Q1) What gets you out of bed in the morning (and why)?
The opportunity to assist entrepreneurs in building their brands and succeeding in the ecommerce world is what gets me out of bed every morning. Through my book and course, I am currently working on providing guidance and strategies to ecommerce business owners, assisting them in navigating the complexities of the platform and maximising their potential. My motivation stems from a desire to help others realise their entrepreneurial dreams, just as I did with Beast Gear. I believe in the power of unwavering action, propelled by an unstoppable entrepreneurial spirit.
Book on Amazon - https://geni.us/quitstalling
Course here – https://product-empire.com
I also co-own a boxing brand and a baby brand and have equity in others that I advise. I love building brands! I want to build brands that genuinely solve problems for customers through quality products and quality experience. I want people to love the brands I build and get true value from from.
Q2) Do you have any habits or routines you follow …and what benefit do these bring for you?
I’d like to be more structured and organised than I currently am…2 young kids sometimes makes that tricky!
This is how I generally set up my days:
Imagine your business time as four buckets:
Protection, growth, creation, relationships.
The protection bucket is full of everything you do to protect your assets: reputation, customer service, social media, inventory, cash flow, and other important operations.
The growth bucket is for time spent growing your business or its assets. How long do you spend bringing products to new markets? Need help with your website? Creating content?
The creation bucket is all about the time you spend on new products, channels, and collaborations.
The relationship bucket is about spending time with influencers, partners, and important people in your niche to build connections and find opportunities. You can help them out by doing a favour, introducing them to someone, or trading content.
Sure, you must always prioritize the protection of your business. Fires almost never put themselves out and they have a pesky way of spreading, when left unattended. But it’s the growth and creation buckets that truly fuel progress. I make it a point to devote the first half hour to an hour each morning to a growth or creation task. That way—no matter how many fires I may need to put out later in the day—I know I’ve pushed my business forward every day. Dedicate time to learning, starting, doing new things to grow your business every day.
Q3) Are there any quotes or mantras that you love &/or live by…and why?
My own one, learned from hard experiences in business: “Cheap is expensive. Expensive is cheap”
In other words – it pays to invest in getting things right first time You’ll avoid headaches and save a load of money down the line!
Q4) Is there a specific skillset or personal attribute you have that you can say has contributed to your own success to date?
Tenacity. When stuff doesn’t work or happen…I will find a way to make it work.
Product not good enough – I’ll iterate until it is good enough. Case in point I am 3 years into product development for my baby brand…still not right. I will get it right.
Someone tries to sue me and bully out of business, I could have just caved. I knew I was right, and won.
Amazon suspended my book selling account 2 days before book launch. I pulled out all the stops to find the person who could get me reinstated.
I will just keep walking through all the BS until whatever needs to get done is done.
Q5) Are you currently learning any new skills or working on improving anything about yourself and why?
Trying to get better at delegation and not doing too much myself. I KNOW I should do more of this…but it is a constant process. I d don't think I’ll ever be perfect at it.
Why – I should not be working in the weeds of business. I should be crafting the vision and leading the direction.
Otherwise I am bogged down doing low-value tasks that do not move the needle when I should be doing high value tasks that create change and add to the top and bottom lines.
Q6) Looking back – can you pick out any achievement to date that you are the proudest of and why?
In business – winning Emerging Entrepreneur of The Year Award at the Elevator Awards. It was really the recognition amongst all these “big boy” “proper” businesses (oil and gas etc) in Aberdeen that this guy had built a $6mm business from a laptop in a cupboard and he was really good at it…felt awesome. The previous year I had missed out on an award, I went away, did what I needed to do and this time was successful.
Q7) Again, looking back, have you experienced adversity (or faced discrimination/prejudice) in your life and how has that shaped who you are today?
Lucky enough to not have faced discrimination or prejudice. Adversity - Building a brand from scratch is not an easy task, and there were many challenges along the way. No biz experience, no product development experience, no marketing experience. But I learned as I went and They have taught me resilience, determination, and the importance of a strong work ethic. Every challenge was a learning opportunity that allowed me to grow and improve.
Could have given up when I was sued. Could have given up when Amazon suspended my account during black Friday. Could have given up when thousands of units of products were broken and customers were angry. Instead I learned and grew.
