GrowthReady Podcast

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 Cerulo to explore what it really means to be growth ready in today’s volatile, uncertain environment.
Together, they unpack why truth, awareness, and flexibility are non-negotiable leadership skills, how to lead people through uncertainty without false reassurance, and why heart-centered leadership doesn’t mean avoiding hard conversations. Betsy also shares lessons from building a 36-year business, launching a complementary accessibility technology venture, and investing in long-term trust instead of chasing quick wins.
This episode is a masterclass in earned confidence, ethical leadership, and sustainable growth.
Key Takeaways:
What it truly means to be growth ready
Truth as a leadership practice (not a personality trait)
Heart-centered leadership vs. “kumbaya leadership”
Leading teams through uncertainty and fear
Accountability, boundaries, and compassion
Navigating unknowns without false certainty
Building trust and “reserves” over decades
Why patience beats “get rich quick” thinking
Intentional networking for introverted leaders
Accessibility, advocacy, and inclusive leadership
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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: 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 Episode: In this episode, Steve Mellor sits down with Luke DePron to unpack why most driven professionals fail at health and how to finally make it stick. Luke explains why success isn’t about motivation, 30-day challenges, or doing more but about setting guaranteed minimum standards, upgrading identity, and respecting the seasons of life you’re actually in.
They dive deep into how confidence is built through competence, why unrealistic goals quietly destroy self-belief, and how leaders can integrate fitness into their lives without sacrificing family, performance, or sanity. This conversation reframes health not as another pressure but as the foundation that unlocks the next level of leadership and performance.
Takeaways:
Building confidence through competence, not motivation
The power of guaranteed minimum standards
Beginner mindset and lowering the barrier to entry
Why “doing more” often backfires for high performers
Identity-based decision making (Fit Dad, Fit Leader)
Avoiding the all-or-nothing fitness trap
Integrating health into real life, travel, and family
Seasons of life and sustainable performance
Health as the foundation of elite leadership
Long-term systems vs short-term intensity
Resources Mentioned
The Fitment Project – https://fitmentproject.com
Luke DePron on LinkedIn (mentioned as primary social platform)
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: 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 recognition but Dr. Alexa D’Agostino calls out the uncomfortable truth: many businesses aren’t growth ready… they’re chaos ready. In this conversation, Steve and Alexa unpack what “growth ready” really means when pressure hits: clean systems, clear roles, scalable offers, and metrics that matter.
Key topics:
“Growth ready” vs. “chaos ready” (and why most businesses are the latter)
Why scaling exposes problems instead of fixing them
The non-negotiables: systems, lanes, people, and a scalable offer
Metrics that matter (CPA, LTV) vs. vanity metrics (likes/followers)
Delegation, automation, and building a machine that works without you
Failure: not the fear of it, but the avoidance of what you already know must change
Curiosity as interrogation: using fear as data
Mindset as an operating system and why it must be upgraded
The role of environment: outgrowing people, protecting energy, and choosing alignment
Integrity under pressure: the gap between stated values and calendar reality
Links and resources mentioned
Dr. Alexa D’Agostino: https://alexadagostino.com/
Social handle mentioned: “Dr. Alexa D’Agostino” (on most platforms)
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: 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 unpack the myth of “readiness,” how to turn excuses into launch pads, and the practical frameworks Rebecca uses to help clients bridge the gap between knowing and doing. This episode is a masterclass in resilience, intentionality, and building self-trust, packed with actionable insights for leaders, high performers, and anyone facing big changes.
Key Topics Discussed
The myth of “readiness” and why you’re never truly ready
Rebecca’s story: leaving a cult and rebuilding from scratch
Excuses vs. launch pads: using adversity as fuel
The power of self-trust and finding your “why”
Frameworks for high performance: beliefs, decisive action, habits
The knowing-doing gap and how to close it
Emotional resilience and the real role of emotions in leadership
Practical strategies to move from thought to action
Links & Resources Mentioned
Rebecca’s website
Follow Rebecca on socials: @bexmountain
The Mountain Method: Learn more about her 100 Days to Peak Performance program
Brendan Burchard's High Performance Habits (referenced framework)
#GrowthMindset #HighPerformance #LeadershipDevelopment #EmotionalIntelligence #PersonalGrowth #SelfTrust
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: 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, Steve Mellor sits down with Alan Franks to kick off the year with a conversation that challenges everything you thought you knew about goal-setting, obsession, and high performance. They explore how true growth doesn’t start with external goals, it starts with internal alignment and personal integrity.
Key Topics & Takeaways:
Obsession vs. Goals: Why real results require focus
The role of personal integrity in performance
Financial planning as a tool for freedom, not restriction
How to lead even if you're not in a “leadership” role
The importance of tracking and manual awareness
Creating internal alignment to prepare for external success
Embracing playfulness amidst high performance culture
Building systems that allow space, health, and joy
Links & Resources Mentioned
Alan’s book: Empowered-Money.com
Free Financial Plan: Available via Empowered-Money.com
Business Valuation Tool: TheBusinessPlanningInstitute.com
Book Mentioned: The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace D. Wattles
Book Mentioned: The Gap and the Gain by Dan Sullivan
Book Mentioned: The One Thing by Gary Keller
Movie Referenced: City Slickers
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 ...