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The Success or Excuses Podcast

The Success or Excuses Podcast

By: James Fleming
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 You can have success, or you can have excuses, but you can’t have both. This isn’t just another business podcast. This is for those who are done with the fluff, the motivational soundbites, and the sugar-coated stories. This is for the ones who want the real conversations about what it actually takes to succeed, no shortcuts, no excuses, just raw, unfiltered truth. James Fleming is a multi-seven-figure business owner who’s been in the trenches, built from the ground up, and knows first-hand the discipline, resilience, and mindset needed to make it happen. But this isn’t just about his story, he’s sitting down with the people who have really been through it. The self-made entrepreneurs, the industry disruptors, the ones who have had it all, lost it all, and fought their way back. Expect straight-talking interviews with high-level business leaders and extraordinary individuals who have mastered their mindset, faced failure head-on, and come out stronger. The kind of people who don’t just talk about success, they live it. No fluff. No sugar-coating. Just real conversations, real lessons, and the reality of what it takes to build something that lasts. If you’re ready to stop making excuses and start taking action, hit subscribe. Success or Excuses, you decide.Copyright 2025 All rights reserved. Economics Leadership Management & Leadership Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Terrified at His First Valuation, Now a Top Agent in Europe: Niall McCabe’s Success | Episode 41

    Terrified at His First Valuation, Now a Top Agent in Europe: Niall McCabe’s Success | Episode 41
    Jan 12 2026

    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 classroom never worked for him, to winging his way through early valuations, to navigating an industry dominated by people twice his age, Niall’s story is proof that graft, personality, and a bit of panic-driven resilience can take you further than anyone imagines.

    In this episode of Success or Excuses, James Fleming sits down with Niall to dig into the real journey behind his rise. The nerves, the graft, the pressure, the wins and the moments he thought he’d made the worst decision of his life.

    You’ll hear how he built a name for himself from scratch, how COVID nearly wiped everything out, how he rebuilt through pure consistency, and why treating clients like actual humans (and not transactions) has become his edge.

    This one is full of straight-up honesty, Scottish humour, and real-world lessons on building credibility long before you feel ready.

    Key moments include: ✔️ Leaving school at 16 and jumping straight into sales ✔️ Getting into estate agency young and why it terrified him ✔️ Winging early valuations and building confidence the hard way ✔️ The pressure, doubt, and loneliness of the early years ✔️ Why resilience and competitiveness carried him through ✔️ Going from self-employed to owning his own franchise ✔️ How small gestures make a massive difference to clients ✔️ COVID wiping out his pipeline overnight and how he rebuilt ✔️ Hitting top rankings across Scotland, the UK, and Europe ✔️ Inspiring the next generation at his old school ✔️ Niall’s top three pieces of advice for life and business

    Subscribe to Success or Excuses For more straight-talking conversations with people who’ve built something real, pushed through the messy bits, and kept going even when it felt impossible.

    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 Niall McCabe: LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/niall-mccabe-492040183/ Company LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/re-max-scotland/ Website → https://www.remax-scotland.homes/

    Timestamps: [00:00] James opens the episode and welcomes Niall [00:49] Niall introduces himself and shares how they first met [01:23] Getting into estate agency at 18 [03:03] The nerves of his first valuation [04:38] Early doubts, resilience, and competitive drive [07:24] From self-employed to running his own office [09:06] The power of good service and small gestures [12:10] Industry reputation and outperforming older peers [14:55] Ranking among Europe’s top agents [16:13] Why school wasn’t for him [20:21] Landing his first major estate agency role [25:33] COVID hits fear, cancellations, and rebuilding [36:12] Marketing, consistency, and the long game [39:09] Returning to his old school to inspire students [42:16] Niall’s top three pieces of advice
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    46 mins
  • The Real Cost of Cultural Conditioning And How Sathpal Singh Chose His Own Path | Episode 40

