Episode 242 - What the Female Jerry Maguire Can Teach Us About Drive, Potential, and Identity with Molly Fletcher
We’ve never had someone on the show be compared to a Tom Cruise character before until today.
Molly Fletcher is a leadership coach and former sports agent who CNN once called “the female Jerry Maguire” for her work representing hall of famers and champions.
These days she focuses on empowering leaders to unlock their full potential, and she joins us to talk about overcoming barriers, developing drive, and centering our identity on something bigger than our output.
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All opinions expressed on this podcast, including the team and guests, are solely their opinions. Host and guests may maintain positions in the companies and securities discussed. This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as specific advice for any individual or organization.
Episode Transcript
Transcription is done by an AI software. While technology is an incredible tool to automate this process, there will be misspellings and typos that might accompany it. Please keep that in mind as you work through it.
Rusty Rueff: Hey, everybody. Welcome back to the Faith Driven Entrepreneur podcast. I was thinking about it. I don't think we've ever had someone on the show be compared to a Tom Cruise character before. Now, sometimes Henry likes us to call him Maverick. But that's a different story. Well, today everything changes because we're excited to chat with Molly Fletcher, a leadership coach and former sports agent who CNN once called the female Jerry Maguire for her work representing Hall of Famers and champions. These days, she focuses on empowering leaders to unlock their full potential. And she joins us to talk about overcoming barriers, developing drive and centering our identity on something bigger than our output. Let's listen in.
Rusty Rueff: Hey, William. It's good to be back with you.
William Norvell: It is. It's a beautiful day. It's a beautiful day. How are you today?
Rusty Rueff: I'm doing great. I'm doing great. I'm missing our third amigo here.
William Norvell: I know, I know. We're going to run the two today.
Rusty Rueff: Yeah, we can do that. He's out traveling. I think he's in Asia this week. I was mentioning to our producer, Joey, before the show started that he's starting to be like Billy Graham. I mean, he's everywhere. He's everywhere. You wake up and you go, Where's Henry? Crazy.
William Norvell: He is. Yeah. He's been gone for like a month. Yeah. Africa, Asia. So Faith driven entrepreneurs if you happen to be. I know we have podcasts dedicated to the spaces, but if you're still listening here, watch out. There's events everywhere. There's amazing things happening, and hit up our website and check them out.
Rusty Rueff: Yeah. You know, I was also thinking this morning, is there a day that goes by that we don't have some reference to sports?
William Norvell: Not in the world I live in. I'm sure people live in that world I certainly haven't lived in in a long time.
Rusty Rueff: Yeah, I think it's become such a dominant part of the zeitgeisty, at least here in the United States, but even in other parts of the world. Right. It's, you know, whether it's cricket or it's football. And so, you know, it's always interesting to talk to somebody who comes from the sports world and has experience there because it is so prevalent in our culture. And our guest today, you might say she's going to have us at hello.
William Norvell: Because I see what you did there.
Rusty Rueff: You see what I did there? Because they call her the Jerry Maguire of sports and you know, the female Jerry Maguire. And it's exciting to have Molly Fletcher on the show. Molly, welcome in.
Molly Fletcher: Thanks, Rusty. It's great to see you. And William, It's great to be with you guys. Thanks for having me.
Rusty Rueff: Yeah, you know, we are very fortunate that we get to speak with so many Faith driven entrepreneurs and Faith driven entrepreneurs are always looking to get. It seems like any entrepreneur is the best kind of deal. Something they're very familiar with as an entrepreneur and, you know, and you're familiar with as a sports agent, right? You're always looking for the best deal. And before we jump into all of your great experiences and your background, it caught my eye that this must be just in you, because I'm going to let you share a little story about maybe the first best deal you got when you came right out of college and you live for rent free.
