Debbie Airey’s career has been anything but ordinary.

From starting out in telesales to becoming the youngest team leader in the country at Vodafone, Debbie built her career through hard graft, curiosity and a willingness to throw herself into new environments.

In this episode of Success or Excuses, James Fleming sits down with Debbie Airey to explore her journey through sales, leadership, industrial sectors and STEM. Debbie shares how her early experience taught her how to read people, communicate with confidence and develop others through coaching and mentoring.

She also opens up about the darker side of her career, including discrimination, harassment and the behaviours she has seen across different industries. These experiences led her to create Kicking the Door Down, a podcast and platform designed to give people space to talk openly, educate others and support women in STEM and beyond.

James brings his own perspective into the conversation, sharing what he has seen through leadership development, women in construction, male allyship and why real change needs to focus on mindset and behaviour, not just tick-box training.

Key moments include: ✔️ Starting out in telesales and learning how to read the room ✔️ Becoming the youngest team leader in the country at Vodafone ✔️ Moving into industrial sectors and finding a love for engineering environments ✔️ Facing discrimination and harassment throughout her career ✔️ Why silence and lack of support keep bad behaviour alive ✔️ Creating Kicking the Door Down for women in STEM ✔️ Opening conversations around male allyship, menopause and workplace culture ✔️ The problem with tick-box corporate training ✔️ Why core values and boundaries come before authenticity ✔️ Being unapologetically yourself in business and life

Follow James Fleming LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesflemingtpwtd/ Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/successorexcusespodcast YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@SuccessorExcusesPodcast Website → https://thepowerwithintraining.com/

Follow Debbie Airey Podcast → ‘Kicking the Door Down; by Deb Airey on Spotify and Apple LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbie-airey-43026110/

Company LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/safe-monitoring-group/

Timestamps [00:00] Introduction to Debbie Airey [00:01:00] Debbie’s background and early career in telesales [00:03:10] Learning sales, communication and how to read the room [00:05:20] Working in a traditional office and logistics environment [00:07:00] Moving into Vodafone and becoming a team leader [00:08:00] Developing coaching, mentoring and recruitment skills [00:10:00] Moving into industrial sectors and gas [00:11:00] Recognising discrimination and harassment in the workplace [00:14:10] Why Debbie started Kicking the Door Down [00:16:00] Creating a safe space for women in STEM and beyond [00:18:40] James reflects on women in leadership and construction [00:20:00] Workplace harassment, support and accountability [00:23:00] Conversations that changed Debbie’s perspective [00:28:40] James shares what he has learned from women in leadership [00:30:40] Debbie on being judged differently as a woman at work [00:34:20] Why some men react defensively to being challenged [00:37:40] The problem with tick-box corporate training [00:40:40] James on mindset, behaviour and lasting change [00:41:50] Debbie’s top three pieces of advice [00:46:10] Where to find Debbie and Kicking the Door Down

Bob Keiller’s career has taken him from engineering and the energy industry to leading, buying, growing and selling businesses.

In this episode of Success or Excuses, James Fleming sits down with Bob Keiller to explore leadership, culture, communication and the power of storytelling. Bob shares how he moved from corporate life into leading a business, the brave decision to offer to buy part of Halliburton, and how storytelling helped him secure support and funding.

He also speaks about building a business where values weren’t just words on a wall, but the foundation for decision-making, culture and growth. From turning down work that didn’t fit their values to helping save Glen Craft in Aberdeen, Bob explains how culture became a real business differentiator.

James brings his own perspective into the conversation, sharing how storytelling has shaped the way he communicates leadership, mindset and belief through The Power Within Training.

Key moments include: ✔️ Bob’s journey from art and engineering into business leadership ✔️ Moving from corporate life into running his own business ✔️ The “boat underwater” strategy presentation ✔️ Offering to buy part of Halliburton ✔️ Raising funding through storytelling ✔️ Building a business around core values and culture ✔️ Turning down work when it didn’t align with their values ✔️ How culture helped grow the value of the business ✔️ The role of storytelling in leadership and communication ✔️ Bob’s work helping charities, entrepreneurs and Aberdeen city centre ✔️ Advice on being prepared, communicating clearly and creating culture

Follow James Fleming LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesflemingtpwtd/ Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/successorexcusespodcast YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@SuccessorExcusesPodcast Website → https://thepowerwithintraining.com/

Follow Bob Keiller LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobkeiller/

