How Gymshark became a Birmingham brand that broke the US

Описание: Rory Sutherland and Elfried Samba speak with Ben Francis MBE, founder and CEO of Gymshark, about how a brand born in Birmingham went global. Through fitness expos, social media, and a community-first approach, Gymshark grew naturally across English-speaking markets — from Ohio to LA. Ben explains why location mattered, how outsider perspective helped, and why Birmingham was the perfect launchpad for a brand built to scale worldwide.

Timestamps:
00:00 – How a Birmingham brand “broke” the US
00:15 – Using events and early social media to build momentum
00:57 – Landing in Ohio for the Arnold Expo (and freezing)
01:00 – English-speaking markets and natural US growth
01:18 – The first wave of Gymshark influencers across the US and Europe
02:09 – Why being outside London helped the brand scale globally

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A @Sassy+ original podcast series