Molly Fletcher: Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Yeah, I can share that story. I'll give you the shortened version. But basically I graduated from Michigan State where I played tennis and I wanted to get into the sports space, so I saved as much money as I could over the summer, living at home at my mom and dad's house and drove down to Atlanta to try to find a job in sports. And I had found out that tennis was a huge deal in Atlanta and that it was so much so that people taught tennis at apartment complexes and they were given a little bit off the rent when they did that. And I learned about an apartment complex that was going to lose their tennis pro. And the manager didn't know it yet, though. So I sort of went over there and tried to add value. You know, I over a period of a couple of days, you know, got this pizza place across the street to hook us up with free pizza. I dropped off these tennis tips that we could put in the newsletter for the residents. I called my buddy at Wilson to send me gear. I mean, I was just trying to show her, Look, I'll be your partner, I'll support you. And what matters most to her, which really wasn't probably finding a tennis pro, by the way, right? Like it was keeping her occupancy up at her property. So fast forward. I went in one day after dropping off goodies over a couple of days and she said, You're not going to believe this. I said, What's up? She said, Well, the pro's leaving, which I had known, and he had finally told her. And I said, Well, this is awesome. And she said, Yeah, right. So long story short, she said, Look, I mean, the rent's 850. What we did with the pro was gave him 500 bucks off the rent. He wrote us a check for the difference of 350 at the beginning of the month. He taught tennis every Tuesday night to anybody that lives here that wants to come. And, you know, I had continued to drip little goodies into her world with the pizza and the Wilson and all that. So I, I had held one back of the pizza and I told her about that and I said, you know, this whole like eight 550 write a check for the difference at the beginning of the month thing. And she goes, Yeah. I said, what if we just, you know, what if we just waved it like straight up, It's cleaner, Don't you think it's easier, you know? And she goes, Oh my God. Like what? Long story short, she goes back and talks to her, calls her boss, comes back out and says, You're good to go. So, yeah, it was unbelievable because the truth is it pulled off probably what is oftentimes our largest expense, right? Our home, our apartment, whatever. And, you know, when you get into the sports business, you don't make any money out of the gates in general. You know, my first job was answering the phones at the Super Bowl host committee when I got down to Atlanta. And I think I made 600 bucks a month and I went back to the guy and I said, You mean a week with this 600, right? Not a month. You said, No, no, no. You're lucky to have this gig, right? 600 a month. So anyway, that was. Quite helpful, to put it mildly.
Rusty Rueff: All right. So that's a great story because, you know, so many of us kind of go into those kind of situations as you did, and we just take at face value. Oh, it is what it is. It is. You know, if I could afford it, I can't afford it. And then you just you take it or you move on. But there is something about some people and I can't say that I'm one of them, but I admire it. Who sees the deal that there's something there's another way to get to. Yes. And obviously you just showed us an example of that. Is that innate in you or were you raised in an environment where you saw that kind of happening? And I guess it leads to, you know, did the entrepreneurial spirit grab you early?
Molly Fletcher: You know was I raise that way? I do. And I always give my mom and dad credit and they always say, you know, you did this all the time as an age, and we're not the reason that you knew how to negotiate. But the truth is, I learned so much. You know, my mom would go to the grocery store and she'd bring a stack of coupons and half of them would be expired and she'd get up to the checkout counter with the lady or the guy checking us out, and she'd work him like there was no other to get him to take the expired coupons. And I would watch her right build a rapport with them, you know, kind of connect with them and and build a little bit of a relationship and sort of work him to take these coupons on. And, you know, with a story of another three days old, five days old. I was just back in the back. You got 20 of themI mean, good to get them off the shelf. And I'd watch her or we'd go to a play and I'd be 14 and 13. You got in for less because you were younger and I'd watch her just grind the ticket lady right to get me. And at the underage youth price. So I saw it a lot. And what I saw was someone who did it with kindness, with authenticity. But she wasn't afraid to ask for what she wanted. You know, we'd go she'd go buy a dress and it'd have a little stain on it. And I'd watch her kind of go, I mean, about 20% off on the stage, you know, she'd get home and get the stain right out and she'd get the dress for 20% off. So I watched it a lot. But then I would say, Rusty, when I got into the sports business, I had the opportunity to in many ways negotiate every day for the athletes that we had, you know, their endorsement deals, their appearances. And I always say that, you know, negotiation and the confidence around it comes from practice, from doing it. And I would encourage people, the more you do it in a safe environment, right, like with a dress that you want off or trying to get your kid in for an entourage, the more you just practice in a safe setting, the more comfortable you get when you start having to go for more and negotiate and ask for what you want in bigger settings, I think that confidence comes through the wraps.
Rusty Rueff: Yeah, so I think that's really helpful because I think we all in the entrepreneurial world, you know, when you're running a business and trying to keep it all together with your funding and what you have and what you don't, you definitely need to have somebody on the team that looks for the best deal. You know? At the same time, though, I once had a CFO that worked for me that refused to pay invoices until we got the third notice. And one day I said to him and I said, So when we ask people to pay our bills. Do we feel good when they wait for the third notice? He goes, No, no, no, no. I want it as soon as do. And I said, Okay. So there's a balance in here, right, in doing the best that you can do, but also doing the right thing in negotiations, in deals. Where's the line? Because it's a fine line, right? You talk about you push hard and, you know, 14 years old, 13 years old, you know, there's a line there. How do you find that line? What is it? And then how do you balance it?
