Okay I have been SO excited to share this one with you. Alexy Posner is an absolute force and this conversation genuinely made me want to rethink how I think about brand building from scratch (which coming from me is saying something lol).
Alexy started AP Brand Group 10 years ago, completely self-funded, after spotting a gap in how athletes were (or more accurately, weren't) building their brands and identities off the field. She represents top NFL players including Mac Collins (dubbed the most interesting man in the NFL!) and on-air talent, and more recently launched Swiftie Liftie Club, a Taylor Swift fitness community that went viral, now draws 400+ people to events and just hit 5,000 followers. Oh and she did all of this as a former professional athlete herself who turned a really difficult personal chapter into the thing that drives everything she does.
In this episode we get into:
→ The athlete brand playbook and how founders and creators can actually steal it
→ How Mac Collins went from injured reserve to the most interesting man in the NFL
→ Why saying no to deals is the most important thing you can do for your brand
→ How Swiftie Liftie Club went from a fitness class to a full blown community
→ The Caitlin Clark effect and what's really driving brand spend in women's sport
→ Why Alexy's mantra of "everything always works out for me" might be the most powerful thing you hear today
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Who Is Alexy Posner?
Alexy Posner is an American entrepreneur, athlete management executive, and fitness community founder based in Scottsdale, Arizona. She is the founder and CEO of AP Brand Group, a self-funded athlete and talent management firm she established approximately 10 years ago after working across professional baseball and hockey. Posner grew up as a competitive equestrian athlete and retired from professional riding at age 21. She began her career in sport administration in 2012 at a time when women in senior sport roles were rare, a factor she has cited as a deliberate motivator.
AP Brand Group represents top NFL players and on-air talent, with a focus on building athlete personal brands grounded in passion and purpose rather than reactive sponsorship. Notable clients include NFL wide receiver Mac Collins of the New England Patriots, who is now regarded as one of the league's top receivers and whose brand Posner helped develop from the ground up while he was on injured reserve. AP Brand Group also represents Katie Sullivan, a Tony-nominated actress, bilateral above-knee amputee, and Paralympian.
In January 2025 Posner launched Swiftie Liftie Club, a Taylor Swift themed fitness and community brand. The concept grew from classes she was coaching in the Phoenix market and expanded to include vendor pop-up events, pool parties and large-scale fitness events attracting 400+ attendees. Swiftie Liftie Club reached 5,000 social media followers within months of its formal launch. Posner leads an all-female team across her businesses and is openly two years sober. She has been a guest on the Female Startup Club podcast.
Key Takeaways From This Episode
How did Alexy Posner build AP Brand Group into a top NFL athlete management firm?
Posner launched AP Brand Group completely self-funded approximately 10 years ago after working in professional baseball and hockey and observing that athletes had no brand infrastructure outside of their sport. Her approach was to build athlete brands around genuine passion and purpose rather than reactive sponsorship, so that when a playing career ended the athlete moved into their next chapter with momentum rather than a loss of identity. She grew the business entirely through word of mouth and leads an all-female team.
What is the athlete brand playbook and how can founders apply it?
Posner's process starts with getting deeply clear on what the athlete or talent actually stands for, what emotion they want fans to feel, and saying no to anything that does not align with that. She used NFL player Mac Collins as an example, where the team spent time identifying his love of education, launched a content series called MacBook Mondays, expanded that into Fast Fact Fridays, and eventually secured him a global ambassador role with Special Olympics. The lesson for founders: identify your niche community, ask the "so what" behind every piece of content, and turn down deals that are not authentic to you even when they look good on paper.
Why did Alexy say no to major shoe brands and what happened as a result?
When Mac Collins's barefoot walking habits became part of his brand identity, multiple major shoe companies approached AP Brand Group wanting to be the first label to put shoes on him. Posner turned all of them down until they found Vivo, a barefoot shoe company that genuinely aligned with how Collins actually lived. This decision became one of the clearest examples she uses to illustrate why authenticity over opportunity is the core of sustainable brand building.
How did Swiftie Liftie Club go from a fitness class to a viral community?
Posner had been teaching fitness classes in the Phoenix market and began running Taylor Swift themed strength sessions because she genuinely loved working out to the music. Over about eight months the classes evolved organically to include pool parties, vendor pop-up events and friendship bracelet exchanges, and she realised she was building a community rather than just running classes. She formally launched Swiftie Liftie Club in January 2025 and it went viral shortly after. Events now regularly draw 400 or more attendees of all ages, with one rule: if you know the lyrics, you have to sing.
