If you’ve ever sat at your desk wondering if there’s more to life than working for someone else, you’re not alone.
For a lot of people, the idea of starting an online business feels like the ticket out… a way to finally earn on your own terms and build something that lasts. However…I think what we all really want is just a steady second income stream rather than an actual business…
But when you start digging into e-commerce or Shopify dropshipping, it doesn’t take long before you’re hit with a wall of hype, conflicting advice, and stories that sound too good to be true.
That’s where Adrian Morrison’s Ecom Success Academy (ESA) usually enters the picture. It’s pitched as the all-in-one Shopify course that can teach anyone how to build a profitable e-commerce store from scratch… no experience needed, just a laptop and the right strategy.
Adrian markets it as the same system that helped him achieve financial freedom and time freedom, with success stories claiming tens of thousands of dollars in monthly sales.
On the surface, it sounds like the dream setup: build a store, run some ads, and watch the income roll in.
But if you’ve been around the online business space for any amount of time, you’ve probably learned that the promise of “easy money” rarely matches the reality.
Dropshipping, the business model at the heart of ESA, is known for its razor-thin profit margins, high ad costs, and constant maintenance.
Behind every flashy screenshot of Shopify dashboards, there’s usually a story of long nights, expensive testing, and plenty of frustration. The question is whether ESA actually prepares you for that reality, or just sells the fantasy.
Adrian Morrison is a familiar name in the e-commerce world, known for his confident marketing and big claims.
His personality, brand, and luxury lifestyle are part of the sales pitch… proof, in his words, that the system works.
But beneath that glossy surface, students report mixed results, high costs, and limited support after enrollment.
The course is expensive, and the model it teaches demands ongoing spending on ads and apps just to stay afloat.
So before jumping in, it’s worth asking whether this is a system built for beginners seeking stability, or for seasoned marketers with deep pockets.
In this review, we’ll break down exactly what Ecom Success Academy offers, how it works, and what kind of person might actually succeed with it.
You’ll see what’s closer to reality versus what’s hype, what kind of investment it really takes, and whether it’s worth the price tag.
By the end, you’ll know if Ecom Success Academy is the right move, and what safer alternatives might exist.
TLDR – Revealing the Reality Behind the Ecom Success Academy
| Factor | Rating | Explanation |
| Time Investment | High | Running a Shopify dropshipping store requires constant attention to ads, suppliers, and customer feedback. Beginners should expect to spend several hours a day testing, optimizing, and managing orders. |
| Level of Command Required | High | Students need to learn multiple skills at once… from Facebook Ads and copywriting to analytics and product sourcing, making it overwhelming for those new to online business. |
| Ease of Implementation | Low | While the course provides step-by-step videos, real-world results depend heavily on trial and error. Profitability relies on testing dozens of products and ad sets, which can quickly drain time and capital. |
| Profit Potential | Medium | Dropshipping can produce big wins, but margins are thin (8-10%) and competition is fierce. Many students struggle to achieve consistent profit once ad costs and refunds are factored in. |
Summary
Ecom Success Academy (ESA) by Adrian Morrison teaches students how to build and scale a Shopify dropshipping business using paid Facebook advertising. The program’s pitch revolves around creating financial freedom through e-commerce, with Adrian’s own success stories serving as proof that the model works. It offers a structured, well-presented introduction to Shopify and paid ads, making it appealing to ambitious beginners looking for a challenge.
In reality, ESA demands significant upfront investment, both in tuition and ad spend, and carries a steep learning curve. Most students will need to spend thousands testing ads before finding a winning product, and the emotional highs and lows can be intense. The model may suit full-time entrepreneurs or experienced marketers, but it’s rarely sustainable for someone seeking a part-time, low-stress side income.
If your goal is steady recurring income that helps relieve financial pressure without burning through ad budgets or juggling suppliers, Digital Leasing offers a far more manageable alternative. Instead of gambling on paid ads, you build small digital assets that local businesses pay for monthly. It’s not flashy, but it’s stable, scalable, and gives you the ability for financial breathing room dropshipping rarely delivers.