Molly Fletcher: Well, I mean, I think the line is honesty, right? I mean, we have to stay in a place where we're being honest because I believe relationships are key to negotiation. And if we're going to negotiate with people and do it again and again and again, potentially, we have to be honest in the way in which we approach it. And so I would say when you're going below that line, that is obviously not right. You're operating outside of the integrity that we all you know, I believe it is a requirement, no question. So and it doesn't mean that, you know, for me as an agent, I negotiated with general managers, manufacturer reps, but I had to I had to go back and negotiate them again with another guy, with another athlete, with another player. So for me, it was always incredibly important to be honest. And I believe that relationships, when we build great relationships with the people that we negotiate with, you can do more deals quicker and you can build that connection. You know, how do you know how it's too far? I mean, I think you've got to pay a lot of attention to what matters to the people on the other side. I think one of the biggest mistakes people make when they negotiate is they spend so much energy focused on what they want and not nearly the amount of energy on the problem that you're solving for them and what they need. Whenever I was getting ready to negotiate a deal with a team, I always wanted to get in their world. Where are they at, you know, with their salary cap or, you know, who's on the free agent market. That might be interesting to them. Where's their overall payroll? What are their trade plays? What are their minor league system look like? I wanted to get in there so that I so they had a better understanding of what their options were. I think sometimes one of the biggest mistakes we make is we don't spend enough time in their world understanding what matters most to them, and that all drives that connection. It builds the relationship, which is an imperative inside of these kinds of conversations, which is what negotiation is, by the way. Right? Like, I think people overthink it. It's a conversation built on a relationship in a perfect world where one party is solving another problem for another. And if we can dial it down to that, I think it helps us stay centered. And candidly, at some level, less intimidated by the process?
William Norvell: Oh, that's so good. And so I'm taking notes. So as an entrepreneur, right, So we don't measure that well. So I've started a company about 18 months ago, and I'm curious to ask this because I'm sure you had different points of your life when you had more and less leverage. Right. I'm thinking for entrepreneurs listening, how do you balance integrity and honesty when you know, I mean, you've got the product almost built or, you know, the projections are heading in that direction, but you know, you still need to raise the money or you still need to close that deal. I feel like often, you know, I hear two sides of that. Sometimes you're like, hey, you know, you got to fake it till you make it or you got to lead with honesty and integrity, Right? And that's I think the answer is there's a balance in there. But I'm curious how you you know, I don't know the proper question, but you know, how you balance that and how you think about negotiating deals when maybe the information's not perfect. Right. And how do you get where, you know, at some point entrepreneurs do need things done. We need sales, we need fundraising, but we want to do it the right way.
Rusty Rueff: Yeah, I always get to ask the question about the third year financial projections, right? You're supposed to put the third year out there and you know, you have no clue what the.
William Norvell: No clue.
Rusty Rueff: third clue Is going to look like. And it's like, well, is this high integrity to put numbers that I don't know that I think it's going to be good or should I not do that? Yeah, I mean, it's tough stuff.
Molly Fletcher: Yeah. I mean, I think, you know, if you can pull back and dial in on what is your process to achieve those three, your numbers, for example, and you believe that that process is real and you believe that you've got the skill set and the tools and the people around you and the resource, etc. to execute against that. And you can look in the mirror and walk through how you're going to deliver against that in three years and you believe it, then go for it, right? I mean, those are the kind of people that I think people want to invest in is that people who believe that they can. Drive at some level. Outstanding business results. But I think you've got to be able to look in the mirror. You've got to be able to feel confident in communicating. The process by which you're, in fact, going to execute against that in three years. Right. And feel comfortable in your ability to do that and that the following things are going to happen as I better positioned myself to do that. But if we can't do that, then I think that's a gap. We need to be able to explain it, justify it. You know, when we're putting a stake in the ground on where we're going to be and how we're going to get there. But those are projections, and everybody knows that there's a lot of things that change inside of that process. We all do. We know that. Right. But, you know, I believe that, you know, you tell the truth. You tell it yourself. You tell it quickly. And if you're doing that consistently inside of that journey over their three years period to you're building the rapport and the connection and the trust along the way, because they know that you're not afraid to speak up when things are working, but also when things aren't working to ask for help. To ask for support. To recognize that you have gaps. I mean, I think one of the most important things and I get this on my podcast all the time with gas that the thing I consistently hear, whether it's a coach or an entrepreneur or a leader or a CEO or an author or an actor is curiosity. Right. They're all insatiably curious and aren't afraid to ask the tough questions so that they can continue to learn and grow. And I think if we do that as leaders and entrepreneurs, particularly in relationships where we're all driving for the same ideal outcome, that builds trust along the way, when maybe the third year number, you don't quite hit it or you pivot a little bit right or left right. You stayed in good communication and strengthen that relationship along the way, which is obviously imperative.
Rusty Rueff: Right. You've talked about relationship here. The question before you answer yet, building rapport and having relationships and building trust and staying in contact and communication. So tell us what it was like to be a female agent in a male dominated world when you're trying to build these relationships and rapport and, you know, in an industry that I'm guessing might not have been as accepting of female agents as they were male agents. I'm just guessing.
