The Athletics of Business

Some of the most talented people on a team can also be the most challenging to lead. They bring confidence, intensity, conviction, and a competitive drive that pushes others to perform at a higher level. But those same strengths can create friction, strain relationships, and undermine the culture when they aren't channeled toward a shared purpose. The challenge isn't to make these personalities smaller. It's to help their impact become greater. Few examples illustrate this better than Phil Jackson's leadership of the Chicago Bulls. Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman were three extraordinary competitors with vastly different personalities, motivations, and needs. Jackson understood that bringing out their best required coaching each player differently while holding everyone accountable to the same mission and standards. That distinction is just as important in business, where leaders must balance individual strengths with the trust, connection, and accountability that sustain team performance. In this solo episode, Ed Molitor draws on his experiences in basketball, recent conversations with business leaders, and five practical coaching lessons to explore how strong personalities can become a team's greatest competitive advantage rather than a threat to its culture. From understanding what motivates individuals and creating space for honest conversations to establishing clear boundaries and protecting shared standards, Ed examines what it takes to turn exceptional talent into collective success. But he also challenges leaders to look inward. Because leading big personalities requires more than understanding others. It demands the self-awareness, composure, and courage to manage our own reactions, confront difficult behaviors, and coach people without diminishing what makes them exceptional. Great leadership isn't about choosing between performance and people. It's about creating the conditions for both to thrive. And that's how connected teams perform and care.

ABOUT ED MOLITOR

Ed is a coach down to the very smallest molecule of his DNA.

Whether he's a husband and father at home or working with a client in the business world, he is an energized, passionate, and near-obsessive coach who is fully invested in showing up with all he's got to help you show up with all you've got. His approach is one that insists on presence. He knows no other way to catalyze change except by getting on the court with you, playing side-by-side, and encouraging you to keep pushing, especially when the going gets tough.

In the last 29 years, Ed has developed his leadership skills in both athletics and business. From working as an NCAA Basketball coach at Texas A&M, DePaul NIU, and Lewis University to becoming the Vice President of a national recruiting firm, Ed Molitor has experienced the potential and pitfalls of leadership at every level.

As the founder and CEO of The Molitor Group, Ed guided emerging and established leaders across biopharma and biotech to apply the proven lessons of coaching in their pursuit of inspiring and driving their team's performance.

Today, he continues to have high impact in leaders and organizations as EVP of Strategy and Coaching Excellence at CoEffex.

Through personalized training, workshops, keynote speeches, his writing, and as a podcast host, Ed seeks to empower individuals and their organizations to achieve victory through a focus on transformation, fundamentals, compassion, mental toughness, and vision. Ed graduated from St. Ambrose University with a B.S. in Business Administration and a minor in Economics where he was a member of the Men's Basketball team serving as the co-captain his Senior year.

Before St. Ambrose, he studied business at Creighton University where he played on the Men's Basketball teams which included a 1989 MVC Regular Season and Tournament Champions, NCAA Tournament, and a 1990 NIT Tournament.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE

• Why big personalities can be a game-changer—or a threat to team culture

• What Phil Jackson teaches us about coaching different personalities toward a shared mission

• How to build a team-first environment where people challenge ideas and stay connected

• Why discovering someone's motivating currency is essential to effective coaching

• How to create space for private truth and challenge behavior without diminishing the person

• Why clarity, ownership, and defined boundaries give competitive fire somewhere valuable to go

• How to customize your coaching without compromising team standards

• Why the first personality you must learn to manage is your own

• How competitive character helps teams perform at a high level, do things the right way, and care for one another

RESOURCES & LINKS Ed Molitor

• LinkedIn: Ed Molitor
• Website: coeffex.com
• YouTube Channel: The Athletics of Business
• LinkedIn Article: Don't Shrink the Personality. Expand the Impact.

Related Episode

• Leading with Competitive Character: Building Connected Teams That Perform and Care — featuring Will Lumpkin, Vice President of Sales at Agios Pharmaceuticals

EPISODE TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – Why big personalities can be a competitive advantage

01:17 – The leadership challenge: Managing big personalities without compromising culture

02:16 – Ed's memories of Michael Jordan's retirement, return, and the Dennis Rodman trade

06:16 – The opportunities and challenges of leading strong personalities

09:03 – Phil Jackson's approach to coaching Jordan, Pippen, and Rodman

12:54 – Lesson 1: Build a team-first environment

15:31 – Lesson 2: Discover what motivates each individual

17:51 – Lesson 3: Create space for private truth and honest conversations

22:44 – Lesson 4: Define the lanes with clarity, ownership, and boundaries

25:14 – Lesson 5: Protect the standards, especially with your highest performers

29:32 – Why managing your own personality comes first

32:32 – Competitive character: Turning individual talent into collective strength

Brian Taylor's career was never a straight line.

It moved from college basketball to coaching, from building sports camps to pharmaceutical sales, and through roles that continually asked him to stretch beyond what he already knew.

Along the way, he learned that growth rarely comes from staying comfortable. It comes from stepping into unfamiliar territory, being willing to fail, and doing the work to become ready for opportunities before they appear.

But some of Brian's most important lessons came when the path became much harder.

After 11 years with one organization, he realized the people who had once advocated for him were no longer in the room. Eventually, his role was eliminated. It was a painful moment that forced him to rebuild more than his career. He had to rebuild his confidence, rethink how he cultivated relationships, and decide what kind of leader he wanted to become on the other side of adversity.

