Patrick O’Donnell, founder of Ignite 5, performance and growth strategist, bestselling author, and speaker... points to an old truth: most people have the will to win, but few have the will to prepare to win. And for him, preparation for growth isn’t just one goal, it’s your whole life. Patrick…
What does it actually mean to be “growth ready” when life gets uncertain and leadership gets heavy? Steve sits down with Patrick O’Donnell (Ignite Five) to talk about the will to prepare: the behind-the-scenes work, the rhythms, and the systems that help you grow without burning out. Patrick shares the…
Jason Sousa, (known as The Performance Architect, founder of Mental Edge Athletics, and creator of the Performance Architecture methodology), says your system is built for protection before purpose. He breaks down the internal battle most high performers feel but can’t name... the protective version of you is designed to keep…
@aarongolub, entrepreneur and the first legally blind Division I football player, has a clear take on hiring family and friends. People hear how Aaron and his sister work together and assume it’s a good idea. He disagrees. Their relationship works because of a very specific history and a unique way…
What does it mean to be Growth𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 in a world this uncertain? Scott Stirrett, Canadian entrepreneur, author of The Uncertainty Advantage, and Founder of Venture for Canada, has spent the last decade helping early-career professionals build entrepreneurial skills for a fast-changing world. He says being GrowthReady means embracing uncertainty instead…
Jason Sousa, The Performance Architect, says pressure doesn’t just reveal preparation. It reveals what your identity doesn’t feel safe to lose. He shares a sharp definition of confidence, it’s the permission slip your nervous system gives you to fully express what you’re capable of. If it doesn’t feel safe, it…
What does a transformation leader in financial services say most change efforts get wrong? Elia Blankenship is a consulting leader at RSM, specializing in transformation work for financial institutions and beyond. With a deep commitment to emotional intelligence, she challenges the old “consultant tells, client does” model and replaces it…
High performers, what if it’s not bad luck… it’s your nervous system? Jason Sousa, (known as The Performance Architect, founder of Mental Edge Athletics, and creator of the Performance Architecture methodology) breaks down something most people miss: you can want something badly, but if your protective system doesn’t believe your…
High performers, what if it’s not bad luck… it’s your nervous system? Jason Sousa, (known as The Performance Architect, founder of Mental Edge Athletics, and creator of the Performance Architecture methodology) breaks down something most people miss: you can want something badly, but if your protective system doesn’t believe your…
Some conversations don’t just spark ideas, they put words to something you’ve been carrying for a long time. In this episode, Jason A. Sousa (Coach J), known as The Performance Architect, founder of Mental Edge Athletics, and creator of the Performance Architecture methodology, joins the show to unpack what’s happening…
If you’re not willing to fail, you won’t grow Heather Hodges (CEO and Founder of Hodges Group International, LLC, organizational psychologist, keynote speaker, artist, and expert in leadership development for healthcare organizations) shares a definition of being growth ready that cuts straight through comfort: be willing to fail. Because failure…
Ben Granger, as a performance psychologist, what does it mean to be Growth Ready? He says it’s a mental orientation... whatever you’re facing right now, you choose to learn as much as possible from it. You stay open, stay coachable, and trust you can improve as you go. It’s like…
This is a GrowthReady Replay, rewinding back to Fall 2020, when Steve Mellor sat down with Jesse Cole, founder of Fans First Entertainment and the owner of the Banana Ball Championship League, including the world-famous Savannah Bananas. It’s a conversation about what real competitors do when the world gets smaller:…
This is a GrowthReady Replay, rewinding back to Fall 2020, when Steve Mellor sat down with Jesse Cole, founder of Fans First Entertainment and the owner of the Banana Ball Championship League, including the world-famous Savannah Bananas. It’s a conversation about what real competitors do when the world gets smaller:…
You can fit anywhere. But do you belong there? It’s easy to sound aligned with a company’s values. The real test is whether your values actually match theirs. You can move fast and chase results, but if you don’t have the right team to collaborate with, you’ll get stuck. Do…
The fastest way to get better isn being the best. Benjamin Granger, (Chief Workplace Psychologist at Qualtrics, author of A Leader Worth Following) breaks down three mindsets people bring to a new skill, project, or hobby. 👉learning goal orientation... you focus on improving, not results. 👉performance prove... you have to…
Does change make you weaker… or stronger? Steve sits down with Ben Granger, Chief Workplace Psychologist at Qualtrics and author of A Leader Worth Following, to break down the psychology of growth mindset, discomfort, and adaptation. Ben shares why many of us grow up with a fixed mindset (“I’m just…
Humans don’t like discomfort A chief workplace psychologist at Qualtrics @benjamingrangerphd, explains what their research keeps revealing... when employees face big change at work (and when customers face product or pricing changes), the first reaction is often negative. Discomfort shows up fast and we’re wired to relieve it quickly. But…
Does change make you weaker… or stronger? Steve sits down with Ben Granger, Chief Workplace Psychologist at Qualtrics and author of A Leader Worth Following, to break down the psychology of growth mindset, discomfort, and adaptation. Ben shares why many of us grow up with a fixed mindset (“I’m just…
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙨𝙡𝙤𝙬 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 Heather Hodges shares a simple leadership practice that changes decision-making, when her instinct is to act, she slows herself down and asks one question... “What am I missing?” That question forces a pause. And it turns action into something more strategic... because you find…
Growth isn’t a vibe. It’s a leap. Megan breaks down “growth ready” in a way that cuts through the noise... growth is what you learn from a leap. It has to matter. It has to stretch you. It has to be relevant... real learning, not busy work. But then comes…
𝙂𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙩𝙝 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 “y𝙚𝙨” Patrick shares a simple definition of being growth ready: being open to saying yes. Not a “yes, but…” and not a yes with a list of conditions attached... because that’s wanting growth only on your terms. He acknowledges boundaries matter, but if you don’t start with…
𝗛𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘆 Steve Mellor breaks down the difference between hope and insistence. He reflects on leaving swimming to become an executive coach, thinking the podcast would help shape the future, then realizing three years later he was still living the old identity. Waiting for clarity. Waiting to…
Hope can sound like progress. But sometimes it’s just hesitation in disguise. In this Coaches’ Corner, Steve uses Abraham Lincoln as a case study for what it looks like to keep moving when there’s little evidence things are working. Lincoln lost elections, watched businesses fail, navigated deep personal struggle, and…