Keala Kanae Reviews (2023 Update): Best Affiliate Marketing Coach? Maybe, But #13 Really Got Me Thinking!

By: Brittney

Welcome to my Keala Kanae review. My goal is to help you understand what the program is all about, how much it costs, if it’s a good use of your time, your money, and much more! It should be less than 10 minutes start to finish, so let’s dive in!
keala kanae reviews
Disclaimer:
This Keala Kanae review has been thoroughly researched with information and testimonials that are available online to anyone in the public. Any conclusions drawn by myself are opinions.

The Good Stuff

Lessons are simple yet comprehensive, offering a thorough understanding of the digital world
Keala Kanae is a legit internet marketing coach with lots of experience
AWOL also provides one-on-one tutoring according to the user's learning pace

The Bad Stuff

It gets more expensive as the program progresses, and there is plenty of less expensive, even free, alternative learning material available online
When 'encouraging' customers to purchase upsells, the courses are rather 'pushy,' creating the sense that it is deceitful and a fraud
The course materials must be purchased individually

Firstly, Why Am I Writing This Review?

Nice to meet you, my name is Brittney!

My story starts  like many do… “slaving away” at a 9-5 job that I didn’t really enjoy, but hey – it paid the bills.

I worked for a large Fortune 500 company that performed background checks for other companies when they wanted to hire a new employee… so you know, not exactly exciting stuff.

For a lot of people, a nice stable job and predictable check coming in every month is the picture of success, but for me, it felt like I was missing out on life.

Clocking in every single day, doing the same tasks over and over again, getting home with barely enough time to make dinner and enjoy some time to myself… only to wake up again the next morning and do it all over again.

I just wanted to enjoy life without being shackled to an unfilling job. 

I wanted to be able to take vacations whenever I wanted, for however long I wanted.

I didn’t want to have to beg my boss for a salary increase that barely matched inflation.

I just wanted to be free and happy.

Then about 4 years ago (as a stroke of luck), I stumbled across a program that taught me how to make money online by actually helping real people (local US businesses).

my concrete site

The image above shows an example. This mini website brings me in around $1,250 every single month, and I haven’t touched it in over 2 years.

That’s $15,000 per year in my pocket without having to really do anything.

Just helping small mom-and-pop shops keep their lights on and grow.

So it makes sense why local lead generation is my top online business for passive income. If you’re curious how that business model works, you can read more here.

NOTE: I DO NOT WORK WITH​ Keala Kanae

Who Cares About That?

99% of reviewers out there don’t have experience running an actual business. They’re writing about stuff that they have no real experience with.

Why would they do that?

They just want you to click through and buy the  program that the review is about!

I have absolutely no relationship with Keala Kanae, so you can rest easy knowing that I’m going to give you my honest opinion.

This review is written based on my own experiences with this business model.

All that being said, let’s jump into things.

In these Keala Kanae reviews, we’ll look at the guru’s pro’s and cons.

But first, consider if affiliate marketing is really a worthwhile business model.

On one side, the potential is huge…

You don’t have to worry about products, shipment, customer service, or bad reviews.

Your sole responsibility is to get the right customers in front of the right offer and earn a commission when they buy.

And you can do it all in an hour a day from the beach, theoretically.

Sounds easy, doesn’t it?

No, not at all. Driving traffic (internet term for gaining customers) is the most difficult aspect of the entire marketing process.

Later in this review, we’ll go over all of the different skills you’ll need to properly drive traffic.

For the time being, let’s just say the promise doesn’t quite match reality.

Affiliate marketing is, at best, a job. You’re working for someone else, selling their products, and they have the authority to modify your commission structure or prevent you from selling their products altogether at any time.

You don’t really own or control anything in this business. You don’t even get to keep the customers, who are the most important piece of the puzzle, because you’re mostly driving traffic (again, the most difficult task of all) and sending it to someone else.

Affiliate marketing is, at worst, a pyramid scheme. Certain – clears throat – programs demand a monthly “membership fee” under the guise of teaching you how to be a “wealthy affiliate marketer.”

However, after you join, you will discover that the only way to truly make money is to become an affiliate for that program.

That is the classic definition of a pyramid scheme.