Evaluation
| Category | Rating (out of 5) | Explanation |
| Community | ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ (3/5) | The ESA community is active, with thousands of members sharing experiences in private Facebook groups. However, feedback suggests that discussions often revolve around surface-level wins and motivational posts rather than deep troubleshooting or hands-on guidance. |
| Mentorship | ⭐⭐☆☆☆ (2/5) | Adrian Morrison offers weekly broadcasts like the “Profit Power Hour,” but direct mentorship is limited. Students report that most guidance comes through pre-recorded material or AI-based support, leaving many without the hands-on help they expected after paying a high price. |
| Curriculum | ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ (3/5) | The curriculum covers the basics of Shopify setup, product sourcing, and Facebook advertising. It’s comprehensive in scope but dated in certain areas, especially regarding ad strategies that no longer perform as they once did. Students find the information useful for beginners but lacking in ongoing updates and advanced insights. |
Overall, Ecom Success Academy scores mixed across these pillars, revealing its key weakness in mentorship and support, even though the content and community provide a decent foundation for motivated learners.
Pros
1. Comprehensive Shopify Overview
Ecom Success Academy walks students through everything from store setup to Facebook advertising, making it a solid introduction for those who have never built an online store before.
2. Lifetime Access to Materials
Once enrolled, students get lifetime access to the course modules and updates, allowing them to revisit lessons as they grow in experience.
3. Motivational Community
The Facebook group is large and active, offering inspiration and occasional peer support for beginners trying to stay consistent.
4. Strong Branding and Presentation
Adrian Morrison’s professional presentation style and clear video lessons help make complex e-commerce concepts easier to grasp for newcomers.
Cons
1. High Cost for Beginners
Considering the price upfront (plus ad and app costs), ESA’s total investment can be a stretch for beginners who are just exploring online business options.
2. Heavy Reliance on Paid Ads
The model depends on continuous Facebook ad spending, which makes profitability unpredictable, especially for those without deep pockets for testing.
3. Limited Mentorship Access
Adrian’s involvement is mostly indirect, and students often rely on pre-recorded videos or general support rather than one-on-one help.
4. Outdated or Generic Content
Some sections, particularly around ad strategies, feel dated and don’t reflect the current challenges of Facebook’s changing algorithm or rising costs.
5. Questionable Refund Policy
Refund terms are unclear or hard to access, leaving some students feeling uncertain about the program’s risk level.
6. High Workload, Low Stability
Dropshipping requires constant management, ad tweaking, and supplier coordination… not ideal for anyone hoping for a steady, low-maintenance income.
Understanding both sides helps you decide if Ecom Success Academy matches your goals.
Who Benefits From the Ecom Success Academy & Who Doesn’t?
Ecom Success Academy (ESA) is best suited for driven, self-motivated individuals who already have some experience with online business or digital marketing. If you enjoy problem solving, testing ideas, and aren’t afraid of risk, this course provides a detailed playbook for building and scaling a Shopify store. The program works best for those who can treat dropshipping as a full-fledged business, not a side hustle.
Students with a decent startup budget, ideally several thousand dollars beyond the course fee, will get the most out of ESA. The dropshipping model relies on paid Facebook advertising, so success depends heavily on your ability to invest in testing campaigns and learning from failures. People who have backgrounds in marketing, data analysis, or retail often find ESA’s structure useful because they already understand how to read metrics, interpret trends, and adjust strategies quickly.
If your goal is to build a brand or expand an existing e-commerce business, ESA can offer value through its hands-on training and systems-based approach. The step-by-step Shopify tutorials are easy to follow, and Adrian Morrison’s videos do a good job of simplifying complex ad setup processes. For learners who thrive in self-paced, video-based education and enjoy diving deep into numbers and creative testing, this program provides a strong foundation.
Who This Isn’t For
ESA is not designed for beginners who are looking for quick wins or low-stress income streams. Dropshipping is one of the most competitive business models online, and while the course presents it as straightforward, the reality involves constant product testing, ad optimization, and unpredictable costs. If you don’t have a few thousand dollars in reserve for Facebook Ads or don’t enjoy trial-and-error experimentation, this system will likely feel discouraging.
