Full Elite Blog Academy Review- Not Recommended
Here is my full, open and honest Elite Blog Academy review.
If you don’t know me, I try to tell my audience the advice I would have liked to hear.
And boy do I wish this review existed before I bought EBA in March of 2018.
My personal review of Elite Blog Academy
First I want to say- I’m not writing this out of resentment. I truly want to give people the information I wish I had. I’m not a bitter blogger, I’d even call myself successful inspite of EBA, because I chose to deviate from the course and create my own path.
When I bought EBA, I was under the impression that it was the “end all be all” course that I needed in order to be a successful blogger.
I bought the course right before I wanted to launch my blog.
There were some red flags- like people saying (in their Build Your Blog Bootcamp Group on Facebook where they go live a whole bunch to convince you to buy EBA) that you can put it on your credit card and pay it off in like three months after taking the course.
But FOMO (fear of missing out) screamed louder to me than the red flags.
I bought it and dove right in.
I had been a part of the “Build your Blog Bootcamp” Facebook group that gets active every time there is about to be a launch.
I watched Ruth on videos and she sold me.
Problem #1 with the course- How distant Ruth Soukup is from her course.
Although this is a small problem, it’s still worth mentioning.
I’ve never been in a course where the course creator is so distant from their audience.
Yes, Ruth goes live in the group every Friday. (Which recently changed to zoom calls instead so she moved even further away)
However, when I joined the group I was under the impression that she would be as active as she was in the Build your Blog Bootcamp Facebook group and that wasn’t the case.
However, I watched the lives.
And Ruth is an amazing motivator. She will pump you up like the ultimate workout song right when you’re about to gas out on a treadmill.
However, it seemed like she didn’t answer technical questions.
I actually remember when GDPR dropped and someone asked about it during a live and she didn’t know what it was.
This was a major blogging disruption that everyone needed to be prepared for so it was shocking that she seemed to have no clue.
When you ask a question in the group, even if you tag her there is no response from her or what seems like experts or EBA alumni in the group.
I had to learn this the hard way when I asked for some blogging advice and was steered in a horrible direction that caused a huge headache.
Problem #2 There is no depth to any core blogging concepts
EBA was the first blogging course I bought. So I literally had nothing to compare it to.
But even as a newbie, I knew something was missing.
There are video lessons in the course and printables that help guide you along.
However, there is no depth.
You are told what to do- not how to do it.
When the course was updated from 3.0 to 4.0 I thought that there would be something added to each unit.
But it just seemed to get a makeover.
So here is what you will not learn inside EBA:
- SEO
- Affiliate Marketing (how to put affiliate links in your posts and make money from them)
- Email Marketing (although having and email list is touched on lightly)
- Traffic
(If you’d like to see what courses I recommend for this information you can check that out here: Recommended Blogging Resources)
And so on.
Things are “touched on”. Because you obviously need to learn these things to succeed in blogging.
However, for a course that costs over a thousand dollars that gives the impression of “end all be all” you shouldn’t have to also spend so much money on other courses to accomplish what they are telling you to do.
And that in a nutshell is my number one reason why I cannot recommend the course.
People pay a lot for this course, and most are willing to do hard work, but if you’re not told how to do something you’re pretty much forced to spend money elsewhere to move on through the course.
After devouring so many courses here’s what I have learned:
There are courses out there that cover many topics and there are courses that focus on one topic and give you everything you could ever need about that topic.
So that’s what I ended up doing- I sought out the experts in particular blogging topics and bought their courses.
Problem #3 There seems to be the impression that you cannot be a successful blogger without EBA
That my friends, is the most genius marketing out there.
However, trust me, there are plenty of bloggers out there that never stepped foot in the EBA course and who are very successful.
And here’s something I want to talk about for a minute.
There are EBA alumni that will sing praises to the moon and back about Ruth and her course.
Please don’t discredit them.
Here’s what I want to say about it:
I’m not saying their success isn’t credible. I’m saying it cannot be mimicked.
