The Success or Excuses Podcast

Rachael has never followed a straight path, and she’s never tried to.

From growing up in Leith and training as an opera singer to leading socially driven, creative work, her journey has been shaped by challenging expectations and doing things differently. Along the way, she learned the importance of focusing on strengths, using creativity for change, and what real leadership looks like.

In this episode of Success or Excuses, James ...

Paul Nicholas didn’t follow a straight path into his career; he figured it out along the way.

From struggling at school and finding himself stacking shelves in his early twenties, Paul shares how he moved into health and safety, built a 20+ year career in the industry, and eventually launched his own consultancy working with large organisations.

In this episode of Success or Excuses, James Fleming sits down with Paul Nicholas to e...

Kristian Melson always had an entrepreneurial instinct.

After early attempts at starting a football coaching business at 18, Kristian went on to build a career in operations across large organisations and smaller companies. Over time, he realised he enjoyed driving change, improving systems and helping businesses run more efficiently.

In this episode of Success or Excuses, James Fleming sits down with Kristian Melson, Founder and...

Ray Black didn’t plan a career in sales.

Growing up in the village of Sanquhar, Ray began his career studying print before moving into technical design. Working at a drawing table long before CAD existed, he started out designing packaging and production samples by hand. That early exposure to the industry eventually led him into packaging, sales and business development.

In this episode of Success or Excuses, James Fleming sits ...

Davie Sneddon didn’t begin his career in sales.

Growing up on the south side of Glasgow, Davie struggled at school and didn’t see himself as academic. He began his career with an engineering apprenticeship as a plant fitter before realising he wanted more from life than working in heavy engineering.

In this episode of Success or Excuses, James Fleming sits down with Davie Sneddon, Chief Commercial Officer and co-owner of Sales Ge...

Nicki Paterson’s career began in professional football.

After playing for around 20 years across Scotland, the UK and North America, Nicki’s journey eventually led him into the recruitment industry, where he has spent the last eight to nine years helping companies hire leaders and specialist talent across more than 60 countries.

In this episode of Success or Excuses, James Fleming sits down with Nicki Paterson from Solutions Driven...

Calum Stevens didn’t set out to build a career in pharmaceuticals; he fell into it.

After studying marine biology, Calum began working in a clinical environment before joining BDD, a Glasgow-based pharmaceutical company that started as a small university spin-out. Today, the business employs around 35 people and works with both innovative biotech’s and some of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies.

In this episode of Success...

Val Duguid didn’t plan to start a care company… she was trying to care for her mum.

An exercise physiologist and chronic illness specialist for over 20 years, Val built her career in complex rehabilitation. But when her mum suffered a near-fatal accident, breaking her pelvis, hip and arm, Val stepped away from her previous business and became a full-time carer.

In this episode of Success or Excuses, James Fleming sits down with Val...

Mark Glasgow didn’t grow up with much, but he always knew he was going to be a business owner.

A gas engineer by trade, Mark founded Edinburgh Boiler Company in 2015 with a simple objective: make boilers easy and deliver outstanding customer service. He spotted early opportunity in digital, hiring a web designer as his first employee and investing heavily in SEO, radio, TV and marketing to grow fast in a traditional trade sector.

I...

Brian Creegan didn’t plan to start his business during a global pandemic, he just happened to open on 1 March 2020.

An Irishman who grew up in South Africa before moving to Scotland, Brian built his early career in banking before unexpectedly moving into recruitment and working his way up to director level. Wanting to do things differently, he left to create his own business focused on training companies how to manage hiring themse...

Emma Ross didn’t leave because she was failing. She left while earning £140,000 a year.

After dropping out of university, Emma built her career in banking before moving into commercial finance at HSBC. Within three years she increased her income from £34,000 to £140,000, generating £500,000 net income for the company in her final year. Walking away from that security wasn’t easy.

In this episode of Success or Excuses, James Fleming...

Gavin Kirkwood didn’t fall into business ownership, he worked his way there. From starting out in call centres to becoming a top performer in national sales teams, Gavin built his career through consistency, resilience, and graft. After years working across fleet, rental, and asset finance for major organisations, he reached a familiar crossroads: stay comfortable, or back himself.

In this episode of Success or Excuses, James Flemi...

Kenneth Martin didn’t chase fast growth or flashy success, he built something that lasted. From discovering architecture at just 12 years old, to setting up his own practice earlier than most would dare, Kenny’s journey is one of graft, resilience, and staying true to professional standards even when the pressure was relentless. With Block Architects now over 21 years old, his story is a rare look at what it really takes to survive...

Cameron Young didn’t take the traditional route into business, but the lessons he learned along the way shaped everything that followed. From leaving school unsure of his direction, to helping grow a family wedding stationery business into a fast-scaling e-commerce operation, Cameron’s journey is built on learning by doing and putting in the unseen hours.

In this episode of Success or Excuses, James Fleming sits down with Cameron t...

Steve Young didn’t wait for certainty, he backed himself and learned on the job.

From leaving school early and working multiple jobs as a teenager, to selling TVs at Dixons, moving into fax machines and copiers, and building a long career in document management and process automation, Steve’s journey is one of graft, resilience, and refusing to live with regret. Buying his first flat at 18 and thriving in high-pressure sales roles,...

Anne Okafor didn’t follow a traditional route into construction. From leaving school at 16 and experiencing homelessness, to years spent in hospitality and retail, to taking a leap of faith back into education in her late twenties, Anne’s journey is built on courage, curiosity, and choosing to keep going.

In this episode of Success or Excuses, James Fleming sits down with Anne Okafor to explore the decisions that shaped her life a...

Shannon McKechnie didn’t wait for life to hand her the perfect plan, she built one step by step. From leaving school unsure of her path, to finding her competitive spark in a call centre, to rising quickly through Reed and Search, Shannon’s journey is one of graft, resilience, and choosing bravery even when it felt uncomfortable. 

In this episode of Success or Excuses, James Fleming sits down with Shannon to uncover the real story ...

Most people spend their late teens figuring life out. At 18, Niall McCabe was walking into £300,000 homes praying no one would answer the door because he was the estate agent selling the house, and somehow from that terrified first valuation to becoming one of the top-ranked agents in Europe, he’s built a career in an industry where nobody expected someone his age to last, never mind lead.

From leaving school at 16 because the clas...

Sathpal Singh didn’t follow a straight path, he built a career by embracing the twists, the turns, and the lessons that shaped him.

From starting out as a hands-on software developer to becoming a respected leader in product, agile delivery, community building, and tech leadership, Sathpal’s story is all about curiosity, reflection, and the courage to understand yourself before trying to lead anyone else.

In this episode of Success...