you make money by offering guidance on income-generating opportunities, like business credit and grant funding, and providing a range of courses about starting and growing your business. The academy’s diverse courses also cover a wide range of business models, empowering you to explore different avenues for generating income, such as affiliate marketing, real estate investing, or Airbnb hosting.
What Are the Top 3 Courses in Ellievated Academy?
The 7-Figure Starter Kit Reloaded, How to Buy a Hotel with Business Credit, and The Millionaire Mommy Blueprint are the top 3 courses in Ellievated Academy. The 7-Figure Starter Kit has all the essentials you need about starting a business. How to Buy a Hotel with Business Credit is perfect for experienced entrepreneurs interested in trying their hand at real estate investing. And The Millionaire Mommy Blueprint is a great resource for all moms who want to overcome financial instability and create a long-lasting income source for their family.
Best Course for Beginners: 7-Figure Starter Kit Reloaded ($77)
The 7-Figure Starter Kit Reloaded is a 63-page e-book about how to build your business from the ground up and set it up for success. It’s a great course for beginner entrepreneurs because it’s an introductory manual about everything you need to build a solid foundation for your business. These include finding your niche, reaching your target audience, permits, licensing, tax work, buying domains, creating landing pages, and content creation.
This module helps you narrow down your niche by taking inventory of your skills and strengths. It also helps you define your target audience to lay the groundwork for successful marketing.
This module is for those interested in dropshipping or product-based businesses. You’ll learn the logistics of running this kind of business, such as how to choose the right product, calculate shipping times, and communicate with customers.
This chapter talks about business terminology, insurance agencies, and how to find support for your business. It provides guidance on choosing the appropriate business entity, obtaining necessary licenses and permits, and understanding the legal and regulatory requirements to operate a business smoothly.
Here, you’re introduced to Quickbooks, a popular accounting software, and taught the fundamentals of bookkeeping, including tracking income and expenses, managing invoices, and generating financial reports for your business.
This module focuses on personal and business finance, covering topics such as paying yourself, allocating funds, and misconceptions about business taxes. You’ll also learn about contracts and when to use NDAs.
This module will guide you through the process of purchasing domains for your website and creating effective landing pages to attract and convert potential customers.
Here, you’ll learn the importance of content creation and how to develop a content strategy, including identifying relevant topics, creating engaging content, and leveraging various platforms to effectively reach your target audience. You’ll also learn how to use Ellie’s 30+ day calendar to strategize your content plan.
- Niche & Target Audience Worksheet
- Business Permits & License Requirement By State
- QuickBooks Tutorial Video
- Contract Template
- NDA & Independent Contractor Agreement
- Pay Your Children Job Description
- Reels Content Calendar
- 30-Day Instagram Content Planner
A more cost-effective solution: If you can afford it and want to take your business to the next level, purchasing the $777 Level Up Bundle will save you $441. If you’re planning on buying multiple courses anyway, then this is a great deal because the bundle is 7 classes in 1.
You’ll learn about business credit, grants, how to grow your Instagram account, how to get an LLC, business insurance, content calendars, and even get a list of 500 lenders you can contact. Here are all the courses included:
- 2023 Level Up & New Year Kick Off Group Call → $177
- 30 Ways to Get to the Bag in 30 Days → $30
- How to Buy a Hotel with Business Credit → $497
- Guide to Getting Recession Rich → $20
- Generational Wealth Bundle → $177 or $197
- Essential Grant Writing Masterclass + List of 700 Grants → $297
Best Course for Experienced Business Owners: How to Buy a Hotel with Business Credit ($497)
How to Buy a Hotel with Business Credit is a 7-hour masterclass for experienced real estate entrepreneurs who want to expand into hotel ownership and investment. Ellie partnered with Davonne Reaves to create this program. Davonne is a 14-year veteran in the hospitality industry and the youngest black female hotel owner. She’s also the Chief Hospitality Strategist for The Vonne Group, a hospitality firm in Atlanta.
