The Diary of a CEOGymshark CEO: How I Built A $1.5 Billion Business At 19! Ben Francis
Steven Bartlett and Ben Francis on from Shy Teen To Billionaire CEO: Ben Francis’s Gymshark Blueprint.
In this episode of The Diary of a CEO, featuring Ben Francis and Steven Bartlett, Gymshark CEO: How I Built A $1.5 Billion Business At 19! Ben Francis explores from Shy Teen To Billionaire CEO: Ben Francis’s Gymshark Blueprint Ben Francis recounts how he built Gymshark from a bedroom startup into a multi‑billion dollar global fitness brand before turning 30, emphasizing luck, timing, obsessive learning, and relentless hard work. He explains how early influences—manual graft with his grandad, a practical IT course, and gaming—shaped his entrepreneurial mindset and approach to building teams. A major thread is his personal evolution: from an arrogant, introverted, ‘Hurricane Ben’ founder to a self‑aware CEO who uses 360° feedback, coaches, and role changes to deliberately re‑engineer his own weaknesses. He also shares candidly about co‑founder separation, social‑media pile‑ons, office vs remote work, future retail plans, and why he chose to step back into the hardest job in the company.
At a glance
WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT
From Shy Teen To Billionaire CEO: Ben Francis’s Gymshark Blueprint
- Ben Francis recounts how he built Gymshark from a bedroom startup into a multi‑billion dollar global fitness brand before turning 30, emphasizing luck, timing, obsessive learning, and relentless hard work. He explains how early influences—manual graft with his grandad, a practical IT course, and gaming—shaped his entrepreneurial mindset and approach to building teams. A major thread is his personal evolution: from an arrogant, introverted, ‘Hurricane Ben’ founder to a self‑aware CEO who uses 360° feedback, coaches, and role changes to deliberately re‑engineer his own weaknesses. He also shares candidly about co‑founder separation, social‑media pile‑ons, office vs remote work, future retail plans, and why he chose to step back into the hardest job in the company.
IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING
5 ideasDeliberately audit your strengths and weaknesses, then sequence what you work on.
Ben literally wrote two lists in 2015: what he was good at (brand, product, marketing, understanding the customer) and what he was bad at (public speaking, people management, operations, finance). For 3–4 years he chose to lean hard into his strengths—moving into brand and marketing roles and stepping away from CEO. Only once those strengths were rock solid did he consciously turn to his weaknesses, using coaching and exposure to improve. Practically: write your own list, pick one side to focus on for a defined period, and design your role and learning around it.
Use brutal 360° feedback as a trigger for real self‑awareness.
A 360 review described Ben as “erratic, hot‑headed, arrogant, poor manager.” He initially rejected it until his partner read it and said, “That’s the most you thing I have ever read.” That moment—“everything came crashing down around me”—forced him to accept that his self‑image was wrong and that he had to change. Actionable step: run a truly anonymous 360 (or at least ask trusted colleagues for written, candid feedback), don’t argue with it, sit with it, then pick specific behaviors to change (e.g. how you give feedback, how you react under pressure).
Hire people better than you and genuinely vacate the seat.
Ben repeatedly replaced himself: first as CEO (by Steve), then as Chief Brand Officer (by Noel), then in other functional roles. He brought in specialists from Reebok, local e‑commerce, etc., then consciously refused to ‘play the shareholder card’ and overrule them. This both accelerated Gymshark’s growth and became his primary way to learn. For founders: aggressively recruit people who outclass you in specific domains, give them real authority, and treat your discomfort at being ‘outperformed’ as fuel, not a threat.
Treat curiosity and insatiable learning as an unfair advantage.
From pestering ‘the business guy’ at his gym with questions, to DM‑ing an old acquaintance on Facebook for e‑commerce advice, to studying how his own executives manage people, Ben turns every interaction into a lesson. He calls his job “the luckiest on Earth” because he gets to learn from the best people in the world. Practically: adopt a question‑asking habit, actively watch how high‑performers operate, and view your role less as “decision‑maker” and more as “professional learner.”
You don’t need to quit your job to start; use it as a superpower.
Ben worked at Pizza Hut for £4–5/hour while Gymshark was already doing hundreds of thousands in revenue. He strongly cautions against the online ‘just quit’ narrative: a stable job lets you fund the business without draining it, and if startup #1 fails you can still eat while you try #2, #3, #4. His advice: keep your job as long as possible, pour your free time and surplus cash into your venture, and only step away when the trade‑off is obvious and the downside covered.
