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 Fleming sits down with Rachael to explore entrepreneurship, leadership and personal adversity. Rachael shares how teaching opera in prisons reshaped her understanding of potential and leadership, and how that experience still influences her work today with the Creative Entrepreneurs Club.

She speaks openly about running a business through the pandemic, growing a community from hundreds to thousands, and making tough decisions around values and relationships. She also shares the reality of being diagnosed with breast cancer, navigating surgery and recovery, and continuing to lead through it all.

James brings his own experiences into the conversation, reflecting on the pressures of business ownership and the unseen challenges leaders face.

The episode also explores Rachael’s move into stand-up comedy, using humour to process her journey and connect with others, alongside her evolving perspective on leadership, vulnerability and purpose.

Key moments include: ✔️ Growing up in Leith and pursuing opera ✔️ Teaching opera in prisons and leadership lessons ✔️ Building the Creative Entrepreneurs Club ✔️ Navigating the pandemic in business ✔️ Breast cancer diagnosis and recovery ✔️ Leadership through adversity ✔️ Moving into stand-up comedy ✔️ Rachael’s three pieces of advice: listen, back yourself, and accept that it’s okay not to be okay

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 Racheal Arnold

LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachaeloarnold/

Website → https://www.creativeentrepreneursclub.co.uk/

Timestamps

[00:00] Introduction to Rachael [00:00:56] Rachael’s background and creative journey [00:03:10] Teaching opera in prisons and leadership lessons [00:06:40] Using creativity for social change [00:09:20] The pandemic and business challenges [00:10:50] Building the Creative Entrepreneurs Club [00:14:20] Values, relationships and tough decisions [00:15:40] Cancer diagnosis and discovery [00:20:00] Surgery and facing mortality [00:33:20] Divorce, family changes and personal challenges [00:35:50] Surgery recovery and returning to work [00:44:10] Radiotherapy and rebuilding routine [00:45:30] Moving into stand-up comedy [00:49:20] Vulnerability, leadership and public response [00:52:20] What great leadership really means [01:00:00] Future plans and purpose [01:08:10] Rachael’s three pieces of advice

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 explore career pivots, mindset and fulfilment. Paul talks about the role mentorship played in shaping his journey, his experience working in the Middle East, and why chasing money and titles didn’t bring the fulfilment he expected.

Paul also shares how boredom and curiosity led him into acting, from amateur theatre to landing a role in a Netflix film, and why having something outside of business is important. The conversation dives into mindset, self-reflection and the impact of thought patterns on success, as well as the importance of learning from mistakes.

James brings his own perspective into the discussion, sharing insights on mindset, subconscious thinking and why changing the internal narrative is key to changing results.

Key moments include: ✔️ Struggling at school and early career uncertainty ✔️ Moving into health and safety and building a long-term career ✔️ The impact of mentorship and learning from others ✔️ Working in the Middle East and chasing money and titles ✔️ Starting a consultancy business ✔️ Getting into acting and landing a Netflix role ✔️ The importance of having interests outside of work ✔️ Mindset, self-reflection and learning from mistakes ✔️ Subconscious thinking and how it shapes outcomes ✔️ Paul’s three pieces of advice: spirituality, choosing the right partner, and building a strong network

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 Paul Nicholas LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-nicholas-ba-msc-59248825/

Timestamps [00:00] Introduction to Paul Nicholas [00:01:10] Early life, school struggles and first jobs [00:03:30] Getting into health and safety [00:06:00] Building a long-term career in the industry [00:09:20] The impact of mentorship and learning from others [00:13:40] Working in the Middle East and chasing money [00:18:10] Realising money and titles didn’t bring fulfilment [00:22:30] Starting his own consultancy [00:27:00] Boredom, curiosity and getting into acting [00:31:20] Landing a role in a Netflix film [00:35:10] Having something outside of business [00:38:40] Mindset, self-reflection and learning from mistakes [00:44:00] Subconscious thinking and behaviour patterns [00:50:10] Three pieces of advice for life and business [00:55:00] Closing thoughts and reflections

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 Director of Ops Obsessed, an operations consultancy focused on improving efficiency and continuous improvement within businesses.