Why?
Because blogging is not the same as it was three.. four…seven years ago.
It has gotten a lot harder.
Harder to rank on Google, harder to rank on Pinterest, harder to have your posts seen on Facebook…hard.
Even Ruth herself admitted that she grew exponentially when a blog post went viral on Facebook before they changed their algorithm to be much harder to see.
And so Ruth’s course may well have been the number one credit to their success.
However, in 2020, a course full of motivation and hints cannot get you where you want to be.
And if you’re willing to pay $1k for a course, I’m sure you expect some type of results out of your blog.
Problem #4- The no refund policy
This normally would not be an issue for me. Or anyone else for that matter.
But I dare you to seek out any member of EBA that sees the posts in the Facebook group and ask their opinion on this topic.
There has been more than one occasion in the group where someone posts about getting life altering news.
Like terminal cancer or even just cancer.
And they want a refund because they obviously won’t be blogging and they need that money for medical bills or whatever.
Those posts are deleted.
And I’m certain I’m not the only one under the impression that there are never any refunds given.
In fact, I personally reached out to someone about this after she made a post in the group about an illness and needing a refund. She told me they never replied to her email. I reached out again a few months later and she still never got a reply.
I understand the no refund policy. It’s actually a complicated policy- where you have to finish a certain module and get 1,000 email subscribers first.
However, compassion and integrity come first in my book.
And honestly, that was the nail in the coffin for me.
If you cannot put people before profits then you’ve lost your way.
Problem #5 It’s not worth it
Right now, EBA is being sold for over $1,000 for the first tier package. But the highest tier is $3,000.
You know what I tell anyone who tells me they want to buy it?
Spend a few dollars on her book Blogging for Profit without Selling your Soul on Amazon and you’ll have the same information.
That’s one of the beauties of blogging- you can scale a product to be this big.
However, if you’re going to scale your product you need to add value. And make it worth the price.
There seems to be this huge unspoken code of honor in EBA.
You don’t want to say anything negative about it because of some sort of guilt.
You don’t want to be on an EBA alumn’s bad side. Because they are awesome people and you love them.
You don’t want to be kicked out of the Facebook group because you told the truth.
I posted about this in my Facebook group and you know what? The responses I received from people that have bought the course were the same- they all agreed with me.
I sent an email the same day and I don’t think I’ve ever received so many responses.
I thought I would be condemned, but people thanked me for telling the truth.
And that’s why I’m writing this post.
Because the people on my list and in my group are not the only bloggers who need to hear this truth.
So I may be condemned- but at least my conscious is clear.
Problem #6 The Closure of the Facebook Group
In December of 2020 Ruth announced via a zoom call that the Facebook group was being closed by the end of the year.
I may not think the course has much value, but the Facebook group was a wonderful place to network with other people, I met some of my favorite blogging friends through it.
You can imagine it has ruffled a lot of feathers since it seems like an opportunity to funnel her current students into a new $300 subscription called Activate.
I’ll say this- I will never buy another product from Ruth Soukup.
She is wonderful at motivating people to get off their feet and do something but I don’t believe she knows how to do what she is telling people to do. She has been so far from her business for so long that it’s hard to believe that she can teach anything technical at all about blogging.
My most recent interaction with one of her products was her social media course Social Boom. It was included in GBTK so I reviewed it for my audience because it was a high ticket course ($297).
I must say- all I got was motivation and nothing that I could actually apply to my business. And I had to tell my audience that it was a motivation course.
What makes the closure of her Facebook group worse for me is that she is blaming her students for the closure.
Her exact words were:
In her Facebook group:
“seeing misinformation being spread about blogging makes me crazy”
And in her email she sent:
“most online programs have gone away from providing unlimited access to a Facebook Group, and for a very good reason–the amount of misinformation that gets spread as the group grows is hard to contain.
