I had the amazing opportunity to speak to Molly Bloom, who went from being an an Olympic-class skier to the operator of the largest underground poker game to the subject of an Oscar-nominated movie. Molly started her career as an athlete and then went on to become an operator of a high-stakes poker game frequented by some of the most powerful celebrities, athletes, Wall Street titans and CEOs, in the world. While running the games, she ran into trouble with the Russian mafia, lost all her money and almost went to prison. Despite that, she always kept her spirits up while maintaining an entrepreneurial mindset. At 35, she was a convicted felon and broke but she believed her story was her monetizable asset. She pitched her story to Aaron Sorkin who agreed to write it, and the movie received an Oscar nomination. She is now a highly sought-after speaker and is working on her own startup.
In this interview, we talk about the community Molly started during COVID-19 through which we met. We also go over the journey we have had together where she has helped me work on my fears and improve my relationships with the people in my life, including and especially with my own self. She also talks about what leaning into your femininity means to her, her own journey of moving forward after losing everything, having agency in relationships and advice for young girls starting their careers.