Thomas van Schaik, author of The Athlete Brand, said something that should be tattooed on every athlete's forehead: "Your talent is making you the minimal viable product."

That's it. Your ability to play is the entry fee - not the destination. This week's recommendation breaks down why athletes have an unfair advantage in the creator economy and how to capitalize on it before your career ends. Read it here.

The kicker? Most athletes waste this advantage by waiting until retirement to figure it out.

Behind-the-scenes training content generates 47% higher engagement than polished promotional posts. People follow proximity more than perfection - you become relatable and human with behind-the-scenes content. A chest-mounted GoPro during warm-ups is worth more than a highlight reel filmed by a production team.¹

Ben Foster was never the best goalkeeper in the world, and he wasn't really ever close. But today, if you ask most young players who Ben Foster is, they'll say "the Wrexham goalkeeper" or "the Cycling GK" - not the Manchester United GK, not West Brom GK, not Watford GK.

That's not an accident. That's strategy.

Foster's story matters because it proves something critical: You don't need to be elite to build authority. You need to be deliberate. If you’re like me and you're a D3 athlete, a journeyman professional, or someone who's been told you're "aiming too high," this is your blueprint.

Let's dissect what Foster did - and more importantly, what you can do with 10% of his resources.

Foster had Premier League salary for years, access to elite locker rooms, and existing credibility. The Wrexham/Reynolds situation was lightning in a bottle. I fear that if I don't name these advantages, you'll dismiss the entire lesson as irrelevant.

So let's strip away the privilege and extract the transferable principle: Foster saw a gap and filled it deliberately, three years before his career ended. These are the things you can take from his situation and apply it to your own. 

Foster started his YouTube channel in 2020 during COVID lockdowns when fans couldn't attend matches. Watching games on TV that were held in empty stadiums was boring and depressing,  but watching Foster's behind-the-scenes match day vlogs - hearing what players said to each other on the pitch, seeing his GoPro footage from behind the goal - was fascinating and electric.

He didn't create demand. He identified existing frustration and solved it.

Your 10% version: You don't need Premier League access, you need proximity to something people want to see but can't: Local gyms, youth training academies, semi-pro locker rooms, recovery routines, and the equipment room. Document what you have access to that others don't and share your perspective on it. 

Foster launched his channel three years before officially retiring so that by the time he stopped playing, he had well over 1+ million subscribers, a media company, and multiple revenue streams locked in.

Most athletes start their personal brand when the contract isn't renewed. That's panic, not strategy. Yes, it’s tough to do. Yes, it takes discipline and effort. Pull up those grip socks, lace those boots up, turn on the fucking camera and GO. 

Your 10% version: Realistically, you need 1000 real people who know what you're building while you're still playing. It’s the first deliverable of Athleadership - Clarity: strangers can describe what you're known for in one sentence. 

Foster built long-form YouTube content, launched the Fozcast podcast with high-profile guests outside football, created a membership website, and distributed clips across TikTok and Instagram. Creating multiple touchpoints for different audiences now allows him to be a powerful asset for his own products and communities AND be an asset for sponsors who want to partner with him. 

Your 10% version: Pick one primary platform (YouTube, podcast, blog) where you own the asset. Then repurpose that content into 3-5 smaller pieces for discovery platforms (Instagram, TikTok, X). You don't need to be everywhere, you just need to own one thing and distribute it everywhere.

Foster partnered with the Sidemen, Chris MD, and Wrexham's YouTube channel among other high-profile guests over the last few years. His 100 shots challenge with Chris MD got 3.9 million views - more than most of his solo content. These collaborations gave him credibility in the creator space and access to audiences that are tangentially related to football.

Your 10% version: Find creators one tier above you in your niche and offer value. Film a challenge, do a joint training session, or interview them about their process. Collaboration isn't about celebrity, it's about shared audiences and mutual benefit! I’d recommend offering some type of value for the other creator’s audience as “payment” for collabing with a smaller brand.

In 2022, Watford fined Foster for filming around the club, and the chairman criticized his vlogs publicly. This didn't hurt Foster, it clarified his value. It proved people were watching. It made him larger than the controversy. Although Foster didn't create the controversy, he leveraged it by doubling down on his brand and finding teams that would support what he was building.

Your 10% version: When someone questions why you're filming, posting, or "promoting yourself," that's not resistance, that's confirmation you're building something visible. Don't shrink. Explain your long-term vision and keep going.

Foster's comeback to Wrexham was a masterclass in collaboration content strategy. Ryan Reynolds is one of the greatest marketers alive - with unbelievable success across business sectors. The Welcome to Wrexham Netflix documentary + Foster's YouTube behind-the-scenes access created a perfect storm: high production quality meets raw emotional content.

Together, they're why Wrexham is globally relevant today. Foster still leverages the association into post-retirement ambassadorship, sponsorships with Specialized bikes, Insta360, Vistaprint, and a media business that has nothing to do with his shot-stopping ability.

Your 10% version: You won't get Netflix, but you can identify whose narrative aligns with yours and attach yourself to it. A local team with momentum, a coach with a strong reputation, a training academy with ambitious goals. Proximity to a rising story is leverage.

Foster hit all three Athleadership milestones:

He built this while playing. Not after.

Foster started three years before retiring. You're reading this now.

What's your three-year move?

Not "should I start?", that's already answered. The question is: what are you building, who is it for, and what will be undeniable by the time your playing career shifts?

If this framework helped you see personal branding differently, forward this to one athlete who's still waiting for permission to start.

Stay Dangerous.