The Drive to Get Better

Cathie Leimbach • November 8, 2022

Molly Fletcher has drive. She has passion and the desire to become her best self. This motivates her to set high goals for herself and to push through obstacles to achieve her next personal best.

Who is Molly Fletcher? A former college tennis player. A young woman who didn’t look for jobs during her senior year. A daughter with little money who drove out of her family’s driveway in Michigan and headed to Atlanta to make her living in the sports world.  A wife and mother. A female sports agent who has represented top professional athletes.

Molly tells of sleeping on the couch at a friend’s apartment while figuring out how to quickly start earning some money. During her first days in Atlanta, she took some very strategic actions. She offered to be a tennis pro at apartment buildings with tennis courts. She learned which apartment buildings already had tennis pros. She reached out to a well-connected tennis industry professional she knew. He shared that he knew an apartment building tennis pro who was changing jobs soon but hadn’t given his notice. After negotiating for ongoing free promotional pizzas with the pizzeria across the road from the soon-to-be vacant tennis pro job, Molly returned to that apartment building to let the superintendent know that IF their tennis pro resigned, she would provide pizza at her weekly tennis clinics. Molly also provided an example of the tennis tips she could contribute to the monthly tenant newsletter. A few minutes later, Molly was the tennis pro at that building. The superintendent couldn’t believe her luck in finding a tennis pro just a few hours after their long-time pro had submitted his resignation. And Molly had just negotiated a free apartment in return for giving tennis lessons one evening a week. And Molly’s story goes on because she has drive.

Molly defines drive as the determination to get even better. Many athletes get to the pros because of there talent. Many achieve great thing but once they reach their goal they stagnate. Those who stay at the top of their game have a desire to continually get even better. 

Those with drive are internally driven. They compete against themselves, not against others. It is continual growth, not their ranking among their peers, that motivates them. They love the pursuit of continual improvement. 

Molly has interviewed many high performing athletes to discover what makes them be so successful and found that the best of the best have internal drive, want to get better, don’t pay much attention to the competition, and help the up and comers.  

How many of these attributes do you have? Which ones would you like to develop further? What will you do this week to strengthen your drive to be the best you that you can be? You might be inspired by Molly’s Ted Talk, Secrets of a Champion Mindset. 

Looking Ahead to a Fruitful 2026

By Cathie Leimbach • December 30, 2025
As the New Year approaches, it’s a natural time to look forward and ask what you want the next chapter to bring. One simple way to reflect to ask yourself three questions to create a stronger year ahead, what should you: Stop?, Continue?, and Start? Stop focusing energy on habits, meetings, or expectations that no longer serve you or your team. This might mean letting go of outdated processes, unnecessary urgency, or ways of working that drain momentum without adding value. Continue the practices that helped you gain traction this year. Think about what worked—perhaps clear communication, strong collaboration, consistent follow-through, or time spent developing people. These are the behaviors worth protecting and reinforcing. Start being intentional about what will move you forward in 2026. This could include setting clearer priorities, investing in leadership development, building healthier team rhythms, or creating space for innovation and growth. Taking time to reflect now helps you enter the New Year with purpose rather than pressure. Small, thoughtful shifts can create meaningful impact over time. Ready to turn reflection into action?  👉 View our Stop • Continue • Start Worksheet for a simple, practical way to reset priorities, build on what’s working, and step into 2026 with clarity and momentum.

Take a Moment for Joy

By Cathie Leimbach • December 23, 2025
As the year comes to a close, it’s worth pausing to ask a simple question: What brought you joy this year at work and in life? Joy doesn’t always arrive in big, headline moments. Often, it shows up quietly—in meaningful conversations, shared laughter, progress made, lessons learned, or the steady presence of people who support us. Sometimes joy is found in growth, sometimes in rest, and sometimes in simply getting through a challenging season with resilience and grace. Take a few minutes to reflect. What moments made you smile? When did you feel most connected? For what are you grateful? This reflection isn’t about ignoring the hard parts of the year. It’s about honoring the bright spots that sustained you through them. Recognizing joy helps us close the year with perspective and open the next one with hope. As the holidays approach, give yourself permission to slow down, savor meaningful moments, and share joy with others—through kindness, gratitude, and presence.  May this season be filled with moments that lift your spirit, and may you carry that joy with you into the year ahead. 👉 Take a moment to pause this season—view the Reflecting on Joy one-pager and reflect on what brought meaning to your work and life this year. Wishing you a truly joy-filled Christmas season .