Early life and education[edit]

Gage was born and raised by his mother.[14] After being charged with armed robbery at age 15
to fund a drug deal,[15][16] he was expelled from Madison West High School and served time
in juvenile jail.[14][15][16] Released on probation in 1975,[14] he moved to Miami, Florida and worked
as a dishwasher in a Pancake house on minimum wage,[1][14][15][16] becoming a manager at the
age of 16.[15] At the age of 20, he started in the network marketing industry with Amway.[14][15] At
30 he opened his second pizza restaurant, but after it failed was left heavily in debt.[14][15][16]

Career[edit]
Gage began writing self-help books on the subject of prosperity from 1990.[4][15][16] He formed the
coaching and training business "Gage Research & Development Institute, Inc." (GR&DI) in
1991,[15] I andn March 1996 he released the audio coaching program How to Earn at Least
$100,000 a Year in Network Marketing.[17]
In 2001, he published How to Build a Multi-level Money Machine: The Science of Network
Marketing,[18] considered to be the seminal textbook to success in the network marketing
business.[1][19] Gage has since written nine other books,[4][8] including two New York Times
bestsellers, the John Wiley & Sons published 2012 best seller Risky is the New
Safe,[20][2][3][21] and 2016, Mad Genius.[22][23] He has also authored a series of self-help audio and
video materials, releasing over 50 resources which have been translated into 25
languages.[19][24] As well as coaching around the subject of prosperity,[4][9][10] Gage also lectures
globally.[1][11][15][16][25][26][27] A report about his book, Why You're Dumb, Sick and Broke...And How to
Get Smart, Healthy and Rich!, says that "Gage asserts [in the book] that many of us have
prejudices about wealth and false beliefs about success that are holding us back."[28][29] An
article published in March 2013 by Forbes featured Gage's work as one of the most disruptive
marketing trends of 2013.[30]
A member of the National Speakers Association (NSA),[14][31] in July 2013 Gage was inducted
into the NSA's Council of Peers Award for Excellence (CPAE) Speaker Hall of Fame,[32] and at
the same event won NSA's Nido Qubein Philanthropist of the Year Award.[33]