I used to believe that providing a Facebook Group like this was a wonderful bonus, but this year, more than ever, it has become painfully clear that the EBA Facebook Group, despite my best intentions, does more harm than good for a huge number of you. You think you’re getting support and advice, but really you’re getting bad information that is leading you down the wrong path.”
So if these are your students, and you have sold them an “end all be all” blogging course then aren’t you responsible for the information they learn and spread?
I only see her comment in the group when there is something truly controversial like the closure of the group and when she was asked if she supported Black bloggers during the social justice movement (and that in itself was a hot mess and left me feeling like she didn’t care about me as a BIPOC blogger or any else of color for that matter).
Either way, the Facebook group has been spread whether intentionally or unintentionally as a huge asset to EBA because of the networking and “learning from EBA alumn”.
This is part is entirely my opinion- but it seems to me like her doing her weekly zoom calls wasn’t worth it to her anymore because there was no money in supporting her current students that had made a one time payment. And so now she is moving over to a paid membership to do the exact same thing and pump out more motivation. This move seems to be more about making money than taking care of her current audience.
Conclusion
I do not recommend Elite Blog Academy for your online business or blog. This is a course that gives you a roadmap that tells you what to do but not how to do it. It is the exact same as her book Blogging for Profit that you can buy on Amazon saving money for a much cheaper price.
If you end up buying the course, you will need to buy other courses to supplement everything she tells you to do.
And I have personally come to a point where I believe she is putting Profits over People continuing to sell products and courses with no substance and no actual results. You must buy more because something was missing from the last course. Instead of delivering on her initial promises.
Her new program Activate is evidence of this as it seems she is admitting that EBA is missing things and so now you need to pay $300 a month to get that information. It’s unacceptable.
What I hope, is since EBA is lifetime access, it will get the updates it needs to make it a complete and well rounded course that doesn’t just guide but also teaches how to do everything she tells her students to do.
Please feel free to comment on this post with your experience with EBA or any questions you may have.
Hi Elizabeth I agree 100%. You were spot on.
Thank you Alyssa!
I received Ruth’s book for free by listening to her podcast. Just paid s/h fee.
I bought EBA in 2019 and totally agree… it is NOT WORTH IT! I was very surprised to find out I needed multiple other courses. I wish I had been able to read this review before I shelled out the megabucks for something not worth the money. I agree, read her book for $12 and you’ll learn the same outline that her course has, then go buy the SEO, Pinterest, FB courses that truly teach you something.
Thank you Linda! I’m glad I’m not the only one!
Very interesting. I bought EBA in 2015 way back when it was $297. I thought I had spent a fortune. I had no idea what I was doing and I will say I learned a lot. It took me a year and a half to get through it all. Did the information make me a ton of money? No, but it set me up to take other courses with more detail. I then met a group of extremely successful bloggers at a conference in 2017. They had all met through the course, but you know what? They had all transitioned to blogging about blogging and making commissions off of EBA. I think it may be a bit like a multi-marketing scheme now. (It makes money through all of the people recommending it and swearing it was the secret of their success when they make most of their money selling EBA.) One year I checked out EBA 3.0 (I think…) and it was exactly the same course I took in 2015-16. I was kind of shocked that nothing had changed – even the worksheets. She had made new videos, but it was the same script. I don’t know what course I would recommend in its place (to give you a complete overview of blogging), but EBA is probably price too high to be worth it for most people. The changing to membership groups instead of facebook groups as bonuses to courses seems to be the trend I see everywhere.
Wow! What an interesting perspective! I think I’ve been turned off of all encompassing courses and I think it’s much more beneficial to seek experts in specific blogging areas. They aren’t distracted by trying to update everything and can just focus on one thing.
Wow. I couldn’t disagree more. EBA and Ruth have changed my life. I’ve bought so many other courses and programs for the same cost and MORE and I find every time that the value never stacks up any where close to what Ruth gives. I think it’s sad for someone to go out and bash a fellow business woman over a Facebook Group and try to hurt her business. I pray you never have a customer like yourself…. but ya know, karma….
