Before he could start his incredibly popular shoe empire, Steve Madden needed to overcome his own struggles with addiction. Inspired by the principles that guided his recovery — showing up, doing the next thing, acknowledging his mistakes — Steve built a business that would become known worldwide.

Throughout his life and career, Steve has recovered, relapsed, and recovered again; gone to prison; and came back with grit in spades. In our 13th episode of Heart of the Matter with Elizabeth Vargas, Steve reflects on the arc of his life, coming from a family with a history of substance use disorders, managing ADHD and, most importantly, learning to let go and to grow.

Heart of the Matter with Elizabeth Vargas is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and drugfree.org.

Thanks to generous donors, we’re able to provide support and resources, like this podcast, to families impacted by addiction, all free of charge. Please help us sustain our work by making your gift today. Donate now >>