ExcelMindCyber Review 2026: Tolulope Michael’s GRC Career in Cybersecurity + A Business Alternative
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ExcelMindCyber is an inferior program that centers around a GRC cybersecurity career. The reality is much harder than Tolulope Michael suggests. Most employers won’t hire you for a GRC role without prior knowledge and experience. So you need to work your way up. You definitely won't be earning 6 figures in just 45 days. You also need a solid understanding of compliance rules, risk management, audits, regulations, and cybersecurity basics. ExcelMindCyber alone won’t give you all of this. Then, you're competing against candidates who already have certifications and IT backgrounds. Local SEO lead generation counters that. You don’t need employer approval, certifications, or years of experience. You just build a simple local website, rank it, and sell the leads for a 5%-10% commission. So a $40,000 lead can convert into a $2,000 or $4,000 paycheck.
In this ExcelMindCyber review:
- I go over ExcelMindCyber's GRC careers in cybersecurity, including Risk Manager and Compliance Officer.
- You see what's included in ExcelMindCyber's 2 programs, The Ultimate Cybersecurity Program and Land Your 6 Figure Cybersecurity Job Challenge.
- I add all the ExcelMindCyber reviews from Reddit, YouTube, Trustpilot, and the BBB, so you don't have to dig them up yourself.
- Finally, you see how a GRC career compares to the simpler local SEO lead generation business model.
In my opinion, Tolulope Michael's GRC role in cybersecurity is like stepping onto the court at Madison Square Garden to play for the New York Knicks without ever having dribbled a basketball. You’re expected to perform at a professional level with zero foundation. You’re also up against the pros like Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle. Which business will want to hire a newbie like you? And if you do get hired, you have to constantly manage change - new regulations, new risks, new frameworks. It's not an easy job. Plus, in GRC, one mistake is like pulling the wrong lever at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. It can trigger chaos that ripples across the entire organization.
If you're looking into GRC because you want a high-paying job without deep technical skills, ExcelMindCyber seems to have a good reputation. But it's super hard to get hired with no real experience. You don't need to work for anyone with local SEO lead generation - you build your own assets and earn big money.
Public Review Sentiment
Sentiment is based on public reviews, discussions, and independent analysis available at the time of publication. Percentages reflect identified positive, negative, and neutral sentiment by platform.
Reddit (5 reviews)
Negative consensus
Negative: “I can say with confidence that there is no human way you can learn enough about Cybersecurity in 45 days.”
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Negative: “I found his seminar unimpressive and thought it was too good to be true.”
Negative: “scam. It's basically influencer bullshit to sell a course.”
Negative: “There is no history of the guy existing before May 24th.”
Negative: “Tolutope Michael offers to fabricate resumes for students, including fake work history, fake degrees attained.”
YouTube (2 reviews)
Negative reviewer feedback
Negative: “His whole Team is a scam! Very strategically SCAM!!!”
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Negative: “Scam Scam Scam”
Trustpilot (482 reviews)
Mixed Credibility, Potentially Manipulated
Positive: “The session was informative, well-structured, and motivating.”
Negative: “This Tolupe Micheal is all scam and all fake promises to get your money.”
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Positive: “So far so good! I actually like the program, it is rigorous so you have to be determined to succeed.”
Positive: “I highly recommend ExcelMind Security School to anyone looking to transition into a career in Governance, Risk, and Compliance.”
Negative: “Excelmindcyber's so-called 90-day Job Placement Program is a blatant case of misrepresentation and deceptive advertising.”
Negative: “No novice gets GRC training in just 90 days.”
Negative: “He writes resumes with lies and wrong qualifications.”
BBB (17 reviews)
Complaint pattern
Negative: “Material breach of contract, deceptive trade practices, and bad-faith withholding of consumer funds by ExcelmindCyber LLC.”
Glassdoor (7 reviews)
Mostly positive employees
Positive: “This is a good company with healthy work culture.”
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Positive: “Good environment to enjoy work.”
Positive: “Flexible work hours CEO is available almost all the time Tools are provided.”
Negative: “Lack of proper due Diligence when conflict arrived Constant change of strategies.”
ExcelMindCyber Pros and Cons
Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
✔️ Tolulope Michael has years of experience in cybersecurity. | ❌ ExcelMindCyber has no proven success stories. |
✔️ ExcelMindCyber focuses on GRC, a non-technical cybersecurity domain. | ❌ Landing a GRC cybersecurity job is much harder than what the program claims. |
✔️ ExcelMindCyber includes done-with-you services for landing a cybersecurity job. |
Price: ExcelMindCyber’s “Land Your 6 Figure Cybersecurity Job” Challenge is $697. The price of the Ultimate Cybersecurity Program is not publicly disclosed, but online forums and reviews suggest it is around $2,999 to $5,000.
