Last Updated on April 19, 2025 by Eric Cantu
In this Digital Freelancer review I’m going to cover whether Keala Kanae’s latest ad campaign is legit or just another massive sales funnel you’ll be pouring money into.
Digital Freelancer Review – Is Digital Freelancer Legit?
Digital Freelancer is an ad campaign by Keala Kanae that funnels you into his high ticket Fullstaq Marketer course filled with upsells, claims of a “done for you” system, and, in my opinion, unrealistic revenue promises.
Key Takeaways
- Unless you love high ticket price tags and upsells, be wary with Keala Kanae’s Digital Freelancer and Fullstaq Marketer courses. Both are associated with high costs and aggressive upselling tactics.
- Keep your eyes open for the typical “guru” red flags such as showing off wealth, promising “done for you” systems, and making unrealistic revenue claims, all of which are prevalent in Kanae’s advertising.
- Be very careful about investing in PPC campaigns and paid ads when you’re brand new to affiliate marketing. This can quickly lead to an expensive money pit.
- The primary complaint about Keala Kanae’s courses is the amount of money required to finish the training, often exceeding $10,000, with many feeling misled by the initial lower cost of entry.
- Affiliate marketing training doesn’t have to slowly empty your bank account. There are credible and affordable internet marketing training platforms available without all the red flags.
Training That Delivers!
• Turn your own niche website into revenue
• Step by step training, tools, & support
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• Free test drive to see if it’s a good fit!
What is Digital Freelancer?
Have you seen the ads for Digital Freelancer running on your social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram lately? In them you see internet marketing guru Keala Kanae at an ATM showing you his account balance that “can’t be faked”.
You also see him in different ad campaigns greeting you at the door of a mansion (which may or may not be his). And in another, as he casually steps into a Lamborghini he explains to you his story of humble beginnings working in a coffee shop to now being the guru he is today.
It’s guru cliches like this that make you wonder if freelance digital marketing is legit.
If you’re keeping score at home, that’s 3 cheesy internet guru cliches that you can put high on your list of major RED FLAGS.
So, let’s get started…
Digital Freelancer is simply an ad campaign by Keala Kanae that funnels you into the purchase of his latest high ticket training platform called Fullstaq Marketer. Personally, I’m not a fan of the pattern of massive upsells and unrealistic revenue claims along with the push towards PPC campaigns so early
How Does the Digital Freelancer Ad Campaign Work?
What happens if you click on the “Learn More” button in one of these Digital Freelancer ads you see on Facebook and Instagram? This particular ad campaign is a little more complex than your normal one because there’s two different versions depending on when in the week you come across them.
Let me walk you through the process. The first version looks like this and is a simple email grab.
Ad Version 1
When you click on the Learn More tab it will take you to a page where you enter your email in exchange for a “Freelance Marketing Secrets” pdf which is his own Freelance Marketing Guide review that shares his “secrets” to success in freelance marketing.
And once Keala Kanae has your email you can rest assured he will be using it. It lands you into Keala Kanae’s aggressive email sales funnel where you’ll start receiving email after email. I was receiving 2 per day.
Each email’s purpose is to get you to ultimately buy his very high ticket Fullstaq Marketer course that is absolutely FILLED with massive upsells. More on that when we get to the complaints section.
Ad Version #2
Notice the “Day 1, Day 2, Day 3” at the top of that ad? This version takes you to a Digital Freelancer Business Launch Challenge that is supposed to happen over a 3 day period.
How Does the Digital Freelancer Business Launch Challenge Work?
So when you click on this version of the ad instead of an email grab, you get this on your screen:
Remember to keep your eyes out for RED FLAGS! The biggest one here? Unreasonable revenue promises.
When you’re launching an online business with no products, experience, or skills it is simply 100% unreasonable to expect to generate customers in 48 hours. Don’t believe Keala Kanae’s hype!
This version of the ad also gets some extra expenses out of you.
Here’s something very important to note:
Even though Keala tries to assure you that these extras are “risk free” with 14 day trials associated with them, remember that the whole point of this Digital Freelancer Business Launch Challenge isn’t to jump in and jump out, it’s to stick with the program and build your business.
So understand that these charges are going to stick and be recurring. (ClickFunnels alone is approximately $100/month).
And we haven’t even gotten to Fullstaq Marketer yet where your expenses will be in the ballpark of $10k!
Now it’s time for another RED FLAG. This time, the promise of a “done for you” business.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is a big ol’ red flag.
