GrowthReady Podcast
What does it mean to be ready to pursue growth? Should we pursue growth when we don't feel ready? And how do we achieve optimal growth by readying ourselves for everything that comes with it?
The Growth Ready Podcast seeks to form a true appreciation for all facets of the growth process as we learn from high performers, industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators. Hosted by Steve Mellor, a seasoned high-performance executive coach and former US Olympic swim coach, each episode explores the pivotal moments that define true growth and the work that went into getting ready for it. Through candid conversation and detailed personal accounts, guests share their unique experiences of overcoming challenges, embracing transformation, and what it takes to get ready for every step of their growth journey.
GrowthReady Podcast
Episode 264: Motion Before Emotion: The Real Work Behind Peak Performance with Chris Vasami
About the Guest: Chris Vasami is a former All-American baseball player turned elite performance coach and keynote speaker. With years of experience mentoring athletes, executives, and high-performing teams, Chris helps people build mental and physical resilience, navigate failure, and align daily actions with long-term goals. His personal journey, including an ongoing battle with cancer, adds depth and realness to his message about discipline, mindset, and showing up when it counts.
About the Episode: In this powerful episode of GrowthReady, host Steve Mellor sits down with Chris Vasami to explore what it truly means to perform at your peak, not just in sports, but in life. From the lessons learned through striking out in college baseball to coaching Olympic-level swimmers and challenging corporate leaders, Chris breaks down the mindset and habits behind sustainable excellence. He also opens up about his fight with cancer, how it reshaped his outlook, and why “motion before emotion” is the mantra that keeps him, and his clients, grounded. If you’ve ever wrestled with consistency, failure, or self-doubt, this episode will hit home and give you tools to recalibrate and recommit.
Key Takeaways:
- Why failure is feedback — and how to actually use it
- The difference between interest, commitment, and obsession
- How to raise your floor so your ceiling naturally rises
- The “personal operating system” for success in business, sport, and life
- Real talk on ego, identity, and detaching from outcomes
- The power of creating healthy obsession through simple, daily habits
- How Chris’s cancer journey reframed his approach to resilience and purpose
- Using routines to maintain momentum — even when life throws curveballs
Resources & Mentions:
- Follow Chris Vasami on Instagram: @chrisvasami
- Connect with Chris on LinkedIn: Chris Vasami
- Swim Across America: swimacrossamerica.org
- Host Steve Mellor on LinkedIn: Steve Mellor
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