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James and Jason Review (2024 Update): Is Local Marketing Vault Worth Your Time?

By: Joel & Josiah

Jason McKim and James Bonadies are the co-owners of Local Marketing Vault.

Local Marketing Vault is an online coaching program that steps you through the ins and outs of generated leads through Facebook Ads.

A lot of their marketing centers around this idea of local lead generation. The way they generate these leads are through Facebook.

In other words, they’re showing you how to setup your own social media ads agency.

But what’s inside the actual program? And how much does this all cost?

Let’s dive in and find out.

Disclaimer:
This Jason and James review has been thoroughly researched with information and testimonials that are available to anyone in the public. Any conclusions drawn by myself are opinions.
Possible to make money
A good industry when executed correctly
Not necessarily the best gurus out there
Hit-or-miss reputation online
Facebook and Google continue to tighten down on their ad systems

PROS

  • Possible to make money
  • A good industry when executed correctly

CONS

  • Not necessarily the best gurus out there
  • Hit-or-miss reputation online
  • Facebook and Google continue to tighten down on their ad systems

Why Listen To Us?

My name is Josiah, and this is my Dad, Joel.

Together, we make up the team here at Scamrisk.

If you’ll let me bother you for two minutes, I’d like to quickly explain why I’m even here writing this review.

In early 2020, I had just graduated from college & had no real career prospects.

I knew I was destined for something more, but I had no clue how I was going to make it happen.

I had this sinking feeling in my gut all the time… like the “big man upstairs” had accidentally given me the version of life where I’d be mediocre forever, instead of the one where I was, ya know – happy & fulfilled.

Anyway…

I had fiddled around with some different online businesses in college:

Some random MLMs, a bit of affiliate marketing, a (failed) dropshipping store or two, all the usual suspects.

Even my dad had been involved in MLMs back in the day… selling knives & other random nonsense people (probably) didn’t need.

All I really wanted was to find something that was going to actually work for me.

Maybe those things had worked for others, but for me it all turned up a fat “0” in the bank account department.

So I searched! And searched… and searched… and searched…

And eventually, I somehow stumbled upon a program that promised to help me build an income online (read about it here if you’re curious).

I didn’t really want to be “rich”.

The thought of making a reliable $5K per month & not having to worry about clocking in to a 9-to-5 ever again was all I needed.

Sure, there were people in the program doing high-6 and low-7 figures per year… but that wasn’t what I was out for.

I just wanted to provide freedom for myself, and if I was lucky, take my family along for the ride.

Fast forward a few days and a few phone calls & I was enrolled!

Here’s the first “money making website” I put up:

I built that site in 2020, and it still makes me $1,500 per month. It’s a basic 5 page website I built based on a template the program provides.

The best part to me? My dad and I get to do it all together!

So between the:

  1. Ease of reaching $5-$10K per month in income online
  2. Straightforward-ness of the system to do it
  3. Fact that I get to do it w/ my family

Is why I recommend local lead generation as my #1 business model for making money online.

Sure, it takes some work and dedication – but anyone that tells you that there’s a business out there that requires no work is selling you a lemon.

I’m not saying you need to sign up for the same program I did, but I would definitely recommend giving the business model a peek!

Contents

Jason and James’ program, Local Marketing Vault, is an ad agency course. 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?

Living The Beach Lifestyle

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 thousand 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?

Still Getting Paid

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

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

Who Is James Bonadies?

James Bonadies Local Marketing Vault

James Bonadies started off just like the rest of us, desperate to make passive income so he could live life the way it was meant to be lived:

Financially and time free.

After looking at a whole bunch of different business models and even trying some like affiliate marketing, Amazon FBA, and MLM’s…he stumbled across local lead generation.

He joined a program called Job Killing with Dan Klein.

Here’s a picture of them together:

Dan Klein And His Student James Bonadies Local Marketing Vault

James started off learning how to build small websites and rank them in Google.

