Podcast appearances and mentions of Ben Francis

In March 2023, I created a piece of content that thoroughly examined the UK-only limited time offer branded pre-workout supplement that Gymshark created earlier that year by basically partnering with UK sports nutrition brand Applied Nutrition. And at the very end of that content, I mentioned that “I didn't think we'd be seeing Gymshark create a permanent supplement line or even tons of these LTO launches...at least in the short-term.” But since we're well past that timeframe mentioned, Gymshark just created another LTO supplement, and the activewear categorical boundaries have been decimated lately by investment decisions from ALO Yoga, NOBULL, and Reebok...I thought it was time to relook at my previous consideration if Gymshark should launch a line of sports nutrition supplements. And "from Nike to lululemon to Alo, these activewear brands aren't just selling apparel…they're selling a lifestyle.” Essentially, it's my belief that in today's marketplace, younger consumers (especially) are increasingly looking for visionary brands that are radically and bravely changing both our individual and global cultures with exciting and bold new lifestyle choices. So, if you weren't picking up what I was putting down…strategic narrative boldness is attractive and brand distinctiveness is highly defensible from a competitive landscape perspective but has become increasingly rare and difficult to achieve, as it requires both an artistic and scientific approach to create a unifying, central idea with the right combination and orchestration of all brand elements. Yet, as I mentioned earlier, several activewear brands have recently made strategic investments that sought to innovate around their consumer's specific lifestyles (and altered legacy categorical boundaries). But what about Gymshark? Why hasn't the activewear brand evolved past traditional product category constraints to own a larger slice of its customers' identity? And before anyone points towards company size (based on annual revenue), Gymshark reported growing 9% YoY and generated just over $800 million in revenue during its latest fiscal year…a number that exceeds or puts it in relatively close proximity to those previously mentioned activewear brands. Instead, I think Gymshark struggled to continually show up as its unmistakable self, as the activewear brand attempted to gain more acceptance across the adoption curve. Said another way…Gymshark got lost during its pursuit of more customers. And I think that became a major factor into why founder Ben Francis returned as CEO in August 2021, despite Gymshark successfully scaling from a smaller brand. So, after embarking on an almost four-year journey…there seems to be singularity and focus once again with the marketing and brand building strategy. And its revived brand distinctiveness harkens back to why Ben Francis originally founded Gymshark in the first place…realizing “no one really made clothes for the bodybuilding scene.” So, even though launching “Gymshark Nutrition” would undoubtedly create a loss of focus on the core business…and the current landscape is arguably even more challenging (and uncertain) for the apparel industry, I'm convinced Gymshark could successfully evolve past traditional product category constraints to own a larger slice of its customers' identity. Doss is the first Adaptive Resource Platform (ARP). Book a live demo here.

This next episode features Paul Richardson. Paul Richardson is a Businessman and Entrepreneur with a roster of brands that would be too long to mention. He was the former executive director and chairman of Gymshark in the early days of the company, and grew the brand with Ben Francis and Lewis Morgan to a 300 million dollar valuation. Paul is currently the owner of HERA, who sponsor this podcast, so it was a pleasure to have an hour of his time to speak about the journey to his success. HERA is a British-based clothing and apparel brand that is taking the industry by storm. Their unique and tailored approach to a competitive and over-polluted industry is amazing to witness. Paul acquired the brand in 2021 and since then, has transformed HERA to what it is today. A symbol and statement in the fashion world. On this episode, we spoke about: - How he got involved with Gymshark and the reasons for leaving - His career success and the brands he helped grow - The decision to buy the HERA brand - What it means to be a business owner and leader - How does he stay dialled in Paul is a pleasure to chat to and I feel like I walked away with lots of life lessons and knowledge on how to be a kick ass business leader. Please enjoy, subscribe, and like the episode.Support the showSponsors: HERAhttps://heraclothing.com/ - Discount code: HERAXSIM15 for 15% off ELIXR: https://elixrenergy.com/ Socials: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BeenThere.DoneThat.Podcast Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sim-bhatoy?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base_contact_details%3B86693CJbTB%2BocDixvGwopg%3D%3DInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/been.there.done.that_pod?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==&utm_source=qrTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@beenthere.donethat.pod?_t=8mtxveff985&_r=1

All Blacks midfielder Jordie Barrett has revealed his partner in crime Rieko Ioane reached out for some advice before signing a sabbatical deal with Irish club Leinster for 2026. Despite receiving interest from Japan, Ioane made the bombshell move by following in Barrett's footsteps with a move to Dublin to play in the United Rugby Championship (URC), which features teams from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Italy and South Africa. Ioane will make the move at the end of the year for a six-month stint between December and June, which rules him out for the Super Rugby Pacific season with the Blues but he remains eligible for the All Blacks. Ioane's announcement was met with a mainly positive response, although some Leinster faithful were clearly still bitter after his feud with the club's favourite son and all-time leading points scorer, Johnny Sexton, which started after the All Blacks knocked Ireland out of the 2023 Rugby World Cup. After plenty of backchat on the field, Ioane told Sexton to enjoy retirement and to not miss his flight home after New Zealand's quarter-final win. With Sexton relitigating that personal clash in his book, Ioane was widely painted as public enemy No 1 in the build-up to the All Blacks and Ireland rematch in Dublin last November. Ioane led the haka before the match and played a key role on the field as the All Blacks went on to snap Ireland's 19-game unbeaten run at home. Ioane posted a picture to social media with the caption “put that in the book” to double down on his villain status in Ireland. Speaking to Newstalk ZB's Jason Pine, Barrett said he believed Ioane can stamp his mark in Ireland. “He sounded me out about 10 days ago and just asked a few questions,” he said. “He didn't say a whole lot, so I didn't get a good inkling of where his head or heart was, but look, I woke up on my day off and the news had dropped on my phone. “It gave me 24 hours, without having a barrage of questions at training the morning I went in there, so I got all of them yesterday. “He'll go great. It's a great place to develop and he'll see a lot of improvements up here as a player, and get out of his comfort zone in Auckland and the Blues and [it's] a chance to grow. “I think it's a great challenge for him.” Leinster's Tommy O'Brien and Jordie Barrett celebrate following the Investec Champions Cup quarter-final match at the Aviva Stadium, Dublin in Ireland. (Photo by Damien Eagers/PA Images via Getty Images) Barrett admits it's been an adjustment for him, but he's loving life in Ireland, especially on the golf course. When Barrett announced his move to Ireland, it came as a shock as most players tend to take their sabbatical in Japan, like his brother Beauden did last year. In fact, he was the first All Black since 2009 to choose Europe over Japan, when Dan Carter signed with Perpignan. While there were concerns around his workload due to the demands of European rugby, Barrett said he had an extended break while the Six Nations took place in February and March. During that time, a limited of matches were played and when they were, youngsters were given opportunities to prove themselves. That rest has helped Barrett stay focused to help Leinster charge towards winning titles. In the URC, they have only lost once this season – by one point to the Bulls in Pretoria – and hold an eight-point lead over the defending champions Glasgow Warriors with four games remaining in the regular season. They face the Warriors in the final match of the season but will be confident after crushing them 52-0 in the European Championship quarter-finals last weekend. Barrett, who has played nine games thus far between second five and fullback, admits there have been some easier games, but plenty of tough battles. Overall, Barrett believes he's become a better rugby player for the experience. “I reserve that judgment for people watching on the telly, but I feel like I'm growing my game,” said Barrett. “It was a challenge to come up here, become familiar with another system and different coaches and players in a different culture and environment. “I feel like my rugby's improving, which is nice, and, it's neverending, like any footy player just wants to improve, and I feel like I'm making slight improvements. “Hopefully we give ourselves another chance and earn the right to make a European final in a few weeks' time and then push deep into the URC competition.” Should Leinster go all the way in both completions, the European Rugby Champions Cup final takes place on May 25, with the URC final on June 15. That would give Barrett enough time to return to New Zealand for the All Blacks' test series against France, starting on July 5 in Dunedin. Barrett says he has been in touch with All Blacks coach Scott Robertson and is eager to square off against the French. “Razor has sent the odd text, which is nice, and it shows he's keeping an eye on things, and so have the other coaches. Just touching base and making sure things are tracking well and that I'm healthy and playing good footy. “I feel like I'll be ready to go and hopefully take some form into an All Blacks jersey, which is the main reason why I wanted to come up here in the first place.” Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking sports news. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This Sunday, we're flying to Birmingham to meet our idol, Ben Francis, CEO and founder of Gymshark, the fastest-growing company in the UK. We'll tour their offices—three massive buildings with an in-house gym—talk about his life and the key factors behind a brand of $1.5 billion, and challenge him with a big question: How do you build a business in 2025?

