Ben Francis, is a 29 year old British businessman who is known for being the founder and chief executive officer and majority shareholder of Gymshark, one of the biggest fitness brands in the world which is located in Solhull, England and rapidly expanding across the world with the US becoming its main focus of expansion. To help the company grow even further, Ben Francis and Lewis Morgan spent all their time focused on making Gymshark a success. Fast forward a few years, and Lewis and Francis built one of the fastest-growing businesses in the UK. They were basic, but they allowed me to apply my creativity to my two obsessions, Francis wrote in a blog post on his personal website. [26] Francis currently owns more than 70% of the company, which is worth 700 million. [5] He attended South Bromsgrove High School. Francis developed his ideas by hand at his parents house. Gymshark started out selling supplements, but Francis and Morgan quickly pivoted to selling fitness gear they made with a screen printer and sewing machine. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. 14:55 BST 13 Oct 2020. Its been going viral on social media platforms like Reddit and Twitter over the past couple of days. ), Bodybuilding wear just wasnt available here, Francis told Forbes in 2020. What is OpenSea? He incorporated the business with schoolfriend,. "Then it just dawned on me that I was a loser. Francis appeared on the 2019 Sunday Times Young Rich List, ranked above pop stars Little Mix and world heavyweight boxing champ Anthony Joshua. And Gymshark is set to open its first permanent shop in Londons Covent Garden. Fitness supplements seemed like the obvious choice, but he couldnt afford the minimum orders with his Pizza Hut paycheck. He cofounded the company with his friend Lewis. . From a pizza delivery boys idea to combine his passion for fitness with online retail, to a pivot into athletic wear because he couldnt find the styles he wanted to wear himself, this brands story is certainly inspiring. Sales exploded once again, growing at an average of 62% each year since 2018. [4], Francis was born as Benjamin David Francis on 4 June 1992 and grew up in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire. 100 acoustic hits, , . The pair were just acquaintances at school, Morgan says, until they were seated next to each other in. Francis started Gymshark without any money and ended up creating one of the worlds biggest gym apparel and accessories brands. We had amazing people around us who were helping us.'. Today hes one of the worlds youngest billionaires, thanks to the rapid, social media-driven growth of his company Gymshark. Still, Francis army of influencers has already powered him to billionaire status, and the location of his companys new store in Londona six-minute walk from Nikes flagship and just a block from Lululemon'sis a sign of where the college dropout wants to take his fast-growing brand. He incorporated the business with schoolfriend, Lewis Morgan, in 2012. Instead of trying to fast-track his success, Francis began manufacturing clothes with his very own hands in his family home. "We learnt to be curious and always ask questions. He cofounded the company with his friend Lewis Morgan in his parents' garage in 2012 at age 19, when he was still a college student delivering pizzas. Died 7 Apr 1844 in New York, New York . Crew storefront on London's Regent Street, the prime shopping destination in the heart of the British capital. A friend is heard saying: Its my second time doing it., Then Franciss musclebound pal Ross Dickerson, a fitness model followed by 1.4million on Instagram, chips in: Youll be wide awake after that., Later, when Dickerson snorts another line, a pal says: Thats your eighth line., Dickerson replies: Now you know that I do sh**loads of cocaine.. Well break down Gymshark below to find out how the business started, where Gymsharks early growth came from, and what the future holds for this brand. By comparison, Nike reported a net income of $5.7 billion for the year. When you start a company, the vision is always different in the end, but at the end of the day once we got into clothing the vision was always a community.. 66 - Lewis Morgan: The Truth of Why I Exited Gymsharkhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cByoqWLSEwY\u0026t=2574sFollow CEOCAST On All Platforms Here!