Rainmaker Challenge – like most Amazon FBA programs – wants you to believe you can build and run a successful e-commerce business that’s automated, profitable, and generates cash around the clock in less than 90 days…
With just a couple hundred dollars in inventory…
…and maybe even work from the beach.
Sounds a little too good to be true, huh?
Look, as far as most online businesses go, you could do a lot worse than Amazon FBA.
But does that mean it’s the best solution for you?
That’s what we’ll find out in this Rainmaker Challenge review.
The biggest things you have to consider here are:
- Inventory Management
- Product Selection
- Time to Profit
While you can make good money with Amazon FBA, it’s not as easy or simple as most course creators make it sound. Let’s break these 3 down real fast:
1) Inventory Management: If you’re doing an FBA business, the promise is that you don’t need to worry at all about inventory, because Amazon takes care of packing, shipping, customer service, etc.
However, you still need to get products to Amazon. And Amazon has very strict rules all sellers have to follow when preparing products for their warehouses.
This includes packaging, labeling, and registering products in their system. If you’re preparing all products yourself, you’ll spend a TON of time on this step (potentially 4-5 hours a day). So if you’re looking for a passive, automated business that runs itself, this might not be the best fit.
Now, yes, you can hire an Amazon prep center to do all this for you, but that eats into your margins. And remember that Amazon takes around 30-40% in fees for using the FBA program, so your profits are pretty tight to begin with.
2) Product Selection: E-commerce is a cyclical business. “Hot” products are always going in and out of fashion, which means, as an Amazon seller, you constantly need to be on the lookout for the next big thing.
That means monitoring trends, searching for products that might be popular down the line, and constantly in a rat race to – essentially – predict the future.
Sure, you can play in the evergreen market (things people always need and buy), but how much profit margin are you really going to get on meal prep containers, rubber spatulas, and golf umbrellas? Especially when there are hundreds of thousands of other sellers all swimming in that same ocean.
And because you’re constantly hunting for new hot products to sell, that takes up all the valuable time you could be using to travel, explore, read, surf, hike, or whatever else.
3) Time To Profit: Now, this isn’t the slowest turnaround time, but if you think you can put a dollar into inventory today and come out with two tomorrow, you’re sadly mistaken. From the time you first buy products to sell, you could be looking at anywhere from 4-12 weeks before you see a dollar come back.
And it could take twice as long before you break even.
Now, that’s not terrible, but what if you could start building a different (non-Amazon) income stream today, and see your first profits tomorrow?
What if you could build a passive income stream that’s actually passive?
An income stream that doesn’t require:
- Inventory
- Low margins
- Constantly looking for the next hot product
An income stream that brings in consistent revenues every single month (from a couple thousand dollars to well over $10,000)?
An income stream you could actually build in your spare time, and grow as large or as small as you want to, without having to spend hours a day packing, prepping, and researching?
If that sounds like something you’d be interested in, check out Digital Real Estate.
This is nothing like Amazon FBA, and that’s probably a good thing.
However, if you’d still like to know more about Rainmaker Challenge, keep reading.
Overview
The Rainmaker Challenge website (ran by Chelsey and Stephen Diaz) promises financial freedom through the Amazon FBA business model. Their claim to fame is a 7 Day program that functions as an intro to their higher-priced offerings.
But what’s really inside the Rainmaker Challenge? And how much does all this cost, anyway?
Let’s dive in and find out.
What Is The Rainmaker Challenge?
The Rainmaker Challenge, developed by Chelsey and Stephen Diaz, is an Amazon FBA course. While sharing similarities with other courses in this domain, it is structured as a 7-day immersive program focused on guiding you through the process of setting up and selling products via Amazon.
This means you’ll learn the fundamentals of sourcing products and registering as a third-party seller on the Fulfilled By Amazon platform.
The Rainmaker Academy challenge isn’t so much a challenge as it is a short course divided into seven parts (7 Days Challenge).
Hundreds of similar courses, both free and paid, can be found online. The Rainmaker Challenge appears to teach motivated moms who want to start a business from home.
Amazon FBA can be a profitable venture. There are numerous ways to earn a legitimate living from home. However, as we’ll see more about within this Rainmaker Challenge review, I would not recommend this specific business model.
Who Are Chelsey and Stephen Diaz?
Chelsey and Stephen Diaz are the founders of The Rainmaker Challenge.
It appears that their story began when Chelsey found herself at home and wanting to earn some extra income on the side while raising her kids – and after earning some money through Amazon FBA, they want to share their tips and tricks with you…for a price, of course.
