Career Competitor

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.

About the Episode: In this episode of the GrowthReady Podcast, Steve Mellor sits down with Tim Cakir to explore what it truly means to be growth ready in an era of permanent change, especially as AI continues to reshape how we work, think, and lead.

Key Takeaways:

• What “permanent change” really means in the AI era
• Growth mindset vs. fixed mindset in high performers
• Curiosity as a leadership advantage
• Love vs. fear as a decision-making framework
• Why experimentation beats perfection
• Decision journals and intentional decision-making
• Avoiding consumption paralysis (consume → create)
• Using AI to remove friction and reclaim focus
• Mental health, panic attacks, and presence
• Leading yourself before leading others

Links & Resources Mentioned

• AI Operator
• The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
• Tools referenced: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, voice notes, AI agents

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Stay connected and keep growing with Steve:

• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-mellor-cc/
• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/coachstevemellor
• Book Steve to speak at your next event → www.stevemellorspeaks.com
• Support the GrowthReady Podcast by leaving a 5-star rating → Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/growthready-podcast/id1406082163

Connect 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/growthreadywithcoachstevemellor
• Official Website - https://growthready.com/

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This podcast was produced on Riverside and released via ...

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 internal accountability systems, and empowering teams to solve problems at the highest level. He hosts the Founder to Founder podcast, interviewing leaders building $100M–$1B companies.

Episode Summary: In this powerful conversation, Steve Mellor and serial entrepreneur Sardor Umrdinov break down the mindset, discipline, and structure required to scale yourself and your business far beyond what you think you’re capable of.

Sardor shares how growing up with constant discomfort — new languages, new environments, new failures — taught him to build readiness through action, not delay. He explains how he built an accountability “ecosystem,” why success requires a 360° support system, and how he scaled from technician to industry leader by solving bigger and bigger problems.

This episode is a masterclass in growth for founders, leaders, and high performers who want to build momentum, expand capacity, and craft a structure that makes success inevitable.

Key Takeaways:

• Why readiness is built through action, not preparation
• Sardor’s childhood in Uzbekistan & early resilience
• Leaving comfort zones repeatedly to develop identity
• Breaking down long-term goals into daily discipline
• Building a 360° ecosystem of accountability
• How internal “micro-boards” strengthen company growth
• The 1–3–1 problem-solving rule for teams
• Why entrepreneurs should love big problems
• Bringing spouses into long-term vision planning
• Building companies designed to last 300 years
• Curiosity as a superpower in the AI era

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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/coachstevemellor
• Book Steve to speak at your next event → www.stevemellorspeaks.com
• Support the GrowthReady Podcast by leaving a 5-star rating → Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/growthready-podcast/id1406082163

Connect 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/growthreadywithcoachstevemellor
• Official Website - https://growthready.com/

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This podcast was produced on Riverside and released via ...

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 continues his mission of transforming pain into purposeful creative work.

Episode Summary: In this raw, deeply human conversation, Steve Mellor sits down with Dr. John A. King to explore the real meaning of growth: facing yourself. Not the polished, curated, high-performance version of yourself — but the unfiltered, uncomfortable truth you’ve avoided for years.

John shares the moment his past crashed into his present (“Johnageddon”), how he rebuilt his identity from the inside out, and why most people never stop long enough to actually ask: Who am I? And what do I truly want?

From trauma, resilience, morning routines, authenticity, performance myths, and redefining success, this episode is part gut punch, part wake-up call — especially for leaders who want to grow without losing themselves.

Takeaways:

• The real meaning of relentless resilience and sisu
• Why men struggle to confront their internal world
• The myth of the “performance mindset” industry
• Authenticity vs. living from the outside in
• How trauma masquerades as drive and ambition
• The hidden cost of success without self-awareness
• Building rules & habits that stabilize your life
• Why rejection doesn’t sting when you’re at peace with yourself
• Letting your past refine you — not define you
• The daily work of becoming someone you actually enjoy being with

Links & Resources Mentioned

• Dr. John A. King — Website: https://drjohnaking.com
• MindFire Challenge (Free 5–6 Week Program)
• Socia

Send us a text

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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/coachstevemellor
• Book Steve to speak at your next event → www.stevemellorspeaks.com
• Support the GrowthReady Podcast by leaving a 5-star rating → Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/growthready-podcast/id1406082163

Connect 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/growthreadywithcoachstevemellor
• Official Website - https://growthready.com/

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This podcast was produced on Riverside and released via ...

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 performers how to communicate with the confidence, clarity, and intentionality of elite athletes.

About the episode: In this GrowthReady conversation, Jen Mueller pulls back the curtain on what 25 years inside professional locker rooms taught her about confidence, communication, and high performance. She and Steve explore how leaders can ask better questions, stack daily wins, build trust quickly, and show up intentionally, even when you feel unprepared or overwhelmed.