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ceocast/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ceocastSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2HU7OJ8Apple Podcast:https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcastFollow Raheem Here:https://www.instagram.com/raheemka/Follow Lewis Morgan Here:https://www.instagram.com/lewis_morgan/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0Eghttps://twitter.com/LewisMorganUK?refCEOCAST is a podcast platform showcasing businesses, leading industries and successful entrepreneurs and individuals. ', The comments below have not been moderated, By He was a pirate in the Caribean. These included Lex Griffin and Nikki Blackketter. When we couldn't afford product to sell, we drop shipped. Even at the age of 87, self-taught French artist Ben Vautier, better known simply as Ben, continues to tackle the main issues ailing society with impertinence and authenticity through his hand-painted texts. [8], Francis started going to the gym as a teenager. That a company of that size and scale can keep innovating at the speed and regularity it does, is truly exceptional. At the time, both were 20-year-old university students. As a group, we will remain focused on women's fitness but expand beyond clothing. [28], Francis is a car and motorcycle enthusiast, and a season ticket holder at Aston Villa. Ben Francis was a delivery driver for Pizza Hut. Something went wrong, please try again later. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Ben Francis is a British entrepreneur. Phone number: (215) 963-5000. Despite being just two weeks back on the job, Francis has ambitious plans for the business. Orders started flooding in, and within 30 minutes, theyd sold out of everything. How a circle of kindness propelled a That came in June 2013 when we launched our first tracksuit called 'Luxe'. Lewis Morgan, 28, and his friend Ben Francis, from Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, set up Gymshark when they were at university, working from their parents' houses. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Still to this day, the once entrepreneurial duo, dont even follow each other on Instagram anymore with a seemingly icy pull of the plug on friendship. Born 16 Oct 1754 in New York, New York. "We were 16, 17, but we'd be talking business strategies, bouncing. "You get to a point where money isn't everything. Francis attended Plant High School where he . EXCLUSIVE: Gymshark boss Ben Francis has visited Downing Street after making 73million by the age of 26 - but has now been caught on camera snorting cocaine. The company sent free products to prominent bodybuilders and fitness influencers. In the second of our new How I Made It series on BusinessLive, we catch up with the 29-year-old to learn about his history and what the future holds. Most people wanted to go to university to go out and drink. Ben Shapiro is being mocked online after predicting that Princess Elsa from Frozen will come out as a lesbian and lead to the collapse of Disney. A post shared by Lewis Morgan (@lewis_morgan), Although long term childhood friends, Francis and Morgan have recently exposed their split of friendship and business partners because of disputes over specifics. [12] He left six months after launching Gymshark. I cover the world's richest people and how they made their billions. Both of them entered the top charts in the UK, although, back in 2011, competition wasnt particularly high.. We initially focused on sports supplements but began looking at clothing when we couldn't get the products we wanted in the UK. Francis will be in St. Peters Square for Palm Sunday, a spokesperson said. So how did Ben Francis get Gymshark off the ground? The Gymshark offices now consist of a campus, complete with its own lifting club and gym for employees. That community was Baptist, and the. "We had amazing people around us who were helping us.". Lewis and Ben knew that their youth and lack of experience might put people off their company and their product, so they made a conscious effort to make sure everything looked professional and expert. But Lewis knows their success wouldn't have been possible without the support of his and Ben's families, who have been there every step of the way. On December 1, 2021, Ben Francis stood outside of a shuttered J. It was a huge learning curve. Having famous YouTubers wandering around and launching a product was an untried tactic back then - and it worked. Born in the West Midlands region of England in 1992, Francis grew up dreaming of a career as a soccer player but quickly realized he wasn't good enough to make it as a pro. Ben Francis is the Founder and ambitious entrepreneur behind leading global fitness brand, Gymshark. Francis, 27, held his hands up and said: I made a stupid mistake that I massively regret.. 