Luke Littler has claimed his maiden darts world championship. At just 17 years of age, and in a sport where age is not a barrier, Littler is expected to charge ahead in trying for a record 17 titles in his career. Littler has experienced one of the most remarkable full debut seasons ever seen in darts professional era, securing the titles of Premier League champion, Grand Slam champion, and a slew of victories in the Pro Tour, the European Tour and the World Series. Host of the Kiwi Darts podcast Ben Francis joins Weekend Sport to discuss the phenomenal achievement. LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The World Darts Championships are well underway through till next week. Host of the Kiwi Darts podcast Ben Francis joins the show. "Oh jeez, Jason, where to start, it's just been absolutely incredible..." LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this Checkout episode, we catch up with Adam Bouris, co-founder of WHO IS ELIJAH , a fast-growing Aussie fragrance brand with a commitment to cruelty-free ingredients and bold, gender-neutral scents. Adam talks about an Instagram purchase gone wrong, his admiration for Gymshark founder Ben Francis and his steady brand growth, and explains why Triple Whale is a game-changer for understanding attribution and marketing performance. He also discusses his personal guidebook Principles by Ray Dalio and the art of switching off. Check out our full-length interview with Adam Bouris here:Scaling a Scent: How Adam and Raquel Bouris Put WHO IS ELIJAH On The World Stage | #450This episode was brought to you by:Deliver In PersonShopify PlusAbout your guest:From cabinet maker to world conquering entrepreneur, Adam Bouris is an accomplished entrepreneur and true Aussie all rounder. With a background as a Director and Co-founder of several companies spanning various industries, Adam eventually co-founded his own brand WHO IS ELIJAH with his wife in 2019. Since then, Adam has been instrumental in transforming the business from a garage startup into Australia's fastest-growing fragrance brand. Under his leadership as CEO, WHO IS ELIJAH is now making its mark on the global stage, expanding into key markets including the Middle East, UK, and EU. About your host:Nathan Bush is the host of the Add To Cart podcast and a leading eCommerce transformation consultant. He has led eCommerce for businesses with revenue $100m+ and has been recognised as one of Australia's Top 50 People in eCommerce four years in a row. You can contact Nathan on LinkedIn, Twitter or via email.Please contact us if you: Want to come on board as an Add To Cart sponsor Are interested in joining Add To Cart as a co-host Have any feedback or suggestions on how to make Add To Cart betterEmail hello@addtocart.com.au We look forward to hearing from you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Alex talks through 3 lessons that were reinforced when he spent the day with Ben Francis, Founder and CEO of multi-billion dollar company, Gymshark. Welcome to The Game w/Alex Hormozi, hosted by entrepreneur, founder, investor, author, public speaker, and content creator Alex Hormozi. On this podcast you'll hear how to get more customers, make more profit per customer, how to keep them longer, and the many failures and lessons Alex has learned and will learn on his path from $100M to $1B in net worth.Wanna scale your business? Click here.Follow Alex Hormozi's Socials:LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter | Acquisition

On this week's episode, WHOOP Founder & CEO Will Ahmed interviews Gymshark Founder & CEO Ben Francis MBE. Will and Ben discuss Ben's background (2:01) the road to creating Gymshark (2:32), Gymshark's first sale (11:00), designing the Gymshark brand (17:59), and Ben's journey and growth as a CEO and Founder (29:20). Will and Ben give their insights as Founder/CEOs and the mentality needed to develop a successful brand (36:18), dive into Ben's experience on WHOOP (44:52),  and how to learn from mistakes to create business opportunities (47:35).Resources:Gymshark WebsiteBen's InstagramBen's YouTubeFollow WHOOPwww.whoop.comTrial WHOOP for FreeInstagramTikTokXFacebookLinkedInFollow Will AhmedInstagramXLinkedInSupport the show

Today on the show we have Ben Francis, the Director of Customer Success at Evident.In this episode, Ben shares his experience in building and scaling customer success teams from scratch. He offers actionable insights on refining onboarding processes, consolidating essential customer data, and employing strategic hiring practices to foster team growth and enhance customer loyalty.We then discussed the significance of specialization within customer success teams as they scale, with Ben introducing the concept of time inventory exercises to optimize team efficiency and quantify the value of new investments. We wrapped up by exploring strategies for fostering a positive team culture through continuous learning and proactive communication.Recommended ResourcesEvident  Salesmsg Intellum CrossFit  Chili Piper Hotjar Zendesk Churn FM is sponsored by Vitally, the all-in-one Customer Success Platform.Course: How to find your Ideal Customer Profile 'ICP' in B2B SaaS

Co-hosts Alex Moss and Burton DeWitt are back with a new episode after last week's Players Championship triple header.   The boys start the show by discussing Mike De Decker's prospects after the Belgian won his first PDC senior title in Milton Keynes last week, as well as take a look at the race to the World Grand Prix with 10 events left before the cut off.   Alex and Burton also look ahead to the upcoming World Series events Down Under, picking out the PDC representatives who are most in need of a big run, as well as the Oceanic representatives their most looking forward to seeing in action over the next two weekends.   Haupai Puha (16:38) calls in from New Zealand ahead of playing in the World Series this weekend. 'Hopes' looks back on the last 12 months, including his first full experience of playing at Ally Pally with a crowd, and making history as the first Kiwi to win a PDC tour card at Q-School earlier this year. Haupai reflects on his maiden season on the tour so far and his ambitions for the next two weekends playing on the big stage.   Ben Francis (46:29) also joins us ahead of the World Series double header Down Under. The former co-host of the At The Oche darts radio show in New Zealand recaps the last year on the New Zealand darts scene, including Johnny Tata and Nicole Regnaud's Lakeside runs, Haupai Puha winning a tour card and New Zealand's close defeat to Germany in the PDC World Cup of Darts. Ben also tells us all about his new darts project coming soon! *** This podcast is brought to you in association with Darts Corner - the number one online darts retailer! Darts Corner offers the widest selection of darts products from over 30 different manufacturers.  Check out Darts Corner here: UK site US site Netherlands site Check out Condor Darts here: UK site *** The Weekly Dartscast is excited to announce it has agreed a new sponsorship deal with kwiff. A growing name in the sports betting sector, kwiff was an official sponsor of the 2023 WDF Lakeside World Championships and has also worked with several other big names in the darts industry. Set up an account and enjoy a flutter on the darts by opening an account on the kwiff website or via their app (iOS / Android). 18+. Terms and conditions apply. Begambleaware.org – please gamble responsibly. *** Sponsorship available! Want your business advertised on the show? Email weeklydartscast@gmail.com for more details and a free copy of our new sponsor brochure! *** Enjoy our podcast? Make a one-off donation on our new Ko-Fi page here: ko-fi.com/weeklydartscast Support us on Patreon from just $2(+VAT): patreon.com/WeeklyDartscast Thank you to our Patreon members: Phil Moss, Gordon Skinner, Thomas Page, Connor Ellis    

