GrowthReady Podcast with Steve Mellor

Coach Steve Mellor
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What does it mean to be ready to pursue growth? Should we pursue growth when we don't feel ready?  And how do we achieve optimal growth by readying ourselves for everything that comes with it? The GrowthReady Podcast seeks to form a true appreciation for all facets of the growth process as we learn from high performers, industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators.  Hosted by Steve Mellor, a seasoned high-performance executive coach and former US Olympic swim coach, each episode explores the pivotal moments that define true growth and the work that went into getting ready for it.  Through candid conversation and detailed personal accounts, guests share their unique experiences of overcoming challenges, embracing transformation, and what it takes to get ready for every step of their growth journey.

  1. Episode 320: You Have The Capacity To Handle Change w/ Ben Granger

    1D AGO

    Episode 320: You Have The Capacity To Handle Change w/ Ben Granger

    What if the discomfort you’re trying to avoid is the very thing making you stronger? Steve sits down with Ben Granger, Chief Workplace Psychologist at Qualtrics and author of A Leader Worth Following, to unpack what growth mindset really looks like in the real world: under pressure, inside messy organizations, and in moments where you don’t feel ready. Ben shares how he grew up with a fixed mindset (“I’m just not good at that”), what neuroscience and practice actually prove about improvement, and why people who experience more change can end up psychologically better off than those who experience less. They also go deep on leadership... why trust isn’t built on competence alone, why “benevolence” is the most overlooked ingredient, and how you can build a healthy team climate even inside a tough culture. In this episode, you’ll hear: Ben’s definition of being GrowthReady: a mental orientation toward learningFixed mindset in childhood (and why it’s so common in athletes and kids)The “internal bell curve”: how you can improve beyond your starting pointA surprising global finding: more change → better psychological outcomesWhy “knowing” isn’t the same as integrating (and how to make it your own)Learning vs performance orientations (prove / avoid / learn)How leaders can build trust: competence, integrity, and benevolenceCulture vs climate and how to build psychological safety from the inside outWhere to find Ben’s book (plus the playlist that goes with it) Connect with Ben: Website: benjamangranger.com (book + writing + podcast links + playlist)#growthready #leadership #mindset #personalgrowth #resilience #highperformance #performanceunderpressure Send us Fan Mail Support the show Connect with Steve Mellor Stay connected and keep growing with Steve: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-mellor-cc/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/coachstevemellorBook Steve to speak at your next event → www.stevemellorspeaks.comSupport the GrowthReady Podcast by leaving a 5-star rating → Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/growthready-podcast/id1406082163Connect with GrowthReady Join the community and keep your growth journey going: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/wearegrowthready/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/growthreadypodcast/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/growthreadywithcoachstevemellorOfficial Website - https://growthready.com/---- This podcast was produced on Riverside and released via ...

    1h 6m
  2. Episode 319: Coaching Corner: There's No Hope... When There's Insistence

    MAY 13

    Episode 319: Coaching Corner: There's No Hope... When There's Insistence

    Most people don’t quit because they’re incapable. They quit because they’re waiting for proof. In this Coaches’ Corner, Steve uses Abraham Lincoln as a case study in resilience, someone who lost elections, failed in business, navigated depression, and still kept moving forward when there wasn’t much evidence things were “working.” The core shift: hope sounds productive, but it can hide hesitation. Insistence is different. It’s the decision to keep going because it matters, whether it’s validated yet or not. Steve also shares a personal moment from his own transition out of elite sport: how “waiting to feel ready” can quietly become comfort, and why insistence is often inconvenient, uncomfortable, and misunderstood… but necessary. In this episode, you’ll hear: Why hope can look productive while still keeping you stuckThe real difference between hoping and insistingHow setbacks test your “response system” at higher levels each timeWhat Lincoln’s life reveals about commitment without guaranteesWhy waiting for clarity is often choosing convenienceA simple weekly challenge to turn hope into actionPick one area where you’ve been hoping things improve... and replace hope with one insistence-based action this week.  Not perfect.  Not massive.  Just real. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Connect with Steve Mellor Stay connected and keep growing with Steve: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-mellor-cc/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/coachstevemellorBook Steve to speak at your next event → www.stevemellorspeaks.comSupport the GrowthReady Podcast by leaving a 5-star rating → Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/growthready-podcast/id1406082163Connect with GrowthReady Join the community and keep your growth journey going: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/wearegrowthready/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/growthreadypodcast/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/growthreadywithcoachstevemellorOfficial Website - https://growthready.com/---- This podcast was produced on Riverside and released via ...

