Rory Sutherland, Elfried Samba and Ben Francis on building a billion dollar brand

This episode of The Bottleneck Podcast explores what it really takes to build a billion-dollar brand. Ben Francis MBE, founder and CEO of Gymshark, joins Rory Sutherland and Elfried Samba to discuss how obsessive focus, community, and self-awareness turned a side project into one of the UK’s most successful global companies. Together they unpack the real story behind Gymshark’s rise — from sewing T-shirts at his nan’s dining table to leading a worldwide fitness brand — and reveal why staying close to the customer, thinking like a 19-year-old entrepreneur, and protecting startup energy remain at the heart of Ben’s philosophy. Follow Rory: Instagram: @rorysutherland_clips Tiktok: @Rorysutherlandclips X: @rorysutherland Linkedin: in/rorysutherland/ Follow Elfried: Instagram: elfriedsamba Linkedin: in/elfriedsamba/ https://www.butterflyeffect.xyz/ Follow Ben: Instagram: @benfrancis TikTok: @benfrancis LinkedIn: in/gymshark/ YouTube: @BenFrancis A @Sassy+ original podcast series