It's officially Women's History Month, and this year, instead of starting with statistics, I'm starting with a question:

In 2026, are we elevating hot takes…or high character?

When I was in seventh grade, I wrote a research paper on Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. I was fascinated by the way she carried herself through public scrutiny, personal grief, and cultural change.

Today, we live in a very different media landscape.

Algorithms reward outrage. Virality rewards speed. Money rewards attention.

Integrity? Not so much.

In this episode, I explore:

• What changed between the era of shared cultural narratives and today's fragmented feeds

• Why we may be living in a "trust recession"

• How money, clicks, and status shape modern leadership

• The danger of urgency-driven decision making

• Why reluctant, values-aligned leaders may be the ones we need most

• And how moral leadership starts inside each of us

As we kick off Women's History Month 2026, this conversation sets the foundation for the stories ahead: women who embody high character in big and small ways.

This isn't about nostalgia...I mean kind of. I love waxing nostalgic.

But this conversation is about personal leadership and responsibility.

It starts with us.

• Malcolm Gladwell – Revisionist History Podcast "When Will Met Grace:" https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/revisionist-history/when-will-met-grace

• Wellness Wheel (Life Balance Assessment Tool) https://www.the-restorationproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Wellness-Wheel.pdf

• Values Exercise https://www.the-restorationproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Refining-Your-Values-1.pdf

• The Restoration Project – Weekly Leadership Momentum Emails https://the-restorationproject.myflodesk.com/newsletter

What if education wasn't a one-time phase of life, but an evolving journey designed to meet people exactly where they are?

In this episode of The Found Podcast, Molly sits down with Amy Lasack, Vice President of Business and Community Solutions at Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC), to explore how workforce development, education, and community collaboration intersect to create real opportunity.

Amy shares how nearly 25 years in Iowa's community college system shaped her belief that workforce is an ecosystem, not a straight line. Together, Molly and Amy discuss how education must adapt to modern learners, how local communities can unlock hidden career pathways, and why saying "yes" to things that scare you just a little might be the key to growth.

From hands-on learning and AI innovation to deeply personal lessons about family, leadership, and purpose, this conversation highlights how meaningful change happens when institutions listen closely to the people they serve.

Whether you're a business owner, parent, leader, or lifelong learner, this episode offers a hopeful look at what's possible when education meets community.

• Why workforce development works best as an ecosystem

• How community colleges are redefining education pathways

• The shift from linear careers to flexible learning journeys

• How NICC partners with businesses and communities to solve real problems

• Making education engaging through hands-on learning, technology, and AI

• The power of exposure in helping students discover career paths

• Overcoming imposter syndrome and saying yes to growth opportunities

• Leadership lessons shaped by personal loss and family priorities

• Register for Trainer Talent Expo: https://nicc.augusoft.net/index.cfm?method=ClassInfo.ClassInformation&int_class_id=104976

• Northeast Iowa Community College: https://www.nicc.edu

• Connect with Amy Lasack on LinkedIn

• Email Amy: [email protected]

• Follow NICC:

  • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neiowacc

  • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/school/northeast-iowa-community-college

If you've been here for years or you're only a handful of episodes in... this one is for you.

After recently stepping back into the guest seat on another podcast, I realized it had been a while since I reintroduced herself here on The Found Podcast. So today, I'm doing just that.

But not with a résumé.

Not with a tidy bio.

With the real story.

In this episode, I walk through the winding, nonlinear path from waitress to teacher, stay-at-home mom to accidental entrepreneur, agency owner to Managing Director of The Restoration Project. I share the inflection points, the burnout, the public pivots, and the deeply personal realizations that reshaped my definition of success.

More than anything, this episode is an invitation:

You are more than your job title. Your path doesn't have to make sense to anyone else. And sometimes your passion lives from 5–9, not 9–5... and that's beautiful.

Whether you're founding a business, founding a cause, founding a family, or simply finding yourself, this episode is a reminder that there is no blueprint: only growth, reflection, and courage to evolve.

• Why I believe we should introduce ourselves by who we are, not just what we do

• The personality assessments that shaped my self-understanding (Enneagram 3, Learner strength, Human Design Manifester)

• Lessons from early jobs — including manufacturing floors and Applebee's shifts

• The rise (and unraveling) of Molly Knuth Media

• The breaking point that forced me to ask: What do I really want?

• Why leadership development — not marketing — became my deeper calling

• How my role at The Restoration Project evolved into Managing Director

• The truth about nonlinear paths and public pivots

• Why you don't need to monetize your passion for it to matter

• The Restoration Project – Leadership development resources, courses, and weekly momentum emails

• Founder's Field Notes – Molly's monthly email for female founders

• Connect with Molly on Instagram, LinkedIn, or Facebook @mollyknuth

Some people build businesses.

Some people follow a calling.

And sometimes… those two things become the very same path.

This week on The Found Podcast with Molly Knuth, I sit down with fellow Iowan and "Molly Squared" guest Molly Schreiber, founder of Challenge to Change and the nonprofit Mindful Minutes.

