1965: Ben Gay joined Holiday Magic after answering a small classified ad in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He and Zig Ziglar became the company's top two salespeople.

What happens when you suddenly get access to people operating at a level you've never seen before?

Ben Gay the Third knows. He's a veteran sales trainer, author, and entrepreneur — and one of the most prominent figures in the early days of direct selling. He started as a distributor at Holiday Magic, and by age 27, he was running the whole United States operation as president.

So what did he see in those rooms?

What changed the way he thought about business? Who impressed him — and who let him down? Who taught him something he still uses to this day?

We're going to talk about what he learned about success that wasn't in any book. How he figured out the difference between a real salesperson and someone who was just good at manipulating people. Whether being around the ultra-successful changed his own definition of what success even means.

And we'll get into what he learned about ethics — from watching people who had very questionable ethics. Plus: who did Ben meet that made him think, "I never want to become that person."

Show Notes

What do you learn when you suddenly get access to people who are operating at a level you've never seen before?

Ben Gay III is a veteran sales trainer, author, and entrepreneur who became one of the most prominent figures in the early direct-selling industry. He started with Holiday Magic as a distributor and eventually rose to become president of Holiday Magic in the United States at age 27.

What happens when someone you admire turns out to be someone you can no longer trust?

In our latest conversation on The Closers Inner Circle Podcast, Ben Gay III shares a difficult chapter from his business career, including a staggering financial loss, a decision to stand by his principles, and lessons about trust, loyalty, and integrity.

We also talk about the importance of taking responsibility for our own opportunities and learning to recognize when perseverance means changing direction rather than continuing down the same road.

These aren't lessons learned from a textbook. They're lessons learned the hard way.

Join Ben and me for a conversation about the experiences that shape us, the people who teach us, and what we learn when things don't go as planned.

Coming up in later episodes:

Never Celebrate a Victory You Haven't Won Yet

The People Who Taught Me What NOT to Do

The 800 Number That Started an Industry

The Nickel in My Pocket - How do you rebuild when you've lost almost everything?

From Death Row to the Crystal Cathedral

SPONSORED BY: Your prospect can understand every fact in your presentation and still say no. The reason is not that logic does not matter. It is that emotion often gets there first. After 50 years in radio and advertising, Paul Larche wrote The Divided Brain to help business leaders understand what people notice, trust and remember. The book earned a 10/10 BookLife score and Editor’s Pick recognition. Find the
book and learn more about Paul’s keynote work at paullarche.com.


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