Molly Fletcher: Heck of a gas man. You nailed that. Yeah. No, I mean, you know, I get that question a lot. And, you know, here's the reality, right? There was no other woman when I started that was an agent. I mean, there was nobody else representing big league baseball players, PGA Tour players at the time. And I would go to I started recruiting baseball players generally right out of Georgia Tech. I'm here in Atlanta and I would I would go down to Georgia Tech. They had an unbelievable baseball program and still do. And so I would lean on that fence and I built a relationship with the head coach down there. But I would look down that fence and there was guys in khakis and golf shirts. Right. All of them, you know, with chewing tobacco on one side of their lip and bubblegum in the other. Right. And you know, I was often mistaken as a girlfriend or, you know, somebody's secretary. I mean, they were what is she doing here or behind that, you know, played at big league ballparks during batting practice with the baseball player at the time that we had our prospects. You know, I was mistaken as a girlfriend or, you know, and it happened all the time. I'd be on the range at PGA Tour events. But what I found was just the power and authenticity and being who we are. I didn't ever try to be like those guys, you know, in the khakis and the golf. I didn't try to show up in khakis and golf shirt. I had to be who I really was. And, you know, I think there's a powerful thing in that. Right. And I always encourage women when I talk to women to to stay the course of who you are. That's all people really want us to be anyway. That's how we connect with others, is when we show up as ourselves. So it was hard, it was challenging, but it was, you know, at the end of the day, too, it was an opportunity to reframe those moments as a gift, as an opportunity. And for me to in those moments, I had a choice. I could have said, Man, what am I doing here? This is insane. Nobody looks like me. I mean, people were mistaken in me for girlfriends and, you know, nobody's giving me the time of day. Players don't look at me. They look at my male are like, What am I doing? Or What a gift. This is cool. I'm a little bit different. And maybe that difference is in fact going to allow me to support and serve these athletes in a way that's different from others. This can be pretty, pretty awesome. And so I think we all find ourselves in moments in life, right, where we have a choice of what we listen to and what we turn the volume down on. And, you know, I I'm grateful because I believe mindset and self-talk and all those things are incredibly important to helping us show up as the. Best version of ourselves. So that was a tough window of time, no question. But but we've got to believe that we can add value and we've got to shift our self-talk, shift our story to one that serves us and takes us where we want to go.
Rusty Rueff: Is it better now? There are more female agents.
Molly Fletcher: There are more, thank goodness. And, you know, I do everything I can to support other women that want to get into that space. There are definitely more, which is cool, but they're still not. I mean, I bet it's well under 5% for sure. And there's women that do endorsement deals and secure appearances and are marketing agents. I'm sort of talking about the agents that are, you know, negotiating player contracts, you know, sort of that role. So I bet it's under five or 10% of the overall pool for sure.
William Norvell: So I want to go a little deeper into that. So obviously, you've worked with well, we haven't asked yet, so maybe you mentioned some of the players and personalities you've worked with before, if that's appropriate. But I'm curious, you know, our entrepreneurs and you know, I'm struggling with this too. You know, the pull to be more than you are is real. Sometimes you you feel like you might get penalized for being authentic and real and telling people exactly what's going on. And especially in the age of social media and everybody's doing great. And everybody just raised this next round of funding. And this happened to me a few times. I was jealous of a few things. I call it a few people to understand the backstory of some of these LinkedIn posts. And I called one the other day and I said, So that must have been like an amazing exit for you. Like, Oh no, actually the investors lost all their money, so it was a terrible outcome. But, you know, we sold the companies. That's the story I'm telling and I've seen that a lot. And it's not from a horrible place like, well, if I tell the story, we fail. Like, how is that going to look on me and and where do I end up? And and so as entrepreneurs, some of them are approaching sports star fame like that. Our world has shifted a little bit. I mean, there are people out there. I'm curious how the people you were close to, how did they stay real and authentic in a place where I'm swimming, being strong and saying you're always 100% and saying, Oh, no, of course that injuries heal. I'm the best I've ever been, even though I'm 33 years old, I'm as fast as I was at 23. How does that work?
Molly Fletcher: Well, wow. I mean, there's a lot to unpack there. I mean, I think.
William Norvell: Sure.