It’s also not ideal for people who prefer stability or part-time flexibility. Running a Shopify store requires daily attention, responding to customer inquiries, monitoring ad performance, and managing supplier relationships. Even with automation tools, it’s a hands-on process that can easily feel like a second full-time job. Students who expect fast results may find the workload and ups and downs overwhelming.
Finally, the course may not be the best fit for those uncomfortable with aggressive marketing approaches or sales-driven environments. ESA’s promotional materials and upsell culture can feel intense, and that same mindset extends into how the business model operates: high volume, high pressure, and high stakes.
If you’re not in the ideal group, a simpler model like Digital Leasing may be a better fit.
1,000 FT View of the Ecom Success Academy
At a high level, Adrian Morrison’s Ecom Success Academy (ESA) is structured as a step-by-step online course that walks students through the process of building, launching, and scaling a Shopify dropshipping store. It’s designed to take a complete beginner from zero experience to running a fully operational e-commerce business, primarily using paid Facebook advertising to drive traffic and sales. Rather than offering mentorship or live coaching, ESA focuses on self-paced video training supported by a private online community.
The program is divided into multiple modules that cover key components of the dropshipping model. Students start with Shopify store setup, including guidance on domain registration, theme selection, and essential app integrations. From there, the course moves into product research and sourcing, teaching how to identify potentially profitable items using Adrian’s proprietary tools like the Sizzle Product Sniper. Later modules focus on creating compelling ad creatives, managing Facebook Ads, and analyzing campaign data to optimize performance.
Most of the material is delivered through pre-recorded video lessons that follow a linear sequence, making it easy to progress module by module. These videos are professionally produced and feature clear, step-by-step instructions, often accompanied by on-screen demonstrations. ESA also includes downloadable PDFs, checklists, and templates that summarize each lesson for quick reference. Students get lifetime access to the material, which allows for flexible pacing, though the lack of structured accountability means progress depends entirely on individual motivation.
In the first 30 to 90 days, students typically focus on setting up their first store, running initial ad campaigns, and testing different products to find a winner. The early learning phase can feel fast-paced and overwhelming, especially for those unfamiliar with Facebook Ads or Shopify’s backend. While some students report making sales early on, many others struggle to achieve profitability due to the learning curve and the capital required for testing. Since ad performance and product trends change frequently, ongoing adaptation is crucial to stay competitive.
The ESA community, primarily hosted on Facebook, provides peer interaction and limited support. Members share their stores, ad results, and motivational updates, but detailed troubleshooting is often handled by other students rather than Adrian or official mentors. This setup creates a collaborative atmosphere but lacks the depth of personalized coaching that many high-ticket programs advertise.
Compared to other Shopify courses in the same niche, Ecom Success Academy stands out for its depth and polish but also for its price. While many alternatives cost a few hundred dollars, ESA’s cost (plus ad and app expenses) places it firmly in the premium category. The course’s biggest differentiator is Adrian Morrison’s established brand reputation and his detailed focus on paid ads. However, other programs, especially newer ones, tend to include more current advertising methods, such as TikTok or influencer marketing, which ESA’s content only touches lightly.
Overall, Ecom Success Academy provides a structured and visually clear learning experience but demands significant time, money, and patience to see results. It’s a polished education product for those serious about mastering dropshipping, though not necessarily the most accessible or up-to-date option for beginners.
Guru Bio
Adrian Morrison is a well-known figure in the e-commerce and online marketing space, primarily recognized for his work as the creator of Ecom Success Academy (ESA). His career began in the early 2000s after leaving college, where he claims to have achieved financial independence through digital marketing and e-commerce ventures. Over time, he’s built a reputation as both an educator and entrepreneur, promoting various training programs under his publishing company, Morrison Publishing, which he co-runs with his brother, Anthony Morrison.
Adrian’s professional portfolio extends beyond ESA. He has authored books on entrepreneurship, hosted speaking engagements, and built a sizable online presence through his weekly show, The Profit Power Hour, where he shares strategies for growing Shopify stores and running Facebook ads. His expertise lies in paid advertising and store optimization, and he frequently leverages his own success stories, showcasing luxury cars, expensive homes, and screenshots of high sales, to illustrate what’s possible with the dropshipping model.