This episode is with Ben Francis MBE, the founder and now the CEO of Gymshark, the global gym brand that is worth billions.Gym Shark started here in the UK in Birmingham, when Ben was in his 20s and working for Pizza Hut.This is a conversation I have looked forward to for such a long time- there is no one like Ben in the UK, that has built such an iconic company in his 20s. His net worth is over billion dollars, and at the age of just 31 has been named the UK's youngest billionaire.His story has a real rags to riches theme and on paper he's the epitome of success…and yet he talks so openly about realising when to step back as a leader, constantly learning from others and working on his weaknesses, and being fully transparent about all of this in the hope that it might inspire other young leaders.*Highlights:Where it all started (3 mins)Key influences and inspiration (5 mins)Leadership lessons (11 mins)Choosing to step back (13 mins)Taking feedback (16 mins)Working on public speaking (18 mins)Culture and values at Gymshark (23 mins)Managing a team (26 mins)Work-life balance (28 mins)Does money bring happiness? (30 mins)Quick fire (31 mins)*Social media@Benfrancis1992@NextGGP/ @nishmanek Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're again talking about one of my favourite topics; challenger brands. In this episode we've got one of the most successful challenger brands in the world, Gymshark. They're one of the original influencer and social media creative brands, growing to be Britain's fastest growing Unicorn. I'm joined by their Chief Brand Officer, Noel Mack, to give me the inside scoop on exactly how they did it.Timestamps00:00 - Intro02:29 - Gymshark Origins04:49 - How Noel Mack bet Ben Francis07:59 - What is a Chief Brand Officer?09:28 - How Gymshark do influencer marketing differently15:17 - Growing the Gymshark community20:38 - The benefits of being a newcomer22:59 - Working at a founder-led company25:36 - When Ben Francis met the Prime Minister29:09 - The challenges of scaling up fast37:21 - Launching the Gymshark flagship store in London43:22 - What's it like working with Ben Francis?46:46 - Career advice from Noel Mack

Stay humble, stay challenged. In this previously live episode of Speaking About Speaking I speak with Director, Financial Strategist, and former CFO of Gymshark, Philip Daw.   Chartered accountant, Phil spent 28 years as senior partner in general practice, before in 2019, he was tempted by fast-growing gym wear brand, Gymshark to join them as chief financial officer (CFO).   A brave move considering founder, Ben Francis, was only 27 and the average age of Gymshark employees was 28, but Phil embraced the challenge. During his time with them they became what's known as a ‘Unicorn' business, that is they achieved a billion-dollar valuation!   Now, as Director and financial lead at We Are Whanau, alongside former Gymshark president, Steve Hewitt, Phil helps other companies find their ‘North Star' and progress to Unicorn status.   Of course, this is fascinating stuff but - I hear you ask - what has this got to do with Speaking About Speaking?   Let me explain... I knew very little about Gymshark, the business or its ethos before Phil asked me in September 2021 to go to Gymshark HQ in Solihull and work with him and the team to help improve their public speaking skills. They were presenting to an important and formidable audience and Phil in particular needed a confidence boost.   As I always do, before heading off I did a little research and found that founder, Ben Francis, being an introvert, realised his lack of speaking confidence was making his audience feel uncomfortable, so decided it was his duty to learn the art of public.   I also found that the company motto is ‘Stay Humble.' Which I love! For me, humility is an underestimated but crucial quality that creates curious and compassionate speakers.   I was honoured and excited to have Philip join me for this conversation. We discussed all of the above. Plus, the power of ... Building a culture that empowers people. Influencer marketing. A simple business model. The sliding doors moment. To find out more about Phil go to: https://wearewhanau.com/ Or find him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philip-daw-02780810/ To find out more about Power To Speak coaching follow Jackie Goddard on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackiegoddardpowertospeak/ Or message her through the website: www.powertospeak.co.uk For tips and techniques on improving your public speaking and getting in front of your audience, sign up for the fortnightly Power To Speak newsletter: https://powertospeak.co.uk/newsletter/  

How do you turn a small startup into a billion-pound company? Paul Richardson is here to tell you.Paul and Gymshark founders Ben Francis and Lewis Morgan, as well as former CEO Steve Hewitt, took a conversation they had in a gym and turned it into a “Unicorn Business” valued at a billion pounds. You'll hear the raw and real challenges of scaling a business, the importance of laying a strong foundation, and the secrets behind Paul's success.Paul tells Scott about his early days in the waste industry to his pivotal role in Gymshark, and now his venture with Hera London. Paul shares invaluable insights that are not just about making money, but about integrity, leadership, and the courage to back yourself.

Today's episode features an inspiring conversation with Ben Francis, founder of Gymshark. Ben's journey from Pizza Hut employee to leading a billion-dollar company exemplifies the essence of radical humility and a relentless work ethic rooted in his upbringing. He shares insights on the importance of recognizing your limitations and bringing in skilled individuals to propel success in a fiercely competitive market. We explore how Ben's approach to business, involving hard work, humility, and effective communication, has been crucial in his remarkable rise. His story is a reminder that real success unfolds gradually, highlighting the importance of staying grounded through all levels of achievement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Adelaide Fringe have announced the program for the upcoming 2024 season.Bursting at the seams with more than 1,300 shows, next year's Adelaide Fringe is going to be a kaleidoscope of the talented, the wonderful, and the outright whimsical, set to transform Adelaide into a utopia of discovery and culture across February and March. The 2024 program boasts 23% percentage of international shows, a 5% increase on the 2023 season, signalling the global reputation and pull of Adelaide Fringe. There are 703 South Australian shows making up more than half the program and illustrating once again, the strength of South Australian talent in the Adelaide Fringe. In this segment, we hear from Heather Croall, Director and CEO of Australia's biggest arts festival, Adelaide Fringe. Ben Francis,  a writer and artist. Ben is a seasoned Fringe Artist performing with his famed group ‘The 60 four” - a four-piece vocal group specialising in hits from the 60s. 

Harley Finkelstein, the president of Shopify, joins the podcast to discuss the current state of e-commerce and the role of Shopify in the retail industry. They talk about the growth of e-commerce during the pandemic and its return to more normal levels. The conversation also focuses on the changing role of physical retail and the need for authenticity in brand experiences. We highlight the rise of new brands and opportunities in the retail space, as well as Shopify's commitment to shipping cool products. We also discuss the importance of turning aspirational entrepreneurs into actual entrepreneurs and the benefits of being part of the Shopify community. We conclude the discussion on improving the customer journey and the value of long-term relationships with customers. ​Shopify invests in certain companies to make the e-commerce experience easier for merchants worldwide. They have a competitive advantage due to their amazing ecosystem of partners, which includes major players like Google and Meta who deeply integrate with Shopify. The goal is to build 80-90% of what most merchants need, and for the remaining 10-20%, they invest in partners who excel in those areas. One such partnership was with Max to quickly launch a buy now pay later product. Shopify also highlights the importance of mobile experiences and recommends apps like Tapcart to create customized and branded mobile applications. Overall, Shopify's mission is to empower more brands and entrepreneurs by simplifying the customer journey and providing the necessary tools for success. Highlights: 0:00 - Intro ​0:24 - We welcome Harley to Chew on This. ​1:14 - Shopify's role in connecting people and building relationships in the creator economy. ​3:00 - The growth of e-commerce during the pandemic and its return to more normal levels. ​4:04 - The changing role of physical retail and the need for authenticity. ​5:36 - The rise of new brands and opportunities in the retail industry. ​6:57 - Shopify's upcoming summer edition and their commitment to shipping cool products. ​8:02 - Focus on turning aspirational entrepreneurs into actual entrepreneurs. ​10:17 - The benefits of being part of the Shopify community for entrepreneurs. ​11:10 - Improving the customer journey and increasing customer value. ​12:11 - The importance of follow-up and long-term relationships with customers. ​14:59 - Shopify invests in certain companies to make commerce easier. ​15:44 - Shopify's competitive advantage is its amazing ecosystem of partners. ​16:01 - Partners like Google and Meta deeply integrate with Shopify. ​17:00 - Shopify aims to build 80-90% of what most merchants need. ​18:01 - Shopify invests in partners who are the best at what they do. ​19:21 - Shopify partnered with Max to quickly launch a buy now pay later product. ​21:24 - Apps like Tapcart make it easy to build beautiful mobile experiences. ​24:06 - Shopify aims to make the customer journey less complicated. ​26:10 - Shopify has helped entrepreneurs like Ben Francis of Gymshark succeed. ​27:19 - Shopify's mission is to empower more brands and entrepreneurs. Sponsored by:

In today's repost episode, Jimmy is joined by Ben Francis and Noel Mack, the visionary minds behind one of the most iconic fitness brands in the UK - Gymshark. We dive into their extraordinary meeting with the Prime Minister, their bold vision for Gymshark and how traditional schooling didn't define their success. Follow Jimmy: Twitter Substack Instagram Youtube Jimmy's Jobs Website Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the premiere episode of Breakthrough Labs Season 2, General Atlantic Managing Director and Head of Consumer for EMEA Melis Kahya Akar sits down with Ben Francis, Founder and CEO of Gymshark, a leading online, direct-to-consumer, community-based fitness apparel brand. They discuss Ben's entrepreneurial journey and the importance of taking risks; how he paired his love for building websites and apps with fitness to create Gymshark; why he dropped out of university to focus on Gymshark full time; how stepping down as CEO for four years allowed him to focus on learning more about business fundamentals and building Gymshark's community-driven brand; the benefits of an offline strategy in building brand authenticity and community; Gymshark's early mover position in influencer marketing and the importance of having a great product; the decision to open Gymshark's first brick-and-mortar retail location and expanding the product's customer base beyond men's wear; Ben's evolution as a leader and the importance of leveraging your network; how Ben's UK heritage and admiration for UK brands has influenced Gymshark; and, how his job at Pizza Hut taught him about customer service.

Host Alex Moss is back with a new episode of the two World Series of Darts events in New Zealand and Australia. Ben Francis (2:42) stops by to talk about how his interest in darts began, hosting the At The Oche darts show on SENZ radio in New Zealand alongside Ben Robb, the current darts scene in New Zealand, and his new YouTube channel Aim Straight. Darren Penhall (20:28) is back on the show to reflect on a whirlwind last three years, losing his PDC tour card and deciding to move back to Australia, coming out of darts retirement this year and winning 11 (eleven) DPA titles to qualify for the PDC World Championship for the first time, and before then making his TV debut in the upcoming World Series double header. Joe Comito (37:33) is also back on the podcast and calls in to look back on making his World Series debut 12 months ago, why the defeat gave him the hunger to come back again, a strong 2023 on the DPA tour which included a nine-dart leg and getting a second crack at the World Series next week. Brenton Lloyd (52:24) joins us ahead of his World Series debut next week. Brenton discusses his background in darts, winning through the qualifiers to earn a spot in the New South Wales Darts Masters, and whether he will take us up on our suggestion of going with the nickname 'The Australian Jaws!' *** Thank you to Dartwolf for sponsoring this podcast. Follow Dartwolf on Twitter @Dartwolf180 and check out dartwolf.tv for more #DynamiteDartsContent  *** Sponsorship available! Want your business advertised on the show? Email weeklydartscast@gmail.com for more details and a free copy of our new sponsor brochure! *** Enjoy our podcast? Make a one-off donation on our new Ko-Fi page here: ko-fi.com/weeklydartscast Support us on Patreon from just $2(+VAT): patreon.com/WeeklyDartscast Thank you to our Patreon members: Phil Moss, Gordon Skinner, Connor Ellis, Bill Richards, Scott Hunt

This is the third and final part of my conversation with Ben Francis whose amazingly compelling new book is titled Careful the Spell You Cast — How Stephen Sondheim Extended the Range of the American Musical. Just like the book, our discussion has been structured around Sondheim's collaborators. In this episode we discuss his work with George Furth, John Weidman, Hugh Wheeler & James Lapine. And, as always, Sondheim's mentor and surrogate father Oscar Hammerstein II plays a big role in this conversation as well. Along the way nearing everyone of Sondheim's musicals are discussed including A Little Night Music, Anyone Can Whistle, Assassins, Company, Do I Hear A Waltz?, Follies, Gypsy, Into the Woods, Merrily We Roll Along, Passion, Road Show, Sunday In The Park With George, Sweeney Todd, and West Side Story as well as Rodgers & Hammerstein's Allegro. Ben Francis' other works include contributions to the Oxford Handbook Of Sondheim Studies, the Oxford Handbook of British Musicals, and the Oxford Handbook of Shakespeare and Music, as well as Christopher Hampton: Dramatic Ironist. Become A PATRON of Broadway Nation! This episode is made possible in part through the generous support of our Broadway Nation Patron Club members including our inaugural members Roger Kloresse, Neil Hoyt, and Chris Moad. My sincere thanks to all three of you for your loyal support! If you would like to help support the work of Broadway Nation I will information at the end of the podcast about how you too can become a Patron. If you are a fan ofBroadway Nation, I invite you too to become a PATRON! For a just $7.00 a month you will receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussions that I have with my guests — in fact I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. You will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host Albert Evans that have not been featured on the podcast.  All patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgement of your vital support of this podcast. And if you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is the second part of my conversation with author Ben Francis regarding his very compelling new book: Careful the Spell You Cast — How Stephen Sondheim Extended the Range of the American Musical. This week Ben and I focus on three of Sondheim's key collaborators — Harold Prince, Burt Shevelove, and James Goldman. If you missed last weeks episode you may want to catch up with that one before listening to this. Sondheim is without a doubt one of the most studied, examined, and analyzed Broadway creators of all time. In fact, we have done quite a bit of that right here on Broadway Nation. However, as you will hear, Ben Francis contends that in spite of all of that investigation, Sondheim continues to be very misunderstood. He is often labeled as being cynical and pessimistic, but Francis instead argues that Sondheim firmly belongs to the “Broadway aspirational tradition” — a tradition that celebrates dreams of a better life — and he suggests that Sondheim's shows are to a great extent are a continuation of the work of his mentor Oscar Hammerstein II. Ben Francis' other works include contributions to the Oxford Handbook Of Sondheim Studies, the Oxford Handbook of British Musicals, and the Oxford Handbook of Shakespeare and Music, as well as Christopher Hampton: Dramatic Ironist Become A PATRON of Broadway Nation! This episode is made possible in part by the generous support of our Producer Level Patrons: Paula and Steve Reynolds. If you would like to help support the work of Broadway Nation I will information at the end of the podcast about how you too can become a Patron. If you are a fan ofBroadway Nation, I invite you too to become a PATRON! For a just $7.00 a month you will receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussions that I have with my guests — in fact I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. You will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host Albert Evans that have not been featured on the podcast.  All patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgement of your vital support of this podcast. And if you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest today is Ben Francis, author of a very compelling new book titled Careful the Spell You Cast — How Stephen Sondheim Extended the Range of the American Musical. Sondheim is without a doubt one of the most studied, examined, and analyzed Broadway creators of all time. In fact, we have done quite a bit of that right here on Broadway Nation. However, as you will hear, Ben Francis contends that in spite of all of that investigation, Sondheim continues to be very misunderstood. He is often labeled as being cynical and pessimistic, but Francis instead argues that Sondheim firmly belongs to the “Broadway aspirational tradition” — a tradition that celebrates dreams of a better life — and he suggests that Sondheim's shows are to a great extent are a continuation of the work of his mentor Oscar Hammerstein II. Ben Francis' other works include contributions to the Oxford Handbook Of Sondheim Studies, the Oxford Handbook of British Musicals, and the Oxford Handbook of Shakespeare and Music, as well as Christopher Hampton: Dramatic Ironist Become A PATRON of Broadway Nation! This episode is made possible in part by the generous support of our newest Patrons: Andy Wigginton and Mark Stanton. If you would like to help support the work of Broadway Nation I will information at the end of the podcast about how you too can become a Patron. If you are a fan ofBroadway Nation, I invite you too to become a PATRON! For a just $7.00 a month you will receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussion that I have with my guests — in fact I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. And you will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host Albert Evans that have not been featured on the podcast. And all patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgement of your vital support of this podcast. And If you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special episode, Nicola speaks to Ben Francis MBE, founder and CEO of the fitness brand Gymshark, from the Gymshark flagship store in London, England. Ben talks about what motivated him to found Gymshark, why he decided to take the leap and open a store, and how he continues to be inspired by the Gymshark community. He looks back on his childhood influences and forward to the future of ecommerce and the metaverse, considering how gymshark will continue to grow alongside new technologies. He also shares how the arrival of his twin boys has changed his personal and professional outlook, and how they've helped him to become more present.