Website→ https://www.ourunionstreet.com/

Timestamps [00:00] Introduction to Bob Keiller [00:00:57] Bob’s background in art, engineering and energy [00:03:30] Moving into a managing director role within Halliburton [00:05:30] The “boat underwater” strategy presentation [00:07:30] Deciding to offer to buy the business [00:11:10] Raising funding through the Scots pine story [00:13:00] Creating the new business in 2006 [00:14:10] Choosing culture as the business differentiator [00:14:40] Building the DNA and core values of the business [00:16:30] Turning down work that didn’t align with the values [00:17:20] Finding a better solution for a client [00:19:40] How culture helped double the value of the business [00:21:00] James on values, vision and living the culture [00:22:20] Bob on communication and setting conditions for success [00:24:20] Community impact through Bangladesh and Glen Craft [00:27:10] James on the power of stories in leadership [00:28:00] Bob’s journey into corporate storytelling [00:30:40] The storytelling template Bob now teaches [00:33:20] Bob’s current work with business leaders and entrepreneurs [00:34:10] Our Union Street and changing the story of Aberdeen city centre [00:36:30] Bob’s top three pieces of advice [00:40:30] Closing thoughts and where to connect with Bob

James Ashford always wanted to be an entrepreneur, but the journey wasn’t a straight line.

After trying different businesses, taking on different jobs and learning from other entrepreneurs, James eventually found his way into the accounting industry. He built a piece of software, bootstrapped the business with no investment, and within five years sold it for an eight-figure sum.

In this episode of Success or Excuses, James Fleming sits down with James Ashford to explore entrepreneurship, mindset and what it really takes to scale a business. James Ashford shares how his early belief around business and freedom shaped his journey, why software became the route he took, and how solving sales problems became the foundation of his business.

He also speaks about belief systems, coachability, setting goals beyond your current capability, and why business owners often need to look deeper than strategy when they hit a sticking point. Alongside that, James Ashford reflects on health, relationships, self-awareness and the importance of building success across every area of life.

James Fleming brings his own perspective into the conversation, sharing his thoughts on mindset, goal setting, coaching, relationships, health and what it takes to stay at the top of your game.

Key moments include: ✔️ James Ashford’s early desire to become an entrepreneur ✔️ Trying different businesses before finding the right path ✔️ Building software for the accounting industry ✔️ Bootstrapping the business with no investment ✔️ Selling the software business for an eight-figure sum ✔️ Why sales problems sit at the heart of many business challenges ✔️ Mindset, belief systems and business foundations ✔️ The question business owners should ask when they hit a sticking point ✔️ What makes someone coachable ✔️ Committing fully to a goal ✔️ Why health and fitness matter in business and life ✔️ James Ashford’s top advice on accountability, learning and self-awareness ✔️ His book, Scale Strong Exit Big

Follow James Fleming LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesflemingtpwtd/ Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/successorexcusespodcast YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@SuccessorExcusesPodcast Website → https://thepowerwithintraining.com/

Follow James Ashford LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesashford/ Website → https://jamesashford.com/

Timestamps [00:00] Introduction to James Ashford [00:00:54] James Ashford’s early desire to become an entrepreneur [00:01:30] Trying different businesses and learning from others [00:01:50] Building software in the accounting industry [00:02:00] Bootstrapping the business and selling it for an eight-figure sum [00:02:31] Why James Ashford moved into software [00:03:10] Solving sales problems inside businesses [00:05:30] James Fleming on entrepreneurial mindset and vision [00:06:06] Belief systems as the foundation of business growth [00:10:16] Hitting sticking points in business [00:11:20] Asking “who do I now need to be?” [00:13:16] Coachability and being open to difficult conversations [00:17:28] James Ashford’s entrepreneurial mindset and early commitment [00:19:50] Burning the safety net and going all in [00:20:30] Setting goals beyond current capability [00:23:18] James Fleming on dominant thoughts, goals and action [00:25:10] Achieving the goal and realising it’s about the climb [00:27:45] Building a complete game across life and business [00:28:00] James Fleming on relationships, health and feeding your mind [00:29:57] Why health comes first [00:32:52] James Ashford’s top three pieces of advice [00:38:05] James Ashford’s book, Scale Strong Exit Big [00:42:02] Where to connect with James Ashford [00:42:56] Closing thoughts

Dr John Demartini was told as a child that he would never read, write or communicate effectively.

After struggling with dyslexia and leaving home at 13, John spent his teenage years travelling and living as a street kid before a chance encounter with health educator Paul C. Bragg inspired him to change the direction of his life. That moment sparked a lifelong commitment to learning, teaching and understanding human behaviour.

In this episode of Success or Excuses, James Fleming sits down with Dr John Demartini to discuss values, purpose, leadership and human potential. John shares how he overcame early challenges, why people thrive when they align their lives with their highest priorities, and the principles that have guided more than five decades of research and teaching.

