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

Guy Raz

Episode 99- Guy Raz on The Unexpected Paths to Success from the World’s Most Inspiring Entrepreneurs

Guy Raz has interviewed more than 6,000 people from Bill Gates to Mark Cuban to Taylor Swift. Described by The New York Times as “one of the most popular podcasters in history,” Guy is the co-creator of How I Built This, TED Radio Hour and the NPR kids podcast Wow In The World with a combined audience of more than 19 million listeners each month. His new book, How I Built This, shares the behind-the-scenes stories of the world’s most inspiring entrepreneurs and the companies they built. On this episode, we talk about how to have more meaningful conversations, the biggest myths of entrepreneurship, and why every business is ultimately a story.

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“Every single business is a story.”

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Show Notes

  • How Guy first started his career in journalism as an intern at NPR (2:03)
  • What he learned as a war correspondent covering the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Macedonia (4:42)
  • The three keys to meaningful conversations: curiosity, empathy and listening (9:37)
  • The most memorable interviews he’s ever done (14:27)
  • Entrepreneurs are risk takers and other myths of entrepreneurship (18:38)
  • The common threads of successful people (19:58)
  • How the most successful entrepreneurs have welcomed rejection (21:08)
  • Every business is a story- and that story drives connection (26:17)
  • Every business is a series of problems to be solved (29:16)
  • The difference between “dangerous” and “scary” (35:00)
  • The art of the pivot (37:47)

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Sam Acho

Episode 98- Sam Acho on How to be Real in a World Full of Fakes

What if you stopped pretending and started getting real? Most of us hide. We play small and don’t live up to our full potential. We’re afraid we aren’t enough… or maybe we’re too much. NFL player, humanitarian and podcaster Sam Acho has been there. In his new book, Let The World See You, Sam encourages us all to discover our true selves and share our gifts with the world. We talk about the importance of not attaching your identity to your career, the highs and lows of being a professional athlete, and how his life changed when he stopped hiding and started living.

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“Faking it will get you in the door, but being you will open up doors you could never imagine.”

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Show Notes

  • What inspired Sam to write this book (3:00)
  • Stop hiding and start sharing your gifts with the world (7:03)
  • How going to counseling changed Sam’s perspective (9:00)
  • How Sam’s childhood and the intersection of cultures (Nigerian family, black church, white school) shaped who he is today (11:47)
  • The problem with attaching your identity to your performance (13:35)
  • How Sam unexpectedly got discovered and began his football journey (14:10)
  • The benefits of having the courage to be seen (17:20)
  • What an NFL locker room is really like (19:43)
  • What Sam has learned from the highs and lows of nine seasons in the NFL (21:24)
  • Don’t put your identity in something that doesn’t put its identity in you (22:50)
  • Why athletes are speaking out and embracing their platform (25:47)
  • Sam’s legacy off the field through his community impact (27:22)
  • Sam’s advice for anyone who is struggling to figure out who they are (28:58)
  • The three things that happen when you let the world see you (29:54) 

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Ally Love

Episode 97- Peloton’s Ally Love on Using Conversation as a Catalyst for Change

If you’re one of the 1.4 million members of the Peloton community, then you probably already know Ally Love. Ally is a Peloton instructor, founder of Love Squad, in-arena host for the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets, and Adidas global ambassador. In other words, she does it all. On this episode, Ally shares how to keep people engaged in a virtual environment, her approach to tough conversations, and how she’s successfully built a multi-dimensional career.

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Confidence is attached to your skill set, not your self-worth.

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Show Notes

  • How to keep people engaged in a virtual environment (1:54)
  • How Ally has navigated the blurred line between work and home while teaching classes from her living room (4:55)
  • Peloton’s culture of collaboration, community and innovation (7:00)
  • The near-death accident that changed Ally’s perspective on life and became a catalyst (8:43)
  • How Ally embraced a multi-faceted career as part of the “slash generation” (13:00)
  • Find the intersectionality of what you love and what you’re good at (16:20)
  • How Ally makes decisions around what to say yes and no to in her career (20:09)
  • The 3 S’s: Structure + Strategy = Success (21:52)
  • Re-defining self-care, saying no, and the importance of discipline (24:35)
  • Ally talks about the vision behind her company, Love Squad (29:20)
  • Conversation as a catalyst for change (32:59)
  • How to approach difficult conversations (37:03)
  • The upcoming projects Ally is working on (39:39)

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Bruce Pearl

Episode 96- Bruce Pearl on Coaching Your Team to Outperform Expectations

In six seasons as the men’s basketball coach at Auburn, Bruce Pearl has led the Tigers to two SEC championships, back-to-back NCAA Tournament berths and the program’s first ever trip to the Final Four. It’s success he’s replicated at every stop of his 25-year coaching career. A proven winner, Bruce still coaches with a chip on his shoulder and his teams reflect that fighter mentality. On this episode, we talk about his unlikely journey from student manager to big-time college coach, what drives him, and how he consistently gets his teams to outperform expectations.

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“Don’t let success change you.”