Molly Fletcher: You know, it's interesting. It makes me consider what's the difference between transparency and authenticity. Right. And, you know, I think the ones that were able to navigate well had a circle of people around them that they listened to. And that circle of people wanted nothing from them but for them to be the best version of themselves. Now, that's really hard for these guys to find is the truth. And it's sad. I mean, sometimes their own family, their own spouse has an agenda. But I think for them to stay centered and squared away, they've got to have people that tell them the truth and they've got to have people that tell them the truth and that they listen to and that they pivot based on that feedback. You know, people that help them understand that what you embark on every day, you have an unbelievably unique platform and help them understand the power in that, the gift in that. But I also think it's incredibly important that you prepare them for life without that jersey on their back, because it's going to end. It's going to end. And if they're not ready when it ends for who they are away from the sport, who they are without the jersey on their back, they've got to understand who they are at the center without all of it and prepare for that. And that was really important to me. I mean, and it's sad because I don't think it happens enough because when an athlete's done competing, an agent doesn't make money on them potentially anymore unless they step into the broadcast booth or something else. So often times agent don't spend a lot of time preparing guys or gals for when it's over and being intentional about positioning for them for that life after sports and helping ensure that they know that there are human being, right? Not just a baseball player that throws 98 miles an hour and to protect that and position them for that. And, you know, to me, that's an incredibly important part of of the role that we play in their lives, because even the best of the best out there, they never really believe that it's going to end. I mean, they know practically, right? Like, dude, I'm not going to be throwing 98 at 50 years old, but they really just aren't ready to go there because it's all they've known. Most of them, it's all they've ever known. It's all they've ever done. So the identity away from it is a really important part of positioning them for life after sport.
William Norvell: Hmm. Now it's I hear so much I mean, so much on the entrepreneurial journey as well, right? I mean, it's the same thing. I mean, companies can last theoretically longer, but they typically don't. Right. I mean, if you got a 20 year career running a company that I mean, that's a three standard deviation outcome, right? Most people aren't the CEO of their organization for that long. So in a similar way, you're called in to something that will likely end. I mean, that the odds are, of course, most you know, 50% of companies don't make it when you start it. And then the ones that last two decades are so rare. So I just heard so much good feedback there for entrepreneurs to you. I mean, if you don't have someone in your life that can be honest with you that just cares more about who you are than what you do.
Molly Fletcher: Right, it Is dangerous. And, you know, I'm super grateful to be in an organization called YPO and, you know, YPO has forums and that is so powerful because there's a group of people and I can't encourage entrepreneurs enough to do this, have to have a group of people who have no agenda but to help you be the best version of yourself, the best leader. And they're not afraid to give you tough feedback. People that are, you know, your own personal at some level board of directors, right, that you can lean into. It's imperative, you know, because it's lonely sometimes running a company, building a company, scaling a company, and hopefully great leaders build a team around them of people that will give them tough feedback, that will host up their boss, if you will, and share things that maybe they need to hear. But we need those people in our lives so that we can then do the business justice. Do the people that we lead justice and take it where we think we need to go. But getting authentic, real feedback is hard in this world, but it's incredibly important for growth.
Rusty Rueff: I often tell entrepreneurs they need a three conversation person and they'll say, What's a three conversation person? I said, This is a person that you know, has no agenda. They only love you, nothing vested in you whatsoever, that you get to have three conversations with them. The first conversation is when you call them and you say, I'm done and so burnt out, I don't know how things are going. I don't know what to do that that person says, No, you're not. You're good. It's you're just having a bad day. Get back on the horse. You're going to be good, right? And then that lasts for a while. And then you'll get the second conversation of, you know, here I am again. It's awful. I just I'm out of my realm. I shouldn't be doing this. No, no, no, no. You're okay. Go do this. Go do that. You'll be fine. Everything's good. Then they're back on the horse. And then the third time, when they come back and say, I'm done, I can't. It's over. You say, Yep. You know, you're right. Come over here. Let me give you a big hug. You've given everything that you've got. Mm. Don't look over your shoulder and ever think about an if or a but because I know and I can tell anybody else as your three conversation person that you gave it your all. Mm hmm. It's easy to find one or have the first two conversations, Right? That's easy. But the one that'll give you the tough love to say, Yeah, you're at the end of your trail. It's okay. It's okay. It's really hard.
Molly Fletcher: Yeah.
Rusty Rueff: Hey, look, we know what you're trying to do is pretty much impossible. Nearly one half of every business started closes its door five years in. You've got to raise capital. You've got to build a product. You've got to acquire customers. You've got to find employees. You've got to pay them. Well, You've got to keep them around. And then you've got to sustain whatever success you happen to achieve. It's no wonder business owners experience more marital and family strife than any other group, or that they are nearly three times more likely to struggle with depression. Do you really think you're the exception? We know that entrepreneurship can be a lonely journey, but we also learned that it doesn't have to be. That's why we're so passionate about community at Faith Driven Entrepreneur. Our foundation groups allow you to lock arms with 10 to 15 like minded entrepreneurs who are searching for life, giving relationships just like you. There's no cost and there's no catch. They meet for just eight weeks online or in person all over the world. After that, you can keep meeting with your group monthly. You don't have to fight this impossible battle alone. There are millions of others struggling with the same things you are, and they need you as much as you need them. Visit Faith Driven Entrepreneur dot org slash groups to find out more and register for a group that works for you. Now let's get back to the show.