James also reflects on his own experience with dyslexia, self-belief and leadership, exploring the mindset shifts that helped shape his journey. Together, they discuss personal growth, prioritisation, intrinsic motivation, overcoming setbacks and what it takes to create a meaningful and purposeful life.

Key moments include:

✔️ Being told he would never read, write or communicate effectively ✔️ Leaving home at 13 and living as a street kid ✔️ The life-changing influence of Paul C. Bragg ✔️ Memorising 20,000 words to overcome learning difficulties ✔️ Speaking in 174 countries and dedicating his life to teaching ✔️ Understanding the difference between authentic values and external expectations ✔️ Why people excel when they align with their highest priorities ✔️ The seven questions John uses to help people identify meaningful goals ✔️ James' personal story of dyslexia and finding his own way of learning ✔️ Prioritisation, delegation and focusing on high-value activities ✔️ The lessons behind manifestation and taking purposeful action ✔️ Why challenges create growth and leadership ✔️ The difference between external motivation and intrinsic drive ✔️ Navigating setbacks, brick walls and self-doubt ✔️ The importance of measuring progress and refining daily actions ✔️ Health, energy, longevity and living in alignment with purpose

Follow James Fleming LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesflemingtpwtd/ Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/successorexcusespodcast YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@SuccessorExcusesPodcast Website → https://thepowerwithintraining.com/

Follow Dr John Demartini Website → https://drdemartini.com/ Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/drjohndemartini/ LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/drjohndemartini/

Timestamps

[00:00] Introduction to Dr John Demartini [01:15] John's mission and life’s work [02:40] Why values determine achievement and fulfilment [04:30] The seven questions for identifying meaningful goals [06:00] Authentic values versus external expectations [08:00] Understanding what truly drives behaviour [11:00] James on work, purpose and finding flow [13:20] John's childhood challenges and learning difficulties [15:00] Leaving home and living as a street kid [15:40] The moment that changed John's life [17:00] Overcoming dyslexia and learning to study [19:00] James shares his own dyslexia journey [21:30] High-priority actions and measuring progress [23:20] Advice from Mary Kay Ash on prioritisation [25:20] The Secret, manifestation and purposeful action [29:00] Leadership, empowerment and personal responsibility [30:20] The fulfilment that comes from impacting others [34:00] Mastering the seven areas of life [36:40] Challenges, growth and leadership [39:40] Why intrinsic motivation matters [41:00] Dealing with setbacks and hitting a brick wall [44:40] John's top advice for life and business [47:40] Health, energy and longevity [50:45] Final thoughts and closing remarks

Carol Jackson knows exactly what it feels like to leave the comfort of a successful career and step into the chaos of building something from scratch.

After years in the corporate world, Carol reached a point where she knew something had to change. What started as a side hustle became ELJ Drinks, an award-winning boutique Scottish spirits company with a range of gins and a Honey Spiced Rum.

In this episode of Success or Excuses, James Fleming sits down with Carol Jackson to talk about corporate burnout, expensive mistakes, COVID pivots, building a product-based business and learning as you go.

Carol shares how ELJ Drinks began with a ready-to-drink gin cocktail range, why early decisions led to stock being poured down the sink, and how the business adapted when hospitality shut down overnight.

She also talks about moving online, running virtual gin experiences for charities, building community through Cocktails with Carol, crowdfunding her lemon gin, and launching Honey Spiced Rum using honey from her own bees in Blythswood Square.

James adds his own experience throughout, reflecting on the early struggles of building a business, the pressure of COVID, the importance of mindset, and why business ownership is one of the hardest but best things he has ever done.

Key moments include: ✔️ Leaving the corporate world after burnout ✔️ Starting ELJ Drinks as a side hustle ✔️ Early product mistakes and expensive lessons ✔️ Building a Scottish spirits brand ✔️ Pivoting during COVID and growing online ✔️ Virtual gin experiences and Cocktails with Carol ✔️ Crowdfunding the lemon gin launch ✔️ Moving from gin into Honey Spiced Rum ✔️ The story behind Carol’s bees and Scottish honey ✔️ Being a female entrepreneur and business owner ✔️ Carol’s three pieces of advice: get out your head, find your tribe, don’t seek perfection

Follow James Fleming: LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesflemingtpwtd/ Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/successorexcusespodcast YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@SuccessorExcusesPodcast Website → https://thepowerwithintraining.com/

Follow Carol Jackson: LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/carol-jackson-ellisgin/ Company Website → https://ellisgin.com/