That experience now shows up in the way Brian leads: care deeply for people, build trust before you ask more of them, be clear about expectations, and never lose sight of why it matters.

His work with the sickle cell community gave that leadership an even deeper sense of purpose. It became bigger than performance. It became about serving people, advocating for a community, and making sure the team never loses sight of who they are ultimately serving.

And through every stage of Brian's journey, there were people who left a lasting mark on the leader he became. Coaches, colleagues, team members, and especially Milt Goggins, a deeply cherished mentor whose guidance and example remain deeply woven into his life and leadership.

Their influence is now part of the way Brian leads, develops others, and gives back.

Because the journey does more than build us. It gives us something worth passing forward.

OUR GUEST

Brian Taylor is the Zone Director – Sickle Cell Disease at Agios, where he is responsible for building and leading the company's Sickle Cell Sales team.

Brian brings more than 20 years of experience across sales, field force operations, marketing, brand commercialization, and thought leader engagement. Most recently, he served as Thought Leader Engagement Lead for Pfizer's Rare Hematology and Endocrine business unit. Previously, he was a founding member of the Global Blood Therapeutics sales leadership team, where he was first introduced to sickle cell disease and began a six-year commitment to the community.

An award-winning leader, Brian is recognized for inspiring teams, executing with discipline, and delivering results in highly competitive markets. He is also respected for his commitment to inclusion, talent development, and meaningful engagement across the sickle cell community.

Brian is a graduate of Hampton University, where he was a three-year basketball letterman. He earned a Master of Science in Sport Management from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and completed the Professional Development Program at The Wharton School.

Brian lives in Lambertville, New Jersey. Outside of work, he serves on the Board of the United Negro College Fund of New Jersey, mentors young men in Trenton as they prepare for life after sports, and is a proud member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE

• Why growth often requires stepping beyond what is familiar

• How breadth and depth of experience prepare you for bigger opportunities

• How adversity can reshape confidence, relationships, and leadership

• Why failure, self-awareness, and honest feedback are essential to growth

• How genuine care earns the trust to coach, challenge, and hold people accountable

• Why strong leaders build relationships and advocacy before they need them

• How clear expectations and a shared "why" strengthen culture and performance

• Why purpose can elevate the way people lead and serve

• How great mentors shape not only who we become, but what we pass forward

RESOURCES & LINKS

Brian Taylor

• LinkedIn: Brian Taylor

• LinkedIn: Agios Pharmaceuticals

• X: Agios Pharmaceuticals

• Website: www.agios.com

Sickle Cell Disease

• Silent damage in sickle cell disease: Hemolysis | Sickle Cell Clues www.sicklecellclues.comAgios' patient resource for learning more about sickle cell disease.

• Sickle Cell Disease Association of America www.sicklecelldisease.orgA great resource to learn more about the disease and the national sickle cell community-based organization.

• National Alliance of Sickle Cell Centers www.sicklecellcenters.orgAn alliance of sickle cell centers focused on establishing standards of care, geared more toward providers.

Ed Molitor

• LinkedIn: Ed Molitor

• Website: coeffex.com

• YouTube Channel: The Athletics of Business

Former NFL player, longtime ESPN analyst, author, and speaker Merril Hoge joins Ed Molitor on The Athletics of Business to share the mindset behind three words that have shaped his life: Find a Way.

From discovering football as a child and covering his bedroom wall with goals, to a devastating childhood accident, an NFL career, and a battle with cancer, Merril shares how preparation, perspective, and action helped him navigate some of the most difficult moments of his life.

He also reflects on the people who shaped him along the way—including Walter Payton, Chuck Noll, Tony Dungy, and his own children—and the lessons he carried forward into leadership, coaching, parenting, and business.

Throughout the conversation, Merril explains why great leaders model the standards they expect from others, why winning and learning are both part of growth, and why "Find a Way" is not about following someone else's path. It is about taking responsibility for finding your own.

OUR GUEST

Merril Hoge played in the NFL for 8 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Chicago Bears; he was also a football analyst for ESPN for 21 years

Hoge is an inspirational speaker who speaks all over the country, impacting people and companies to grow through self-reflection and taking action to Find Their Way.

He is also on the board of the Chuck Noll Foundation for Brain Injury Research and a member of the NFL Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Committee.

In 2018, Hoge helped launch Your Call Football and is the author of Find a Way: Three Words That Changed My Life and Brainwashed: The Bad Science Behind CTE and the Plot to Destroy Football.

Hoge continues to find new ways to make a positive impact with his mind, heart, and energy. Whether that be through his educational work, advocacy, or motivational engagements, he is a force for positive change and inspiration. He lives in Fort Thomas, Kentucky.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE

• Why commitment means giving everything you have to the goal in front of you.

