Game Changers with Molly Fletcher is our podcast designed to help you maximize your influence and unleash your potential. Each episode, we take you behind the scenes with peak performers to learn what makes them tick and discover how you can apply their lessons to your life. Join Molly each week to hear from her special guests— top athletes and coaches, transformative CEOs, brilliant thought leaders, and entrepreneurs and trailblazers from around the world. Subscribe now on iTunes or Google Play.

Recent Episodes

Geno Auriemma

Episode 19- Geno Auriemma on Winning (And Winning Some More)

All he does is win. In his 32 seasons at the University of Connecticut, head women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma has led the Huskies to 11 national titles, 18 Final Fours, 6 perfect seasons and 45 conference titles. Under Geno’s leadership, the Huskies have recorded winning streaks of 90 games and 111 games straight. So what drives one of the greatest coaches of all-time? How does he motivate his teams to achieve record-breaking success year after year? And does he ever get tired of winning? On this episode, Geno takes us inside the locker room to share how he built a championship culture at UConn, the three things he looks for when evaluating talent, and how he gets superstar talent to put team first.

Can you function in a winning team, where other people are as good as you? Not everyone can.

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Show Notes

  • How Geno defines success (1:53)
  • Here’s how to build trust quickly (4:21)
  • Inside Geno’s recruiting pitch (10:34)
  • If you’re not a little bit selfish, you’ll never be great (13:26)
  • Maximizing superstar talent without sacrificing team culture (16:36)
  • The three things Geno looks for when evaluating talent (23:30)
  • These are the recruits Geno won’t go after (26:20)
  • When things are going great, it’s time to change (31:17)
  • The role parents should play in youth sports (37:36)

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Dr. Henry Cloud

Episode 18- Dr. Henry Cloud on The 4 Corners of Connection

An acclaimed leadership expert, psychologist, and New York Times best-selling author, Dr. Henry Cloud is one of the most influential leaders in personal growth and development. His books have sold more than 10 million copies and he’s helped countless people improve their relationships, leadership skills and workplace performance. On this episode, Dr. Cloud talks about the four corners of connection, why it’s important to set boundaries, and how to recognize toxic relationships. If you want more, head over to his website for a great collection of resources on leadership, relationships, productivity, and happiness.

Follow Dr. Cloud: Twitter  |  Facebook  | Instagram

Wherever it’s not working, we need to add more structure.

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Show Notes

  • Cloud breaks down the four corners of connection (8:30)
  • Do this exercise to determine if your energy and priorities are aligned (18:15)
  • Stop being afraid of fear (20:55)
  • The importance of setting boundaries (32:05) 

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Tiffany Dufu

Episode 17- Tiffany Dufu on The Myth of Doing It All

Once the poster girl for doing it all, today’s guest Tiffany Dufu is now sharing a powerful message to women: Drop The Ball. As Chief Leadership Officer of Levo and part of Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In launch team, Tiffany’s life work is to advance women and girls. If we can learn to let go of perfectionism, she says, we can achieve more by doing less and achieve better work-life integration. On this episode, Tiffany shares the power in shrinking your to-do list, how to delegate with joy, and what happens when we focus on our most meaningful work. Her new book, Drop The Ball, is out now.

Follow Tiffany: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

I don’t want my tombstone to say: ‘She got a lot of stuff done.’

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Show Notes

  • What “drop the ball” means and how to let go of unrealistic expectations (1:56)
  • Gender roles and how Tiffany’s drive for achievement turned into perfectionism (3:06)
  • Do these two exercises to achieve clarity on what matters most (13:00)
  • Do this eye-opening time management exercise (17:05)
  • Learning how to “delegate with joy” (19:27)
  • Burnout is a feeling that happens when the things you are doing aren’t meaningful (28:20)
  • What she learned from Sheryl Sandberg (31:08)
  • Tiffany’s favorite apps, books and podcasts (32:43)

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Jon Gordon

Episode 16 – Jon Gordon on Positive Leadership

Jon Gordon’s passion is developing positive leaders and inspiring winning team cultures. The author of the international bestseller The Energy Bus, Jon is a sought after speaker on leadership, culture, sales and teamwork. On today’s episode, Jon shares what he’s learned about building thriving team cultures, why positive leadership inspires high performance, and what to do when energy vampires threaten your workplace culture. Get his latest book, The Power of Positive Leadership, available now.

