From the Army to the Stage: A Journey of Recovery, Identity and Transformation

In this episode of Hidden in Plain Sight, I sit down with the wonderful Steve Mitchell for an open and honest conversation about life, identity, recovery and personal transformation.

Steve has lived many lives. From serving in the Army to becoming the frontman of a band, he has experienced life through many different roles. He is a husband, father, grandfather, author, mindset coach and mentor, but behind those titles is a man with a powerful story to share.

Throughout our conversation, Steve reflects on his personal relationship with alcohol, his experiences with substance use and his journey into recovery. He speaks openly about the impact these experiences have had on his life, the challenges he has faced and the changes he has made along the way.

We also explore neurodiversity, the importance of understanding ourselves, and how our experiences can shape our identity, behaviour and relationships.

Now in his fifties, Steve shares how he has transformed himself both physically and mentally, and how his own journey has inspired him to support others through his work as a mindset coach, mentor and author.

This is a conversation about much more than recovery. It's about self-discovery, personal growth and recognising that, regardless of our age or past experiences, we can continue to evolve, challenge ourselves and create a life that feels meaningful to us.

Because sometimes the greatest transformation isn't about becoming someone new. It's about discovering who you truly are.

This episode contains discussions around alcohol, substance use, addiction, recovery, mental health and neurodiversity.

The views, opinions and experiences shared by Steve Mitchell are his own and reflect his personal journey. His experiences with alcohol and substances are individual to him and should not be interpreted as representative of everyone else's experiences.

The discussion around neurodiversity is based on personal experiences and perspectives and is not intended to provide a clinical assessment or diagnosis.

The content of this podcast is intended for general information, awareness and personal reflection. It does not constitute medical advice, psychological treatment or professional guidance.

If you are experiencing difficulties with alcohol, substance use or your mental health, please seek support from an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.

Please note: If you are physically dependent on alcohol, stopping suddenly can be dangerous. Seek medical advice before making changes to your alcohol consumption.

Hidden in Plain Sight – Real people. Real stories. Real conversations.

Hosted by Abi Sanders | Integrative Change Practitioner

🌐 www.abisanders.co.uk

📧 [email protected]

Perfect, Abi! ❤️ That's your YouTube channel link for Hidden in Plain Sight.

I'll use this one for your Steve Mitchell podcast posts and future episode announcements:

https://youtube.com/@abigailsanders_hips?si=7QVQUI-36xq2IUHv

EPISODE 9 | HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT

Chris Burton: In Conversation — Part Two | Losing Everything & The Diagnosis He Wishes He'd Had Years Ago

In Part One, Chris Burton took us through the earlier chapters of a life that would eventually see him build successful businesses and become a multimillionaire.

In Part Two, the story takes a very different turn.

Chris talks candidly about the breakdown of his marriage, losing the life and financial security he had worked to build, and the numerous court appearances and legal proceedings that became part of his world.

He shares his perspective on an extraordinarily turbulent period involving family, relationships, money, the justice system and the consequences of watching the life he knew unravel around him.

But Chris's story didn't end when he lost everything.

Years later came a diagnosis that caused him to look back at his entire life differently — and one he says he wishes he had received many years earlier.

What happens when the things you believed defined you disappear? And what happens when, years later, you finally receive an explanation for parts of yourself you never fully understood?

This is Part Two of my conversation with Chris Burton, author of Target: Be Careful What You Wish For.

📖 READ THE BOOK

Chris's memoir, Target: Be Careful What You Wish For, is available to purchase online. Search for "Target – Chris Burton" through major online booksellers to find the book and read Chris's story in greater detail.

⚠️ CONTENT WARNING

This episode contains discussion of addiction, alcohol and drug use, alleged abuse, marriage and family breakdown, infidelity, financial loss, legal proceedings and family court matters. Some listeners may find these subjects distressing.

DISCLAIMER

This episode contains Chris Burton's personal recollections, experiences, opinions and interpretation of events. References to other individuals, relationships, allegations and legal or court proceedings are presented from Chris's perspective and should not be understood as independently verified statements of fact.