It doesn’t seem like either of them have an extensive business background, and Amazon FBA is getting more and more challenging, so their course had better be worth it.
What’s Inside The Rainmaker Challenge?
I must admit that the Rainmaker Challenge’s sales page can seem appealing. They use phrases that elicit emotions and excitement, with pretty pink coloring to appeal to the gals checking out her website.
However, because I’ve been studying sales pitches, I can analyze these kind of offers without getting caught up in my emotions. For the most part.
To be honest, the phrase “little known method of selling on Amazon” made me laugh a little. Who the heck hasn’t heard of selling on Amazon these days?
But let’s keep moving.
The Rainmaker Challenge Day 1
The first day will teach you about what they claim to be the newest gold rush: Amazon FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon).
Anyone can become an Amazon seller. The platform provides two options for selling: orders fulfilled by Amazon or directly by the seller. As a result of using FBA, you’ll have to ship your products to Amazon warehouses. Then when customers order your products, they will be shipped to them.
Amazon will take a much larger percentage of your sale if you allow them to fulfill the orders. This makes sense because they store your products, ship them, and handle returns if there are any issues. Non-FBA sellers are typically ineligible for the Prime program, whereas FBA sellers are.
A major issue these days are that Amazon is taking larger and larger cuts, and there’s not much you can do…which is why I generally recommend stronger alternatives.
The Rainmaker Challenge Day 2
The second day will teach you how much time you will need to invest in building this business.
I’m sure they’ll tell you that you can work just a few hours per week and earn six figures per year, but you have to be realistic.
Passive income is tough to achieve and takes years to build.
The Rainmaker Challenge Day 3
“How much money will I need to start?” Starting an Amazon FBA business is becoming increasingly costly. Back in 2016, I launched my first Amazon FBA product with a budget of less than $500. Because there were fewer competitors, I could start small and try to scale later.
Those days, however, are long gone. Lookup any product on Amazon. You’ll find at least ten different sellers (usually more) promoting the same item under slightly different branding.
Rainmaker Challenge Day 4
Creating product concepts. A natural question is, “What kinds of products can I sell on Amazon?”
Simply going to Amazon and starting to dig deep into their bestsellers is a quick way to get an idea of what products you might be able to sell.
You can delve deeply into some obscure categories and develop a plethora of product ideas that could be sold on Amazon. Getting ideas isn’t enough; you also need to determine whether the product is profitable. This is when Day 5 enters the picture.
Rainmaker Challenge Day 5
Identifying and selling profitable products. This is a problematic aspect of any business. What kind of niche should you choose if you start with affiliate marketing? To create a YouTube channel, what kind of content is necessary? Isn’t it difficult to find profitable niches?
There are numerous apps and online services available to assist you in making a decision based on data analysis. I can’t recommend any in particular because I don’t use these tools. Just keep in mind that the numbers in these tools offer estimates, not actual sales figures.
Stephen and Chelsey Diaz, creators of the program will primarily discuss such tools and services on Day 5 of the Rainmaker Challenge.
Rainmaker Challenge Day 6
From product concept to finished product. For this valuable training, Rainmaker Challenge explains how to source the products. You can look up the products you want to sell on the Alibaba website. Many manufacturers (or their agents) will be offering products of interest at lower prices.
Rainmaker Challenge Day 7
Taking your company to the 6-figure mark. Day 7 is about growing your Amazon business, discussing launching a second, third, or even more products. It’s also about expanding into e-commerce. Lastly, they discuss running ads on Facebook and Instagram.
Here is a summary of the points addressed over your first week with The Rainmaker Challenge:
Day 1: Where Do I Even Begin?
- What Should I Do First?
- What exactly is Amazon FBA?
- How does it function?
- Throughout the day, they will share the number one hack for success in this business.
Day 2: How Long Will This Take?
- How long does it take to generate passive income for my family?
- They will reveal how much time it takes to build this type of business (it’s less than you think) and show you how they do it faster than everyone else.
- They’ll even interview some past Rainmaker Challenge guests to get their candid, honest answers.
Day 3: Exactly How Much Money Do I Need To Get Started? How Can I Start Making Money Right Away?
- How much capital is needed to get this venture off the ground?
- They discuss how much we recommend investing in your business. They will show you how to use their Power Profit Tool (free bonus gift to you) to take calculated risks with confidence!
- They will also show you all the ways to start selling on Amazon and how to get started depending on your current situation.
Day 4: Is there any way to make this easier and less “hands-on”? What if I have NO product ideas?
- They will show you the essential tools that will take you from beginner to pro in under an hour and will show you live how easy it is to discover hidden product opportunities on Amazon that you’d never think of selling.