• How "Find a Way" became a mindset for taking action when circumstances feel overwhelming

• Why finding a way does not mean following someone else's path—it means discovering what works for you

• Why modeling may be one of the most powerful tools a leader has

• How a "win or learn" mindset changes the way we respond to setbacks

• What Chuck Noll, Tony Dungy, and Walter Payton taught Merril about leadership, influence, and character

• Why parents and coaches should create environments where young people can learn, fail, adjust, and grow

• How patience and perspective can change the way we lead our children, teams, and ourselves

RESOURCES & LINKS

Merril Hoge

• Website: Merril Hoge (For speaking inquiries)

• LinkedIn: Merril Hoge

• Twitter/X: Merril Hoge

• Instagram: merrilhoge

• Books: Find A Way | Brainwashed

Ed Molitor

• LinkedIn: Ed Molitor

• Website: coeffex.com

• YouTube Channel: The Athletics of Business

00:00 – The mindset behind "Find a Way" 01:54 – Merril Hoge's childhood dream of playing in the NFL 03:44 – Building resilience when others doubt your goals 05:23 – The corkboard that changed Merril's life 07:02 – Why giving everything you have matters 08:30 – Learning from mentors and influences 09:28 – The childhood accident that nearly cost Merril his hand 13:09 – The moment everything changed on the farm 17:49 – Finding a way through cancer and adversity 20:01 – The diagnosis that tested Merril's mindset 21:57 – The words from his daughter that changed everything 23:25 – How Walter Payton shaped Merril's life 28:41 – The responsibility of impacting others 30:51 – The power of visualization and preparation 34:51 – Lessons from youth sports and coaching 37:22 – Why failure is an opportunity to learn 39:17 – The leadership lessons of Chuck Noll 42:14 – The power of leading through example 44:43 – Parenting, patience, and perspective 47:16 – Tony Dungy's influence and leadership lessons 56:37 – Final thoughts and where to connect with Merril Hoge

What does it take to build a championship team, grow a nationally recognized brand, and create a lasting culture that performs under pressure?

In this episode of The Athletics of Business, Ed Molitor welcomes back JJ Gottsch, CEO of the Austin Gamblers. They dive into the leadership, culture, and disciplined execution behind one of PBR Teams' most successful organizations.

JJ shares how the Gamblers' success began with ownership that did more than set a bold vision. They backed it with trust, resources, and support, giving the team what it needed to build a year-round brand around a five-month competitive season and strengthen a locker room filled with world champions.

JJ and Ed also dig into the moments when growth begins with seeing an opportunity others miss. From creating new opportunities for women in bull riding to expanding the team's international presence, JJ's stories show what can happen when leaders are willing to ask, "What could this become?" and then bring the right people together to make it real.

One of the most powerful stories comes from the team's annual trip to Brazil. Navigating an unfamiliar language, culture, and daily routine gave the riders a deeper appreciation for what some of their teammates experience while living and competing far from home. What began as a team-building trip became an opportunity to build empathy, deepen trust, and strengthen the way they supported one another.

Ultimately, JJ's stories point back to a simple truth: greatness is rarely complicated. It is built through consistency, discipline, trust, focus, and the willingness to keep showing up and doing the work.

OUR GUEST

After spending 25 years helping run Nolan Ryan's various sports holdings under the Ryan Sanders Sports & Entertainment Umbrella, JJ made a jump to professional bull riding in February of this year. He's heading up the Austin Gamblers, one of the eight founding franchises of the new PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Team Series.

JJ Gottsch is the longest-tenured employee with Ryan Sanders Sports & Entertainment and has played a key role in the development of both the Round Rock Express (Houston Astros Triple-A) and Corpus Christi Hooks (Astros Double-A). He was promoted to his current position, COO, in January 2015. In this role, he oversees all business operations for the Express, RS3 Turf, RS3 Strategic Hospitality, as well as the company's growing entertainment division. Gottsch was president of the Hooks for the club's first five years, where his leadership and experience helped them draw more than two million fans in their first four seasons.

Prior to his position in Corpus Christi, Gottsch served as assistant general manager for the Express during the first six years of the organization's existence. Gottsch helped lead the franchise to record-setting attendance numbers, establishing a new Double-A home attendance record with 660,110 fans in the club's first year, eclipsing the old attendance mark that had stood for 20 years. The franchise would proceed to break its own attendance standard in each successive season with Gottsch on board as a steadying influence.

A former player, Gottsch's professional career included time with the Butte Copper Kings in the Pioneer League and the Perth Baseball Club in the Western Australia Baseball League. At the collegiate level, Gottsch played for Creighton University as well as TCU, where he was a member of the Horned Frogs1994 Southwest Conference Championship and NCAA Regional team. He transferred to TCU after spending three years at Creighton, where he was a shortstop on the 1991 Bluejay team that advanced to the College World Series.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE:

• How the Austin Gamblers created a year-round brand around a five-month competitive season

• What it meant to represent the United States during America's 250th anniversary celebrations in Brazil

• How JJ recognizes opportunities and pressure-tests ambitious ideas before dismissing them

• Why great ideas depend on the people and resources needed to execute them

• How the growth of women's professional sports is creating opportunities across the entire sports ecosystem

• Why bull riding's courage, authenticity, intensity, and fast-paced format connect with modern audiences

• How consistency, discipline, loyalty, trust, and focused execution shape JJ's definition of greatness

RESOURCES & LINKS

JJ Gottsch

• LinkedIn: JJ Gottsch

• Facebook: JJ Gottsch

• Twitter: JJ Gottsch

• Website: Austin Gamblers

• Twitter - @Austin_Gamblers

• Facebook - Austin Gamblers

Ed Molitor

• LinkedIn - Ed Molitor

• Website - coeffex.com

• YouTube Channel - The Athletics of Business

Timestamps

• 00:00 – The ownership behind every championship team

• 01:16 – JJ Gottsch returns to The Athletics of Business

• 02:02 – Four years of growth across PBR Teams

• 03:28 – Why success starts and ends with ownership

• 05:38 – Inside the Austin Gamblers' championship culture

• 07:42 – Building stronger relationships through Brazil

• 10:49 – Representing America during its 250th anniversary

• 14:47 – The moment the significance finally became real

• 17:23 – Turning ambitious ideas into meaningful experiences

• 19:53 – Creating new opportunities for women in bull riding

• 23:57 – What professional bull riding gets right

• 27:43 – Building a niche sport versus promoting baseball

• 31:39 – Why bull riding must be experienced live

• 33:13 – Trading cowboy boots for dancing shoes

• 35:46 – The Austin Gamblers lightning round

• 38:13 – What greatness looks like today

• 40:58 – Why becoming elite requires focus

• 43:28 – Final thoughts and closing

What if the most powerful thing a coach does never shows up in a box score?