Follow Jon: Twitter  |  Facebook  |  Instagram | Website

“Just because you have a negative thought, doesn’t mean you have to believe it.”

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Show Notes

  • The turning point in his life that motivated change (2:07)
  • His advice to make the shift from negative to positive (3:22)
  • Why grit is greater than thought (4:32)
  • How to speak truth to lies in your life (5:00)
  • Why to be great even when you don’t feel great (7:24)
  • Purpose-driven motivation lasts (8:44)
  • How to find your purpose (9:40)
  • Why Dabo Swinney is a special leader and how he re-energized his team to win after a big loss (11:28)
  • The best leaders in the world provide love and accountability (13:43)
  • Example of a leadership team stuck in negative behavior and how he helped them change (16:50)
  • This exercise helps teams grow closer (19:03)
  • How to deal with the energy vampires in your life (21:12)
  • The best way to deliver tough, honest feedback (24:24)
  • Advice for a positive person stuck in a negative culture (26:43)
  • His greatest accomplishment (31:01)
  • His personal vision (33:00)

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Jim Loehr

Episode 15- Jim Loehr on the Power of Full Engagement

World-renowned performance psychologist Dr. Jim Loehr is well known for his work with top athletes and Olympians. As co-founder of the Human Performance Institute, he applies his research to the business world with Corporate Athlete training on performance and resilience. The author of 16 books, including the national bestseller The Power of Full Engagement, Jim’s ground-breaking science-based energy management training system has been featured everywhere from the Harvard Business Review to the Oprah Winfrey Show. On today’s episode, Jim shares how to find fulfillment at work, ways to maximize energy for peak performance, and how to re-wire our mental script.

“Full engagement is the supreme gift we give to the world.”

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Show Notes

  • How he helped Olympian Dan Jansen achieve new goals (2:58)
  • The biggest parallels between business and sports (7:38)
  • The groundbreaking executive coaching program at Johnson & Johnson’s Human Performance Institute (10:45)
  • Tools to manage your energy better (14:00)
  • Time without energy is nothing (15:05)
  • Full engagement is the supreme gift we give to the world (16:20)
  • Purpose is the centerpiece of everyone’s life story (19:10)
  • How to know if you’re living out your purpose (19:37)
  • Tips to help people gain mental toughness (22:20)
  • Achievement doesn’t bring happiness, it’s the chase and journey (24:30)
  • How parents, teachers and coaches can help kids build character as a result of youth sports (28:35)

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Tom Izzo

Episode 14- Tom Izzo on Maximizing Your Team’s Potential

One of the greatest coaches in college basketball history, Michigan State men’s basketball coach Tom Izzo has carved out a Hall of Fame career. But beyond the championships, Coach of the Year accolades, and 500+ career wins, Izzo has shaped the lives of countless players and coaches who have come through his program. On this episode, Izzo talks about what’s shaped his sports leadership philosophy, the difference between good teams and great teams, and the legacy he wants to leave behind.

“Great players play great. Elite players make other players great.”

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Show Notes

  • His Michigan roots and values his parents instilled early (2:55)
  • His relationship with Mateen Cleaves (4:18)
  • How he builds trust with his players (6:28)
  • The activity he does with his players each year (7:05)
  • His mission in life (7:40)
  • The characteristics of great teams (8:22)
  • The difference between great players and elite players (9:32)
  • A player-coached team is better than a coach-coached team (11:00)
  • Tough players win championships (13:01)
  • The importance of spending time (17:50)
  • What he does to re-build a player’s confidence (20:52)
  • Self-motivate and self-evaluate (28:13)

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Alison Levine

Episode 13- Alison Levine on Leadership Lessons from Mount Everest

Imagine yourself on the highest peak in the world, surviving sub-zero temperatures, battering winds, and sudden avalanches. Adventurer Alison Levine has been there. She’s served as team captain of the first American Women’s Everest Expedition, climbed the highest peak on every continent, and skied to both Poles. There’s no better training ground for leaders than environments where uncertainty reigns, teamwork is essential, and people are pushed beyond their perceived limits. On this episode, Alison talks about what she’s learned about leading through adversity, teamwork, and risk taking by taking on the world’s highest peaks. If you want more, be sure to check out her New York Times bestseller On The Edge.

Alison Levine

Follow Alison: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

“Just take one step. If you don’t take one step, you’re never going anywhere.”

