What year were you born?
1976, it was a Sunday. I am the 4th of 5 kids. The first three sisters are all born within one year of each other, I am 4 years down, and 4 years older than my brother. I am sorta on my own in that sense not “bonded” in years to my siblings. I cannot recall my mom telling me about the day I was born.
What was your life like growing up? What dreams and goals did you have for your life when you left High School?
I joined a jump rope team when I was 7 years old and it completely sculpted my life. I traveled with the team, my first trip internationally was to Panama at 8 years old, I was SO SHY but jump rope allowed me to shine in a way I never knew I could. I valued the team aspect, I always jumped with partners, teams, etc. I was not interested in being an individual jumper on the team.
My dreams after high school were to take my scholarships in basketball, soccer and softball and be a badass athlete somewhere, but I turned them all down. I ended up going to school here in Colorado and Colorado State with no sports, no teams, I was depressed that entire first year. I have no regrets, that is just the choice I made at the time.
I didn’t know what my dreams were until I realized my childhood “dream” of jump rope was going to be my life. It took me up until 2007 to realize it was my calling to innovate a business around jump rope.
What is the one piece of advice you would give your younger self?
Molly, keep being weird and keep laughing. Life ends up making working as long as you don’t lose your laugh. PS: you know all the people in your life that seem to know everything? They actually also know nothing either, so just enjoy the process!
Name at least one outstanding experience you have had in your life. How did this or these events affect you?
I was in a car accident in 2004 that changed me from working in a “safe” overworked corporate world to quitting and finally starting my business. I am grateful for that crash.
When in your life, so far, have you felt most confident and why?
I am not sure when we ever feel confident. Though, I feel my best/confident when I am with a group and we need to fight, make a decision, play a sport or do something as a group. So maybe I am answering that question. I think at a young age I learned to be confident by daring to do things that were impossible, travel the world at a young age, win world championships, overcome challenges, and start a company.
Was there a time in your life where you felt ‘stuck’, unable to find the energy or strength to move forward or to make a big change? If so, can you share what it was &/or what helped you get past this road block?
I get stuck all the time! What helps me is to go to bed, lay still, cry, think and then I realize I need to get out of bed. What motivates me to move forward is movement, physical exercise. When i feel strong in my body I feel strong enough to take on the “stuckness” in my life.
How have your dreams and goals changed now that you are 40+?
I followed my dream of jump rope and started my company in 2007. I set out to have a jump rope company that has shifted all over the place, but I am still deep into making my company grow! Losing my patents has of course opened my world up to politics, DC/Congress/patent law etc. So I do have some odd new focus/goals here as well.
I think later in life I would like to take a bit of a break, I haven’t just sat with myself, doing nothing, reading, in a long time. I love, love, love working but I am feeling tired. I also love animals and would love to have the means to do something in that realm. There is time!
Have your core values changed over time? What do you value now?
I think my values are the same, but I am more wise with how to express and be confident in implementing them. I have always valued teamwork, camaraderie and creating a room full of happy people.
I think I have changed in time with valuing myself in addition to valuing others. I am just as important as the group.
Share an indulgence:
The first thing that came to mind is taking a bath, I take one almost every night. Or just laying/sleeping with my cat. I love cats.
How do other people to describe you or see you?
Weird
Athletic
Intimidating
Empathetic
Versatile
Daring
*So after writing my words I asked a half a dozen people i know in the gym who have known me 5+ years, even those 10+ years, they all have similar answers. SO weird to see other peoples words!!
Fun, intense, dedicated, driven, athletic, inclusive, generous, inspiring, beautiful, goofy, smiling
What is your super power?
I wish my super power was flying, i fly in my dreams.
I have been told that my super power is bringing people together.
I think my super power is to stand up for the little guy
Can you share what your favourite part of your body is? Why?
Favorite part physically or favorite because of how it moves? I will answer both ways.
My favorite part of my body is my brain. It is fast to think, it sees the big picture and it tells my body how to get through whatever it needs to get through. You can put me in a room alone and I find myself content with my imagination, I often laugh at everything or want everyone to laugh around me.
My entire body has always been a machine to me, not a body! I also love my heart, it beats hard, it has gotten me through some pretty amazing athletic experiences!!
I like my eyelashes and my hands. My hands have looked old my entire life. I like that.
I am grateful for my body, it has done things I have asked it to do. I am proud that I can at 47 do 17 strict pull ups, clean, snatch, deadlift and move in ways I suppose we thought as kids we weren’t supposed to be able to do.
Do you like being 40+?
I do like being 40, I think I will like being all ages because as my body “ages” my mind can stay young, that is my choice. I prefer how my mind works at 40 vs 20. Aging is may not look glamorous on the outside for us, but the inside is what counts and we get so much smarter and more relaxed!
Has your relationship with yourself changed as you have gotten older?
I am not as hard on myself with negative feedback. I found myself working harder, achieving in sports when I told myself negative things such as “you can do more, you are stupid if you don’t work harder, etc”. While it “worked” for me growing up, I don’t think it suits me anymore.
“Being me, being big should be ok. I should be seen for me.”
What are you passionate about now?
I am passionate about coaching, crossfit/movement of the body, hiking/outdoors. I miss working with kids.. There is a real reward of working with a kid whose confidence is low or uncertain, I LOVE jump rope for that reason, I can usually find a way to bring a smile to a kid's face and bring an inner fire with the use of a jump rope as a tool. Every kid deserves and needs to see themselves as great.
I am passionate about my patent fight. There are thousands of small inventors/businesses who have lost everything like I did because of a faulted patent system. I have so much desire to listen to those people and help be their voice to create change. I believe I will be influential in helping to change the law someday.
My website is www.mollymetz.com (it directs to jumpnrope for now, it is almost ready!)
“I am passionate about my patent fight.”
What goals/ambitions/dreams would you like to be working on that you haven’t had the opportunity to start on yet?
I am working on them!
What advice would you give your future self?
What a strange question. Hmm.. It is strange to give advice to someone in my future because they have the knowledge I don’t from the past. So I can’t give my future self advice, but rather I would like to tell my future self “you did it!”
How do you think women of your generation are perceived?
I'd like to think we are perceived as balanced. We are a great mix of generations. I am proud of my generation.
Are there any myths you would like to bust about the over 40s? If so, can you tell us about them?
I guess the myths I grew up with were when you turn 40 you are over the hill, so things start to fall apart. I disagree, I think things start coming together. I think the myth came from people who didn’t want to deal with the “falling apart” and picking up the pieces and putting them together, so they called it over the hill and created the myth that your life will fall apart.
What advice do you have to offer to those who are approaching mid life or those that are in mid life and perhaps struggling with it.
Turn to food and start a new relationship with it. Vegetables, meat, nuts, whole foods REALLY do make you feel better. MOVE your body, walk, do something, keep moving, you aren’t getting old, you are getting smarter.
Do you have a favourite book to recommend?
Harold and the purple crayon. You write your own story in life.
Do you have a favourite quote to share?
I am horrible at remembering quotes, but I do like Frida Kahlo and found one that i like:
“At the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can.”
– Frida Kahlo
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Thank you for this! You have made me do some inner thinking/reflecting I wouldn’t normally do.
My website will launch soon but if people go to it now it will redirect to my company website www.mollymetz.com
Thank you Molly for taking the time to share your incredible story. Don’t give up that patent fight!
If Molly’s story about losing her patented jump rope design has piqued your interest and you would like to learn more here is a direct link: Molly's Patent Fight