
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

Our culture today is all about getting a head start. Start early, focus intensely and rack up as many hours of deliberate practice as you can. But what if that’s actually not the best path to success? In his new book Range, author David Epstein argues going broad—not narrow—is the best route to success. On this episode, we talk about the dangers of early specialization, the value of breadth of experience, and how this all applies to the way you think about your career, your hobbies, and even the way you parent.
Follow David: Twitter | Website
Show Notes
- Early specialization vs. generalist: what’s the most common pathway to success? (1:32)
- The Tiger vs. Roger effect (3:38)
- How David’s own generalist background led to a career as a sports science and investigative writer at Sports Illustrated (7:16)
- The importance of match quality in navigating your career choices (9:26)
- LinkedIn research: the best predictor of who will become an executive (12:20)
- What we’re getting wrong about grit (14:42)
- The dangers of early specialization (21:26)
- The importance of breadth of experience (25:20)
- Why generalists thrive in changing and uncertain environments (29:05)
- Why leaders should drive accountability towards both outcome and process (34:23)
Resources / People Mentioned
- Range by David Epstein
- The Sports Gene by David Epstein
- Malcolm Gladwell, author
- The 10,000 hours rule
- Deliberate practice
- MIT Sports Sloan Analytics Conference
- A Conversation with David Epstein and Malcolm Gladwell
- David Epstein, Sports Illustrated
- Daniel Pink, author
- Angela Duckworth, author
- Tiger Woods, golfer
- Roger Federer, tennis player
- Mozart, composer
- Rex Geveden, CEO of BWX Technologies
- War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
- Expert Political Judgment by Philip Tetlock
- Loonshots by Safi Bahcall
- Alex Rodriguez, baseball player
- Selena Roberts, author and sportswriter
- This American Life
- The DIY Scientist, the Olympian, and the Mutated Gene
Recommended For You
Did you enjoy this episode? Then listen to:
- Daniel Pink on The Science of Perfect Timing
- Angela Duckworth on Why Gritty People Are More Successful
- Adam Grant on Finding Motivation and Meaning at Work
Thanks for checking out Game Changers with Molly Fletcher. Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app and leave a rating or review!

Navigating change is hard, particularly inside of organizations. Most people are resistant and afraid. Yet we all have to confront change- personally and professionally- and the pace of change is faster than ever. Beth Comstock led companies like NBC and GE through periods of transformational change. Her book, Imagine It Forward, encourages people to become change makers by leading with imagination. In this episode, we talk about embracing smart risks, challenging convention, and reinventing what’s possible.
Follow Beth: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
Show Notes
- You have to give yourself permission to change (1:36)
- The imagination gap (2:04)
- How to deal with change that is forced on us (3:17)
- Build on small steps to move forward (8:34)
- The painful personal transformation that helped Beth learn to embrace change (9:06)
- The advice she would give leaders who are trying to lead change inside of their organizations (11:18)
- Using humility, vision and teamwork to overcome fear (12:24)
- How her transition from NBC to GE sparked her creativity (16:04)
- How she led the culture transformation at GE by bringing an outsider mentality (18:38)
- Why you should invite conflict to spur innovation (22:20)
- How story mobilizes people around change (26:10)
- How to help people fail forward (27:24)
- How she became a CMO with no marketing experience (33:20)
- “Take the job no one else wants.” (36:01)
- The business case for diverse teams (37:49)
- Advice for leaders on how to manage introverts (39:06)
- What she wishes she knew earlier in her career (41:49)
Resources / People Mentioned
- Imagine It Forward by Beth Comstock
- Ted Turner, media mogul
- Jeff Immelt, former CEO of GE
- Mark Parker, CEO of Nike
- Phil Knight, co-founder of Nike
- Bill Bowerman, co-founder of Nike
- Quiet by Susan Cain
- The Artist’s Way by Julie Cameron
- The Tao of Physics by Fritjof Capra
- Midnight Children by Salman Rushdie
- The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp
- Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors
- Serena Williams, athlete
Recommended For You
Did you enjoy this episode? Then listen to:
- Ron Clark on Motivating Our Teams to Effect Change
- Patty McCord on How Netflix Built a Culture of Freedom and Responsibility
- Celeste Headlee on Ways to Have a Better Conversation
Thanks for checking out Game Changers with Molly Fletcher. Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app and leave a rating or review!