He would then pass these leads off to small business owners who would give him a cut of the action.

Dan likes this model because over the long term it’s a great way to build passive residual wealth.

However, James needed money NOW.

So he tried out Dan’s model of “Go Fast Look Sexy” and expanded upon it.

James had tremendous success and that’s how he started generating a lot of the leads for his clients.

After a while, he met Jason and the two of them started a partnership in which they created the Local Marketing Vault course.

Who Is Jason McKim?

Jason McKim Local Marketing Vault

Jason is another former student of Dan Klein.

He got into the online business stuff for very similar reasons to his partner Jason.

He wanted money and he basically wanted it now.

Facebook Ads and little local websites were basically his ticket to that.

Jason also wanted to take his health more seriously, something he really couldn’t do with the 9-5 grind.

Today, he focuses on his personal fitness and shares lots of advice on his Instagram regarding diet.

His role within Local Marketing Vault is relatively quiet as he works primarily on the backend systems, while James is the face of front end marketing.

He hops on livestreams with James, however, and is always there for his students.

What Is Local Marketing Vault?

Local Marketing Vault

The most important aspect of the lead-generating company is acquiring clients who more than willing to compensate you for your services.

It is both the most important and the most difficult aspect of the industry.

They concentrate on LinkedIn traffic in this course, which receives high-quality traffic.

There are several methods for obtaining lead-generating customers.

  • Calling from a distance
  • Cold Emailing
  • Using various social media networks

Local Marketing Vault is an online business that will walk you through the intricacies of lead creation.

You will receive instructions on how to build your website, online and offline SEO, and all the ins and outs of making passive income.

The training is adequate, but there are better programs available. It’s another of those make-money-online courses that focus on sales.

Jason and James are the promoters and designers, and to put it simply, it is a how-to course. It teaches you how to discover customers and finalize transactions for those clients.

However, you might be able to figure out a lot of their points by yourself on YouTube, or with a better mentor.

You could even have to run an ad on several platforms to generate interest.

What’s Inside James And Jason’s Program?

Local Marketing Vault Review

Let’s take a more detailed at what exactly these two fellas are offering their customers.

Agency Setup Training

Local Marketing Vault Agency Set Up Training

In this 8-video module you get taught how to set up your agency from scratch.

Everything from business formation to business accounting.

I have found that these videos are pretty informative and are explained in a way that even a true beginner can understand and succeed with.

I like how they cover how to set up collecting payments, some courses neglect that topic, but they don’t.

However, if you are a veteran in the online business space, much of this module will be of no real use to you.

Prospecting Vault

Prospecting Vault Local Marketing Vault

This training is one of a couple that teach you how to go and land clients for yourself.

As you can see, the first module goes over their action plan for you.

The second module “Computer’s Reach” goes over how you can use Upwork to land clients as you can see below:

Local Marketing Vault Upwork Prospecting

The third module shows you how to reach out to business owners through their GMB’s.

The fourth module shows you how to set up quick face to face meetups and emphasizes your elevator pitch.

And lastly they show you how to reach out as a freelancer.

LMV Genesis Training (Main Training)

Local Marketing Vault Genesis Training

This would be considered the “meat and potatoes” of the training.

This is their broad scope overview of the business model you are about to embark on as a whole.

  • They give you a 50,000ft view of the business model.
  • Tell you what kind of services you’ll be able to offer.
  • Educate you on their process of how to sell and close deals.
  • Teach you how to go out and find clients.
  • How to scale your agency.
  • And finally, they tie it all together at the end.

This type of training is pretty average amongst these types of programs online. They do some things really well and other things certainly have room for improvement.

Each of these weekly modules then break down into their own in-depth trainings.

Take a look at week 2 for example:

Local Marketing Vault Week 2 Training

And this is just the half of it…

Most of the other weekly modules are like this as well.