This course is not for beginners because you need to have an existing business, as well as a business credit history, to apply the lessons. It costs $497 but you can split-pay for 2 months at $249 per month.
This course is perfect for entrepreneurs who already have knowledge and experience in business and are ready to explore real estate investment through hotel ownership and investment. Aside from the masterclass with Davonne Reaves, here are other things you can find in the course:
This comprehensive guide provides a step-by-step roadmap for acquiring a hotel, including a checklist, information on different types of REITs, and hotel investment thesis guidelines.
This guide explains how to calculate and compare the profitability of your hotel compared to others.
You’ll gain access to supporting spreadsheets to help structure your approach to evaluating potential investments.
You’ll be invited to join a peer-led community on Facebook, providing an opportunity to connect and network with like-minded individuals who are also interested in hotel ownership and investment.
Best Course for Current and Aspiring Mompreneurs: The Millionaire Mommy Blueprint ($300)
The Millionaire Mommy Blueprint teaches moms how to build generational wealth mainly through real estate investing (REITs and hotel ownership). The lessons taught are valuable to mompreneurs of all professional backgrounds. They even apply to dads and other parental figures who want to build long-term wealth for their children. Here’s what you’ll find inside the course:
This section provides an overview of hotel ownership as a means of building generational wealth, including insights from real mompreneurs who have achieved success in this field. It covers investing with REITs, recommended starting points for investment, capital raising strategies, and dispelling myths in hotel investment.
This module addresses the mindset needed to become a successful millionaire mompreneur. It emphasizes the importance of being the only one in your field, creating schedules and routines, and managing mom guilt.
This module discusses trust and estates, as well as strategies for nurturing and raising successful children.
This section explores the concept of involving children in entrepreneurial ventures and discusses the benefits and strategies for hiring and involving your kids in business activities.
This module discusses various strategies for generating passive income with an exclusive invitation for students to spend the next 7 or 11 weeks with Ellie Diop.
Centered around content creation, this module guides mompreneurs in becoming digital content queens. It covers techniques to monetize content with a Q&A section about digital marketing.
This part contains additional resources for mompreneurs, including an invitation to join the exclusive Millionaire Mommy Club community, downloadable materials such as the Mommy to Millionaire Workbook, and a job description template for hiring kids (Pay Dem Kids).
What Other Courses and Programs Are in Ellievated Academy?
Build Your Business is a 3-day virtual workshop about building a business. The first day teaches branding and marketing fundamentals. The second day is about building an effective content sales strategy. And on the third day, you’ll learn about cash flow, business insurance, payment processors, and other business necessities.
The Content Vault teaches organic Instagram growth strategies for businesses. It’s also a 30-day pass into the Content Club, an exclusive community for content creators within Ellievated Academy. There are free templates as well, such as the Content Research Template and the Pre-Generated Content Idea Monthly Calendar.
The Business Planning Bundle is a 9-part course about business funding and credit. It includes video lessons by Ellie’s partner coaches, Coach Taylur and Coach Mike. It also includes a live class, taught by Ellie herself, with a Q&A portion. And the course comes with bonus templates for creating pitch decks and business and marketing plans.
This mini-course lists business ideas, like dropshipping, affiliate marketing, and Airbnb, that you can start as a new business owner. It also has freebies like a digital marketing business plan, business model canvas, and virtual assistant checklist.
Guide to Getting Recession Rich is a 30-minute video that teaches how to build financial stability in your business even during a recession. Purchasing this course also gives you access to a business credit strategy guide.
The Ellievated Content Club is an exclusive subscription community for entrepreneurs seeking to grow their brand organically on Instagram. Members get daily content prompts and 3 monthly classes that aim to increase social media engagement, followers, and sales. Aside from Instagram marketing, they also talk about other strategies, like email marketing, text marketing, and paid advertising.
The Business Credit Masterclass shares in-depth knowledge about business credit and funding options. The course covers topics such as securing business credit with and without a personal guarantee, creating a strong business profile, leveraging personal credit and collateral, and funding multiple businesses. You’ll also have access to a supportive business credit accountability group and learn the essentials of business entities, verifying your business for credibility, and EIN and business registration. Lastly, you’ll discover the best credit cards for building business credit and explore strategies for making asset purchases in your company’s name.