Ruth gives so much of her heart and soul to help people build a successful business because she truly cares. The price of EBA is CHEAP compared to so many courses that teach only 1 aspect of blogging and online business.
Ruth is trying to give her customers MORE of her time so that we can improve and be successful and this pivot is about helping others and not herself.
We should be lifting each other up and not creating more hate in the world. This post has nothing to do with helping others make an informed decision but all about you and your ego.
I’m praying for you.
Thank you for your opinion Kim. This post isn’t in response to the Facebook group shutting down I actually wrote it months ago and just published it, I hesitated because I knew that I would receive backlash just like this. And I’m ok with that, my conscious is clear, it is an honest review.
I don’t believe in karma, btw, I actually wrote a post about that on my blog you can see it here: Karma is a Lie
I’m not the only one who took EBA and went through the entire course and came to the same conclusion that I have written in my review.
If you have found success through EBA that is wonderful, but there are so many others who have not, who have bet their money on the program only to realize that it came up short and now they invested so much that they don’t have extra to buy other courses that can teach what EBA lacks.
If I were to ever have a customer write a negative review about one of my courses, I would make sure to read it and evaluate it and see if there is something lacking that needs change, that’s what reviews are for.
Thanks for your prayers!
Sadly, Ruth wanting to give MORE of her time for the benefit of her students has a hefty price tag. How sad that EBA students can no longer get support from the course creator. The reason why the Facebook group was so important and valuable is due to the lack of information in the course. And unbelievably, this blog post IS helping others make an informed decision and not a fatal mistake. Open your eyes and see that the EGO is Ruth and not Elizebeth.
Kim,
I respectfully disagree. I am still making payments on my credit card for EBA and I think Elizabeth was spot on. She is speaking her truth and A LOT of people agree with her. I don’t see this as bashing a fellow business women, I see this as saving people tons of money. I think EBA deserves this review and I wish i saw this post when I was doing my research to buy it. When I bought EBA, I was given the impression that I would have everything I needed, I just needed to do the work. Then Ruth basically said in one of her videos, “you need to know SEO. I won’t tell you how to do it but you need it.” So I shelled out a few hundreds in Stupid Simple SEO (great course) . Then Ruth said, “pinterest is a must, if you don’t invest in yourself then you won’t succeed. Learn pinterest, I’m not gonna teach you though, just know that you need it”. So I shelled out a few hundreds in a pinterest course. Then email marketing. Then I thought, at least I have the Facebook group. They were my network, she’s taking that away now. I was so discouraged. EBA needs to step up their game and make their course for what it’s worth or bring the price down and stop misleading people.
Thank you for adding this Garcia. It needs to be heard.
I’ve been loving all the content Suzi Whitford is putting out and I’m interested in her Blogging by Number course, which may hit the “all encompassing” idea. I’d love to see an honest review like this of it.
Thank you for your candid review. I am one of the ones that got kicked out of the group for giving an opinion on Black Lives Matter. You have this 100% spot on. I, too, joined in 2018 and while the framework is great I have spent tons more money to get actual training on what to do. Plus I have been the Fairy BlogMother since 2018. Makes you kinda go hmmm.
Good luck on your future endeavors.
Oh man I’m sorry you got kicked out Annie, I have definitely noticed that anyone who disagrees or says something negative gets kicked out.
100% truth. I got into EBA because it came highly recommended by a well-known blogger that I looked up to. Now I know it’s all about the affiliate referrals. Fool me once… It took me months to get my website up because nothing technical was taught in EBA. It was the biggest, most expensive fluff piece I’ve ever purchased. I tuned out of the “office hours” because there was nothing substantial, no meat to what we were being served. I could go on about my disappointment…but I digress and you said it very well. The one saving grace was the FB group, and now we’re all being tossed aside like a banana peel on the highway. My advice to new bloggers is to do some homework before buying any course, there are so many superior ones out there for free or cheaper 😉
Yeah I agree, I’m still a little shocked the Facebook group is being deleted.