Every athletic department tracks wins and losses. Many track all-state selections, district championships, and tournament appearances.

But the metrics that often matter most — the ones tied to connection, resilience, attendance, joy, accountability, academic growth, and long-term student development — have largely gone unmeasured.

Until now.

In this episode of The Athletics of Business Podcast, Ed Molitor is joined by Kyle Craighead and Joshua Childs to talk about the transformational impact coaches have on student athletes and how data is finally helping bring that impact to light.

Their work gives coaches, athletic directors, and school leaders a way to measure what many have always felt but have not always been able to prove: great coaching reaches far beyond wins, championships, and the scoreboard.

Kyle and Joshua unpack how the Coaching Effects Survey helps uncover the hidden metrics of coaching, why fun is one of the most overlooked indicators of student engagement, and what the data reveals about the coaches who challenge athletes most effectively.

The answer may surprise you.

It is not simply the toughest coaches who create the most growth. It is the ones who connect first, build trust, create structure, and then challenge their athletes from a place of care.

The conversation also explores one of the biggest issues facing youth sports today: the risk of pricing out and excluding the very kids who could benefit most from having a great coach in their lives.

Kyle and Joshua make a powerful case that athletics should not be viewed as an extracurricular activity. It is a co-curricular experience that plays a critical role in shaping young people, building life skills, and keeping students connected to school, community, and purpose.

This is a conversation about coaching, culture, data, and what it really means to measure success.

Because the true impact of a coach is not always found in the final score.

Sometimes, it is found in who a student becomes because someone believed in them, challenged them, and helped them see what was possible.

OUR GUESTS

Kyle Craighead is the President & Chief Product Officer for EverRise. With over 15 years of experience in public education as a teacher, coach, athletic director, school administrator, and district administrator, he has had the opportunity to serve various grade bands and demographics in the K-12 setting.

Kyle has now brought his school-system experience to EverRise the last three years to measure the importance and effectiveness of key relationships, such as teachers with students, coaches with athletes, and administrators with teachers.

He has studied the effects of interim assessments and modifying instructional practices that lead to improved outcomes on summative assessments. Kyle is an adjunct professor at Lipscomb University, teaching classes on Strategic Change, Instructional Leadership, Coaching for Change, and Collaborative Leadership in Schools. Kyle is dedicated to improving the educational and athletic experiences of students, student-athletes, teachers, coaches, and all educational leaders.

Joshua Childs is the Senior Advisor of Research and Associate Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy at The University of Texas at Austin. His research examines the role of inter-organizational networks and cross-sector collaborations to address complex educational issues.

He also investigates collaborative approaches involving organizations (local, state, and national) that have the potential to improve academic achievement and opportunities for students in urban and rural schools.

This includes ways to improve student engagement and attendance in school, interscholastic athletics, and expanding educational opportunities through concentrated policy design and implementation. Joshua is a Co-PI (Principal Investigator) of the Expanding Computing Education Pathways Alliance, a consortium of 30 states focused on broadening participation in computer science.

A former Division I athlete, Joshua graduated from Plano West High School (TX).

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE:

• Why the most meaningful impact of coaching often goes unmeasured

• How student-athlete feedback reveals what coaches truly make possible

• The six pillars that shape trust, growth, connection, and performance

• Why connection and psychological safety must come before challenge

• How great coaches create accountability without fear

• The overlooked role fun plays in athlete engagement and development

• How data can strengthen coaching without becoming punitive

• Why athletics should be viewed as a co-curricular part of education

• How coaches can help reduce absenteeism and improve student outcomes

• Why mentorship may be the most valuable outcome sports provide

RESOURCES & LINKS

Kyle Craighead & Joshua Childs

• Website - EverRise

• LinkedIn - Kyle Craighead

• LinkedIn - Joshua Childs

Ed Molitor

• LinkedIn - Ed Molitor

• Website - coeffex.com

• YouTube Channel - The Athletics of Business

Timestamps

• [00:00] Dynamic Intro

• [01:40] Welcoming Kyle Craighead & Joshua Childs

• [02:17] EverRise's mission and measuring real coach impact

• [03:52] The Coaching Effects Survey explained

• [07:50] The six pillars: Connection, psychological safety, structure, communication, skill development, and challenge

• [10:35] Thought experiment: The coaches who impacted your life

• [13:30] Kyle's journey using these tools as an administrator

• [18:12] Powerful story of a football coach's emotional response to his data

• [24:36] How connection leads to better challenge and resilience

• [31:28] How data drives daily habits and continuous improvement

• [35:54] Speaking the language of decision-makers with data

• [43:40] Joshua's journey and passion for expanding access to sports

• [48:22] Where to learn more about EverRise

• [55:50] Final thoughts and call to action

What happens when a sport's history is bigger, deeper, and more culturally revealing than the story most people have been told?

Soccer has always been part of the American sports landscape.