Kristian shares his journey from working in major companies like Ladbrokes and Betfair to building his own consultancy. He explains why operations leaders should aim to make themselves redundant by building strong teams and systems, and how good leadership is about empowering people rather than solving every problem yourself.

James and Kristian also discuss the importance of process, automation and operational structure when scaling a business. They explore why many companies underestimate operations, the challenges of implementing change inside organisations, and how getting team buy-in is critical for long-term success.

Key moments: ✔️ Kristian’s background in operations and starting Ops Obsessed ✔️ Moving from corporate roles into consultancy ✔️ Why great operations leaders build teams that don’t rely on them ✔️ Leadership lessons on empowering people and asking the right questions ✔️ Why many companies undervalue operations ✔️ The role of systems, automation and process in scaling businesses ✔️ Getting team buy-in when implementing change ✔️ Leadership influences and lessons from past managers ✔️ Kristian’s three pieces of advice for 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 Kristian Melson:

LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristianmelson/

Website → https://www.linkedin.com/company/opsessed/

Timestamps [00:00] Introduction to Kristian Melson [00:00:50] Kristian’s background and founding Ops Obsessed [00:03:00] Early entrepreneurial attempts and career in operations [00:07:00] What makes a great operations leader [00:12:00] Leadership, empowerment and developing teams [00:18:00] The biggest operational challenges businesses face [00:21:00] Systems, processes and scaling companies [00:27:00] Technology, automation and operational efficiency [00:27:30] Influential leaders and management lessons [00:32:00] Why companies seek operational support [00:33:00] Getting team buy-in when implementing change [00:37:00] Kristian’s three pieces of advice for business and life [00:41:50] Where to connect with Kristian

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 down with Ray Black, Managing Partner of Think Partnership, to talk about Ray’s career journey and what he has learned from more than 30 years in the packaging and sales industry.

Ray shares how he moved from design into packaging sales after watching sales representatives visiting the business and realising he could do the same. He explains how his career progressed through roles in production and packaging companies before eventually becoming a Sales Director after decades in the industry.

Together, they explore the realities of modern sales, the role of process and discipline, and why strong relationships remain at the heart of successful business development.

Key moments: ✔️ Ray growing up in Sanquhar and his early background ✔️ Studying print and starting out in technical design ✔️ Designing packaging before CAD technology ✔️ Moving from design into the packaging industry ✔️ Building a 36-year career in packaging ✔️ Progressing through sales roles and becoming Sales Director ✔️ Ray’s view on what makes a great salesperson ✔️ Why trust and relationship-based selling matter ✔️ The importance of work ethic in sales ✔️ Planning questions and preparing for client meetings

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 Ray Black

LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/rayblackuk/

Timestamps [00:00] Introduction to Ray Black [00:00:40] James welcomes Ray to the podcast [00:00:59] Ray shares his background growing up in Sanquhar [00:02:00] Studying print and starting in technical design [00:02:28] Designing packaging before CAD [00:03:00] Moving into the packaging industry [00:04:40] Ray’s long career in packaging and sales [00:05:00] Becoming a Sales Director [00:05:10] Ray’s view on what makes a great salesperson [00:07:00] Relationship-based selling and trust [00:08:00] Work ethic and sales process [00:09:00] James and Ray discuss preparing questions for sales meetings

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 Geek Scotland, to explore the mindset, lessons and experiences that shaped his career.

Davie shares how martial arts helped him develop discipline and focus, how his first exposure to sales while working abroad ignited his competitive drive, and how he progressed into senior leadership roles in major global companies including Würth, Brammer and Snap-on Tools.