Let’s say you really want to work from the beach for an hour a day.

What if there was a way you could build a passive income stream that’s actually passive?

A source of income that does not require:

  • Thousands of dollars and hours before seeing a dollar.
  • Doing all of the hard work of driving traffic for a little commission
  • You’re running your business on someone else’s terms.

An income source that generates constant monthly revenue (ranging from a few thousand dollars to well over $10,000)?

An income stream you could establish in your own time and grow up or down as you see fit, without having to spend hours a day testing, adjusting, and risking your money in the hope of finally making sales?

If that sounds like something you’d be interested in, check out Digital Real Estate. 

TESTIMONIAL-STILL-GETTING-PAID

This is similar to taking all of the positive aspects of affiliate marketing (however few there are) and ignoring all of the bad ones.

Keep reading if you still want to know more about Keala Kanae.

What Is Our #1 Way To Create Wealth

Keala Kanae Net Worth

Keala Kanae Net worth

Keala Kanae is an online marketer who founded two popular training platforms, Fullstaq Marketer and AWOL Academy.

According to Forbes and HuffPost, Kanae made his first million dollars during his first year at AWOL Academy.

In 2017, his annual earnings skyrocketed to a whopping $30 million.

Keala Kanae’s net worth is estimated to be between $3 and $5 million.

How Keala Kanae Net Worth Grew

E-Books

Keala Kanae e-books

Kanae published free e-books for anyone interested in getting started with Internet marketing. It is referred to by three different names:

  • Freelance Marketing Secrets
  • Freelance Digital Secrets
  • Freelance Secrets Download

The e-book is legit, but it is preferable to become a paid member of AWOL Academy or Fullstaq Marketing.

You are not required to participate, though.

These will not ask for credit card information or personal information other than your name, email address, and so on.

This is mostly intended to get you to join his program.

Courses

The courses offered

AWOL Academy and Fullstaq Marketer are online marketing instructional masterclass programs.

The AWOL program offers an introduction to online earnings for as low as $49 per month. As you go through the program, the Masters Academy will cost you $5,497.

Likewise, Fullstaq Marketer’s foundational training class, which covers digital marketing and how to build a sales funnel, costs $997.

If you join Kanae’s affiliate marketing training program, you might earn 50% of his sales.

Who Is Keala Kanae?

keala kanae

You’ve probably seen his ads on YouTube and Facebook, where he flaunts his fancy house. You start to wonder if you will ever be able to afford such a lifestyle.

On the other hand, it’s way too simple.

So, you may be thinking how he got such fortune at such a young age, or whether he is a legit marketer or not.

What better way to discover this than to check his two creations, AWOL Academy and Fullstaq Marketer.

His Early Years

He was born in the poorer side of Honolulu, Hawaii, and grew up in public housing.

His father was a docker, while his mother was a housekeeper. Kanae was just 13 when his parents divorced.

Five years later, while still in college, Keala and some friends started a business called “hotel parties,” where people paid to attend.

As a result of this business, they were able to do nightclub promotions. Unfortunately, the situation did not end well, and Kanae lost all of his money.

This piqued Kanae’s interest in business and marketing.

He earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Hawaii at Manoa in 2006. Kanae was the first person in his family to receive a bachelor’s degree, making it a huge achievement for the entire family.

Early Career

He was struck with the realities of his financial status after graduating. He owed $20,000 and was working in a coffee shop to make ends meet.

Kanae stated in an August 2012 interview that he had reached rock bottom. He couldn’t even afford to buy a decent birthday present for his girlfriend. He instead gave her his mother’s old handbag.

It was then that he made a promise to himself not to ever be in that situation again.

He quit from his job eight months later and began working in online marketing, where he made a comfortable five-figure salary.

First Online Marketing Ventures

Keala Kanae and Kameron George

Kanae did a lot of work in the field of online marketing while he was at the University of Hawaii.

He attended seminars and events to broaden his expertise of digital work.

From 2000 through 2010, he worked as a social media internet marketer for several marketing firms, according to his LinkedIn page.

Among the companies he has worked with are Smile Entertainment, Exodus Entertainment, KK Auto, Stanton Mortgage, and Oahu Lending.

In 2012, he earned about $300 as a café barista before earning over $10,000 through online marketing.

