Greg Gottfried’s passive income Udemy courses have been floating around the internet for a while now, but are they worth it?
I've been in making money online full-time over the last six years, so I wanted to give you an unbiased perspective on affiliate marketing.
Even though I made some decent money with affiliate marketing, I quit a couple of years ago to focus completely on the much more profitable model of local lead generation.
This review is going to uncover 19 secrets you'll want to know before buying into Greg's courses, but if you're interested in learning more about local lead gen check out the box below.
1. Who is Greg Gottfried?
Greg Gottfried is an online entrepreneur, best selling Udemy course creator, and an established YouTuber.
Plus he's a major up and coming player in the passive income game.
He's only 25 years old, and graduated from Florida Gulf Coast University in 2017 with his bachelor’s degree in marketing.
Greg has already amassed a YouTube following of over 350 thousand subscribers!
Greg first cut his business teeth on a venture-capitalist-funded startup.
He boasts an impressive history of creative business endeavors...
History of Creative Business Endeavors:
- Real Estate Photography
- Drone Photography
- Affiliate Marketing
- Print On Demand
All of which he has created and released courses for on Udemy.
Plus, Greg isn’t the type of guy who’s sitting behind his computer pumping out courses on things he’s never even done.
If he’s released a course about it, then he’s done it.
He has quickly burst through the six figure threshold (at least according to him), seemingly without breaking a sweat.
He is now steadily climbing the entrepreneurial ladder...
While also sharing what he has learned along his journey through his Youtube channel.
2. Who is Greg Gottfried?
Greg Gottfried is definitely not a scam.
As far as I can tell, he is exactly who he claims to be, and his success isn’t fabricated or flaunted.
He’s down to earth, and seemingly very passionate about what he does...
Helping others (especially beginners) tap into the same success he’s found.
Let’s face it, there are a lot of shady internet marketers that run in his sphere of influence…
Yet, Greg Gottfried has managed to remain mostly unscathed by the well-earned negative reviews that have ruined the reputations of so many others.
Even though he has dabbled in a variety of different income streams throughout his five years in the online business world…
He openly specializes in two areas: affiliate marketing and print on demand.
His courses on Udemy are some of the highest rated on the platform!
Not to mention, the reviews for all 28 of his courses average 4.5 stars across the board.
Which is definitely good news for those looking to learn the art of passive income and online business from Greg-G.
Until recently, the worst that could be said of his online courses was that they were very short, and usually only covered the fundamentals of whatever topic he was teaching.
Considering the fact that these courses were only running for about $10-$12 a piece this really isn’t so bad.
Especially not when you compare him to more infamous names like Anthony Morrison…
- Who chronically sold fundamental information on affiliate marketing
- At a premium price tag
- Without much proof of success or tangible results from actual clients.
But despite all of this, Greg has still found himself faced with skepticism recently.
Many people were accusing him of using his successful Youtube platform to push his Udemy courses.
In response to these accusations, he released a video on his Youtube channel on September 1st, 2021, stating that all of his courses on online business, affiliate marketing, and print on demand, would now be completely free on Udemy.
He also clarified that the bulk of his income isn’t coming from these courses and never has.
Obviously he feels very strongly about defending the trust factor of his content, and isn’t afraid to put his money where his mouth is.
Or in this case, just take the money out of the picture.
But more on that later...
3. How does Greg Gottfried's Business Work?
For understandable privacy reasons, Greg doesn’t disclose exact numbers regarding his business.
But he is very clear about the breakdown of his income streams.
Throughout several of his Youtube videos, he explains that affiliate marketing and print on demand services make up 80% of his income.
So, for those of you who aren’t familiar with these concepts, I’ll give you a simple breakdown of both:
Affiliate marketing is essentially the process of making a commission when someone purchases a product that you promote online.
This Can Be Done Through:
- Youtube
- Your own website
- Plus More
With Greg Gottfried specifically, he recommends and personally uses niche specific websites for his affiliate marketing business model.
Print on demand is a business where designs are uploaded to an online marketplace and sold on items such as mugs, or tee shirts.
These products haven’t actually been made yet, so the design creator has no responsibility to personally produce or ship these items.
It becomes passive income once all the designs have been created and uploaded to a variety of print on demand marketplace platforms.
These are the two models of passive income that Greg swears by, and the models that he usually teaches on via his Youtube videos and courses.
So what about the other 20%?
Simple.
Greg’s Youtube channel is monetized through ads, and that accounts for a remaining 10% of his business.
The final 10% was coming in through his Udemy courses...
4. Are Greg Gottfried's Courses Legit?
It depends on what you are hoping to gain from them.
His Udemy courses are a legitimately great starting point for beginners in the online business realm.
