Douglas James Reviews: Can He Really Help You In Making Money Online? (2025 Update)

Douglas James runs an ad agency. The basic premise is that you’ll learn how to build your own ad agency, land clients, and get them results.

Running an agency (even though they’re a bit of a commodity nowadays) isn’t a bad way to get your feet wet in the world of online business.

That said, there are a lot of moving parts with this business model:

• Prospecting – you need to know how to find potential clients
• Sales – you need to know how to convince those clients to give you money
• Media Buying – you need to know how to run ads profitably
• Copywriting – you need to know how to tailor your ad messaging for the right customers
• Design – you need to know how to design ads/landing pages to maximize conversions
• Email Marketing – you need to know how to follow up with prospects and customers
• Automation – you need to know how to connect everything properly

Now, most course-sellers will try to make this easier on you by telling you they’ve managed to “automate everything”, offering “plug-and-play” campaigns, and “pre-built templates”.

Here’s the thing though:

Markets are always changing. They get more savvy as time goes on.

If you buy a program with thousands of other students, where everything is built out for you, there’s an almost 100% chance those templates don’t work.

Why?

Because if thousands of other students are using those exact same “plug and play” campaigns, tens of millions of people have already seen them, reducing their effectiveness.

Not to mention, with most agency programs, the templates are actually built by some virtual assistant in the Philippines or India, and have never actually been tested in real life.

And if they have, there’s a good chance they’re extremely outdated, since most programs don’t bother updating their templates after launching. The course creator gets too busy just trying to sell to more and more students, instead of focusing on quality education.

Now, here’s the most sinister part of this whole thing:

Most course creators market their agency courses as something you can do anywhere in the world. You might hear them say things like “The world is my office” or “This is a simple passive income business”.

That’s just plain false. Running an effective agency is in no way passive. Look at the list above, and remember that you can’t rely on pre-built templates. You’re responsible for every part of the process.

Does that really sound like a business you can do from a laptop on the beach?

See how this could be a problem?

Now, what if there was a way you could build a passive income stream that’s actually passive?

An income stream that doesn’t require:

• Mastering 100 different roles
• Needing to be a technology wizard
• Working round the clock just to keep things from blowing up

An income stream that brings in consistent revenues every single month (from a couple hundred dollars to well over $10,000)?

An income stream you could actually build in your spare time, and grow as large or as small as you want to, without having to spend hours a day chasing, selling, or managing anything?

If that sounds like something you’d be interested in, check out Digital Leasing. 

However, if you’d still like to know more about Douglas James, keep reading.

Who Is Douglas James?

Douglas James, sometimes known as the “High Ticket Client Guy,” is a digital marketer.

He began his adventure in 2014, working as a Navy Corpsman.

His mission aboard the USNS Mercy took him to Guam, Papua New Guinea, and Fiji, where he helped disadvantaged populations.

While he started in a noble profession, some question whether Douglas James’ integrity is still what it once was.

When he came back and was stateside, he truly desired to live a life where he had financial freedom and time freedom.

Of course, he has his own rags to riches story like all the other gurus out there – and finally, one day, he came across a course that would change his life forever.

That program was Job Killing by Dan Klein.

In that course he learned lead generation for local businesses.

Similar to what he teaches now.

Dan however focused on building and ranking local websites, a method of higher profit margin passive income

It doesn’t seem like Douglas James had the patience for ranking websites that you ultimately own though.

He wanted to make money now.

Fair enough.

So Douglas decided to cut ties with Dan and start his own program where he taught Facebook ads to generate leads to small business owners.

Although his recent marketing may have confused you when he mentions Digital Leasing. No matter which way you cut it, Facebook ads cannot be viewed as Digital Leasing because you don’t own anything.

You don’t own the platform, it can suspend you whenever it wants, and your client can stop paying you whenever.

The Douglas James training methods are now what he is predominately known for – with a specific focus on the Facebook ads marketing campaign business model.

What Is Douglas James’ Marketing Program?

With digital marketing, the stakes are high, and the pressure is on.

In order to build a successful digital marketing strategy, you have to do a lot of things right, and can’t afford much to go wrong.

Douglas James advertises on major social media sites and uses online marketing. He especially advertises on Facebook.

He utilizes this equipment to attract customers and increase income for his company. His students’ tactics must be well-crafted to carry out their plans smoothly.

He’s turned his newly acquired success into training classes to assist people across the globe build their own success stories.

What’s The Deal With “The High Ticket Client Guy”?

The man, the legend, and the wait… the so-called “high-ticket client guy”?

Yes, you read it correctly.

What does it mean to have a high-ticket item?

It’s industry jargon for making something expensive sound cooler.

Douglas James is his name, and he goes by the moniker High Ticket Client Guy. Most people are familiar with him because of his YouTube channel or his website.