Kanae then met his business partner and co-founder, Kameron George, and they founded Empower Network, a multilevel marketing technique, together.

Although the platform promoted affiliate marketing, it went bankrupt in 2013.

Kanae and George soon after launched Project AWOL, an online marketing project that stands for “Another Way of Life.”

They developed two more umbrella platforms, Global Affiliate Zone and Elite Push, which offered pricey training on how to start with affiliate marketing.

Kanae and George renamed Project AWOL Academy and combined the two programs in 2015.

However, the well-known online marketing academy and mentorship programs were closed down in 2018.

Kanae and George parted ways, although the former rebranded AWOL to Fullstaq Marketer in 2019.

AWOL Academy Reviews

AWOL Academy review

AWOL Academy is among the well-known affiliate programs founded by Keala Kanae and Kameron George from 2015 until 2018.

Their digital marketing classes are beginner-friendly and will show you how to make money online even if you are a complete newbie or have no experience.

Following a conflict with Empower Network in 2013 about an affiliate program with Project AWOL, the program launched its own company.

As a result, in 2015, Kanae and George established AWOL Academy.

AWOL, founded by Keala Kanae, was even included to the Inc 5000 list as “one of the fastest growing companies in the United States.”

Courses And Prices

AWOL Academy offers six premium courses that will provide users a solid foundation in internet marketing.

Each course persuades the buyer and delivers a more thorough coverage of the following:

  • Website design
  • Email marketing
  • Affiliate marketing
  • Lead generating tactics
  • Sales funnel

Internet Income Explained

People who take this course will learn about how digital sales work in general. It consists of four videos that cover the following topics: the founders, the company, and the mindset necessary to generate money online successfully.

Price: $49

Pro Academy

The five classes show how to set up your hosting website, landing page, and business autoresponders in order to build your funnel.

Price: $99

Inbox Academy

AWOL shows you everything you need to know about email marketing and how to use it to get people to promote your business. Here, we talk about how to build a responsive email list, copy writing email tips, and how to get more leads.

Price: $447

Conversion Academy

Users will learn how to convert leads by boosting their sales and marketing strategies in this session. It takes a closer look at story-telling and copywriting techniques for getting the attention of people who might become future clients.

Price: $1,797

Traffic Academy

The main topic here is how to get more traffic through paid ads. It doesn’t teach you how to use Google Adwords, but it does show you how to get people to come to your site from social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Price: $2,997

Masters Academy

In order to get you started with your online business, this masterclass focuses on productivity, management, money management, the law of attraction, and proper  mindset.

Price: $5,497

AWOL Elite

AWOL Elite allows you to work directly with AWOL’s digital marketing team and gain firsthand understanding of what it’s like to make money online.

Price: $9,997

What People Say About The Program

what people are saying about Awol Academy

AWOL affiliate products are legitimate and offer a comprehensive understanding of the digital marketing industry.

Kanae has a lot of expertise with online marketing, and his words very much reflect that.

Having said that, the program is user-friendly and suitable for anyone who want to start making money online.

However, the training is far too pricey for people on a tight budget who wish to try their hand at digital marketing.

They also promoted the all-inclusive web tools that they use.

As a newbie marketer, no one has $500 to $1,000 in their wallet. If you put in the work, the program guarantees a $10,000 ROI in three months – but that is not an easy tasks.

What Happened To AWOL Academy?

The popularity of AWOL Academy continued to fade over time, and the company got stuck in its problems.

AWOL isn’t even a member of the Better Business Bureau (BBB).

A lot actually happened at AWOL Academy, and Kanae opted to end his partnership with George in 2018.

His training concept, on the other hand, prospered and was even carried over to the new brand, Fullstaq Marketer.

Fullstaq is a type of AWOL training course, but what exactly is it?

Fullstaq Marketer Review

Fullstaq Marketer review

Kanae rebranded AWOL Academy to Fullstaq Marketer after parting ways with George.

The headquarters of the company remain in Las Vegas, Nevada.

AWOL Academy was under pressure to rebrand as a result of public scrutiny.

It follows the same business model of making money online through affiliate marketing.