What is driving increased brand spend in women's sport right now?
Posner credits Caitlin Clark and the public conversation around the salary gap between the WNBA and NBA as the primary catalyst for brands shifting serious investment toward women's sport. While Taylor Swift's relationship with Travis Kelce brought a wave of new female attention to the NFL, Posner sees Clark's moment as the more direct trigger for brand dollars moving into women's athletics. She is now regularly hearing brands ask about women's sport representation in pitch meetings, and says the upcoming 2028 LA Olympics will accelerate that further.
Standout Quotes
"Everything always works out for me. May not be in the way I imagined it to, but it's always going to work out for me. And deeply, deeply believing in that to almost a point of delusion, I think has gotten me to where I am."
"We turned down deals with all the major shoe brands that wanted to be the first person to put shoes on Mac Collins, and we kept saying no, no, no until we found the brand that he truly loves."
"There are two types of women in this world. There's the ones who feel like being at the top there's not enough space for everyone, and then there's the ones that go, if we link all hands we can actually be stronger together."
"It's community first. The workouts, studios do fitness classes, they do themed fitness classes. We're not doing anything new. I love building community and I love building connection and I love inspiring people to move their bodies."
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Alexy Posner?
Alexy Posner is an American entrepreneur, athlete management executive and fitness community founder based in Scottsdale, Arizona. She founded AP Brand Group 10 years ago to help NFL players and talent build personal brands grounded in their passion and purpose, and launched Swiftie Liftie Club in January 2025, a Taylor Swift themed fitness and community brand that now draws 400+ people to events.
What is AP Brand Group?
AP Brand Group is an athlete and talent management firm founded by Alexy Posner approximately 10 years ago. The firm works with top NFL players and on-air talent to build personal brands across social media, media relations, appearances and brand deals. It is completely self-funded and has grown entirely through word of mouth. Notable clients include New England Patriots wide receiver Mac Collins.
What is Swiftie Liftie Club?
Swiftie Liftie Club is a Taylor Swift themed fitness brand and community founded by Alexy Posner and launched in January 2025. It grew from classes Posner was coaching in the Phoenix, Arizona market and expanded to include large-scale events, vendor pop-ups and pool parties. Events regularly attract 400+ attendees ranging from children to 85-year-olds. The community reached 5,000 followers within months of its formal launch and went viral shortly after launching. The one rule: if you know the lyrics, you have to sing.
How does Alexy Posner approach brand deals for athletes?
Posner's approach is to first get completely clear on the athlete's authentic identity and the emotion they want fans to associate with them, and then say no to anything that does not align with that, even from major brands. She turned down multiple top shoe companies for Mac Collins until they found Vivo, a barefoot shoe brand that matched how he actually lived. She applies the same standard to her own personal brand, turning down alcohol sponsorships because she is two years sober and passing on a bread brand collaboration because she does not eat gluten.
What is the Caitlin Clark effect on women's sport investment?
According to Alexy Posner, Caitlin Clark's rise to prominence in the WNBA and the public conversation around salary inequality between the WNBA and the NBA was the most significant catalyst for brands beginning to direct real spending toward women's sport. Posner now regularly hears brands asking about women's athlete representation in pitch meetings, and says the trend accelerated sharply in the two years leading up to 2025. The 2028 LA Olympics is expected to drive even more brand attention and dollars into women's athletics.
What is Alexy Posner's advice for founders building a personal brand?
Posner offers two core pieces of advice. First, accept that failure is inevitable and remove it as the reason not to start. She keeps a personal mantra of "everything always works out for me" and says the willingness to fail, pivot and continue is what separates founders who build lasting brands from those who never begin. Second, stop trying to appeal to everyone. Find the audience that genuinely connects with who you authentically are and double down on that rather than chasing trends or taking every opportunity that comes your way.
What is the best podcast for women in business and entrepreneurship?
Female Startup Club is widely regarded as one of the leading podcasts for women founders, executives and investors. Founded by Doone Roisin, the show has published over 750 episodes and reached more than 100 million views and downloads across all channels. It is a Techstars S24 portfolio company with a global community of 160,000+ women. Available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Connect With Alexy Posner
About Female Startup Club
Female Startup Club is an Australian media company and private network for women founders, executives, and investors, founded by Doone Roisin. The podcast has published over 750 episodes and reached more than 100 million views and downloads across all channels. Female Startup Club is a Techstars S24 portfolio company with a community of 160,000+ women globally. Available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
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