From School Locker Sales to $10M in Revenue: How Russell Sage is Disrupting the High-Ticket Landscape Before High School Graduation.
At 16, Russell Sage was living a double life. By day, he was a junior in a New Jersey public high school, navigating the rigors of honors classes and the physical demands of the varsity wrestling team. By afternoon, the hum of the classroom was replaced by the relentless ping of 500 text messages from business owners, sales teams, and students. While his peers were focused on what to eat for breakfast or their next workout, Sage was managing the backend systems of multi-million dollar offers and training high-ticket sales reps.
This juxtaposition defines Russell Sage’s journey—a relentless pursuit of excellence that began not in a boardroom, but at a middle school locker. Today, as the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Thumber Academy, Sage has transcended the role of a “teenage entrepreneur” to become a formidable sales strategist who has generated over $10 million in revenue. His story is a masterclass in the “pattern interrupt,” proving that the most powerful asset in business isn’t a thirty-year resume, but the courage to be authentically oneself.
From Pokémon Cards to No Limit Apparel
The entrepreneurial spark was not a late-blooming interest for Sage; it was an innate drive. As early as pre-school, he was captivated by the art of the deal, bartering Pokemon cards and candies with a natural intuition for value. By the sixth grade, he had established his first “storefront” out of his school locker, flipping Tech Decks for a profit. These early ventures were more than childhood hobbies; they were the sandbox where he learned the fundamental laws of supply and demand.
At 14, while most freshmen were adjusting to high school life, Sage launched his first official venture: No Limit Apparel. Starting with just $50, he navigated the complexities of organic social media marketing and a pre-order business model. While the brand eventually collapsed after he reinvested his $3,000 profit into inventory he couldn’t move, the “failure” provided a priceless education. “I started Thumber Academy because a few years ago when I was 14 and just getting into entrepreneurship, I found it difficult to find the proper information and guidance, meaning it took me longer than it should have to find success.” This early setback shifted his focus from the physical product to the psychology of the sale, setting the stage for his rapid ascent in the digital service space.
Mastering the Art of the “Pattern Interrupt”
Sage’s entry into the high-ticket sales world was marked by a realization that would become his signature strategy. Initially, he attempted to mask his youth, adopting corporate jargon and lowering his voice to sound like a seasoned executive. He would talk about “ROI for Q4” in an attempt to fit a mold he thought the industry required. The breakthrough came when he dropped the act. He discovered that being a teenager who actually understood the product was a “pattern interrupt” for prospects. When a potential client expects a polished 30-year-old and instead hears a focused, knowledgeable 17-year-old, they don’t tune out—they lean in.
This authenticity propelled him to become a top-performing high-ticket closer, consistently reaching an 81% close rate and generating up to $150,000 in cash collected in a single month. His trajectory quickly shifted from closing deals to building the engines that drive them. As a Growth Advisor and Sales Manager for major brands, Sage specialized in scaling operations from the ground up. He wasn’t just selling; he was hiring, training, and building CRM infrastructures. Even as his income climbed, Sage remained grounded in the reality of the grind. “Nobody tells you that more money just means more to manage. If you’re chasing a number thinking it’ll make things easier, it won’t. It’ll just change what keeps you up at night.”
Thumber Academy and a Legacy of Mentorship
Now a senior in high school, Sage has shifted his focus from individual success to collective impact. As the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Thumber Academy, he mentors over 300 students, helping them break into the high-ticket remote sales space. His mission is to provide the guidance he lacked at 14, shortening the learning curve for the next generation of hungry entrepreneurs. For Sage, the metric of success has evolved. While he has overseen $10M in revenue generation, his primary driver is the “wins” of his students. He has built a culture that rejects “autopilot” living, encouraging his peers and students to embrace discomfort as a prerequisite for growth. “Do something uncomfortable every single day. Do not live in comfort, and definitely do not live on autopilot. The trick is consistency… you’ll look back soon and be surprised how far you’ve gone.”
Leading with Consistency
As Russell Sage prepares to graduate high school, his vision extends far beyond his diploma. He continues to build systems that merge sales strategy, personal branding, and digital marketing to create tangible results for his clients and students. His leadership philosophy is built on the pillars of transparency, deep work, and the belief that impact is the only sustainable goal in business.
Sage’s journey serves as a reminder that age is secondary to the ability to solve problems and deliver value. Whether he is on the wrestling mat or in a strategy session for a global offer, his approach remains the same: stay consistent, stay authentic, and never stop pushing the boundaries of what is possible.
Editorial Note
Russell Sage’s journey from a sixth-grade locker room “CEO” to a high-ticket sales powerhouse proves that leadership is a matter of discipline, not age. His story challenges us to stop waiting for the “right time” to pursue our ambitions and to instead embrace the discomfort of growth today. For those looking to scale their impact or break into the world of high-ticket sales, Sage’s path offers a blueprint for success built on authenticity and relentless consistency.
