From Marine to serial entrepreneur, Justin Henshaw’s story is one of a kind. As the Founder and CEO of GAGE, he’s shaking up the workforce for good with the first Universal Employment Recognition System. Tune in to hear his revolutionary approach to creating measurable metrics around career growth—while keeping people at the center of it all.
Bio: Justin’s story emerges from a traumatic childhood—the kind more often seen in movies. But this isn’t fiction. It’s a real-life story of overcoming parental substance abuse, neglect, poverty, and the loss of his mother to suicide—all by the age of eight.
His life took a turn when he and his sister were raised by their grandmother, a hardworking woman juggling two jobs to make ends meet. That stability planted the seeds of perseverance.
Justin had an early passion for music and theater and dreamed of pursuing acting. But everything changed on September 11, 2001. He was in Manhattan, blocks away from the Twin Towers, when the attacks happened. The chaos, devastation, and heroism he witnessed firsthand became a defining moment.
Inspired to serve, Justin enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. He spent six years in the Infantry, serving multiple combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan—including surviving the Battle of Fallujah. Those experiences forged in him a deep resilience, discipline, and unwavering drive that would later shape his journey as an entrepreneur.
After an honorable discharge in 2008, Justin began the next chapter of his life. Using funds from his final deployment, he bought a sound system and began DJing weddings to make ends meet. That scrappy start turned into Island Sound, his first business and a launchpad for a series of entrepreneurial ventures.
He went on to build a portfolio of companies across hospitality, food service, and events—including a successful mobile food business, Coasters. Over the years, Justin has founded, owned, and operated more than a dozen businesses, including 10 restaurants, many of which are still operating today.
In the midst of it all, he married the love of his life and became a proud father to two daughters. Family remains his biggest motivation.
Today, Justin is tackling his most ambitious venture yet: GAGE. A revolutionary digital platform, GAGE is the world’s first Universal Employment Recognition System—built to empower frontline and hourly workers with verified, transferable records of performance. It’s a bold reimagining of how work is measured, valued, and rewarded.
Justin’s journey is proof that no matter your background, what you studied, or where you started—if you have the will and the passion, anything is possible.
Justin's Something Extra: "Remember that there is no such thing as failure—because you’re just learning. You haven’t lost until you quit."
Guest Links:
- Lisa Nichols, Host
- Jenny Heal, Executive Producer
- Joe Szynkowski, Marketing Support
- Kendall Brewer, Director of Leadership Programs
- Portside Media, Podcast Engineer
