Episode Number:

51

November 17, 2025

In this episode of The eCom Growth Show, Danan Coleman sits down with eCommerce operator, author, and brand-builder Ben Leonard to unpack how a heart condition launched his entrepreneurial journey, how he built and sold a global 7‑figure brand, and what really happens when your buyer runs it into the ground. Ben gets real about the mistakes, the wins, and the systems that sellers need if they want to build brands that last.

Meet Ben: The Brand Builder Behind Beast Gear

Before Beast Gear became a 7‑figure success story, Ben Leonard was navigating a major health setback that pulled him out of his career and forced him to slow down. That unexpected pause became the catalyst—giving him the time, clarity, and push he needed to finally pursue a strength and conditioning brand he’d dreamed about for years. What started as a small side project in recovery quickly grew into a global business.

Ben didn’t aim to be “an Amazon seller.” He aimed to build a brand—and that made all the difference.

Why Ben Won: He Acted Like a Brand—Not an Amazon Player

While competitors turned on PPC and prayed, Ben focused on behaving like a legitimate consumer brand from day one.

  • Built on Amazon, but never relied on Amazon alone.
  • Invested in content, email, and social instead of just keywords and bids.
  • Treated Beast Gear like a real brand with a clear identity, not just a product listing.
Smart Shift: Build for omnichannel presence. If Amazon shut down tomorrow, your customers should still know who you are.

Content Isn’t Optional—It’s the Engine of Modern eCommerce

Ben breaks down why creators, TikTok Shop, and organic social are no longer “nice-to-haves” for eCommerce brands.

  • TikTok Shop and creator content create a halo effect that lifts Amazon sales.
  • The algorithm keeps resurfacing good content to the right people—if you show up consistently.
  • Seeding product to creators can compound into awareness, trust, and conversions over months.
Operator Takeaway: Think of TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, email, SMS, and Amazon as one unified orchestra. When they perform together, your brand gets louder.

Why Most Sellers Burn Out: They Try to Do Everything Themselves

Most founders try to run every department themselves—content, operations, PPC, logistics, and strategy.

  • Real CEOs understand the process, then delegate it.
  • Your job is to set direction, not to be the entire team.
  • Hiring specialists or the right partners protects your energy and accelerates growth.
Leadership Lesson: Your brand can’t scale if you insist on being every department.

His Biggest Mistake? Avoiding the U.S. Market When It Mattered Most

Ben had the opportunity to expand Beast Gear into the U.S. 12–18 months before his exit—and chose not to.

  • He went into the Middle East and Australia first.
  • In hindsight, it was a rookie mistake that capped both revenue and valuation.
  • He believes a U.S. launch could have made the brand multiple times larger for only marginal additional effort.
Lesson Learned: Don’t just ask “Can we launch there?”—ask what the opportunity looks like over the next 3–5 years if you do.

The Story Behind His Most Expensive Lesson: Cheap Is Expensive

A letter in German, a photo of his product, a competitor’s product, and a bold €50,000 demand—Ben learned the hard way how fragile success can feel when legal threats hit.

  • A competing brand claimed patent infringement and had his listings taken down.
  • Proper design registrations and a strong IP attorney proved he was in the clear.
  • Even after winning, he absorbed tens of thousands in legal fees and significant lost sales.
Core Lesson: Cheap is expensive, and expensive is cheap. Cutting corners on intellectual property, contracts, or legal setup always costs more later.

Rebuilding Beast Gear: A Rare Second Chance

Ben sold Beast Gear. But under new ownership, the brand lost its edge and was eventually run into the ground.

Now, Ben has bought Beast Gear back and he’s rebuilding it in public.

  • He documents the turnaround through Brand Rescue Mission on YouTube and email.
  • He shares real numbers, real decisions, and real challenges.
  • The goal is to show eCommerce operators what it actually looks like to revive a damaged brand.
Rebuild Insight: A strong brand can be revived when leadership, direction, and execution return to the right hands.

Where to Follow Ben’s Journey

Final Thoughts

Ben’s story is a blueprint for modern eCommerce operators: build a real brand, diversify beyond Amazon, create content relentlessly, protect your IP, and invest in systems that scale. Whether you’re launching your first product or rebuilding after a setback, the path forward is the same—intentional strategy and disciplined execution.

Stay tuned for future episodes of The eCom Growth Show, where founders share the hard-won lessons that move eCommerce brands from fragile to formidable.