The purpose of this conversation is to allow Chris to discuss his own experiences and story in his own words. Inclusion within Hidden in Plain Sight does not constitute endorsement or independent verification of any allegation or disputed account discussed during the episode.

EPISODE 8 | HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT

Chris Burton — Part One: From Millions to Losing Everything

Chris Burton is the author of Target, a memoir chronicling a life filled with extraordinary highs, devastating lows and more than a few unexpected twists.

At one point, Chris had built successful businesses, made millions and was living a life that, from the outside, looked like success.

Then everything changed.

In Part One of our conversation, we go back to the beginning. Chris talks about his early life, the experiences that shaped him, his relationships, his drive to succeed and the journey that eventually took him from building considerable wealth to losing almost everything.

We also explore some of the more difficult chapters of his story — including addiction, family relationships, conflict, the breakdown of his marriage and his experiences within the legal and family court systems.

There are a lot of layers to Chris's story, and very little about it is straightforward. Whatever your background, there is likely to be something within this conversation that makes you think about success, identity, relationships, resilience and just how quickly a life can change.

And this is only Part One.

📖 READ CHRIS'S STORY

Chris Burton's book, Target: Be Careful What You Wish For, is available to buy now in paperback and eBook formats from major online booksellers.

Search "Target – Chris Burton" or use ISBN 9781036989804 to find the paperback.

Target tells Chris's story in greater depth — from his early life and search for belonging, through extraordinary financial success, family relationships, addiction, betrayal, legal battles and ultimately the loss of the life he had built.

CONTENT WARNING This episode contains discussion of addiction, alcohol and drug use, abuse, relationship and family breakdown, infidelity, legal proceedings and family court matters. Some listeners may find these subjects distressing.

DISCLAIMER This conversation reflects Chris Burton's personal recollections, experiences, opinions and interpretation of events, as described by him and in his memoir Target. Where other individuals, relationships or legal matters are discussed, these represent Chris's account and should not be understood as independently verified statements of fact. The purpose of this conversation is to provide a platform for Chris to tell his story in his own words; it is not intended to determine the truth of disputed events or allegations.

What happens when you finally change the body you've spent years wanting to change… but your mind doesn't catch up?

In Part Two of my conversation with Rachel Flynn, we talk honestly about the reality of weight loss surgery — and why losing the weight didn't automatically mean losing the struggles that came with it.

Rachel shares what happened as her body changed dramatically, while her sense of identity struggled to keep pace.

We talk about body image, excess skin, expectations, confidence and the difficult realisation that changing what you see in the mirror doesn't necessarily change how you see yourself.

Because sometimes achieving the thing you thought would fix everything simply reveals another layer of the story.

🎙️ Rachel Flynn — Part Two Hidden in Plain Sight

Real people. Real stories. The things we don't always see.

#HiddenInPlainSight #WeightLossSurgery #BodyImage #Identity #RealStories

PART 1-What happens when you finally change your body — but realise that was never the whole story?

In this episode of Hidden in Plain Sight, I sit down with Rachel Flynn for an incredibly open conversation about weight loss, body image, identity, neurodiversity and learning who you are when the person staring back at you has completely changed.

Rachel shares her experience of having a gastric band, losing a significant amount of weight and later undergoing skin removal surgery.

But reaching the goal she had worked towards didn't suddenly make everything else fall into place.

We talk about the emotional reality of dramatic weight loss, the challenges that surfaced afterwards, and the process of having to rediscover who Rachel was without her weight defining so much of her identity.

Rachel also speaks openly about ADHD, rejection sensitivity and receiving a diagnosis later in life — and how finally understanding the way her brain worked helped her make sense of experiences she'd carried for years.

It's a conversation about the part of transformation we don't talk about enough.

Because changing what we see on the outside doesn't automatically heal what's happening underneath.

Hidden in Plain Sight — real people, real stories, and the things we don't always see.

🎥 Prefer to watch? Hidden in Plain Sight is also available on YouTube:

https://youtube.com/@abigailsanders_hips?si=yxS76p48LLJxLd7l

⚠️ Content note: This episode includes discussion of weight, weight-loss surgery, body image, eating behaviours, ADHD and mental health. Some listeners may find these subjects difficult or triggering.

