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Thomas Im’s The Mogul Review: What is the Upwork Middleman Strategy?

November 19, 2024

The Mogul is an SMMA mentorship by Thomas Im. It teaches you how to start an Upwork SMMA business by using freelancers on the platform. He calls this method the Upwork Middleman Strategy. You earn by connecting and managing projects between clients and freelancers. The Mogul includes 2 courses and access to the community Discord server. It is only available through Whop.

The Mogul reviews are positive, with a 5/5 rating on Whop. Students found a lot of value in the courses. They also appreciate that Thomas answers all questions and concerns.

I've been making money generating leads for my client's businesses for over a decade. As an agency owner, I know being a middleman is risky. You have little control over the work, which can damage your reputation. This is why I prefer a permanent team of professionals that improves with every project instead of untested freelancers.

This article will cover the Upwork Middleman Strategy, The Mogul program, and who Thomas Im is. You will also learn of the accusations against Thomas by his former mentor. Lastly, we will talk about Thomas claims and why it is not practical. I will end the review by discussing Upwork and the challenges of an SMMA.

The Mogul Pros and Cons

Pros

1-on-1 personalized coaching.

Dedicated Discord server where you can network and get support.

Cons

The Mogul is too similar to another course.

Thomas does not have a lot of experience with the business model.

Thomas Im doesn't have proof of his success.

Price

Thomas Im's The Mogul costs $100/month.

Refund Policy

Thomas Im does not offer refunds for The Mogul. You can cancel membership at anytime.

Origin

Thomas started his SMMA in 2023. He joined Upwork in 2024.

Reputation

The Mogul is accused of being a copy of another course by another mentor.

November 17, 2024

The Mogul is basically an unlimited mentorship for $100 a month. You get all your questions answered and all the support is there. Although beware! This is not an easy business for beginners. It will be really hard to get clients and make profit at first.

S.G.

5.0

5.0 out of 5 stars (based on 1 review)

What Is the Upwork Middleman Strategy?

The Upwork Middleman Strategy is to mediate between Upwork clients and freelancers. According to Thomas Im, here’s how the strategy works:

Client Acquisition: The middleman (you) finds clients who need work. They may lack the time or knowledge to hire freelancers.
Freelancer Sourcing: Next, find qualified freelancers on Upwork who can complete the task. Freelancers usually charge less than the client's maximum budget.
Marking Up Rates: The middleman charges the client more than the freelancer does. For example, if a freelancer is willing to do a job for $500, the middleman might charge the client $1,000.
Managing the Project: The middleman ensures that both the client and freelancer are satisfied with the project. They provide updates and handle any communication between the two parties.

What Is Included in The Mogul?

Two online courses covering everything about Upwork, SMMA, and building an agency from scratch.
Access to a dedicated Discord server.
1-on-1 meeting with Thomas for personalized guidance and mentorship.
Optional weekly calls where you can ask questions, share wins, and exchange ideas.

Did Thomas Im Copy Montell Gordon's Agency Transmutation Course?

Montell Gordon, another SMMA mentor, accused Thomas of copying his system and selling it as his own without giving credit. This includes templates, scripts, and methodologies. He claims that Thomas' course is a direct replica of his Agency Transmutation course. Montell explains that Thomas was a student of his course and 67% of it before selling his own. He also provided proof of Thomas' enrollment in his course. The June 2024 YouTube video has Montell discussing the allegations.

In the video, Montell showed that he enrolled in Thomas' program to access his course. He highlights the similarities between the content of both his and Thomas' course contents.

Montell was alerted by one of his students who is also enrolled in Thomas' The Mogul. The student said The Mogul was similar to Agency Transmutation. In later messages, the student said that Thomas' videos flowed like Montell's. It was almost as if he copied them word for word.

After the allegations went public, it was reported that several of Thomas' students demanded a refund. Thomas has not answered the allegations and downplayed the accusations.

Who Is Thomas Im?

Thomas Im is an SMMA agency owner from La Habra, California. He has completed over 130 jobs and has over 3,400 hours of work on Upwork. He founded his SMMA, TBI Media, in 2023. Before his SMMA, Thomas ran an Amazon FBA business. It earned a few thousand dollars monthly and required 2-3 hours of work a day.

Thomas took a break from Amazon FBA and visited Tokyo Skytree. A local he spoke with revealed cultural norms around overtime work without compensation. Knowing how many people were working hard for little pay made him feel some guilt. He started an SMMA with the goal of helping Upwork freelancers. He planned to do this by connecting them to a steady flow of clients.

Thomas Im’s Claims

In a YouTube video he posted, Thomas Im claims that you can make over $10,000 a month using the Upwork Middleman Strategy. He says this strategy works for 2 main reasons. First, many clients will pay a premium for someone to manage the process. Second, freelancers are happy to accept lower rates for consistent work. Thomas says this approach is scalable and has a low upfront investment. So, anyone with good project management skills and a basic knowledge of Upwork can do it.