Union soldiers played it during the Civil War. Crowds of 46,000 showed up for soccer in New York in the 1920s. Pelé brought nearly 200 journalists with him when he played for the New York Cosmos.

But the real story is not just about soccer.

It is about how culture is built, how momentum grows, how narratives take shape, and how the stories we choose to tell can either limit what people see or expand what they believe is possible.

In this episode of The Athletics of Business Podcast, Ed Molitor welcomes back filmmaker Phil Wall to talk about his latest project, the three-part Roku docuseries Soccer Meets America.

What started as a project without a personal hook became a discovery process. Phil uncovered a rich and surprising history of soccer in the United States while exploring a bigger question: what happens when we stop asking whether something matters and start looking at the impact it has already made?

He also opens up about the leadership lessons behind the camera: directing a larger production team, learning to delegate, admitting what he did not know, and trusting others to help bring the vision to life.

The conversation then moves into one of Phil's greatest strengths: storytelling. He shares why the best stories are not about the teller, but the audience. For leaders, coaches, and business professionals, that is where the real lesson lives.

This is a conversation about culture, leadership, humility, and the power of stories to shape how people see themselves, their teams, and what is possible next.

OUR GUEST

Phil Wall is an award-winning writer, director, and showrunner working across features, series, and commercials. His work is rooted in nonfiction storytelling, with an interest in character-driven stories across scripted, documentary, and hybrid forms.

He is the showrunner, director, and writer of Soccer Meets America, a three-part docuseries produced with Vox Creative in association with Verizon and now streaming on The Roku Channel. His feature documentaries include The Book Keepers, winner of both the Jury Prize and Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature at the Austin Film Festival, and The Standard, which debuted at #4 on the iTunes documentary chart.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE:

• How Phil Wall uncovered the deeper story behind Soccer Meets America

• Why soccer's roots in America go far beyond the 1994 World Cup

• How the 1994 World Cup helped shape the future of professional soccer in the U.S.

• Why St. Louis became a powerful example of how local culture is built

• How media, technology, and pop culture helped bring soccer into the mainstream

• Why Phil believed soccer's place in America no longer needed to be defended

• How the next wave of U.S. soccer challenges us to rethink what success really means

• What leading a larger creative team taught Phil about delegation, trust, and clarity

• Why admitting what you don't know can build stronger trust as a leader

• How great storytelling starts with the audience, not the storyteller

RESOURCES & LINKS

Phil Wall

• Website: philwall.film

• Watch Soccer Meets America - Available now on the Roku Series

• GORUCK: www.goruck.com

• Episodes 135 and 136 - Phil Wall's earlier appearance on The Athletics of Business

Ed Molitor

• LinkedIn - Ed Molitor

• Website - coeffex.com

• YouTube Channel - The Athletics of Business

References

• The Two Escobars - ESPN 30 for 30 documentary (written by Nick Sprague)

• The Book Keepers - Phil Wall's documentary following his father after his mother's death

• The Standard - Phil Wall's previous project

• The FIFA+ app - Where to find classic World Cup documentaries

• Telstar - The first international transatlantic broadcast satellite (1962

Timestamps

• [00:00] Dynamic intro

• [01:28] Welcoming Phil Wall back to the podcast

• [02:13] The origin story behind Soccer Meets America

• [03:26] How personal relationships helped launch the project

• [05:11] Discovering the forgotten history of soccer in America

• [06:19] The World Cup bid that changed everything

• [07:19] St. Louis and America's early soccer culture

• [10:23] Soccer's rise, disappearance, and reemergence in American media

• [14:31] Commercialization, broadcasting, and soccer's unique challenges

• [16:23] The business side of building professional soccer

• [17:52] Technology, television, and the growth of the sport

• [19:43] The untold story of women's soccer in America

• [21:20] The future of soccer heading into the 2026 World Cup

• [31:23] Why soccer no longer needs validation

• [33:27] How this project stretched Phil as a filmmaker

• [35:37] Learning to lead and collaborate on a larger team

• [38:24] Where to watch Soccer Meets America

• [39:21] The fundamentals of great storytelling

• [45:55] Final reflections and closing thoughts

Most people spend their lives trying to avoid failure. Gavin Mlinar has built his life around walking straight into it.

From leaving home to pursue freestyle skiing as a teenager, to returning after multiple knee injuries to earn a starting role on the football field, to walking away from a successful executive career without a clear plan for what came next, Gavin has repeatedly chosen uncertainty over comfort. And more often than not, those decisions began with a simple phrase: "Yes, I'll figure it out."

In this episode of The Athletics of Business Podcast, Ed Molitor is joined by Gavin Mlinar, a former Wall Street equity research founder, VP at a Japanese company, and two-time finisher of the 29,029 Everesting challenge. Together, they explore the surprising connections between endurance athletics, leadership, and the art of saying "yes" before you figure it out.

Gavin shares his journey from Division III football and the USA Junior Olympic ski team to corporate leadership, startup life, and the humbling world of 36-hour vertical climbing challenges. He opens up about fainting before lunch on his first attempt, ignoring his coaches for 20 weeks, and finally finishing under the worst weather conditions in event history.

But the real throughline? A philosophy he learned from his father, a 747 pilot who treated everyone like they were in his home: lead with help, and let the rewards take care of themselves.

Because success isn't about controlling outcomes. It's about enjoying the process, embracing toddler logic, and showing up for others without expecting anything in return.

