Empower Network Review
Product Name: Empower Network
Product Owner: David Wood & David Sharpe
Advertised Price: $25/month
Upsells: $19.99/month, $100/month, $500, $1,000, $3500
Rating: 0/100
Update 2019: Dave Sharp, one of the founders of Empower Network, is now running a new product called Legendary Marketer. From other reviews, it seems to be a more “legit” venture, with actual training, but the cost is pretty freakin’ sky high, and based on his previous affiliation with this garbage product Empower Network, it’s not something I recommend you invest your money in.
Are You Ready To Work Your Ass Off to Earn Your Lifestyle?
Are you tired of the daily grind? With a laptop and an internet connection I built a small website to generate income, and my life completely changed. Let me show you exactly how I’ve been doing it for more than 13 years.
Oh yeah, remember when Dave charged you ten grand then shut down the company? Yeah. That’s the same guy. Now you want to give him more money because he “went legit”? No way man.
Update 2017: Empower Network has shut down officially, and now the ex owner is asking people to join his new program. It took 4 years to come to fruition, but don’t say I didn’t warn you!
UPDATE 2015: Notice that all “Ex” Top 1% Empower Network have now jumped ship. This is very common in MLMs where people ride the wave of euphoria while everyone signs up, then exits the room before the thing collapses.
What is EN?
Make money by blogging on their network and referring other people to join Empower Network.
Short Review:
Blogging is just a facade for their MLM/network marketing/pyramid scheme, and this program should be avoided at all costs.
Before You Buy:
There is a lot of hype around Empower Network because they give “100% commissions”, and you “make money by blogging”. This is not the whole truth.
The truth is that you make 100% of only some of the commissions, and much of what you earn goes to your upline, ie the people that referred you. After joining, you are then strongly encouraged to ‘go all in’, and ‘upgrade’, which are buzzwords for ‘pay more money’. Remember, in order to make big commissions, you need to actually own the packages.
In typical MLM fashion you pay a minimum fee to enter, and they slowly reveal higher levels of membership that supposedly unlock bigger commissions.
Remember! that to make money with Empower Network, you must refer more people to Empower Network. You are essentially a door to door salesman selling an “amazing” product.
It is an unsustainable business model where eventually, there are more sellers than there are buyers.
Anything Positive?
I’m sure it’s great to be at the top of the pyramid. Too bad there are so many sitting at the bottom.
What You Need To Know:
Not only is MLM one of the worst types of programs to make money with because of the extremely low success rate, they are tarnishing the reputation of real internet marketers like myself. Many of their members spam forums and social media networks trying to refer more members to their downline, so I see this EN crap posted all over the place. EN does not provide sufficient training to actually teach you how to promote your blog, drive organic traffic to it via search engines, or sell real products and services.
The #1 Goal of Empower Network Is To Get More People Into Empower Network
Even though their product is a ‘blogging platform’, this is still a pyramid scheme at heart. Remember, you do not OWN the blog that you write for on Empower Network. EN owns it. They can block your access at any time, and have done it to many people (see video below). There are many free or cheap ways to start out online with a blog that you own 100% of.
The #1 thing you need to be looking for is training. Good training and a quality support community will help you get started online. The next thing you need to look at is sustainability. Will you still be doing this in 1 year? 5 years? 10 years?
One more thing you need to know is that if you do not buy their upgrades for hundreds & thousands of dollars, you will never get those commissions from your downline. If you stay with the $25 monthly fee (plus monthly ewallet fee), you can only make that amount from your referrals.
If someone in your downline pays $500 for the Costa Rica Intensive or $3500 for The Master’s Course, you make $0
Is This Program For You?
I get so many comments from people trying to “correct my mistakes” or “clear up confusion”. Whatever your opinion on MLM or EN is, you need to ask yourself, can I afford this? Remove yourself from all the amazing stories of rags to riches, and pictures of people holding big checks and bigger smiles.
Can you afford to risk $5000 or more on a business opportunity that’s receiving so much criticism from legitimate online business owners? Example 1 | Example 2 | Example 3 These are real people with real businesses, not just guys that blog about how cool EN is.
So, take a long, hard look at your wallet and think – would you take this money to Vegas? Would you give it to a friend to invest for you or would you put all of it down in the stock market today? Can you afford to hand it over to “viral blogging system” even though you are not 100% clear how it works?
Update
Empower is still around, though it’s unclear in what form. They ran a few promos with company names in the sales front but eventually led you to EN in the back end, but I don’t see that so much any more. More recently, they launched their so-called “revolutionary” blogging platform Kalatu, but that hit the ground with a thud (as with their previous attempts outlined in that post).
So some folks are still promoting it, but the hype has clearly died off so I’ve renamed this post “Last Year’s Hottest Scam”. I would just like to indulge a bit and take a moment to say “I told you so” to all the commenters below who spent hours and hours hating my opinion which turned out to be right.