Thank you so much for posting this! EBA has been on my blogging wish list ever since I first heard about it in 2019 and I was saving up to buy it. I used what I had saved to buy GBTK this year and I’m extremely satisfied with that purchase and I haven’t even made it through a quarter of the content! So happy to know I can save my $1000+ for something else.
I’m glad to help! And GBTK 2020 was AH-MAZING! Kind of upset I didn’t put a course in it this year (I did the last 2 bundles)
I honestly could not disagree more. Ruth changed my life and my business.
I felt none of this resonated with my own personal experience with EBA. People are just too lazy to do the work themselves. All of those points are in EBA and are in depth to get you to where you need to be.
Thank you for your honest opinion Jennifer! I disagree that people aren’t succeeding with EBA because they are lazy. I went through whole course, and after spending lots of money learning from experts there’s no way a new blogger starting right now would be able to be successful with EBA alone.
I’m glad that your experience was different though! I think that’s wonderful that you got your money’s worth.
Jennifer, I am so grateful that you are such a huge success. I genuinely am. But please understand that for some of us, blogging is a tremendous pivot we’ve made in our lives because you’ve lost everything that we’ve known how to do and now we are completely out of our comfort zone, lost and a little scared.
Maybe, just maybe we just want to make an impact and help others but have no idea how to do it unless it’s through blogging. So please, be kind and don’t you dare, call me lazy. I’ve never worked so hard to learn so many different things at the same time especially at my age, when I should have my sh!$ together and my two teenagers are watching me fail so miserably.
I’m so sorry Elizabeth. I’m very hurt on so many levels right now. I made friends in our group and now I have no one. I depended on Ruth for her help, I had no money, I had to borrow it! Do you know how humiliating that is at 43 years old? Not only did I just find out that she closed DIS and took most of the resources out, but then the shock of EBA? I only found out in the group bc I never got the emails. Now she wantd us to come up with more $? I’m not going to lose my home for another $3000. And that does bother me! How could she do this to us? I just started in October and I was so excited! I unpublished my sight a few weeks ago bc her upside down model wasn’t at all that. So, I’m very sorry that I’ve lost my temper, but do not call me lazy.
I wish you more huge successes in your blogging career and I pray you have a wonderful holiday bc there are so so many that won’t. Again, Elizabeth, please forgive me. I’m not in the habit of ever commenting. But this was just… I can’t even
Danielle, don’t apologize for sharing your heart. Some people need to see this.
Ruth is an amazing sales person, and it’s pretty remarkable how many have been convinced to invest so much (she got me too), but weaved into that is this lie that if you aren’t successful in her program that you’re lazy or not doing the work because that takes to focus off of the content of the course and puts more blame on her students. It’s unacceptable.
Yes, some people don’t want to do the work and that is fine if they bought a course and don’t do anything with it. They have every right to do that, and that still doesn’t make them lazy.
This review isn’t about them, it is about people who invested in a promise of an all encompassing course to find out that it falls extremely short and now they’re left trying to fill in the gaps by spending more money on other courses.
And I’m sorry that you had to read this comment in the first place, I try my best to not censor comments unless they are spam or just downright horrible.
If you went through the course then YOU are definitely not one of the lazy ones. I seen it in the group and there were those who just looking for someone else to answer things that was already in the course. I feel they didn’t do the work or they’d know the answer. And those people were obvious. No, you are both are right, not everyone who didn’t make money is lazy. I hope this clarifies that.
But if you went through the course and you’re trying then you might have missed some major points. I went through it 4 times and each time I learned something new. Don’t EVER feel like a failure for trying! You’re kids and family see you working and it sounds to me like you have worked a lot. That shows them good work ethic. Don’t ever feel bad for that. Just keep you chin up and keep plugging along. I’m sorry EBA didn’t work out for you, but please don’t give up on your dreams!