What started as a young teacher's love of education became something much deeper after unimaginable loss. After losing her first husband in a car accident at age 30 while raising three children under three, Molly found herself returning to one unexpected anchor: yoga.

That quiet hour at the YMCA became the lifeline that helped her regulate her grief, reconnect to herself, and ultimately reimagine what education could look like for kids, teachers, and even workplaces.

Today, her programs serve hundreds of schools across Iowa — teaching breath work, resilience, emotional regulation, and mindfulness practices that ripple far beyond the classroom.

This conversation is about:

• turning wounds into wisdom

• creating space for "The Pause"

• helping kids build tools we never learned ourselves

• and trusting your inner compass when life changes course

If you've ever wondered how personal pain can become purposeful work… this one's for you.

• Molly's journey from classroom teacher to mindfulness founder

• The loss that reshaped her life and leadership

• How yoga helped her navigate grief as a young widow and mom

• Why kids today need emotional regulation tools more than ever

• The "5 Parts of Practice" framework used in schools

• The surprising number of thoughts (and emotions!) we process daily

• Bringing mindfulness into workplaces and healthcare settings

• What it means to live aligned with your "noble goal"

• Why "The Pause" might be the most important practice of all

• Challenge to Change: https://challengetochangeinc.com

• Mindful Minutes: https://mindfulmins.org

• Email Molly: [email protected]

• Follow Molly Knuth + The Found Podcast

This one is a little raw. A little unpolished. And very real.

After batch-recording months of episodes and stepping into a new season of leadership, I sat down at the mic for the first time this year and realized something:

The most helpful thing I could share right now isn't a strategy or framework.

It's the truth.

Because even 10 years into business…

even 200+ podcast episodes later…

even as Managing Director of The Restoration Project…

I'm still relearning lessons I swore I already knew.

In this solo episode, I'm walking you through five things I'm honestly a little embarrassed I forgot in 2025 — from avoiding my finances (again) to chasing perfection, rushing relationships, overpacking my calendar, and holding back my voice.

But here's the thing: Embarrassment usually means growth is happening.

So if you've ever thought, "Shouldn't I be better at this by now?" — this episode is for you.

You're not behind. You're becoming.

• Why your business finances are a gift (not something to avoid)

• The perfectionism + imposter syndrome spiral in new leadership roles

• How speed and efficiency quietly erode meaningful relationships

• The "Big Three" method that's helping me reclaim my time

• Why sugarcoating your voice actually creates more harm than clarity

• And the truth: you're allowed to relearn lessons at every age and stage

• The Restoration Project

• Local & virtual events + Empowerment Communities: the-restorationproject.com/events-experiences

• Connect with Molly: @mollyknuth on Instagram & LinkedIn

In this final episode of The Found Podcast's Ages & Stages Series, I sit down with Nancy Lynk — Senior Vice President of Commercial Banking at US Bank, community leader, mentor, and lifelong learner — for a conversation that spans generations of leadership, resilience, and self-discovery.

From growing up on a Century Farm in rural Iowa to navigating the 1980s farm crisis as a young ag lender to leading complex commercial banking portfolios to now guiding others through career and life transitions, Nancy's story is a masterclass in listening deeply, honoring your values, and becoming fearless with your own growth.

Together, Nancy and I explore: • Building confidence before the world gives you permission • Lessons from the 1980s farm crisis and the power of human potential • Career pivots that shape long-term leadership • Why reflection, journaling, and contemplative practice matter • Letting go of chronic busyness to invest in yourself • Becoming the mentor you once needed • And the truth Nancy discovered: she was the only thing holding herself back

This episode is an invitation to pause, listen inward, and ask: Where am I ready to stop standing in my own way?

Listen now to the full episode of The Found Podcast with Molly Knuth and guest Nancy Lynk.

Connect with Us

• Get in touch with Nancy on LinkedIn
• Follow Molly on Instagram

Liz Garcia is the kind of woman who makes you want to sit up straighter, open a new notes app, and finally do the thing you've been talking yourself out of.

In this second guest interview of the Ages & Stages series, I sit down with Liz — owner of Storage Theory, founder of GW Spice Co., mom of two, serial entrepreneur, and host of The Liz Garcia Show — to talk about what it really looks like to pivot from corporate life into entrepreneurship… and keep going even when it's scary.

Liz shares the "before and after" moment that propelled her family into business ownership, how perfectionism held her back (until it didn't), and why she believes you should go to worst-case scenario… and ask yourself if you'd survive it (spoiler: you would).

This episode is for the woman who's been feeling the nudge to make a change — but needs a little courage, a little honesty, and a reminder that you are capable of more than you believe.

• Liz's journey from graphic design → insurance → sales → entrepreneurship

• The pivotal life moment that lit a fire under her and her husband to "just start"

• Why perfectionism keeps so many women stuck and how to loosen its grip

• A behind-the-scenes look at building an e-commerce brand

• How Liz thinks about fear: go to worst case scenario and see if you'd survive it

• The question that guides her major decisions: "Will I regret not trying?"

