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From Addiction to Entrepreneurship | Steve Potter’s Journey to Building Bear Garden Rooms
Description
This powerful episode of Off The Job Podcast features Steve Potter, founder of Bear Garden Rooms, who opens up about his extraordinary journey from addiction and homelessness to becoming a successful business owner.
Steve shares raw, honest insights into his years battling alcohol and cocaine addiction, describing how it spiralled from weekend use into daily dependency: “I was functioning for a long time, but it was just turning me into somebody that I didn’t really know who I was.”
He talks about hitting rock bottom — living in his car, losing his family, and still unable to stop using: “I’m laying there and I’m still doing it… I’m completely and utterly powerless to this substance.”
But Steve’s story is ultimately one of transformation. Through Cocaine Anonymous, deep personal work, and rebuilding his life step by step, he found purpose, discipline, and a new identity. Today, he runs Bear Garden Rooms, an elite garden‑room construction company built on craftsmanship, integrity, and relentless self‑belief.
He explains how he rebuilt his business from nothing, the mindset shifts that changed everything, and why he now wakes up at 3:33am every day to stay ahead: “I know that everyone else I’m up against, they’re still asleep. I’ve already got two hours on you.”
Listeners will hear about:
- Overcoming addiction and rebuilding a life from scratch
- The power of the 12‑step recovery programme
- How trauma shaped Steve’s early life and addiction
- Starting Bear Garden Rooms with no money and no safety net
- The business lessons that helped him scale fast
- Why mindset, routine, and self‑belief are everything
- The importance of supportive relationships in recovery and business
This episode is raw, inspiring, and packed with lessons for anyone facing adversity, building a business, or looking to transform their life.
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⚠️ Warning: Contains adult humour and strong language. Tradesmen banter ahead.
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