Rusty Rueff: So, you know, if you're fortunate enough to be in a position where you have an agent that negotiates for you and advocates for you and, you know, tells you the truth, it's all those good things. But for those of us who don't. You know, what can we learn from having an agent that we could put to use even if we don't get one?
Molly Fletcher: Relevant to running a business, relevant to negotiation, relevant to anything.
Rusty Rueff: Relevant to my career. Right. You know, I mean, it would be so awesome to have somebody who says, you know, Rusty, it's time to make this next move. Right. You know,
William Norvell: provide options.
Rusty Rueff: Exactly Yeah, that's right. I mean, you know, the only time we ever got that was coming out of college, right? You know, and that was all luck, by the way, when you chose that first job.
William Norvell: Best to my knowledge, no one's calling people on my behalf, asking if there's good opportunities around.
Rusty Rueff: Exactly. To be awesome career company. You know, there are must be lessons that those who have an agent is transferable. What are those lessons.
Molly Fletcher: I think a couple of things come up for me. It's a great question. I've never had this one actually before. But, you know, a good agent's objective, right? Like a good agent's objective in the sense that. An athlete might have a sense of belief around what they can and can't do in the future. And a good agent's going to level, set them a little bit if they need it around what really is possible, what the comps are out there, the reality around what is possible. So I think. Objectivity is powerful in a good agent. You know, I think the other thing that is a big part of an agent's role is anticipation. Right. A great agent anticipates things that are coming down the pipe with an athlete that the athlete maybe hasn't thought about themselves. I had a player once who I thought he was going to get traded because he'd been struggling for quite a while at the plate, and I knew that the team had a higher tolerance for him than most. But I just didn't think that, you know, it's a business. And so I thought, man, he's going to get traded. So I was out ahead of it a little bit. So when he did call me on his way home from the park in tears, absolutely couldn't believe that he had gotten traded. I was ready for that. So anticipation and I was able to help reposition his mindset quickly around the gifts in it, the opportunity in it. Anticipations, huge. One of the other things an agent does is they're asking on your behalf for something. And that is a tough thing to replicate for yourself in some circumstances. And so I think where that thoughtfulness comes in when you're advocating for yourself is how to be just strong enough, how to be confident enough, how to be humble enough, kind enough, compassionate enough, Right. But you've got to be confident and you've got to be prepared. You've got to be all those things. But. An agent can have a little bit of a different kind of conversation with someone on your behalf than you can have for yourself. And so that is a thing that can't particularly be exactly replicated when you're advocating for yourself. Right. I mean, it's like if I was trying to manage and book my own speaking engagements and trying to price those for myself and talk about why it's worth it. And I mean, it just it's not the same. So those are the things that come up for me. But I would say objectivity, anticipation. And the truth is 90% of what I did as an agent wasn't negotiate their contracts. It was supporting them day in and day out on all the things that happen in athlete's life, whether it was personally on the field, it was being a bit of a sounding board. So that's why I go back to the importance of great leaders, great entrepreneurs, having people that you can lean on and build and create authentic communication with. And we're going to tell you the truth.
William Norvell: Hmm. That's amazing. Such good stuff. Also something I don't have to struggle with. I can't imagine what it's like to be traded and imagine what it's like to wake up. Somebody is like, Yeah, you're in San Francisco. Got a move to New York playing somewhere else. Pick up your family. I mean, I know there's a big number attached to it, typically, but goodness, that's got to be a mind.
Molly Fletcher: I know it's funny that you bring that up because I said that to somebody was I mean, can you imagine? You know, you're an executive at AT&T, right? You walk into the office and they look at you and they've got all your stuff packed up and they say, you know what, You're going over to Sprint and you start tomorrow and you start tomorrow and you better be ready and buy in and be all in and be like, Really? Can you even imagine? So yeah, it's tough. I mean, it's tough when that happens to these guys for sure, particularly when they have a real affinity and love for whatever club they're on or team on. It's obviously a little bit easier if they're prepared for it or if they're not happy in the clubhouse. They don't love the manager, they don't think they're hitting coach or they don't love the the GM or the fans or the city or whatever. But that's not always the case.
William Norvell: Molly, I want to give you a bit of open canvas here from one of my later questions. How did your faith play into this world, into this job, into loving and caring for athletes but negotiate on their behalf? I want to give you a little bit open form to say, you know, how did that drive you? Or whether it's you personally or impact the role in which you had in the lives and in the various organizations?