Final Review
It’s become very clear from the comments that this review makes a lot of folks mad. Let’s make a few things clear so I we can avoid some issues down the road.
- I don’t like MLM and you cannot convince me to like it
- I review lots of products, not just EN
- I promote other, legitimate services on this blog
- It is not a secret that Wealthy Affiliate is my #1 rated product
- If you are rude, I will not approve your comments
What is One More Cup of Coffee about? Surprisingly, my goal in life is NOT to talk argue about my Empower Network review! I create websites about various topics like software, homebrewing, health & fitness, and traveling. Then I find companies to partner with, and promote their products on my blog. It’s that simple. There is no secret system.
My online businesses are based on my own personal interests.
I do not have a degree in marketing or computer science. When I started, I couldn’t even build a website. I learned everything I know from an online business training center that specializes in teaching newbies how to start their own online business. I’m still a member today, and continue to generate income from many other websites not related to ‘make money online’, including websites about computer software, health & wellness, and others 🙂
Nathaniell
What's up ladies and dudes! Great to finally meet you, and I hope you enjoyed this post. My name is Nathaniell and I'm the owner of One More Cup of Coffee. I started my first online business in 2010 promoting computer software and now I help newbies start their own businesses. Sign up for my #1 recommended training course and learn how to start your business for FREE!
Can You Really Make Money Posting Ads Online?
Kathleen
How can you be pretty sure that Avon doesn’t do that?
Nathaniell
My ex girlfriend worked for Amway, which also sells heath and beauty products. These companies have a legit product line people actually want can benefit from without enrolling in the seller program. There is no benefit to EN unless you enroll in their seller program.
The main thing they try to promote is “make money” with their blogging platform. Their blogging thing is actually just a modified version of WordPress (which is free). There is no reason to use their version of WordPress unless you want to promote EN, but there are plenty of reasons to use Avon products versus other brands.
I’m not familiar with Avon the company, so can’t say too much about it or their advertising tactics. I realize by saying that I’m opening myself up for the standard, “Well you don’t know what you’re talking about” argument, but, well, so be it.
Kathleen
Nathaniell, you seem to have a problem with MLMs in general, which to me makes you biased. In my opinion, one either ‘gets’ the concept and potential benefit of the MLM business model, or one doesn’t. (You seem to be on the ‘doesn’t’ list) It IS a legitimate business model recognized and approved by the IRS in the U.S. — I guess what I am saying/asking is, Avon is MLM, and most people don’t have a problem with Avon. Do you have a problem with Avon?
Nathaniell
I don’t know why MLM people feel the need to justify their opinions to people who just don’t like MLM. Of course I don’t like it. Misleading advertising, high pressure sales, and dubious opportunities are reason enough for me to not like it, and recommend that people stay away from it. You are absolutely right, I will NEVER recommend an MLM to anyone looking to make legitimate income. Some businesses do an OK job, but Empower Network is certainly not one of theme.
All arguments aside on whether or not MLM is a legit business or not, Empower hypes people up to think that they can make easy money, lift themselves out of difficult situations, and start living a lifestyle of the rich and famous…all without actually explaining what the heck you do to make money.
I wouldn’t have such a problem with EN if they just came out and said, “Hey, were are MLM. You make money by selling Empower Network memberships to your friends, family, or other people online. We start you off with a $25 membership, but there are other levels that we have as well. They cost X, Y, and Z.”
But they spend so much time hiding this information from everyone and filling their heads with information that doesn’t give them a full picture of what EN is actually about. Can you not agree that EN needs to be more transparent with their marketing?
Do I have a problem with Avon? I’m not familiar with their advertising model, but I’m pretty sure they don’t spam YouTube, Facebook, encourage people to be a “Badass”, or charge people $3500 for training videos.
Eric
Thank you for your post. I am currently apart of EN and actively building a large community; primarily with the assistance of my development company dedicated to the development and advancement of our team members. Given recent event, I am launching into review of other companies offering affiliate opportunities for myself and my team members that wish to come. Are their any you feel are worth taking a look at?
Nathaniell
There are so many companies to look at, I wouldn’t know where to start. But I recommend that you do not build the foundation of your business on EN’s site builder. Using their domain to host your own website is a sure way to get slapped by Google, they do not give you full WordPress functions, and can revoke access to your site at any time.
T. C.
Can you post something, (on your WA review page perhaps), outlining exactly what you did and when – sort of a retrospective journal of your WA experience from joining to ‘going it alone (getting your own site/domain)? I mean outlining what you did when, from taking the Entrepreneur Certification class to getting the premium membership, what your experience was with whatever tools you used, etc. Something along the lines of a “W.A. for Newbies Made Simple: The Experiences of one Amateur gone Pro.” (If you have done this, sorry. I just saw your EN and WA reviews with mentions of your experiences with WA).