Supporters describe Morrison as confident, articulate, and passionate about online business. They appreciate his ability to simplify complex processes and break down the Shopify ecosystem in a way that feels achievable for beginners. His video lessons are professionally produced and structured, reflecting his experience as a seasoned digital marketer. Many students find his energy motivating and credit him for sparking their interest in entrepreneurship.
However, his reputation is not without controversy. Critics argue that Adrian’s marketing style leans heavily on hype and luxury signaling, which can create unrealistic expectations about income potential. His programs have been accused of relying on aggressive upsells, high-ticket pricing, and exaggerated claims of student success, approaches that some interpret as prioritizing sales volume over student outcomes. Complaints about poor customer support and limited mentorship access have also appeared in public forums, along with broader skepticism toward Morrison Publishing’s business practices. While some students have found success using his methods, many others report financial losses due to high ad spend and steep competition in the dropshipping space.
Despite the mixed feedback, Adrian Morrison remains one of the most recognizable names in Shopify education. His ability to build authority through personal branding, media appearances, and partnerships, including claimed collaborations with Shopify itself, has kept his image prominent in the e-commerce education world.
Adrian Morrison presents himself as a flashy, results-driven mentor figure, combining charisma with a luxury lifestyle image that strongly influences how students connect with his program.
Social Media Presence
| Platform | Handle | Link | Followers (approx.) |
| @adrianmorrison | https://www.instagram.com/adrianmorrison | ~400,000 | |
| YouTube | Adrian Morrison | https://www.youtube.com/@AdrianMorrison | ~100,000 |
| Adrian Morrison | https://www.facebook.com/AdrianMorrisonOfficial | ~150,000 | |
| TikTok | @adrianmorrison | https://www.tiktok.com/@adrianmorrison | ~16,000 |
Adrian Morrison maintains a strong online presence with consistent content focused on Shopify dropshipping and e-commerce business growth topics.
Cost & Refund Policy
The Ecom Success Academy (ESA) by Adrian Morrison is positioned as a premium Shopify training course with a high entry cost. The program is priced at $2,495 for a one-time payment or $2,991 when spread across three monthly installments of $997. While this fee covers lifetime access to the training modules, community, and proprietary tools, it represents only the starting point of the total investment required to operate the business model effectively.
Once enrolled, students receive access to the core video curriculum, a private Facebook community, and Adrian’s proprietary research tools such as the Sizzle Product Sniper. There are no official course tiers listed publicly, but the ecosystem surrounding ESA includes multiple additional products and software subscriptions offered through Morrison Publishing and Launch Wise LLC. These include marketing automation tools, advertising templates, and traffic training packages that often come at an extra monthly cost. While not mandatory, they are promoted as essential for scaling, meaning the total expenses for serious participants often extend well beyond the initial tuition fee.
The hidden costs of implementing ESA’s system can be substantial. Dropshipping relies on paid advertising to drive traffic, and students must budget for continuous Facebook ad spend, which can easily exceed several thousand dollars before achieving a profitable campaign. Additionally, expenses for Shopify subscriptions, product apps, and supplier orders add to the ongoing financial commitment. For many students, this makes ESA a high-risk, capital-intensive program rather than a low-cost entry point into online business.
When it comes to refunds, details are limited, which can be a red flag for transparency. The official sales materials and checkout pages do not clearly outline refund terms, and several student complaints indicate difficulty in obtaining refunds or cancellations. Some reviews claim that ESA enforces a strict no-refund policy, while others suggest partial refunds may be available under specific conditions. The lack of a clearly defined and visible refund policy can make potential students uneasy, especially given the high upfront cost.
Overall, while ESA provides a professionally packaged product with tangible tools and resources, the combination of high tuition, ongoing upsells, and unclear refund terms raises valid concerns about accessibility and transparency for new entrepreneurs.
My Personal Opinion – Is The Ecom Success Academy Legit?
