Anton Kraly’s Dropship Lifestyle Review
In these Dropship Lifestyle reviews from IBuyIReview, you’ll learn everything you need to know about the course, as well as the owner Anton Kraly.
According to the owner Antono, he says Dropship Lifestyle (DSL) is considered to be the top Shopify approved dropshipping course available on the internet for making money on the Shopify platform.
That’s quite a lofty claim considering Shopify is one of the leading ecommerce platforms online today, seconded only by Amazon! Still, the control you get over the store is incredible, so it makes sense that it would be useful for new courses to target it rather than marketing other stores.
So what’s the scoop? Is what Anton says legitimate, or what?
Keep on scrolling and you’ll find out whether the DSL course is worth the cost, and if the course material can stand up on its own, or if it sinks under the weight of Anton’s claims.
Of course, every money making program is going to have its pros and cons. I’ve tried my hand at dropshipping in the past, and I have some recommendations for a better business model based on my own experience in the space – but I’ll get into that later.
Table of Contents
Drop Shipping Course Owner: Who is Anton Kraly?
Anton Kraly is an entrepreneur who knew that, even right out of college, he wanted to become an entrepreneur. The lifestyle suited Anton, and he was fascinated by all of the possibilities. A regular 9-5 life would never suit him.
When Anton graduated, he knew that it was then or never to start his business. Anton had saved up a modest amount of money, but nothing awe-inspiring, so he looked into franchising a gym and other brick and mortar shops.
Leaving these opportunities on the table unsatisfied and looking for something more, Anton knew that there was a type of business that would suit his outlook, but he hadn’t found it yet. To seize the opportunity of being freshly out of college, before Anton got himself stuck in a 9-5 job, he started a cookie delivery business in New York instead.
The cookie business went over well, but Anton was tired of dealing with all of the problems that came with a physical store location and having to manage real assets.
It wasn’t until later that Anton realized that he could make it big with an even smaller time commitment. Anton didn’t need to be in the office all the time, creating his own 9-5 grind every day; avoiding that was the whole point of entrepreneurship!
That was when Anton took a leap of faith and started an eCommerce business.
Soon after, Anton discovered dropshipping as a popular way to operate as an ecom, and he quickly scaled his business to $3.68M in revenue in just three years – all before he sold it to make loads more cash to start his courses.
His friends and family began asking how he achieved such wild success in such a short amount of time on Shopify.
After mentoring a couple of people, one of them suggested that Anton created a course so that other people could benefit from his knowledge, all without taking the time to teach each student individually when he could instead create a curriculum.
Anton thought the idea was brilliant; it really seemed like the best way to help get the Shopify courses out there. He set out to create the Dropship Lifestyle course, pouring everything he had learned over the years into a single training course. The training alone brought in another $3.5M in the first year it was online.
That’s a lot of money and success for just under a year!
With the money brought in through the course, Anton developed new strategies and ways to think about the drop shipping methodology. He added new material; and after four years of teaching the DSL course, Anton had broken a record of having taught 8,000 students across 25 countries.
Anton later went on to publish his first book on the subject, Drop Shipping Secrets, to supplement his Shopify training course on the drop shipping model. Plus, it was about this time that his affiliate revenue started coming in more consistently from his courses, helping him find the best level of success possible.
What is the Dropship Lifestyle Course?
Now, there are a lot of dropship lifestyle reviews on the internet, but a lot of those reviewers are an affiliate of Anton and his team over different courses.
Before we dive in, I want to make it clear – I am NOT an affiliate with the DSL course, so you are going to get a complete review unmarked from affiliate bias. I won’t make a single penny from any of you who decide to give the DSL course a try, because affiliate marketing on what you review can skew your perspective.
The best way is to remain free from affiliate commissions when giving these courses an unbiased review.
Dropshipping is an interesting business model that is centered around the idea that you don’t have to carry inventory to be able to sell it. (1) This inventory-less model allows you to have control over the marketing of your stores, all while making part of a million dollar industry thrive. Let the manufacturer or middleman ship the product directly to your customer, allowing you to focus on better acquisition.
The Dropship Lifestyle reviews all focus on this fact, talking about how great the business model is and talk about the actual course secondary.
If you know me, I’m really not a fan of dropshipping because there are so many factor that are out of your control – but I will get into that later.
So give me the deets!
The DSL course is dedicated to helping you clarify your dropshipping experience, focus your habits, and help you build genuine relationships with your suppliers.
Anton offers a lot of great information up front, making it sound like an alternative to the traditional method of dropshipping where everything is very hands-off. He boasts that the method you’ll learn in this course will help you build automated websites, avoid long lead times, faulty products, and items shipped from China.
The DSL course also gives you access to “proven traffic systems”, instant access to the community of dropshippers just like yourself, and monthly live coaching calls in the community.