    13 min
  3. Episode 318: From NBC to Head of Community: Kendall Breitman on Hunger, Capacity, and Reinventing Success

    MAY 6

    Episode 318: From NBC to Head of Community: Kendall Breitman on Hunger, Capacity, and Reinventing Success

    𝑷𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒖𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒄𝒕, 𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆. - Kendall Breitman In this episode of the GrowthReady Podcast, Steve Mellor sits down with Kendall Breitman, former political journalist (NBC, Bloomberg) and now Head of Community at  @Riversidefm , to unpack the real story behind career pivots, personal reinvention, and building community that actually feels human. Kendall shares how she went from chasing a clear career trajectory to embracing a more open (and more honest) version of growth, one built on trust, adaptability, and the courage to choose what fulfills you now, not what you decided years ago. In this episode: ▪️Hunger vs. capacity (and why both matter) ▪️Leaving a “made it” career behind ▪️Trusting yourself without needing certainty ▪️How community is built through real conversations ▪️Why overproduced brand content is fading ▪️Kendall’s next edge: influence, visibility, and starting a podcast 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑲𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒍𝒍: LinkedIn: Kendall Breitman Facebook Group: Conversation Creators by Riverside  Send us Fan Mail Support the show Connect with Steve Mellor Stay connected and keep growing with Steve: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-mellor-cc/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/coachstevemellorBook Steve to speak at your next event → www.stevemellorspeaks.comSupport the GrowthReady Podcast by leaving a 5-star rating → Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/growthready-podcast/id1406082163Connect with GrowthReady Join the community and keep your growth journey going: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/wearegrowthready/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/growthreadypodcast/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/growthreadywithcoachstevemellorOfficial Website - https://growthready.com/---- This podcast was produced on Riverside and released via ...

    46 min
  4. Episode 317: Your Voice Is Your Edge: Dr. Leslie Gordon on Confidence, Presence, and Speaking Up

    APR 29

    Episode 317: Your Voice Is Your Edge: Dr. Leslie Gordon on Confidence, Presence, and Speaking Up

    What if the thing holding you back isn’t a lack of expertise, but the fact that your voice hasn’t caught up to what you know? In this episode, Steve Mellor sits down with Dr. Leslie Gordon, a speech, voice, and accent expert who helps high-performing professionals speak with more confidence, presence, and impact. Leslie introduces the idea of the “growing edge,” a powerful replacement for the word “weakness,” and explains why real growth requires more than mindset. It requires action, repetition, awareness, and the willingness to step into unfamiliar territory. This conversation is for anyone who has ever left a meeting thinking, “I should have said something,” or who knows they have something valuable to contribute but struggles to make their voice match their expertise. Why “growing edge” is more useful than calling something a weakness  Why high performers struggle to speak up, even when they know their stuff  How self-evaluation can help growth or quietly block it  How to work with the inner critic using Leslie’s “name it to tame it” strategy  Why presence, breath, and body tension shape how your message lands  Why confidence is built through action, not simply something you either have or don’t haveConnect with Dr. Leslie Gordon: Website: https://www.leslie.gordon.speech/lesliegordonspeech.com Send us Fan Mail Support the show Connect with Steve Mellor Stay connected and keep growing with Steve: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-mellor-cc/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/coachstevemellorBook Steve to speak at your next event → www.stevemellorspeaks.comSupport the GrowthReady Podcast by leaving a 5-star rating → Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/growthready-podcast/id1406082163Connect with GrowthReady Join the community and keep your growth journey going: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/wearegrowthready/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/growthreadypodcast/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/growthreadywithcoachstevemellorOfficial Website - https://growthready.com/---- This podcast was produced on Riverside and released via ...

