How Not to Lose Money in 5 Countries at Once
About this episode
Expanding internationally sounds like the dream.
More customers. More markets. More revenue.
Until your margins disappear, your ops get messy, and you realise you’ve accidentally built five slightly broken businesses instead of one good one.
In this episode, Adam sits down with Kareem Raslan, Managing Director of Braingain, to talk about what scaling internationally actually looks like.
From importing dumbbells during lockdown and delivering them around London… to building a brand with 100,000+ customers across 30+ countries, Kareem shares the lessons (and mistakes) that shaped Braingain’s growth.
This is a conversation about simplifying, focusing, and building a business that actually makes money — not just one that looks good on a map.
In this episode:
- Why trying to sell everything everywhere doesn’t work
- The reality of unit economics across multiple markets
- Why first-order profitability matters more than most brands admit
- How localisation impacts performance in EU markets
- What breaks first when you scale (and how to fix it)
- Why simplifying channels can unlock growth
- The challenges of working capital during expansion
- What Kareem would do differently starting again
About the guest
Kareem Raslan is the Managing Director of Braingain, a fitness equipment brand that scaled rapidly from a lockdown side hustle into a global business serving 100,000+ customers across 30+ countries.
Starting by importing adjustable dumbbells and delivering them locally around London, Kareem has built Braingain into a brand focused on profitable growth, strong unit economics and disciplined expansion.
He has hands-on experience navigating the complexities of international expansion, product focus, channel strategy and scaling operations.
🔗 Braingain website ➡️ https://www.braingain.fit
🔗 Kareem Raslan (LinkedIn) ➡️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/kareemraslan/
About the host
Adam Pearce is Co-Founder of Blend Commerce and eCom Collab Club®, helping eCommerce brands grow through smarter CRO, customer experience and commercial strategy.
Known for cutting through noise and focusing on what actually drives growth, Adam brings practical, operator-led conversations to founders and teams.
🔗 Adam Pearce (LinkedIn)
https://www.linkedin.com/in/shopifyexpertadampearce
Links
Braingain → https://www.braingain.fitAdam Pearce (LinkedIn) → https://www.linkedin.com/in/shopifyexpertadampearceBlend Commerce → https://blendcommerce.com
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💬 Comment: What’s the biggest mistake you’ve made (or seen) when expanding internationally?
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