My ‘Zero to Launch’ Review

Let’s just say that before Zero to Launch my online business was an embarrassing mess, and I lived in a place Ramit likes to call “Tactical. Marketing. Hell.”

Despite already having a blog and podcast for film editors (at the time it was called ‘Fitness In Post’) I was making all the wrong decisions and chasing after all the “shiny objects.”

I was begging for Facebook Likes and dumping money into Facebook Ads with a 0.0% ROI.

I was running contests and giving away t-shirts.

I was peddling protein shakes chasing after my 10% MLM commission.

At one point I even paid for Twitter followers.

Needless to say, the next morning I woke up with 1000 new followers as promised… all of whom were Russian prostitutes.

Coming into Zero to Launch, I was in an even worse position than not having an online business idea… I had the wrong idea (Hence the title, “Less Than Zero”).

With great hesitation, I remember my shaking finger pressing the “Enroll Now” button on the last night the course was available, thinking, “This is crazy expensive, but it’s a good thing I already know what my online business is going to be.”

All I needed was for Ramit to show me how to build an online course. Having listened to a few entrepreneurial podcasts, I was sure I had it all figured out.

Within a few days of joining I could already tell I was in good hands…and after completing just the first module it was obvious I had no clue what I was doing and I had to reexamine my own game plan (from square one). But I knew that the short term investment in building the foundation of my business would pay off in massive dividends.

I’ve taken several online business courses in the last two years in addition to Zero to Launch, and none of those courses even scratch the surface of understanding behavioral psychology the way Ramit teaches it. Launch “formulas” and fancy webinar funnels won’t get you anywhere until you understand how your customers think and speak.

If you want to build a strong foundation for a lasting business, you need to intimately understand the burning desires of your ideal customer.

This was a process I knew nothing about, but thanks to ZTL I’m now an expert on my audience, and more importantly I have the tools to continue learning more so I can confidently craft the proper copy and create the right products my future customers will love.

But the proof is in the pudding.

Sure I can say that “I’m now an expert on my audience,” but let me throw out some math that might convince you I’ve learned a thing or two from this course:

MY LIST

Before ZTL: It took me 18 months to build a mailing list of 500 people.

Since joining ZTL: I doubled my list the first 3 months. My list has now grown by a factor of 6X (As of writing this page it’s over 3700 and counting).

MY REVENUE

Before ZTL: My website was generating roughly $350 per month in revenue, all of it from affiliate product sales and banner ads (Shakeology anyone?).

Since joining ZTL: 5 months after joining I did my first “beta launch” to a very small segment of my list (around 140 people), and in 5 days I sold 35 courses at $97 a piece (courses I hadn’t even built yet). That’s a 25% conversion rate generating just under $3500.

That’s right: I almost doubled my original investment in ZTL in only 5 months.

Since my original beta launch in January of 2016 I have launched three more times for a grand total of just over $25,000 in revenue.

So far that’s a 12X return on my ZTL investment.

Let’s address the elephant in the room… Zero to Launch isn’t cheap. I thought I was nuts enrolling in this course since I had never invested that kind of money at the time in online education. In fact, I was so afraid when I enrolled that I didn’t even tell my wife about it at first (I mean c’mon, telling my wife I had just spent thousands of dollars at a website called “I Will Teach You To Be Rich?”)

Looking back now, even if I don’t factor in the $25,000+ in revenue I’ve earned in the last 14 months thanks to ZTL, it would have cost me 5X the price of ZTL to continue down the path I was headed with affiliate product marketing, poorly written copy, terrible Facebook Ads, and chasing after podcast sponsorships and Twitter followers.

Your time is worth more than money.

Don’t waste time headed down the wrong path when your “Surrogate Asian Father” can lead you to the promised land (that will make a lot more sense to you after you join ZTL, trust me).

And speaking of time…

Editing televisions shows like Empire is beyond a full-time job. My standard work week was 60 hours, and usually I put in more. On top of that I have two young kids. So you can imagine the thought of taking on another responsibility like ZTL was intimidating.

This program is laid out in such a way that you have very clear action steps and benchmarks, and you can take the course at whatever speed feels right to you.

You will never fall behind because you set the pace.

And more importantly, I have never seen a more supportive, knowledgeable, or encouraging Facebook community than my new “Zero to Launch” family.

I can say with ZERO hesitation that the Facebook group is worth the price of this program alone.

I’m not a unique snowflake. I have no hidden gifts or talents. I just work my ass off. But I also worked my ass off before Zero to Launch (Now titled “Earnable”). So then what’s the difference now? There is one final thought to leave you with, and I’m stealing the words right out of Ramit’s mouth:

I TRUSTED THE SYSTEM.

Be well.
Zack Arnold
Creator, Optimize Yourself

P.S. I am not an affiliate for Zero to Launch, nor am I receiving any form of compensation for this endorsement. I believe in the power of this program and I want to help you succeed.