Episode 79- ESPN’s Holly Rowe on Finding Joy in Daily Moments

Holly Rowe has made a name for herself as one of ESPN’s most versatile commentators in her 20-year career. She covers college football, college basketball,…

Episode 79- ESPN’s Holly Rowe on Finding Joy in Daily Moments

Holly Rowe has made a name for herself as one of ESPN’s most versatile commentators in her 20-year career. She covers college football, college basketball,…

Holly Rowe has made a name for herself as one of ESPN’s most versatile commentators in her 20-year career. She covers college football, college basketball, softball and multiple other sports for the network. In 2015, Holly was diagnosed with metastatic melanoma– a rare, fast-spreading form of skin cancer. Once she went public with her diagnosis and treatment, Holly found a cheering section of her own. On this episode, Holly shares how her diagnosis shifted her perspective and focused her on the small moments of joy in each day. We also talk about her unique career journey and what she’s learned from interviewing the best athletes and coaches in the world.

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“I just decided that I was going to focus on my little small joyful moments each day instead of the scary part.”

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Show Notes

How her childhood growing up in Utah shaped who she is today (1:51)
The many odd jobs Holly took to work her way through college (3:17)
How she juggled motherhood and her career early on (6:04)
How going public with her cancer diagnosis helped Holly realize her value (8:54)
How social media has changed the media landscape (10:35)
The career advice she got as an intern that stuck with her (12:46)
Why she keeps a “joy journal” (16:25)
Shifting from feeling fear to choosing joy (20:21)
Dealing with moments of vulnerability (23:09)
What’s she’s learned from interviewing the best athletes and coaches in the world (25:36)
The lessons she learned from legendary coaches Pat Summitt and Geno Auriemma (28:06)
The 3 C’s of high performers: competitiveness, caring about the success of others, and communication (30:32)
How she builds trust to be able to connect (32:17)
Managing her energy (34:23)
The advice she would give her younger self (38:28)

Resources / People Mentioned

Holly Rowe, ESPN
ESPN College Football Saturday Primetime
Metastatic melanoma
Maria Taylor, ESPN
President George W. Bush
Lesley Visser, sportscaster
Marty Glickman, sports announcer
Doris Burke, ESPN
Beth Mowins, ESPN
Candace Parker, WNBA
Michael Jordan, NBA
Pat Summitt, basketball coach
Geno Auriemma, basketball coach
Mike Krzyzewski, basketball coach
Bill Self, basketball coach
Modern Love, TV series
President Barack Obama

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