Molly Fletcher: Well, I think it was a red thread, if you will, through everything. I mean, it was a red thread through the kind of athletes I wanted a sign who I even wanted to work with, the coaches, the broadcasters. It was a red thread that helped me filter who I wanted to go after and recruit hard and try to sign because these guys and gals, they call you and you talk to them almost every day, all the time, day, night, midnight, two am, early in the morning, weekends, all of it. So I wanted to ensure that I was. Working with people who I felt like our faith and or our beliefs were aligned, that they weren't ever going to put me in a position to ask for something that I felt like didn't align with who I was or my core faith, my core values, if you will. I mean, did I sign everybody that was. A strong Christian. No, but I certainly feel like. I drew those kind of athletes in. You know, a lot of the athletes that I worked with are and were. John Smoltz, Jeff [....], you know, even some guys that, you know, played for two or three years people may not know about, like Mike [....], my coaches, Tom Izzo, strong in his faith, Doc Rivers, you know, Ernie Johnson, Junior. Wow. Talk about it on a real human being. Wow.
William Norvell: Yeah. We've had Ernie on the show was amazing.
Molly Fletcher: Amazing. So I think that I, I attracted at some level probably those kind of athletes and coaches and broadcasters. But those were also the ones that I wanted to wake up every day and serve and support and lift up. So it it played a huge role to answer your question, and it played a role in the kind of athletes I went after, the kind of athletes I wanted to support and serve, and the kind of I think it played a role in the way that I negotiated. It played a role and. The kinds of deals that I would want to bring forward to my athletes, the ones that I felt like aligned with who they are and their brand. And it became a filter by which sometimes I would help them understand the risk in associating with a particular brand that didn't align with who I thought they wanted to position themselves as. So it was a huge part of everything and still as.
William Norvell: Amen and on that thread. How did you. You know, we talked a little bit about I think we've positioned some of this about, you know, the people you're representing, but I assume you were quite well known as you find out if you Google your name and you also became quite famous on this journey and you would walk into rooms and I'm sure people knew exactly who you were. You wielded an immense amount of power and seems like still do. I'm curious to ask, how do you think about rooting your sense of identity and something deeper in something more?
Molly Fletcher: Mm hmm. Well, I think of myself as a steward for my faith and Jesus, right? I was given a gift that I feel like I'm now have an opportunity and a platform to channel that. It's such a liberating thing to have your your why at the center of everything that you go do, Every decision you make, things you say yes to, no to. It's so powerful. So for me, you know, from a consistency perspective, I have a really good friend of mine who is incredibly strong in her faith and somebody who I always aspire to try to learn from in that regard. And I was with her and I said, like, when do you pray? Like, how do you do that? I mean, give me inside of that a little bit. Like, how do you what's your routine around it at some level? And she you know, she starts the day with some scripture and a bit of a quiet time. But then she said, and I loved it. She said, You know, Molly, it's just all day long, every day, all the time, all day. I am constantly seeing things, moments, and I'm just constantly talking to God. And I was like, Wow. And it was a little bit of an epiphany, really, for me, to be honest, because. You know, you hear a lot about wake up, have your quiet time, read a little scripture and then go on with your day. And I do believe that life is about the process and that we get better through intention and daily reminders. I mean, one of the number one reasons people don't achieve their goals is just a lack of visibility of them keeping it front and center. And so that was really powerful for me because it reminded me, right, to make it a part of everything that you do before a call, before a meeting, before a conversation, before I walk on stage to give a keynote, before I walk into a meeting, before I embark on a difficult conversation. Anything. If you root yourself there in your faith, it changes the way you show up. And I believe it keeps you centered to show up in a way that is emulating that of a strong faith of a strong Christian in that moment. So. It keeps you rooted. And I think no question about it, it keeps you centered. Obviously, we know this. But, you know, the other thing I think that's helped me a lot as my husband is unbelievable we've been married for 22 years and he is my rock. You know, our three daughters. And you've got to have you know, as you progress in life, you've got to have a lot of people around you, I think, who love you, not because of what you do, but because of who you are. And, you know, I talk to my mom and dad. They're 86 and 81 every day, sometimes twice a day. I talk to my brothers several times a day. And that is a huge part of my life. And my day is And I think all of that keeps you rooted in what matters most.
Rusty Rueff: We're jump to Lightning Round in a second, but I love this idea of what your friend expressed to you, you know, sort of being in constant conversation with God. Right. It always brings me back to Nehemiah. Right. Nehemiah long fasts, long big prayers, but also had that little moment right before he goes and talks to the king. You know, just just hey, guide me here. And I think it's just hard for all of us because the world is just full of so many distractions. But if we can find our own way to que ourselves, to remind ourselves that, you know, we've got to go back and be in conversation, in a real conversation and in we should want to be right. You know, Jesus, our best friend. We want to talk to him all the time. That sounds a little cliche ish because it's really hard to do. But we really should want that. Okay. So we're going to jump to Lightning Round. This is where William and I are going to ask you some really quick questions, really fast answers. And I'm going to jump in with what's the one word that you love to use with entrepreneurs?