Personally, I think they are certainly giving you lots of content for the price that they charge (which we’ll get into a little further down below).

Local Facebook Mastery

Local Marketing Vault Local Facebook Ads Mastery

As you can see from this screenshot from inside the program, you get a full in-depth training specifically curated for Facebook Ads.

You’ll be covering things like compliance so that you have the best of odds of not being suspended.

You’ll be shown how to research and replicate successful campaigns.

Module 3 Researching Facebook Campaigns Local Marketing Vault

You’ll be shown how to build landing pages and setup your account properly.

Finally you’ll be shown how to set up your first campaign and how to scale/troubleshoot campaigns.

Local PPC Mastery

Local Marketing Vault Local PPC Mastery

This is a 12 module (11 and 1 bonus) training that teaches exactly what you need to do to run a successful Google ads campaign.

Similarly to the Facebook training above, you’ll start out by learning about compliance so that your campaigns don’t get shut down.

Next you’ll cover keyword research so that you can make sure you’re getting the most bang for your buck.

Module 10 Local PPC Mastery Local Marketing Vault

As you can see here in Module 10, they guide you through a full optimization process for every campaign you’ll ever run.

I think this module is super important for any Google Ads training to have and I’m glad these guys have included it.

Especially the Smart Campaigns.

Smart Campaigns are campaigns that will allow you to scale incredibly quick and use Google’s machine learning to put your ads in front of your most ideal audience.

Overall I think this mini training they have contains a lot of value compared to other comparable programs.

Facebook And Google Ads Pre Made Funnels

Local Marketing Vault Successful Paid Ads Campaign

Inside the training you learn everything you need to make the best Facebook ad copy and even some for Google ads.

They claim that these are the types of methods that will help you generate leads in no time – they even dive a little bit into managing PPC campaigns.

Main Menu Local Marketing Vault

Local Marketing Vault Main Menu

This shows you all the training you get while you are in the course. As you can see though, SEO is missing from that list.

They show you how to build funnels, manage PPC and paid ads, and even different tier campaigns.

We do wish we could have seen some fraction of SEOimplemented however, if you have a website with landing pages, even if it’s just two, it’d be a good idea to run some basic SEO on it so that you could potentially grab organic traffic in the long run.

So what else do they offer?

Private Facebook Group

Local Marketing Vault Training Private Facebook Group

Their Facebook group is probably one of the best things Jason McKim and James Bonadies offer. It is very active and it’s filled with people asking questions and getting answers all the time!

Not to mention when you constantly see people winning it helps bolster your own belief that it’s only a matter of time until you succeed.

In our little sneak peak of the course we saw people landing clients every day and screenshots of people showing how many leads they generated for the small businesses they’re working with.

It’s clear that these guys are legit, even if there are stronger gurus out there.

Concerns

Facebook Ads Are Over Used

Everybody and their grandma can throw up a Facebook ad or a Google ad. Although it’s nice they give you pre made ads and funnels, that just means many other people like you are running the same ads. It’s hard to differentiate yourself.

Ad Account Suspensions

Facebook and Google continue to crack down hard on their ad platforms. New rules seem to roll out every day and people have been hit with suspensions overnight, losing everything! It’s definitely hard to keep leads flowing to clients when Facebook shuts you down.

Not Long Term

Ads have always been a short term fix…it’s very hard to keep them going smooth for the long term and requires a lot of work to do so. Not to mention PPC changes all the time and you can quickly be in the red if you are not careful. It is certainly not a passive income option.

What Does The Internet Have To Say?

What Does The Internet Have To Say

I decided to check out some reviews online from sites like Trust Pilot & BBB. Here’s what other people had to say:

“Purchased LMV + Accelerater program during sales process i was told i would get lots of help from Kristal and LMV partners and if wasn’t keen on sales there was a tech side. LMV didn’t have much about learning how to do some tech. Never got any assistance and was ignored by Kristal and most of the LMV partners (except for 1 or 2 people) ultimately had to walk away wasting thousands of dollars.”

