388. From Hooters Hostess to $600M CEO: Leading With Grit, Humility, and Urgency with Kat Cole

She went from serving wings at Hooters to leading one of the fastest-growing wellness brands in the world — and she’s just getting started.

In this episode of The Game Changing Attorney Podcast, Michael Mogill sits down with Kat Cole, former President of Cinnabon, current CEO of AG1 (formerly Athletic Greens), and living proof that grit, humility, and relentless urgency can change everything. From her start as a teen working to help her family make ends meet to leading a $600M global brand, Kat shares hard-won lessons on leadership, scaling with purpose, and never settling for “good enough.”

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• Why doing every job in the building creates exponential career growth and earns real leadership credibility

• What it takes to lead through influence instead of force and build true commitment across your team

• How the Hotshot Rule helps high performers stay self-aware and take immediate action when it matters most

Kat Cole doesn’t just believe better is possible. She proves it. If you’re ready to lead with more courage, clarity, and conviction, this episode will show you how.

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Show Notes:

00:00 – Introduction

07:47 – Saying Yes to Everything: How Kat Built a Career Without a Map

11:49 – Leaving Hooters: Knowing When Your Work Is Done

19:28 – Earning Trust Through Crisis: Leading Cinnabon Out of the Recession

28:00 – Franchisees, Fear, and the Innovation They Tried to Hide

34:19 – From Fan to CEO: Why Kat Joined AG1

41:35 – Leading with Urgency: The New Rules of Wartime vs. Peacetime

44:19 – The Hotshot Rule: A Weekly Habit That Transforms Leadership

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Links & Resources:

• Kat Cole TED Talk - The “Hot Shot Rule” To Help You Become a Better Leader

• AG1 (formerly Athletic Greens) 

• Undercover Boss - Cinnabon Episode

• Hooters Air

• Roark Capital

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Past guests on The Game Changing Attorney Podcast include David Goggins, John Morgan, Alex Hormozi, Randi McGinn, Kim Scott, Chris Voss, Kevin O’Leary, Laura Wasser, John Maxwell, Mark Lanier, Robert Greene, and many more.

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