Saturday, November 7, 2026 · Customer reviews of US businesses
The Fair Hearing score
Excellent
12 reviews
Voting AcademySelect a line to read only those reviews.
Honesty, pricing, process and quality scores appear once 5 customers have rated them.
Voting Academy is a round-by-round strategy training program built exclusively for active Colossal contest competitors. Founded by Omar Ruiz, a Baby of the Year semifinalist featured on Boston 25 News, Voting Academy was created because the information contestants need to compete effectively does not exist anywhere in the official contest materials.Colossal contests are not traditional popularity contests. They are charity fundraising competitions with a voting format. Most contestants enter with the wrong mental model and never adjust. Voting Academy exists to close that gap with specific actionable training for every round from Top 20 through Finals.Each training video is built for a specific stage of the competition covering the voting mechanics, donation strategy, dashboard signals, timing buffers, communication frameworks, and competitive psychology that most contestants never fully understand until it is already costing them. The training is built from direct contest experience, not theory.Voting Academy offers four individual round-specific training videos priced between $97 and $147 as well as a complete bundle covering every round from Top 20 through Finals. Supplementary resources including worksheets, templates, and checklist packs are available as add-ons for contestants who want additional tactical tools beyond the core training.Voting Academy also offers an affiliate program for former Colossal contest competitors who want to share the training with others competing in the same system.All training is delivered digitally through the Voting Academy platform with immediate access upon purchase. Products are designed to be consumed before the round they cover begins so every contestant walks in prepared rather than figuring it out under pressure.Voting Academy is independently operated and not affiliated with or endorsed by Colossal Management or any of its contests.
Voting Academy (omar-ruiz.mykajabi.com) has 12 customer reviews on The Fair Hearing, with an average rating of 5.0 out of 5.
12 approved reviews, newest moderated first
We are participating in the 2026 Baby of the Year contest. We received this training while we were in the Top 10. This training has helped tremendously and helped us advance to the Top 5. We hope the continued training will help us advance into the group finals. This training taught us about rules and policies we were not aware of (giveaways, prizes cannot be used for attracting voters) and methods on how to ask for voters and/or business donations.
By Hope
As a blind parent who uses a screen reader, I found that the usability of the course (Top 20 & Top 15), logging in, viewing available trainings, starting the training and adjusting video player controls, were all fully accessible with voiceover on the latest version of iOS on my iPhone. Headings were structured very well, intuitively, and the tab order made total sense. This is accessible to the blind and extremely easy and intuitive for anyone to learn and use. I appreciated the straightforward step-by-step style of teaching presented in the training. It started with objectives, then went into each section in order. I am not a pro at social media by any sense of the imagination. Omar has done the work for people like me who are not savvy at keeping the snowball rolling. Thank you for giving us a step-by-step playbook of how to navigate the ever-changing fast paced world of social media. It is also nice to know that a low rate of return, only the inner circle, will be the best and most consistent supporters.
By Tanja M.
The information was extremely helpful, especially for someone doing a voting competition for the first time. In just 20 minutes, the training clearly explains how to strategically and productively plan your campaign without overwhelming or “burning out” your contacts. I especially appreciated the practical strategies and guidance on how to approach voting campaigns in a smarter, more organized way. It gave me a much better understanding of how to maximize my efforts while keeping my relationships and network in mind. Definitely worth watching if you’re new to voting competitions!
By Ana Carolina Di N.
The training video was extremely helpful and gave me a much better understanding of how to approach the Baby of the Year contest. One of the biggest things that stood out to me was learning how to identify and build an “inner circle” of people who I believe would genuinely want to support the cause and help increase votes. The video also changed the way I would approach the people closest to me. I now understand how important it is to clearly explain the purpose behind the contest and the organization we are supporting, especially so people feel comfortable knowing that their donations are legitimate and not a scam. Being able to communicate that clearly can make a big difference when asking friends and family for their support. Overall, I found the training to be very valuable. I would absolutely recommend these training videos to another parent participating in the contest. I believe they provide useful strategies and insight that could help a parent go much further in the competition than they would simply trying to figure everything out on their own.
By Adam
Response from Voting Academy· Sep 3, 2026
Thank you so much for taking the time to write this as it genuinely means a lot. What you described is exactly the shift the Top 20 and Top 15 training is designed to create. Identifying your inner circle before broadcasting to everyone at once, and being able to clearly explain the cause and where donations actually go, are two of the biggest things that separate contestants who build lasting momentum from the ones who plateau early. The fact that it changed how you're approaching the people closest to you tells me you're already thinking about this the right way heading into your next rounds. Thank you Adam for recommending it to other parents!