Why would a successful criminal defense attorney leave a lucrative career to start a chocolate company? That’s the incredible story of Shawn Askinosie, founder of the award-winning Askinosie Chocolate. In his book Meaningful Work, Shawn shares his insights into doing work with heart and creating a business with a soul. Named one of the 25 best small companies in America by Forbes, Askinosie Chocolate sources 100% of their beans directly from farmers and shares profits with them. On this episode, Shawn shares how to find your calling, what to consider when contemplating a career move, and why businesses thrive when work is meaningful.
Follow Shawn: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Website
Show Notes
- Why he decided to leave his career as a successful criminal defense lawyer to start a chocolate company (2:08)
- How he discovered his calling (3:50)
- The bridge between idea, action and plan (5:30)
- Shawn’s advice for people who want to transition in their careers (6:18)
- How to find meaning in your current work (8:45)
- How Shawn was able to transfer his skills to a new career (11:33)
- The biggest challenges in starting his own business (15:50)
- What makes Askinosie Chocolate different (18:16)
- The problem with making philanthropy and charity a silo within a company (19:16)
- 2/3 of people at work are disengaged (21:46)
- The problem with the one-for-one business model for giving (26:02)
- The difference between direct trade and fair trade (28:40)
- The impact Askinosie Chocolate has made on the communities they work in (32:40)
- The value of reverse scale: “get better at staying small” (34:49)
- The difference between being and doing (37:56)
- The role faith played in Shawn’s journey (41:05)
Resources / People Mentioned
- Meaningful Work by Shawn Askinosie
- Askinosie Chocolate
- America’s Best Small Companies (Forbes)
- Assumption Abbey
- Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
- Becoming Human by Jean Vanier
Recommended For You
Did you enjoy this episode? Then listen to:
- Adam Grant on Finding Motivation and Meaning at Work
- Bob Goff on The Transformative Power of Love
- Jenn Lim on Delivering Happiness at Work
Thanks for checking out Game Changers with Molly Fletcher. Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app and leave a rating or review!

Carli Lloyd is one of the most accomplished soccer players in the world. She’s a three-time Olympian, two-time gold medalist, and two-time FIFA Player of the Year. This summer, Carli co-captains Team USA in her fourth World Cup. But her journey to the top of the soccer world was hardly conventional. At one point, Carli almost quit the sport. On this episode, we dig into how she rediscovered her passion and developed the work ethic, competitiveness, and mental toughness that have defined her career since.
Follow Carli: Twitter| Facebook | Instagram | Website
Show Notes
- When Nobody Was Watching by Carli Lloyd
- Carli Lloyd put on the greatest World Cup final performance ever
- Carli Lloyd Wins FIFA Player of the Year
- Sky Blue FC (NWSL)
- Medford Strikers Soccer Club
- Rutgers University women’s soccer
- Chris Petrucelli, soccer coach
- James Galanis, soccer coach / trainer
- Michael Jordan, NBA
- Bruce Lee, martial arts
- Muhammad Ali, boxing
- Tom Brady, NFL
- John F. Kennedy
- Justin Timberlake
Resources / People Mentioned
- The moment Carli almost quit soccer after being cut from the U21 team (2:05)
- How working with James Galanis changed the trajectory of Carli’s career (4:47)
- How she shifted her mindset and started to believe in herself (9:20)
- How changing her work ethic re-built her confidence (11:35)
- Carli’s “Empty the Tank” mentality (13:59)
- Why she loves the big moment (15:43)
- The missed penalty kick in the 2011 World Cup Final that changed her preparation (18:33)
- How Carli works on her mental toughness (22:00)
- “Be better than you were the day before.” (24:07)
- The three characteristics of a great teammate (25:16)
- How she manages her mental energy (28:53)
- How playing sports shaped her as a person (31:10)
- Carli’s advice to parents of young athletes (32:57)
- Carli’s advice to young girls (35:10)
- What she wants her legacy to be (35:49)
Recommended For You
Did you enjoy this episode? Then listen to:
- Jon Dorenbos on Life is Magic- A Story of Resilience, Faith and Forgiveness
- Herm Edwards on You Play to Win the Game
- John Smoltz on Getting Outside Your Comfort Zone
Thanks for checking out Game Changers with Molly Fletcher. Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app and leave a rating or review!