The conversation explores Davie’s journey into franchising with Sales Geek, how he partnered with another franchise owner to build Sales Geek Scotland eventually becoming co-owner of Sales Geek Scotland, and why strong relationships, trust and honesty are the real foundations of successful sales.

Key moments: ✔️ Davie’s early life in Glasgow and leaving school unsure of his path ✔️ Starting an engineering apprenticeship and realising he wanted more ✔️ Discovering discipline and focus through martial arts ✔️ First exposure to sales while working abroad ✔️ Progressing into leadership roles with Würth and Brammer ✔️ Managing redundancies during a major business downturn ✔️ Leaving a corporate leadership role to prioritise family life ✔️ Becoming a franchise owner with Sales Geek ✔️ Partnering with another franchisee to launch Sales Geek Scotland ✔️ Why sales is about relationships, trust and listening ✔️ Skillset, mindset and goal set as Davie’s three principles for success 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 Davie Sneddon LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/davie-sneddon-l-isp-b5990045/

Company Website → https://www.salesgeekscotland.co.uk/

Timestamps [00:00] Introduction to Davie Sneddon [00:01:10] What Sales Geek is and how the business operates [00:04:30] Growing up in Glasgow and struggling at school [00:05:20] Engineering apprenticeship and early career [00:06:00] Martial arts and developing discipline and focus [00:07:10] First experience in sales while working abroad [00:07:50] Career progression with Würth and leadership training [00:08:40] Senior leadership roles and managing large teams [00:09:10] Business downturn and the reality of making redundancies [00:15:00] Leaving corporate leadership to focus on family [00:16:30] Starting a Snap-on franchise and self-employment [00:17:00] Joining Sales Geek and building the business [00:19:50] Why sales is about relationships, trust and listening [00:27:50] What makes a strong sales leader [00:33:00] Franchising and launching Sales Geek Scotland [00:47:00] The role of mindset in business success [00:50:30] Davie’s three principles: skillset, mindset and goal set

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 to explore how lessons from sport translate into leadership and business. Nicki shares his early football journey, from being picked up by Motherwell at a young age to playing first team football at Hamilton and eventually moving to the United States on a football scholarship.

Nicki talks about the mindset required to take opportunities, the discipline needed to succeed in professional sport and how those same traits now shape his career in recruitment. He also reflects on the impact of mentorship, hard work and learning from failure.

The conversation explores leadership in both sport and business, the challenge of hiring the right people, and why self-awareness, alignment and clear communication are essential for high-performing teams.

Key moments include:

✔️ Nicki’s journey from professional football into recruitment ✔️ Being picked up by Motherwell and playing at Hamilton ✔️ Moving to the United States on a football scholarship ✔️ Lessons from sport that translate into business leadership ✔️ The role of mentorship, discipline and hard work ✔️ Leadership, communication and building aligned teams ✔️ Why leaders can become the bottleneck in a business ✔️ Hiring great salespeople and recruitment challenges ✔️ Recruitment across global markets and international experience ✔️ Nicki’s three pieces of advice for 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 Nicki Paterson:

LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickisolutionsdriven/

Company Website → https://solutionsdriven.com/

Timestamps

[00:00] Introduction to Nicki Paterson [00:00:50] Nicki’s background and football career [00:02:20] Being picked up by Motherwell and playing for Hamilton [00:04:40] Moving to the United States on a football scholarship [00:06:30] Opportunity mindset and taking risks [00:08:40] Discipline, mentorship and obsession with improvement [00:17:20] Leadership lessons from sport and business [00:18:10] What makes a great leader [00:24:10] Coaching teams and building accountability [00:26:40] Why leaders burn out and become bottlenecks [00:30:00] Recruitment challenges and hiring great salespeople [00:33:10] The value of international experience [00:35:00] Advice for business and leadership [00:40:20] Nicki on Solutions Driven and recruitment philosophy [00:44:40] Closing remarks

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 or Excuses, James Fleming sits down with Calum Stevens, Commercial Director at BDD, to explore growth, culture and taking action. Calum shares how he stepped away to launch a boat repair and servicing business on Loch Lomond, why he returned under the leadership of CEO Carol, and how he moved from clinical trial assistant into sales, marketing and commercial leadership.