After diving deep into Adrian Morrison’s Ecom Success Academy (ESA), I can see why it’s attracted so much attention in the Shopify community. On the surface, it’s one of the most comprehensive and visually polished courses in the e-commerce space. The production quality is excellent… clear videos, organized modules, and a sense of structure that makes complex ideas about dropshipping and Facebook Ads easier to grasp. Adrian himself comes across as energetic and passionate, which can be motivating when you’re just starting out.
What impressed me most is how detailed the ad setup and store-building lessons are. Adrian walks through the process step by step, and for anyone who loves the numbers side of marketing, metrics, analytics, and scaling ads, there’s a lot of value here. His tools, like the Sizzle Product Sniper, help beginners understand product testing and niche selection, which can otherwise take months to figure out through trial and error.
That said, my biggest concern lies in what the course doesn’t emphasize enough: the financial risk. Dropshipping is not an easy business to start, and ESA’s marketing often makes it sound much simpler than it really is. Between the course cost and the constant ad spend required to test products, it’s a model that can drain your budget fast if you don’t already have experience or extra cash to play with. Many students end up losing money before they learn what works, and that emotional toll can be significant.
Compared to other Shopify courses, ESA sits at the premium end, both in terms of polish and price. There are cheaper options out there that cover similar material, sometimes with more recent strategies like influencer marketing or TikTok ads, which are now vital in e-commerce. ESA’s content still leans heavily on Facebook Ads, which remain effective but are also much more competitive and expensive than they were when the course first launched.
I also wish there were more transparency and interaction. The lack of direct mentorship or personalized feedback can leave students feeling isolated, especially when things go wrong. The community is active, but much of the troubleshooting comes from peers rather than qualified coaches. For a high-ticket program, I expected more support and clearer refund policies.
If you’re the kind of person who thrives on challenge, has a few thousand dollars in reserve for ad testing, and genuinely enjoys the grind of data-driven marketing, ESA might give you the framework you need. But if your goal is to create a steady secondary income that doesn’t demand constant reinvestment or risk, I’d think twice.
It might help certain students, but for recurring income and control, I’d look at Digital Leasing.
What’s Inside Ecom Success Academy
Ecom Success Academy (ESA) is structured as a comprehensive, self-paced course covering every stage of building a Shopify dropshipping business. It’s divided into multiple modules that walk students from the basics of store setup to advanced advertising and scaling strategies. The lessons are delivered mainly through pre-recorded video tutorials, making it accessible for beginners while providing depth for those with prior experience.
The course opens with a Welcome Module, where Adrian Morrison introduces the dropshipping business model and sets expectations for what’s required to succeed. From there, students move through the foundational sections, including detailed tutorials on Shopify store setup, domain registration, theme customization, and app integration. Adrian provides clear walkthroughs of Shopify’s backend, helping students configure products, pricing, and essential automations.
One of the most substantial parts of ESA is its focus on product research and sourcing. This section teaches how to identify trending products using platforms like AliExpress and how to evaluate profit potential. Adrian also introduces proprietary tools such as the Sizzle Product Sniper, designed to streamline the process of finding and testing winning products. While the tool provides structure, success still heavily depends on paid advertising results and constant product experimentation.
Next, the marketing and Facebook Ads modules form the core of the ESA system. Students learn how to create campaigns, target audiences, manage ad budgets, and analyze performance data. Adrian’s lessons include screen shares showing real campaign setups, which makes the learning process tangible. However, this section also underscores the program’s biggest challenge: mastering Facebook Ads is expensive, time-consuming, and subject to constant algorithm changes. While the hands-on training is thorough, it requires ongoing adaptation beyond what’s covered in the course.
Additional modules include email marketing, scaling strategies, and customer service management. These lessons focus on improving conversion rates, building repeat customers, and automating common store processes. ESA also includes bonus content and templates to help speed up implementation, though many of these tools are tied to upsells or separate subscription services under Morrison Publishing’s ecosystem.
Community access is provided through a private Facebook group, where students can interact, ask questions, and share progress. While some find this peer network motivating, others report limited direct involvement from Adrian or professional coaches. The group functions more as a motivational hub than a source of deep support.