Not too lazy. I finished the entire course. You don’t tell a person to do the seo and not tell them how. Nearly every unit skims the surface.
I completely agree with you, Elizebeth. I’ve been through the whole course; I’ve done the work; and I’m no better off than when I bought the course in 2019 (with the exception of being $1000 less rich). The few achievements I’ve actually achieved have come from courses I’ve taken in GBTK that described exactly what I needed to do, step-by-step when I got stuck somewhere. Yes, EBA lays out a great floor plan to follow. But it is a plan that is completely natural when you really start getting into blogging. I didn’t need to pay someone $1000 to tell me to create products or courses to sell to make money. I needed someone to tell me the technical side of creating products & courses.
I always felt a little uncomfortable with EBA even while I was taking out a loan to pay for it. But so many of my favorite bloggers sang its praises that I ignored my inner voice. Thank you for being honest. It would have been much more helpful to have heard two sides of the story when I was just starting out.
Oh man, I’ve seen so many people who have taken out loans, put it on a credit card, borrowed from friends…
It’s really upsetting. And yes, it was a personal choice, but I will never forget hearing over and over in the Build your Blog bootcamp that you can put it on a credit card and it’ll be paid off in 3 months.
I’m sorry.
Jennifer,
I was actually shocked when I read your comment and the fact you called me and others who are in the same position “lazy”. I worked hard in the course. I even shelled out hundreds of dollars in other courses because Ruth told me I need SEO, pinterest management, email marketing, etc but never explained the how. If she did, please direct me to which videos and worksheets gives this information. I was 8 months pregnant when I bought this course. I spent hours trying to get as much as I can get done. I was exhausted when the baby came but I took advantage of every minute to succeed. I was breastfeeding while holding my baby or letting her nap on one arm and using the laptop with the other so don’t you dare call me lazy.
You should read my comment clarifying lazy. No, if you did the work you’re definitely NOT lazy. There were definitely those in the FB group that clearly did want to do the work. I hope that clarifies it for you. I was in your shoes with a newborn and breastfeeding when I started out. I know it’s not easy. I didn’t find the need to take any other courses to supplement Ruth’s information. I just followed her guidance and things fell into place. Sorry, it didn’t work for you, but don’t knock going through it again later on. I have gone through the course 4 times and each time I’m at a different level in my business and learn something new. Wishing you the best!
I agree. I’ve felt so frustrated with blogging because I didn’t know how to make things work. I needed something more than “throw spaghetti against the wall.”
Wait what? This is not true… The opinion is one thing, but the facts here are off. At least get the facts right.
Hey Ashley, thanks for your feedback, I’d love to know what you consider not being true! I tried my best to state when I was giving my opinion.
Thank you for this! I talked to my husband about investing in it about maybe a year ago and he wanted me to wait. I sincerely felt like if I wanted to be successful like some of the bloggers I followed, I needed to take the course like they did. I read this article to my husband and we’re both thankful we didn’t purchase it. I recently purchased an SEO course (It’s what I’m really struggling with) from Kingdom Bloggers and I’m learning so much, AND it’s affordable. Thank you! Us newbies NEED honesty.
Thank you Amanda!
I knew it! I knew it! I KNEW IT! Thank you for confirming it for me. I joined a “free” 7 day blog course she offered and, technically, it WASN’T free. The only way to complete the course was to join blue host on their 12 month (minimum) plan. I already had hosting, but thought I could still do the course using that instead. No, it was all about blue host and how they work. I remember a LOT of people were angry after the first day and were commenting. Not a single reply from Ruth, and even worse?, she encouraged people to use her affiliate link to join bluehost ??. I also got her Social Bloom course through GBTK, and was extremely disappointed by it. Thank you for having the guts to say what, I’m guessing, a lot of other people think but are too afraid to say themselves!
Thank you Fiona! I’m sorry that happened to you!