• The power of putting yourself in rooms you don't feel ready for

• Why Liz believes we should create what we wish existed, especially in the Midwest

• The constant she's learned through every age and stage: "I'm capable of more than I believe."

• Liz on Instagram: @lizgarcia.me

• Storage Theory: @storagetheory

• Storage Theory website: storagetheory.com

• Liz's podcast: The Liz Garcia Show

• 1 Million Cups (mentioned in episode): local weekly entrepreneur meetups (check your city's chapter)

In the very first guest interview of the Ages & Stages series, Molly sits down in person with Carley Kintzle a senior at Iowa State University studying agricultural communications and public relations, a cattle exhibitor, the founder of Wild Orchid Co., and a photographer who picked up a camera… and ran with it.

Carley's story is a reminder that you don't have to pick just one lane. From starting a jewelry business in high school (despite never having made leather earrings before) to landing a dream role with Corteva while still in college, Carley shares what it looks like to say yes to opportunity, lean into mentorship, and use networking as a tool, even when it feels uncomfortable.

This conversation is full of energy, practicality, and a message every woman needs: challenges aren't a stop sign, they're often the thing that fuels our growth.

• Why Carley started Wild Orchid Co. during COVID (and what her mom said first!)

• The power of being multi-passionate and embracing it instead of fighting it

• How Carley's mentors stretched her (even when she wasn't sure she was ready)

• Why networking matters more than you think and how to do it without being "weird"

• What the cattle showing circuit taught her about leadership, work ethic, and confidence

• How she landed her dream role while still in school

• What success means to Carley in this stage of life

• The mindset that keeps her moving forward

• The one line she wants every listener to remember: "Just go for it."

• Follow Carley: @carley.kintzle

• Wild Orchid Co.: @wild_orchid_co

• Website: wild-orchid-co.com

• Follow Molly: @mollyknuth

• Email Molly: [email protected]

As we step into a brand new year, this episode opens the Ages & Stages series with a personal reflection from me, Molly.

In this solo episode, I looks back across my own life — from childhood curiosity and creativity, to achievement-driven adolescence, to motherhood, entrepreneurship, burnout, and a more grounded, intentional season of leadership.

Rather than rushing toward what's next, this episode invites listeners to slow down, reflect on what each age and stage has already taught them, and consider how those lessons shape who you are becoming.

This conversation sets the tone for the weeks ahead, where I will sit down with women at different ages and stages of life to explore leadership, identity, ambition, legacy, and meaning.

If you're entering 2026 feeling reflective, hopeful, or ready to lead from a steadier place — this episode is for you.

• Why this season of life feels less about proving and more about impact

• How childhood curiosity and creativity shape adult leadership

• The hidden lessons in ambition, achievement, and burnout

• What motherhood taught me about presence, rhythm, and partnership

• Why there are no true "dividing lines" between life stages

• How skills from earlier seasons still serve us today

• The intention behind the new Ages & Stages podcast series

• My word of the year — and how it's already shifting my mindset

• An invitation to reflect on your own age, stage, and season

• The Found Podcast with Molly Knuth

• Connect with Molly on Instagram: @mollyknuth

• Email Molly: [email protected]

This episode is a little different — and honestly, it might be one of the most important ones I've ever shared.

Instead of one long-form interview, you're getting four mini-interviews with women who are quietly (and powerfully) making their communities better — through nonprofit work, community organizing, and the kind of "someone has to do something… so I will" leadership that changes everything.

These women were listener-nominated, and every story proves the same thing: You don't need a massive following or a fancy title to make a difference. You just need the willingness to notice a need… and participate in the solution.

In this compilation, you'll meet:

• Callie FitzGerald — founder of Centrally Rooted Mission + Mindful Musicians (building confidence and brain-health skills through music)

• Molly Schreiber — founder of Mindful Minutes (bringing yoga + mindfulness practices into schools, healthcare, shelters, and more)

• Dee McKenna — community leader and organizer of the Woodbury County Fair Bonus Sale (investing in youth through 4-H & FFA premium support)

• Nicole O'Dell — board member for the Bernard Playground Project (building an accessible community space and rallying a small town to do the "impossible")

And at the end, I'll give you a 14-day challenge to help you turn inspiration into action.

• Why community impact rarely starts with a "grand plan" — it starts with noticing

• How Centrally Rooted + Mindful Musicians teach resilience and confidence through music

• The "five parts of practice" behind Mindful Minutes and how mindfulness becomes a life skill

• How the Woodbury County Bonus Sale works — and why it matters for the future of agriculture and youth development

• The story behind the Bernard Playground Project and the power of phased momentum

• Practical ways to support these missions (donate, volunteer, subscribe, spread the word)

• Molly's 14-day challenge: support, thank a helper, or nominate a community leader

• Centrally Rooted

• Mindful Musicians

• Mindful Minutes

• Woodbury County Fair + Bonus Sale Info

• Bernard Playground Project

• Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque

• Nominate a future community helper: [email protected]

• Instagram: @mollyknuth