He went to George Washington University’s Business School to study, then went off to serve his country. The hard labor of his armed service time must have inspired him to never work again, because that’s what he says is possible with his ad agency’s online courses.

He started with Facebook Ads and YouTube Ads, moving from working 16-hour days (that kept him away from his family) to working shorter days that made his life better. Before that, he’d often be away from his wife for months at a time.

But look at him now!

In the Facebook marketing arena, he’s a successful entrepreneur.

He has more time with his family now that he has a new schedule. And now, he has the ability to assist people in achieving their goals in their enterprises.

What’s the secret?

He says it’s to use your potential and push yourself to try something new. Douglas claims to have made things easier for you through his marketing tips for launching your company.

His classes are intended for entrepreneurs who are ready to take on all of the strategies James lays out in order to attract high-ticket customers.

According to James, he lives out these lessons every day within his own agency. He’s got courses ranging from beginner to expert levels of difficulty.

What Are Douglas James’ Courses About?

He teaches several courses, all of which focus on how to build your company. His material emphasizes getting results quickly.

The course will teach you how to locate and close high-value customers. It also spurs development, allowing students to earn money while doing what they like.

He preaches about how his students are no longer enslaved by money; they are no longer concerned about how they will pay their next payment.

It teaches you “all you need to know” about running a great Facebook ad. After all, he’s seen firsthand how web marketing has impacted the lives of numerous enterprises.

But what’s his biggest goal of all?

Teaching you how to land high ticket clients.

What Is Included In His Lessons?

Douglas James covers a variety of courses that might be beneficial to entrepreneurs.

The High-Ticket Experience:

Lessons on the following topics may be found in this course:

• Dealing with people over the phone and closing agreements
• Sales call scheduling
• High-Ticket coaching
• Services Advisory
• Discovering your niche

On James’ website, some random information is available for free – but it really seems like more of a landing page to upsell you for the real training.

Local Business Funnels And Ads:

This course covers the following topics:

• Customizing advertisements
• Get more views on your ads.
• Lead-generating marketing funnels
• Local businesses may use an automatically produced system.
• Facebook’s customer service team
• Pre-made advertising and funnels are available.

 The Expert Academy:

It contains the following items:

• Secret Weapon
• How do you get leads?
• 50 ready-to-use industry funnels
• Advanced training
• Automated System Access
• Calls with a coach every week
• Private facebook group
• Support staff for Messenger
• Lifetime access

This training may include a VIP day, where you get to hang out with Douglas and get some one-on-one time. As you may guess, that part gets very expensive.

Overall, he says these classes teach you how to discover clients – but not how to market the value of your product, which is an important aspect of consumer interaction.

How Much Does Douglas James’ Marketing Cost?

Douglas James is a little less than transparent when it comes to his pricing, but we were able to do some sleuthing and figure out a few points.

• Apparently it will cost you about $4000 just to gain access to his videos
• It will cost over $10,000 if you want to join his Facebook group
• It will cost about $25,000 if you want his team to offer any support beyond the Facebook group
• You’re looking at $50,000 if you want to skip the hard stuff and let his team do the work for you entirely

Dang! I guess we shouldn’t be surprised, considering the nickname he’s given himself.

What About A Refund Policy?

Doesn’t look look very promising if you’re after one!

Douglas James Online Reviews

Let’s check out some reviews – this one isn’t too hot:

“No Integrity No accountability

I wrote a negative review of the Douglas James marketing company on Aug 19,’22 because the Douglas James people did not fulfill their promises. They got in touch the next day to schedule a phone call to go over my account. I paid for the VIP business package of $ 25,000. This is a “done for you” business arrangement where the Company would take care of setting up your business with a client and follow through in 90 days. I even contacted their recruiter who told me what the Douglas James asked him to tell prospective students.

He said the same thing. It’s “done for you” business that they would complete for VIP students in 90 days. These promises were not kept. They’ve modified their language and student expectations in the last couple of months. They no longer make those promises of setting up VIP students with a client. I started this program in Oct. ’21 and there were many other students that have had the same experience. Empty promises.

On the phone call which took place on Aug. 29,’22, they mentioned a refund but wanted to review my account. I emailed them on Oct 4 and got a reply that thanked me for my patience and said they would get back to me as soon as they completed their review. I emailed them again on Oct 12 and got a reply that they were still reviewing my account and would get back to me when they’ve completed their review. I emailed them again on Oct 18 and NO reply. I asked them not to ignore me. No email reply. Since I paid them $25,000 I would have expected them to be professional, honorable and show some accountability. I take no pleasure in writing this review but this has been such a bad experience.”

This one isn’t too great either:

“Are Douglas James Marketing courses worth it?