It gives consumers the following benefits:

  • Coaching
  • Training programs
  • Support
  • Fullstaq community

Courses And Prices

Fullstaq Marketer cost to join is between $997 and $6,000.

This course will show you how you can create your own courses to really scale online businesses.

So far, they’ve offered two main courses, with two more on the way. Fullstaq Accelerator, Conversion Labs, Traffic Labs, and Masters Labs are among them.

Fullstaq Accelerator

The course overview offers comprehensive training for anyone interested in Internet marketing.

It will also show you how to:

  • Develop your website
  • Build your sales
  • Convert leads

Fullstaq 101

This course has three complete training videos to help you get started with your online business.

Fullstaq Onboarding

There is a community in the program where you may interact and connect with other internet marketers.

Fullstaq Edge

Similar to self-development, the training teaches you how to be productive and have a winning entrepreneurial mindset.

Funnel Labs

This part explains how to create a sales funnel and convert leads using email marketing.

The training costs $997 in total. The price is still high for a new affiliate marketer, but it is less than what AWOL Academy offered.

Traffic Labs

After purchasing the Fullstaq Accelerator, you will be prompted to purchase Traffic Labs.

This will show you how to use sponsored social media ads to attract website visitors and generate leads.

In short, the program is similar to Traffic Academy, which costs $1,997 – $1,000 less than the previous one.

Fullstaq Marketer Review: What Do People Say About The Program?

It’s way too similar to AWOL Academy’s courses, although a little less pricey.

This does not, however, indicate that it is a fair amount.

Many people still associate Fullstaq Marketer with AWOL Academy and give Fullstaq the same reviews, whether good or not.

Is Keala Kanae A Scam?

Is It A Scam

Is Keala Kanae a scam?  Technically, no. You can make money with this program, however generating money with affiliate marketing isn’t as simple as the company claims.

It is quite hard to drive in traffic. To accomplish it successfully, you must first understand all of these things, if not be an expert at them:

  • Content Writing
  • Website Building
  • Conversion Optimization
  • Copywriting
  • Google Ads
  • Facebook Ads
  • Retargeting/Remarketing
  • SEO
  • Backlinking
  • Automation
  • Email Marketing
  • Click Tracking

And there’s a lot more.

There is a significant amount of effort to be done upfront, no real assurance of success, and – most importantly – the actual commissions are quite small.

There’s nothing wrong with doing the hard work first and making the money later.

But if you work for three months and your reward is a $50 commission, that’s not really worth it.

What if, instead, you could accomplish the same 3 months of work (in your spare time) and be rewarded with a $500 to $2,000 payout every month?

What if you just need one or two of the above skills to get started, rather than learning all 12 before seeing your first dollar?

And what if you didn’t have to wait three months? What if you could begin now and receive your first payout in a week?

And what if you could double it the next week?

Well, that’s the power of Digital Real Estate

All you need is a laptop and an internet connection.

Some of the most successful students in this program run their entire 6-figure businesses from:

  • A camper in the middle of the woods
  • A beach chair on the water in Mexico
  • A small villa in Greece

TESTIMONIAL-Saying-Goodbye-To-Our-Jobs

They are able to travel around, focusing on their life first and their money second.

Because even if they don’t work for a long time, the money keeps coming in.

As a result, adventure, memory, and experience takes priority.

And they never have to think about how to pay for the next trip or request time off.

If this sounds more like the type of life you want to lead, just click here to find out more about Digital Real Estate.


What Is Our #1 Way To Create Wealth

Pros

  • It is less costly than AWOL Academy while providing the same degree of information.
  • There is a 30-day money return guarantee if you are unsatisfied with the product.
  • It will provide you a certificate.

Cons

  • Money like that doesn’t come up very often, given the fact that it’s less costly than AWOL Academy.
  • It already has several hidden costs on top of the already expensive prices.
  • The company is not BBB-accredited, although the course offers a certificate.

Can You Really Make Money With Keala Kanae’s Programs?

make money

Yes, You can!

But…

There’s a lot that comes along with Affiliate Marketing that many people struggle with.

In fact, check out these Top 5 Reason Why Affiliate Marketers Fail.

