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…
Steve sits down with Cindy Cohn, former Executive Director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, for a conversation about values, leadership, change, and knowing when it is time to make room for what comes next. Cindy has spent decades fighting for digital rights, privacy, free speech, and a better internet for the people who use it. Her career is a powerful example of what it means to stay…
David Hiler’s answer to “What does it mean to be growth ready? ”is simple—and hard-earned: adapt to whatever comes your way . A lifelong runner and hospitality entrepreneur, David’s life changed fast when a knee issue turned into cancer. Faced with two paths—an invasive rebuild with uncertain outcomes or amputation with a clear shot at living fully—he chose the decision that protected what…
Jared Goralnick joins the GrowthReady Podcast with a deceptively simple definition of what it means to be growth ready: manage your energy and get clear on where you’re going. Jared Goralnick has spent 15 years building products that help organizations find, develop, and grow talent. He was Head of Product at LinkedIn Recruiter and VP of Product at Upwork, Go1, and Articulate, and previously…
Episode 322: Pulled by Vision, Not Pushed by Pressure - The Will to Prepare with Patrick O’Donnell
Patrick O’Donnell is the founder of Ignite Five and a performance-and-growth coach who helps leaders and organizations build repeatable rhythms that drive results without sacrificing the human being behind the role. He’s known for translating “systems” into something practical, daily routines, clear expectations, and real accountability. In this conversation, Patrick shares how the 2008 real…
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 beneath the surface when the stakes rise and you can’t access the level you…
This is a Growth Ready 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: they don’t complain about limitations… they lean into them. Jesse shares the…
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…
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.…
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…
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…