It sounds like the ideal way to operate a dropshipping company, and you might be asking yourself by now why this isn’t the standard procedure for most people.
Trust me, it’s tempting to fall into this trap, but there’s got to be a catch somewhere, right?
In a moment, I’m going to discuss every section in-depth so you get a real feeling of how the course is laid out and what you’ll learn (or what you won’t.)
Module 1 - The Blueprint
I think one of my favorite things about this first blueprint section is that it doesn’t include a welcome video that you have to sit through, listening to the owners talk about their life’s story, struggle, then rise to fame.
It’s been done so much that it seems like everyone is just a version of themselves, and I really respect the DSL team for standing out in their success that way.
If you want to learn more about the founders, their success, and what the business model is, you’ll have to visit other areas of the course website instead.
In this blueprint section containing 13 different sections, consisting of 77 videos and 33 hours-worth of content, you’ll be blown out of the water by the sheer amount of information coming your way.
It is in the very first section that Anton introduces his “unique” approach to dropshipping that will help you stand out among the rest.
I have a few critiques of this section, so there are a few takeaways I had that I’d like to share with you:
- First, despite the sheer amount of information presented in this section, Anton’s product research training is lacking. This will leave you floundering a little bit, struggling to get through this section before you can move onto others if you’re trying to dive in feet first.Of course, Anton Kraly does offer a done-for-you service priced at nearly $9K, so it makes me wonder if he has purposefully left some of his information out of the training to improve his chances of monetizing his students even after they’ve purchased his course.
- Second, the Creating Your Website section does have some audio issues that may leave you struggling to understand what is said. For several thousand dollars paid by each student to enroll, I feel like this section didn’t get enough attention, nor did it go through any kind of quality control before they put it up on the market. That, I feel, is four hours-worth of course material I’m not going to get back even with a refund.
- Lastly, Anton boasts his suppliers as a good thing, but really, it’s more struggle than it’s worth. This is one of the things that Anton Kraly is excited to share with you because it sets his model apart, but one thing he fails to tell you is that it is significantly harder than finding a Chinese supplier online.Yes, while it might get you an American supplier, it is also going to raise your prices up higher and you won’t be able to compete on a price level with other sellers.
Section 2 - Pay Per Click Ads
This module is all about learning the way of Pay Per Click through Google adwords.
While I’m glad to see a good module on Google ads in this video, rather than the easier (and less effective) Facebook or other PPC methods of advertising products, I definitely feel like this module missed out on some really great information despite being 29 videos and five and a half hours long.
The section is broken down into the following modules:
- Module 1: Adwords and Sales Funnels
- Module 2: Product Listing Ads
- Module 3: Search Text and Display Ads
You’ll discover how to set up a campaign and all about the different types of ads that are available for you to use. This section isn’t taught by Anton, but Michael Erickson from his company Search Scientists.
In this video, he does boast about having a Google Pro certificate to help boost his social influence with you before he gets started, but in the land of marketing, you quickly get used to that kind of thing.
The certificate is freely available, and while it does help you are learning from someone who has gone through the material, it’s not required if you are an expert.
If you really want to see what Google is like from someone who has years of experience in getting qualified leads, then stay tuned to the end of the article for my recommendations.
In Section 2, they move into product listing ads, helping you learn more about how to directly advertise your product listings, and the elements you need on-site to make that happen.
Search text ads and display ads are two different types of ads that you are taught in Section 3, helping equip you for a digital world that is quickly relying more and more on visual input. These are just two of the main ad types that you will discover in your time as a dropshipper.
Keep in mind that these platforms do change as time goes on, and the advice given in this section may not be completely up-to-date for the platform you are using, but it looks like some of the course material has been updated since it came out, so you may be able to view updates in the future.
Section 3 - Social Traffic
In this section, you will learn all about social traffic from different sources – such as Facebook and Pinterest – that can help you target the right person with the right offer, all at the right time.
Michael Erickson is back to teach these courses, claiming over the course of the training that he deals with e-commerce marketing all the time on social media alongside Anton.
First, Erickson takes you through the useful fundamentals of paid traffic on social media for ecommerce and drop shipping marketers. Then, he dives into each social media platform on a much more granular scale for the best reach.
Learn about the best social platforms for traffic and the different PPC ads on the following platforms:
You’ll get an overview of advertising on social media platforms on the whole, as well as the differences between paid ads on each platform.
One major critique I had about this section is that there are no real, live examples of successful social media funnels that use this “best strategy” shown throughout the content. It felt like an empty affiliate pitch.
I feel like this was a missed opportunity, and it’s a huge letdown knowing that I don’t have an example to follow or aspire to if I were to start from scratch right now.
Section 4 - Events
This is a bonus section that was added at the end of the rest of the content, as it had no other place inside the curriculum.
