Once an athlete, always an athlete. Did you know 94% of female C-suite executives played sports? The Athlete Effect™ explores how sports build leadership, resilience, discipline, and confidence that fuel success long after the final whistle.Hosted by Emmy-winning sports journalist and former Division I gymnast Bonnie Bernstein, the show features athletes-turned-leaders across business, sports, media, medicine, entertainment, and tech.Featured guests include:Cathy Engelbert — WNBA CommissionerDominique Dawes — Olympian, entrepreneur & investorGinger Zee — ABC News Chief MeteorologistJessica Mendoza — ESPN analyst & OlympianKit Hoover — Host, Access HollywoodKristyn Cook — State Farm CMOMolly Battin — The Home Depot CMODr. Theresa Williamson — NeurosurgeonVernice “Fly Girl” Armour — First Black female combat pilot, U.S. militaryThe Athlete Effect™ features full conversations from "Power Players" on The Champion’s Edge on ABC, as well as podcast exclusive guests. Download and follow The Athlete Effect™ for more.
KC Chiefs CMO Lara Krug: Building a Bigger, Better (Marketing) Kingdom
Imagine the pressure of bringing a Founding Father's dream to life. You've just stepped into Lara Krug's shoes.In 2021, the Kansas City Chiefs hired Lara as the club's first Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). The assignment? Build the Chiefs into a global brand.Not just a national powerhouse. GLOBAL.The mission was hatched by Chiefs founder Lamar Hunt, at a time when a sports team's idea of a marketing “win” was simply selling out the stadium.Lara's approach is rooted in a lesson she learned as an athlete: winning often entails thinking outside the box. Trying something new. That philosophy's guided her through senior marketing roles at Anheuser-Busch, L'Oréal, and now one of the NFL's most visible franchises.Lara dives into some of the Chiefs' most creative marketing campaigns, the Taylor Swift Effect, and the origin story behind bringing a Chiefs rom-com to the Hallmark Channel. She also opens up to Bonnie Bernstein about how playing sports in middle and high school helped give her the physical and mental strength to navigate a potentially debilitating health condition... and how personal loss in recent years prompted her to pay closer attention to her mental health.Topics Covered: Sports Marketing, Sports Business, Branding, NFL, Kansas City Chiefs, Taylor Swift, Hallmark, Fan Engagement, Creative Marketing, Leadership, Athlete Mindset, Mental Health, Resilience, Grief/LossLARA'S SOCIALS: ► https://www.instagram.com/laraekrug► https://www.linkedin.com/in/larackrug/THE ATHLETE EFFECT™: ► Subscribe on YouTube: / @theathleteeffect ► Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033etu1...► Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...► Follow on Instagram: / the_athlete_effect BONNIE BERNSTEIN:► Follow on Instagram: / bonniebernstein ► Follow on LinkedIn: / bonnie-bernstein
22 Sept 2026
Home Depot CMO Molly Battin: Multisport Athlete. Multiple C-Suite Roles
Who knows more about using tools to achieve your goals than Home Depot's Chief Marketing Officer? Yeah. That's a pretty short list. Molly Battin's competitive mindset enabled her to juggle four sports in high school and balance crew with Ivy League academics at Princeton. That same grit shows up every day in a career that's taken her to C-suite roles at Turner, WarnerMedia, Delta Air Lines and now The Home Depot. She's navigated a major media merger and a global pandemic, all while raising three kids. That signature orange work apron? It's a Superwoman cape in disguise. Molly opens up about what it's like to manage the pressure of being a senior executive AND a working mom raising athletes, and how she used the communication skills she's honed throughout her career to navigate a difficult coaching situation on her daughter's soccer team. For women building careers, parents raising athletes, and anyone looking to understand how lessons learned through sports can translate into leadership and success, this episode is for you. TOPICS COVERED:Athlete Mindset, Competitive Drive, Princeton Crew, C-Suite Leadership, Working Motherhood, Athlete Parenting, Communication, Youth Sports, Coaching Challenges, Home Depot, Delta Air Lines, Turner, WarnerMediaMOLLY ON LINKEDIN:https://www.linkedin.com/in/molly-battin-9476019/THE ATHLETE EFFECT™:instagram.com/the_athlete_effect tiktok.com/@theathleteeffect www.youtube.com/@TheAthleteEffect BONNIE BERNSTEIN:instagram.com/BonnieBernstein https://www.tiktok.com/discover/bonnie-bernstein twitter.com/BonnieBernstein https://www.linkedin.com/in/bonnie-bernstein/
8 Sept 2026
Kim Ng: MLB's First Female GM Is Building Pro Softball's Future
Athletes Unlimited Softball Commissioner Kim Ng learned everything she needed to become a trailblazing sports executive in two places:The softball diamond and the tennis court.A 4-year starting infielder for the University of Chicago, Kim graduated with a master's degree in dedication, grit, perseverance and the willingness to fail, DESPITE a fear of failure.(Say that last part out loud, and sit with it for a moment.)Perseverance? Critical, as Kim made history as Major League Baseball's first female general manager. Grit? Essential, when she left her dream job as the Miami Marlins' GM, because the fit was no longer right.In this candid conversation, Kim discusses what it took to stand her ground as often the only woman in the room, how she battled an identity crisis during a critical chapter in her career (and won), and her resilience after a gut-wrenching decision that, ultimately, led her back to her softball roots, where Kim is now paving a powerful future for the AUSL.If anyone's ever made you feel like you don't belong. If you've ever questioned whether your dream is worth the fight. This episode is for you.AUSL League Site and Handles: AUSL Site: https://theausl.com/Instagram: @theauslofficialX (Twitter): @theAUSLofficial ***FOLLOW @THE_ATHLETE_EFFECT ON INSTAGRAM TO ENTER OUR UPCOMING AUSL VIP SWEEPSTAKES***Grand prize: two (2) tickets to an AUSL 2027 regular season game of your choice, on-field access for batting practice,AUSL swag bag with autographed Kim Ng softballThe Athlete Effect™:instagram.com/the_athlete_effect tiktok.com/@theathleteeffect www.youtube.com/@TheAthleteEffect Bonnie Bernstein:instagram.com/BonnieBernstein https://www.tiktok.com/discover/bonnie-bernstein twitter.com/BonnieBernstein https://www.linkedin.com/in/bonnie-bernstein/
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Contact The Athlete Effect™ with Bonnie Bernstein
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
