2025 Year in Review: Real Talk on Content Growth, Gym Ownership & What’s Next

Brandon Smitley of THIRST Gym recaps the 2025 year across YouTube, the THIRST More Podcast, Instagram, and online coaching, sharing real analytics, business challenges, and what is changing heading into 2026. From hitting YouTube monetization and growing to 6,000 subscribers to navigating a gym relocation due to eminent domain, this post covers the full story behind a year of growth and hard lessons for a working strength coach and small gym owner. If you are a strength athlete, powerlifter, wrestler, or coach looking for honest insights from someone in the trenches, this is the recap worth reading.