The Athletics of Business

Our Athletics of Business podcast provides leaders with invaluable practical lessons framed by the competitive nature of sport and life.Here we share a mindset built on the foundational belief that the skills and behaviors of high-performing teams, elite athletes, and high-impact coaches are also the key to your business success.This perspective is a direct result of Ed Molitor's experiences—as both a college athlete and a coach—that helped shape his core values: work ethic, positivity, enthusiasm, passion for life, loyalty, and commitment to relentlessly pursuing excellence.

The Athletics of Business is a education podcast hosted by Ed Molitor, with 227 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Ed Molitor hosts The Athletics of Business, a education show with 227 episodes published.

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  The Athletics of Business

  Built by the Journey: Coaching for Growth, Culture and Impact with Brian Taylor

  Sep 23, 202654 min

  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.com Agios' patient resource for learning more about sickle cell disease. Sickle Cell Disease Association of America www.sicklecelldisease.org A great resource to learn more about the disease and the national sickle cell community-based organization. National Alliance of Sickle Cell Centers www.sicklecellcenters.org An 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

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  The Athletics of Business

  What It Takes To Build a Championship Culture with JJ Gottsch

  Jul 22, 202644 min

  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

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  The Athletics of Business

  Measuring the Transformational Impact of Coaching with Kyle Craighead & Joshua Childs

  Jul 8, 202657 min

  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

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  The Athletics of Business

  Soccer Meets America: Leadership, Culture, and the Stories That Shape Us with Phil Wall

  Jun 24, 202646 min

  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

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  The Athletics of Business

  Captain: The Athlete's Guide to Being an Exceptional Team Leader with John O'Sullivan and Dr. Jerry Lynch

  Jun 10, 202649 minS0

  <p >What if the best captain on your team is not the loudest, most talented, or most popular player?</p> <p >For John O'Sullivan and Dr. Jerry Lynch, true captaincy is not about status.</p> <p >It is about skill, choice, relationships, and the daily behaviors that help a team become more connected, accountable, and resilient.</p> <p >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.</p> <p >Together, they unpack why leadership in sports is often misunderstood...

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