By: Ethan Rogers

To succeed as an entrepreneur, one must be resilient, adaptable, and consistently willing to learn. Many aspiring business owners give up too soon, overlooking the importance of sustained effort. Ben Heath, founder of Heath Media, exemplifies a steady climb shaped by experimentation, adaptation, and persistence. Today, he runs Heath Media, a growing digital advertising agency that works with a variety of clients.

Heath’s entrepreneurial spirit ignited at 17 when he and two school friends attempted to sell wristbands. Although this endeavor resulted in zero revenue, he was undeterred and launched his first e-commerce business at 18, selling second-hand video games. The following year, Heath became involved with a network marketing company that appeared to offer potential opportunities. However, the venture did not lead to any notable financial outcomes.

Still, the consecutive failures taught Heath valuable lessons about business and marketing. At 19, he pursued higher education to obtain a business degree. The program required students to complete two six-month corporate placements. His first placement was at an oil and gas company in the strategic planning department, where his eyes were opened in unexpected ways. The rigid structure and uninspiring work environment disillusioned him. “When I returned to university, I realized my degree was leading toward a career I wanted to avoid,” Heath shares. This realization prompted him to drop out and commit to entrepreneurship.

The journey to finding traction was far from immediate. Heath tried various ventures, including an app development business that generated little revenue over two years. The struggle for a breakthrough taught him that having a great product or service wasn’t enough. He needed to know how to market it. Heath then invested in online courses and started applying what he learned. 

Heath recalls that his first meaningful progress came when he used his newfound skills to help his mother’s interior design business, which was struggling to attract clients. He ran ad campaigns for her. To his surprise, they yielded noticeable improvements. This moment was a turning point, as he realized that he had developed a skill set other businesses could benefit from.

Six years after his first attempt at entrepreneurship, Heath launched Heath Media. The early years were challenging, marked by limited clients and modest earnings. He had to attend networking events and charge minimal fees just to get his foot in the door. His breakthrough came when he experimented with video content.

Heath created marketing tutorial videos to use as ads for his services and uploaded them on YouTube. His first videos attracted only a couple hundred views, but they began bringing in clients. “I thought to myself, ‘If a video with 200 views could generate business, what could I achieve if my videos reached tens of thousands of people?'” he asks.

This insight prompted Heath to go all in on building his personal brand. He created educational content on YouTube, sharing his expertise on digital advertising. His channel gained traction. His presence on other platforms like Instagram, X, and Facebook also expanded, helping him reach a broader community of marketers and entrepreneurs.

As Heath’s personal brand grew, so did Heath Media. The agency has become a recognized player in the UK’s digital advertising space. Specializing in Meta and Google ads, it supports e-commerce brands, service-based businesses, marketing firms, and global companies in improving their marketing performance through paid media.

Heath’s approach to cutting through marketing jargon has helped him connect with audiences. “People throw a lot of buzzwords that sound good but don’t mean anything in marketing. I think many people resonated with my ability to strip away the nonsense and focus on what actually works,” Heath says.

The founder isn’t slowing down despite the momentum. His long-term vision is for Heath Media to follow the trajectory of larger agencies. He intends to grow the firm from 50 to 5,000 employees, collaborate with global brands, and establish Heath Media as a leading marketing agency in the UK. This vision is gradually taking shape as Heath continues to leverage his personal brand to attract high-profile clients, recruit strong talent, and innovate in digital advertising.

Ben Heath’s journey shows that resilience, deliberate learning, and a long-term mindset often outweigh early wins. His entrepreneurial story offers valuable insights for anyone seeking to create something impactful—step by step, lesson by lesson.

Published by Jeremy S.