I am currently in a cooking Contest and Omar's strategies to get votes is very straight forward and sound. His methods to strategically garner support from friends and colleagues in tiers, and spacing out the ask works wonders. It will save you so much time and wasted energy in getting you the votes you need to win!! I highly recommend this training, especially if this is your first time competing.
By Patricia G.
Response from Voting Academy· Jun 17, 2026
Patricia, thank you so much for taking the time to leave this review as genuinely means a lot. What you described is exactly the shift the Group 1 training is designed to create. Most first-time contestants approach their network all at once in the first week and wonder why enthusiasm fades before the rounds that actually matter. The tiered network approach and spacing out the ask protects your most valuable relationships for the moments when you need them most. The fact that you recognized immediately that it saves time and wasted energy tells me you were already thinking strategically about your campaign. The training simply gave that instinct a framework to work within. You are currently competing in Favorite Chef and you invested in understanding how to compete effectively before the pressure rounds arrived. That puts you ahead of most contestants who figure this out too late to fully use it. Wishing you the very best heading into your next cutoff. 🙏
Omar had strategies that will definitely work, given a following that is willing to contribute. The competition is tough, but Omar offers instructions that are sure to hit and help you get some traction with your followers.
By Jan G.
Response from Voting Academy· Jun 11, 2026
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this review, especially on the final day of Group Finals. That means more than I can express 💙 You identified something that sits at the heart of what the training is designed to do. The strategies work when you have supporters who are ready to show up. Plus, the training is built around helping you identify exactly who those people are, when to activate them, and how to make it as easy as possible for them to follow through. You competed your way through multiple rounds of the People's Artist contest, all the way to Group Finals. That is a genuine accomplishment that most contestants who started this competition alongside you never reached. Whatever happens in the final hours today, you should be proud of how far you came & how seriously you approached this competition. The fact that you were still investing in strategy, at the Group Finals stage, says everything about the kind of competitor you are. Wishing you the very best in these final hours. 🙏 Omar Ruiz Voting Academy
I was participating in the Favorite Chef contest when I came across the Voting Academy strategy training sessions. After watching the Top 20 & Top 15 strategy training, I realized that I did not understand how the competition works. Listening to Omar explain the process, the strategy, and the amount of work, hours required to invest in the contest helped me see the reality of what it takes to succeed. The training is very professional and well done. Omar explained all steps in simple and understandable language, which made it easy to follow his thoughts and understand the points he was making.
By Oksana
Response from Voting Academy· Jun 3, 2026
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this review as it means more than you know! What you described is one of the most honest and valuable outcomes the Voting Academy training can produce. Understanding what a competition truly requires before investing weeks of energy, time, and relationships into it is just as important as knowing how to compete effectively. That kind of clarity is something every contestant deserves going in. You watched the Top 20 and Top 15 training as an active Favorite Chef competitor and came away with a complete picture of what success in this type of competition actually demands. The fact that you used that information to make a decision that felt right for you is exactly what this training is designed to support. Thank you for your kind words about the training and for engaging with the material so thoughtfully. It was a genuine pleasure. Wishing you all the best in whatever comes next. 🙏 Omar Ruiz Voting Academy
I was happy to hear that I’m on the right track after watching the training and having my thoughts and concerns validated. I feel more motivated than ever to keep pushing forward and moving to the next steps whether it’s making it through to the end and beyond that to seeing how amazing my family friends and community truly are and how blessed I am! Thank you for sharing the insight!
By Amanda G.
Response from Voting Academy· Jun 2, 2026
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this review as it genuinely means a lot. Hearing that the training validated what you were already doing is exactly what it is designed to do. Sometimes the most valuable thing is not learning something completely new, but having confirmation that your instincts are right so you can move forward with confidence. The way you are framing this experience especially seeing how your family, friends, & community show up for you regardless of the outcome, it's honestly the healthiest and most powerful mindset any contestant can bring into the late rounds. Since you are currently competing in the SuperMom Quarterfinals and the fact that you are approaching it with this kind of clarity and gratitude, alongside a real strategic plan, the training puts you in a strong position heading into your next cutoff. Wishing you the very best as you continue competing! Thank you for trusting Voting Academy with your campaign. 🙏 Omar Ruiz Voting Academy