    50 min
  5. Episode 316: Coaching Corner: Why Self‑Sufficiency Isn’t High Performance

    APR 22

    Episode 316: Coaching Corner: Why Self‑Sufficiency Isn’t High Performance

    There’s a moment in the Tour de France most people miss. Not the sprint finish. Not the podium. Not the yellow jersey. It’s the mountain stage, where you realize the leader isn’t actually alone. We use that image to challenge a belief a lot of high performers quietly live by: self-sufficiency equals strength. It might be the very thing that helped you win early stages of growth… and the same thing that now limits what’s next. We explore why high performance isn’t just about endurance and capacity, it’s about exposure. Exposure to feedback, discomfort, new reflections, and the kind of community that forces you to practice who you’re becoming. What you’ll hear in this episode Why we confuse self-sufficiency with high performanceThe hidden cost of carrying pressure in isolationWhy growth requires exposure, not just effortWhat community gives you that a mirror can’tA better question than “How much can I handle?”The Tour de France lesson: nobody wins the mountain stages alone00:00 Why the mountain stage matters 00:36 The leader is never really alone 01:18 The hidden cost of carrying pressure in isolation 02:22 When self-sufficiency starts limiting growth 03:25 Growth requires exposure, not just endurance 04:05 Why community matters 04:47 Choosing a room that stretches you 05:42 What community gives you that a mirror can’t 06:18 What pro cyclists have to unlearn 07:12 No one wins the mountain stages alone 08:03 A better question for high performers 08:42 You might win one stage alone 09:33 Final reflection and share the episode 09:51 Outro If this episode hit, share it with one leader who’s been carrying too much alone. A simple send could be the support they didn’t know they needed. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Connect with Steve Mellor Stay connected and keep growing with Steve: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-mellor-cc/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/coachstevemellorBook Steve to speak at your next event → www.stevemellorspeaks.comSupport the GrowthReady Podcast by leaving a 5-star rating → Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/growthready-podcast/id1406082163Connect with GrowthReady Join the community and keep your growth journey going: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/wearegrowthready/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/growthreadypodcast/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/growthreadywithcoachstevemellorOfficial Website - https://growthready.com/---- This podcast was produced on Riverside and released via ...

    11 min
  6. Episode 315: Failure Is the Benchmark w/ Leanda Cave

    APR 15

    Episode 315: Failure Is the Benchmark w/ Leanda Cave

    A lot of high-performers know how to win, but far fewer know how to use failure well. And when life gets uncomfortable, the instinct is often to avoid it, rush past it, or pretend it didn’t mean anything. My guest today, Leanda Cave, is a four-time world champion triathlete who’s lived through elite success, personal setbacks, major transition, and a powerful season of self-discovery beyond sport. In this episode, you’ll hear how failure can become one of the greatest forces for growth, why awareness changes everything, and how to redefine high performance in a way that actually serves your life long term. We talk about setbacks, discomfort, relationships, identity, longevity, purpose, and what it looks like to keep evolving when your next chapter asks something different from you. Why being growth ready means being prepared to failHow failure can become a gateway instead of a stopping pointThe difference between winning the race and winning the journeyWhy comfort can quietly block growthLearning through relationships, patterns, and self-awarenessThe role of awareness in transformationReframing high performance as longevityHealth as a long-term leadership strategyPurpose, philanthropy, and life after elite sportBuilding a meaningful next chapter beyond one identity or laneLinks and resources mentioned Instagram: @leandacaveInstagram: @leandacavecoachingBest BuddiesTEDx talk: Failure Is the Force That Shapes YouLeanda website: www.leandacave.comSend us Fan Mail Support the show Connect with Steve Mellor Stay connected and keep growing with Steve: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-mellor-cc/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/coachstevemellorBook Steve to speak at your next event → www.stevemellorspeaks.comSupport the GrowthReady Podcast by leaving a 5-star rating → Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/growthready-podcast/id1406082163Connect with GrowthReady Join the community and keep your growth journey going: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/wearegrowthready/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/growthreadypodcast/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/growthreadywithcoachstevemellorOfficial Website - https://growthready.com/---- This podcast was produced on Riverside and released via ...

