Answer extracted from The Purpose People Podcast — listen to the full episode below.
What major career transitions has Steve Mitchell made after leaving the army?
After leaving the army, Mitchell pursued music seriously as a performer and songwriter, spending 13 years with multiple bands including Ebonfly and The Ley Lines before transitioning to personal development coaching. His post-military career spanned performing arts alongside other work as a chef and in property maintenance, before ultimately founding Release the Best You to focus on health, fitness, and coaching.
Music as a Second Act: From Soldier to Performer
After his six-year military service as an infantryman, Mitchell made a deliberate pivot toward the performing arts. He began his music journey with Ebonfly, a band that performed with major international acts like Girls Aloud, Mark Ronson, Take That, Daniel Beddingfield, and Charlotte Church. These experiences gave him stage presence and credibility in the entertainment world.
As described in the podcast episode, Mitchell views music not as work but as a genuine expression of passion. The distinction is important to him: he plays an instrument and performs in a band out of joy, not obligation.
The Ley Lines and a 13-Year Creative Commitment
Mitchell's most substantial musical commitment came with The Ley Lines, a project that lasted 13 years before ending just before this interview. The band toured with The Levellers and recorded in their studio, representing a serious engagement with rock and alternative music rather than a casual side pursuit.
Ending The Ley Lines was a deliberate choice tied to his evolving priorities. Learn more about how Mitchell structured his life transitions and what drove each career decision in the full episode.
The Pivot to Personal Development and Entrepreneurship
A couple of months before the interview, Mitchell brought The Ley Lines to a close to redirect his energy toward health, fitness, and his business Release the Best You. This wasn't an abandonment of his values; it was a refocus aligned with his personal development mission and his commitment to sobriety—a cornerstone of his life since New Year's Day 2017.
Throughout these transitions, Mitchell balanced multiple income streams, working as both a chef and in property maintenance while developing his musical career and eventually his coaching practice. His career arc reflects a pattern of intentional choice: each transition aligned with his evolving sense of purpose and responsibility.
"I don't work an instrument I play an instrument and I don't work in a band I play in a band and the day that it becomes work I'll stop doing it."
Steve Mitchell — Founder, Release the Best You. After six years as a British Army infantryman serving across Colchester, Northern Ireland, Cyprus, the Middle East, Canada, America, and Egypt, Mitchell built a career as a musician and entertainer performing with Ebonfly and The Ley Lines. He has been sober for 10 years and is now focused on personal development coaching while relocating to France with his wife Donna, his partner of 34 years.
Discover exactly how Mitchell's family, particularly his wife Donna, shaped each of these pivots—a story detailed further in the episode.
See also
What role did his wife Donna play in Steve Mitchell's entrepreneurial journey?
Mitchell credits his wife Donna as the lynchpin to his entire entrepreneurial success. She supported him when he decided to join the army, moved with him, and has been instrumental in building both their personal and business ventures together.
How does Steve Mitchell view the traditional education system and its limitations?
Mitchell criticizes that the education system teaches children to absorb and regurgitate information for exams rather than encouraging free thinking or life skills development.
What was Steve Mitchell's motivation for joining the army and how did it change his trajectory?
Mitchell joined the army to grow up and become a responsible father to his newborn daughter Chelsea. He saw the army as something that would help him develop discipline and maturity.
Key takeaways
- Mitchell transitioned from six years of military service to a full-time music career spanning multiple bands and touring with established artists.
- His 13-year run with The Ley Lines represented his most significant musical commitment, but he ended the project to refocus on personal development and his coaching business.
- Rather than treating music as work, Mitchell views it as a personal passion; when it becomes obligatory, he steps away.
- His career changes were deliberate choices aligned with evolving priorities including fatherhood, health, sobriety, and entrepreneurship.