The promise of a Done For You business is simply an empty one. Bottom line. You CANNOT expect to build any kind of successful business with the mindset that you can just “set it and forget it”. Businesses of ANY KIND, both brick and mortar and online, take WORK.
If you’re subscribed to my YouTube channel you’re very familiar with “done for you” red flags. So many online business coaching schemes promise “done for you” business models that simply fall flat.
And when it comes to the “business coaching” promised in this ad, with “certified advisors” helping you along, read this as “pressured sales call”.
More on that in a second.
Digital Freelancer Complaints
The absolute top complaint from any Keala Kanae course is the massive price tag associated with his training. It always starts with the low buy-in followed by massive upsells.
Customers don’t realize they’re going to be asked to spend $10k for training when they jump into what seems like a promising business opportunity.
This truly isn’t fair to the buyer. It was true with Keala Kanae’s AWOL Academy that imploded in 2017. And it’s true now with his latest Fullstaq Marketer platform (which is just an AWOL Academy reboot) with the same training modules and same ULTRA HIGH PRICING.
Check out this Digital Freelancer complaint that echoes what I just said. This person reached out to me on Instagram after I sent her a link to my review.
The “Certified Advisor” was literally asking to set her up with a loan service so she could jump into Keala Kanae’s $10K course!
Unreal.
Are There Any Legit Internet Marketing Training Modules Out There?
I don’t want to leave you with a sour taste in your mouth on internet marketing. The truth is there are plenty of solid internet marketing training platforms out there that don’t have these obvious red flags attached.
You just have to remember to follow your instincts and be wary of platforms sounding way too good to be true. When something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Want training that delivers? Check out my detailed review and full walkthrough of the affiliate marketing training platform I owe all my success to! The training is straightforward, affordable, and you can test drive it first to see if it’s a good fit. Click here to check out my full review!
Final Thoughts
Digital Freelancer by Keala Kanae is another sales funnel pointing you to high ticket training with the same ultimate goal of getting you to spend tens of thousands. Don’t fall for the hype!
Do you agree or disagree? Let me know what you think in the comments section below! I always respond and look forward to hearing what you have to say!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Digital Freelancer?
Digital Freelancer is an advertising campaign designed to funnel participants into Keala Kanae’s Fullstaq Marketer course. It includes various marketing tactics that are common among internet gurus, such as showcasing wealth and making bold promises about financial success.
Are the revenue claims made by Digital Freelancer realistic?
Revenue claims made by Digital Freelancer and similar programs are often unrealistic. Be wary of any program that promises quick wealth or a “done for you” business model without a significant amount of work.
What should I watch out for in digital marketing training programs?
Be cautious of programs that display common red flags, such as high-pressure sales tactics, massive upsells, and promises of quick, guaranteed income. Trustworthy programs usually require hard work and do not guarantee overnight success.
How much money will I have to spend on Digital Freelancer’s training?
The costs associated with Digital Freelancer’s training can be substantial, often amounting to upwards of $10,000 when accounting for all the upsells and associated marketing tools required by the program.
Are there any legitimate internet marketing training modules available?
Yes, there are several legitimate internet marketing training platforms available that do not have massive upsells and provide valuable content at a reasonable cost. These platforms are transparent about pricing and do not promise unrealistic outcomes. You can check out my full review of the training platform I owe all my success to here.
Like everyone else, I thought this would be the opportunity I’ve been waiting for. Rest assured, I noticed the extra spending heading my way from a mile away and wasn’t even finished with the 3day challenge. Hmmm!!!! The initial small investment can lead to big expenses. The good thing I stopped on time , reset my plan and came across your article and SURPRISED !!!!! You just verified our suspensions.
Very glad you did you due diligence! The massive upsells that come with Keala’s training platforms are unreal. Thanks so much for the comment! If you’re still looking for an online business training platform without the red flags check out my Wealthy Affiliate review.
The pop up turned me off and cost you a sale. Pop up = scammer in my experience.
Well thanks for calling me an illegal scammer based on my use one of the most popular CTAs out there. Some might say that’s a ginormous leap, lol, meanwhile this review has saved countless people from the red flags of Keala Kanae’s training course, which is the point. The training I link to as an alternative to Keala’s is the one I owe all my success to; one that’s free of the red flags I document in these reviews. It’s also free to test drive first to make sure it’s a good fit by using my link. (Hard to be scammed by something that’s free to try!) Hope to see you on the inside! Here’s a link to my full review: https://workfromyourlaptop.com/wealthy-affiliate-review. Thanks for the comment!