Jen shares her “bubble gum moments,” her 60–90-second rule for meaningful conversations, and the surprising mindset shift that helped her grow in an environment that wasn’t always welcoming. This episode will resonate with anyone navigating discomfort, wanting to communicate with more impact, or trying to build confidence day by day.

Takeaways: 

• Why not having all the answers is key to growth
• How Jen builds trust with elite athletes in under 90 seconds
• The power of specific questions vs. broad open-ended ones
• How to journal like a high performer using Jen’s 5 post-game categories
• “Bubble gum moments”, stacking small intentional wins
• Using time as your ultimate performance metric
• Building confidence before opportunities arrive
• How leaders can communicate like pro athletes
• Preparing for moments long before anyone is watching
• Owning your voice and not opting out of conversations

Links and Resources:

• Talk Sporty To Me
• Jen Mueller on social: @TalkSportyToMe
• Jen Mueller on LinkedIn: Jen Mueller (Talk Sporty To Me)

Send us a text

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/coachstevemellor
• Book Steve to speak at your next event → www.stevemellorspeaks.com
• Support the GrowthReady Podcast by leaving a 5-star rating → Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/growthready-podcast/id1406082163

Connect 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/growthreadywithcoachstevemellor
• Official Website - https://growthready.com/

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This podcast was produced on Riverside and released via ...

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 us far deeper than traditional conversations about “purpose” and “passion.” He explains why so many leaders unknowingly pursue the wrong goals, repeat the same unfulfilling cycles, and operate on beliefs that work against them. Paul breaks down how intuition, often ignored or misunderstood, is actually the key to discovering our unconscious blueprint and uncovering what we’re truly here to do.

Together, we explore how to align with authenticity, why hunger is the RESULT of inner work (not the starting point), and how high performers can finally find clarity that sticks.

Takeaways:

• Why hunger is a byproduct of clarity, not the starting point
• The difference between passion, purpose, and your unconscious “quest”
• How intuition actually works, and why most people misinterpret it
• The role of beliefs and how they quietly limit success
• How to sense the difference between intuition and rational thinking
• Why following what “everyone else is doing” leads to burnout and misalignment
• Authenticity as expressing your “genius oneness” rather than mimicking others
• How business owners can build differently by trusting their intuitive blueprint
• The value of handwriting, meditation, and self-reflection in unlocking insight

Resources Mentioned:

• Paul’s website - https://davisbusinessconsultants.com/
• Paul’s books - https://www.amazon.com/Winning-Snakes-Ladders-Game-Life-ebook/dp/B0FXS3HSS7
• Reference to Les Brown

Send us a text

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/coachstevemellor
• Book Steve to speak at your next event → www.stevemellorspeaks.com
• Support the GrowthReady Podcast by leaving a 5-star rating → Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/growthready-podcast/id1406082163

Connect 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/growthreadywithcoachstevemellor
• Official Website - https://growthready.com/

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This podcast was produced on Riverside and released via ...

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 Mellor sits down with Lane Kawaoka, a former engineer who traded his stable career for financial freedom through smart investing and community building. Lane shares his journey from buying his first rental property in 2009 to now leading a network of accredited investors and entrepreneurs focused on growing wealth outside the traditional stock market.

You’ll hear Lane’s insights on the internal vs. external factors that drive growth, why curiosity and humility matter more than ever in business, and how community, not isolation, is the ultimate currency of the wealthy. This conversation is packed with practical mindset shifts for high performers looking to scale not just their income, but their impact.

Takeaways:

• How to know when it’s time to change what got you here
• Why curiosity is the secret growth advantage for leaders
• The importance of community and structured connection
• How Lane transitioned from engineer to full-time entrepreneur
• The difference between external market shifts and internal growth
• The “wealth elevator” framework for building true financial freedom
• Why social relationships, not money, are the real currency of success
• How to stay grounded while scaling to 8 figures and beyond

Connect with Lane:

• Lane’s Book: The Wealth Elevator – Available on Amazon
• Lane’s Podcast: The Wealth Elevator

Send us a text

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/coachstevemellor
• Book Steve to speak at your next event → www.stevemellorspeaks.com
• Support the GrowthReady Podcast by leaving a 5-star rating → Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/growthready-podcast/id1406082163

Connect 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/growthreadywithcoachstevemellor
• Official Website - https://growthready.com/

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This podcast was produced on Riverside and released via ...

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 mindset strategist helping high-performing leaders and business owners design “unreasonable” visions and scale their results without burnout. Through her Unreasonable Method™ and neuroscience-backed frameworks, she teaches individuals to expand their identity, align behaviors, and achieve quantum leaps in life and business.