Today we have a real treat for you, Noel Mack is the an behind the scenes at Gymshark. Ben Francis' right hand man and the Chief Brand Officer of Gymshark. In todays incredible episode we sit down and discuss everything from how to become a Gymshark Athlete to how Noel ended up working with Drake. This is not an episode you want to miss! Also, if you are reading this on the day that the pod is released we have less than 24 hours left to enrol on the 12 weeks until summer challenge. Hit the link https://www.mycoachschool.com/12wuseb and use code summer23 to get 50% off your first month of VIP membership with MyCoach! Follow Noel here: https://www.instagram.com/noelmack_/?hl=en Find more of Gymshark here: https://uk.shop.gymshark.com/ Join MyCoach: Code: NotSoFit for a special discount for podcast listeners!  https://mycoach-school.com/join  Follow us - https://www.instagram.com/mycoachapp_/ More Lucy Davis:  Follow - https://www.instagram.com/LucyDavis_Fit Subscribe - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPbyT8IyohY6V8ZVfI9uHug More Ben Haldon:  Follow - https://www.instagram.com/MyCoachBenji Subscribe - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpGRgA3rr1-FY9qLRgkXX3A Shop our products - https://shop.mycoachschool.com/collections/products/

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 - Get in touch. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcast Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact/ 

Today's conversation is with Paul Richardson. I could list Paul's extensive bio and huge list of previous achievements but that would take up a lot of your listening time. You may know him from his time as executive director and chairman of Gymshark, previous Joint Owner of All Saints, and current owner of Hera. Expect to hear about Paul's genesis story and the upbringing, family environment and exposure to business from a young age that shaped him. You'll hear about numerous sliding doors moments where big decisions led to the path Paul has walked. You will learn about the various businesses Paul has built, scaled, bought, and sold during his career and the lessons he has taken on board and implanted. You may know or may be about to learn the huge impact Paul had as the business man that Ben Francis and Lewis Morgan turned to the gym at David Lloyd to help them grow Gymshark from £4.5 million to over £1 billion. Within this episode, we also speak about Paul's purchase of Hera as well as his affinity with Birmingham City Football Club, his previous involvement on the board in the early 2000s, and now his recent takeover bids alongside Maxi Lopez. I loved having this conversation with Paul and know you will enjoy it too. We could have kept delving into Paul's business mind and lessons but I'm delighted to be able to bring you a full hour discussion. If you've enjoyed it, please do share with a friend who would also enjoy this episode. Paul highlights his Instagram at the end of this episode, but I've also include his LinkedIn in today's show notes. Today's podcast is sponsored by vybey. vybey is an international nutrition company supplying world class meal replacement shakes. From as little as £1.50 per meal, it's a no brainier to give them a try. Use the discount code CAMBRO for 15% off either on their UK or Aussie website. www.vybey.com.au or www.vybey.co.uk Connect with Paul: Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/paul__richardson/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-richardson-75b89817/ Connect with Colin: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/col.cambro/ Join my Email List - https://mailchi.mp/548e38ba5942/colincambro Support me: buymeacoffee.com/ColCamBro

How can relationships transform us, and our world? The final episode of the series explores how artists are actively collaborating with communities to change their daily realities, and how they are engaging collective dreaming and challenging their own ways of connecting to others. ___ Featuring Rory Pilgrim, Richard Sennett, Sumayya Vally, Amal Khalaf (Civic Curator, Serpentine), and music, performances and contributions from collaborators on Rory Pilgrim's concert work, RAFTS Live. These collaborators include Hugh Prior, Carina Murray, Liam O'Connell, Mark Jones, Emily Butterfly Khoury, Catherina Rowland, Rome Martin-Whilby, Declan Rowe John, and Kayden Fearon. ___ You can read more about REWORLDING and access a full transcript of this episode here. ____ Subscribe now to never miss an episode of Serpentine Podcast. Rate and review to share your responses to REWORLDING with us. ___ Credits Serpentine Podcast: REWORLDING is presented by Gaylene Gould. The series was produced by Katie Callin, with production support from Nada Smiljanic at Reduced Listening, and curated by Serpentine's Editorial team, Hanna Girma and Fiona Glen. Thanks to all members of Serpentine's Programmes, Communications and Audiences teams for their direction and contribution. Special thanks to Serpentine's leadership team Bettina Korek, Hans Ulrich Obrist and Yesomi Umolu. The theme music for REWORLDING was conceived and produced by KMRU, and the visual identity is by the unloved. Jesse Lawson is Executive Producer at Reduced Listening, and Arlie Adlington is the sound mixer. Our thanks go to all guests, contributors and advisors on REWORLDING. ___ RAFTS Live Credits RAFTS: Live at Cadogan Hall is a project by Rory Pilgrim, created in partnership with Green Shoes Arts, Barking and Dagenham Youth Dance, Project Well Being (Interfaith Sanctuary, Boise, Idaho) and the London Contemporary Orchestra. Civic Curators: Amal Khalaf, Elizabeth Graham and Layla Gatens Executive Producer: Holly Shuttleworth Production Manager: Andy Downie  RAFTS Collaborators heard on the podcast: Hugh Prior, Carina Murray, Liam O'Connell, Mark Jones, Emily Butterfly Khoury, Catherina Rowland, Rome Martin-Whilby, Declan Rowe John, Kayden Fearon. ___ Music Tomorrow's Gentle Rain Sung by Declan Rowe John  Song by Rory Pilgrim and Declan Rowe John Arranged by Rory Pilgrim  ___ Rafts of My Mind Sung by Robyn Haddon Song by Catherina Rowland Arranged by Rory Pilgrim  ___ Flowers Sung by Kayden Fearon Song by Rory Pilgrim and Kayden Fearon Arranged by Rory Pilgrim  ___ Rodeo Music  Sung by Declan Rowe John  Song by Rory Pilgrim  Arranged by Rory Pilgrim  ___ The Towel Sung by: Declan Rowe John Song by Rory Pilgrim, Declan Rowe John, Robyn Haddon Arranged by Rory Pilgrim  ___ An Amazing Purse Sung by Robyn Haddon Song by Rory Pilgrim and Robyn Haddon Arranged by Rory Pilgrim  ___ Concert Musicians Harp and Piano: Rory Pilgrim  Conductor: Jack Sheen  London Contemporary Orchestra Players:  Flute: Clare Bennett Clarinet: Alastair Penman Horn: Anna Drysdale  Violin 1: Sophie Mather Violin 2: Blaize Henry  Viola: Freya Hicks Cello: Sergio Serra  Drums and percussion: Kai Akinde-Hummel Choir: Marged Siôn, Ben Francis, Rick Leigh, Todd Harris, Dan Lewis, Karoline Gable, Kate Marlais, Levi Heaton, Sophie Galpin, Seraphina D'Arby ___ RAFTS Partners: Green Shoes Arts Barking Dagenham Youth Dance London Contemporary Orchestra  Interfaith Homeless Shelter, Project Well Being  RAFTS was commissioned by Serpentine Civic for Radio Ballads, in partnership with New Town Culture, a Cultural Impact Award-winning project, part of London Borough of Culture, a Mayor of London initiative.