Molly Fletcher: Oh, my God. I've got to be quick. Discipline.
Rusty Rueff: Great. What's the one word that you have to use that you wish you didn't have to use with entrepreneurs?
Molly Fletcher: Resilience.
Rusty Rueff: What's your favorite charitable organization?
Molly Fletcher: Boys and Girls Club of America. I've been on the board for a long time and I love them. I mean, I just love what they stand for, what they do for kids.
Rusty Rueff: Yeah, they're awesome. And I'll turn it over to William. But before I do, what's the craziest thing an athlete ever asked for you to negotiate for them?
William Norvell: That's good.
Molly Fletcher: Probably. I mean, you know, it was a rookie in the big leagues, and he wanted me to build in. He had no leverage at all. He was a first year guy in the bigs and he wanted me to try to lock in suites for him on the road. And I was like, Bro, go hit some bombs. Get on base, get it done. And then maybe. But you know, you hadn't done anything yet in the big leagues, man. There's no suite coming on the road for you. But I you know, it's a little bit, too, what we talked about earlier. I didn't have guys that asked me for crazy stuff because [....] you know what I mean, I didn't get a lot of that, thank goodness.
William Norvell: Now, what what's your favorite sport?
Molly Fletcher: Well, tennis I played tennis at Michigan State. So I would say I mean, tennis has always it changed my life. I mean, they got me a free apartment. I was a D1 athlete because of it. It it taught me so much. So I am forever grateful for the sport of tennis.
William Norvell: Could Steffi Graf beat Serena Williams.
Molly Fletcher: Could Steffi Graf beat Serena Williams right now?
William Norvell: [....] Both in their primes.
Molly Fletcher: Oh, I know. I think, Serena, would have beat her.
William Norvell: Okay, Now, just had to ask.
Molly Fletcher: She is the GOAT.
William Norvell: That was I thought just. I'm always curious. Your curiosity. Right. Here we are. Favorite sports team in the state of Alabama.
Molly Fletcher: That is so loaded.
William Norvell: No, it's not. It's very simple question.
Molly Fletcher: Auburn and let me tell you why. I have three daughters at Auburn, and I say.
William Norvell: Oh it gets worse.
Molly Fletcher: [....] over there, I need to live in Alabama is the truth.
William Norvell: Oh three daughters Auburn.
Molly Fletcher: I got to cheer for Auburn right now, man. Now I'm a Saban. I love them. He's unbelievable. But you guys need to hand the baton over, man. You've had your good days.
William Norvell: Yeah, well, let's. Good. We don't usually ask for prayer requests, but I now know yours. So I can just. I'll just take that down myself, if that's all right. But. Okay. In all honesty, one of our favorite things we love to finish the lightning Round with is we love to come back to God's Word at the end of every one of our shows and would love to invite you if you would honor us with sharing some piece of God's scripture that you carry with you. It could be something you read this morning. It could be something you've meditated on your whole life, could be something that's coming alive to you in new ways in this season you find yourself.
Molly Fletcher: Yeah, You know, I read a daily devotional and I wish I could remember what it was four or five days ago. And I don't know the scripture off the top of my head, but what I love that it talked about is. Basically take the time to be quiet. And here me. Take the time to be quiet and hear me. And that's what matters. That's what it's about. And it was such a good reminder. And it's funny, isn't it, when I open this book and I should note Jesus calling, right? I'm sure a lot of your listeners, but is it funny? Isn't it amazing? And it's not an accident how sometimes we open it up and we read it and it's exactly what we needed to hear that day. And I remember on that day when I read that I had one thing coming at me after another, and it was such a good reminder, right? Stop, pause and hear me. That is what comes up for me right now. But I loved that scripture, that piece.
William Norvell: Amen.
Rusty Rueff: It's awesome. That's awesome. Molly, What fun this has been. I mean, I can't imagine it being more fun. You showed up for us. Thank you so much. We really appreciate it. But we don't want to leave without our audience getting a chance to understand how to follow your work. So tell us how to come find you.
Molly Fletcher: Yeah. Molly Fletcher.com is a great place in my podcast Game Changers with Molly Fletcher, as you know, like yourself on. And we've been so blessed to have some incredible athletes and coaches, broadcasters, entrepreneurs, CEOs, all that. So game changers with Molly Fletcher as well is a great place to start with us too. It's just my podcast.
Rusty Rueff: That's awesome. All right. Well, thank you so much, William. Great to be with you all. We'll have Henry back here next time. We just really appreciate everything that happened today.
Molly Fletcher: Thank you.