Refund Policy: ExcelMindCyber only allows refunds within 24 hours of purchase.
Origin: ExcelMindCyber started in January 2023.
What Are ExcelMindCyber's GRC Careers in Cybersecurity?
ExcelMindCyber's GRC careers in cybersecurity are:
- GRC Analyst
- Risk Manager
- Compliance Officer
- Security Consultant
- IT Auditor
- GRC Program Manager
GRC jobs are in demand. Around 80% of cybersecurity and risks teams are understaffed, while IT regulations are getting more and more complex by the day. Without a dedicated GRC professional, compliance and risk management can easily be overlooked.
For instance, a GRC Analyst documents a company’s compliance with regulatory requirements. They should be well-versed in frameworks and standards such as ISO 27001, NIST Cybersecurity Framework, and COBIT.
A GRC Analyst should also be familiar with national and international regulations, such as Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX), EU Data Protection Directive, HIPAA, and the GDPR. As a cybersecurity professional, GRC analysts must understand security fundamentals. The most popular certification to prove cybersecurity expertise is the CompTIA Security+.
The salary of a GRC analyst is an average of $97,659 yearly as of June 2026, according to ZipRecruiter. Specialized GRC roles, such as risk manager or compliance officers, have higher salaries. Tolulope Michael's course prepares students for entry level roles with titles like Associate GRC Consultant, Information Security Analyst, and Junior Risk and Compliance Associate.
What Do You Get With ExcelMindCyber?
With ExcelMindCyber, you can get a series of free and paid webinars, a comprehensive training program, guidance from a success manager, and access to a community. The training and educational resources available for ExcelMindCyber users are The Ultimate Cybersecurity Program and the “Land Your 6-Figure Cybersecurity Job” Challenge.
The Ultimate Cybersecurity Program
ExcelMindCyber offers a flagship program called The Ultimate Cybersecurity Program. This program is designed to train individuals to become cybersecurity professionals within 45 days, with or without IT degree or experience. The program includes:
- A step-by-step guide to landing various 6-figure jobs in cybersecurity, even without an IT degree or tech experience.
- Information about the necessary skills and certifications needed for a six-figure job in cybersecurity, and how to obtain them quickly and affordably.
- Guidance from success coaches, hands-on activities, detailed knowledge resources, and a Discord community that’s active and supportive.
The Ultimate Cybersecurity Program focuses on GRC as its main content. It also covers other topics such as cybersecurity fundamentals, common terminologies, frameworks, and PCI DSS. The price of the program is not publicly disclosed but online forums say it is around $2,999 to $5K.
Land Your 6 Figure Cybersecurity Job Challenge
The “Land Your 6-Figure Cybersecurity Job'' Challenge is a 5-day webinar program designed to help individuals transition into high-paying cybersecurity jobs. It provides strategies for moving from your current job to 6-figure cybersecurity positions within 90 days.
The webinar sessions consist of the following:
- Day 1 - Key Career Mastery
- Day 2 - Core Foundation
- Day 3 - Writing a Rock-Solid Resume
- Day 4 - The Underdog Platforms
- Day 5 - Nailing Your Interviews
Each day only requires two hours of commitment. The prices for admission are tiered in three levels: General Admission is $197, VIP Admission is $397, and the Platinum Experience is $597.
Who Is ExcelMindCyber For?
ExcelMindCyber is for anyone who wants to land a cybersecurity job, with or without an IT degree or experience. It’s not explicitly mentioned in the website, but joining in this program also doesn’t require any degree at all. Aside from GRC, the program covers other cybersecurity fundamentals, so there’s no need for you to have prior certifications, such as the CompTIA Security+.
Who Is Tolulope Michael?
Tolulope Michael is a cybersecurity expert, author, and founder of ExcelMindCycle. He has around 10 years of cumulative experience in cybersecurity, handling cloud security, FinTech, and health data protection. As a mentor, Tolulope has instructed over 1000 students under his cybersecurity training program.
His approach includes helping people switch careers to cybersecurity by providing a GRC-focused education. Tolulope Michael’s mission is to bridge the gap between IT and non-IT people through GRC. He has authored several books on GRC, such as “The GRC Bible: A Comprehensive Guide for the Modern Age,” “Beyond Checkboxes: The Human Element of GRC,” “Hacking Your Way to the Job of Your Dreams: The Cybersecurity Career Handbook,” and more.
