Game Changers Podcast

Episode 13- Alison Levine on Leadership Lessons from Mount Everest

June 1, 2017

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.

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

May 17, 2017

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.

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“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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Episode 11- Kat Cole on Authentic Leadership

May 11, 2017

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.

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

May 4, 2017

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.

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“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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Episode 9- Mike Feinberg on Purpose-Driven Leadership

April 27, 2017

Work hard. Be nice. Those simple words are at the core of KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program), a national network of college-prep public charter schools in underserved communities. On this episode, co-founder Mike Feinberg shares the vision behind KIPP, how to infuse purpose into leadership, and how grit can be cultivated in kids.

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“Academics without character is hollow. Character without academics is useless. You need both.”

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Show Notes

How KIPP scaled from a local idea to a national program (5:07)
The role purpose plays in Mike’s life and at KIPP (6:30)
Learning from his failures (8:00)
How your child can attend a KIPP school (10:30)
The American dream is a parent dream (11:50)
Behind KIPP’s slogan “Work Hard. Be Nice.” (14:28)
His leadership philosophy (15:13)
What character strengths they teach their students (16:32)
True grit is when you’re faced with challenges and you persist (18:46)
Why you need both academics and character to succeed (22:44)
What life lessons you can learn on the sports field (25:31)
How we close the character gap in today’s win-it-all mindset (27:25)
Most memorable career moment so far (29:20)

Resources / People Mentioned

Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP)
Teach for America
Dave Levin, co-founder
Work Hard Be Nice by Jay Mathews
How to Raise an Adult by Julie Lythcott-Haims

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Episode 8- Jessie Graff on Superheroes, Ninja Warriors and Facing Fear

April 20, 2017

Hollywood stuntwoman and American Ninja Warrior competitor Jessie Graff is living out her dream of being a superhero. Her day-to-day activities include: “anything on rooftops, sides of buildings or bridges, and dramatic wipeouts.” In this episode, Jessie talks about breaking down gender barriers, chasing Hollywood dreams, her training regimen, and how to stare down fear.

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“The more scared you are; the more preparation you have to do.”

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Show Notes

Advice for women working in male-dominated fields (4:05)
How she decided to become a Hollywood stunt woman (6:02)
Learning to appreciate the process (8:40)
How she overcomes fear (12:07)
The American Ninja Warrior experience (16:13)
The hardest part of American Ninja Warrior (19:17)
How she approaches training for competition (22:17)
How rehabbing from an injury led her to pursue Ninja Warrior (25:20)
The goal behind the Wolfpack Ninja Tour (32:40)
Her training regimen focuses on maximum effort (35:56)
Pushing through the possibility of failure (38:53)
Thinking she can’t do something isn’t damaging unless it stops her from trying (40:26)

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Episode 7- Steve Koonin on Creating An Innovative Culture

April 13, 2017

Visionary Steve Koonin has spearheaded marketing for iconic brands—from Coca-Cola to Turner to the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks. His offbeat marketing ideas– Tinder night, anyone?– and unique leadership approach have reinvigorated the Hawks franchise. In this episode, Steve shares what it takes to break through the status quo and create a culture of innovation that rewards great ideas and risk taking.

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“Ideas are like diapers– when they are full of crap, just throw them away.”

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Show Notes

His vision for the Atlanta Hawks franchise (2:55)
Risk taking in marketing (6:00)
How to create a workplace culture where people aren’t afraid to fail forward (7:57)
The biggest mistake new leaders make (9:06)
Trading core values for core actions (12:00)
How fear stifles creativity (19:20)
The idea behind “Swipe Right” night at the Hawks game (20:38)
Hiring for the right fit (23:38)
How to reward the right metrics (25:26)
The biggest influences on his leadership philosophy (28:35)
His favorite hobby (31:12)

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Episode 6- Billy Horschel on Mental Toughness

April 6, 2017

PGA Tour golfer Billy Horschel is one of golf’s brightest young stars. On this episode, Billy talks about recovering from adversity, developing mental toughness, how to handle pressure, and the piece of advice he received from Tiger Woods that changed his mental approach.

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“If you aren’t feeling the heat then this doesn’t mean anything to you.”

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Show Notes

How his blue collar upbringing influenced his mentality (2:40)
On the importance of mental toughness in golf (8:26)
Using visualization to mentally prepare for tournaments (11:48)
On the visualization trick that Tiger Woods taught him (15:06)
How he manages his energy during life out on Tour (17:35)
His advice to his younger self (24:00)
Trusting the process (26:03)
His unique style via Ralph Lauren (33:50)

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Episode 5- Tom Glavine on Peak Performance

March 30, 2017

A Hall of Fame pitcher, Tom Glavine etched his name in history as one of baseball’s greats as he led the Atlanta Braves to five World Series appearances in the 1990s. On this episode, Tom shares what it takes to compete at the highest level, the challenges with youth sports today, and the ingredients to build a winning team culture.

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“Talent only takes you so far.”

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Show Notes

Glavine talks about the leadership style of Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox (1:44)
What separates great players from everyone else (5:20)
The advice his Dad gave him as a kid that stuck with him (11:00)
Talent alone will only take you so far. (11:30)
How sport specialization is harming youth sports (15:07)
What baseball taught Glavine about failure (24:46)
The problem with being just results-driven (28:50)
The importance of having teammates who will give you honest feedback (30:20)

Resources / People Referenced

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John Smoltz: A Hall of Famer Inside and Out

Thanks for checking out Game Changers with Molly Fletcher. Be sure to subscribe on iTunes and leave a rating or review!

Episode 4- Monique Mosley on Being Your Own Boss

March 23, 2017

An entrepreneur, angel investor and philanthropist, Monique Mosley has helped guide the careers of visionaries in the music and entertainment industries and has worked as a consultant on the hit TV show Empire. On this episode, Monique talks about the making of a hit TV show, what it takes to build your own brand, and why as leaders we can—and should—always pay it forward.

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“Once you are able to change your life, you can help change someone else’s.”

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Show Notes

What inspired her entrepreneurial spirit at a young age (2:16)
How she bridged the gap between the music & entertainment industry and corporate clients (3:52)
How Empire became a hit TV show (6:05)
The people who influenced her career (7:30)
How to structure a mentor relationship (9:02)
Her advice to young entrepreneurs (11:20)
When she knows she wants to invest in an early stage startup (12:58)
Her greatest personal and professional accomplishments (16:09)
Some of the “firsts” she’s accomplished in her career (16:43)
The charitable organizations she’s involved with and why (18:26)
Behind the scenes of Empire (20:37)
Find out more about her foundation, Always Believing Foundation (23:42)
The best advice she’s ever received (26:16)