This doesn’t include the conventional section of a speaker talking into the camera. Instead, this is a collection of videos created at presentations at the annual DSL retreat.
There are 7 videos total, covering a little over 6 hours of content for just the 2017 speaker collection.
I would say that, if you aren’t invested in listening to these historical panels, then you can safely skip this section without worrying about what you missed.
As time goes on, this section will continue to see new videos trickle in. I feel like the content in this section is a mixed bag of chocolates. Some are good, some are old news, and others are ones you would rather give to a friend so you don’t have to experience it.
Of course, that might just be me – I have a hard enough time focusing on the action-packed over-the-shoulder courses, so this really didn’t jive with me.
Community and Continued Support
One of the biggest draws to the course is the community it boasts.
Personally, the community seemed a bit disorganized at first, and further investigation only revealed how true that was.
One of the biggest draws to the course is the community it boasts.
Personally, the community seemed a bit disorganized at first, and further investigation only revealed how true that was.
The continued support in the community is interesting, because while Anton took a break for a while, in 2019 he seemed to have resumed his efforts with the course, putting out an update for the Dropshipping Lifestyle version 7 and resuming his Facebook ads campaign.
Some team members are active in the group, and you can see Anton answer questions here and there, but for the most part, I feel like many of the people answering questions are other students who are, more often than not, equally struggling with the same issues, or giving blatantly wrong answers.
There is a lot that could be improved here in terms of support and management from the moderators, but it’s a great platform to connect with other dropshippers and learn the ropes.
If you are looking for a course with a highly organized and prompt support system, then this might not be the right choice for you.
Is the Course Worthwhile?
First, I want to address how much the program costs:
For the standard “Premium” package, you’ll spend $2,997 up front, not including your monthly fees to use Shopify. If you opt for the “Ultimate” package, you’ll be spending a quick $4,997.
Overall, the DSL course had a lot of interesting information, but I’m not sure that I would spend so much money on it and make it a part of my everyday video roster, even with the Facebook group. Plus, people have had plenty of trouble trying to get a refund, so I’m not sure it’s the best marketing model to follow.
I’m not just saying that because I think the dropshipping model is flawed and it’s a little over-priced, either.
To call it one of the best Shopify courses out there, I would need a lot more clear and concise value out of it.
There is so much theory in this course that it makes me wonder if Anton has gone through and tested his own advice in some areas. No matter the subject, if I pay good money to learn something, I would want real, practical advice that I could follow and understand that, on some level, it works.
There are so many dropship sites on the internet that it can be difficult to tell which is really ecommerce and which is dropshipping. (2) Manufacturers and brands have no problem with this, however, as its just another opportunity for them to sell their product at reasonable prices and spread brand awareness.
If you want the low-down on dropshipping, then you might find nuggets of valuable information in this course. Dropship Lifestyle is a great way to get started, but you may find yourself lacking in some areas, looking to supplement the information with other teachers or mentors.
Still, there are a lot of dropshipping courses available on the internet.
Is the course one of the best ones on the internet? Not so much. I’ve seen a lot of other courses go over more content, more practical advice, and a lot less theory.
I also don’t like how it is so heavily implied in the course that you’re going to get rich without having to do any work.
Any legitimate business venture requires work, location independent or not, and even if you’re on the beach sipping Mai Tais, you’re going to have to work at it.
Is Dropship Lifestyle worthwhile? Sure, if you’re looking for a dropshipping course. There is a lot of valuable information throughout the course that really made me think differently about the idea of dropshipping products.
I discovered a few things that I hadn’t known about from back when I had my own ecom store, and I feel like I came out a slightly better digital marketer for it.
If you’re scraping the bottom of the barrel financially, however, I would recommend choosing a course that has a lot more substance to it for the price.
To me, this course has a solid 2.5 out of 5. With a few tweaks to the course material, we could even bump that up to a 3.
Still, I can’t recommend the model as a whole. It’s not my favorite out of the lot, and if you keep reading, you’ll find out why.
The Idea Behind High-Ticket Dropshipping
So, the DSL course talks a lot about these “high-ticket” products being the best way to operate your stores, but what is it exactly?
A high-ticket Shopify product is simply a product that has a high value in an industry. Typically, this product is unique or solves a need that is in demand.
Through some of the webinar coaching, you’ll find out that some of the best products would then be sourced semi-locally and sold at a high price, with eye-catching photos and copy that converts users efficiently.
Essentially, you’re selling people the marketing of “the best native products.”
We already know that dropshipping is a relatively simple business venture. (3) What if you were to combine that with selling a high-ticket product?
To do this, you are going to need US-based suppliers, or suppliers in whatever country your store is located in so you can avoid major shipping delays.
