Sophie Howard Review: Amazon FBA Takeaways & A More Sustainable Alternative

Sophie Howard Review: Pros and Cons

Pros

• Pretty good training overall, learned some new strategies like sourcing products from remote places that others won’t find
• Facebook Group & Weekly coaching calls
• 1-on-1 coaching calls with personal coach

Cons

• Some people feel that the support provided was not good.
• Some of her videos and audio quality aren’t production-studio standard as with other courses.
• Aggressive marketing and sales.
• The courses are expensive, especially for beginners.
• Several critics assert that Sophie’s strategies are not applicable in every country or market, limiting their effectiveness.

Price: Sophie Howard’s programs costs between $2,485 to $3,995.

Group: Sophie Howard has a Facebook group for her programs.

8 Key Takeaways on Amazon FBA from Sophie Howard

1. Buy in Bulk - According to Sophie, you shouldn’t buy samples. Manufacturers will send samples faster, but these samples are also especially made. Oftentimes, the samples are specifically made with quality. Sophie advises buying per batch so you can know the quality is consistent.
2. Build Brands - Sophie Howard teaches her students to build brands that companies would want to buy. To do this, she shares researching these companies. And then go after consumer debates around the niche. From these data, build a brand that you can sell to bigger brands in the future. According to Sophie, you should create something “cumbersome” for big brands. So, there is less competition and your brand is desirable for the bigger brands.
3. Hire Employees - Hiring employees is important when you’re scaling. Sophie advises hiring people in parallel. Then, give them a trial project which you actually need. You can pick the best one out of them based on their outputs.
4. Source Forgotten Products - Sophie once went to Bali, Indonesia and found high-quality incense sticks. She searched for the supplier, made a deal with them and bought a bulk for her FBA business. Sophie prefers this strategy, since it’s harder for other sellers to source the items and copy her products. But for people who can’t travel, Sophie advises looking at Amazon catalogs, local classifieds and trade show listings.
5. Optimize Amazon Listing - Customers will find your products if your listings are optimized. Sophie urges her students to focus on a good product title, images, and product description.
6. Write Proper Titles - It’s important to write your title for people and for search engines. According to Sophie, the first 65 to 95 characters are valuable and should not be left blank. The product title should be informative, but also attention-grabbing. Sophie said don’t use special symbols and the same word twice.
7. Take Photos of Your Products - To optimize your image product listing, there should be 5 to 8 images. Two of them should be the product only, and maximum of 4 lifestyle shots. And at least 2 images of people using your products.
8. Get Reviews - Sophie shares that you can sell your products to your family first and get reviews from them. Instead of using the Amazon Vine Program. Then start spending $10 per day on ads. Although increasing ad spend should only happen after you did your due diligence. Monitor your traffic, conversion and competitor pricing regularly.

Who is Sophie Howard?

Sophie Howard is an Amazon seller, online business coach and investor. She’s dubbed as the Amazon Selling Queen. But before she became an entrepreneur, Sophie worked in Wellington UniVentures, formerly Viclink Limited. She worked as a Business Development Manager from 2004 to 2007. They handle IP strategy and licensing. Then, she got promoted to General Manager in 2007. After that, she moved to the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in 2012 as a policy officer.

Sophie Howard gained her Entrepreneurship License in MIT Sloan School of Management in Cambridge Massachusetts. Sophie took the Entrepreneurship Programme (EDP) which covers how to run a company. She also completed his MBA with distinction at Victoria University of Wellington in Wellington, New Zealand.

Once Sophie went for a maternal leave, she started venturing into online businesses. Her expertise in licensing and social skills are used for her online business. She found a manufacturer in Nepal, instead of China. Sophie started her private label business. According to Amazon Seller Summits, Sophie sold $1.5 million products on Amazon. She founded and sold her private label premium tea brand, Higher Tea.

Sophie Howard is also an NLP coach. NLP is a method used in coaching. It focuses on limiting beliefs and teaching behavioral flexibility. Sophie lives in Wanaka, New Zealand, with her two children.

What is Blue Sky Amazon?

Blue Sky Amazon is an online program for beginners in Amazon FBA. Amazon FBA is part of the Amazon Supply Chain. The Blue Sky Amazon focuses on teaching students to start a private label. It is made up of two courses, the Product University and Amazon Navigator. Sophie covers product research, Amazon launching and sourcing products from countries like Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand.

