Women’s History Month Spotlight: Molly Fletcher, CEO, Bestselling Author, and Former Sports Agent

To celebrate Women’s History Month, we reached out to some of the women leaders who inspire us. Our first spotlight shines bright on Molly Fletcher, also known as the female “Jerry Maguire.” 

As one of the first female sports agents, Fletcher paved a way for herself in a completely male-dominated industry. Throughout her two decades in the sports industry, she climbed her way up the corporate ladder…in heels nonetheless. Fletcher negotiated over $500 million in contracts and grew to represent over 300 of some of the most well-known athletes. Her clients included Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz, PGA TOUR golfer Matt Kuchar, broadcaster Erin Andrews, and basketball championship coaches Tom Izzo and Doc Rivers.

In addition to speaking to organizations around the world about unleashing their potential and bolstering a championship mindset, she hosts her own podcast, Game Changers with Molly Fletcher, and teaches an online course called Up Your Game. 

Here are Molly Fletcher’s insights into how she created a name for herself and took on the sports industry. 

Q: How did you decide to enter your career field?

A: I spent the majority of my early career in the sports industry as one of the only female sports agents, representing hundreds of top athletes and coaches. After 15 years of doing that, I realized that the lessons I learned from working firsthand with some of the world’s best athletes and coaches can help other people unlock their drive and potential. 

My mission is to help people unlock their drive and get better every day so that they can thrive personally and professionally. Having the platform to inspire thousands of people to create change—whether it’s from a keynote stage, my books, or my podcast—is the most rewarding work I’ve experienced. That ability to make a broader and deeper impact is what made me move into this lane.

Q: What do your career and your industry mean to you as a woman?

A: I think building my career as a sports agent in a male-dominated industry inspired me to help others break through complacency and go for it! The sports industry gave me such incredible opportunities to grow, both personally and professionally, and I had the opportunity to see firsthand what separates peak performers. 

Now as a speaker, author, and podcast host, I recognize and really value the opportunity I have through my platforms to impact people.  I’ve been blessed to inspire audiences of all different sizes and backgrounds all over the world, and I think it’s important that everyone sees women on the stage sharing their experiences and their stories. I don’t take any of it for granted and am incredibly grateful!

Q: Did/Do you have any women role models or mentors?

A: Absolutely; my Mom is my greatest role model. She taught me early on how to ask for what you want and how to lead within your community for the good of others. She taught me how to love and care, and how to always pursue better so that you can make your greatest impact on the lives of others. 

Professionally, one of the things I will never forget is the impact Robin Roberts made on me early in my career. When I was 23, I thought I wanted to get into television, so I cold-called Robin, whose career I had always admired. She took the time to give me advice and share her perspective, which was so powerful—particularly with where I was in my career at that time. I’ve always admired her grace and strength—and that just reinforced the type of person I knew she was!

Q: How have women supported you along your career journey?

A: My first strong, female role model (besides mom!) was Merrily Dean Baker, who was the Athletics Director at Michigan State University while I was a student-athlete there. She was one of only two women to hold the position at the time and was the first female athletics director at a Big Ten university. When I expressed an interest in learning more about sports marketing, Merrily met with me and walked me through the different opportunities that existed for me. She had been involved in writing the guidelines for the groundbreaking gender-equity Title IX legislation and involved me on the Title IX committee at Michigan State. This gave me direct access to leaders and administrators across the university. People often ask me how I became a sports agent when no one looked like me, and I think a big part of what inspired me was seeing how Merrily did it in her field. I still keep in touch with her to this day, and she’s offered me invaluable career advice and guidance over the years.

Professionally, Robyn Spizman was the first person who gave me the confidence to pursue the career I have now. During my sports agent days, I went to speak at a luncheon with 25 to 30 people in the room. I didn’t know Robyn personally at the time, but she had written numerous books and been on TV. She came up to me after the event and said, “You need to do this. This is what you are supposed to do.” At the time, I was an agent with a roster of 300+ clients, and it was the last thing on my mind. But she opened my mind—and then a lot of doors for me.

Q: How do you support women in your field?

A: I absolutely LOVE speaking to women audiences and have been fortunate to do so for so many incredible clients. Whether it’s a women’s leadership conference with thousands of attendees or a small employee resource group, those conversations have been some of my favorites. They bring me in to inspire them, but ten out of ten times I leave inspired. My team and I are developing a power skills program for women, so stay tuned this year for more details on that! I’m so passionate about helping women thrive inside and outside of their careers, and helping them unlock the skills and the network to do just that! 

Learn more about Molly here.