I had thought about buying EBA, but found Ruth very irritating. But this course was marketed as the be all and end all for blogging. So I decided if it was that good, I could grit my teeth and put up with Ruth and so I searched the web for reviews. Every single one was gushingly positive which set off alarm bells – surely someone must have a few negative points? Then I found out that EBA pays its affiliates 40% commission on each sale, so currently that would be $400 a sale. How can you believe a review from someone who is getting paid $400 for each sale? I’m sure some of those people did like the course, but not everyone. Money surely does talk, it seems. Anyway, the inability to find a single balanced review anywhere put me off buying. Then a friend bought the course and let me have a peek – I can’t tell you how glad I am that I didn’t buy the course. It was the exact same info as her book, which I’d picked up for $10, with some worksheets thrown in and a Facebook group.
The comments that you shouldn’t leave. A negative review because “it’s throwing a fellow business woman under the bus” worry me. Am I to take it from this that most course reviews are not to be trusted? That protecting business acquaintances is more important that allowing people to make an informed choice before parting with a huge amount of money? Elizabeth isnt hurting Ruth’s business, Ruth is doing that herself.
Thank you Siobhan, I’m definitely swimming against the current with a negative review. I appreciate you!
Thank you for your post. I couldn’t name why I was struggling with EBA or why I haven’t even started an actual blog yet (and I purchased it in 2015!). You are right, she’s a great motivator but she lacks the depth and know-how of the million things a new blogger needs to learn. What struck me when she announced her new ACTIVATE membership was when she said that because of the pandemic she’s realized how much she loves working from home (she’s even selling her office building) and her business has boomed! So the idea of this membership was born. But what about those who’s finances have struggled because of the pandemic? Or the mom who is suddenly home full time with all of her children and she simply cannot find the extra time to blog? I literally feel like “she left me in the dust”. Now I have to spend a monthly fee to be a part of a group I already paid for? Might I add that I’m Canadian and that our fees almost double? What a disappointment 🙁
Yeah, I think that her comments on the pandemic reflect how far away she is from her audience. And honestly, it shows a lack of compassion. People are struggling right now. I’m fortunate enough to not be one of those people (my hubby is in the army) but that doesn’t mean that I don’t know that and can’t be sensitive to what people are going through. You don’t brag that you’re warm to a person freezing.
If anything, compassion would be to give a discount to people struggling so that they can make money during this pandemic, not charge an outrageous monthly subscription during a recession. I’ll never understand that.
Thank you for being brave enough to write this. I can’t speak to the EBA course itself, as I didn’t take it.
However, I watched as she (mis)handled Black Lives Matter in the Spring of 2020 and immediately stopped following her.
Not only was she unwilling to come out and say that black lives matter, she attacked anyone who took issue with that.
As business owners it is our responsibility to use our platforms for GOOD. To stand up for the rights of others. If you cannot openly say that it’s not okay for people of color to be disproportionately shot and killed by police, then you shouldn’t be calling yourself a leader.
I also purchased EBA in 2018. And I also was mistaken in thinking that there would be more specific details of each and every blog creating step. I was wrong.
Ruth clearly states that EBA is designed to simplify the process of creating an online business with a comprehensive framework for success. A strategy to guide your decisions in creating a business, what to do in what order. She also CLEARLY says that it is NOT designed to be tactical guide, but instead, a strategic guide/framework.
I got exactly what I paid for.
THANK YOU for having the courage to publish this! I agree with you 100%!
This review is dead on! I actually got a refund for EBA. It took a bit of time to work through the assignments but they sent my $1k right back no questions asked when I turned in my work.
You’re the first person I’ve ever heard actually get a refund! Nice to know that they actually give them!
I 100% agree with this entire post. I’ve been blogging for years and take courses to advance my knowledge. After so many rave reviews, I decided to reinvest blog income in EBA.
I’ve taken many courses. Some have not been worth the investment. This was the largest investment I regret to date. It’s all marketing and trying to get people to purchase tools they may not need through affiliate links. Ruth is a marketer. There was no depth to the content, only a massive workbook with tiny videos (with annoying, loud music before each one).
