Stacey McNabney didn’t just build a business — she built herself from the ground up. Single mum at 19. No qualifications. No safety net. Just sheer determination, a door-to-door sales job, and the kind of grit you only get from real life.

In this episode of Success or Excuses, James Fleming sits down with Stacey to uncover what it really takes to build a brand when you’ve got mouths to feed, confidence to build, and a business world that doesn’t wait for you to catch up.

It wasn’t smooth. It wasn’t perfect. She made money, lost focus, burned out, started over and came back stronger. Now, as The Social Coach and co-founder of POI Society, Stacey helps women stop hiding, start showing up, and grow businesses they’re proud of.

This conversation is packed with honesty, humour, and hard-won lessons perfect for anyone juggling real life and big dreams.

Key moments include:

✔️ Why social media isn’t about trends, it’s about trust and consistency ✔️ The cold-calling job that taught her everything about people and psychology ✔️ How she built her business while raising kids and the cost of burnout ✔️ The ADHD-fuelled chaos behind every great idea (and why you shouldn’t chase them all) ✔️ Breaking through imposter syndrome and learning to charge your worth ✔️ Why your content should sound like you, not like everyone else ✔️ The reality of building a brand with no backup plan and no room for excuses ✔️ The myth of confidence — and how to act before you feel ready ✔️ What Stacey really wanted from her business: not fame, but freedom ✔️ Her top three tips for any woman building a business from scratch

Subscribe to Success or Excuses for more raw, straight-talking conversations with people who’ve built, rebuilt, and kept going long after everyone else gave up.

Follow James Fleming:

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

Success or Excuses Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/successorexcusespodcast?igsh=OW51MzlrazkwMXc%3D&utm_source=qr

YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@SuccessorExcusesPodcast

Website → https://thepowerwithintraining.com/

Follow Stacey McNabney:

LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacey-mcnabney-735432146/

Website → https://thesocial.coach/about-me/

Email → stacey@thesocial.coach

Instagram → @stacey_mcnabney_coach

Ajmal Mushtaq didn’t just build a business, he went all in and didn’t take a wage for six years. No holidays. No nights off. No dinner with his wife. Just pure focus, relentless graft, and a vision nobody else could see.

In this episode of Success or Excuses, James Fleming sits down with Ajmal to unpack what it really takes to scale from a struggling family restaurant to one of the biggest takeaway operations in the UK and now, a nationwide pizza brand.

It wasn’t easy. At one point, he had just £2,000 in the bank and almost lost everything. But Ajmal didn’t panic. He doubled down on marketing, built systems that made life easier for his team, and turned every customer into a raving fan. Now, with Boss Pizza expanding fast, he’s proving that with the right mindset and the right marketing, there are no limits.

This isn’t about get-rich-quick. It’s about the stuff no one talks about: sacrifice, obsession, and being the last one standing when others quit.

Key moments include:

✔️ The brutal reality of the first 18 months in any business ✔️ Why Ajmal refused to take a wage until the business could thrive without him ✔️ The marketing mindset that built a brand — and stopped traffic ✔️ Turning everyday moments into viral growth opportunities ✔️ What great leadership actually looks like on the ground ✔️ Why most people fail at franchising before they even begin ✔️ The lesson Ajmal repeats in every team meeting: “The customer pays your wages” ✔️ Why pointing the finger at yourself is the ultimate leadership move ✔️ The loneliness of success and how to spot the right people to keep around ✔️ How hard work became the cure for flatness, boredom, and burnout

Subscribe to Success or Excuses for more honest, hard-hitting conversations with people who’ve built, pivoted, and pushed through when it mattered most.

Follow James Fleming:

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

Success or Excuses Instagram→ https://www.instagram.com/successorexcusespodcast?igsh=OW51MzlrazkwMXc%3D&utm_source=qr

YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@SuccessorExcusesPodcast

Website → https://thepowerwithintraining.com/

Follow Ajmal Mushtaq:

LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajmal-mushtaq-4342a363/

Website → https://www.boss-pizza.co.uk/

Email → Ajmal@boss-pizza.co.uk

Maxwell Muir didn’t just survive rock bottom, he rebuilt his life, his business, and his mindset from the ground up. But not before facing fear, failure, and a cancer diagnosis that would shake anyone to their core.

In this episode, James Fleming sits down with Maxwell for a powerful, no-fluff conversation about what it really takes to come back stronger not once, but time and time again.

From living in a tent with his dog to building one of Scotland’s most respected dog training businesses… From losing it all to learning how to lead himself… Maxwell’s story is proof that resilience isn’t built when things are easy — it’s forged in the moments no one else sees.

And just when life seemed steady, he was hit with something he never saw coming: early-stage prostate cancer. But true to form, Maxwell’s response wasn’t panic — it was perspective. The kind most people don’t gain until it’s too late.

This isn’t a story about pretending to be strong. It’s a story about becoming it.

Key moments include: ✔️ From villa life to a tent in the woods: the decision that changed everything ✔️ How a lost passion turned into a purpose-driven business ✔️ The brutal power of climbing a mountain with no way back down ✔️ What happened when he ripped up his script before the biggest talk of his life ✔️ The conversation that led to his cancer diagnosis — and how he handled it ✔️ Why most people wait too long to get checked, and what Maxwell wants every man to know ✔️ How fear and faith can live in the same moment ✔️ Rebuilding life with more clarity, more honesty, and zero tolerance for BS ✔️ Why success has nothing to do with money, and everything to do with meaning ✔️ The legacy Maxwell wants to leave — and what you can learn from it

This one hits deeper. And it might just change how you see your own story.

Subscribe to Success or Excuses for more honest, hard-hitting conversations with people who’ve built, pivoted, and pushed through when it mattered most.

Follow James Fleming:

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

Success or Excuses Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/successorexcusespodcast?igsh=OW51MzlrazkwMXc%3D&utm_source=qr

YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@SuccessorExcusesPodcast

Website → https://thepowerwithintraining.com/

Follow Maxwell Muir:

LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxwell-muir-speaker/

Email → maxwell@maxwellmuirempowerment.com