    50 min
  7. Episode 314: Who Are You When No One’s Watching? with Joe Smarro

    APR 8

    Episode 314: Who Are You When No One’s Watching? with Joe Smarro

    What does it really mean to be Growth Ready? In this episode, Steve Mellor sits down with Joe Smarro for a deeply honest conversation about identity, self-awareness, and the cost of living for everyone else. Joe shares why growth starts with curiosity, why so much of our identity is inherited rather than chosen, and why external validation keeps so many high-performers stuck. Together, they explore the tension between the person we present to the world and the person we sit with in private, and how closing that gap can transform the way we lead, live, and grow. About the guest: Joe Smarro is a speaker, trainer, former Marine, and former police officer who now leads SolutionPoint+, where he and his team teach human behavior, de-escalation, wellness, resilience, and emotional intelligence. Key takeaways: What it means to be “Growth Ready”Curiosity, self-awareness, and introspectionIdentity vs. titles and external validationThe “representative self” vs. the private selfWhy high-performers get stuck in fear and safetyThe cost of denying yourselfBoundaries, selfishness, and self-worthTherapy, healing, and emotional intelligenceThe obituary exercise and legacyAligning your life with what matters mostConnect with Joe Smarro SolutionPoint+ websiteJoe Smarro’s books on AmazonErnie & Joe: Crisis Cops on HBOInstagramLinkedInFacebookSend us Fan Mail Support the show Connect with Steve Mellor Stay connected and keep growing with Steve: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-mellor-cc/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/coachstevemellorBook Steve to speak at your next event → www.stevemellorspeaks.comSupport the GrowthReady Podcast by leaving a 5-star rating → Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/growthready-podcast/id1406082163Connect with GrowthReady Join the community and keep your growth journey going: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/wearegrowthready/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/growthreadypodcast/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/growthreadywithcoachstevemellorOfficial Website - https://growthready.com/---- This podcast was produced on Riverside and released via ...

    58 min
  8. Episode 313: Own the Room in Your Next High-Stakes Moment even If You Don’t Feel Ready w/ Samara Bay

    APR 1

    Episode 313: Own the Room in Your Next High-Stakes Moment even If You Don’t Feel Ready w/ Samara Bay

    In this episode, Steve sits down with Samara Bay to unpack what it really means to be “ready” when the stakes are high. Together, they explore the connection between body, mind, and communication—and why so many high-performers flatten their presence by trying to hide fear instead of working with it. Samara explains how public speaking is really about power, permission, and presence. She shares why “readiness” is more of a body-based practice than a mental state, how love-based thinking can shift us out of fight-or-flight, and why the warm-up before any important conversation may be the real work. Key Takeaways: Why readiness is more physical than mentalThe role of body awareness in communicationPublic speaking as a reflection of power and self-trustHow fear creates a flattened version of usWhy naming what’s happening in the room builds trustThe shift from fear-based thinking to love-based communicationSocial evaluative threat and the modern version of fight-or-flightWhy context matters in every communication momentThe importance of imagination, curiosity, and play in leadershipWhy warm-ups and rituals matter before big momentsMissed opportunity as the hidden cost of poor communicationLinks and Resources Mentioned Permission Inc. — permissioninc.coPermissionaries newsletter — available via Samara’s websitePermission to Speak by Samara BayUpcoming TEDx talk — Samara said it will be shared on her website once releasedSend us Fan Mail Support the show Connect with Steve Mellor Stay connected and keep growing with Steve: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-mellor-cc/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/coachstevemellorBook Steve to speak at your next event → www.stevemellorspeaks.comSupport the GrowthReady Podcast by leaving a 5-star rating → Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/growthready-podcast/id1406082163Connect with GrowthReady Join the community and keep your growth journey going: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/wearegrowthready/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/growthreadypodcast/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/growthreadywithcoachstevemellorOfficial Website - https://growthready.com/---- This podcast was produced on Riverside and released via ...

    58 min
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About

What does it mean to be ready to pursue growth? Should we pursue growth when we don't feel ready?  And how do we achieve optimal growth by readying ourselves for everything that comes with it? The GrowthReady Podcast seeks to form a true appreciation for all facets of the growth process as we learn from high performers, industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators.  Hosted by Steve Mellor, a seasoned high-performance executive coach and former US Olympic swim coach, each episode explores the pivotal moments that define true growth and the work that went into getting ready for it.  Through candid conversation and detailed personal accounts, guests share their unique experiences of overcoming challenges, embracing transformation, and what it takes to get ready for every step of their growth journey.

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