Mike Thurston

Thurston says he knew from a young age that he wanted to be his own boss. In 2011 he graduated from university with a degree in economics and business management, and his first job was as a manager at the clothing brand Hollister; he moved between several jobs before finding his real passion in fitness.⁠[1][1][2][2]

In 2013 he switched into fitness and qualified as a personal trainer; in 2014 he opened his first business, the Aurora Athletic gym.⁠[2][2]

In 2016 he posted his first YouTube video, then left the gym and moved to London to go all in on digital content. He soon built a large online following and worked with numerous fitness brands.⁠[2][2][1][1]

Between 2017 and 2019 he expanded his content into online coaching, travel vlogs and collaborations, relocated to Dubai, and launched THRST Apparel, a premium fitness and lifestyle clothing brand. He said the brand was designed for men who want comfortable, stylish pieces for travel to warm destinations, blending his love for fitness, fashion and exploration.⁠[2][2][1][1]

THRST currently sells activewear and casual clothing such as training shorts and swim shorts.⁠[3][3]

In 2021 he launched the fitness app THRST App, combining training programmes, tracking tools and nutrition in one place. He said he poured more than a decade of experience into the app, giving people access to him as a coach at a fraction of the cost of personal training at any time; after it launched he no longer needed to rely on one-to-one coaching.⁠[2][1][1][4]

Between 2022 and 2025 he launched the weekly podcast First Things THRST, featuring conversations with high performers on entrepreneurship, personal development, health and fitness; he also launched Hack You Media with the health brand Bioniq, co-hosting it with Vadim Fedotov and inviting experts to discuss how to optimise health and performance.⁠[2][2][2][2]

On June 3, 2024, The Venture RoomThe Venture RoomThe Venture Room is a UK entrepreneurial media brand centered on the YouTube channel @theventureroom. Through long-form interviews with founders and street interviews such as “Asking Millionaires How They Got Rich?”, it presents entrepreneurs’ stories and advice to aspiring business owners, and runs an entrepreneur community and brand partnerships.Open the full entry published a street-interview video filmed on the Modball supercar rally from London to Monaco; he appears at 3:58 and describes himself as a podcaster and YouTuber with a clothing company and a fitness app who also does some coaching. He said the most profitable of his businesses was the fitness app, because of its monthly recurring revenue and minimal overheads. He also said he had been a quiet, timid person and that the hardest thing was forcing himself to appear on camera in front of thousands of people; before starting on YouTube and social media he had coached people as a personal trainer for five years straight, so when he began creating content he already spoke with some authority.⁠[5][5][5][5][5][5]

In June 2025 he appeared on the cover of the summer issue of Emirates Man as a fitness entrepreneur and WHOOP brand ambassador. In the interview he said his entrepreneurial approach centres on enjoyment, integrity and impact, and that he only takes on things that genuinely excite him and that he would happily do even without being paid; he also said consistency is not about being perfect but about showing up, staying intentional and doing the work whether or not you feel like it.⁠[1][1][1][1][1]

“One of the biggest things for me was surrounding myself with other successful people.” He believes that if you become the most successful person in your circle you tend to get complacent, and that befriending people who are doing well lets you ask their advice and apply it to your own businesses. (at 5:12 in the video)⁠[5][5][5]

“Once you have an audience, then people can collaborate.” He said that when he started out the only thing he could offer was helping people get in shape, and that people began approaching him for collaborations only after he built a following and a personal brand. (at 6:07 in the video)⁠[5][5]

“Don’t spend too much time sitting, reading, listening and not doing anything.” He said there is now a huge amount of high-quality free information online, so you need to be hungry enough to learn and then execute; you learn the most by going out and doing things. (at 6:36 in the video)⁠[5][5][5]

Personal website: https://www.mikethurston.co.uk/ (opens in a new window)⁠[2]

THRST App: Official website: https://www.thrstapp.com/ (opens in a new window).⁠[2]

THRST: Official website: https://thrstofficial.com/ (opens in a new window).⁠[3]

YouTube: Public channel: https://www.youtube.com/@MikeThurston (opens in a new window)⁠[2]

LinkedInLinkedInLinkedIn is a social networking platform for professionals. It was founded in 2002 by Reid Hoffman and others, launched in 2003, and listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2011; after Microsoft acquired it for approximately $26.2 billion in 2016, it became a wholly owned Microsoft subsidiary. Its revenue comes from membership subscriptions, advertising, and recruitment solutions.Open the full entry: Public profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-thurston-46107348/ (opens in a new window)⁠[2]