Day 5: How Do I Find High-Profit Amazon Products?
- How do I decide which Amazon products to sell?
- They will teach you four MUST KNOW product qualifiers that we consider every time listing a new product on Amazon.
Day 6: How Do I Take a Product Idea From Concept to Reality?
- They will show you exactly how to “source” products from manufacturers, step by step.
- This ONE DAY of training will change your life forever, and you could base an entire business model on the secret they will teach you during this session.
Day 7: How Can I Quickly Increase My Business’s Profitability?
- They will show you the #1 secret to success in this business and how Rainmaker Challenge students have used this process to help them make more money than they ever imagined was possible passively online.
Bonuses
- Bonus #1: Discover how to Build Your Business while you’re sleeping. Rainmaker Challenge exclusive training is an added bonus.
- Bonus #2: Don’t know what To sell on Amazon? Heather didn’t either when she first started! You’ll learn how Heather replaced her job, purchased her dream home, and even purchased an RV for family road trips. She employs a specialized tool to locate the best products to sell on Amazon. You’ll get the inside scoop.
- Bonus #3: They will show you an insider method for getting products from Amazon for free while also growing your business.
- Bonus #4: They will give you the Power Profit Tool. This tool would typically cost $197, but you will receive it for free. It has saved students and me THOUSANDS of dollars in easy-to-avoid math errors.
- Bonus #5: They will give you free access to Followers To Dollars Instagram course.
- Bonus #6: How To Turn A Product Idea Into A Reality will introduce you to their personal sourcing agent.
- Bonus #7: Win $10,000 in Prizes When You Tune In LIVE.
Rainmaker Challenge Reviews Online:
Let’s hear what the people have to say:
“Upselling and not standing by their word!
I went through the challenge and they really had me convinced, somehow. Each day, there was suddenly a new “BUT WAIT” add on cost and literally adds up to $15,000 and even more at the end of the day with their mastermind and inner circle, all of the upgrades they convince you that you need in order to succeed. It’s really deceitful and people don’t like that. Just tell people straight up how much it’s going to cost instead of grooming them and leading them on, only to say it costs thousands of dollars.
Not to mention, during the challenge they said multiple times that they would refund me within 30 days the over $200 I spent on just the challenge, and now one of their reps Joshua says they don’t do refunds. I’m glad I took videos and screenshots of them saying this because I was skeptical. I’m the most disappointed because for one small second I actually thought I found genuine people who don’t just want your money.
But I’m afraid that’s not the case. I posted in an Amazon FBA group as to if I should do pay the almost 6K for their program and there were 300 comments saying do NOT pay that much. There’s plenty of other ways to do this and once they get you in the program you just paid 6K for, they go ahead and throw another 10K expense on you saying this wills level you up. Not everyone has that kind of money just sitting around. I really don’t appreciate not refunding me.”
Not good. Let’s read one more.
“HUGE regret paying this family/company any of my money. At first, they sell it to moms who want to make more and only have to work about an hour a day at it. The funny thing is, the videos are over 1.5hrs long and basically a bunch of bologna. In the first video, they stated that the 7 day course is compared to a 7 day gym trial membership and that it wouldn’t actually help you make the amount they say it does. To do that, you’ll have to do their other, longer, more expensive program.
Also, they failed to mention the amount of the investment you’d have to make in order to create and sell products. They literally tell you to sell your belongings on Facebook marketplace so you can pay them. Right there is when I said ABSOLUTELY NOT. When I realized the absolute scam they’re selling, I tried emailing the email address that was proceed on a screenshot I took of the refund page. The email came back undeliverable because of the address they provided being inaccurate.
When I realized I received the email back undeliverable, I searched their website for their contact info. I asked for a refund of my money as it stated (and I have screenshot proof) that I could be refunded 100% if I didn’t feel I gained 10x the value I had paid in money-making ideas. I obviously didn’t feel that way, but now they’re refusing to refund me my money! Incredibly frustrating.”
Is The Rainmaker Challenge A Scam?
So, is Rainmaker Challenge legit?
Technically.
You can make money with this program, but it’s definitely not as easy as Stephen Diaz and Chelsey Diaz make it sound.
There’s a ton of work to be done upfront, no real guarantee of success, and – most importantly – you need to do a ton of volume to make any real money.
Now, there’s nothing wrong with front-loading the work and making the money later.
But if you’re grinding it out for 3 months and then your reward is 15% profit on a $12 product (which comes out to $1.80), it’s not really worth it.