OUR GUEST

Gavin Mlinar is the CEO and Founding Member of Blacklisted Consulting, a sourcing and procurement consulting firm that helps organizations save money while optimizing the way they buy goods and services. A former Wall Street Equity Analyst and Investment Banker, Gavin has leveraged his negotiating and communication skills, industry expertise, and passion for problem-solving into a successful career in sourcing, procurement, and supply chain leadership.

Throughout his career, he has negotiated large, complex, multi-million and multi-billion-dollar agreements with many of the world's leading IT, Professional Services, and Corporate Services suppliers, helping organizations drive efficiency, accelerate growth, and achieve significant cost savings.

But Gavin's journey has been guided by a philosophy that extends far beyond business: say YES, then figure it out.

That mindset has shaped everything from earning a starting spot on his high school varsity football team without a reputation, to competing on the USA Junior Olympic skiing team, to launching multiple businesses and leading teams through change and uncertainty.

A husband of 19 years, proud father of two, and lifelong believer in growth over comfort, Gavin brings a practical, relatable perspective to leadership and performance. One of his proudest accomplishments was completing the 29029 Everesting Challenge on his third attempt after failing twice—a powerful reminder that failure is only final when you stop showing up.

Whether negotiating billion-dollar contracts, leading organizations through transformation, or speaking to audiences about leadership and resilience, Gavin's message remains consistent: success is rarely about having all the answers. It's about having the courage to take the next step, learn along the way, and keep moving forward.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE:

• Why failure is often learning in disguise

• Lessons from elite athletics that translate directly into leadership and business

• How endurance challenges reveal strengths and blind spots under pressure

• The importance of listening beyond simply hearing words

• How feedback loops accelerate growth and performance

• Why preparation matters more than motivation during difficult challenges

• How leaders learn to embrace diverse perspectives and different motivations

• What toddler logic teaches us about learning, resilience, and persistence

• Why relationships create opportunities that strategy alone cannot

• How serving others first can become a powerful business advantage

RESOURCES & LINKS

Gavin Mlinar

• Website - http://yesyourway.com

• LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/in/gavin-mlinar-2295b83/

• Blog: https://yesyourway.com/blogs/one-more-ascent

• Book: https://www.amazon.com/Yes-Your-Way-Success-Dont/dp/B0FC5M9GHQ

Ed Molitor

• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/themolitorgroup/

• Website - https://coeffex.com/podcast

• YouTube Channel - The Athletics of Business - https://www.youtube.com/@theathleticsofbusiness

Timestamps

• [00:00] Dynamic intro

• [01:35] Meet Gavin Mlinar

• [02:35] Building businesses and embracing entrepreneurship from an early age

• [04:00] Learning communication through cold-calling and rejection

• [05:07] From freestyle skiing to collegiate football

• [09:48] Choosing between athletic dreams and practical realities

• [12:52] The "Say Yes and Figure It Out" mindset

• [13:50] COVID, burnout, and a life-changing turning point

• [15:40] Discovering the 29,029 Everesting challenge

• [18:39] The first endurance challenge and a humbling setback

• [21:31] Missing the lessons hidden in plain sight

• [22:42] Heart rate training and endurance fundamentals

• [25:19] Why failure became one of Gavin's greatest teachers

• [27:44] Patience, listening, and slowing down

• [29:10] Leadership lessons from managing people with different motivations

• [31:27] Toddler logic and the power of continuous learning

• [33:49] Building systems, feedback loops, and preparation habits

• [36:37] Learning from mistakes and improving performance

• [38:17] Family challenges, Alzheimer's, and staying focused

• [40:14] Finishing the challenge and trusting the process

• [41:46] The success of Say Yes and Figure It Out

• [42:19] Leading with generosity and helping others first

• [43:12] The influence of Gavin's father and treating people with respect

• [46:55] How helping others unexpectedly created new opportunities

• [49:20] Final reflections and closing thoughts

What if the best captain on your team is not the loudest, most talented, or most popular player?

For John O'Sullivan and Dr. Jerry Lynch, true captaincy is not about status.

It is about skill, choice, relationships, and the daily behaviors that help a team become more connected, accountable, and resilient.

In this episode of The Athletics of Business, Ed Molitor is joined by John and Jerry to discuss their new book, Captain: The Athlete's Guide to Being an Exceptional Leader.

Together, they unpack why leadership in sports is often misunderstood, why teams should stop automatically handing captaincy to the best player, and why every athlete has the ability to develop leadership from the inside out.

John and Jerry explore what great captains actually do: they build trust, model the standard, serve their teammates, communicate with courage, and protect the culture when things get hard. They also explain why influence is relational, not positional, and why the most effective leaders are often the ones willing to do the unseen work.

From self-awareness and servant leadership to tough conversations, kindness, accountability, and gratitude, this conversation is a powerful reminder that leadership is not something you wait to be given. It is something you choose to practice every day.

OUR GUESTS

John O' Sullivan

John O'Sullivan is an internationally known TEDx Speaker and the founder of the Changing the Game Project, which he started in 2012.

He is the author of two #1 Bestselling books, Changing the Game and Every Moment Matters, and a leading youth sports blogger, while being a host of the Way of Champions Podcast, one of the top-rated podcasts in the world for coaches.

Former collegiate and professional soccer player, and has coached for over 20 years on the youth, high school, and college levels. He has consulted with US Olympic Committee, US Soccer, USA Football, US Lacrosse, USA Swimming, Ireland Rugby, Aussie Rules Football, and many more

John is on the National Advisory Board for the Positive Coaching Alliance and the National Association for Physical Literacy.