Douglas James Marketing courses can be worth it for some entrepreneurs, but others might not find any value from them.

Some people will invest their time and money into Douglas James courses because they believe he is an expert in online marketing who knows how to make money online through his training programs. They may also get Douglas James’s personal connecting with the courses to make them feel more trustworthy and legit.

However, some may find Douglas James Marketing Courses are not worth it because they don’t really offer anything new or different from other online marketing companies that teach similar information at a lower cost. They may also be put off by Douglas’s approach on how to market your business and Douglas James Marketing courses may not be the best fit for them.

Is Douglas legitimate or a scam?

It’s hard to say whether Douglas James is a scam or legit, but there are some red flags in Douglas’ marketing approach that you should watch out for when deciding whether DouglasJamesMarketing.com is worth it.

Red flags in Douglas’ marketing approach include his video approach on how to market your business, his lack of transparency about his own background and the courses are not supported by any testimonials or proof that anyone has actually made money from the courses.

Douglas makes it sound like you can make a ton of money with zero work just by following his advice. He claims you can get rich by just following his simple online marketing strategies, but doesn’t really say what students would actually be doing to make money. Douglas does mention that he’s been working with some of the biggest names in business and has helped them generate more traffic for their websites using Google Adwords, which is why Douglas James Marketing costs $3,997. Douglas claims he will share the “secret” to his success with you, but never actually tells anyone what this secret is.

Douglas also doesn’t disclose information about himself or where he lives in his marketing videos. DouglasJamesMarketing.com is based in the U.S., but Douglas doesn’t tell you where he lives or any other personal details about himself. He fails to provide proof that anyone has actually made money from his courses.

Douglas also fails to disclose his credentials on DouglasJamesMarketing and if he is even an expert in online marketing or not! Douglas does say that you will learn how he made over $100 million using Google Adwords for his clients, but Douglas never says why he’s qualified to teach you how to do this.

Overall, I would recommend avoiding Douglas’ courses at all cost. The course isn’t worth $3,997 and Douglas’ lack of transparency is a deal breaker.

If that isn’t enough. Douglas will ask you for over $10,000 if you want support. Yes, that’s right – the $4,000 you give him is for video access only. $10,000 to get in his Facebook group! Absolutely ridiculous if you ask me. 

His prices go even higher. Up to $25,000 for his team to directly help you beyond the Facebook group. Finally, you can spend $50,000 if you want him to do the work for you. Yikes!”

This one is more positive:

“A well-oiled machine with practical…

A well-oiled machine with practical information along the way. The only thing I would tell myself 2 days ago is to be aware that you have to inquire about the additional packages. In the beginning I wanted the premium, completely ready-to-go version and the package presented is the do-it-yourself version. I haven’t had any issues so far with the resources and materials that I’ve been told are provided with this version.

So far, it’s the best I’ve seen since they provide sales videos, facebook ads templates, emails, winning scripts to close the phone calls. I haven’t seen this comprehensive of a training program for marketing success online and I am confident in myself to follow through with the work.”

Another good one:

“The training is top-notch

The training is top-notch, and I have paid for many high-ticket programs in this space. The trainers are knowledgeable and want to help you succeed. I feel like I am pushing my account manager and questioning her about where I am in the process. I think her job should be to push me and my progress? There is so much happening, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed.

I experienced some breakdowns in the “done for you” part of the program for my deliverables. I think they are in a growth mode and fulfillment isn’t keeping up. I don’t think the account managers push along the deliverables process and when I got them, they seemed pretty generic. I can update those to suit my needs, that’s ok. I wouldn’t know where to get the training packaged how they present.”

At the end of the day, the more realistic reviews seemed to be negative.

Final Thoughts

While it may appear simple, managing Facebook Ads is more challenging than most people believe.

While mastering high-ticket advertising strategies might result in high-paying benefits, there are higher risks involved. It advises you on how to succeed, but if things don’t go as planned, you may find support lacking like others have noted.

When you consider the cost of joining and the worth of the information, the course appears to be a little pricey for what you get.

There’s a disconnect between the price and the value that the course material doesn’t appear to fill.

However, pricing should not be the only consideration.

Can this assist you in discovering the success and financial stability that it claims?

If you’re not sure it’ll be a solid financial investment, it’s probably not worth it.

Is Douglas James Marketing A Scam?

So, is Douglas James a scam?

Not technically.

You can make money with his program, but it’s definitely not as easy as he makes it sound.

There’s a ton of work to be done upfront, no real guarantee of success, and – most importantly – running an agency is extremely active income (NOT passive).

Now, there’s nothing wrong with front-loading the work and making the money later.

But if you’re getting into this game to live life on your terms, travel the world, and generate passive or semi-passive income from anywhere, then this isn’t for you.

