Last week, Gymshark founder Ben Francis announced the brand’s first ever celebrity ambassador, Megan Thee Stallion. What caught my eye was how he explained it: “It was really important to me that it felt right for Gymshark… I didn’t want us to partner with someone just because of their name.”
Most celeb collabs are built on excitement. This one seems built on ‘fit’ (pardon the pun), and I think there’s a lesson in that.
On Help to Grow: Management at the University of Bath, Gymshark is the case study for our final module. It ends in 2020, on a high: a £1bn valuation, and an investor chosen for cultural fit rather than the biggest cheque.
The years since have been harder. Gymshark opened shops, pre-tax profit fell by more than 40%, and a 2025 restructure put almost a third of roles at risk. Revenue still grew, to £646m. That looks more like the story many small businesses are living now, with tight margins, rising costs and cautious customers.
When cash is short, values can start to feel like a luxury. Gymshark hasn’t stood still, but what’s stayed constant is the test applied to each big decision: does this feel right for who we are?
Our current cohort has just finished a module on vision and values, and asked what purpose values serve when you’re firefighting every day. I think this announcement answers that. Values are the lens for every decision. Do you have a test like that? Is it written down and shared, or does it only live in your head?
Help to Grow: Management is a 12-week, 90% government-funded programme for leaders of businesses with 5 to 249 employees. Our next cohort starts on 18th November, and we’d love to hear from Thames Valley businesses.