This 5-lesson mini-course is designed to help you build a successful brand and business on Instagram. You’ll learn how to identify your niche and target audience, optimize your social media SEO, master the art of caption copywriting, and leverage Instagram hacks and tools to organically grow your following. The course also provides a reel and Instagram post content calendar to streamline your content creation process. By implementing the strategies taught, you’ll build a brand that fosters the know-like-trust factor essential for monetizing your Instabrand.
In the Ellievated Lenders List, you’ll gain access to a curated list of over 100 public and private lenders, actively researched and updated by the Ellievated Academy team. The list is segmented by state and provides contact names and information for over 200 financial institutions. It can be an invaluable resource if you’re seeking business loans or investment opportunities.
The Essential Grant Writing Masterclass contains the secrets to finding and winning grants and includes a list of 700 grants (government and corporate) in 50 states. The course also provides sample grant writing and templates to help you increase your chances of securing grant funding.
Ellievated Academy’s Affiliate Marketing Course teaches you how to make your first $1,000 as an affiliate marketer on Instagram for various brands. It shares low-risk and low-maintenance strategies that require minimal start-up costs. You’ll also discover how to choose the right affiliate products, create compelling content around them, and implement effective marketing strategies, including leveraging paid ads, to earn sales commissions.
The Airbnb Hosting Masterclass guides you through building a successful Airbnb business, acquiring multiple short-term rentals, and effectively listing your properties on Airbnb and similar platforms. You’ll also become part of the Ellievated Airbnb community, where you’ll receive more tips on market search, pitching to landlords and apartment complexes, acquiring corporate leases, forming your entity, and using credit to cover upfront costs and furnishing.
Coached by Ellie is a personalized mentorship program offering 1:1 coaching calls with Ellie herself. During these 75-minute sessions, Ellie will assess your brand and evaluate the current stage your business is in. Together, you’ll identify the strategies and systems needed to reach your revenue, follower count, and customer growth goals. Each coaching call is fully recorded and transcribed, and you’ll receive an action checklist after every session to guide your progress for the next 30 days.
Why Are Ellievated Academy’s Courses Cheaper Than Other Entrepreneurship Courses Online?
Ellievated Academy's commitment to accessibility, inclusivity, and value-driven education is the reason why their courses are cheaper than other entrepreneurship courses online. Ellie wants her courses to be affordable to new entrepreneurs who may currently be struggling with life. When she was asked about this in the Social Proof Podcast, she talked about her experience being financially stuck, and that back then, she wouldn’t have been able to afford $1,000+ courses. This is why she decided to keep her classes relatively cheap, so more people can have access to entrepreneurship lessons.
Ellievated Academy Reviews: What Are Ellievated Academy Students Saying Online?
Students have mostly positive reviews about Ellievated Academy and Ellie Talks Money, but there aren’t a lot of reviews online. Most of the positive reviews are found on her website, and they revolve around the business foundations people have learned from the academy’s courses and news about successfully acquiring funding (usually around $25,000) for their business. Mentees of the coaching program have also talked about their great experience working with Ellie, how she gives free value outside her paid products, and the mentorship as a great business investment.
On the other hand, the negative reviews express doubt about Ellie Diop’s reputation and disappointment in their experience with Ellievated Academy. One commenter criticized the basic content of a $20 ebook they’d bought from the academy. Another doubted the authenticity of Ellie’s claims and her consulting success. There are also complaints from customers who didn’t receive “Ellievated,” Ellie’s book about building a business, after purchasing it.
For an academy that boasts more than 50,000 students and $300,000 to $400,000 in monthly revenue, there’s a lack of external reviews from previous students. Ellie Diop, however, has been in multiple interviews and talked about the successes of her many clients, such as one student achieving $100,000 in revenue in just a few months. In the end, it’s up to you if you’ll take her word for it.
