GrowthReady Podcast with Steve Mellor

On this episode I sit down with Minor League Baseball Player, Jeremy Randolph who joins us for a slightly different spin on the show. As a current professional athlete in a very difficult current climate, he finds himself at a crossroads within his life, trying to decide between remaining with baseball or starting life after the game.

This episode provides a great opportunity to get to know the competitor Jeremy is, analyze the work he is doing in order to prepare for a successful career no matter the path he opts to go down, and just offer support to someone who is definitely making a lot of sacrifices in life currently.

We are approaching a new area within the show today as we are highlighting an individual who is likely reminiscent of some of our listeners, who too might be going through some difficult life and career transitions. This is an exercise that we will certainly be revisiting as we try to continue expanding upon what this show can do to further enhance you the competitor within your career field of choice.

We learn about Jeremy’s background in the sport of Baseball and his journey through college undergrad along with his Masters degree, and hear about his opportunity now within Professional baseball having been drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals (5:00). Jeremy then sheds light on his experiences throughout 2020 with him dealing with the loss of opportunities at the lower levels of baseball and his battle with finding a paycheck (8:35), while leaning on his greatest asset and support through this trying time in his wife, who also happens to be pursuing her life’s passion (12:40). Jeremy gets into the support and advice he has received at this juncture within his life (16:17), the role Major League Baseball has played for individuals such as Jeremy recently (20:34), and how he feels about the chances he and other minor league players have been given (22:00). In the final parts of the discussion we hear how Baseball can sometimes create an environment that isn’t fun to be a part of (24:25), but the fact Jeremy is always able to find the fun for what he does when he is simply out there competing.

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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 ...

Keely Cat-Wells joins us on the show today to discuss her work as a disability activist in relation to her career role as the Founder & CEO of C-Talent, Zetta Studios and Zetta Finance. Keely got her start in the competitive world of the arts as both a dancer and actress in England and was on a path to great success until an illness derailed her progress and she found herself suffering with a now life-long disability.

Her story is one of incredible spirit and real life examples of overcoming true hardships, while managing to always learn from her adversities to then be able to grow as an individual from them. A true competitor in every sense of the word, Keely has now found a career for herself where she is able to remain involved with the world she fell in love with as an actress, but she is able to do so while remaining true to her passion of advancing the awareness for opportunities for the disabled within the industry.

We hear about Keely’s childhood and her eventual commitment to the arts as an actress and dancer, and how she found incredible success early in her career (5:30). We also learn about her mindset towards how she established her attitude toward herself as an actress and the importance of avoiding trying to become a perfect version of yourself by analyzing achievements made along the way (13:00). Keely provides some difficult truths about the development of her disability (15:30), as well as what the transition was like in going from an able-bodied person to disabled (19:10). Finally, we learn about what Keely has done with her companies today and the amazing ways in which she uses her experiences to coach her clients through hardships on their way to success (24:00).

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 ...

Rue Mapp, the founder and CEO of Outdoor Afro joins the show today to discuss her career and the rise of her incredible organization from beginning as a passion project to becoming a national movement with 40,000+ members. As a competitor, Outdoor Afro has become the nation’s leading, cutting edge network that celebrates and inspires Black connections and leadership in nature and Rue opens up on the origin and evolution of the company.

Following a career in corporate America, Rue opted to place herself into a field that she loved in the outdoors and built her passion project on the side while also gaining a competitive insight into the world that is outdoor recreation. Without ever losing sight of her desire to reach black men and women everywhere using her most authentic self, Outdoor Afro grew into an extension of Rue and allowed for total clarity in her mission to anyone and everyone that became affiliated with it.

We explore some incredible concepts within this discussion including; the therapeutic ways in which nature can help us all (5:15); how Outdoor Afro has not had to deter from its mission or identity during the difficult times in 2020 (8:55); the ways in which nature is able to act as an equalizer to all walks of life and backgrounds (10:55) and how “healing hikes” were born from this ideology (13:20). While learning about the history of Outdoor Afro and how it went from a passion project into a business (17:50), Rue also explains the ways in which she sees herself as a competitor (23:30) and how that has driven both her career and the company to historic heights. Rue sheds light on what she believes the future of Outdoor Afro looks like (30:50) and her big “Glamp In” Gala that will raise funds for the company happening online Saturday, September 12th(33:30).

On this very special bonus episode of Career Competitor we welcome back to the show highly acclaimed author and champion of women the world over, Samantha Ettus. Having closed our 10-part series on Women changing the World, Sam joins us to add her perspective to some of the key talking points from the series through expert explanations and some additional food for thought as well.

A former collegiate tennis player at Harvard, Sam graduated both undergraduate and business school from there before entering the business world where she has established her self as an author, media expert, and is flourishing today in her role as founder and CEO of Park Place Payments. Sam has been consistently associated with the advancement and celebration of women everywhere while doing all of her work in a relatable manner as she brings so many of her teachings back to her role as a wife and mother.

Within the episode, we firstly catch up with Samantha on how she has been doing through the pandemic within her role as CEO at Park Place (3:50) and some of the interesting experiences she is dealing with at home as a mom to three children (5:15). We then get into some dialogue specific to the past series on “women changing the world” and Sam provides insight on a number of topics including; what examples she had in her life of men being supportive to opportunities for her (6:57); how her “self-starter” mindset began during her time as an athlete and how it has stayed with her over the course of her career (9:28); traits amongst women that have motivated her to want to support them, resulting in the topics she focuses on within her books (13:01). We close out our discussion by learning more about the work Sam has going on now with Park Place Payments (16:58), as well as hearing some final thoughts on how women are doing in their roles as supporters for one another (20:22).

For the final episode of this series on Women changing the World, I welcome on Veronica Alvarez, the Head Coach for the women’s US National Baseball Team, a coach with the Oakland A’s, and also a Firefighter/Paramedic. Following a collegiate softball career, Veronica rediscovered the opportunity to play baseball and since then has been able to pursue the sport to a coaching level too. Her passion for the sport came from being born into it through her Cuban parents and upbringing within the city of Miami, FL. Veronica is clearly a woman changing the world considering how few women are represented as coaches within US men’s major sports; you realize quickly that this is someone who has had to work hard to get to where she is today, but her passion for what she does is the driving force behind her success.

We open up the interview gaining details on Veronica’s roles with both USA Women’s Baseball and the Oakland A’s (4:15), before then hearing about how she was born and raised into the sport down in Miami, Florida (5:43) by parents willing to let her pursue her passions. Veronica shares with us her experiences in and thoughts toward the sport of softball (7:10) and how she was able to rediscover the sport of baseball as an adult (10:00). Some of the great topics we discuss include; the women that were the trailblazers for the much greater group of women today that play baseball (14:00); how realistic a thought it was for a woman to one day coach in the MLB (17:00); the finite difference between coaching women and coaching men within the sport of baseball (21:47) and the pressure on women to take full advantage of the few opportunities they get in the sport (24:15); and what Veronica believes to be the potential for women everywhere today to make an impact and chase their true passions in life (34:32). Be sure to stick around the Career Competitor“Keys to Success” that summarize 3 great takeaways from the discussion (37:30)

I am joined by Associate Athletic Director at Tulane University, Monica Lebron who serves in a Chief Operating Officer role within the department, overseeing football and women’s basketball. A former collegiate softball player, Monica has moved through the ranks at various athletic departments to get to where she is today as she hones in on the ultimate role of athletic director one day. The great thing about her story is how she has always had the willingness to do the work as she views it as the enjoyable part of the process and is in no way a sacrifice. I see Monica as a woman changing the world thanks to her ability to always be influencing those she works with towards a team environment, and because of her efforts to advise those she oversees that still have their careers ahead of them. There will many, many people in the years to come that have Monica to thank for key insight they gained when first starting their journey.

Time

We first hear from Monica when she introduces herself and her role today there at Tulane in detail including some recent responsibilities she has inherited (4:43). She then tells us about the sport that she played, along with how her work experience in college highlighted to her what she would want to do for a career (7:41). Some of the professional approaches Monica believes in include making yourself available to provide advice on school, careers, and life to those you are responsible for (12:17), while recognizing those individuals might not that have the confidence to initiate communication; the role teams can play in the success of an institution in how you can feel supported during difficult times and have people championing your success (22:00); the importance of having role models and how they can sometimes come from close to home (30:15). Monica leaves us with her final thoughts on the keys to being successful (34:32) while Steve does the same following her in relation to his takeaways from the interview (36:00).

Today I welcome Alison Hadden to the show and she is a Marketing Executive with 20 years of highly competitive and successful experience across 3 different companies, where she has taken her athlete mindset and instilled it into her work and her teams in order to bring about the greatest results. Alison has also battled cancer over the last 2 years of her life and it is the work she is doing today with her “No time to Waste” project that is bringing to light the importance of living life to the fullest. Because of her competitive approach to life and her willingness to empower others, Alison is a woman changing the world 24 hours at a time and she delivers some truly impactful thoughts and lessons that we can all stand to do a better job of incorporating into our lives.

We open up the discussion by learning more about her Career and evolution from sales up to establishing herself as a marketing executive (6:45), while emphasizing the ways in which she has remained true to an athlete mindset. We then discuss how prioritizing the company or team over the role itself when it comes to your career can be the better choice, and the importance of the culture you are working within (13:00). Alison then shares her personal story regarding the last 2 years of her life and her battle with cancer (18:25), but also the ways in which her mindset towards life has allowed her to attack the adversities within it (22:25). Learning about how Alison implements the mindset of controlling what is within her control and remaining in the present (24:30) is just part of the message that she is sharing on her public platform to highlight the need to live life like there is no time to waste (28:45). Be sure to listen into the conclusion of the episode to learn more about Alison’s “No time to Waste” project (36:00) and Steve’s “Key’s to Success” (38:30)

On this episode I welcome Shikha Uberoi Bajpai, a former professional tennis player who has worked her way to the position of President at Indi after more than a decade in the media and entertainment industry. Her mission throughout her life has been to change the world she both comes from and is a part of, and because she realizes the incredible opportunities that have been provided to her, she has already compiled quite a resume to prove as such. Shikha is a woman changing the world thanks to her desire to deliver new perspectives and technologies across a variety of platforms. 

Hear about the role Shikha is in today (5:40) and her career as a highly world ranked tennis player (7:24). We then discuss the conflicting world she was once living in as she balanced life as a teenager, tennis star, student, and career driven individual (10:02). In addition, we cover topics such as; what it was like to be a college Sophomore at 27 years old and starting her education and career much later in life (13:20); her first major opportunities in media and entertainment (17:20); some of the flagship work she was responsible for (22:30); and the way playing tennis to such high levels taught her how to handle rejection and defeat in a way that it did not deter her from her mission (26:00). Finally, we hear about the transition from media professional to her role with Indi today (27:53), along with the exciting things happening with Indi in the immediate future and the ways she is allowing her personality and traits to impact their mission (31:30). Finishing out the episode you will also hear Steve’s Keys to success (37:00).

On this episode I have the honor of speaking with the first woman to coach within the NFL, Dr. Jen Welter, who within her book – “Play Big; Lessons in being Limitless from the first woman to coach in the NFL” – covers the many truths behind her experiences within historically male sports. Jen has used her challenging and inspiring experience on route to becoming the first woman to achieve such stature to empower her and the actions of so many she has come across. Whether it be in her playing career, her coaching career, her work as a motivational speaker, or most recently as the author of children’s books, Dr. Welter is a Woman changing the World through her willingness to go and achieve things that no women have done before.

Dr. Jen Welter provides an in-depth account of her upbringing in relation to her family life as her greatest mentor – her father – shaped her entire mentality as an athlete and today as a working professional. She also discusses her football career and the constant feeling of not being appreciated within the women’s game, but never allowing that to extinguish her passion for the sport she loved (5:38 – 12:24). Jen discusses how her opportunity came about to coach within the men’s game, as well as the level of appreciation she has for the men that treated her as an equal and provided her with the opportunities to play and coach within the men’s game (14:30 – 21:00). Finally, we go into some great dialogue on the power that emotion can have within a leadership role and the importance that interpersonal communication plays in building rapport with those you are responsible for (22:20 – 29:50).

I am joined by Meredith Huck who is the Director of Channel Partnerships with The Mom Project and heralds from my Alma Mater of NC State University where she played the sport of Soccer. Meredith’s story highlights the power of knowing your value and the impact you can then have on the areas you work in. This also happens to be a big part of the mission at the Mom Project as well as they encourage and empower people everywhere to go and pursue opportunities that maybe they themselves never thought they were worthy of competing for. Meredith (along with so many others at the Mom Project) is yet another woman changing the world as she supports and facilitates so many Mom’s, women, and people everywhere to pursuing their passions and finding opportunities that best fit their lives.

Meredith introduces herself to the show through her role today (5:27) and how the sport of soccer brought out her greatest characteristics growing up (6:53). We cover a variety of topics within the interview including how long it took for her to realize how soccer traits could be used in her career (9:13); the true struggle that comes with trying to “let go” of your former sport identity and the way she established her identity after soccer (13:47); the mission and history of “The Mom Project” (17:46); the endless ways in which the company is representing people that come to the company both as an employee and as a client (24:07); how Moms have the ability to be their optimal self within both their personal life and career thanks to the Mom Project (27:47); Meredith’s personal ethos when it comes to making the most of opportunities when they come your way (31:16); and our Career Competitor “Keys to Success” (33:42).