Gymshark CEO: How I Built A $1.5 Billion Business At 19: Ben Francis

The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett

FlightStory

Society & Culture, Business, Education

4.6 • 13.2K Ratings

🗓️ 27 December 2021

⏱️ 95 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Ben Francis has achieved incredible success it is easy to forget how young he still is. Founding Gymshark, a leading gym wear brand, when he was still in his teens, the company is now worth over $1.5 billion. But it hasn’t always been easy for Ben. He is naturally shy and introverted, and public speaking is something that didn’t come naturally to him. Naturally resilient and sure of his mission, Ben had to learn how to transmit these feelings within himself to leading a top team. It took a lot of work and dedication, but through time and effort Ben was able to overcome his fears and inspire those around him. Ben has gone from earning £5 an hour at Pizza Hut to pay his way through university to running one of the most exciting and fastest growing companies in the country. It was an absolute pleasure to sit down with him and hear his wisdom, and I know that you’ll think exactly the same way. Follow Ben: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/benfrancis Twitter - https://twitter.com/BenFrancis1992 Follow me: https://beacons.ai/diaryofaceo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	If we go right back to the start, I had a vision, I had an idea, and I was so passionate about it.
0:05.3	I just want Jim Schart to be a truly iconic great brand, a leader in culture and helps inspire people around the world.
0:13.0	That was a period of great self-reflection for me.
0:15.0	What I'm about at, what I'm a good at, and I decided to lean into my strengths.
0:18.6	In the early days I'd have gone, I'm introverted, shy, you know, and I'm not good at people management, but I didn't want to identify with those things.
0:25.8	You should be able to look at those things and try and solve them.
0:28.6	Everything came crashing down around me because there was nowhere to hide.
0:32.2	Like that definitely hit me and it definitely hurt me and I really felt like I was carrying that burden.
0:37.0	Honestly, just keep trying and keep trying and don't be afraid to fail.
0:41.0	I think that's so, so, so important. I've never met anyone who was genuinely
0:46.1	successful that wasn't hard working. Ben Francis, the guest that you requested again and again and again.
0:59.7	He is the founder and now the CEO of Jimmschark, the global gym brand worth billions and billions and billions
1:08.4	that started right here in the UK. Founded by Ben who was in his early 20s and who is still in his 20s now as he's
1:15.8	leading the global brand all around the world with 900 employees. This is a
1:21.0	conversation I have honestly looked forward to for a long long time because there is nobody else in the UK like Ben that has built such an iconic company that you see everywhere that has maintained its integrity while they're still in their 20s.
1:35.1	Ben's net worth is probably pretty close to or over a billion dollars and
1:40.8	remarkably he's one of the most humble individuals one of the most
1:45.0	introspective self-aware people I have ever met a really good guy and if you're
1:50.8	someone that someday might want to follow in his footsteps or you want to build a business or just pursue
1:56.0	The thing that matters to you the most then this is the conversation for you. I can't wait for you to hear this
2:05.8	So without further ado, I'm Stephen Bartlett and this is the diary of a CEO. I hope nobody's listening, but if you are, then please keep this to
2:10.7	yourself. When I look back on my life, I only in hindsight have managed to start piecing together some
	...

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