3. Nine years ago, Lewis Morgan was working two jobs - scrubbing dirty dishes as a pot wash and selling mens clothes in the high street chain Burton. "A company is just a face. , updated Gymshark was also an early pioneer in influencer marketing and used its social media channels to the fullest. Working on Gymshark while living at his parents house, Lewis had a job as a potwash and a retail assistant in Burton while studying, which he describes as 'four years of mayhem'. Dillon Francis is a resident deejay at the acclaimed Wynn Las Vegas, and this year he celebrates a decade of performing at the nightclub. He tells Mirror Online. How Gymshark Became a Billion-Dollar Business, The Rise and Fall Of Peloton: Peloton Problems Explained. After a few months of dropshipping, Francis bought a screen printer and sewing machine with the help of his brothers and friends. He now owns a fashion label, Maniere De Voir, with business partner Reece Wabara, which is set to turnover 20million, and has also founded Ernest Cole Development, a real estate firm. Gymshark is now available in 230 countries via its 14 online stores, and it employs over 900 people, with offices in five regions. Gymshark's startup days allowed us to become the UK's fastest growing company by: Fitness, social media and direct to consumer businesses we're all on the cusp of blowing up when Gymshark started in 2012. I remember years ago when the brand was a lot smaller and they had both just bought Audi R8's. . Francis was obsessed with fitness and going to the gym. I wish I had been the brains behind OpenSea. Gymshark was founded by Ben Francis and his school friend Lewis Morgan in 2012. Single Anthony Joshua discloses way to his heart as he goes on blind date with fan, 'I make 2,000-a-month by going through people's rubbish - and found 310 vacuum', 'I hired an escort and my best friend's mum turned up', Tattoo addict shares jaw-dropping photo of how he looked before inkings, Would you cheat? Online fitnesswear and accessories brand Gymshark has seen rapid growth since Francis created the first iteration of the website as a college student just a decade ago. Francis was a member of the UK Government's Business Council for Entrepreneurs in 2019. TAMPA, Fla Friends and family of Ben Francis said the 17-year-old died in a tragic crash in South Tampa. Last year Mr Francis sold a 21 per cent share to an American private. The New York Red Bulls made headlines last December upon acquiring Lewis Morgan from Inter Miami CF in exchange for $1.2 million in General Allocation Money over two years - at the time, the . Summer Program: Learn More. I'd tell myself to focus on building my dream because it would all be worth it. 1.83m. Francis then started organizing popups called "We Lift This City" in cities around the world where fans could snag exclusive gear. 29 years. As a privateer he became very wealthy. It meant he didnt have to buy stock and risk his own cash running his business. History Channel's "Mountain Men" has been successful due to its ability to show viewers how people have adapted to this unconventional lifestyle. Loads of stuff went on behind the scenes, which Im not going to talk about, loads of nasty stuff.. How Gymshark Became a Billion-Dollar Business He married Gertrude Livingston, the daughter of Robert Livingston of Clermont, and took her to Philadelphia to meet his mother a few days before she died. The business has no High Street presence and markets itself using fitness influencers, who have large social media followers, and events. Biographies of Francis Lewis and Morgan Lewis by Delafield, Julia, 1801-1882. In August 2020, a year after Gymshark hit $214 million in revenues and $18 million in net income, General Atlantic purchased its stake, just as the Covid-19 pandemic shut down gyms around the world. Discord Explained, Impossible Foods Business Model: How Fake Meat Built a $4b Company, Pinterest Business Model Explained Inside the $31B Social Platform, Building the $1B Dating App Bumble Business Model and Story. The co-founder of Gymshark and chairman at the AYBL Group, Lewis Morgan, cashed out of the business he owned with Ben Francis in 2020. Drop shipping is when a business takes customer orders, but doesn't actually keep the products in stock. Ben Francis MBE - Chief Executive Officer - Gymshark | LinkedIn Ben Francis MBE CEO & Founder of Gymshark. Gymshark has also nearly doubled its number of employees in the last 12 months alone, up to over 800 members of staff. When it comes to his love life, this young man is not yet married but he is currently dating and his girlfriend is named Robin Callant. It is fascinating that Ben Francis and his friend Lewis Morgan started this fitness brand, Gymshark in June 2012 while studying at a university. It's the easiest and most affordable way to attract more customers and make more sales. Burial was in the Morgan Cemetery, near Ronceverte. ", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ben_Francis&oldid=1151168304, This page was last edited on 22 April 2023, at 10:00. Benny Lewis Morgan, Sr. Frankford-Benny Lewis Morgan, Sr., 75, passed away at Greenbrier Valley Medical Center, Fairlea, on Thursday, Mar. In the second of our new series on BusinessLive, the Gymshark co-founder explains how he went from the garage to the boardroom and why hes now focussing on future stars. To support themselves, they worked part-time after school. He tells Mirror Online about his incredible journey and how he's got to where he is. In 2018, Gymshark left the garage behind and opened its headquarters in Solihull. 