Now, don’t get the wrong idea…

You can certainly make money with Affiliate Marketing, but if you’re gonna put in the amount of grueling work to do this business (which, trust me, isn’t easy), you might as well bring in some REAL money while you’re learning the ropes.

Are There Any Alternatives To Keala Kanea’s Courses?

are there alternatives

Yes, there are plenty of Affiliate Marketing programs and resources to choose from if you want to pursue this business model.  Here are just a few:

What Is My #1 Recommendation For Making Money Online In 2023?

Digital Real Estate

Our review team has spent months researching, reviewing, and vetting dozens of business models and thousands of programs.

While there may be no “perfect business”, the research IS conclusive:

Digital Real Estate is the #1 online business model for those just starting out.

Whether you’ve never made a dollar online, or you’ve been in this space for a while but never really “made it,” Digital Real Estate is for you.

Why?

1) It’s Flexible: got an hour a day? You can do this. Ready to drop everything else and dive in full time? You can do this. Yes, the more time you put in, the faster you see results. But even with a little time each day, you can move the needle in a Digital Real Estate business.

And because this system is so flexible, you don’t have to constantly be working to make more money. It’s called PASSIVE INCOME because if you stop working, the money doesn’t.

Imagine taking 3 months off to just tour around Europe, rent a cabin in the woods to write a book, hike the Appalachian Trail, or live on the beach and surf all day.

This is only possible if you have an income stream that’s not tied to your time.

TESTIMONIAL-JUMP-ALL-IN

2) You Own & Control EVERYTHING: With Affiliate Marketing, you don’t really own anything. You have no control over the quality of products. You don’t even own customers.

Look at the fine print for most affiliate agreements. At any point, the company can change your commission structure, reduce your profit margins, or kick you out entirely.

With Digital Real Estate, you own the assets, which means you have all the power and all the control.

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3) Little To No Startup Costs: It’s possible to get into Digital Real Estate with zero dollars upfront. Because, using the strategies outlined in this program, you can get a client to pay you BEFORE spending a penny out of your own pocket…even before you do any work.

Even without getting paid in advance, you can have your first Digital Rental Property up, running, and generating profits for less than $100.

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4) Easy To Duplicate: Ok, here’s the best part: once you have your first Digital Rental Property up and running, you can literally DOUBLE your income with a few clicks, a couple keystrokes, and a single phone call (and you don’t actually need the phone call).

Remember: each Digital Rental Property is worth $500 to $2,000 a month in semi-passive income (over 95% profit). Every time you decide to create another one and increase your income, it gets easier.

Because you have more knowledge, more experience, more results, and more momentum.

If you wanted to double your income with affiliate marketing, you’d have to double your traffic, double the average order size of each customer, OR double your commission rate. And, guaranteed that’s a lot harder than a few clicks and a few minutes of your life.

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5) Make Money Helping Real People: This part is what makes it all worth it. With affiliate marketing, you’re selling the product with the best commission rate, NOT the one that’s going to improve the most people’s lives.

And that makes it pretty hard to sleep at night.

But with Digital Real Estate, you’re actually helping people by solving your clients’ biggest problem:

Small, local businesses need more customers, and with Digital Real Estate, you are unleashing a flood of happy, paying customers for these businesses.

You make money by helping them make money.

Not a big, faceless corporation either…a small business owner who’s using that money to put food on the table for their family, start a college fund for their kids, or take care of a sick parent.

Once you see how Digital Real Estate makes a real impact in the lives of real people, you’ll sleep like a baby with a big smile on your face.

TESTIMONIAL-BOSS-OF-MY-FUTURE

Now, the choice is yours. You could continue browsing, looking at opportunities like Keal Kanae teaches which could one day make you money.

You could continue researching, never making a decision.

OR, you could take a look inside, consider what you really want, and join a program that makes your dreams a reality. At the same time, joining a community of over 2,000 successful students that are living life on their own terms thanks to Digital Real Estate.

A consistent, reliable, semi-passive stream of income that doesn’t depend on you or your time to keep producing profits.

All while genuinely helping real people who are grateful and happy to pay for it.

If this sounds more like what you want out of life (or if you just want some nice side income), click here to learn more about Digital Real Estate.

Table of Contents

Brittney Here!

I get to travel the world and live life without financial worry thanks to the system below!