Dr. Jerry Lynch

Jerry first learned about extraordinary performance and excellence as a nationally ranked competitive athlete sponsored by Nike, running world-class times from 5,000 meters to the marathon, setting an American record in the half-marathon, winning a National Championship, and many other races against athletes half his age.

He took what he learned about himself and life from his competitive days and parlayed it into a dynamic, successful career helping athletes and coaches in all sports to use his performance and leadership strategies to up their game and discover the best version of themselves.

Dr. Lynch has been recognized as one of the top five in his profession nationwide. He has worked with teams, coaches, and athletes in the NBA, Pro Lacrosse, Major League Soccer, with men's and women's basketball, lacrosse, soccer, tennis, golf, and other sports at the universities of North Carolina, Duke, Maryland, California, Syracuse, Stanford, Harvard, and Middlebury.

Dr. Lynch is the author of 18 books in over 10 languages and the founder and director of WAY OF CHAMPIONS, a human potential and performance consulting group helping others master the deeper inner game for sports, business, and life. Jerry is a dynamic, entertaining, inspirational, provocative, and humorous teacher and speaker with topics on leadership, coaching, team culture building, winning the relationship game, and core value development.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE:

• Why captaincy is a skill that can be taught, practiced, and developed.

• Why the best player is not always the best leader on the team.

• How coaches and teammates can identify real leaders through behaviors, traits, and trust.

• Why influence comes from relationships, not titles or positional power.

• How captains serve as the bridge between coaches, teammates, and the team culture.

• Why great leaders must learn to have hard conversations with courage and respect.

• The difference between being liked, being respected, being nice, and being kind.

• Why self-awareness is the foundation of exceptional leadership.

• How elite athletes like Tim Duncan and Kobe Bryant modeled servant leadership.

• Why gratitude, joy, and service can elevate both leadership and performance.

RESOURCES & LINKS

John O' Sullivan & Dr. Jerry Lynch

• Website: https://changingthegameproject.com/

• Website: www.wayofchampions.com

• Get the Book: Captain: The Athlete's Guide to Being an Exceptional Team Leader

• Way of Champions Podcast on Apple Podcast

• Jerry's LinkedIn

• Jhon's LinkedIn

Ed Molitor

• LinkedIn: Ed Molitor

• Website: CoEffex

• YouTube Channel: The Athletics of Business

TIMESTAMPS

● 00:01:07 Why winning takes more than talent

● 00:02:00 Introducing Captain: The Athlete's Guide to Being an Exceptional Leader

● 00:03:10 Why teams often choose captains for the wrong reasons

● 00:05:24 Why captaincy should be treated as a skill

● 00:10:08 Why captains are connectors between coaches and teammates

● 00:11:53 Why influence comes from relationships

● 00:14:45 The hardest conversations captains must learn to have

● 00:16:00 Why respect matters more than being liked

● 00:19:15 The three-part structure of Captain

● 00:26:44 Why self-awareness is the competitive advantage

● 00:33:45 The difference between being nice and being kind

● 00:39:18 Tim Duncan and the power of leading by example

● 00:42:37 How Kobe Bryant learned to bring teammates along

● 00:45:36 Where to find the book, podcast, and leadership resources

What changes when the work you lead is deeply personal?

For Jeff Schaffnit, his career in the pharmaceutical industry is directly connected to his son, Carter, who was born with severe hemophilia. That personal experience shaped not only the work Jeff chose to pursue, but the kind of leader he strives to be.

In this episode of The Athletics of Business, Ed Molitor and Jeff dive into what it takes to build a culture where purpose and performance strengthen one another.

Jeff shares why patient stories serve as a North Star for his team, how he evaluates talent through the lens of heart, mind, and execution, and why great teammates put the patient and the team ahead of individual recognition.

He also explores the human side of leadership: building trust, calling out silos, coaching instead of simply telling, developing future leaders, creating space for vulnerability, and helping people manage their time and energy in demanding environments.

As AI continues to influence healthcare and business, Jeff offers a powerful reminder: technology may change how the work gets done, but the future still belongs to leaders and organizations that keep humanity at the center.

OUR GUEST

Jeff Schaffnit is the General Manager and Head of Rare Blood Disorders at Sanofi, where he leads work focused on serving patients and families impacted by rare blood disorders.

With more than 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, Jeff is known for his ability to build and inspire high-performing teams, design effective commercial organizations, and translate complex challenges into clear, pragmatic strategies that deliver results. His leadership approach combines a strong strategic lens with disciplined execution, enabling teams to perform in dynamic and highly regulated environments.

His connection to this work is deeply personal. Jeff's son, Carter, was born with severe hemophilia, an experience that helped shape Jeff's career and continues to influence the way he leads. For Jeff, the mission is not abstract. It is about helping patients live fuller lives and building teams that understand the responsibility and privilege of serving them.

At his core, Jeff believes that performance is built through people—through clarity, alignment, trust, and a shared commitment to purpose. And ultimately, the true measure of success is the impact that work has on patients' lives.

Jeff holds an MBA from the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management and a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

• How Jeff's son's hemophilia diagnosis shaped his career and personal mission.

• Why patient stories keep teams connected to the meaning behind their work.

• How Jeff builds culture around purpose-driven performance.

• Why he looks for heart, mind, and execution when building a team.

• What great teammates understand about collaboration, ego, and accountability.

• Why trust begins with listening, especially when leading new people or teams.

• The difference between coaching someone and simply telling them what to do.