Have Students Made Money After Joining Ellievated Academy?
Yes, students have made money after joining Ellievated Academy, according to testimonials from the academy’s official website. One student has begun to earn over $185,000 in annual income and bought a new house in just one year after being approved for a personal loan of $25,000. Other students have also received $25,000 to $35,000 in business funding after learning about business credit and grants from Ellie. And in 2021, Ellie has helped approximately 10,000 of her students get approved for $5 million total business credit.
However, all these proofs of success can only be found on Ellievated Academy’s website or mentioned by Ellie in interviews and on her YouTube channel. There are no success stories or case studies from students outside the company’s platforms.
Positive Ellievated Academy Reviews
Negative Ellievated Academy Reviews
Who Is the Creator of Ellievated Academy?
Ellie Diop is the creator of Ellievated Academy. She’s a business strategist, coach, and entrepreneur widely recognized in the online space as Ellie Talks Money, where she built a following of over 500,000 people across social media platforms. She’s also the author of the book “Ellievated” and the host of the Get Ellievated Podcast.
Ellie has a background in business, finance, and marketing. She started her business in 2020 after she got laid off from her 6-figure corporate job in Los Angeles, California. She used her $1200 stimulus check during the Covid-19 pandemic to begin her entrepreneurial journey. Despite facing the challenges of a job loss and going through a divorce while raising four children on her own, Ellie was able to build a net worth of over a million dollars in less than a year. Now, she’s on a mission to change the landscape for black and female-owned businesses that tend to get the least funding.
Is Ellie Diop Legit or a Scam?
Ellie Diop is legit and not a scam. She has been featured in plenty of well-known publications such as Business Insider, Black Enterprise, Entrepreneur, The Sun, Newsweek, and The Root. Ellie was also recognized as one of the 25 Most Influential New Voices by NextAdvisor in partnership with Time. And she was invited as a speaker at the United States Congress where she shared her expertise in business and entrepreneurship.
How Active Is Ellie Diop in Ellievated Academy?
Ellie Diop is very active in Ellievated Academy, as she’s the one who created the courses and also facilitates the 1:1 mentorship program. She has success representatives to help her manage the day-to-day operations of the academy, but she remains highly involved in providing guidance, support, and expertise to students. Ellie takes consistency very seriously, time blocking her weeks to ensure she’s organized on attending 1:1 meetings, posting content, and going live for her community.
How to Book Ellie Diop
Take advantage of Ellie Diop’s personalized coaching and mentorship offerings to book a session with her. Ellie's availability for bookings may vary due to her busy schedule and limited slots. To inquire about booking a session with her, visit the Ellievated Academy website or reach out through her social media channels.
How Much Does It Cost to Book Ellie Diop?
It costs $2,000 to book Ellie Diop for a 90-minute session. This investment reflects the value of receiving personalized guidance directly from a successful entrepreneur with a proven track record. If this seems steep, consider purchasing any of her low-ticket educational products to kickstart your business journey. If you're looking for an alternative course for women, you may also check Invest Diva.
How to Make 7-Figures from $1,200 in 10 Months: Ellie Diop’s 5 Keys to Success
Is There a More Reliable Way of Generating Passive Income Than Real Estate, Content Creation, or Selling Digital Products?
Yes, local lead generation is a more reliable way of generating passive income than real estate, content creation, or selling digital products. Although Ellievated Academy offers promising courses on these business models, local lead generation provides a distinct advantage by focusing on connecting businesses with potential customers in local areas, creating a more consistent income stream.
Unlike real estate, which requires substantial upfront investment and ongoing maintenance, local lead generation works with digital real estate which allows for a more scalable approach without the burdens of property management. And in contrast to content creation and selling digital products, which often involve continuous content production or competition in crowded online markets, local lead generation has less competition and higher demand because it addresses the specific needs of local businesses. Check out this local lead generation coaching program that can show you all the reasons why creating digital web properties is a far more effective way to generate passive income today than doing traditional real estate.