According to that review, they feel as though they are lacking on the promised support.

Here’s another poor one:

“Program is very over priced compared to better similar programs (5k). Constantly selling more of other peoples programs as affiliates rather than focusing on improving their own program.

Sold on the premise they keep up to date and working lead generation offers for different niches but they almost never change and if they don’t work its your fault. For the price paid for this program, its ridiculous.

Most good reviews are likely from customers that are being bribed with more content.”

Here’s an example of a review that is more in the middle, neither positive nor negative:

“LMV is good comprehensive system with a great framework for anyone who can follow it. It does tend to favor people who are sales oriented rather than technically oriented. However people who are technically oriented and introverted need help with sales the most. LMV can be overwhelming to such people (like me). The founders are coming from their own perspective and therefore this is to be expected.”

And finally, let’s run over to the BBB.

Local Marketing Vault BBB

“LMV is literally thee best coaching program that I have ever invested in. When you start a lead gen ******** or whatever it may be, there is a lot of Trial and Error with running advertisement online.. Ad Copy, Images, Funnels etc.. LMV Provides time tested funnels for multiple niches that are set up for you so you can have confidence that the results you promise your client will actually be fulfilled. I can’t say enough good things about this program, if you are serious about taking control of your life and significantly increasing your income to live life on your terms, then these are the people you want to connect with.”

That review seems legitimate, however I am skeptical as to why they have multiple BBB profiles and why out of all them, only one profile has reviews…and it’s only 2 of them.

To me, that just doesn’t make sense when something like Trust Pilot has over 900.

Are Jason And James Running A Scam?

Scam or Legit

So, is Local Marketing Vault a scam?

Not technically.

It’s a perfectly respectable lead generation program. It’s just not our #1 choice.

Because Digital Leasing has taken the lead generation model and put it on steroids.

It innovates on every part of the business model and makes it so accessible that pretty much anyone can succeed at it.

What if 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 a week? And what if you could double it next week?

Well, that’s the power of Digital Leasing. 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

TESTIMONIAL - SAYING GOODBYE TO OUR JOBS

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.

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.

How Much Does Jason And James’ Program Cost?

local marketing vault cost how much

Local Marketing Vault will cost around $5,000 to join, and they are adding new students every day.

With that said, it never seems as though the price is set in stone and is likely to increase as time goes on and more students are added.

Jason And James Refund Policy

local marketing vault refund policy

This is one of the only times I can remember a Terms and Conditions page not containing a single mention of the word “refund”.

I’d take that as pretty good evidence that once you fork over your $5000, you are likely not getting it back.

Are There Alternatives To James And Jason?

alternatives scamrisk

Yes, there are plenty of other business models to choose from if you want to pursue this making money online. Here are just a few:

What Is My Top Recommendation For Making Money In 2023?

 

Digital Real Estate

Our review 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.

 

TESTIMONIAL - JUMP ALL IN

2) You Own & Control EVERYTHING: Unlike other lead generation models, Digital Leasing gives you full ownership over every single asset, which means you have all the power and all the control.

 

TESTIMONIAL - FEELING BLESSED

3) Little To No Startup Costs: It’s possible to get into Digital Leasing with zero dollars 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.

 

TESTIMONIAL - SCOTT LEAD GEN

4) Easy To Duplicate: Ok, here’s the best part: once you have your first Digital Rental Property up and running, you can literally DOUBLE your income with a few clicks, a couple keystrokes, and a single phone call (and you don’t actually need the phone call).

Remember: each Digital Rental Property is worth $500 to $2,000 a month in semi-passive income (over 95% 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.

 

TESTIMONIAL - LANCE LEAD GEN

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.

 

TESTIMONIAL - BOSS OF MY FUTURE

Now, the choice is yours.

You could continue browsing, looking at opportunities like Local Marketing Vault 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.

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