GrowthReady Podcast

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 eraGrowth mindset vs. fixed mindset in high performersCuriosity as a leadership advantageLove vs. fear as a decision-making frameworkWhy experimentation beats perfectionDecision journals and intentional decision-makingAvoiding consumption paralysis (consume → create)Using AI to remove friction and reclaim focusMental health, panic attacks, and presenceLeading yourself before leading othersLinks & Resources MentionedAI OperatorThe Four Agreements by Don Miguel RuizTools referenced: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, voice notes, AI agentsSend us a textSupport the showConnect 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/ ---- 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 preparationSardor’s childhood in Uzbekistan & early resilienceLeaving comfort zones repeatedly to develop identityBreaking down long-term goals into daily disciplineBuilding a 360° ecosystem of accountabilityHow internal “micro-boards” strengthen company growthThe 1–3–1 problem-solving rule for teamsWhy entrepreneurs should love big problemsBringing spouses into long-term vision planningBuilding companies designed to last 300 yearsCuriosity as a superpower in the AI eraSend us a textSupport the showConnect 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/ ---- 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 sisuWhy men struggle to confront their internal worldThe myth of the “performance mindset” industryAuthenticity vs. living from the outside inHow trauma masquerades as drive and ambitionThe hidden cost of success without self-awarenessBuilding rules & habits that stabilize your lifeWhy rejection doesn’t sting when you’re at peace with yourselfLetting your past refine you — not define youThe daily work of becoming someone you actually enjoy being withLinks & Resources MentionedDr. John A. King — Website: https://drjohnaking.comMindFire Challenge (Free 5–6 Week Program)SociaSend us a textSupport the showConnect 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/ ---- 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 growthHow Jen builds trust with elite athletes in under 90 secondsThe power of specific questions vs. broad open-ended onesHow to journal like a high performer using Jen’s 5 post-game categories“Bubble gum moments”, stacking small intentional winsUsing time as your ultimate performance metricBuilding confidence before opportunities arriveHow leaders can communicate like pro athletesPreparing for moments long before anyone is watchingOwning your voice and not opting out of conversationsLinks and Resources:Talk Sporty To MeJen Mueller on social: @TalkSportyToMeJen Mueller on LinkedIn: Jen Mueller (Talk Sporty To Me)Send us a textSupport the showConnect 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/ ---- 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 pointThe difference between passion, purpose, and your unconscious “quest”How intuition actually works, and why most people misinterpret itThe role of beliefs and how they quietly limit successHow to sense the difference between intuition and rational thinkingWhy following what “everyone else is doing” leads to burnout and misalignmentAuthenticity as expressing your “genius oneness” rather than mimicking othersHow business owners can build differently by trusting their intuitive blueprintThe value of handwriting, meditation, and self-reflection in unlocking insightResources Mentioned:Paul’s website - https://davisbusinessconsultants.com/Paul’s books - https://www.amazon.com/Winning-Snakes-Ladders-Game-Life-ebook/dp/B0FXS3HSS7Reference to Les BrownSend us a textSupport the showConnect 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/ ---- This podcast was produced on Riverside and released via ...