Calum speaks openly about scaling a niche pharmaceutical company in Scotland, recruiting highly specialised scientists who can also sell, navigating long decision-making processes with global pharma, and the challenge of maintaining culture as a business grows. He also reflects on networking, fatherhood and why overplanning can stop great ideas from ever getting off the ground.

James brings his own experience into the discussion, sharing lessons on leadership, accountability, buy-in and building belief before driving change.

Key moments include: ✔️ Starting in a small university spin-out ✔️ Launching and exiting a boat repair business ✔️ Growing into Commercial Director at BDD ✔️ Recruiting niche scientific and business development talent ✔️ Managing culture as a company scales ✔️ Working with biotechs and global pharma ✔️ The danger of overplanning ✔️ The power of networking and meeting people in person ✔️ Leadership lessons from fatherhood ✔️ Calum’s three pieces of advice: leap, build your network, don’t take life too seriously

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 Calum Stevens: LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/calumstevens/

Company LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/drug-delivery-international-ltd/

Company Website → https://www.bddpharma.com/

Timestamps [00:00] Introduction to Calum Stevens [00:00:52] Calum’s role and BDD’s origins as a university spin-out [00:02:00] Launching a boat repair business on Loch Lomond [00:03:00] Recruiting niche scientific and sales talent [00:04:30] The challenge of scaling culture [00:07:00] Biotech’s vs global pharma and long decision cycles [00:22:10] Returning to BDD under new leadership [00:25:00] Moving into sales, marketing and commercial leadership [00:37:10] Leadership lessons from parenting [00:45:10] Three pieces of advice for business and life [00:54:00] LinkedIn, networking and closing remarks

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 Duguid, founder of Bentley’s Home Care, to explore how a personal crisis became a business. Val shares the six weeks spent in hospital, the breakdown of relationships, the struggle to find appropriate care, and the moment she broke down trying to manage a wheelchair and four bags of shopping. That was the turning point. If the service she needed didn’t exist, she would build it

Val explains how Bentley’s began with a befriending service while waiting for a Care Inspectorate licence, how trust and local reputation helped it grow, and why she leads without rigid hierarchies, focusing instead on accountability, ownership and empowering experienced carers.

James brings his own experience of business ownership into the conversation, unpacking the loneliness of leadership, responsibility for staff, and the mindset required to lead without excuses

Key moments include: ✔️ Val’s 20+ years in complex rehabilitation ✔️ Her mum’s near-fatal accident and six weeks in hospital ✔️ Leaving her previous business to become a full-time carer ✔️ The struggle to find regulated, suitable care support ✔️ Interviewing individual carers and discovering gaps in regulation ✔️ The emotional breaking point with the shopping incident ✔️ Starting Bentley’s with a befriending service ✔️ Building through trust, referrals and reputation ✔️ Empowering carers to phone doctors and take ownership ✔️ Leadership as integrity, accountability and no excuses ✔️ A five- and ten-year vision to expand across Scotland and beyond

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 Val Duguid: Website → https://www.bentleyshomecare.com/ Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/valerie.duguid.1 LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/valerie-duguid-69426838/

Timestamps [00:00] James introduces Val Duguid [00:01:00] Val’s background in rehabilitation [00:01:18] Her mum’s accident and life changing overnight [00:03:45] Starting Bentley’s and the befriending model [00:13:15] Hospital experience and personal impact [00:18:00] The wheelchair and shopping breaking point [00:22:15] Interviewing carers and regulatory challenges [00:29:15] Empowering staff and building culture [00:38:30] Vision for expansion across Scotland [00:42:30] Leadership, integrity and no excuses [00:45:45] Val’s top three pieces of advice [End] James closes the episode