Why Thomas Im’s Claims are Difficult To Achieve

Thomas Im's claim oversimplifies the system and overlooks major challenges. Here are some facts that debunk Thomas' claims:

Upwork's Future Workforce Report shows that 65% of clients prioritize cost savings. This means that over half prefer to work directly with the freelancer.
Tools like Trello and Slack let clients manage projects themselves. This reduces the need for middlemen in management.
Freelance Forward found that freelancers prefer working directly with clients. 78% of freelancers prefer higher pay over consistent work.
Freelance rates are rising. Web developers charge $30–$80/hour and graphic designers charge $20–$50/hour. It's getting harder to find low-cost, quality freelancers.
Clients often bypass middlemen after establishing trust with freelancers. They often skip the middleman the 2nd time around.
Upwork’s 10–20% freelancer fees and 3% client fees reduce overall margins for middlemen.
Upwork’s Terms of Service discourage outsourcing without value addition, risking account suspension.
To earn $10,000/month, one must manage 40+ active projects. That's impractical for individuals without a team or agency.

At the time of writing, his Upwork profile shows 3,438 hours completed. His rate appears as $20/hour. As he started about 5 months ago, we can say he made $68,760. He mentions he makes about 50% as profit. If we take all these into account, Thomas profited $34,380 in 5 months. This does not include Upwork's fees, incomplete projects, refunds, and other factors.

What Are the Best SMMA Services to Offer in Upwork?

Social Media Strategy Development: You create strategies to boost brand visibility and engagement. You do this through careful planning, audience segmentation, and targeted content.
Social Media Content Creation: You create engaging content, like graphics, videos, and text. This captivates audiences and drives conversions on various platforms.
Graphic Design: You focus on creating high-quality designs, like images, logos, and videos. These build a strong brand and boost audience engagement.
Social Media Advertising: You run and manage targeted ad campaigns. These boost ROI, engagement, and sales for clients.
Social Media Monitoring and Reporting: You track metrics, engagement, and key indicators. You suggest ways for clients to refine strategies and improve results.

These are some of the best SMMA services to offer in Upwork. You should select what you'll specialize in depending on your skills and passion.

Is Upwork Great for Starting an SMMA?

Upwork is great for starting an SMMA, especially for beginners. The platform connects to a global client base. It lets you work with businesses of all sizes in various industries. This diversity lets you explore different SMMA services, like strategy, content, and ads. It helps beginners find their niche and refine their services.

Julian Goldie is the founder of the SEO agency, Goldie Agency. He made over $200K on Upwork by specializing in link building. Julian has served over 500 clients and has a 100% completion rate. He also has a top rated badge on his Upwork profile which is a signal of client trust and satisfaction.

Like Julian, completing projects will build a credible portfolio and gain testimonials. These are vital for attracting high-value clients outside of Upwork. This makes the platform a great way to build your portfolio.

Top Challenges of Starting an SMMA With Upwork

High Competition: Upwork is saturated with freelancers and agencies offering social media marketing. This makes it hard for beginners with no reviews or portfolios. You may need to price your services at a low rate to attract your first clients.
Inconsistent Workflow: The project-based nature of Upwork means that income can be unpredictable. Securing long-term clients takes time and effort.
Client Quality: Upwork clients may have unrealistic expectations, limited budgets, and unclear goals. These issues can make it difficult to deliver successful campaigns.
Time-Consuming Bidding: Winning projects on Upwork often means writing detailed proposals. This takes time and offers no guarantee of success.
Platform Fees: Upwork charges service fees of 5% to 20% on earnings. This reduces profit margins, especially for smaller projects or low-paying clients.
Adapting to Diverse Requirements: Upwork clients come from various industries and have different expectations and needs. You need to be flexible and adapt different strategies for each project.

Why I Prefer Local Lead Generation Over Being an Upwork Middleman

I prefer local lead generation over being an SMMA middleman on Upwork for many reasons. Local lead generation is sustainable in the long term. You do not have to keep looking for clients or freelancers. Local lead generation creates predictable passive income. You create and rank niche websites on Google, which will attract traffic. You then rent the site to local businesses who will pay you monthly for the leads.

Local lead generation social media marketing agency

Local lead generation gives you full control. As an SMMA middleman, where you have to rely on the quality of the freelancers.Local lead generation gives you full control. As an SMMA middleman, where you have to rely on the quality of the freelancers. You also have to compete with other more established agencies. With local lead generation, you only need to outrank a few sites. Scaling an SMMA means getting more clients and freelancers onboard, which increases the risks. To scale a local lead generation business, you just need to repeat the rank and rent process. I currently have many local lead generation sites which earn me over $52K a month. These reasons are why local lead generation is my number 1 business.

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Ippei Kanehara

Founder/CEO

$52K per month providing lead generation services to small businesses

Ippei.com is for digital hustlers, industry leaders and online business owners.

His #1 online business recommendation in 2024, is to build your own lead generation business.