1. I was hindering myself for other people's entertainment. [15] In 2013, branching out from supplements, Francis began designing and selling fitness apparel on Gymshark's website. 6. Two young university graduates, Ben Francis and Lewis Morgan, identified a gap in the sportswear market and formed a new business which in 3 years has become the . [31][32], In 2020, Francis was awarded the EY UK Entrepreneur of the Year Award. While Gymsharks average yearly growth is far outpacing that of behemoths Nike (7% since 2018) and Lululemon (26%), it is still a long way from reaching the $47 billion sales that Nike recorded last year, or even Lululemons $8 billion. Gymshark was founded by school friends Ben Francis and Lewis Morgan in 2012. [18][19] At the time, he said the move would allow the company "to grow even more quickly" and give him time to "work on my weaknesses and become a more rounded businessperson". Experts blast plan to resurrect 29bn Help to Buy scheme before the next election saying proposal by Rishi Sunak 'I'm no deadbeat dad!' 401K Followers, 770 Posts - Gymshark CEO & Founder Patron of Birmingham Women's & Children's Hospital Charity NEW YT VIDEO CLICK HERE You get to a point where money isn't everything. Discussing how he started the business, which is now loved by celebs, Lewis explained that his friendship group dwindled quickly at University, as he went to 'make money on the side doing whatever' while most people went to 'go out and drink'. [2], With a stake 70% in Gymshark which is currently valued by investors at $1.45 billion, Francis had a net worth of $1.3 billion as of April 2023. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. At the time, both were 20-year-old university students. Ben Francis is a British businessman and entrepreneur. Gymshark was founded by Ben Francis and Lewis Morgan in 2012. West Midlands, England, United Kingdom 468K followers 500+ connections Join to follow. We wanted to go to university and make money on the side doing whatever we could. Gymshark boss Ben Francis who made 73million by the age of 26 and has visited Downing Street is seen taking the drug with three friends. How Gymshark Became a Global Brand Morgan left the company in 2016 to focus on his property development company and fashion label. Whilst still there, and with cash in the bank from skimming margins, Ben and Lewis were able to stock all the gym wear they could get their hands on. While having YouTube influencers at your stand makes total sense now, at the time, this was brand new. Speaking about his mum Kim, he said: "She's been amazingly supportive. This is such a surreal moment," he says in a sleekly produced YouTube video of the event. "People wanted to go to university and go out and drink. His co-founder, and the business's driving force, Ben Francis increased his personal holding slightly to 70% in the investment and share restructuring process. "I was younger and I made mistakes. But selling supplements was a tough business. Husband of Gertrude Livingston married 11 May 1779 in Clermont, Columbia, New York. Solving problems creatively is key. I would be solely focused on my investments in property and public companies. "I know that they're a British brand and they're from just over the road from where I grew up, but it's so cool when you're abroad that you see their vehicles being driven around," he said. However during his time there he was more interested in the business, and skipped lectures in order to deal with the growing workload. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. They also got to know their customers, helping establish the Gymshark community. What is Shopify and How Does Shopify Work in 2022? This culminated in Lewis exiting the Solihull-based business in 2020 following a deal with US private equity firm General Atlantic which enabled him to offload all of his shares for 100 million. I am very proud to be in the position I am. Francis built two fitness apps when he was an 18-year-old college student. If you'd like to be on the next episode of ceocast be sure to message us on Instagram or email us at:Ceocastinfo@gmail.com He posted pictures of himself at No 10 last July, with one captioned: From the sewing machine to 10 Downing Street.. Both big gym-goers, they were frustrated that they weren't able to get certain bits of equipment and sportswear in the UK, so looked into selling it themselves. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. He was chosen to open trading at the New York Stock Exchange and travelled the world launching pop-up shops. Gymshark grew thanks to partnerships with fitness influencers on social media, paying them small amounts to wear the company's gear in their videos. Gymshark, on the other hand, launched its Luxe tracksuit. 