Adam Grant is the youngest tenured professor at Wharton and an expert on how we can make workplaces more collaborative, creative and productive. One of the world’s most influential management thinkers, Adam has worked with clients like Google, the NBA, and Disney Pixar as a speaker and consultant. His TED Talks have been viewed more than 16 million times, and he’s the author of threeNew York Times bestselling books: Give and Take, Originals, and Option B with co-author Sheryl Sandberg. On this episode, we talk about how helping others drives our success and how we can build resilience and re-discover joy after setbacks.
Follow Adam: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
Show Notes
- Adam describes his work as an organizational psychologist (1:47)
- How he designs his research (4:04)
- How we de-value practice in the corporate world (5:51)
- The lessons work teams can learn from sports teams (9:28)
- Applying the principles from Give and Take to negotiation (16:35)
- The one thing that the most effective negotiators have in common (19:41)
- How givers can set boundaries and avoid burnout (23:01)
- Why joy is a key component of building resiliency (26:47)
- Three reasons why you should journal about your moments of joy (29:01)
- Why teaching is his favorite work (31:50)
- How he approaches work-life balance as “rhythm” (33:36)
- Resources Adam recommends for listeners (35:34)
Resources / People Mentioned
- TED Talk: Are you a giver or a taker? by Adam Grant
- TED Talk: The surprising habits of original thinkers by Adam Grant
- Give and Take by Adam Grant
- Originals by Adam Grant
- Option B by Adam Grant
- Power Moves by Adam Grant (audiobook)
- WorkLife with Adam Grant (podcast)
- Give and Take assessment
- Richard Hackman
- Sports teams as a model for workplace teams by Nancy Katz
- Bridgewater and radical transparency
- The smart negotiator: Cognitive ability and emotional intelligence in negotiation by Bruce Barry
- Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook
- Dave Goldberg, CEO of SurveyMonkey
- Nuzzel (app)
- Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
- Leading Teams by Richard Hackman
- JK Rowling, author
- Vegas Golden Knights, NHL team
- Invisibilia from NPR (podcast)
Recommended For You
Did you enjoy this episode? Then listen to:
- Daniel Coyle on The Secrets of Highly Successful Teams
- Angela Duckworth on Why Gritty People Are More Successful
- Daniel Pink on The Science of Perfect Timing
Thanks for checking out Game Changers with Molly Fletcher. Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app and leave a rating or review!