For example, a high-quality Kayak selling for $2,000 that can reach the customer in a reasonable amount of time is considered a high-ticket product. This is compared to other popular low-ticket items in dropshipping that require a higher volume of sales because they have a lower cost.
Overall, the idea behind high-ticket dropshipping is that you’ll make just as much (or a lot more) money by selling an expensive, high-quality product as you would by selling lots of a lower-quality item.
The Benefits of High-Ticket Products
There are a lot of benefits associated with high-ticket Shopify products because you will often source the product directly from a manufacturer, rather than dealing with a retailer middleman like you would with an affiliate.
One of the biggest benefits that dropshippers enjoy about selling high-ticket items is the fact that you get more control over the pricing, directly affecting your profit margins.
The reason behind this?
Manufacturers don’t have to mark up their prices and can often sell them at a discount because they are being made in bulk, despite the fact that they are still high-quality. This allows you to receive a discount on products you help the manufacturer sell.
The manufacturer is happy because they are able to sell products directly for the same price they would sell it to a retailer for, and they don’t have to deal with creating an external B2C sales team.
Can You Make Money Dropshipping?
Dropshipping is an appealing business venture because a lot of people think that it has a low barrier to entry and a low risk factor. (4) It sounds like a genius idea, and you might have even asked yourself – why hasn’t anyone thought of that before?
The truth is that a lot of people have thought about it. A lot of the ecommerce stores you see on the internet are dropshipping through Shopify or Amazon, but you would never know it because they’ve worked out affiliate deals with the carriers to help them send shipments faster than standard ground shipping can provide.
While I believe that you can make a significant amount of money dropshipping, I don’t think that it is a valuable way for making a sustainable income in the long run.
Why do I say that?
Because dropshipping Shopify products (oro even Amazon products, for that matter) relies on too many factors outside of your control.
There is a lot of up-front effort that must be put into a website to make it a successful eCommerce venture, and not only does that take dumping a lot of money (or time) into marketing it, but it also assumes that your sole supplier will not raise the price of the product, stop selling the product, or send your customers a worse-quality product than what they sent to you.
Your supplier is under no obligation to warn you before they drop a product or stop offering dropshipping services in the usa. It’s happened to me before in the past when I tried a dropshipping venture, and I don’t like the idea that it could happen again.
But, if I were to move into full ecommerce, then that would require me to either ship the material myself or hire a warehouse to take care of it for me – and that’s assuming I can move the stock at that point, because I’ve purchased it all up front in this scenario!
Overall, yes, you can make money with dropshipping, but there are definitely alternatives where you can make money that is far less risky, and often, much more profitable.
Need Something With Less Risk and Better Profits?
If you’re in the market for a business venture with less risk, then you’re in luck.
After a couple of years looking for something that would become a sustainable source of revenue, I finally came across a course that promised to provide everything I needed – and much to its credit, it didn’t tell me everything could be done overnight with little to no effort.
Any legitimate business model is going to require a substantial amount of effort in the beginning, even if it’s built for passive income gain.
This is one of those courses that will teach you that model. You’ll set up your own agency independent from the course. There are no “mentors” or uplines, or any of that – it’s all you, baby.
You, your customers, and an amazing support group.
No stores, additional courses, or products to deal with.
What does Local Marketing Vault teach?
It will teach you a succinct coaching list of how to work Google ads to services who agree to your help.
By utilizing Google ads and a good, high-conversion funnel or two, you’ll be able to identify and target highly qualified leads who are looking for the services your client provides. Then, you connect that customer with the business, and the business pays you for the help.
What business would say no to a deal like that?
There’s no masquerading around with a false business presence or anything like that – all you’re doing is providing middleman services, connecting customers to services and vice versa.
Best of all, if you invest in the LMV course, you’ll get access to some of the best webinar coaching I have personally seen through the Facebook group. It’s a package deal I couldn’t look away from.
Ready to see if it’s the right choice for you?
You’re invited to check out this free demo of the training below:
References:
- Tomas Laurinavicius, This Guy Make $12K in one Month While Working Full Time, https://www.huffpost.com/entry/this-guy-made-12k-in-one-_b_9867858
- John Herrman, The Great Amazon Flip-a-thon, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/17/style/amazon-brand-flippers.html
- Jonathan Long, 6 Steps to Building a Successful Online Drop Shipping Business, https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/297744
- YEC, Four Tips for Starting a Successful Dropshipping Business, https://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2019/08/30/four-tips-for-starting-a-successful-dropshipping-business/?sh=6a56b73a74f7
I buy and review courses so you don’t have to. Sometimes, I even find courses that are legitimate and worthwhile; and that’s how I accidentally came across one that led me to building a 6-figure business in a little under 5 years. Now, I still review courses because it’s my favorite hobby. 🙂 Learn more about me here.
