GrowthReady Podcast

This special archive episode takes us back to summer 2020, when Steve Mellor interviewed Alison Hadden for his Women Changing the World series. What he only learned afterward was that Alison had found out just one day earlier that her cancer had returned and was terminal. She never mentioned it during the conversation. Instead, she spoke with clarity, strength, and intention about leadership, resilience, and living like there is no time to waste. Alison passed away in January 2022, but her mess...

Most high performers chase ceilings: bigger goals, more revenue, bigger stages. Steve argues that what actually determines whether you feel steady in the moments that matter is your floor, your daily standards, mindset, and behaviors when no one is watching. He breaks down how “growth resistance” shows up subtly (protecting identity, reputation, competence), and why the path forward isn’t hype or intensity… it’s alignment. Key takeaways: Goals as “ceilings” vs. standards as your “floor” Why p...

If you’re a high performer, leader, or founder… chances are your calendar is stacked, your brain is overloaded, and you’re trying to ‘push through’ like that’s the job. Today’s guest, Clint Rahe, former Royal Air Force PTI turned executive coach and author of The Cognitive Athleteworks with C-suite leaders who should be in their peak years… but instead are burnt out, exhausted, and running on empty. In this episode, you’ll learn how to sustain high performance without paying for it with your h...

About the Guest: Betsy Cerulo is a seasoned entrepreneur, federal contractor, and accessibility advocate with over 36 years of leadership experience. She is the CEO of an organization specializing in accessibility staffing and services, supporting blind, deaf, and neurodivergent communities. Betsy is also an author, mentor, and champion for heart-centered leadership grounded in truth, accountability, and compassion. In this powerful GrowthReady conversation, Steve Mellor welcomes back Betsy Cer...

About the Guest: Luke DePron is a health and performance coach and the founder of The Fitment Project, where he helps high-performing men reclaim their health, energy, and confidence without extreme fitness tactics or unrealistic routines. Luke is known for his pragmatic, psychology-first approach to fitness helping clients build identity-based habits, minimum effective standards, and sustainable systems that integrate seamlessly into real life, careers, and family responsibilities. About the E...

About the guest: Dr. Alexa D’Agostino is a “doctor of marketing” and founder/operator who’s built and scaled multiple businesses. She’s known for blending sharp performance marketing thinking with operational reality, systems, metrics, team structure, and the mindset required to scale without breaking. She also runs an invite-only mastermind built around proximity to high-level operators and coaches. About the episode: Most leaders say they want growth, more revenue, more clients, more recognit...

About the Guest: Rebecca Mountain is a high-performance coach, international keynote speaker, bestselling author, and the creator of the Mountain Method. With an electrifying story of transformation, from growing up in a cult to becoming a leader in personal development, Rebecca helps people eliminate the “knowing-doing gap” so they can unlock success in work, life, and love. Episode Summary: Rebecca shares her journey from escaping a cult to becoming a renowned coach and author. Together, they...

About the Guest: Alan Franks is a financial planner, entrepreneur, speaker, and the author of Empowered Money. With 15+ years of experience helping individuals align their finances with their fullest lives, Alan’s obsession is clear: helping people take ownership of their money so they can show up more fully in every other part of life. His approach fuses strategy, psychology, and leadership, making him not just a financial advisor, but a true change agent. Episode Summary: In this episode, Ste...

About the Guest: Benedict Beaumont is a breathwork facilitator, transformational teacher, and guide who helps high-performers reconnect with their inner wisdom, emotional clarity, and personal potential, all through the accessible yet powerful practice of breathwork. Benedict’s journey spans childhood asthma, personal resistance, deep self-discovery, and an eventual awakening through breath practice. Today, his teachings integrate somatic experience with spiritual grounding, making breathwork pr...

About the Guest: Pat Fellows is an entrepreneur, endurance athlete, and co-founder of Fresh Junkie Racing, one of the leading endurance event organizations in the southeastern United States. With decades of experience in coaching, hospitality, music, and large-scale race production—including the iconic Louisiana Marathon—Pat is known for his relentless “say yes and figure it out” mindset. His story is a masterclass in belief, resilience, and execution without certainty. About the Episode: This ...

About the Guest : Justin Burgess is a Louisiana-based insurance entrepreneur, health advocate, and rising voice in the fitness and performance world. After spending years stuck in mediocrity, overweight, unhealthy, and settling for a corporate life, Justin radically transformed his body, mindset, and career. He lost 60 pounds, rebuilt his confidence, and launched his own brokerage with a mission built on transparency, effort, and people over profits. Episode Summary: In this energizing, relatab...

About the Guest: Tim Cakir is the Founder of AI Operator and a seasoned growth leader with over a decade of experience spanning growth marketing, executive leadership, and AI enablement. Formerly a CEO leading teams of 100+ people, Tim now focuses on helping companies and individuals adopt an AI-first mindset rooted in curiosity, experimentation, and intentional decision-making. He’s also a Growth Mentor, global operator, and vocal advocate for navigating permanent change with love over fear. A...