14:17 BST 13 Oct 2020 brother. "We were two kids running a multi-million pound business and, somehow, doing it well. At the time, I was studying business at University of Worcester and had two jobs - a pot washer and a retail assistant at Burton. [8] He has said his time at university gave him "a strong foundation on which to build a business". The expo was filled with supplement brands, with bodybuilders signing autographs at the back of their stands. Instead, at age 17, he joined his local gym and started taking IT classes, applying himself to his new passions by watching fitness videos on YouTube and building rudimentary apps that helped users create workout calendars and access fat loss exercises. 1 preparing for Fairleigh Dickinsons first-round Northeast Conference tournament game against St. Francis (NY) wasnt complete when Anderson began nodding. Ben Francis founded Gymshark, now a $1 billion fitnesswear brand, when he was just 19 years old. I noticed Ben and Lewis don't follow each other on social media and they're never together while they have mutual friends who started the company with them. During his studies, he built the first version of the "Gymshark" website, establishing the brand online. We had saved enough money to take recognised athletes with a large social media following, all dressed in our clothing, to the Bodypower fitness expo where we had an open stand. Ben Francis, CEO and Founder of Gymshark. And what steps did he take to build it into one of the UKs fastest-growing companies? Hunter Biden claims he's paid Lunden Roberts $750k - $20,000 a month - in child support 'Nazi gold' turns out to be a WW2 bullet and a pair of muddy boots: Hunt for lost loot hidden in Dutch village 'We're not your enemies!' brother. "We were fed and we were given a free space to work. [10] Francis studied at Aston University [10] before dropping out, and worked as a delivery driver for Pizza Hut when he first established the company. Written by Julia Melt It started with stringer vests and quickly grew from there. Francis then embarked on a guerrilla marketing campaign that relied on paying small amounts to fitness stars with intense online followings, handing out as little as $500 a month to influencers who would flaunt Gymshark clothes in their videos. Questions lead to answers, which lead to learning things.". Mark P. Edwards, 52, of Havertown, a partner since 1998 in the Philadelphia law firm of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, died of cardiac arrest at his office Friday, Nov. 4. [35] Their twin sons were born on 24 December 2022. The business has since grown to become one of the world's most popular brands, with the company now valued at over 1billion. Our fans count their macros and know how to do a proper deadlift., This is a BETA experience. Genealogy for Lewis Morgan (1672 - 1734) family tree on Geni, with over 230 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. He now owns a successful fashion label, Maniere De Voir, with business partner Reece Wabara, which is set to turnover 20million, and is setting his sights on the property market. Bridie Pearson-jones For Mailonline His big plan for the future is to start an investment fund, with the goal of offering up to 50million to start-ups to help others fulfil their dream. Here are three important lessons we can take from this story: Gymshark emerged at the right time to take advantage of the rise in popularity of direct-to-consumer online stores. This global brand has been dubbed the UKs answer to Nike, and it was all started by a pizza delivery boy. Despite the fact Morgan left as a director in 2016 and not as a shareholder, Francis allegedly continued to rarely include his ex co-founder in any articles or the website. 5. In 2017 he posed with Sir Richard Branson as the Virgin boss presented him with an award for Britains fastest-growing company. Now valued at more than 1 billion, Ben Francis and I started the business as teenagers, working out of our parents' garages. Pregnant singer and baby daddy A$AP Rocky have red carpet to Parents of newborn with dwarfism who died after a routine sleep study at Boston Hospital are awarded $15 million Four-year-old girl is 'assaulted by drunk man outside Tesco'. "When we first started we never thought we would be where we are but every year we knew we were bigger and bigger.". Lewis Morgan, 28, and his friend Ben Francis, both from Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, set up Gymshark when they were 19 and studying at University Entrepreneur sold his stake in the company. Its also added US entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk as an advisor to its board to assist with marketing and brand development in North America. All this has helped Gymsharks turnover grow to 400 million in 2021, a tenfold increase over the last four years. 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