Plus he has massive amounts of content on Youtube.
He consistently releases new videos on everything from Wix tutorials and Teespring tips, to ranking your affiliate content on Google.
In fact, Greg was so passionate about making sure that he was delivering full value...
That he actually shut down the only premium price tag course that he ever released.
About a year and half ago, Gottfried released his master course “Online Income Academy” that he had been working on for over six months.
It retailed for about $495 dollars, and supposedly covered everything he had learned about affiliate marketing and print on demand.
Plus he offered direct access to himself as the instructor for any questions.
But when he felt like he couldn’t keep up with the volume of questions and interaction from his students...
He closed the course and refunded everyone in full, while still allowing them to keep the content.
Creating courses and educational content for beginning entrepreneurs really is his passion project...
Not a method to leverage more cash into his own pocket.
Even when he was selling his courses on Udemy for $11.99...
There is only so much that you can expect to learn in a one hour course that costs you the equivalent of unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks at Olive Garden.
Now that isn’t to say that a high price tag automatically equals a quality course...
But I personally feel that he delivered a reasonable amount of value for the price on Udemy.
However, after coming under criticism for using his YouTube platform to simply sell his cheap Udemy courses…
Greg decided to make them all free.
5. How much do Greg Gottfried's Courses Cost?
To put it simply: nothing.
After his Youtube video “Why I Stopped Selling Online Courses” was released on September 1st of this year the only courses that are still for sale on his Udemy platform are:
- A couple of courses on drones and real estate photography
- One course on social media marketing
- A random one hour home fitness course entitled "10 Minute Hell: The Ultimate Weight Loss Home Workouts."
Do with that last one what you will.
These five courses that he hasn’t made free are currently on what appears to be a permanent “sale” for $9.99, all of which have a 30-day-money-back guarantee.
Everything else, including his best selling course, “How to Sell on Teespring Without Paid Ads” are all completely free.
He has also clarified that the majority of his income has never come from online education or courses, and that he has no current plans to create more paid courses in the future.
Pros of Greg Gottfried
6. Heavily Involved and Very Responsive
The best and most impressive thing that I have found during my research on Greg Gottfried is how seriously he takes engaging with people.
From what I can tell, he likes and responds to nearly every single comment that has been left on any of his Youtube videos.
In another video he even confesses that he monitors his messages and comments from 8:00am in the morning to 11:00pm at night, and treats it like a full time job.
Which would explain why he shut down his premium course when he wasn’t able to keep up with the sheer volume of interaction from his students.
Greg places an extremely high value on consistent interaction with all of his subscribers, and anyone who is investing their time or money into what he has to say.
It’s clear that he intends to avoid any association with the snobbish, unreachable online marketers that flaunt their wealth and knowledge...
Without any genuine concern for the people they are serving.
For him, starting his Youtube channel was a decision he made after he had completely stable passive income flowing in.
He wanted something to do with his time that he truly enjoyed.
7. Doesn't Just "Talk the Talk"
Whether Greg Gottfried’s approach to affiliate marketing and print on demand methods are your cup of tea...
There is one thing that can be said for Greg:
He doesn’t just “talk the talk”.
He does a really good job laying out the methods and measures he has taken to make these business models work for him.
On top of this, he doesn’t sugarcoat the process.
Greg very clearly states in many of his videos, that passive income through affiliate marketing and print on demand is not a “get rich quick” scheme.
There is a lot of hard work that has to be put in on the front end to create a stable foundation before the income starts flowing in.
And eventually it becomes something that you don’t have to mess with anymore.
8. Great Starting Point for Beginners
The other thing that Greg Gottfried does exceptionally well is speaking to beginners.
His passion and positivity are inspiring, and he feels strongly that money doesn’t have to be a barrier to start building passive income for yourself.
He explains things in a way that is quick, direct, and easy to understand, without being dry or boring.
Some people have commented that his courses and videos are too basic.
And that he leaves out the more advanced information that would be necessary for someone to grow and scale their business...
But everyone has to start somewhere, and Greg’s content is just that:
A great starting point.
9. Basically Zero Risk
Unless you find yourself simply dying to try out his Udemy course on killer home workouts…
You can pretty much learn anything you want from Greg Gottfried for free.
Now that over 90% of his content is completely free, there is little no risk involved in trying out what ol’ Greg has to offer in the internet marketing world.
Even his few paid courses are still backed by a 30-day-money-back guarantee!
Which means that if “10 Minute Hell” isn’t actually the ultimate guide to home workouts… don’t sweat it.
Pun intended.
So if you are low on startup cash...
Or you simply want to dip your toe in the water of a new side hustle without too much up front commitment:
Greg Gottfried isn’t a bad place to start.