What if, instead, you could put in a couple hours a day (in your spare time) to build a single digital asset, and your reward was a $500 to $2,000 payment that came in every single month?

And what if you could get started today and have your first payment in as little as a week?

And what if you could double it next week?

Well, that’s the power of Digital Leasing. 

And, unlike a traditional ad agency, you can legitimately do this from anywhere. It’s a true lifestyle business.

Your laptop and an internet connection is all you need.

Some of the most successful students in this program run their entire 6-figure businesses from:

• A camper in the middle of the woods
• A beach chair on the water in Mexico
• A small villa in Greece

They’re able to travel around, living their lives first, and focusing on their income second.

Because even if they stop working for an extended period of time, the money keeps coming in.

So adventure, memories, and experience are the top priority.

And they never have to worry about how to pay for the next trip, or consider asking for time off.

If this sounds more like the type of life you want to lead, just click here to find out more about Digital Leasing.

Are There Alternatives To Douglas James?

Yes, there are plenty of sales programs to choose from if you want to pursue this business model.  We wouldn’t have done a very good job with our Douglas James Marketing Review if we didn’t leave a few, so here’s a handful:

• Cole Gordon
• Matt Marketing Blueprint
• Conversiobot
• Jordan Platten
• Affiliate Marketing Dude

What Is Our #1 Way To Make Money Online In 2025?

Our team has spent months researching, reviewing, and vetting dozens of business models and thousands of programs.

While there may be no “perfect business”, the research IS conclusive:

Digital Leasing is the #1 online business model for those just starting out.

Whether you’ve never made a dollar online, or you’ve been in this space for a while but never really “made it,” Digital Leasing is for you.

Why?

1) It’s Flexible: got an hour a day? You can do this.

Ready to drop everything else and dive in full time? You can do this.

Yes, the more time you put in, the faster you see results. But even with a little time each day, you can move the needle in a Digital Leasing business.

And because this system is so flexible, you don’t have to constantly be working to make more money. It’s called PASSIVE INCOME because if you stop working, the money doesn’t.

Imagine taking 3 months off to just tour around Europe, rent a cabin in the woods to write a book, hike the Appalachian Trail, or live on the beach and surf all day.

This is only possible if you have an income stream that’s not tied to your time.

2) You Own & Control EVERYTHING: With an ad agency, you don’t really own anything. You’re a hired gun for clients, and entirely at their mercy.

Sure, you own your agency, but if your business grinds to a halt once you stop working, all you really have is a self-created job.

With Digital Leasing (a passive income stream), you own all the assets, which means you have all the power and all the control.

3) Little Startup Costs: It’s possible to get into Digital Leasing with little investment upfront.

Because, using the strategies outlined in this program, you can get a client to pay you BEFORE spending a penny out of your own pocket…even before you do any work.

Even without getting paid in advance, you can have your first Digital Rental Property up, running, and generating profits for less than $100.

4) Easy To Duplicate: Ok, here’s the best part: once you have your first Digital Rental Property up and running, it’s very simple to copy it and create a second with just a few clicks. Why is that important? Well, the more you create, the easier it is to create the next which allows you to scale your income quickly.

Remember: each Digital Rental Property is worth $500 to $2,000 a month in semi-passive income (over 90% profit).

Every time you decide to create another one and increase your income, it gets easier.

Because you have more knowledge, more experience, more results, and more momentum.

If you wanted to double your income with an ad agency, you’d have to double your clients OR double the monthly payment of your existing customers.

I guarantee that’s a lot harder than a few clicks and a few minutes of your life.

5) Make Money Helping Real People: This part is what makes it all worth it. With Digital Leasing, you’re actually helping people by solving your clients’ biggest problem:

Small, local businesses need more customers, and with Digital Leasing, you are unleashing a flood of happy, paying customers for these businesses.

You make money by helping them make money.

Not a big, faceless corporation either…a small business owner who’s using that money to put food on the table for their family, start a college fund for their kids, or take care of a sick parent.

Once you see how Digital Leasing makes a real impact in the lives of real people, you’ll sleep like a baby with a big smile on your face.

Now, the choice is yours. You could continue browsing, looking at opportunities like Douglas James’ programs which could one day make you money.

You could continue researching, never making a decision.

OR, you could take a look inside, consider what you really want, and join a program that makes your dreams a reality.

At the same time, joining a community of over 2,000 successful students that are living life on their own terms thanks to Digital Leasing.

A consistent, reliable, semi-passive stream of income that doesn’t depend on you or your time to keep producing profits.

All while genuinely helping real people who are grateful and happy to pay for it.

If this sounds more like what you want out of life (or if you just want some nice side income), click here to learn more about Digital Leasing.