My Journey to Success
Like I assume so many of you are, I was on a quest to find a new venture that would accomplish a few of my personal goals - to start my own marketing business and to make it profitable…. quickly. I began working toward this goal, in earnest in December 2023.
It was overwhelming! I’m not new to the marketing space but I signed up for so many classes covering so many topics. There were the Rainmakers and Amazon FBA. There was ClickBank and ClickFunnels. There were all those social media posts from people declaring they could help you make $10,000 in a matter of weeks. (No way was I going to dance on TikTok. Nope.)
Well, believing that the only way to find success is to start, I signed up. Here’s what I did:
Rainmakers - Made it through several days of their training before realizing that the amount of work that went into creating your own product was too big of an up-front investment. (I asked for a refund; never got it.)
Amazon FBA - I signed up for a course on how to resell items on Amazon for a profit through wholesale connections. The course was very hands-off but it was fine because I was able to make my way through. I ultimately was successful and profitable (made approximately $2000 profit in the 6 weeks I was running) but the grind of finding products that fit the criteria for a profit was tough AND I ended up buying a few products I then didn’t get approved to sell. When Amazon increased their prices, I decided to move on to the next option.
Amazon KDP - Yes, I published a book on KDP. It was… a bomb. I did not make any money. But I did get a really cool book with my name on it!
High-ticket eCommerce - Of the options so far, this is the only one that I’m still working toward. I’ve chosen a niche and have suppliers and will (hopefully!) be launching soon. But why did I keep looking? Because the back and forth with suppliers and customers it not my favorite part of running a business.
I still craved an opportunity that would allow me to use a complex marketing technology stack to further develop my existing marketing skills and make money in the process.
So I went back to researching courses and mentorships.
Enter Cherrington Media & the Invisible Affiliate System
When I first heard about Adam Cherrington & Cherrington Media's Invisible Affiliate System, I literally got out of bed to get my card and sign up. The cost was $97 and with that purchase came the opportunity to look at the foundation of Adam’s program - the 7 Pillars. Access to all of the resources is fairly limited (and that was a bit frustrating tbh) but after more research I learned that there are several different levels for folks to join the full mentorship and that when you do, you have access to more than any other program I’d been through.
Before we get to the benefits, I want to talk about the process.
Getting Started with Cherrington Media
Let’s start from the beginning which is the get-out-of-bed moment I had:
Step 1: Sign-Up for the Invisible Affiliate System
Signing up is as simple as filling out a form and placing your typical online order. Very quickly after that, you’ll receive an email with login information tied to the email address associated with your account.
I remember signing in and quickly setting up a call with a coach to learn more about the program. This part of the process is a bit unclear in my memory, but I remember being able to connect with a coach in a matter of hours, not days.
Here’s the part where a lot of the reviews I read before purchasing took a turn - instead of pursuing the next level of engagement to gain access to the full suite of services, coaching, and technology, the reviews focus on the what’s available to them at this entry point which is minimal and more DIY than a fully-supported mentorship.
Step 2: Coaching Calls
Next, I was scheduled for “coaching calls” which are really just calls with a sales rep. During this time, I was asked several questions and given videos on mindset to watch as “homework.” I also reviewed everything I could in the materials I gained access to to better understand the program and if it matched with my hopes and expectations. Some of the benefits I learned about the mentorship are:
You’re running affiliate arbitrage campaigns acting as a member of Adam’s agency. What that means is you have access to top-tier technology supported at a level far beyond what you would get if you’re acting alone.
You’re paid regularly, quickly, and without the risk of claw-backs! Cherrington Media uses a CPA-based commission structure which means you get paid a set commission for the acquisition of a customer. No risk of returns impacting your income. No complex time-based percentages to learn or other nuances to worry about like in other commission structures. You do x, you get y.
The community and coaches are amazing! (Confession: I learned this after joining the mentorship but I wanted to share it here.) The coaches and team are always looking for ways to improve engagement within the community of students AND keep everyone updated in the very fast-moving world of digital marketing. There are about live coaching calls every day of the week except Saturday, and if you have a question between calls, you can ask the community and get an answer or suggestion on what to do next.
You have several options for products to test and promote (including sourcing your own) and you never have to spend time building your own website! You use products that are supported by Cherrington Media’s technology and team, they build all the landing pages, product pages, and check out pages which means you can focus on what you want to learn - affiliate arbitrage and direct response marketing.
I’ll be completely honest here: I did not enjoy my sales coach. I found him to be frustrating and inconsistent in his approach. I feel at times he did his best to avoid the sale. However, I do know that several of my peers in the mentorship had a great experience with their coaches and are surprised by my experience.
Step 3: Deciding on Mentorship Level and Financial Commitment
When you near the end of your sales coaching cycle, you’ll be introduced to the pricing of the mentorships. They come in different levels and while the lower levels are reasonable when compared to other similar mentorship programs, if you want to make a long-term commitment, it can get expensive.
It’s important to think about your experience level is and what your priorities are to pick the right level for you. Make sure you think critically about how much you have to invest in your new business, including ad spend to get started, and work from there.
I thought about my investment in the mentorship as if I were buying into a franchise; I’ll pay an initial fee and then I’ll have access to the proven system that I can use to help learn the process from one of the most successful direct response marketers out there. My additional investment (ad spend) goes into making my franchise the best one out there.
Step 4: Welcome to The Cherrington Experience!
Once you’re signed up for the mentorship, you’ll begin to get emails granting you access to several new tools and resources as part of The Cherrington Experience. The first course of action is to make sure you schedule your onboarding call with one of the coaches. The coaches that you’ll work with at Cherrington Media are all former students (who are also still running campaigns on their own) who have learned the systems and practices well. Your onboarding call will act as an introduction to the core program and will help set you off on the right foot.
After that you’ll:
Talk to your assigned accountability partner about your plan and path forward.
Begin attending live coaching calls (I recommend doing as many of these as possible!)
Take the first big steps in your education as a direct response marketer!
The core of the program is learning the ins and outs of affiliate arbitrage, with a strong emphasis on understanding direct response marketing and the psychology behind consumer behavior.
My Results
In black and white, I am profitable. I had my first profitable month in the second month and have continued that momentum since then.
Beyond that, I have become a part of an exciting and engaging community of learners that share my interest in digital marketing. Our shared commitment to learning has unified us and created a all-for-one and one-for-all mentality in the community. If I’m struggling, I know I have the help of the coaches and my peers to get through. If I have a great week, I know the coaches and my peers are cheering for me and celebrating with me.
Final Thoughts
If you're considering joining an affiliate arbitrage mentorship program, I wholeheartedly recommend Cherrington Media. Their support, commission structure, coaching, and the access to the same technology Adam uses sets the stage for a meaningful experience for students that come in ready to learn and with the mindset that change can be hard, growth is uncomfortable, and all experiments are an opportunity to learn.
I wrote this review because taking this step has truly transformed my online business journey, and I couldn't be happier with the results. I wanted to make sure there was a review out here from a student in the mentorship currently that has had moments of skepticism but that those are far outweighed by the success I’ve already seen and the ongoing opportunities for success Cherrington Media shares with their students.