GrowthReady Podcast

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 mental
The role of body awareness in communication
Public speaking as a reflection of power and self-trust
How fear creates a flattened version of us
Why naming what’s happening in the room builds trust
The shift from fear-based thinking to love-based communication
Social evaluative threat and the modern version of fight-or-flight
Why context matters in every communication moment
The importance of imagination, curiosity, and play in leadership
Why warm-ups and rituals matter before big moments
Missed opportunity as the hidden cost of poor communication
Links and Resources Mentioned
Permission Inc. — permissioninc.co
Permissionaries newsletter — available via Samara’s website
Permission to Speak by Samara Bay
Upcoming TEDx talk — Samara said it will be shared on her website once released
Send us Fan Mail
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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: Megan Torrance is a workplace learning and development leader who helps organizations create better systems for growth, performance, and skill development. In this conversation, she brings together practical insight from her work in learning design, her perspective on AI as an augmentation tool, and her own lived experience as an athlete, coach-supported leader, and endurance hiker.
About the episode: In this episode, Steve sits down with Megan Torrance to unpack what it really means to be growth ready. Megan reframes growth as what we learn from a leap, not just the leap itself, and explains why readiness is less about feeling fully prepared and more about having the mindset, tools, support, and willingness to step into the next challenge anyway.
Megan shares how real growth happens when people are clear on the goal, supported with the right systems, and willing to reflect in the middle of discomfort.
Key topics and themes discussed
What “growth ready” really means
Why growth comes from learning through the leap
The difference between being a teacher and teaching
Why workplace learning should focus on performance, not completion
Reflection as a critical part of the learning loop
The role of AI in personalized learning and leadership development
Readiness, uncertainty, and the “gulp” before the next challenge
Building systems that make the next right action easier
Curiosity as a driver of long-term growth
Expanding capacity inside and outside of work
Lessons from ice hockey, coaching, and endurance hiking
Resources mentioned
Megan Torrance on LinkedIn
Torrance Learning — torrancelearning.com
AI Implementation Guide for L&D by Megan Torrance
Khan Academy
MagicSchool
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/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: Meghan Popoleo is the President of The O’Connor Group, where she has spent the last decade helping organizations grow through strong people strategy, culture, and leadership. She came into the business from the nonprofit world, openly admits she did not start out loving HR, and has grown into a values-driven leader known for vulnerability, execution, collaboration, and people-first leadership.
About the episode: In this conversation, Steve sits down with Meghan to unpack what it really means to be “growth ready.” Megan shares why vulnerability is not weakness, but a leadership advantage, especially when you’re scaling a company, building culture, navigating succession, leading hard conversations, and raising a family at the same time. For founders, executives, and high-performers, this episode is a practical reminder that sustainable growth starts with values, trust, and the courage to ask for help.
Key Takeaways:
Why vulnerability is essential for personal and professional growth
Megan’s journey from nonprofit leadership into HR and people operations
The partnership between Megan and founder Marsha O’Connor
How hard conversations strengthen leadership tandems
Protecting company culture during growth
Why “teammate” matters more than “employee”
Women in leadership, motherhood, and asking for help
The tension between saying yes, learning fast, and avoiding overwhelm
Building new service lines without losing core values
Why relationships are a true growth lever
Creating communities that support female leaders and entrepreneurs
Links and resources mentioned:
The O’Connor Group: www.tocgrp.com
The O’Connor Group on LinkedIn
57th Street Partners 
Shadow Her
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/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: Raymond Lee is the founder of CareerMinds, a virtual outplacement and leadership development company he started in 2008. After years of building the business, Raymond went through a deep season of self-reflection in late 2021 that reshaped how he saw leadership, identity, and growth. He later sold CareerMinds and stepped into a new chapter with even greater clarity around impact, authenticity, and helping people find work that truly aligns with who they are. He’s also the host of the Clocking Out podcast and author of the book Clocking Out.
About the Episode: In this conversation, Steve Mellor sits down with Raymond Lee for a powerful discussion on what it really means to be growth ready. Raymond shares why authenticity became the turning point in his life, how curiosity helped him move through fear, and why so many high-performers stay stuck in careers that look successful on the outside but feel misaligned on the inside.
Key Takeaways:
What “growth ready” means through the lens of authenticity
Why authenticity builds trust, connection, and leadership impact
Raymond’s identity shift in December 2021
Curiosity as a companion to authentic growth
Fear of change vs. the pain of staying the same
The story behind the Clocking Out podcast
Raymond’s mother’s career change into archaeology at age 50
Why meaningful change starts with small steps
“Lead with yes” as a practical mindset for reinvention
Asking better questions: What excites me? What brings value?
Using your story to help others find their true path
Resources:
CareerMinds
Clocking Out podcast
Clocking Out book by Raymond Lee
Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief by David Kessler
Raymond Lee on LinkedIn
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/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 ...

This special archive episode takes us back to summer 2020, when Steve Mellor interviewed Alison Hadden for his Women Changing the World series. What he only learned afterward was that Alison had found out just one day earlier that her cancer had returned and was terminal. She never mentioned it during the conversation. Instead, she spoke with clarity, strength, and intention about leadership, resilience, and living like there is no time to waste.
Alison passed away in January 2022, but her message continues to inspire anyone seeking to live with more purpose, courage, and gratitude.
About the Guest: Alison Hadden was a sales and marketing leader, athlete, and founder of the No Time to Waste Project. She built her career at high-growth companies including Active, Glassdoor, and Mindbody, and became known for her energy, leadership, and purpose-driven approach to life. After facing cancer, she turned her experience into a mission to help others live with greater gratitude, joy, and urgency.
About the Episode
Steve revisits a conversation first released when the podcast was still called Career Competitor. Part of the Women Changing the World series, this interview stands out for Alison’s remarkable presence and perspective in the face of devastating news.
Rather than focusing on her diagnosis, Alison shared a message that still resonates: live with intention, lead with courage, and don’t waste time on what doesn’t matter.
Key Takeaways:
Leadership through adversity
The athlete mindset in business and life
Grit, resilience, and perspective
Cancer, identity, and transformation
Gratitude, joy, and human connection
Living with urgency and intention
Links and Resources
No Time to Waste Project
notimetowasteproject.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/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 ...