The Athletics of Business

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 unm...

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 s...

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...

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 dis...

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...

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 w...

What does it take to build a championship culture that lasts? For Scott Howard, it starts with mentorship, trust, relationships, and a commitment to putting the team above yourself. In this episode of The Athletics of Business, host Ed Molitor reconnects with longtime friend Scott Howard, currently completing his 11th season with the Denver Nuggets organization after nearly four decades in basketb...

Why do the same teams keep winning without the most talent? Is it because they've learned to embrace the grind, celebrate small wins, and lead people as humans first—so they'd run through a wall for each other? In this episode of The Athletics of Business Podcast, host Ed Molitor is joined by Meghan Long , Area Vice President of US Surgical Sales at BioTissue . As a former Division I Lacrosse capt...

What if every frustrating conversation, every missed connection, and every stalled coaching moment with your team could be traced back to just four hidden forces, forces you've never been taught to see? In this episode of The Athletics of Business Podcast, host Ed Molitor is joined by Paul Bramson, elite leadership trainer, global keynote speaker, and author of Connecting Like A PRO®, to explore t...

Do you ever feel pulled in a hundred directions at once, with notifications buzzing and priorities constantly shifting? In a world of constant distractions, competing priorities, and unprecedented change, the ability to focus has become one of the rarest and most valuable leadership skills. But according to Penny Zenker, focus isn't just about paying attention. It's about strategically directing y...

In this episode of The Athletics of Business Podcast, host Ed Molitor is joined by Will Lumpkin , Vice President of Sales at Agios Pharmaceuticals . In this encore episode, Will shares insights into his leadership philosophy, drawing from his experiences as a former football player at Indiana University and his current role leading a powerhouse team at Agios. Throughout the episode, Will shares hi...

Some people chase summits. Others spend the rest of their lives talking about the one they have already reached. Mark Pattison refuses to look in the rearview mirror. In this episode of The Athletics of Business podcast, host Ed Molitor welcomes back Mark Pattison, former NFL wide receiver for the Los Angeles Raiders, mountaineer, entrepreneur, and author of the new book Finding Your Summit: How t...

In this episode of The Athletics of Business, host Ed Molitor is joined by Jake Thompson, the Chief Encouragement Officer at Compete Every Day. Jake takes us on a journey through his entrepreneurial path, from starting his brand with t-shirts sold out of his car trunk to building a global movement worn by leaders in 62 countries. Jake discusses his books Compete Every Day, Lead Better Now, The Lin...

What if the difference between teams that crumble under pressure and those that rise has little to do with talent or strategy and everything to do with trust? What if the real competitive edge in business is not bigger budgets or better metrics, but genuine vulnerability and a deeper human connection? What if executive isolation is not inevitable, but the result of avoiding hard conversations? And...

Our Guest: Ted Coss Ted leads the strategic direction of top talent search firm, Buckman Enochs Coss and Associates (BEC) while ensuring outstanding service and measurable results for clients. With a deep passion for life sciences and healthcare, Ted draws from both professional and personal experiences to understand the transformative impact of these industries. Since joining BEC in 1993, Ted has...

Most people chase performance by training the mind and pushing the body. Dr. Jerry Lynch has spent decades proving that's only part of the equation. Because when pressure hits—when fear shows up, when doubt gets loud, when the moment gets heavy—mindset won't carry you if your inner foundation is empty. What separates the best isn't just mental toughness. It's what champions can access when the sta...

In this special solocast of The Athletics of Business Podcast, host Ed Molitor takes us on a personal and powerful journey through the life, lessons, and lasting legacy of legendary coach George Raveling. This isn't about hearing what you want to hear; it's about hearing what you need to hear. Ed shares how Coach Raveling's words and philosophies shaped him as a young boy, carried him through dark...

In this powerful solo episode, host Ed Molitor reflects on lessons from legendary coaches and his own leadership journey to share a core truth: you can't give away what you don't have. Whether you want your team to believe, grow, or stay inspired, you have to model it first. Drawing on the wisdom of John Wooden, Tony Dungy, Greg Popovich, and Marcus Freeman, Ed unpacks five principles every high-i...

What would you do if your greatest challenge became your greatest calling? For brothers Kyle and Brent Pease, the answer is racing—together. But what they've built goes far beyond the finish line. In this powerful episode, I sit down with Kyle and Brent Pease, co-founders of the Kyle Pease Foundation and Ironman finishers many times over, to talk about what it means to redefine possibility. What b...

Let's face it: AI is changing the game in ways we couldn't have imagined just a few years ago. As leaders, we're at a crossroads—do we learn how to use this new technology to our advantage, or do we risk falling behind? In this episode, I sit down with Geoff Woods, #1 bestselling author of The AI-Driven Leader and founder of AI Leadership, to explore how leaders can harness AI not just to automate...

In this energizing episode of The Athletics of Business, Ed Molitor welcomes Molly Painter, Vice President of Sales and Strategic Accounts at Takeda. Molly leads Takeda's U.S. Plasma-Derived Therapies business unit and is renowned for her rare blend of strategic clarity and deeply human-centered leadership. Together, they explore what it takes to lead authentically in high-stakes environments, bui...

How does someone rise from stacking pallets in a Pepsi warehouse to leading a billion-dollar brand?   In this episode, I sit down with Scott Miller, former Essentia Water CEO and author of Summit Mindset, to unpack the philosophy that turns relentless ambition into meaningful success.     Scott brings his book's principles to life as he shares the four pillars that ground him Faith, Family, Busine...

Our Guest Dr. Jerry Lynch 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...

In this powerful and thought-provoking episode of The Athletics of Business, Ed Molitor sits down with Liz Wiseman, celebrated leadership researcher, bestselling author of Multipliers, Rookie Smarts, and Impact Players, and CEO of The Wiseman Group. Liz shares transformative insights from her research on leadership effectiveness, accidental diminishing, and how to unlock the full intelligence and...

In this milestone episode, former NFL player, acclaimed playwright, and high-performance coach Bo Eason returns to The Athletics of Business podcast to share his insights on the power of personal storytelling and how it can shape leadership, influence, and success. Bo takes us on a journey through his transition from professional sports to Broadway and beyond, discussing how vulnerability, prepara...