    The Real Cost of Cultural Conditioning And How Sathpal Singh Chose His Own Path | Episode 40
    Jan 5 2026
    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 or Excuses, James Fleming sits down with Sathpal to dig into the real journey behind his career, the mindset shifts, the cultural conditioning he had to unlearn, the pressure of being the first in his community to go to university, and how he went from code to coaching leaders inside some of the biggest organisations in the UK. From growing up as the eldest in a large Sikh family, to battling limiting beliefs, to learning the power of reflection, networking, and asking better questions, this conversation goes deep into self-awareness, grit, and the lifelong work of mastering yourself. Sathpal doesn’t just talk about curiosity, confidence, or leadership, he lives it. Whether he’s helping senior teams align on complex problems, mentoring ambitious tech professionals, breaking down cultural barriers, building global agile communities, or challenging outdated thinking, every part of his story comes straight from lived experience. This episode is full of honesty, perspective, and the kind of practical insight that every leader, especially those navigating tech, change, and uncertainty, needs to hear. If you’re a leader, a manager, or someone trying to build a career on your own terms, this one will hit home. Key moments include: ✔️ James welcomes Sathpal ✔️ Sathpal introduces himself, from software developer to tech leader ✔️ How he shifted from “shiny tech” to solving real business problems ✔️ Why psychology, people, and motivation became central to his career ✔️ The journey from developer to leader, coach, and community builder ✔️ Cultural conditioning, childhood experiences, and being the first in his Sikh community to go to university ✔️ James and Sathpal discuss mindset, limiting beliefs, and self-discovery ✔️ Peaks and troughs: the pressure, the expectations, and learning to join the dots ✔️ Agile thinking, asking better questions, and why leaders must stop pretending to have all the answers ✔️ Bias, identity, accent, and the reality of being a minority in professional settings ✔️ Why good habits, discipline, curiosity, and optimism matter ✔️ Sathpal’s top pieces of life advice: authenticity, embracing uncertainty, and building strong habits Subscribe to Success or Excuses for more real, reflective conversations with people who challenge old conditioning, ask better questions, and build their lives with curiosity instead of fear. 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 Sathpal Singh: LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/m/in/sathpal/ Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/visualsath Timestamps: [00:00] James opens the episode and welcomes Sathpal [00:45] Sathpal on introducing himself and his early tech background [01:35] Moving from hands-on developer to leadership and strategy [02:26] Product, agile, community building — where he works today [03:35] Why he loves people, psychology, and motivation [05:12] James asks about mindset and whether it came naturally [05:47] Determination, grit, and learning more about himself [08:04] Growing up as the first in his Sikh community to go to university [09:13] Peaks, troughs, limiting beliefs, and connecting the dots later in life [10:20] Mentoring, motivational maps, and helping others unlock potential [11:12] What success means and why expectations matter [12:26] Cultural conditioning and how childhood shapes us [14:09] Optimism, risk, family expectations, and unlearning [17:55] James on mindset, adversity, and reframing disadvantage [19:41] Early conditioning, pressure, comparison, and personal growth [23:21] How their first meeting left both of them energised [25:09] Asking better questions and why conversations matter [27:21] “I don’t know” — why leaders must stop pretending to have all the answers [30:11] Building alignment, solving the right problem, and facilitation [33:35] Leadership behaviours, body language, and trust [36:19] Having people who tell you what you need to hear [38:03] The challenge of saying no and valuing your time [39:16] Knowing when to walk away [40:04] Scarcity vs abundance and helping others succeed [42:18] Cultural insight: Sikh community, identity, and values [46:55] Bias, assumptions, accent, and global experiences [53:17] Slipping into old patterns and mastering yourself [57:02] Sathpal’s ...
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • The Untold Truth About Tenders and Trades: Pamela Cunningham’s Fight to Build Again | Episode 39

    The Untold Truth About Tenders and Trades: Pamela Cunningham’s Fight to Build Again | Episode 39
    Dec 29 2025
    Pamela Cunningham didn’t wait for the perfect moment, she built opportunities long before they existed. From helping her husband grow ROSSCO Tiling into a high-end, in-demand business, to launching her own consultancy for small construction companies, Pamela’s story is all about urgency, graft, and backing your ideas before anyone else sees the vision. In this episode of Success or Excuses, James Fleming sits down with Pamela to uncover the real journey behind her work in procurement, tendering, training, and the reality of building businesses from scratch. From juggling motherhood and a rapidly growing trades business, to navigating industry barriers, to launching an academy the hard way, this conversation digs into resilience, the messy parts of entrepreneurship, and what it actually takes to help small businesses level up. Pamela doesn’t just talk about visibility, growth, or opportunity, she’s lived every inch of it. Whether she’s pushing tradespeople to stop under-pricing themselves, helping them understand the tendering world, challenging outdated systems, or driving change through workforce development, every part of her story comes straight from experience. This episode is full of honesty, real-life industry insight, and the kind of practical lessons that every small construction business owner needs to hear. If you’re in business, in the trades, or trying to grow something from the ground up, this one will hit home. Key moments include: ✔️ James introduces Pamela and asks her to share who she is and what she does ✔️ Pamela on supporting her husband’s early days in ROSSCO Tiling and the reality of growing it ✔️ How their social media visibility began and why positioning was a challenge at first ✔️ Growing the business from splashbacks to full bathrooms to high-end residential and commercial work ✔️ Pamela rebranding the business, creating systems, and helping shift it into a premium offering ✔️ The story behind launching their tiling academy and the barriers they faced with funding and employability support ✔️ The challenges with colleges, councils, public sector procurement, and why small businesses struggle to access help ✔️ Why so many tradespeople lose money on tenders and how to prevent it ✔️ Pamela explains her new programmes: helping businesses become genuinely “tender-ready” ✔️ The accreditation trap: why so many companies pay for certifications they don’t need ✔️ Building a strong workforce before chasing big contracts ✔️ Pamela’s mission to help small businesses win profitable work, not just any work ✔️ The Skilled Trades Network and why she’s creating a space where trades, CITB, councils, and colleges can actually come together ✔️ The reality behind running a family business, managing people, and learning to delegate ✔️ Pamela’s top three pieces of advice: urgency, relationships, and dropping the pressure to have life figured out early 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 Pamela Cunningham: Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/pamelaxcun/ LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelasmeconsultant/ Timestamps: [00:00] James opens the episode and welcomes Pamela [00:44] Pamela explains who she is and how visibility became part of her journey [02:10] Early days of helping Ross grow ROSSCO Tiling [06:29] Pamela’s background in procurement and how her idea for supporting small businesses began [11:29] Tendering mistakes small construction companies make [12:41] Why accreditations and certifications are often misunderstood [16:58] Pamela on public vs private sector procurement [19:35] School engagement, careers events, and inspiring young people into trades [22:05] Early growth of ROSSCO Tiling and shifting from bathrooms to specialist work [26:20] Launching the tiling academy and the struggle with funding [31:47] Pamela’s challenges navigating employability support and public sector systems [37:31] Growing the ROSSCO team and developing people [40:58] Pamela’s new programmes: helping businesses become “tender ready” [46:09] The Skilled Trades Network and why she created it [51:54] Pamela’s top three pieces of advice [54:08] Where to find Pamela online
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    55 mins
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