Gymshark CEO Explains His Strategy For Global Success - Ben Francis

Ben Francis is the CEO & founder of Gymshark. Bootstrapping a company from nothing to a multi-billion-dollar valuation at a young age is not easy. Starting a family, with twins, whilst navigating the changing political landscape and supplier tensions from the East makes this even harder. But there are some principles Ben has developed to survive this chaos. Expect to learn what 3 traits Ben has observed in all the high performers he's met, how his upbringing helped shape him into a successful CEO, Ben’s thoughts on modern masculinity, how what the world needs from fitness culture has changed, the biggest red flags to watch out for when recruiting new talent, what founders don't know about the challenges of being a CEO and much more... Sponsors: Get 10% discount on all Gymshark’s products at https://bit.ly/sharkwisdom (use code: MW10) Get £150 discount on Eight Sleep products at https://eightsleep.com/modernwisdom (discount automatically applied) Get 5 Free Travel Packs, Free Liquid Vitamin D and more from Athletic Greens at https://athleticgreens.com/modernwisdom (discount automatically applied) Extra Stuff: Follow Ben on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/benfrancis/ Get my free Reading List of 100 books to read before you die → https://chriswillx.com/books/ To support me on Patreon (thank you): https://www.patreon.com/modernwisdom #business #mindset #fitness - 00:00 Intro 00:32 Common Traits of the Highest Performers 05:36 Can You Be Outspoken as a Public Figure? 11:30 The Hidden Challenges of Being a CEO 18:03 How to Delegate Effectively 24:33 The Biggest Risks Ben Has Taken 27:55 Today’s Need for Fitness Content 32:10 How Development Impacts Male Mental Health 37:55 The Challenges Facing Men in 2023 44:36 Is the Body Positivity Movement Good or Bad for Women? 49:52 How Ben Has Adjusted to Having Kids 55:36 Helping Children Learn to Overcome Difficulty 1:13:10 Ben’s Goals for the Next Few Years 1:15:19 Where to Find Ben - Get access to every episode 10 hours before YouTube by subscribing for free on Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2LSimPn or Apple Podcasts - https://apple.co/2MNqIgw Get my free Reading List of 100 life-changing books here - https://chriswillx.com/books/ - Get in touch in the comments below or head to... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact/

Ben FrancisguestChris Williamsonhost

Apr 24, 20231h 15mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: April 24, 2023
Duration: 1h 15m
Channel: Modern Wisdom
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Ben Francis is the CEO & founder of Gymshark. Bootstrapping a company from nothing to a multi-billion-dollar valuation at a young age is not easy. Starting a family, with twins, whilst navigating the changing political landscape and supplier tensions from the East makes this even harder. But there are some principles Ben has developed to survive this chaos. Expect to learn what 3 traits Ben has observed in all the high performers he's met, how his upbringing helped shape him into a successful CEO, Ben’s thoughts on modern masculinity, how what the world needs from fitness culture has changed, the biggest red flags to watch out for when recruiting new talent, what founders don't know about the challenges of being a CEO and much more... Sponsors: Get 10% discount on all Gymshark’s products at https://bit.ly/sharkwisdom (use code: MW10) Get £150 discount on Eight Sleep products at https://eightsleep.com/modernwisdom (discount automatically applied) Get 5 Free Travel Packs, Free Liquid Vitamin D and more from Athletic Greens at https://athleticgreens.com/modernwisdom (discount automatically applied) Extra Stuff: Follow Ben on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/benfrancis/ Get my free Reading List of 100 books to read before you die → https://chriswillx.com/books/ To support me on Patreon (thank you): https://www.patreon.com/modernwisdom #business #mindset #fitness - 00:00 Intro 00:32 Common Traits of the Highest Performers 05:36 Can You Be Outspoken as a Public Figure? 11:30 The Hidden Challenges of Being a CEO 18:03 How to Delegate Effectively 24:33 The Biggest Risks Ben Has Taken 27:55 Today’s Need for Fitness Content 32:10 How Development Impacts Male Mental Health 37:55 The Challenges Facing Men in 2023 44:36 Is the Body Positivity Movement Good or Bad for Women? 49:52 How Ben Has Adjusted to Having Kids 55:36 Helping Children Learn to Overcome Difficulty 1:13:10 Ben’s Goals for the Next Few Years 1:15:19 Where to Find Ben - Get access to every episode 10 hours before YouTube by subscribing for free on Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2LSimPn or Apple Podcasts - https://apple.co/2MNqIgw Get my free Reading List of 100 life-changing books here - https://chriswillx.com/books/ - Get in touch in the comments below or head to... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact/

SPEAKERS

Ben Francis
guest
Chris Williamson
host

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Modern Wisdom, featuring Ben Francis and Chris Williamson, Gymshark CEO Explains His Strategy For Global Success - Ben Francis explores gymshark CEO Ben Francis Reveals Playbook For Growth And Grit Ben Francis discusses the evolution of Gymshark from a risky, all‑in startup to a globally scaling brand, and how his role has had to transform from dictatorial founder to inspirational CEO. He emphasizes learning from world‑class operators, the importance of being a good person in business, and keeping ego low while staying relentlessly open‑minded. The conversation ranges into modern masculinity, male and female mental health, fitness culture’s shift from aesthetics to holistic development, and the dangers of coddling and unhealthy body ideals. Ben also reflects on fatherhood, risk tolerance, raising grounded kids with wealth, and why he remains bullish on building businesses and families in the UK.

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