Ben Francis host of At The Oche joins Julian and Bryce on Sportsday

Full show with Ben Francis, Pete Hooley and Gurinder Sandhu

Ben Francis host of At The Oche joins Julian and Bryce on Sportsday

Gymshark started in Ben Francis's parents' garage in the Midlands, with lessons from his gran on how to sew.Ten years on, the fitness apparel company's a global business valued at one and a quarter billion pounds and has just opened its first IRL store on London's Regent Street.This is a cut-down version of the full episode. To listen to the full episode click here.For all the latest business news visit standard.co.uk/business Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gymshark started in Ben Francis's parents' garage in the Midlands, with lessons from his gran on how to sew.Ten years on, the fitness apparel company's a global business valued at one and a quarter billion pounds and has just opened its first IRL store on London's Regent Street.In this episode we talk about:Why Gymshark's "a story of failure"The power of leading from your gut The test and learn mentality Why he didn't take a salary for two yearsThe value of hustlingWhat they're doing to make their Regent Street store a unique retail experienceThe philosophy of "community, conditioning and retail "Head to standard.co.uk/business for more interviews, news, analysis and features, or pick up the Evening Standard newspaper. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ben Francis became a billionaire by making gym clothes. And to top it all off, he did it without any external investors and without borrowing money - All before he turned 30 years old. You often hear about software CEOs becoming billionaires at a young age. That's happened a bunch of times in Silicon Valley. It's easy to scale a software business, but it's so much harder to achieve scale with a clothing company. Check out this episode to learn how Ben did it. P.S. We're currently working on some exciting things for the podcast, so we don't have a release date for the next episode – but we'll be back soon enough! If you'd like to stay in touch in the meantime, check out our content on TikTok here Podcast website: Wall Street Vision Investing Podcast Get in touch with Vlad: Wall Street Vision - Contact Disclaimer: This podcast is for entertainment purposes only and should not be relied upon as the basis for investment decisions. Before making any decisions, consult a professional. I may maintain positions in the securities discussed on this podcast. This show is copyrighted by the Wall Street Vision, written permission must be granted before syndication or rebroadcasting.

This Week  @Ben Francis  the founder and CEO of  @Gymshark  invited me to their HQ in Solihull to share how he created his billion dollar company. Ben founded Gymshark when he was just 19 and now has over 900 employees and is one of the UK's fastest growing companies. Within this episode we speak about why Gymshark was created, the highs and lows of Ben journeys, how he manages his workforce and how he also manages his relationships in life. I hope you all really enjoy this episode, let me know you feedback in the comments below! Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBni3bPrKZOfoB8mYUjrydQ Review the podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/a-millennial-mind/id1517301518 Follow My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shivani.pau/  

Mike and Ben discuss Social Security and personal examples by which, through family members, they kind of got thrust into Social Security.

In this week's bitesize lesson from the archive we jump back to episode 69 with the founder and CEO of leading fitness brand Gymshark, Ben Francis. We asked Ben to define the values which he enshrines within his business. His answer was compelling, illuminating and inspiring.For the full episode with Ben Francis - listen or watch: https://www.thehighperformancepodcast.com/podcast/benfrancis - - - - - -Pre-order the new High Performance Daily Journal - 365 ways to become your best! smarturl.it/HPJournalWant even more from High Performance? We have launched our brand new premium podcast service 'High Performance Plus' for people who want to support the podcast, listen to ad-free episodes and have access to exclusive bonus content so we can get you even closer to a life of high performance. Sign up on Apple Podcasts apple.co/highperformance or Supercast https://highperformanceplus.supercast.com/Watch all our episodes on YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/c/HighPerformancePodcast/videos Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

At 19 years old, Ben Francis ran a billion-dollar clothing brand named Gym Shark. As head of the company, Francis knew he would have to speak in front of large audiences that were more experienced and intimidating. There was just one problem. Francis was awkwardly shy. Since he couldn't run and hide, Francis took a page out of Winston Churchill's playbook and began to "prepare for his impromptu responses."Today on The Sales Life, if you have an interview, a speech to give, or are in sales,  I will show you how to anticipate the questions and prepare your responses where it LOOKS impromptu but is very well crafted. 

EP 5: Ben Francis Gymshark CEO with Jordan Mulligan | Mulligan Brothers Sponsored by www.mulliganbrothers.com Jordan Mulligan, the host of Mulligan Brothers podcast, sits down with Gymshark CEO and founder Ben Francis as he shares his inspiring life story on how he entered the business world, navigating his brand and his outlook on life. Growing up in the West Midlands with a passion for football, admiring and idolising the sport, Francis made the realisation that he didn't have what it took to be a professional footballer. From this, he discusses how his passion then transformed itself when he was introduced to IT. It was here where he found a skill that truly demonstrated his talent. His interest in IT and the passion for fitness and training embedded fundamental traits he needed to truly apply himself not only in the gym but also in his everyday life. Consistency- to show up every day no matter the situation. Hard work- however difficult things get, always choosing to preserve. Finally, commitment- to understand that he truly must apply himself to make a difference in his life. We explore the journey of Ben entering the business world, creating two record breaking fitness apps and how this helped in his journey to create the website he needed to kickstart his business. Starting off drop selling supplements, slowly but surely this was where Gymshark was born all at the young age of 19. In 2013 Francis expanded the business, designing and selling apparel, all from his own back, even sewing garments himself. His products began to create attention after the Body Power fitness show in which he generated 30,000 pounds worth of sales in just half an hour. This was when he made the commitment to leave university and his minimum wage job to focus on his company full time all at the incredible age of nineteen We cover entrepreneurship, brand culture, and how his multimillion business emerged from his humble beginnings.         

In this week's podcast, I sat down with Paul Richardson owner of many brands including Hera. Paul was the business guy Ben Francis & Lewis Morgan asked lots of business advice from in the gym at the start of Gymshark. Paul became Executive Chairman of Gymshark helped Ben & Lewis systemise & grow the global brand we all know now taking it from £4.5 million to £1.1 billion valuation. This is one hell of a podcast and you'll learn so much.Here are some of the topics we touch on:

For our third series, we launched with Ben Francis of Gymshark. For our 4th series, we launched with Rishi Sunak. In this special launch episode of our 5th series, we are speaking to none other than Andrew Bailey, Governor of the Bank of England. But what does the Bank actually do? How do the 4,500 people employed there combine to control an entire economy? And how does a 340-year-old institution adapt to new technologies like cryptocurrency? This is the first episode in our 5th series and we couldn't be starting it off with a bigger guest. In his first podcast since 2020, this episode touches on everything from Russian sanctions to cryptocurrency and where the economy is growing fastest. In this episode we discuss:What is the Bank of England actually in charge of? What roles is the Bank recruiting for and how has that changed over the years?How to make the Bank appeal to a new generation.The work on diversity and inclusion by the bank- and why they are working to establish a larger presence outside of London to achieve this.What does levelling up mean for the Bank of England?Has COVID really accelerated the decline in use of cash?How to create a culture in an organisation that has existed for 300 yearsWill there be a female governor soon?Jobs of the future- which jobs are going to be most in demand?The future of work and the 4-day week- how the Bank is moving to flexible working itself.The economic impact of flexible working. Cryptocurrency and its impact on the UK economy.What innovations excite him most?Will we ever see a cashless society?This episode is made possible by the support of our partners, The Octopus Group and FinTech Alliance.The Octopus Group is a collection of 8 entrepreneurially minded businesses that look to back the people, ideas and industries that will change the world.FinTech Alliance is the complete FinTech community. Where ambitious people, disruptive start-ups, investors and industry leaders learn, share, and work together to succeed in the world's fastest emerging global ecosystem.Get in touch with us at hello@jobsofthefuture.coIf you'd like to see more information about the job roles being offered please look at my Twitter @jimmym

Good morning, lovely people!On today's show: ASAP Rocky's arrest over an LA shooting, the latest on that ugly Johnny Depp and Amber Heard trial, Elon Musk splashes his pocket money on buying Twitter, the rise of the coastal grandma trend and THEN! We rummage through the Shameless mailbag, what if you only uncover your partner's lie, a year after it's been told?This week, Mich recommended the Diary of a CEO podcast episode with Ben Francis. Zara recommended watching White Hot on Netflix.Got some thoughts on today's episode you wanna share? We're allllll ears (also, eyes, heads, bodies, etc etc) - join in the convo over on our Insta @shamelesspodcast.Big thanks to Extra White for making this episode possible. You can find Extra White gum at your local Coles, Woolworths or Independent store.Want to support our show? We are sending air kisses, air tea, and air hugs (too far?) to anyone who clicks ‘subscribe' on Apple (bonus hugs for anyone who leaves a five-star review, too) or ‘follow' on Spotify.Still not enough? Well! Our hearts! See below for everything else.Subscribe to the weekly ‘ASK SHAMELESS' newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gFbYLTJoin our book club: https://www.instagram.com/theshamelessbookclub/Check out our website: https://shamelessmediaco.com/Write to the Shameless Mailbag: Email hello@shamelessmediaco.comThanks for listening! We are very big fans of yours.