Timestamps [00:00] Introduction to Carol Jackson [00:01:00] Carol’s background and ELJ Drinks [00:02:00] Starting the business as a side hustle [00:03:00] Launching the ready-to-drink gin cocktail range [00:04:00] Early mistakes and expensive lessons [00:06:00] Leaving the corporate world after burnout [00:08:00] Creating colour-changing gins [00:09:00] Launching pink shimmer gin [00:10:30] COVID and the impact on hospitality [00:11:00] Moving online and partnering with charities [00:12:00] Cocktails with Carol and building community [00:12:40] Crowdfunding the lemon gin launch [00:13:40] James reflects on his own COVID pivot [00:16:30] Gifting, online growth and coming out of COVID [00:18:30] Reacting to change and rebuilding the business [00:20:00] The gin market changing [00:22:00] Moving into rum [00:25:30] The story behind Honey Spiced Rum [00:27:20] Carol’s bees and Scottish honey [00:28:30] Launching Honey Spiced Rum in 2024 [00:34:20] The hard reality of running a business [00:36:00] James shares the start of The Power Within Training [00:41:30] Wearing different hats as a business owner [00:43:00] Networking and finding the right people [00:49:30] Advice for anyone starting a business [00:53:40] Being a female entrepreneur [00:56:30] Recognition, House of Lords and Downing Street [00:58:50] Carol’s three pieces of advice [01:00:40] Closing thoughts

Mark Skinner didn’t wait for the “perfect time” to take the leap. He saw the opportunity, backed himself and built from there.

After starting out in sales with Keystone Valves in Glasgow he was there for about 8 years and was then asked to join John Bell Pipeline in Aberdeen. When the business came up for sale, Mark and his colleague Brian decided to buy it. With everything mortgaged and plenty on the line, they built the business into the largest independent of its type in the UK before eventually selling it.

In this episode of Success or Excuses, James Fleming sits down with Mark Skinner to explore buying, growing and selling a business, building an employee-centred culture, and learning to let go once a business is no longer yours.

Mark also shares the story behind Scots Bridge, which he set up with Don Wong to help Scottish and UK companies enter Southeast Asia with more structure, due diligence and realistic ambition. The conversation covers moving into new markets, the impact of COVID, and how unexpected opportunities in food and beverage helped the business evolve.

James adds his own experience throughout, reflecting on the fear of COVID hitting business overnight, the reality of running a business under pressure, and the mindset needed to keep finding a way forward.

Key moments include: ✔️ Mark’s early sales career and formative years at Keystone Valves ✔️ Buying John Bell Pipeline with belief, ambition and risk ✔️ Growing the business into the largest independent of its type in the UK ✔️ Planning the exit from the start ✔️ Building an employee-centred culture ✔️ Selling the business and learning to let go ✔️ Moving into Southeast Asia ✔️ Setting up Scots Bridge with Don Wong ✔️ Helping companies avoid wasted time, money and poor-fit partnerships ✔️ Moving from oil and gas into engineering and food and beverage ✔️ The impact of COVID and finding new opportunities ✔️ Mark’s three pieces of advice: be kind, have vision and goals, and make sure your product or service is different and scalable

Follow James Fleming: LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesflemingtpwtd/ Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/successorexcusespodcast YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@SuccessorExcusesPodcast Website → https://thepowerwithintraining.com/

Follow Mark Skinner: LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-skinner-4a78792a/

Website → https://www.scotsbridge.net/

Timestamps [00:00] Introduction to Mark Skinner [00:01:00] Mark’s background and early sales career [00:02:30] Joining John Bell Pipeline [00:03:00] Buying the business with Brian [00:03:45] Taking the risk and backing the opportunity [00:05:00] Growing the business into the largest independent of its type in the UK [00:06:30] Selling the business [00:07:00] Moving to a 10-acre site north of Aberdeen [00:07:50] Building an employee-centred culture [00:09:00] Staying involved after the sale [00:10:00] Letting go after selling your business [00:14:00] Looking at international opportunities [00:15:00] Focusing on Southeast Asia [00:16:30] Setting up Scots Bridge [00:17:45] The purpose behind Scots Bridge [00:19:20] Helping companies avoid wasted time and money [00:22:30] COVID and the impact on business [00:25:00] Finding opportunity after everything was paused [00:27:30] Moving into food and beverage [00:28:00] Helping a sour sweets company enter Southeast Asia [00:30:00] Working with Loch Ness Water [00:31:30] Understanding what sells in different markets [00:33:00] Learning across different sectors [00:34:00] James and Mark discuss entrepreneurial thinking [00:36:30] Young Enterprise, mentoring and giving back [00:38:00] Don’t be a spectator or passenger [00:39:00] Mark’s three pieces of advice [00:44:00] Closing thoughts