Students will get access to the FB group, weekly Q and A, and 7 one-on-one coaching calls. Blue Sky Amazon costs a onetime payment of $3,995 or 7 payments of $713. Blue Sky Amazon and Kindle Publishing, Sophie’s programs, are managed by Knowledge Source. According to their refund policy, Blue Sky Amazon has a 100% guarantee for 7 days.

What is Kindle Publishing Income?

Kindle Publishing Income is an online course teaching people to self-publish on Amazon Kindle Direct. Instead of writing your own book to list on Amazon, Sophie hires overseas workers. And students will get access to this list, so you don’t have to find and hire repeatedly.

The Kindle Publishing Income also covers how to find low competition but high in demand book ideas. Sophie also has a niche finder software to help with this. She also tackles Amazon ads and hosts weekly group coaching calls. Kindle Publishing Income costs $2,485 or 5 payments of $497. Knowledge Source offers a 180-day money-back guarantee. Although you’ll have to provide evidence that you put in effort, and it didn’t work.

What is Aspiring Entrepreneurs?

Aspiring Entrepreneurs is an online community Sophie Howard built for new entrepreneurs. She teaches them entrepreneurial skills to start a business, and build a diversified portfolio. Interested members can take the Aspiring Entrepreneurs Quiz. The results feature their work strengths and the suitable online business models for them.

Sophie Howard also does sourcing trips. She leads trips to trade shows in India, China, Europe and Vietnam. She also teaches online marketing tactics. Sophie also helps aspiring entrepreneurs in scaling and selling their businesses.

What Do People Say About Sophie Howard?

People say more negative reviews on Sophie Howard. Although there are also students who claim success through Sophie’s programs. The Blue Sky Amazon Trustpilot rating is 1.6 out of 305 reviews. Saru Nakami from Australia cautioned people in signing up for Sophie’s course. According to her, there is no guaranteed financial success, unlike what is promised in the advertisements. Saru Nakami shared that she asked for a refund, but was forced to comply with the conditions. Until she’s no longer eligible for the 180-day guaranteed.

Quora user, Eve Bowerbird, said the cost of finishing and publishing a book is higher than advertised. She also said the information is out of date and the whole course is pre-recorded. Eve also said the training sessions sell the coaching program more than providing information.

Amazon user, jw from the United Kingdom, reviewed Sophie’s book and said it’s a great advertisement for her course. According to jw, there is no new information about the business model. According to her, the content is also full of grammatical errors and is not proofread.

On the other hand, Wasim Idoo from Great Britain praised the course for its support. According to Idoo, he’s been on Blue Sky Amazon for a year and he gained valuable experience. He recommends the course to anyone looking for a passive income.

Kindle Publishing Income student, Robin Wilson, shared she sold 1000+ books in a span of 6 months. According to her, she followed Sophie’s course and is on her way to leaving her full-time job. Wilson said the course gave her an opportunity to contribute financially, while being with her family.

Marcy’s Testimonial, and Why She Shifted From Writing Finance to Fiction Books

Marcy’s Background and Story

Marcy was a Chief Financial Officer, but she had to retire early because of her health. She was looking for a flexible work-from-home opportunity and found Sophie Howard’s program. As a book-lover herself, this program was a perfect fit, so she started fresh as an author. She initially wrote about finance topics because it’s her expertise.

The Biggest Challenges Marcy Faced

The biggest challenge that Marcy faced was transitioning from writing finance to fiction. She encountered several challenges, especially in outsourcing some aspects of her book business. Without outsourcing some services, her business process was slower than what she expected. Marcy tried to outsource ghostwriters, but she ended up having inconsistent output. And it further delayed the progress of her first book. The delay made her frustrated, and she had to reassess her content creation process.

How Marcy Overcame These Challenges

Marcy overcame the business challenges through 1-on-1 coaching and weekly sessions with Sophie. It significantly enhanced her writing and publishing skills. She used AI tools to streamline her writing process. And then used organizing tools to streamline her daily business activities. She has already published multiple books and is expanding her new writing career.

What’s not mentioned in the video: Amazon collects a commission from every paperback or ebook sold through their platform. Their commission on eBooks that cost less than $2.99 and $10 up is 65%, and 30% on eBooks that cost from $2.99 and $9.99.