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Show Notes

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  • Bruce’s unlikely journey from student manager to big-time college basketball coach (1:45)
  • The story of how Bruce stepped in as the Boston College Eagles mascot (3:20)
  • How he got into coaching (4:05)
  • Embracing a non-linear career path (5:16)
  • Surround yourself by great people and empower them. (6:21)
  • Generals need soldiers. Not everyone has to be a great leader. (6:47)
  • What Bruce thinks of his reputation as a salesman (8:40)
  • The “chip on his shoulder” mentality that drives him (9:48)
  • How he helps his team members outperform expectations (10:46)
  • How Auburn has built a successful program with overlooked 3 and 4-star recruits (11:59)
  • Treat your team members fairly; don’t treat them the same (13:04)
  • Why he embraces the underdog role (15:46)
  • What he learned in his time away from basketball (16:37)
  • The one thing he wished he knew earlier in his coaching career (18:43)
  • How he’s evolved as a leader over the years (20:00)
  • His favorite Pat Summitt stories (21:30)
  • “It’s not whether you can. It’s whether you will.” – Bill Belichick (27:27)

 

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Renee Montgomery

Episode 95- Renee Montgomery on Using Your Platform For Change

When the WNBA tips off this weekend, Atlanta Dream guard Renee Montgomery won’t be there. Renee is sitting out the 2020 WNBA season to focus on the fight for social justice reform. A two-time WNBA champion and former standout at the University of Connecticut, Renee has carved out an 11-year career in the pros. Now, she’s focused her attention on another mission. On this episode, Renee shares why she’s trading basketball for a greater purpose and what it means to use your platform for change.

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“Do it right so many times, that you know you can’t get it wrong.”

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Show Notes

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  • Renee’s decision to sit out the 2020 WNBA season to fight for social justice reform (2:55)
  • WNBA star Maya Moore’s fight for criminal justice reform (5:39)
  • Using her platform to create change (6:43)
  • How she gained clarity and made the decision to leave her comfort zone (7:34)
  • Renee’s thoughts on Atlanta Dream owner Kelly Loeffler’s criticism of the Black Lives Matter movement (8:18)
  • Renee’s response to people who say “keep politics out of sports” (9:31)
  • Find your tribe (10:22)
  • How growing up in West Virginia shaped Renee’s perspective (12:17)
  • Shifting to curiosity inside of difficult conversations (14:49)
  • The sacrifices WNBA players make and Renee’s experiences playing overseas (16:33)
  • How being part of a diverse locker room taught Renee to communicate (18:38)
  • The issues- voting rights and education- that Renee is most passionate about (20:17)
  • Her favorite advice from Geno Auriemma: “Don’t do it until you get it right. Do it until you can’t get it wrong.” (22:36)
  • The difference between a good team and a championship team (24:10)
  • Support The Renee Montgomery Foundation (25:55)

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Steven Kotler

Episode 94- Steven Kotler on The Science of Peak Performance

Steven Kotler is the Executive Director of the Flow Research Collective and one of the world’s leading experts on high performance. The New York Times bestselling author of Stealing Fire and The Rise of Superman, Kotler shows companies how to unlock their potential and level up their game like never before. On this episode, Steven decodes the science of flow—an optimal state of consciousness where we feel our best and perform our best. We dig into the science of human performance, how to achieve flow, and what it all means for your own life.

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“At the elite level, it’s 90% mental.”

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Show Notes

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  • How much of peak performance is mental? (1:48)
  • Biology scales. Peak performance is getting your biology to work for you. (2:35)
  • What does it take to do the impossible? Why Steven started studying human performance (3:44)
  • How surfing helped Steven overcome Lyme disease (5:40)
  • Studying flow through the lens of action sport athletes (8:04)
  • The neuroscience of peak performance (12:35)
  • The benefits of flow (14:55)
  • The definition of flow and the 4 stages of the flow experience (17:45)
  • What triggers flow (24:15)
  • The basics of positive psychology for leaders (25:30)
  • The one thing you should do to amplify the amount of flow in your life (28:31)
  • The importance of doing the things that trigger flow (34:14)
  • The future is faster than you think (39:07)

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Nir Eyal

Episode 93- Nir Eyal on How To Manage Distractions

Know the feeling of getting bombarded with too many pings, dings and rings? You’re not alone. Nir Eyal writes and consults about the intersection of psychology, technology and business. His latest book, Indistractable, reveals the hidden psychology driving us to distraction. On this episode, Nir shares the practical techniques to control your time and attention—helping you live the life you really want. His four-step, research-backed model will help you manage distractions and finally do what you say you will do.

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“Time management is pain management.”