Notre Dame women’s basketball coach Muffet McGraw is leaving a legacy on and off the court. In 32 seasons in South Bend, Muffet has led the Fighting Irish to two national championships, seven trips to the title game, and nine appearances in the Final Four. She’s a vocal champion for gender equality in the workplace and sparked an important conversation on the need for women in leadership. We talk about the importance of having visible women leaders, why she wants to use her platform for change, and how she’s built a championship culture at Notre Dame.
Follow Muffet: Twitter
Show Notes
- Muffet’s viral comments on gender equality (1:54)
- Why she says she won’t hire another male coach on her staff (3:23)
- The importance of having visible women leaders (4:41)
- How she prepares her players for life, not just the next game (7:28)
- The reason why she feels a responsibility to use her voice (9:39)
- When she learned to know her value and negotiate (11:27)
- Her advice for women in leadership roles (14:58)
- How she describes her leadership philosophy (16:56)
- Fear of failure as a motivator (19:58)
- Her approach after a loss (20:34)
- Trusting her team to prepare (23:28)
- Her approach to recruiting talent and the red flags she looks for (24:50)
- Advice for parents of young athletes: let your kids fail (26:30)
- Her advice to working parents (29:27)
- What’s harder- building a championship culture or sustaining it? (31:53)
- The difference between a good team and a great team (32:57)
- How to get talented players to be selfless teammates (34:10)
- The legacy she wants to leave (36:25)
Resources / People Mentioned
- Notre Dame women’s basketball
- Muffet McGraw’s speech on women in leadership (video)
- Pat Summitt, basketball coach
- Jim Foster, basketball coach
- Condoleeza Rice, former Secretary of State
- Anne Thompson, NBC
- Dava Newman, NASA
- Time’s Up
- Brie Larson, actress
- Geno Auriemma, basketball coach
- The Culture Code by Daniel Coyle
- Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Supreme Court Justice
- RBG (film)
- Billie Jean King, tennis player
- Battle of the Sexes (film)
Recommended For You
Did you enjoy this episode? Then listen to:
- Dawn Staley on Building a Championship Culture
- Daniel Coyle on The Secrets of Highly Successful Teams
- Geno Auriemma on Winning (And Winning Some More)
Thanks for checking out Game Changers with Molly Fletcher. Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app and leave a rating or review!

Author and leadership expert Michael Hyatt shares his personal productivity framework in his new book, Free to Focus. Productivity isn’t about getting more things done at a faster speed; it’s about getting the right things done. On this episode, Michael shares how we can free up our schedules for the people and projects that matter most. Learn how to eliminate distractions, set boundaries that protect your focus, and redefine your work so it works for you.
Follow Michael: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
Show Notes
- Productivity is not about getting more stuff done; it’s about getting the right stuff done (1:31)
- How the four zones of the “freedom compass” ensures you get the right things on your to-do list (4:12)
- Focus on the desire zone activities- where passion and proficiency meet (5:30)
- Productivity is not an end in itself; it’s a means to an end. (7:25)
- Your ideal week and the power of mega batching (12:15)
- How to manage email more efficiently (18:42)
- Using Slack for internal communication (23:00)
- How to use the Full Focus Planner and why paper is the new digital (24:00)
- The power of a morning ritual (26:59)
- With energy- you can be the thermostat (setting the temperature) or the thermometer (reading the temperature) (30:23)
- The biggest mistake people make when setting goals (36:50)
Resources / People Mentioned
- Free to Focus by Michael Hyatt
- Your Best Year Ever by Michael Hyatt
- Living Forward by Michael Hyatt
- Platform by Michael Hyatt
- The Full Focus Planner
- Getting Things Done by David Allen
- Spark (app)
- Slack (app)
- The Most Overlooked Productivity Solution
- Dan Sullivan, strategic coach
- Ilene Muething, Gap International
- Daniel Harkavy, Building Champions
- Business Accelerator
- Deep Work by Cal Newport
- Notion (app)
Recommended For You
Did you enjoy this episode? Then listen to:
- Greg McKeown on How to Think Like an Essentialist
- Juliet Funt on Reclaiming White Space at Work
- Laura Vanderkam on How to Feel Less Busy While Getting More Done
Thanks for checking out Game Changers with Molly Fletcher. Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app and leave a rating or review!