Q8) What is one key piece of advice you would pass onto someone/ to your younger self and why? or have you ever been given a piece of advice that has served you well?
I’d tell my younger self to just start! I had my idea for BG in 2012 and did nothing until 2016…oops. The business could have been enormous if I had started when I had the idea.
Give yourself permission to start. Entrepreneurs are not ‘other people’ and don’t need to fit a certain criteria. Go for it!
Q9) Looking at the arts, are there any specific films, songs, pieces of art, plays, books or podcasts that you have enjoyed/resonate with you, that you in turn, would recommend?
I love a lot of different music, a lot of which got me through tough times as a teenager.
Overall band – Metallica – have been with me since I was about 8.
Album – The Vertigo of Bliss by Biffy Clyro. This came out in 2002 or 2003. The peak of the 00s UK rock scene.
Podcast – The Game – Alex Hormozi
Book – The Emyth Revisited – Michael E Gerber
Q10) Bucket list / Travel. Can you recall your best holiday & what made it so? I.e. Is there anything/anywhere you have experienced that you highly recommend and anything/anywhere on your list you have still to do/go and visit?
In 2015 my wife Katie and I went to India for 3 weeks. It was a real eye opener and a phenomenal experience. We saw terrible poverty, we saw incredible cities, dazzling nature, tasted amazing food. It opened my eyes to travel, to other cultures and learning about the world. I can’t not travel now. Everyone has to go to India and see the real India. Not some beach resort in Goa!
Q11) Your last supper. What dish are you eating (and why?)? & who are having it with (and why)? (Other than your immediate family, can be a person dead or alive or a fictional character)
Steak – because nom nom nom
With Sir David Attenborough – because he’s a hero of mine, I grew up watching his documentaries, he inspired me to study the natural world, he is still inspiring millions of people. He’s easily the most influential and important person this country has ever produced.
Q12) What is your own definition of success / Your own vision of happiness / What’s your NorthStar?
Success – a contented life with my family where we can do the things we enjoy, see the world, make a positive contribution and have a meaningful impact. Through business, friendships, and the things we enjoy doing.
Bonus Question) If I was to ask you, what you thought the meaning of life was to you? A big question I know, as it stands today – what would your answer be?
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Biography:
Ben Leonard is the classic millennial entrepreneur. He built a business on a laptop, in a cupboard, in his spare time. The difference? Ben grew an international 7-figure business and successfully exited after 3 years; the business holy grail.
Ben is the author of “Quit Stalling and Build Your Brand. You Don’t Need an MBA To Crush It In Ecommerce” ( https://geni.us/quitstalling ) and brains behind the ecom training course ‘Product Empire’ (https://product-empire.com)
Ben has been featured in various press including Forbes. Ben is a sought-after ecommerce consultant, and international speaker. Meanwhile Ben's brands are used by international athletes, A-list Hollywood film stars and featured in multiple national press publications.
Now Ben is doing it all over again with new brands, and helping others to do the same with his ecommerce consultancy (www.benleonard.pro) and ecommerce brokerage (www.ecombrokers.co.uk). Ben is the antidote to “BS gurus”.
His journey from a day job to running a multi-million dollar brand is a testament to his business acumen, tenacity, and innovative thinking.
Ben's expertise is not just theoretical; it's rooted in real-world experience. He has walked the path of building and exiting a successful brand, and now he's doing it again. His practical approach and proven strategies have guided numerous entrepreneurs towards success, earning him high regard in the ecommerce industry.
His book, "Quit Stalling and Build Your Brand," is a game-changer for aspiring ecommerce entrepreneurs. It covers everything from finding your niche and creating a powerful brand strategy to implementing effective marketing tactics. The book is filled with practical advice and actionable steps, making complex strategies easy to understand and apply.
Ben's passion lies in empowering others to achieve their entrepreneurial dreams. He is not just an expert, but a mentor, guiding others through the complexities of the ecommerce world. His low ego, high competence approach sets him apart, making him a trusted and respected figure in the industry.
In the world of ecommerce, where many can 'talk the talk,' Ben Leonard truly 'walks the walk.' His accomplishments speak volumes about his expertise, and his ongoing work continues to inspire and guide entrepreneurs worldwide.