
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

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!

As the CEO of the Oakland Raiders, Amy Trask served as the highest-ranking female executive in the NFL. Today she’s a football analyst for CBS Sports and serves as Chairman of the Board of Ice Cube’s BIG3. In her book, “You Negotiate Like a Girl,” Amy reflects on her career in the NFL and the leadership lessons she learned on her journey. We talk about how she carved her own path from intern to CEO, her approach to negotiating, and why she never paid attention to gender despite often being the only woman in the room.
Follow Amy: Twitter
Show Notes
- How her leadership style evolved over a 30-year career with the Raiders (2:16)
- How Amy describes the culture of the Oakland Raiders (4:00)
- The most important lesson she learned from Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis (6:40)
- Understanding the importance of disagreement (9:04)
- Why Amy says to stop thinking about your gender (10:33)
- Define “work-life balance” how you want to, without judgment (12:09)
- What went into her decision to leave the Oakland Raiders (14:13)
- The story behind the book title “You Negotiate Like A Girl” (16:37)
- Amy’s approach to negotiating (18:26)
- Her role in settling litigation against the Raiders (24:05)
- The biggest mistake people make when negotiating (27:06)
Resources / People Mentioned
- You Negotiate Like A Girl by Amy Trask
- NFL
- Oakland Raiders
- Al Davis, Raiders owner
- CBS Sports
- BIG3
- Ice Cube
- Hamlet (Shakespeare)
- Rosa Parks
- Zack Crockett, Oakland Raiders
Recommended For You
Did you enjoy this episode? Then listen to:
- Jen Welter on Breaking Glass Ceilings in the NFL
- Dawn Staley on Building a Championship Culture
- Val Ackerman on Reinventing Your Career
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!

Celeste Headlee’s TED Talk “10 ways to have a better conversation” has been viewed more than 17 million times. She’s an award-winning journalist and the author of We Need To Talk – How To Have Conversations That Matter. On this episode, Celeste shares the simple communication tools she’s learned through her research and job as a public radio host interviewing hundreds of guests. Her smart strategies are a guide to have more effective, more meaningful conversations at work and in our personal lives.
Follow Celeste: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Website
Show Notes
- What inspired her TED talk, “Ten Ways to Have Better Conversations”(1:43)
- How fear is preventing us from meaningful conversation (3:15)
- What’s wrong with the most common advice about communication (5:15)
- What makes a good conversation (6:56)
- The only four times email is an effective business tool (7:41)
- The $73B price of poor communication in the business world (11:26)
- Are smart phones and technology at fault? (13:09)
- Setting limits on your relationship with technology (15:52)
- Tips for how to have better conversations (18:37)
- The Sesame Street model for conversation (20:18)
- The communication hacks that aren’t effective (21:18)
- The consequences of multi-tasking (23:11)
- The power of the pause in conversation (27:02)
- Her new book project (32:02)
- The harmful effect the mere presence of a cell phone has on human connection (35:39)
Resources / People Mentioned
- We Need To Talk: How to Have Conversations That Matter by Celeste Headlee
- TED Talk: 10 ways to have a better conversation (Celeste Headlee)
- NPR
- Georgia Public Broadcasting
- The Liking Gap
- Ralph Nichols
- Salman Rushdie (author)
- Andy Puddicombe
- Michelle Obama
- Flavia de Luce (author)
- Mindwise by Nicholas Epley
- Headspace
- K. Rowling (author)
Recommended For You
Did you enjoy this episode? Then listen to:
- Juliet Funt on Reclaiming Whitespace at Work
- Donald Miller on How to Use Story to Clarify Your Brand’s Message
- Patrick Lencioni on The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team
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!

From the NFL football field to the stage of America’s Got Talent, Jon Dorenbos has captured the hearts of fans with his incredible story of perseverance. After the tragic murder of his mother by his father when Jon was 12, magic and football became his two outlets. He went on to play 14 seasons in the NFL- the majority with the Philadelphia Eagles- before a life-threatening heart condition ended his career. Jon also made it to the finals of the TV show America’s Got Talent, showcasing his skills as a magician. He is a regular on The Ellen Show and his book, Life is Magic, will be available in late 2019. On this episode, we talk about the trade that saved his life, embracing change, and showing up with a positive outlook no matter the circumstances.
Follow Jon: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Website
Show Notes
- The family tragedy that changed Jon’s life (1:54)
- The power of forgiveness (3:21)
- How magic became Jon’s escape (4:29)
- The balance that football and magic provided in his life (7:28)
- Performance under pressure (8:55)
- Why his goal in the NFL was to be the oldest player on the team (12:53)
- The best advice he received as a football player (18:38)
- How he learned to accept change (19:25)
- The coach that had the greatest impact on him (21:34)
- The trade to the New Orleans Saints that saved Jon’s life (22:45)
- Choosing to see the positive and changing your narrative (25:34)
- Undergoing heart surgery (29:44)
- Andy Reid’s words that inspired Jon (30:53)
- What the recovery from heart surgery was like (32:02)
- Getting a Super Bowl ring from the Philadelphia Eagles (36:29)
- The similarities between performing as an athlete and as a magician (40:31)
- Jon’s appearances on The Ellen Show(42:39)
- How Jon’s show was inspired by Carrot Top, Garth Brooks and Mike Tyson (47:28)
- Jon’s book, Life Is Magic- coming soon(53:15)
Resources / People Mentioned
- An Evening with Jon Dorenbos at Hard Rock (event)
- America’s Got Talent
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Jon Dorenbos on The Ellen Show
- Jon Dorenbos on The Today Show
- Jon Dorenbos on Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel
- How Eagles long-snapper Jon Dorenbos turned unthinkable misery into pure magic (ESPN)
- Former Eagle doesn’t have a broken heart, one year after life-saving trade (The Philadelphia Inquirer)
- Brent Celek, NFL
- Drew Bledsoe, NFL
- Donnie Jones, NFL
- Terry Crews, actor
- Joe Santoliquito, journalist
- Drew Brees, NFL
- Jeff Lurie, Philadelphia Eagles owner
- New Orleans Saints
- Thomas Morstead, NFL
- Kevin Elko, speaker
- Jeff Garcia, NFL
- Tom Quinn, NFL coach
- Andy Reid, NFL coach
- Dr. Joseph Bavaria, surgeon
- Carrot Top, comedian
- Garth Brooks, singer
- Mike Tyson, boxer
- Riley Smith, actor
- Mike Tollin, director
- Larry Platt, author
- David Copperfield, magician
- A Star is Born, movie
- Bradley Cooper, actor
- Jason Kelce, NFL
- Whiz Mob by David Maurer
- Chris Pratt, actor
- Ken Griffey Jr., baseball
Recommended For You
Did you enjoy this episode? Then listen to:
- Joshua Medcalf on How to Fall in Love with the Process of Becoming Great
- 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!