The Success or Excuses Podcast

Scaling Too Fast & Learning the Hard Way: John Cox on Growth, Alignment and Leadership | Episode 59

John Cox didn’t follow a straight path into business; he built it from the ground up. After a short stint in professional rugby, John went on to start Cox and Co, a property services company based in Edinburgh. Over the past 20 years, the business has grown across Scotland and into the north of England through the Casa Group. In this episode of Success or Excuses, James Fleming sits down with John Cox to explore growth, leadership and capacity. John shares how he scaled the business quickly, the challenges that came with it, and the lessons learned around alignment and decision-making. He also speaks about selling his business, buying into a larger group, and what it really takes to lead at that level. Alongside that, John reflects on family, non-negotiables, and the importance of managing your capacity both in business and in life. James brings his own perspective into the conversation, sharing the realities of leadership and the pressure that comes with it.   Key moments include: ✔️ Starting Cox and Co with family ✔️ Scaling quickly to hundreds of properties ✔️ The challenges of rapid growth and misalignment ✔️ Investing heavily in coaching and marketing early on ✔️ The need for a “big brother” in business ✔️ Selling the business and buying into a larger group ✔️ Leading at scale across multiple regions ✔️ Balancing business growth with family priorities ✔️ Setting non-negotiables as a leader ✔️ Capacity, discipline and long-term thinking   Follow James Fleming LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesflemingtpwtd/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesflemingtpwtd/] Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/successorexcusespodcast [https://www.instagram.com/successorexcusespodcast] YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@SuccessorExcusesPodcast [https://www.youtube.com/@SuccessorExcusesPodcast] Website → https://thepowerwithintraining.com/ [https://thepowerwithintraining.com/]   Follow John Cox LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-cox-coxandco-scotland/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-cox-coxandco-scotland/] Company LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/coxandco-scotland [https://www.linkedin.com/company/coxandco-scotland/posts/?feedView=all] Website → https://coxandco.co/ [https://coxandco.co/]       Timestamps [00:00] Introduction to John Cox [00:00:10] John’s background and current roles across Cox and Co and Cassa Group [00:01:00] Family life, non-negotiables and being present as a father [00:01:40] Going back to the early days of the business [00:05:30] Starting a second business with family and rapid growth [00:06:30] Scaling quickly and the challenges of alignment [00:07:00] Vision differences within a family business [00:16:50] The need for a “big brother” in business [00:17:50] Selling Cox and Co and buying into a larger group [00:18:30] Growth through acquisitions and expanding the brand [01:05:20] Lifestyle choices, discipline and managing capacity [01:06:00] Closing thoughts and where to connect with John

Cancer Diagnosis to the Comedy Stage: Rachael’s Unfiltered Leadership Journey | Episode 58

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/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesflemingtpwtd/] Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/successorexcusespodcast [https://www.instagram.com/successorexcusespodcast] YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@SuccessorExcusesPodcast [https://www.youtube.com/@SuccessorExcusesPodcast] Website → https://thepowerwithintraining.com/ [https://thepowerwithintraining.com/]   Follow Racheal Arnold LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachaeloarnold/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachaeloarnold/] Website → https://www.creativeentrepreneursclub.co.uk/ [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

Struggling at School to Running His Own Consultancy: Paul Nicholas’ Career Story | Episode 57

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

Making Himself Redundant to Build Better Businesses: Kristian Melson’s Operations Leadership Story | Episode 56

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/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesflemingtpwtd/] Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/successorexcusespodcast [https://www.instagram.com/successorexcusespodcast] YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@SuccessorExcusesPodcast [https://www.youtube.com/@SuccessorExcusesPodcast] Website → https://thepowerwithintraining.com/ [https://thepowerwithintraining.com/]   Follow Kristian Melson: LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristianmelson/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristianmelson/] Website → https://www.linkedin.com/company/opsessed/ [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

What Makes a Great Salesperson? Ray Black’s Lessons from 36 Years in Sales | Episode 55

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/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesflemingtpwtd/] Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/successorexcusespodcast [https://www.instagram.com/successorexcusespodcast] YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@SuccessorExcusesPodcast [https://www.youtube.com/@SuccessorExcusesPodcast] Website → https://thepowerwithintraining.com/ [https://thepowerwithintraining.com/] Follow Ray Black LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/rayblackuk/ [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