WORDS WORTH SAVING
5 quotesI didn’t want to identify with those things, I didn’t want to say, ‘Ben is that,’ because I didn’t want to be that.
— Ben Francis
I read the 360 feedback and thought, ‘This is not me.’ My wife read it and said, ‘That’s the most you thing I have ever read.’ Everything came crashing down around me because there was nowhere to hide.
— Ben Francis
I don’t want it to be a bit like, ‘Ben founded the business and that’s all he did.’ I want to do way more than that.
— Ben Francis
If every time someone failed you just moved them out of the business, all you’d be left with is a group of people that have never failed. And that’s dangerous.
— Ben Francis
Honestly, just keep trying and keep trying and don’t be afraid to fail. I’ve never met anyone who was genuinely successful that wasn’t hardworking.
— Ben Francis
QUESTIONS ANSWERED IN THIS EPISODE
5 questionsYou described sequencing your development by focusing on strengths first, then weaknesses; if you had to do it again from zero, would you change that order or timing in any way?
Ben Francis recounts how he built Gymshark from a bedroom startup into a multi‑billion dollar global fitness brand before turning 30, emphasizing luck, timing, obsessive learning, and relentless hard work. He explains how early influences—manual graft with his grandad, a practical IT course, and gaming—shaped his entrepreneurial mindset and approach to building teams. A major thread is his personal evolution: from an arrogant, introverted, ‘Hurricane Ben’ founder to a self‑aware CEO who uses 360° feedback, coaches, and role changes to deliberately re‑engineer his own weaknesses. He also shares candidly about co‑founder separation, social‑media pile‑ons, office vs remote work, future retail plans, and why he chose to step back into the hardest job in the company.
When you read that 360° feedback calling you arrogant and a poor manager, were there any specific, concrete behaviors you decided to stop or start the very next week?
In hindsight, what was the single most pivotal hire (Paul, Steve, Niran, Noel, etc.) where you can clearly see Gymshark’s trajectory change—and what exactly did they do differently from you?
You’re planning a London flagship as a ‘community hub’ rather than just a store; can you walk through the most unconventional thing you want people to experience there that a traditional retailer would never sign off?
You openly acknowledge that convergence of fitness, DTC, and social media was a huge stroke of luck; looking at today’s landscape (AI, creator economy, Web3, etc.), where do you think the next ‘Gymshark‑level’ convergence is most likely to appear?
Chapter Breakdown
Origins: Family Graft, Practical Learning, And Early Sparks
Ben and Steven set up the conversation around how formative experiences shape founders. Ben describes working with his grandad lining industrial furnaces, absorbing stories of risk and responsibility, and watching his mum’s NHS work ethic. A practical IT BTEC taught him Photoshop and Dreamweaver—tools he later used to build Gymshark—reinforcing that he’s a hands‑on learner.
From Bedroom Brand To Real Business: Hiring Up And Dropping Ego
Ben explains Gymshark’s evolution from a group of friends to a serious, scalable company. He candidly admits early arrogance—insisting on his own way—and how that collided with the need to attract and retain ‘great people.’ Encounters at the gym and online led to key hires like Paul, Steve (ex‑Reebok), and Niran, and he realized he had to collaborate, not dictate.
World Of Warcraft, Avengers Teams, And Startup vs Scaleup Talent
Using World of Warcraft and the Avengers as analogies, Ben explains why no single person can do everything in a serious company. He contrasts the early need for generalist, hungry friends who’ll ‘do whatever it takes’ with the later need for deep specialists in product, finance, and brand. Managing the emotional cost of outgrowing early loyal team members becomes one of his hardest jobs.
Co‑Founders, Roles, And The Pain Of Diverging Visions
Ben recounts co‑founding Gymshark with his school friend Lewis, why their partnership eventually ended, and how that changed his role. Without clear roles early on, diverging visions emerged as the business professionalized. Lewis exited operationally in 2014/15, retaining equity until a later sell‑down, while Ben was pulled into being the ‘face’ of Gymshark.