• How leaders can model wellness, boundaries, and energy management.

• Why Jeff's team encourages people to "Find Your Five" and reclaim meaningful time.

• Why vulnerability has been one of Jeff's most important leadership growth areas.

• How leaders can transform while performing without losing sight of the human impact.

• Why a leader's most important job is developing the team.

• Why Jeff believes the future of leadership and healthcare must remain human first.

RESOURCES & LINKS

Jeff Schaffnit

• LinkedIn: Jeff Schaffnit

• Sanofi: Sanofi US

• Article: To Drive Value in Hematology Research, We Must Prioritize the Patient Experience

Ed Molitor

• LinkedIn: Ed Molitor

• Website: CoEffex

• YouTube Channel: The Athletics of Business

TIMESTAMPS

• 00:01:19 What gets Jeff out of bed every morning

• 00:02:18 Jeff's personal connection to hemophilia

• 00:04:40 Why patient stories anchor the team's purpose

• 00:06:31 AI in healthcare and the importance of human connection

• 00:07:46 Building culture through heart, strategy, and execution

• 00:09:55 What makes someone a great teammate

• 00:10:53 Calling out silos and protecting the culture

• 00:12:51 How patient stories bring culture to life

• 00:16:08 The damage caused by micromanagement

• 00:17:06 How leaders build trust with new team members

• 00:24:42 Owning your mindset as a leader

• 00:32:20 Why vulnerability does not always come naturally

• 00:35:00 Why a leader's real job is developing the team

• 00:37:16 Development is a two-way street

• 00:38:28 Advice Jeff would give his younger self

• 00:39:54 Building meaningful networks and mentorships

• 00:40:50 Why the future of leadership is still human first

What keeps a coach grounded after more than 40 years, over 900 wins, 27 NCAA Tournament appearances, five consecutive Women's Final Fours, and a national championship?

For Bob Starkey, the answer has never been about the record.

It has always been about the relationships.

In this episode of The Athletics of Business Podcast, Ed Molitor is joined by one of the most respected assistant coaches in women's college basketball for a conversation about leadership, preparation, connection, and the standards that build great teams.

Bob traces his coaching philosophy back to Alan Osborne, the junior high coach who invested in him not just as a player, but as a young person. From there, he shares the lessons he learned from some of the most influential leaders in sports, including Dale Brown, Don Meyer, Sue Gunter, George Raveling, Nick Saban, and John Wooden.

Those lessons shaped the way Bob approaches everything: loyalty, work ethic, initiative, preparation, failure, resilience, and the daily discipline of becoming the best version of yourself.

Bob also opens up about the personal journey that has shaped his leadership, including his wife Sherri's battles with MS and breast cancer, and how her attitude through adversity taught him the power of perspective, gratitude, and choosing your response every single day.

From the Foxhole Test and defensive sticker helmets to journaling, rereading books, morning meditation, and the "Next Best Action" mindset, this episode is filled with practical wisdom for coaches, leaders, and anyone committed to building something real.

Because great teams are not built by talent alone.

They are built through trust, preparation, connection, accountability, and the people willing to stand in the foxhole with you.

OUR GUEST

Bob Starkey is one of the most accomplished assistant coaches in the history of women's college basketball. He has been part of nearly 1,000 collegiate victories, 27 NCAA Tournaments, 10 Elite Eight appearances, and five consecutive Women's Final Fours. In 2023, he was part of the LSU Tigers staff that won the national championship under head coach Kim Mulkey.

Bob served as acting head coach for LSU during its 2007 Final Four run and has coached at Marshall University, West Virginia State, LSU under Dale Brown, Sue Gunter, and Kim Mulkey, as well as Texas A&M under Gary Blair.

He is the author of The Art of Being an Assistant Coach and publishes Hoop Thoughts, where he shares insights on coaching, leadership, and personal development.

Bob is also deeply committed to community impact and serves on the board of directors for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, supporting the fight against cancer.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE:

• How a junior high coach shaped Bob Starkey's lifelong approach to leadership
• Why the greatest coaches measure impact through relationships, not records
• Lessons on leadership from Dale Brown, Don Meyer, George Raveling, Nick Saban, and John Wooden
• Why loyalty, work ethic, initiative, and preparation remain timeless standards
• How failure becomes a teacher when leaders are willing to examine it honestly
• Why "the process" starts with controlling today and taking the next best action
• How daily habits, reflection, reading, and journaling build consistency over time
• Why storytelling creates buy-in, belief, and deeper connection with a team
• What the "Foxhole Test" reveals about trust, accountability, and true teammates
• How transformational leadership stays rooted in connection, attitude, and hard conversations

RESOURCES & LINKS

Bob Starkey

• Visit LSU Website to learn more about Coach Starkey - https://lsusports.net/sports/wbball/roster/coach/bob-starkey/
• X (Twitter) - https://x.com/CoachBobStarkey
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hoopcoachbobstarkey/
• Hoop Thoughts Newsletter: https://hoopthoughts.blogspot.com/
• Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Art-Being-Assistant-Coach-coaching/dp/B0006QL0FM

Ed Molitor

• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/themolitorgroup/
• Website - https://coeffex.com/podcast
• YouTube Channel - The Athletics of Business - https://www.youtube.com/@theathleticsofbusiness

Referenced:

• Legacy — James Kerr
• Atomic Habits — James Clear
• The Coffee Bean — Damon West & Jon Gordon
• The Daily Stoic / Ryan Holiday
• The Pyramid of Success — John Wooden