Test out some of his Udemy courses, explore his Youtube channel, and glean what you can from what he has to say.
He literally has over 200 videos on his Youtube channel, and that alone would take some time to sift through and learn from.
Cons of Greg Gottfried
10. Very Short Courses
The nature of his content is relatively short.
Usually under 20 minutes per video.
And his Udemy courses all range between an hour to an hour and a half in total course length.
The unfortunate result of this is that none of his courses or videos are necessarily groundbreaking in their own right.
Although they will start you off on the right course.
(“Right course”... get it? Haha. ha… ha. Nevermind.)
To me this is a pretty minor “con” since all the content is still free.
11. Plays in the Shallows
This is basically a continuation of the above point.
Because his course and videos are so short in nature, they stay in the shallow end of the online business pool.
If you’re hoping that Greg Gottfried is going to drop into your lap everything you need to become a successful passive income mogul for FREE…
Then you might find his courses and videos a little bit disappointing.
Keep in mind that the content he is releasing is really better suited for beginners.
Everyone has to learn how to swim before they can jump off the high dive, and in this case, Greg Gottfried is simply better suited for “new swimmers.”
12. Print On Demand isn’t for Everyone
With everything available to learn on the internet today regarding passive income…
Who really wants to start selling t-shirt designs for print on demand websites unless you’re already an artist or graphic designer?
It isn’t so much that this model for passive income CAN’T work.
It’s more that the effort required to make it work yields a rather low return when compared to other methods and models available.
Greg's personal strategy behind his print on demand business model for selling t-shirts is to create an extremely high volume of designs.
(He recommends several hundred.)
And then place the best of them on your Teespring storefront.
According to Greg himself, the profit margin for selling print on demand t-shirt designs is one dollar, per month, per design.
Yikes.
Clearly he’s made it work for himself, and his Youtube following grows by leaps and bounds every year, so there must be an interest level.
But to me it just feels outdated.
And like you’d be spending a lot of time creating designs for very low return on your time starting out.
Not to mention the fact that print on demand has much lower profit margins than other drop shipping models, and much more limited data.
Which makes it even more challenging (and time consuming) to succeed.
13. You Probably Need More to Get Started
At the end of the day, Greg isn’t presenting and teaching entire business models.
Which means you will eventually need to start searching for more in depth resources to fully launch a successful business.
Greg’s content might help you along your journey, motivate you to finally get started, and provide some helpful tips and golden nuggets...
But at some point you’re going to need more than what he’s offering.
This would be the point where more in depths courses and alternative passive income sources will come in.
Concluding Thoughts
14. Do Greg Gottfried’s Students Actually Make Money?
Well, his comment section and reviews consistently include people that are successfully applying what he teaches on affiliate marketing and print on demand and gaining their first sales.
Even when he had released his premium course, Online Income Academy, one reviewer questioned whether or not Gottfried was delivering on his “claims” regarding the course.
He was met in the comment section with immediate support from one of his other students.
This student said that:
“I’m currently taking this course and Greg Gottfried delivers on his “claims”. Even though I’ve just started the class, I’ve already had $175 in sales. I haven’t even begun any of the detailed and totally free marketing methods he teaches in each section of the course.”
Now $175 isn’t exactly anything to write home about...
But there is legitimate evidence that Greg is successfully equipping people to at least get started on the right track.
15. Who's a Good Fit for Greg Gottfried?
Definitely beginners.
I would hesitate to recommend him to anyone more advanced, simply due to the fact that he provides a more quick, bird’s eye view versus an in depth full training.
But, if you are just starting down the road of affiliate marketing, and have a limited budget, Greg Gottfried’s Youtube channel would definitely be a great place for you.
Or if you just so happen to be genuinely passionate about creating t-shirt designs and selling them via print on demand marketplaces...
Then Greg Gottfried might also be a great resource for you.
And hey, if you’re an artist or graphic designer, then maybe print on demand really excites you, and would be a great creative outlet and passive side hustle!
If so, definitely check out Greg’s videos.
Beyond that, there are much better and more in depth resources and options to be found.
16. What alternatives are there to Greg Gottfried's Passive Income Courses?
There are a lot of other courses out there (especially on affiliate marketing) that you can turn to for more in depth training.
If you are wanting to dive deeper into AM, and are at a point where you have gleaned what you can for free from Greg Gottfried...
Then I would recommend checking out Income School by Jim Harmer and Ricky Kesler, or better yet, Savage Affiliates by Franklin Hatchett.
Both of these options run for less than $500, which is a very reasonable price tag for the value that they are bringing.
If you went with Income School, they also provide an incredible community that you will have access to learn from and grow with.