Hi Eric,
Thanks for the review. Unfortunately, there are many more out there. I was scammed into one of them. They offered a pdf book for $1. Then they provided upsells as a trial for 7 days, which I got hooked into. The worst part was that I could not cancel the trial or get a refund. I had to cancel my credit card, so they could not charge me again.
Do your extra due diligence and use a virtual credit card!
Thanks for the insight. What was the platform that you had to cancel out on? If I haven’t done a review of it I’d love to create one so that others don’t run into the same issues you did. Thanks for the comment!
I’ve seen the Digital Freelancer ads on my social networks. This is exactly what I thought it was. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed this review! Thanks so much for your comment!
I hate these GURUS! Anyone who leads with mansions and Lamborghinis is not going to get my money. Keala has a track record that comes off as a scammer which I am sure hundreds of potential customers are happy to avoid after your review. Thanks for the heads up. It’s much appreciated.
Well said! You’re very welcome and thanks for the comment!
I hate it that these people and scams have evolved to become so savvy at drawing attention, because a name like Digital Freelancer implies a legitimate business.
On the other hand, I have been hearing good things about affiliate marketing. I know that your overall top choice is Wealthy Affiliate, and I agree that it does look excellent. I’m assuming that I would be given a fair chance to evaluate the free version before deciding on a paid membership, could you please confirm that?
Yes, Wealthy Affiliate is free to try. Test drive it first to see if it’s for you and then you can make a decision from there. Thanks for the comment!
Oh boy, $100 per month. That should be enough to keep most smart people away from such an idea.
Did you find any positives with the platform or straight-up no one should even pay attention to it?
It’s filled with so many massive upsells that any good training or info just isn’t worth the price tag. If you haven’t already, check out my full Fullstaq Marketer review and you’ll see what I mean. And if you want actual training that focuses on you learning as opposed to emptying your pocketbook, Wealthy Affiliate is my go-to. You can check out my full Wealthy Affiliate review here. Thanks for the comment!
Hey Eric, another super article calling out a ton of major red flags. I saw this initially on my Facebook and all the comments underneath were just asking for more info and then Digital Freelancer would respond with “I just sent you a DM” which seemed a bit off to me. I started researching, found your article and video, and I’m really glad I did. Thanks.
Very happy to help! Thanks so much for the comment!
Wow! I am impressed by the thoroughness of this review. You went really in to depth and I appreciate that! The red flag for me was when you mentioned you spend the 100 dollars then have to pay 10,000. No thank you. If I had that kind of money I would buy a website that is already making money. That is ridiculous!
haha exactly. Thanks for the comment!
I felt attracted to the freelance lifestyle during the pandemic. And so, I have been researching about platforms I can join to make my dream of working from home true. And Digital Freelancer seemed to be a promising site. However, I am glad I landed on your post and unmasked this guy Keala Kanae. I watched your Fullstaq Marketer review and read the comments from others who’d gotten schemed. THANK YOU for this. Truly.
His platforms follow the same pattern over and over and over again. It’s bizarre, but I’m glad you found this and avoided the massive upsells that come with his products. Thanks for the comment!
Hi Eric, I see the ads all the time. I wasn’t aware that this was the same person from the Fullstaq Marketer Course. This was something I read a little bit about but when I see the price tag of 10K I kind of just thought wow if I had $10,000 it would not be going on one course. Honestly, I’d pay $1000 for something like Authority Hacker and if I was actually making the money in the first place I’d pay for a more expensive course if I knew what I was getting into but yes a bit extreme this is.
Absolutely. You can check out the full Fullstaq Marketer review here along with my article on the best training courses for affiliate marketing here. Authority Hacker is on that list 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
Hi Eric and thank you for this!.
Keala Kanae’s programs are always FILLED with upsells and I appreciate your walkthrough here. When looking for help online when trying to build your business it is indeed so easy to fall for programs that will rip you off instead of helping you. Always good to watch out for the red flags you point out and use common sense when deciding to spend our money on online affiliate marketing programs.
Tatiana
No prob, Tatiana! Thanks for the kind words and I’m glad you enjoyed this review!
Thank you for such a thorough review! I saw Digital Freelancer on my Facebook, and this is EXACTLY what I was looking for! Thanks again for doing such a thorough job of walking us through this particular review, but also giving us the tools to do the research on our own the next time around. I’m not a fan of upsells and this is exactly what my gut was telling me. Thank you!
You’re very welcome! Thanks for the comment!