Called “the most inspirational data geek you’ll ever meet,” Marcus Buckingham is re-defining the future of work. After spending nearly two decades as a senior researcher at Gallup and then starting his own company, Marcus now guides the vision of ADP Research Institute as Co-Head and Talent Expert. In his new book, Nine Lies About Work, Marcus challenges our assumptions about organizations, talent and high performance. We talk about the myths behind many of our common beliefs about work and leadership, and explore how we can all become freethinking leaders who value our unique imprint on the world.
Follow Marcus: Twitter| Facebook| Instagram
Show Notes
- What inspired him to study people and performance (1:57)
- How he defines strengths and weaknesses (3:34)
- The love it / loathe it exercise to identify unique strengths (7:33)
- The message behind his new book Nine Lies About Work (10:18)
- The nine lies about work (12:11)
- People don’t care about what company they work for. They care which teams they’re on because that’s where work actually happens.
- (14:03)
- Teams are the defining experience at work (18:47)
- The problem with cascading goals (20:05)
- Why the best companies cascade meaning (22:19)
- The importance of weekly one-on-one check ins (25:08)
- People don’t need feedback; they need attention (29:34)
- Feedback should be focused on facts, steps and praise when something works (33:33)
- The best people aren’t well-rounded (34:30)
- The problem with competencies models (37:44)
- The only thing leaders have in common is followers (39:53)
- Resources Marcus recommends for listeners (44:55)
Resources / People Mentioned
- Gallup
- Marcus Buckingham, ADP
- Marcus Buckingham’s CareerIntervention (Oprah)
- Nine Lies About Work by Marcus Buckingham
- First Break All The Rules by Marcus Buckingham
- Lionel Messi, soccer player
- Martin Luther King, Jr.
- The Soul’s Code by James Hillman
- Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
- StandOut app
- HBR: The Feedback Fallacy by Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall
- Emily Blunt, actress
- Donald O. Clifton, Gallup
Recommended For You
Did you enjoy this episode? Then listen to:
- Patrick Lencioni on The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team
- Juliet Funt on Reclaiming White Space at Work
- Jenn Lim on Delivering Happiness at Work
Thanks for checking out Game Changers with Molly Fletcher. Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app and leave a rating or review!

Less than six years ago, University of Buffalo men’s basketball coach Nate Oats was teaching math and coaching high school basketball in Detroit. Fast forward to today and he is one of the hottest coaches in college basketball, leading the Buffalo Bulls to three NCAA tournament appearances in four seasons as head coach. On this episode, we talk about his unconventional rise to the top of the coaching world, managing the expectations that come with success, and how he’s built a winning culture at Buffalo rooted in the core values of max effort, continuous growth and selfless love.
Follow Nate: Twitter
Show Notes
- Nate’s unconventional route to Division I college basketball coach and how coaching high school basketball prepared him differently (1:30)
- How success in the NCAA Tournament has prepared the Buffalo Bulls for March and validated the program (5:30)
- The mentality it takes going from underdog to favorite (7:38)
- How his leadership philosophy has evolved over his coaching career (8:51)
- Buffalo’s culture playbook and core values: max effort, continuous growth and selfless love (15:21)
- Defining the “above the line” behavior- focused, productive, and driven (21:15)
- Cultivating the blue-collar mentality in every player (22:48)
- His recruiting pitch to prospective student-athletes (25:12)
- How his wife’s battle with cancer changed him as a person and a coach (29:16)
- The most important leadership lesson he has learned in the last 5 years (32:29)
Resources / People Mentioned
- University of Buffalo men’s basketball
- Nate Oats Named Semifinalist for Naismith Coach of the Year
- Buffalo scores upset win over Arizona
- Marinatha Baptist University men’s basketball
- University of Wisconsin-Whitewater men’s basketball
- Romulus High School
- Above the Line by Urban Meyer
- Tim Kight and Brian Kight
- Focus 3
- Lindsey Hunter
- Dontay Caruthers, University of Buffalo
- Tom Izzo, Michigan State University
- John Beilein, University of Michigan
- Jim Harbaugh, University of Michigan
- Bobby Hurley, Arizona State University
- Jon Gordon, author
- CJ Massinburg, University of Buffalo
- Brad Stevens, Boston Celtics
Recommended For You
Did you enjoy this episode? Then listen to:
- Tom Izzo on Maximizing Your Team’s Potential
- Herm Edwards on You Play to Win the Game
- Dabo Swinney on Leading from the Heart
Thanks for checking out Game Changers with Molly Fletcher. Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app and leave a rating or review!