In 2008, I joined the Internet Business Mastery Academy and was genuinely impressed. Created by Sterling and Jay (Jeremy Frandsen and Jason Van Orden), IBM was one of the first comprehensive online business training programs built around the idea that entrepreneurship should serve your lifestyle, not the other way around.<\/p>\n
This is my honest review of what Internet Business Mastery was, what I learned from it, and what alternatives exist today for people looking for similar training.<\/p>\n
Internet Business Mastery was a membership site and podcast that taught people how to build online businesses, with a heavy emphasis on information marketing and lifestyle design. The Academy included structured courses, a members-only forum, and a unique “Rolodex” feature that helped members find recommended tools and services, like a cross between Angie's List and a how-to guide.<\/p>\n
The podcast, which ran for years, was one of the first internet marketing shows on iTunes and built a loyal following. Sterling and Jay were early advocates of the idea that an online business should fund the life you want to live rather than becoming another job you dread.<\/p>\n
The course content was solid, especially the foundational material. Course 1 covered the mindsets and frameworks needed for entrepreneurial success. Key themes included finding your definite major purpose, overcoming fear, resetting your relationship with time and money, committing to lifelong learning, and taking massive action.<\/p>\n
Sterling and Jay were ahead of their time in emphasizing that chasing money alone would not sustain you. They encouraged members to build businesses around things they genuinely cared about, advice that has only become more relevant as the creator economy has matured.<\/p>\n
The community aspect was also valuable. The forum created a space where aspiring entrepreneurs could connect, share progress, and help each other through the inevitable challenges of building an online business.<\/p>\n
The Internet Business Mastery podcast and Academy appear to have wound down. The podcast has not published new episodes in several years, and the membership site is no longer actively promoted. Jeremy and Jason have moved on to other projects.<\/p>\n
This is not unusual in the online education space. Programs come and go as creators evolve and markets shift. The core teachings from IBM, building audience-focused businesses around your expertise and passion, remain as valid as ever, even if the specific program is no longer available.<\/p>\n
If you are looking for the kind of comprehensive online business training that Internet Business Mastery provided, here are several strong options available in 2026.<\/p>\n
Authority Hacker.<\/strong> Gael Breton and Mark Webster run one of the most respected programs for building authority websites and online businesses. Their Authority Site System course is data-driven, regularly updated, and focused on sustainable strategies that work with search engines rather than against them.<\/p>\n Smart Passive Income (Pat Flynn).<\/strong> Pat Flynn's community and courses cover a wide range of online business models, from podcasting to affiliate marketing to digital products. Pat shares his own income reports and experiments, which provides the kind of transparency that IBM was known for.<\/p>\n Podcasters' Paradise (John Lee Dumas).<\/strong> If podcasting is your primary interest, JLD's community and training program focuses specifically on building a podcast-driven business.<\/p>\n Free Resources.<\/strong> The landscape of free business education has expanded enormously since 2008. YouTube channels, podcasts like my own Late Night Internet Marketing show, and platforms like Coursera and Skillshare offer tremendous value at no cost. You can learn the fundamentals without spending a dime.<\/p>\n Looking back, the most valuable thing I got from Internet Business Mastery was the mindset shift. The idea that you should build a business that serves your life, not one that consumes it, fundamentally shaped how I approach everything I do online. The tactical advice about information marketing was useful at the time, but the philosophical foundation has been the lasting gift.<\/p>\n If you came here searching for Internet Business Mastery, you are clearly interested in building an online business. The specific program may not be available anymore, but the principles Sterling and Jay taught are timeless. Find a community, commit to learning, take massive action, and build something around work that matters to you.<\/p>\nWhat I Took Away From IBM<\/h2>\n