#87 Daniel Budai from Budai Media: 3 More Tools to Scale Your E-Commerce We're building quite the e-commerce toolbox here! For episode 87 of The Ecom Show, our CEO and podcast host Daniel Budai takes a look at: ✔️ 3 More Tools to Scale Your E-Commerce ✔️ Entrepreneurship ✔️ Advice from Dan Kennedy and Tim Ferriss Let's dive straight in. 3 More Tools to Scale Your E-Commerce VideoWise If you want to keep up with the rise of social commerce, VideoWiseshould be your go-to software tool. VideoWise allows e-commerce owners to connect their Shopify store with TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and other social media channels to add product review videos and other forms of user-generated content (UGC). E-commerce owners are also free to upload videos from their libraries. VideoWise significantly increases conversion rates for e-commerce stores on both desktop and mobile. On average, if you have 250,000 website visitors, VideoWise increases your revenue by $20,000. That's almost 10¢ per visitor. As for pricing, they only charge $49 per month and 2% of direct video sales. A direct video sale is when a customer converts within your product video. If they watch the video and buy your product elsewhere, this does not constitute a direct sale. Their analytical tools are also top-notch. On your analytics page, you can see the number of views for each video, average watch times, direct sales, and more. The Founder and CEO of VideoWise, Claudiu Cioba prides himself on being transparent about conversion. Take a look at what he has to say about honest attribution models in episode #74 of The Ecom Show: How to Use Video on Your Shopify Store Without Slowing Site Speed. VideoWise is an excellent tool for increasing conversions, engagement, and harnessing UGC without slowing down your website. Daniel highly recommends checking it out. FreeCashFlow.io Daniel cannot emphasize enough the importance of having a good accountant for your e-commerce, or even any business. If your e-commerce is in the US, Daniel recommends checking out FreeCashFlow.io. FreeCashFlow.io are absolute experts on bookkeeping and tax planning. Here are just a couple of examples of how you can save money with proper tax planning: Startup Cost Deduction This startup cost allows US entrepreneurs to claim a deduction of up to $5000 for any business cost up until the point their business is created. This includes product research, travel, and work with lawyers and accountants. You just need to keep your receipts and documentation. Home Office Deduction There are two ways you can claim a tax deduction from running your business at home. The first way is the Simplified Calculated Method in which the highest deduction available is $1500. The second method is more complicated but lucrative: The Actual Expenses Method. The actual expense method takes the square footage of your office space as a percentage of your total home. Your tax deduction can then cover whatever cost is included in that percentage. That includes rent, mortgage, or even repair maintenance. The biggest deduction FreeCashFlow.io has claimed for their client using this method is $14,000. For more tax advice, check out Daniel's podcast episode with the Co-Founder of FreeCashFlow.io: Tax Planning and Deductions All E-Commerce Owners Should Know About. OptinMonster Daniel is a huge fan of OptinMonster. When he began his email marketing career in 2018, OptinMonster was the first pop up tool he ever used. And he's still using it today! Despite testing many pop up tools over the years, (Privy, Klaviyo's pop up feature, OptiMonk), OptinMonster always comes out on top. OptinMonster stands out with its multiple customization options. Including lightbox pop ups, floating bars, scroll boxes, exit-intent pop ups, and more. With its integration with Google Analytics, on-site retargeting and personalization, lead segmentation, exit-intent technology, purchase history, and advanced traffic redirection, OptinMonster is a great tool to use if you want to increase your conversions without spamming your visitors. Returning visitors, for example, will see a different pop up to new visitors. This provides a more personalized and optimized experience for your customers. At Budai Media, we see pop up conversion rates as high as 10 - 20% using OptinMonster. Check out our case study: Over $1.2 Million Generated Using Klaviyo Email Marketing to see how you can use OptinMonster pop ups to generate revenue for your store. Some Thoughts on Entrepreneurship Last week, Daniel asked his LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram followers a question: How many years ago did you launch your business? Over 100 people responded, many with their own stories to tell. Entrepreneurship is not always easy in the beginning. But once you gain some traction and success, looking back to your humble beginnings can be a beautiful thing. Daniel's question put him in contact with some people he hasn't spoken to in years. When you look for it, there is a thriving community of business owners ready and willing to help each other out. Reflections from Dan Kennedy and Tim Ferriss “The company that can spend the most to acquire a customer wins.” - Dan Kennedy Dan Kennedy is an absolute legend in direct response marketing, but Daniel believes that there's more to acquiring customers than money. If you understand the buyer persona better than your competitors, you can still win. Even if you have less money. Gymshark, for example, began in 2013 as a relatively tiny competitor to other sports brands such as Nike, Adidas, and Puma. Its Founder and CEO, Ben Francis, identified a niche that his competitors had failed to fit. In other words, he sought to serve his buyer persona. While Gymshark is not as huge as Nike just yet, it grew exponentially over a few short years, valuing at over $1.45 billion in 2022. It's safe to say that Gymshark hasn't been suffocated by its competition. “What we fear doing most is usually what we most need to do.” Tim Ferriss Now, this is something Daniel agrees with! Take a moment to think about your deepest fears. That's the first step in addressing them. Daniel's biggest fears are deep water and heights. And guess what he has planned? Deep diving, sky diving, and mountain climbing! Feeling the fear and doing it anyway is not only a huge confidence boost, it trains you to power through difficult situations. If you liked this episode of The Ecom Show, please feel free to leave any comments you have on our YouTube channel, contact Daniel on LinkedIn, or check out another episode! Follow Daniel Budai: Daniel's LinkedIn Daniel's Facebook

My first guest for 2021 Flashback is Ben Francis, the founder and ambitious entrepreneur behind leading UK fitness brand, Gymshark. Ben founded Gymshark when he was 19 years old, while still a student at Aston University. In addition to his full-time commitment to his studies, Ben juggled working as a pizza delivery man to fund his Gymshark venture. Ben made the decision to step down as CEO in 2017, to allow him to continue to focus on the things that have always set Gymshark apart - innovative design, creative content and consumer first thinking. In August 2021, when he resumed the role of CEO. Gymshark has gone from being an entrepreneurial start-up to becoming a global brand with millions of customers in 170+ countries via its 13 websites. In August 2020, Gymshark became the first DTC brand in the UK to achieve Unicorn status with no external capital funding. The recent investment partnership with General Atlantic will see Gymshark become a true global brand.Find out more about the Cambridge Union: YouTube channel, Twitter and Instagram.Connect with Ben Francis via: LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter.Find out more about Gymshark via: website, Instagram and Twitter. Watch the full interview via YouTube.A new episode EVERY WEEK, showcasing the journeys of inspirational entrepreneurs, side hustlers and their mentors. We discuss their successes, challenges and how they overcame setbacks. Focusing mainly on what they wish they had known when starting out. The podcast aims to give aspiring entrepreneurs the confidence to Start Up and Start Now by showcasing real and relatable entrepreneurs. After all, seeing is believing!Join the conversation using #startupstartnow and tagging us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Don't forget to leave a review as it really helps us reach those who need it and allows us to get the best guests for you! Connect with Start Up. Start Now. and to nominate a guest please visit: www.startupstartnow.co.uk.  To connect with Sharena Shiv please visit: www.sharena.co.uk.