From Nervous Introvert To Confident Communicator: Re‑Wiring Personality
Steven contrasts a visibly nervous Ben he first met in 2015 with the confident speaker he sees now. Ben explains that period was one of intense self‑reflection: he listed his strengths and weaknesses, decided to lean into strengths for several years, and later attacked weaknesses like public speaking and people management. Crucially, he refused to ‘identify’ with traits like shyness as permanent.
The 360° Wake‑Up Call And Learning To Lead Without Being A ‘Hurricane’
A brutal 360‑degree feedback report shattered Ben’s self‑image, describing him as arrogant, erratic, and a poor manager. His partner’s confirmation forced him to confront his flaws. He chose to move out of CEO into a brand role, brought in Steve as CEO, and watched him carefully to improve. Over time he learned to give feedback with empathy and to stop being ‘Hurricane Ben’ who bulldozed people.
Public Speaking, Coaching, And The Power Of Prepared ‘Impromptu’ Stories
Ben details how he overcame fear of cameras and crowds. His wife, a former YouTuber, drilled him on‑camera, while formal public‑speaking coaching helped him develop pre‑prepared sentences and stories he could lean on. With practice, he moved from panic‑answering to being comfortable, buying himself time to think and respond thoughtfully on stage and in interviews.
Why A Glass‑Box CEO: Vlogging, Transparency, And Controlling The Narrative
Steven challenges Ben on why he’s vlogging inside a billion‑dollar brand when most CEOs stay hidden behind PR. Ben wants to recreate for others what his grandad’s stories did for him—showing that ambitious businesses can be built from the UK without huge leverage. He also implicitly gains reputational ‘insurance’: when the media attacks, there’s a deep public record of his real character.
COVID, Remote Work, And Building A Campus Culture
Ben recounts how Gymshark weathered COVID: technically prepared for remote work and commercially buoyed by home fitness, but challenged by the human side. Seeing staff working from tiny studios while his mum battled on NHS wards sharpened his sense of responsibility. He now champions a flexible but office‑centric model, investing heavily in a Solihull campus as a cultural and learning hub.
Chaos, Criticism, And Social‑Media Pile‑Ons: Building Resilience
Steven challenges the perception that Ben has avoided real chaos. Ben counters that growth itself is daily chaos—inventory, hiring, scaling to 900 people. He then describes a major social‑media backlash after a staff member replied sarcastically to a ‘Blue Lives Matter’ comment. The resulting death threats and abuse forced him to draw on deep resilience while still showing up for his team.
Masculinity, Emotions, And Future Fatherhood
They pivot to mental health and emotional expression. Ben admits he struggles to talk about feelings, influenced by strong, stoic male role models, yet recognizes the limits of that pattern. Steven pushes him to think about breaking generational cycles around men’s emotions, especially as Ben considers having children and balancing CEO duties with being a present father.
Gymshark’s Future: Iconic British Brand, Global Ambition, And Physical Retail
Ben lays out his long‑term vision: Gymshark as the British answer to Nike, Adidas, or Lululemon—a truly global, iconic brand rooted in the UK. He is channel‑agnostic as long as that goal is served, which now includes moving into physical retail. A London flagship, conceived as a community hub rather than just a shop, is in the works, alongside a continued focus on gym‑specific product.
Founders, Replacement, And The Importance Of Talent Density
Steven probes what happens if Ben disappears from Gymshark. Ben believes the company would continue due to a very strong executive team that outperforms him in their domains. They agree that the true game is talent: companies are ‘groups of people,’ and the best leaders are essentially world‑class talent scouts. Ben’s perspective is shaped by seeing operators like Shopify’s Harley Finkelstein and Tobi Lütke up close.
Advice To Aspiring Entrepreneurs: Passion, Jobs, Failure, And Hard Work
In a more tactical segment, Ben answers two common questions: what if you have no idea or money, and what if you have an idea but a job? He advocates starting from genuine passion, experimenting within that space, and expecting multiple failed attempts. He strongly advises against impulsively quitting stable work, instead using a job as a funding and safety mechanism while repeatedly ‘swinging the bat.’
Closing Reflections: Pressure As Privilege And Time As The Greatest Gift
The conversation closes with reflections on pressure, purpose, and gratitude. Ben sees CEO pressure as a privilege tied to his chosen challenge; he continues because he loves the game and wants to be a great long‑term operator, not just a founder. Asked what the greatest gift another human has given him is, he answers ‘time’—the hours mentors, his wife, family, and team have invested in his growth.
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