What’s missing from ESA is transparency about updates or long-term content evolution. Many of the lessons focus heavily on Facebook Ads, which remain relevant but are now more competitive and expensive than when the program launched. There’s little mention of newer marketing channels like TikTok or influencer partnerships. This lack of freshness can make ESA feel dated in a fast-changing e-commerce landscape.
Overall, ESA provides a well-organized foundation in Shopify dropshipping, but its success hinges on high ad budgets and constant trial and error. The course offers plenty of knowledge but few guarantees, and its lack of personalized coaching or current strategies can limit its long-term value.
Wrapping Up My Ecom Success Academy Review of Adrian Morrison
Adrian Morrison’s Ecom Success Academy (ESA) is one of the most polished Shopify training courses available, but it’s also among the most demanding. Its biggest strength lies in its structure: the lessons are well organized, the production quality is professional, and the curriculum does a thorough job of explaining how dropshipping works from setup to scaling. For students who already have marketing experience, a steady budget, and a willingness to take on risk, ESA provides a clear roadmap to follow.
However, those same qualities also expose the program’s biggest weaknesses. Dropshipping is a high-maintenance, high-capital business model that requires constant reinvestment and experimentation. While ESA promises simplicity, success depends heavily on mastering paid ads, particularly Facebook Ads, which have become more competitive and expensive over time. Many students find themselves spending thousands on ad testing before seeing results, and the lack of consistent mentorship or refund transparency adds to the frustration. In practice, ESA’s promise of freedom often translates into long hours and financial stress.
The course is best suited for analytical thinkers who enjoy the challenge of testing, tweaking, and scaling campaigns. It fits entrepreneurs who are comfortable with numbers, risk, and ups and downs, the kind of people who see setbacks as learning opportunities and have capital to absorb early losses. For beginners, or anyone looking for a low-stress secondary income stream, the complexity and swings of dropshipping make ESA a difficult starting point.
In the end, Ecom Success Academy isn’t a scam, but it’s far from the simple path to freedom that its marketing suggests. It teaches real skills but within a business model that’s inherently unstable for most newcomers. The system can work, but it demands full-time effort, thick skin, and significant financial runway.
So if you’re serious about building a business that lasts, here’s the alternative I’d choose…
Top Alternative to Ecom Success Academy / #1 Way To Make Money
However, there’s a better way to build a stable online income without the stress of chasing ads or managing endless customer issues. It’s called Digital Leasing, and it’s the simplest, most reliable system I’ve found for creating steady monthly income online.
Here’s how it works. Instead of running Facebook Ads or relying on unpredictable product trends, you build small, search-optimized websites that attract real local customers. These sites rank on Google, generate leads, and then you lease those leads to local businesses… plumbers, roofers, landscapers, or any service-based company that needs new clients. In exchange, you get a recurring payment each month, just like renting out property, but digital.
The beauty of this model is ownership. With dropshipping or paid ad models like Ecom Success Academy, you’re constantly spending money to make money. You rely on ad platforms, suppliers, and trends you can’t control. Digital Leasing flips that equation. Once your sites are built and ranking, they become your assets, working for you month after month. There’s no inventory to manage, no refunds to process, and no high ad spend eating into your profits.
And here’s the best part: it’s manageable part-time. You don’t have to quit your job or risk thousands to get started. Many people begin by building one or two digital properties on evenings and weekends, then lease them out once they start generating calls or leads. It’s not set-it-and-forget-it, you’ll still put in some work maintaining your sites, but it’s steady, low-overhead, and easy to scale at your own pace.
If you’re feeling financially stretched or just tired of online models that overpromise and underdeliver, Digital Leasing offers something refreshing: consistency. The income is recurring, the process is learnable, and the results build over time. You’re not gambling on algorithms or hoping a product goes viral… you’re building real digital real estate that serves real businesses.
For anyone looking to create financial breathing room without the stress of constant reinvestment or swings, this is the system worth exploring. You’ll learn how to build and rent out digital assets that generate recurring income, something you can actually control.
👉 Want to see how it works? Click here to explore Digital Leasing.