What if, instead, you could do that same 3 months of work (in your spare time), and your reward was a $500 to $2,000 payment that came in every single month (recurring revenue)?
And what if you actually didn’t need to wait 3 months? What if you could get started today and have your first payment in a week?
And what if you could double it next week?
Well, that’s the power of Digital Real Estate.
And, unlike with Amazon FBA, you can legitimately do this from anywhere. It’s a true lifestyle business.
Your laptop and an internet connection is all you need.
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
They’re able to travel around, living their lives first, and focusing on their income second.
Because even if they stop working for an extended period of time, the money keeps coming in.
So adventure, memories, and experience are the top priority.
And they never have to worry about how to pay for the next trip, or consider asking for 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.
Rainmaker Family Affiliate Membership, Terms And Condition
The Rainmaker Family can earn advertising revenue as a member of the Amazon Associates Program (AAP), an affiliate advertising program, by advertising and driving users to Amazon.com via the Rainmaker Family website.
This program is a part of which the Rainmaker Family is a member. Stephen & Chelsey‘s personal sales figures and the sales data of Rainmakers Academy students are included on their website and in The Rainmaker Challenge.
Please keep in mind that neither their own nor their students’ success is guaranteed. They benefit from seven years of experience using passive income generating techniques and have a well-developed skill set as a result. Information is pointless in the absence of action.
If you purchase information from Rainmakers Academy but do nothing with it, you will see little effect. They utilize these authentic student testimonials solely for motivating purposes. Your results will vary and are contingent upon various factors, including but not limited to your history, experience, and, most importantly, especially your work ethic.
Each business entails risk and massive and consistent effort and action. If you cannot accept this, please do not participate in the Rainmaker Challenge or apply for Rainmakers Academy.
How Much Does The Rainmaker Challenge Cost?
Rainmaker Challenge reviews would be useless if they didn’t discuss the price.
The Rainmaker Challenge charges $47 for the 7-day course (access expires in 14 days). It doesn’t appear to be much. In fact, Udemy has a plethora of complete Amazon FBA courses for less than $20. Many of them have received decently positive reviews.
However, it does not stop at $47. At the very least, you’ll be presented with two different upsells.
First, the 7-Day Rainmaker Challenge is being repackaged for $147. Second, for a not-so-modest $247, you can have a 1-on-1 Product Feedback Session. There will most likely be additional upsells to join mastermind groups, take more courses, and so on.
According to the Rainmaker Challenge sales page, the intro course appears to be very basic and is aimed at complete beginners, which incentivizes the upsells.
According to consumer reviews like the screenshot shown above, these upsells carry no small fee. You’re looking at upwards of $15,000 when all is said and done, which may or may not include external inventory costs.
The Rainmaker Challenge Refund Policy
It appears that The Rainmaker Challenge offers a decent policy – but you only have two days to figure out if it’s right for you or not, so don’t wait too long!
Also, there are some consumer reviews stating the company refuses to honor their refund policy.
Be careful out there!
Are There Alternatives To The Rainmaker Challenge?
Yes, there are plenty of other business models to choose from if you want to pursue making money online. Here are just a few:
What Is Our Top Recommendation For Making Money Online In 2023?
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.
2) You Own & Control EVERYTHING: With Amazon FBA, you don’t really own anything. Yes, you technically own the products before you send them into an Amazon warehouse, but that’s it. You don’t own the sales platform, you don’t own a brand, and you don’t own the customers.
Not to mention, Amazon can literally shut you down at any time if they believe you’ve violated their constantly changing terms of service. So, you’re building a business that could be completely taken away from you in the blink of an eye.
With Digital Real Estate, you own the assets, which means you have all the power and all the control.
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.
4) No Inventory: As mentioned above, spending 4-5 hours a day prepping and packing products to send to Amazon is a huge time commitment.
Plus, you constantly need to be buying new products if you want to maintain your business. You need to spend even more money if you want to scale up.
With physical products, you’ll always have limits on your time and freedom.
With Digital Real Estate, a 100% online business, you never have to worry about that.
5) 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 Amazon FBA, you’d have to double your inventory OR your profit margins. And, guaranteed that’s a lot harder than a few clicks and a few minutes of your life.
6) Make Money Helping Real People: This part is what makes it all worth it. Amazon FBA is a decent way to make yourself money, but it doesn’t improve anyone else’s lives.
After all, there’s always someone else selling rubber spatulas and umbrellas.
That might be fine in the short term, but in the long run you may feel like you’re missing a purpose.
With Digital Real Estate though, 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.
Now, the choice is yours. You could continue browsing, looking at opportunities like Rainmaker Challenge 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.