Nathaniell
Hi TC. I have in fact done this already! You can read more about how I got started online by reading my story, you can read more about how I build my websites with my 5 Day Affiliate Marketing Introduction Course, and I give you insight into how I build my niche websites in a series (not finished yet) called the Beginner Niche Marketers Guide.
Basically, I have no secrets! I tell everyone how I do what I do because there’s nothing clever or new about it. The hardest part is finding a good mentor to help you over stumbling blogs, and finding a reliable pool of resources that you can trust. There’s a lot of misinformation out there. For example, places like EN tell you that you need backlinks. Well, I rank on Page 1 for “Empower Network Review” and I didn’t get 1 backlink! That’s just an example, but it just goes to show you how many ‘systems’ teach you wrong information.
I hope you find success in your marketing journey, and let me know if you have any more questions.
Sawal
I have just registering with EN 4 hrs+ ago….I am now feeling sceptical as they have asking for more $$$ just to proceed more. Then I googled and found your website & others as well…I should have googled earlier before joining 🙁 I have found EN vs WA (Wealthy Affiliate) also…and heard WA is even better than EN. So what shall I do? Delete my membership (Quit) so that I would not have to pay another membership payment next month…appreciate your views is any.
Nathaniell
They do that. The minute you spend a dime, they ask for a dollar. And it doesn’t stop. It’s good to hear that you wised up before sinking thousands into EN. They will not likely allow you to delete your site, but you can contact their support team to cancel your membership, and BE SURE to also cancel payment through your credit card or Paypal acct. EN can be slow and unreliable when canceling accounts.
Adeoye
Nathaniell, I find it rather amusing, your claims about EN. I’ve gone through all your responses to the different complaints and comments. I must give it to you though. You are very diligent in responding to all comments.
Having said that, one thing jumps straight out. You know absolutely nothing about EN. I mean that much is really very obvious.
Its fine to promote your own version in Wealthy Affiliate, but when you do so by condemning something you know nothing about, just to make people trust you and believe you are looking out for them, I think that really sucks. It so happens you are not the only one speaking about EN as such. There is also this Kyle guy somewhere around on another site. I don’t know if I can mention the site, but isn’t it kinda odd that he also has the Wealthy Affiliate banners slapped all over his own posts too? Is that the tactic you guys employ over at Wealth Affiliate? I think I should put up my own blog warning guys about Wealthy Affiliate guys blabbing and thrashing things over the place just to gain a hearing.
And to correct some of the impressions you erroneously scribbled out, you can cancel membership as quick and easy as snap. I’ve tried it and it works brilliantly. And you don’t have to buy everything you see on EN. There’s hardly much sense in buying something you don’t think will help your business, is there? You don’t buy everything you see in a store do you?
Oh and by the way, as of this very moment, FACEBOOK ACCEPTS EMPOWER NETWORK LINKS.
Nathaniell
I don’t know why EN people leave comments to me “exposing” my ::secret plan:: to trash EN and promote Wealthy Affiliate. Durrr. It’s not a secret. I don’t like EN, and I like WA. There is nothing devious about this. If you don’t like WA, write a review about it. I don’t care.
I have a blog about starting an online business. WA teaches you how to do that. I have over 200 posts on here that have nothing to do with EN. MY WEBSITE IS NOT ABOUT EN. I have one review. ONE. Can you not understand that?
And yes, Facebook blocked EN. You can get links there with various types of scripts and work arounds, but FB has blocked EN, so check your facts.
Adeoye
Hi Nat,
It took me a week to relocate this page. But I found it. This is about that post I made. You know I was telling Kyle how I took a swipe at both of you for calling EN a scam. Curiosity led me to signing up at WA. In just a few hours I could see it all. As much as I hate to admit it, I may have been wrong about EN after all. The difference really stands out. You get a lot of quality stuff without the usual aggressive up-sell tactics you will find at EN. And really you are up and running in little time at WA. Boy was I naive.
I never really liked the fact that those guys at EN where ex-junkies. For what its worth I think the other guy, David Sharpe’s partner might still be on the “stuff”. But I must give it to them though. They’ve got some pretty darn good sales talents. They are excellent salesmen.
Nathaniell
Hey Adeoye,
No probs about the comment. I realize that it puts some people off that I review one product but promote another. I don’t have a choice though, because I really care about my readers and have to tell them what works for me and many other people I know. I can’t comment on the lifestyles of the guys at EN, but I certainly can comment on their marketing style which I find deceptive, and, exactly like you said, aggressive.
I’m glad you joined WA and like the information that’s available there. I hope you are able to use it to your advantage, regardless of whether or not you join premium. Good luck, and let me know if you have any questions.