Ben Francis is the founder and CEO of GymShark, a fitness company he started with some school friends back in 2012, drop-shipping supplements to their pals in the bodybuilding community. The first thing Ben sold was a £52 pound tub of USN Hyperbolic Mass protein powder — an order that earned ben a whopping £2 profit, but which left him, in his own words, dancing around his bedroom. A few years later, a single event caused one of Gymshark's tracksuits to go viral, and the young company went from selling £300 of clothes a day, to making £30,000 of revenue in just half a single hour. But it wasn't until last year, perhaps, that the company became a true household name, and the 29-year-old Ben became a poster boy for modern British entrepreneurship — after General Atlantic invested more than $260 million in the business, valuing it at over a billion pounds.  In a highly enjoyable episode of the podcast, we sat down with Ben up at company's  Solihull campus to discuss why humility is the best trait of all; the time Ben suffered a total ‘ego death,' and how we should always feel like we're winging it, all of the time. Enjoy. 

Ecommerce and Retail - Can You Do Both? It's no secret that ecommerce has absolutely skyrocketed over the last couple of years. But what about retail? As shops are opening up again, more and more customers are craving that in-person shopping experience. International retail executive and consultant, Stephen Rector, has extensive experience leading merchandise strategies in both retail and ecommerce. In 2017, Stephen helped establish Macy's supply chain in China, creating a multimillion-dollar international expansion business. Now he works with several startups to accelerate growth for digital and in-store businesses. It's safe to say that Stephen knows how to scale! We're very excited to welcome Stephen to The Ecom Show. Our CEO and podcast host Daniel Budai chats to Stephen about: ✔️ Stephen's Journey into Retail and Ecommerce ✔️ Ecommerce Retail ✔️ Building Brand Awareness ✔️ Breaking Into Retail Stephen's Journey into Retail and Ecommerce Like many marketers, Stephen didn't study digital strategy and marketing at university. Instead, he studied Political Science and International Relations at the University of Missouri - Columbia. Writing papers and preparing and delivering presentations, although unrelated to retail and ecommerce, proved invaluable to Stephen's communication skills. Stephen says that he's been utilizing the skills he acquired at university throughout his entire career. Whilst in university, Stephen worked full time in retail as a Manager in a music store. When he graduated, his experience attracted companies in...you guessed it, retail! Since then, Stephen has worked in merchandising, branding, sourcing, and pricing, swiftly honing his skills in retail to ecommerce in the 2000s Ecommerce Retail Huge ecommerce stores have an interesting relationship with retail. Amazon, for example, implements ecommerce tactics for data collection in all their physical stores. Cameras and shelf stock collect buyer data, behaviour, and conversion rates. Stephen also points out that many Amazon stores across the US don't have a checkout. Instead, customers are automatically charged when they add items to their basket. Amazon isn't alone in its efforts to enter the world of retail. The Founder of Gymshark, Ben Francis, speaks openly on his YouTube channel about opening physical stores with gyms where customers can work out and try on clothing. If you're thinking about moving your ecommerce store to retail, make sure to continue using all that valuable data you've been collecting! Building Brand Awareness Stephen points out that it's harder to get brand awareness in-store than it is online because retail is saturated with brands that so many people are familiar with. Stephen advises that the vast majority of sellers need to build brand awareness online before even thinking about trying to get into a retail store. And brand awareness building doesn't stop once you get to retail. Stephen praises Casper Mattresses for having a fantastic ecommerce strategy and partnering with Target and Bed, Bath and Beyond. In order to scale, it's clear that you need as many eyes on you as possible both online and offline. Breaking Into Retail Daniel and Stephen agree that building brand awareness online is the first step towards breaking into retail. Other than this, Stephen identifies the 2 biggest challenges of doing business with retailers: Breaking through the wall to get through to them Managing costs correctly Getting through to retailers isn't a walk in the park. Aside from online branding, use your network as much as you can. If you have anyone with retail connections - get in touch! You can also find specialists on how to enter retail relationships or partnerships on LinkedIn. Evaluate how much it costs to make your merchandise before meeting your retailer. Your retailer will be aggressively pushing down costs on their end as much as possible. Know your stuff, and know your profit margin. Take a look at your competitors in your chosen store, their price point and category. What's your differentiation? It's all about presentation and profit. TL;DR - If you're thinking about going into in-store retail, your first step is ecommerce. For more advice on retail, ecommerce, and merchandising strategy, reach out to Stephen on LinkedIn. Follow Daniel Budai: Daniel's LinkedIn Daniel's Facebook

And we're live! A brand new series of Jimmy's Jobs of the Future launches today.And what better time to launch than when careers and the future have never been more on the minds of young people and parents alike- A-level and GCSE result days.Our first guests need no introduction- Ben Francis & Noel Mack are the founder and Chief Brand Officer of Gymshark. Setting up their HQ in the Midlands, Gymshark is one of the most exciting brands in the UK and is now valued at over £1 billion. Ben and Noel would be the first to admit that traditional schooling and academia did not suit their strengths and neither left school with great results- but it didn't stop them from becoming a success.This episode will delve into Ben's first time meeting the Prime Minister, where he thinks the jobs of the future are coming from and the biggest disasters they've had at Gymshark. We hope this leaves you with inspiration and advice on how to start your career- or simply piques your interest in the future of the UK economy. You can find out more on our website or get in touch via hello@jobsofthefuture.coYou can follow us on social media:Instagram: @JimmysjobsTwitter: @JimmysjobsAnd most importantly on LinkedInIf your brain cells require even more tickling, do check out We Didn't Start The Fire with Tom Fordyce (A Peter Crouch Podcast) and  Katie Puckrik. Episodes explore the history behind the lyrics from the hit Billy Joel song...If you'd like to see more information about the job roles being offered please look at my Twitter @jimmym

We are back for the third season of Jimmy's Jobs of the Future. 15 months into the pandemic, the UK's jobs market is holding up strongly once again, with lower levels of unemployment than the US, Canada, France, Italy, and Australia.Part of this is the furlough scheme but a longer-term trend is the fact that UK entrepreneurs are creating jobs each day that don't get the same media headlines. And that is what this show aims to explore by speaking to those wealth and job-creating entrepreneurs about the skills they need in their fast-growing businesses. The season kicks off on Wednesday 11th August with Ben Francis who is building Gymshark in the West Midlands which now employs 800 people and is valued at over a billion pounds. You can check out more of our background and previous guests at www.jobsofthefuture.co We love hearing from listeners so do drop us a line at hello@jobsofthefuture.co with guests you'd like to hear from and how we can improve the show. We're also delighted to announce that we're once again partnering with Octopus to bring amazing entrepreneurial stories to the fore. If you'd like to see more information about the job roles being offered please look at my Twitter @jimmym

Ben Francis war 19 Jahre alt, als er 2012 die Fitnessmarke Gymshark (GS) startete. Die ersten Produkte nähte er selbst, er hatte es von seiner Oma gelernt. Nebenbei liefert er Pizza aus, um sich über Wasser zu halten.Heute macht Gymshark >$500 Mio. Umsatz und hat eine Bewertung von $1,4 Mrd.1. Abonniert meinen Daily Newsletter für die neuesten Trends aus Tech und Media2. Podcast abonnieren: Apple, Spotify, Google & Amazon3. Folgt mir LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok & Twitter4. Ihr wollt euch weiterbilden? Hier sind unsere Masterclasses 5. Ihr sucht einen Keynote Speaker für euer Event? Sprecht mich gerne direkt an: teo@delta.pm