Is Sophie Howard a Scam?

No, Sophie Howard is not a scam, but her programs are controversial and often overpromised. She is a legitimate entrepreneur who has sold successful Amazon brands and runs real online education programs like Blue Sky Amazon and Kindle Publishing Income. However, many students feel misled by aggressive marketing, high course prices, and difficult refund processes. The main issue isn’t fraud, it’s that the expectations set in her ads don’t always match real-world results, especially for beginners who underestimate the time and capital Amazon FBA requires. In short, Sophie’s courses teach real business models, but they’re not a shortcut to easy money, and buyers should approach them with realistic expectations and caution.

How Much Does it Cost To Start Amazon FBA?

It costs $10,000 to start Amazon FBA . The professional seller account costs $40 per month. Essential tools like Seller Amp or Keepa also cost $20 per month. With these, you’re looking at a $1000 spending for a year. It’s better to use the professional account since it doesn’t have a storage restriction for 39 weeks. So, Amazon can know how much your store can sell and give you appropriate storage capacity. There are also Amazon fees for aged inventory, returns and disposal.

After that, it’s advised to have $3,000 to $5,000 for beginning inventory. Suppliers won’t consider you otherwise. And if you decide to start with a private label, you’ll also have to allocate at least $2,000 for branding costs. This includes logo, packaging and professional photos. Sophie advised $10 per day for ad spend, which would require $3,650 for a year. Reddit user, Faizan737, reminded beginners that marketing will take a significant amount of money. He also said it’s better to have spare for 2nd inventory as well.

Final Verdict: Is It Worth It To Invest in Sophie Howard?

Investing in Sophie Howard largely depends on your risk tolerance, capital, and expectations. While Sophie is a credible entrepreneur with real Amazon experience, her courses Blue Sky Amazon and Kindle Publishing Income are very expensive and not ideal for beginners. They do provide solid frameworks on product sourcing, private labeling, and self-publishing, but the execution requires thousands of dollars in additional investment and long-term patience before seeing results. Many student reviews report difficulty getting refunds, limited support, and outdated material, which raises concerns about overall value. In essence, her programs might be worthwhile for those with substantial capital and time, but they’re a risky bet for new entrepreneurs hoping for quick or consistent returns.

Local lead generation offers a far safer and more scalable business model. It doesn’t demand large upfront costs or reliance on Amazon’s policies. Instead, you build digital assets that generate steady, recurring income with 80%–95% profit margins, making it a smarter investment in 2025.

Does Amazon FBA Offer More Passive Income Than Local Lead Generation?

Amazon FBA may appear passive, but it demands ongoing management, from inventory control and advertising to price competition and customer service. FBA profits are often squeezed by Amazon fees, shipping costs, and policy changes. In my experience, local lead generation is more profitable than starting an Amazon FBA private label business because you’re not chasing trends or saturated products. It’s like owning rental duplexes in Austin’s South Congress District where you’ve got long-term tenants like tech professionals from Tesla and Oracle. You’re targeting local markets that have services with high demand but less availability. Every city and niche is its own mini-monopoly waiting to be claimed.

Unlike massive upfront capital risk in Amazon FBA, local lead gen only involves around $30-$50 for domains, hosting, and call tracking. There’s no need to gamble thousands on physical inventory. You build digital assets that generate leads instead of storing unsold stock. It’s a low-risk, high-leverage business from day one. In local lead gen, you own everything (the sites, phone numbers, leads, and clients). No platform can suspend your account or confiscate your revenue. Your business lives on assets you control, not Amazon’s playground. You’re the landlord, not the tenant.

Why I Recommend Local Lead Generation

I recommend local lead generation because it’s a profitable business model that uses SEO techniques to ensure the visibility of your website on search results. So, you gain unlimited free leads using free traffic.

For instance, my site Huntington Beach Expert Windows 6088 Warner Ave Huntington Beach, CA 92647 714-888-7278 https://www.huntingtonbeachwindowsco.com/ brought in 14 new leads worth $33,915 to my client’s business just last month. I earned $3,391.50 for a 10% commission even without selling online.

If you’re looking for a profitable business with low startup cost and require less effort in the long run, local lead generation is the best choice out there.