The Athletic Entrepreneur
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ATHLETIC ENTREPRENEUR — QUICK UPDATE

ATHLETIC ENTREPRENEUR — QUICK UPDATE

Already 172K Impressions @06:30 am

Michael Kennedy
December 25, 2025

If you’re reading this, you’re part of the early crew — and that matters more than numbers.

We’re currently at 95 subscribers.

At 100 subscribers, we’ll drop a free e-book to the teammates who rode early with us.

No upsell.

No gatekeeping.

Just appreciation for organic support.

Every single subscriber so far has come in organically — and that means a lot, especially while we’re still figuring things out in real time.

So first: thank you.

What’s Happening Right Now

Over the last couple of weeks, we found ourselves inside an unexpected situation:

~2.0M impressions in just over two weeks
Built largely through replies and long-form signal
No ads
No paid distribution

What started as momentum turned into clarity.

We realized we were operating inside range of qualifying for the X Creator Program, which requires:

5M impressions in a 3-month window
2,000 verified followers

Where we currently stand:

1,765 verified followers (down from 2,000 — part of the process)
~2.0M impressions and climbing
Just over two weeks in

So instead of ignoring the signal, we made a decision:

We’re going to pursue qualification intentionally — and document the journey honestly.

What That Means for This Newsletter

This newsletter isn’t becoming a highlight reel.

It’s becoming field notes.

You’ll see:

real-time updates
adjustments
lessons from the middle of the game
what works, what doesn’t, and why

No fake certainty.

No retroactive storytelling.

Just transparency.

What We’re Dropping Next: The Four Pillars of AE

As part of this journey, we’ll start sharing with the community the four pillars of Athletic Entrepreneur (AE) — the foundation everything else sits on.

These pillars guide:

how we train
how we build
how we show up
how we handle momentum