Either choice would definitely launch you into the next level of your business!
Pros and Cons of Greg Gottfried
The Good and Bad of Greg Gottfried
Pros
- Heavily Involved and Very Responsive
- Doesn’t Just “Talk the Talk”
- Great Starting Point for Beginners
- Basically Zero Risk
Cons
- Very Short Courses
- Plays in the Shallows
- Print On Demand isn’t for Everyone
- You Probably Need More to Get Started
Parting Thoughts on Greg Gottfried
Greg Gottfried is building quite the name for himself.
Through affiliate marketing and print on demand he has successfully built multiple businesses and put in the hard work necessary to sit back and enjoy multiple streams of passive income.
His genuine passion for educating new entrepreneurs, and connecting with his subscribers and students has amassed him an impressive and loyal following.
The videos he creates are fast paced, short, no fluff, and easy to understand, while still managing to be engaging.
Although his courses and videos may not be life changing in the majority of their content, there is definitely something to be said for the fact that he is consistently putting informative content out there for free.
It really is because he wants to, and because he enjoys it.
His Youtube channel and Udemy courses are great starting points for beginners who want to learn the fundamentals of online business, without investing a lot of capital up front.
How Does Affiliate Marketing and Print on Demand Stand up to Others? Like Lead Generation?
18. Time
Chances are, if you’ve stumbled across Greg Gottfried, it’s because you’re interested in starting your own online business that will help you reach both financial freedom, and freedom with your time.
Heck, that’s what passive income is supposed to be all about, right?
While affiliate marketing and print on demand models can help you get started down that road, they tend to fall short in the area of time.
Starting a business usually requires a two ingredient recipe...
Those ingredients are:
- Time...
- And Money
If you have more time, then you can get by with less money.
And if you have more money, then you can get away with investing less of your time.
Unfortunately, affiliate marketing and print on demand require a large amount of time to really start creating any form of passive income, no matter how much cash you have in your pocket to invest into the project.
For most people, the idea of spending years hustling and grinding and waiting for money to start flowing in is a huge turn off.
The alternative is to look into local lead generation...
Lead generation isn’t a scam, or a get rich quick scheme.
(Is there really any such thing???)
It is a method of leveraging SEO to promote other businesses online, and the process of getting an ROI is often much faster than affiliate marketing or print on demand ever will be.
Even on a small scale, if you gained two new lead generation clients a month at $500 each, within a matter of six months, you’d be making $6,000.
That’s more than you would see in several years with AM and print on demand!
Imagine that.
19. Control
If someone else can make one decision that could tank the business you’ve built for yourself in a day… you aren’t in control.
As an entrepreneur, that is a very dangerous game to be playing.
The entire goal of starting your own business is to gain control of your own time, and financial goals.
But if you land on a business model like affiliate marketing or print on demand, you are playing that dangerous game.
You’ve probably already heard the nightmare that happened to affiliate marketers everywhere when Amazon changed its commission percentages.
People went from thriving six figure incomes, to struggling to stay afloat.
That is what happens with your business is symbiotically codependent upon another party.
Enter lead generation.
If there is one thing that can be guaranteed it is that businesses will always need new leads.
And if there are two things that can be guaranteed, it’s that Google’s entire mission is to provide the answer to EVERYTHING.
Which means that although the tides of SEO will shift and change, they will always be there.
So what does this equal for the lead generation business model?
It means that for as long as businesses need leads, and Google wants to give people the best answer to their problem...
Lead generation will continue to be a thriving avenue for passive income without fear of everything slipping through your fingers when you wake up tomorrow.
Now that sounds like the level of control that I can get on board with.
What about you?
Conclusion
Hey I hope you enjoyed this list of secrets for Greg Gottfried's courses, and he does share some valuable insights if you're a creative looking to monetize your creations.
I've made my fair share of $$$ with affiliate marketing but after grinding at it for almost 2 years I've realized that this biz model is not that great long-term because anyone with a computer can get started today. Plus, I spent more money in that time than I made.
I have invested in a lot of courses but regardless of all the tips & tricks from these coaches, there's nothing you can do about the fact that affiliate marketing can take upwards of 2 years to become profitable with all of the competition worldwide.
This is why today, I have quit affiliate marketing altogether and do local lead generation instead. Click on the button below where I go in-depth on the main reasons why I believe local lead gen is a better business model than affiliate marketing...
I Quit Affiliate Marketing
Here's what I'm doing now Instead...
Local lead generation... Where we build & rank simple websites like these that make passive income
Click button below to find out Top 6 Reasons Why Lead Gen is a Better Biz Model than Affiliate Marketing in 2021 & How to get started with Lead Gen!
Local Lead Generation
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