Deep Dive with Ali Abdaal

E1 Delivering Pizzas to Managing a Billion Dollar Business | Ben Francis Gymshark CEO

Sep 27, 2021

01:36:11

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Episode guests

Ben Francis

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Highlights

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Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

The founder of Gymshark had to reinvent himself multiple times throughout the journey, from being the driving force behind the business to working collaboratively and rallying the team around the company's vision.

As Gymshark grew, the founder learned the importance of adaptability, distribution of control, and building an effective team, going from having little knowledge about finances and taxes to running a billion-dollar business.

Having a clear organizational structure brings clarity and efficiency to a business, leading to better overall coordination and understanding of how different functions interact.

Surrounding yourself with genuinely brilliant people who are better than you in their respective areas is crucial for revolutionizing teams, businesses, and brands and achieving success.

Deep dives

The early days of Jim Shark and the first event

In the early days of Jim Shark, the team consisted of the founder, Lewis, and a few friends. They started by hand-making clothes and selling supplements. Their first major breakthrough came when they attended the BodyPower event in 2012, where they completely sold out of their products. This event marked a turning point for the business and led to exponential growth.

Importance of Working with Great People in Business

01:41

How to be a successful content creator

01:29

The Importance of a Solid Business Education and Practical Experience

01:18

The Viral Success and Overnight Transformation of a Web-based Business

01:15

Introduction

2min

How Did You Get Started With Web Development?

2min

Web Development - Is That So Interesting?

2min

Web Sides - I Love Them

2min

How to Make a Fitness Aps

2min

Astonas Business School

2min

Running Business Is Far, Far Larger Than Jim Shark

3min

How to Grow a New Tube?

4min

Shop Ifi Is a Great Platform for Fitness

4min

10.

Body Power - When Did It Take Off?

5min

11.

Ik, I'm on to Something

2min

12.

We've Done Too Much on You to Send Product to People

2min

13.

What Was Your Time Management at the Time?

3min

14.

What Dod the Team Look Like?

3min

15.

Investing in a Radiator

2min

16.

The Most Difficult Change for a Small Business

4min

17.

Outsorse Editing

2min

18.

How Did You Find the Right People?

2min

19.

You're in the Business Sing Le Day

3min

20.

Chip Marketing Officer - Is That Your Career?

2min

21.

Transition Food for You Now, Being a C O

2min

22.

Do We Hire People With Experience?

3min

23.

How to Grow a Business in the Premiership

2min

24.

Are You More Hungry Than You Were?

2min

25.

The Passion for the Business, Nligon

2min

26.

A New Orchard for Reproduction, Production, Production

2min

27.

Part Time Productivity Planners

3min

28.

I Want to Be a Public Speaking Coach

3min

29.

You Just Have to Be Consistent

2min

30.

How Did You Start the Ugyp Channel?

2min

31.

I Love the Idea of Inspiring People to Build Businesses

2min

32.

I've Been Beaten With a Stick Round the Head So Many Times Now.

2min

33.

How to Make the Best Video in the World

4min

34.

Is There Any Need for You to Review a Video?

2min

35.

How Dos It Work?

2min

36.

The Only Thing I Really Do for the Usyp Channel Is Talk to a Camera

2min

37.

Is Content the Lifeblood of the Business?

2min

38.

How Did You Do Axod Again?

2min

39.

You Have Too You Love Case, Otherwise You'll End Up Giving Up

2min

"We'll look back at this period in ten, twenty, thirty years time as the moment of opportunity"

In this first ever episode of Deep Dive, Ali sits down with Ben Francis, the founder and CEO of leading UK Billion-Dollar fitness brand, Gymshark. Ben founded Gymshark at only 19 years old while studying at Aston University. With only his £5 an hour pizza delivery shift money in his back pocket, Ben went from hand making and screen printing clothes in a shed with a group of friends to owning one of the fastest growing global brands in fitness.

Once the antidote to what Ben calls a "selfish-problem", Gymshark is now the host of a global community of athletes, artists, visionaries, and innovators with a mission to inspire individuals to achieve the extraordinary. But the question is, how did he do it? In the episode Ben and Ali have a candid and in-depth conversation about building a viral brand, self-development and why the age of entrepreneurialism is now. Ben also gives Ali advice on his new business structure, offering tips on hiring, distributing control and how to reinvent yourself as a business person.

Some topics of conversation: