In this episode of Success Unscripted, host Matthew Ruddle (CEO of Ruddle Digital) sits down with Steve Mitchell, a self-described “onion” with many layers. Steve is a life transformation expert who helps people become a stronger, healthier version of themselves, and he is clear that real transformation starts with living it first.

This conversation is raw, honest, and practical. Steve shares his journey from a challenging upbringing, through the discipline and identity shift of the army, and into civilian life where structure disappears and reality hits hard. He talks about how the forces can shape you into what they need, and how leaving can create a difficult gap, not just financially but emotionally and psychologically, as you rebuild who you are outside a regimented system.

Steve’s story is also one of persistence and reinvention. Alongside his coaching work, he and his wife Donna have built a successful doggy daycare business. Steve credits Donna as the steady constant in his life and business, and the episode repeatedly returns to the power of partnership, stability, and support. He speaks openly about moments when he came close to losing everything, and why he believes he would not be here without Donna and his family.

A major turning point in Steve’s life came through the consequences of alcohol-fuelled behaviour and hitting rock bottom. He explains how sobriety was not just about giving something up, but about choosing the life he wanted to keep: his marriage, his children, and his grandchildren. He also shares that mental health challenges did not simply disappear, and that the difference today is awareness, tools, and responsibility.

Steve’s core teaching is that awareness creates choice. He breaks down how reactions form: thoughts become feelings, feelings become emotions, and emotions become behaviours. Once you can recognise your patterns, you can interrupt them, respond with more control, and stop punishing yourself for other people’s actions. He challenges the idea that people are “stuck” forever, arguing that while the past matters, adulthood requires taking responsibility for what happens next.

Steve also introduces his signature programme, Release the Best You, built around a seven-step framework using the word RELEASE:
Recognise who you are, Evaluate your situation, Learn to let go, Expect the best, Allow yourself to be great, Set yourself up for success, and Evolve. He explains why the order matters, how purpose works like a sat nav (destination first, then goals and tasks), and why fear is often just a door you need to open.

The episode closes with a clear message: emotions are not weakness, they are signals. Be honest, stay in control, take responsibility, and build your life on your terms. And in Steve’s words: be a nice person, and don’t be a dick.

To learn more about Steve’s work, visit releasethebestyou.com, follow him on social media, and sign up for his newsletter.

Success Unscripted is the podcast from Ruddle Digital, hosted by founder and CEO Matthew Ruddle.

In this episode, Matthew sits down with Brad Burton, often called the UK’s number one motivational business speaker, for a raw and very honest conversation about business, resilience and what success really looks like.

Brad shares:

• How two bullets through his window in Manchester forced him to start again in Somerset
• The “kick the can” moment where he realised he was totally alone, and the question that changed everything: “What does this make possible?”
• Leaving a safe job days before Christmas to start a marketing agency, then delivering pizzas at 31 to keep his business and young family afloat
• The creation and rise of 4Networking, from one room in Bridgwater to thousands of meetings and a multi-million-pound national network
• How the pandemic wiped out 500 in-person events overnight and what it taught him about pressure and reinvention
• The full story behind the stalker who tried to destroy his reputation online, the toll it took on his mental health and family, and the eventual court case and conviction
• His strong views on benefits, work, pride and “emotional poverty” after years spent on both sides of the system
• Why he believes real success is contentment, not cars, logos or likes, and how that shapes his new venture, Motivational Business Network
• The one question he wants every listener to ask when life hits hard: “What would the best version of me do?”

If you are building a business, rebuilding a life, or just need a straight-talking reminder that you can start again, this conversation will help.

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👉 Connect with Brad Burton on social media and find out more about his work.
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