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Show Notes

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  • How Nir’s background in Silicon Valley led to his research on the psychology of habit-forming products (1:55)
  • Distraction is not a new phenomenon (4:53)
  • The number one source of distraction is other people (5:33)
  • The opposite of distraction is traction – any action that pulls you towards what you want to do (6:39)
  • Most distraction begins from within us (8:19)
  • Time management is pain management (9:26)
  • Three ways to master the internal triggers: reimagine the trigger, reimagine the task, reimagine your temperament (11:20)
  • Do you show up as a Blamer, Shamer or Claimer? (12:57)
  • The ten-minute rule to minimizing distractions (14:04)
  • Long-term behavior change is identity change (15:57)
  • How to reimagine your “to do” list (17:31)
  • The power of schedule syncing (20:38)
  • How to hack back your email (25:24)
  • Create pacts to prevent distractions: effort pacts, price pacts, and identity pacts (32:17)
  • Why he wrote Indistractable for himself (36:00)

 

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Reshma Saujani

Episode 92- Reshma Saujani on How to Be Brave, Not Perfect

Where along the way did we trade in our confidence and courage for approval and acceptance? And why? That’s the question Reshma Saujani challenges us with in her book Brave, Not Perfect. Reshma is the founder & CEO of Girls Who Code, an international nonprofit working to close the gender gap in technology and change the image of what a programmer looks like and does. Her TED Talk, “Teach girls bravery, not perfection,” has been viewed more than 4 million times and sparked a worldwide conversation about how we’re raising our girls. On this episode, we talk about how to fear less, fail more and live boldly.

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“Bravery is the antidote to perfection.”

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Show Notes

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  • What inspired Reshma to start Girls Who Code (2:44)
  • Measuring the impact of Girls Who Code’s work (4:16)
  • A failed congressional run becomes a catalyst (5:52)
  • The mentorship she’s received from Hillary Clinton (7:53)
  • Be brave, not perfect (10:00)
  • How we socialize our girls differently than boys (10:30)
  • Prepare yourself to be brave in the small moments (14:30)
  • The learned need for approval and being liked (16:01)
  • How to build your bravery muscle (18:13)
  • Just start: the lesson she learned starting Girls Who Code (21:25)
  • Show the mess behind the scenes (22:48)
  • Bravery builds your confidence (24:18)
  • Don’t stay stuck in things that you are good at, that you don’t like (25:24)
  • Does failure motivate you more than success? (27:11)
  • Anxiety as a superpower and overcoming the imposter syndrome (28:04)
  • Three failure hacks to help you recover from setbacks faster (30:54)
  • Take an athlete’s approach to soliciting feedback (33:00)
  • Bravery is at the core of relationship transformation (34:27)
  • How to get involved with Girls Who Code (35:56)

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James Franklin, Penn State

Episode 91- James Franklin on Leading with Core Values

James Franklin is one of the top college football coaches in the country. Since arriving at Penn State University in 2014, Franklin has led the Nittany Lions to three top-10 finishes and a Big Ten championship. His journey took him from Division II quarterback to college coach, where he found unlikely success at Vanderbilt before taking on the challenge of rebuilding the storied Penn State program. On this episode, we dig into how he built trust in a tough environment when he arrived at Penn State and the ways his leadership approach has evolved over the years.

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“It’s not necessarily winning for me; it’s the pursuit of winning.”

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Show Notes

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  • How his upbringing shaped the person he is today (2:21)
  • Why he got into coaching football while pursuing his master’s degree (4:32)
  • What fuels him more- the desire to win or the fear of failure? (7:28)
  • His approach to building community support and alignment when he took the Penn State job (9:00)
  • How he built trust and relationship in a tough environment (13:05)
  • Team building tips to enhance team chemistry (16:14)
  • The unique locker room setup designed to build connection (17:54)
  • The importance of consistency in rebuilding a program (19:00)
  • How to balance the need for structure with embracing change and flexibility (21:54)
  • Learning how to handle losses better (24:32)
  • The greatest leadership lesson he’s learned (27:22)

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Episode 90- Tony Gonzalez on Leveling Up to Maximize Your Potential

Tony Gonzalez is an analyst for FOX Sports and the host of the podcast WIDE OPEN with Tony Gonzalez. In 17 seasons in the NFL with the Kansas City Chiefs and the Atlanta Falcons, Tony was a 14-time Pro Bowl selection. He is the NFL’s all-time leader in touchdowns and yards by a tight end and is third-all time in receptions. Tony tackles all aspects of his life with the same drive and curiosity that helped him excel on the field. In this conversation, Tony shares what fuels him, the defining moments that shaped his life, and his powerful habits for success.

Follow Tony: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Podcast

“Success leaves clues.”

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Show Notes

  • What is the biggest misconception people have about you? (2:06)
  • How struggling in his second season in the NFL changed Tony’s approach (3:27)
  • Pushing through fear to find growth (5:45)
  • “There’s always a sense of urgency.” (8:46)
  • Greatness requires obsession and sacrifice (10:30)
  • Surround yourself with people who tell you the truth (14:27)
  • The power of visualization (20:11)
  • The keys to Tony’s consistency and durability (27:07)
  • Loving the process (30:13)
  • Did you think about your legacy? (32:20)
  • Tony’s approach to goal setting (33:38)
  • Transitioning to TV and the decision to leave CBS (36:46)
  • How to cultivate curiosity (43:26)
  • Why he started journaling and writing letters to himself during his NFL career (47:35)
  • A powerful habit Tony does when reading a book (48:28)
  • His tips for daily meditation (52:17)

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