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Show Notes

  • How she first got involved in mountain climbing (2:12)
  • Why she left the corporate world to pursue her passion (3:50)
  • Her advice to people who want to follow their passion (5:28)
  • What it was like climbing her first mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro (5:56)
  • Dealing with personal challenges (8:19)
  • The key to how successful teams operate (10:19)
  • What she’s learned from her “failed” attempts (12:34)
  • What makes Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski a great leader (18:02)
  • How to lead through uncertainty (20:30)
  • What’s left on her bucket list (25:43)

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Atlanta Braves Chipper Jones

Episode 12- Chipper Jones on What Baseball Taught Me About Failure

During his 19-year career with the Atlanta Braves, Chipper Jones was a World Series Champion, 1999 National League MVP and 8x All-Star. But baseball also forced him to fail time and time again, and in that he found his most valuable lessons. On this episode, the former #1 pick and future Hall of Famer discusses the highs and lows of being a professional athlete, opens up about his personal struggles, and talks about the mental toughness and perseverance required to become one of the game’s greatest switch-hitters. His new book, Ballplayer, is in stores now.

Atlanta Braves Chipper Jones

Follow Chipper: Twitter  |  Facebook

“If reality TV had been the in thing in the mid to late 90s, I would have had the best show on TV.”

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Show Notes

  • What made the Atlanta Braves teams of the 1990s so special (2:12)
  • What it was like to play for Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox (4:37)
  • The Atlanta Braves veterans who mentored him in the clubhouse (7:04)
  • How baseball taught him to recover from failure faster (10:32)
  • The positive self-talk Chipper used when in a slump (12:32)
  • The advice his mother gave him that he remembered every time he stepped to the plate (15:00)
  • The story of how Chipper went hunting the morning of the World Series (18:37)
  • His pre-game routine (21:30)
  • Focusing on baseball while his personal life fell apart (25:20)
  • The decision to retire and the transition (29:30)
  • The best practical jokes from the Braves clubhouse (35:43)
  • The advice Chipper would give his younger self (40:35)

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Kat Cole, FOCUS Brands

Episode 11- Kat Cole on Authentic Leadership

From her start as a hostess at Hooters to leading some of the world’s best-known food brands, Kat Cole shares the leadership lessons she’s learned through her accelerated rise up the corporate ladder. On this episode, the current group president of FOCUS Brands talks about her personal leadership philosophy, how to help people embrace change, her advice to young leaders, and what it takes to lead successful teams with hustle and heart.

Follow Kat: Twitter  |  Instagram

“Don’t forget where you came from, but don’t you dare ever let it solely define you.”

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Show Notes

  • Insights into her younger life (2:45)
  • Opening a Hooters franchise in Australia at age 19 (5:58)
  • Curiosity + confidence + humility + courage (7:00)
  • How her experiences have influenced her leadership style (8:52)
  • Why her correlation with money wasn’t positive growing up (10:40)
  • Her definition of success (10:46)
  • Her advice to young leaders (16:50)
  • How she handles doubters (19:30)
  • Building the culture at FOCUS Brands (23:22)
  • How to create a culture of innovation (26:20)
  • How to get team members to embrace change (29:22)
  • A moment she failed and how she recovered (33:05)
  • How she finds work-life balance (36:04)

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Laura Gentile ESPN

Episode 10- Laura Gentile on Building A Winning Brand at ESPN

Laura Gentile turned her passion and purpose into a vision, leading the launch of the espnW platform for ESPN. On this episode, the former college field hockey standout takes us behind the scenes to talk about the hard-driving culture at ESPN, her vision for espnW, and what it takes to launch a new brand.

Laura Gentile ESPNW

Follow Laura: Twitter | Instagram | Website

“The way I approach work is through an athletic mindset.”

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Show Notes

  • Launching espnW as a startup (2:14)
  • The data behind the decision to launch espnW (3:10)
  • What she looked for in her first hires at espnW (3:45)
  • Launching the business at the espnW Summit (6:24)
  • Her vision for the espnW brand (7:12)
  • Tapping into the power of the female consumer (8:30)
  • How she’s aligned her purpose with her work (11:33)
  • What she’s learned from working in the industry (18:28)
  • What the culture is like at ESPN (20:14)
  • Her views on youth sports today (23:05)
  • Her advice to anyone who wants to work in the sports industry (26:17)

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