As an affiliate marketer committed to helping others succeed ethically, seeing overpriced scams like Philip Johansen‘s 7 Figure Accelerator programmed fuels my advocacy even more. By luring passionate dreamers desperate for change, the twisted self-propagation and unrealistic income claims warrant investigation.
The Broken Affiliate Marketing Dream
Many enter affiliate marketing genuinely wanting to help others pursue their passions. Connecting audiences with life-changing products embodies noble aspirations. However, lust for fortunes and fame often distort reality.
Philip Johansen seems one such character. Masking get-rich-quick antics behind a veneer of coaching, few returns come from his actual training materials. Yet thanks to recycled scam formulas, enough revenue pours in to maintain the charade of expertise – despite no credentials.
But victims never realize the necessity to keep purchasing to maintain hopes the dream still exists somewhere. Until burning through savings chasing broken promises and questioning what went wrong.
By understanding the tactics behind these schemes, we can work collectively to reshape affiliate marketing into a force for good.
Philip Johansen Background
Affiliate Club Exposed – Johansen formerly sold another overpriced affiliate program called Affiliate Club, which regulators forced him to shut down.
No Verified Credentials – He claims expert status as a “retired info-product creator” but no records exist to substantiate marketing prowess.
Shady Testimonials – Reviews seem suspiciously directed. And despite claiming students earn over $10k/day, proof of prior successful students remains elusive.
This history echoes famous scammers like Tai Lopez caught exploiting aspirational marketing without verified skills. After the FTC fined Lopez $4.5M for fake reviews/earnings claims, how has Johansen avoided similar punishment?
7 Figure Accelerator Income Claims
“Our students generate anywhere between $3,000 to $10,000 days in profit using our systems!”
math precisely, $10k daily = $3.65M annually. Comparing that benchmark to authoritative affiliate income data paints an improbable picture:
- Affise 2021 survey of 24K affiliates worldwide reported average yearly earnings around $28K
- MonetizePros 2021 poll of 1K+ affiliates found only 6% make over $500K yearly
While $100K+ incomes exist, maintaining $10K+ daily implies sustainability among the top 0.01%. So why does 7 Figure Accelerator portray this outcome as commonplace?
Income Expectation Reality Check (Source: MonetizePros 2021 Affiliate Survey)
Such delusional levels require both flawless execution and endless promotion. Which the “training” primarily focuses on.
Recycled Public Domain Tactics
Starting at $97 and reaching $24,997 with upsells, what do customers receive?
Reviews cite rehashed dropshipping content and basic social media posts better learned for free. But critiques get quickly suppressed while transformed into “proof stories” to keep affiliates continuously purchasing in hopes of unlocking eventual profits.
Weak Delivery of Actual Training
- “It was all basic information you can get for free…”
- "I could have learned more from free YouTube videos…”
- "All it did was convince me to promote it myself…”
Cycle of Buying to Qualify for Next Level
- Diamond Level ($2,497)
- Titanium Masterclass ($9,997)
- Private Mastermind ($24,997+)
This model only survives by suppressing refunds and fostering sunken cost fallacies. Newly converted affiliates then propagate myths further attracting more students. Except very few ever achieve sustainable income from these tactics alone.
Contrast With Ethical Affiliate Programs
Transparent affiliate networks like ShareASale meticulously vet merchants for trustworthiness:
- Quality assurance checks on reputation
- Guidelines on ethics/accuracy
- Choice of reputable brands
Training services like Wealthy Affiliate encourage sustainable skills:
- Flexible subscription model
- Community support options
- Realistic outlooks on effort required
| Program | Price Translarency | Accountability | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Figure Accelerator | Predatory Upsells | No Refunds | Get Rich Quick Scheme |
| ShareASale | Public Rates | Merch. Screening | Quality Over Quantity |
| Wealthy Affiliate | Open Sub Model | 30-Day Refund | Long Term Skills |
This stark contrast shows how legitimate businesses operate by different standards.
Pinpointing The Real Victims
Ultimately, passionate dreamers suffer most believing the fantasy sold. Trading time and savings continuing a cycle that only truly benefits the orchestrator.
And for those recognizing sunken effort, shame creeps in silencing speech. This only emboldens the perpetrators to continue mostly unchecked.
But by shedding light candidly on these schemes, those taken advantage of can salvage meaning. And hopeful entrepreneurs can avoid similar fates until legitimate players operationalize equitable visions.
There Are Ethical Paths Forward
For hopeful entrepreneurs, numerous resources exist minus exaggerated claims:
Podcasts: Smart Passive Income, Niche Pursuits, The Affiliate Guy
Books: Authority by Nathan Latka, Affiliate Marketing for Beginners by Michelle Schroeder-Gardner
Blogs: MonetizePros, NicheHacks Insider, AffiliateUNGURU
While passion alone won’t generate success, embracing transparency empowers marketers globally to link customers with life-enhancing products ethically using recommendations they believe in.
But change requires active voices calling out those exploiting dreams. Quietly tolerating harmful practices only permits continuation. Through accountability, affiliate marketing can still achieve its highest aspirations.
Final Thoughts
If the promise seems to good to be true, proceeding merits caution. Fortunately, an ethical path forward exists for those committed to an honorable craft. But for now, The 7 Figure Accelerator represents what holds us collectively back from achieving the true affiliate marketing dream.
Call to Action:
If you believe a program promotes questionable income expectations or causes more harm than good, alerts to regulators can help investigate and enforce fair business practices when deemed necessary.