James Roffey returns for Part Two of Hidden in Plain Sight.

In Part One, James shared his journey from professional football into anorexia and bulimia, and the devastating impact losing the future he'd imagined had on his identity.

But his story didn't end there.

In Part Two, our conversation moves into another chapter of James's life — relationships, infidelity, fertility struggles, injury and the emotional impact of experiencing setback after setback.

We talk openly about betrayal, loss, identity and what happens when the things you thought your life would be built around don't work out as planned.

And perhaps most importantly, we explore what it takes to keep rebuilding.

Because resilience isn't about never being knocked down. Sometimes it's simply about finding a way to get back up when life looks nothing like you thought it would.

Another honest, unfiltered conversation about the experiences we don't always see behind the person standing in front of us.

Hidden in Plain Sight — real people, real stories, and the things we don't always see.

🎥 Prefer to watch? Hidden in Plain Sight is also available on YouTube:

https://youtube.com/@abigailsanders_hips?si=yxS76p48LLJxLd7l

⚠️ Content note: This episode contains discussion of eating disorders, infertility, infidelity, relationship difficulties and mental health, which some listeners may find difficult or triggering.

What happens when the future you thought you had disappears overnight?

In Part One of Hidden in Plain Sight, I sit down with James Roffey for an open and honest conversation about identity, control, eating disorders and what happens when life suddenly takes you in a direction you never expected.

After being released from professional football at just 17, James found himself struggling with who he was without the identity that had shaped so much of his young life.

We talk about his subsequent battle with anorexia and bulimia, the realities behind what others could see on the outside, and the experiences that ultimately became part of his journey towards recovery and rebuilding his life.

This is a conversation about far more than an eating disorder. It's about identity, loss, control, resilience and finding yourself again when the life you imagined no longer exists.

Part Two coming soon.

⚠️ This episode contains discussion of eating disorders and mental health and may be difficult or triggering for some listeners.

If you or someone you know is struggling, please seek appropriate professional support.

Hidden in Plain Sight — real people, real stories, and the things we don't always see.

Welcome to Hidden in Plain Sight.

A series of honest, unfiltered conversations with people who have lived through some of life's most difficult challenges — from mental health struggles and eating disorders to body image, identity, addiction, loss and everything that can sit quietly beneath the surface.

These are conversations with people who have struggled, survived, rebuilt and come out the other side with a story worth telling.

Because we can look at someone and think we know who they are.

We see the body. The career. The confidence. The smile. The life they show the world.

But we don't always see what it took to get there.

Hidden in Plain Sight is about the story behind what we see.

Real people. Real experiences. Real conversations.

And a reminder that there is always more to somebody's story than meets the eye.

Prefer to watch? Hidden in Plain Sight is also available on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@abigailsanders_hips?si=yxS76p48LLJxLd7l

People often assumed I was confident.

I could walk into a room, hold a conversation and keep going, even when life felt incredibly difficult. But what looked like confidence on the outside was often survival on the inside.

In this episode, I explore the difference between confidence and self-esteem, why they're not the same thing, and how living in survival mode can shape the way we see ourselves. I also share parts of my own journey and why having choices—not just coping—is what truly helped me begin to build genuine self-worth.

If you've ever looked like you've got it all together while secretly struggling underneath, this episode is for you.

Because sometimes, the strongest people aren't the most confident... they're the ones who've simply learned how to survive.

fter a two-and-a-half-year break, I'm back.

So much has changed—not just in my life, but in the way I see people, behaviour and lasting change.

In this episode, I share where I've been, what I've learned, and why this podcast is evolving into something much bigger than my own sobriety story. We'll explore the psychology behind why we do what we do, covering topics like confidence, mental health, relationships, boundaries, body image, menopause, habits, identity and emotional wellbeing.

I'm now over four years alcohol-free, I've quit vaping, built a business helping people create lasting change, and discovered that understanding ourselves is where real transformation begins.

Whether you've been here since Series One or you're joining me for the first time, welcome. I'm so glad you're here.