About the Guest: Sardor Umrdinov is a serial entrepreneur, founder, and ecosystem builder who went from growing up in Uzbekistan without basic resources — including a refrigerator — to running one of the largest appliance repair companies in the U.S., plus a rapidly scaling multi-business ecosystem. Sardor’s story is defined by relentless curiosity, extreme accountability, and a willingness to enter every new room before he feels ready. He’s a master of creating scalable structures, building in...

About the Guest: Dr. John A. King is a poet, author of 27 books, speaker, former executive, and trauma-focused performance strategist who helps high-achieving leaders confront the internal battles they’ve spent a lifetime avoiding. Known for his blunt honesty, deep compassion, and the Finnish concept of sisu—“white-knuckled courage in the face of overwhelming odds”—John teaches others how to build “relentless resilience” from the inside out. His upcoming fiction thriller Sins of the Father conti...

About the guest: Jen Mueller is a veteran sports broadcaster with more than 20 years on NFL and MLB sidelines, including as the longtime team reporter for the Seattle Seahawks. She’s known for her mastery of strategic communication, her ability to build trust in seconds inside high-stakes locker rooms, and her signature method of crafting powerful, specific questions that unlock honest, meaningful conversations. Through her platform Talk Sporty to Me, Jen teaches leaders, teams, and high perform...

About the guest: Paul Davis is a business strategist, intuitive consultant, author, and expert in aligning leaders with their unconscious blueprint to unlock purpose, direction, and fulfillment. With decades of experience turning companies around and guiding high-performers toward meaningful clarity, Paul blends business acumen with deep intuitive insight to help people uncover who they truly are and what they are meant to do. About the episode: In this powerful conversation, Paul Davis takes u...

About the guest: Lane Kawaoka is a real estate investor, entrepreneur, and founder of The Wealth Elevator, a platform dedicated to helping high-net-worth individuals and business owners move beyond traditional investing. A former engineer turned full-time investor, Lane has built a multimillion-dollar portfolio through alternative investments and has built a thriving community that connects accredited investors to real opportunities. About the episode: In this episode of GrowthReady, host Steve...

Most leaders set goals that feel safe, but safe goals don’t create transformation. In this episode, Dr. Nona Djavid shares how to rewire your brain, expand your identity, and design a vision so bold it scares you, then make that vision feel safe enough to live. We break down her 4-step framework for unreasonable growth, the neuroscience behind identity change, and how to become the person your next chapter requires. About the Guest: Dr. Nona Djavid is a neuroscientist, entrepreneur, and minds...

About the Guest: Anya Cheng is the Founder and CEO of Taelor, a leading men's clothing subscription service that provides personal styling and curated rentals, powered by AI. A Girls in Tech 40 Under 40 honoree, she previously led eCommerce and digital innovation teams at Meta, eBay, Target, and McDonald's. Taelor’s mission is to help people dress up to achieve their goals, whether it's for a job interview, date night, or big presentation, because looking good shouldn’t be a barrier to succes...

Ever feel like no matter how much you achieve, it’s still not enough? Like the goalposts keep moving and the pressure to look successful is crushing the joy of actually being successful? Mitch Matthews is a bestselling author, keynote speaker, and success coach who helps people dream bigger, think better, and do more of what they’re built to do. Through his coaching programs and top-ranked Dream Think Do podcast, Mitch empowers leaders and entrepreneurs to overcome limiting beliefs, build inten...

Ever feel like you’re just treading water, trying to grow, lead, and live with purpose, but never quite feeling in control? Today’s guest, Mike Milligan, grew up in extreme poverty, endured personal tragedy, and still built a thriving multi–seven-figure business while living life on his own terms. His story of resilience and intentional living is a masterclass in turning adversity into fuel. About the Guest: Mike Milligan, CFP® is a financial educator, author, and founder of One Oak Financial ...

About the Guest: Nathan Pearce is the founder and CEO of Pearce Bespoke, a rapidly growing men’s custom tailoring brand redefining what it means to “look good, feel good.” From running a t-shirt business in his early 20s to building a national franchise in custom suiting, Nathan’s journey is a masterclass in grit, vision, and learning from losses rather than fearing failure. Through his company and charity initiative For Good Measure, Nathan is proving that confidence can be custom-tailored. Ab...

High performers like us can get stuck chasing outcomes, living by ‘shoulds,’ and searching for the perfect choice. That black-and-white thinking keeps us on autopilot and robs us of momentum. Today’s guest, coach and Changeology host Meg Trucano, has lived this work. After burning out in a prestigious research career, a single question, ‘How will you feel a year from now if nothing changes?’, sparked a complete pivot. Now she helps high-achieving women create identity-level change with what she...

Too many high-performers get stuck in overthinking. They let opportunities pass, waiting for the “perfect time.” John Donnelly knows this firsthand. From leading through the 2008 mortgage crash to climbing Mount Kilimanjaro at 50, John built his career and life on one principle: say yes until you have to say no. In today’s episode, you’ll learn how saying yes more often can unlock opportunities, deepen your self-awareness, and help you prepare for your own “mountain.” We’ll cover how John lea...