About the Episode: In this GrowthReady episode, Steve Mellor sits down with Dr. Nona Djavid to explore how to go beyond SMART goals and design the life you truly want by thinking, and being bigger. Nona shares her four-step framework for turning “unreasonable” visions into grounded realities, explaining how our nervous system, identity, and behaviors all shape what we believe is possible.

This episode unpacks the neuroscience behind change, the difference between realistic and transformative goals, and why your current identity might be holding you back from the future you’re capable of creating.

• The 3 types of goals: SMART, Inspired, and Unreasonable
• Why your nervous system resists big goals (and how to reprogram it)
• The science of identity expansion
• The role of embodiment in achieving success
• Balancing safety and stretch in your vision
• Why behavior consistency starts with who you believe you are
• How to set goals that pull you forward instead of pushing you to burnout

Links & Resources Mentioned

• Connect with Dr. Nona Djavid on Instagram: @drnonadjavid
• Watch Dr. Nona’s free 90-minute Quantum Leap Workshop (DM her “Quantum Leap” on Instagram to get the link)
• Book Recommendation: Un

Send us a text

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Stay connected and keep growing with Steve:

• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-mellor-cc/
• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/coachstevemellor
• Book Steve to speak at your next event → www.stevemellorspeaks.com
• Support the GrowthReady Podcast by leaving a 5-star rating → Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/growthready-podcast/id1406082163

Connect 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/growthreadywithcoachstevemellor
• Official Website - https://growthready.com/

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This podcast was produced on Riverside and released via ...

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 success.

About the Episode: In this episode, host Steve Mellor talks with Anya Cheng about her leap from corporate exec to founder of Taelor.AI. She shares how she overcame imposter syndrome, bootstrapped with limited resources, and turned repeated “no’s” into millions in funding.

If you’re building something big and feeling unseen, this one’s for you.

Takeaways:

• From imposter syndrome to self-belief
• Shifting from employee to entrepreneur mindset
• Growing with limited resources
• Turning rejection into opportunity
• Taelor.AI: using AI to boost confidence
• Networking through loose ties
• Circular fashion & sustainable tech
• Redefining success on your own terms

Experience effortless style with rental and personal styling services:

Taelor: Get 25% OFF your first month of men's clothing subscription.
Use code: PODCAST25
Sign up at: https://taelor.style/pages/membership

Armoire: Get 50% OFF your first month of women's clothing subscription.
Use code: ArmoirexTaelor
Sign up at: https://www.armoire.style/refer/ArmoirexTaelor

Give the gift of time, convenience, and effortless style:

Taelor Gift Cards: Get 10% OFF
Use code: PODCASTGIFT
Purchase at: https://taelor.style/products/menswear-rental-gift-card

Send us a text

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Stay connected and keep growing with Steve:

• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-mellor-cc/
• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/coachstevemellor
• Book Steve to speak at your next event → www.stevemellorspeaks.com
• Support the GrowthReady Podcast by leaving a 5-star rating → Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/growthready-podcast/id1406082163

Connect 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/growthreadywithcoachstevemellor
• Official Website - https://growthready.com/

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This podcast was produced on Riverside and released via ...

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 intentional habits, and lead with courage and authenticity.

In this conversation, Steve sits down with Mitch Matthews to explore one of the biggest challenges high-achievers face: perfectionism.

They unpack how the constant drive to get it right often robs us of peace, creativity, and real growth. Mitch shares his personal journey from corporate success to coaching freedom, revealing how embracing imperfection not only changed his work, but his life.

Together, they dive into actionable tools for shifting your mindset from performance to purpose, building confidence that isn’t tied to results, and learning how to lead yourself (and others) through seasons of uncertainty and self-doubt.

If you’ve ever felt trapped by your own standards, this episode is your permission slip to redefine success on your terms.

Key Topics

• The hidden cost of perfectionism in leadership and entrepreneurship
• How to turn pressure into purpose
• The power of curiosity in breaking the perfection cycle
• Redefining success beyond achievement
• Building emotional awareness and resilience
• How to coach yourself out of performance-driven burnout
• The difference between excellence and perfection
• Real tools to reconnect with creativity and authenticity

Links & Resources Mentioned

• Mitch Matthews’ Website
• Dream Think Do Podcast: Listen Here
• Steve Mellor’s Website
• Book Mentioned: Dream Job: Redefined by Mitch Mat

Send us a text

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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/coachstevemellor
• Book Steve to speak at your next event → www.stevemellorspeaks.com
• Support the GrowthReady Podcast by leaving a 5-star rating → Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/growthready-podcast/id1406082163

Connect 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/growthreadywithcoachstevemellor
• Official Website - https://growthready.com/

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This podcast was produced on Riverside and released via ...