Tolulope Michael graduated from Lagos State University with a bachelor's degree in Computer Science. He is currently based in Manhattan, Illinois, United States.
What Is Tolulope Michael's Claim?
Tolulope Michael’s claim is his program can allow anyone without an IT degree, experience, or certification to land a six-figure cybersecurity job within 45 days. To be exact, he promises his students over $250K of annual salary out of multiple cybersecurity jobs. We can ignore the site’s earnings disclaimer, as the claim is clear and straightforward enough to be an actual promise of profit.
Challenge of Applying for a GRC Career in Cybersecurity Without IT Background
It is true that a college degree is no longer a must-have in most cybersecurity roles. According to StationX, 70% of security leaders value entry-level experience (1-3 years) over a bachelor’s degree. But there’s a catch. In 2022, 90% of security leaders said they prefer hiring people with certifications. This was up from 81% in 2021. This means certifications are getting more and more sought after in cybersecurity roles.
The popular certifications for GRC are CISA (Certified Information Systems Auditor) and CRISC (Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control). These two require 2 to 5 years of cumulative experience for performing related tasks. It may be too much to ask for these certifications for an entry-level cybersecurity position, so most aspirants aim for CompTIA Security+ first. Sec+ also has the most certification holders related to cybersecurity.
Even in GRC, there’s no way a non-certified applicant can compete with a certified one, especially without an auditing or IT-related experience. It’s not that Tolulope Michael is totally neglecting certifications. In fact, he also offers assistance for getting certification as an upsell. However, he proposes that certifications can come after and that his course is enough for an entry-level GRC position.
With all this in mind, getting multiple GRC cybersecurity jobs without an IT and compliance experience or certifications is also out of the question. It is possible, but is very unlikely.
Is Working In Cybersecurity Worth It?
Yes, working in cybersecurity is worth it. Being a cybersecurity professional is a fulfilling career and is one of the highest paid jobs in the tech industry. Even an entry level role like a cybersecurity analyst can earn a median salary of $80K annually.
For those starting in GRC, roles may develop into more specialized positions, such as security engineers, IT auditors, compliance officers, or IT risk managers after gaining experience. These roles earn a median salary of $130K to $170K annually. However, advancing to these roles requires years of hard work and necessary certifications.
What Is the Best Alternative to Working in Cybersecurity?
The best alternative to working in cybersecurity is to start an online business. This is true especially if you're concerned about the time and money that you need to spend on building your credentials. Starting up an online business requires no credentials at all. Also, there are online business models that you can enter right away, with minimal startup cost. You can check out the most profitable online businesses to get some ideas.
Earn Six Figures Passively With Local SEO Lead Generation
While cybersecurity is a lucrative career, it is still a job that requires years of experience and credentials for advancement. Alternatively, you can earn 6 figures of passive income with local SEO lead generation as a business. In this model, there are absolutely no credentials required as a startup or even when you begin to scale.
Local SEO lead generation involves ranking a niche website in local search engine results. Ranked websites will naturally attract leads. These leads are what you will leverage for renting your site out to local businesses. You can charge $500 to $3000 monthly per site or sell the leads for a 5-10% commission. You can easily scale by renting out multiple websites. With minimal maintenance, you can earn consistent passive income all throughout the year.
In my experience with local SEO lead gen, I make $52k per month with over 50 websites. One of my websites, Santa Clarita Prime Windows, Seco Canyon Rd, Santa Clarita, CA 91350, 661-453-8100, santaclaritaprimewindows.com, attracts 5 homeowners who need window installation. I sell those leads to my partner business for a 10% commission. They earn $30,000 and give me $3,000. Unlike a GRC role in cybersecurity, local SEO lead gen is your own business and assets. No one can take that away from you, like how no one can take away Graceland from Elvis Presley. Local SEO lead gen is a bit technical, too, in case that’s what you enjoy about the GRC role. Instead of compliance frameworks, you’ll build websites and rank them with local SEO. Take it from me, who's been doing local SEO lead gen since 2014, the business model is very stable. I mean, you're offering customers to local businesses. That’s like offering oxygen tanks to NASA astronauts on the International Space Station - it's highly needed.
If you want to learn more about this passive business model, I created a local SEO lead gen course that takes you through all the steps. Or, you can create and rank websites for my roofing client for a 1% to 5% commission.
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Ippei Kanehara
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