And my biggest pet peeve is telling bloggers there is only 1 way to success. She taught that her methods (if followed EXACTLY and within the timeframe and parameters she set) would only bring success.
I’m all for building each other up and supporting each other. I hate leaving bad reviews. But, I this particular course feels like a complete “money grab”, as is supported with her change to charging more for a new program and shutting down the only good thing to come out of the course: the Facebook group.
I’m only glad that nobody else will enroll in EBA.
I was one of those people who emailed you back when you sent out the email about this review. I agree 1000%. And I am so glad that someone had the courage to say something.
I was unaware of the more recent developments, such as closing the Facebook group. Everything that went on during the Black Lives Matter time period was horrible and not “handled” well at all. That’s when I left Ruth Soukup and all of her lies behind.
I would hesitate to even suggest buying her book. I just don’t want to support her in any way. And I regret all the money I spent on her products, including EBA. A total waste of money.
Thank you for this.
I know this post is older, but I’ve been researching it more since I accidentally bought the activate program. Maybe I wasn’t paying attention that day, but I thought I was only buying the program for a one time fee. I honestly don’t need a coach every month, especially since it seems like most of it is done in the Facebook group by other members. I’m just not getting anything out of it for $297 a month. I honestly would have just preferred to pay the $1000 fee for everything, because you end up paying more monthly for 12 months. I told my husband it’s like being in an MLM, and you confirmed my thoughts. I’m starting to get emails about referring people, and now I know I have to cancel. Also, they really, really, really push you to sell a product on your blog. You have to create your products, or several products to figure out which one will sell, and that seems to be the main focus of the program. I’m not even going to ask for a refund, I just want to stop my subscription. Also, if you stop a subscription you’re not allowed to re-enroll for a full year! I feel like I could get better information from other courses in the category I’m interested in.
My impression of her is she’s like the L. Ron Hubbard of the blogging world. Say something bad and they all come after you.
Elizabeth, you have a lot of courage in telling the truth.
Most people like Ruth have discovered it’s too hard to make money “doing the thing” (blogging in this case) but very easy to make money selling others information about “doing the thing.”
Especially with a huge referral bonus like that, it silences most of the critics. Calling people who fail “lazy” silences even more critics.
I’m guessing she didn’t have her “business boom” during COVID, but instead she was struggling so she decided to take the free Facebook group & charge a ton for it.
People lie. A LOT. That’s what I’ve learned from being in business for myself.
As of today, 2/01/22, Elite Blog Academy sent out an email that the EBA course is coming back in 2022. They are going back to a beginner format and maintaining Activate for advanced bloggers. Now what does that say?????
I’m ashamed to admit I have purchased 5 different “this is all you need” blogging courses over the last 15 years. EBA was the most expensive! Compared to the course I purchased from a blogger in a completely different niche for only $300….it was the exact same info with less concrete “do this exactly” steps.
At the end of the day when it comes to a blogging business or a brick & mortar all you need are the following to be successful:
– consistency
– solving a problem
– LOTS of hard, HARD work!
All the courses and conferences I have taken/attended ultimately teach the same thing. I’m just sorry it took me 5 courses to finally realize it.
Thankful to be profitably blogging since 2016!
Thanks too for your honest review!
I foolishly spent money ($7 but STILL haha) on an EBA 5-Day Challenge and I quickly pinpointed that EBA is a total money grab, especially for those who have no idea what blogging really is.
I’ve been profitably blogging for the last two years and I am actually embarrassed for her company for putting such an emphasis on spending more and more on these courses. I have taken a couple of (affordable) blogging courses and I agree, full heartily, with what you wrote about EBA.
The courses are set up to have you thinking you *NEED* to purchase everything EBA to succeed. It’s all very much profit > people.
I will always be looking for opportunities to further my ‘blogging education’ but will absolutely avoid EBA like the plague.
I appreciate an honest review! 🙂