Redundant at 24, Building a Business Just a Few Years Later: Kieran Taylor’s Story | Episode 37

Kieran Taylor didn’t wait for certainty, he built his business in the middle of chaos. From being made redundant in Aberdeen’s oil crash to launching his own wealth advisory firm with zero clients, Kieran’s journey is all about backing yourself long before the results show up. And despite entering one of the most mistrusted industries in the UK, he set out to do it differently by putting people before products and fighting for the kind of business he believed in. In this episode of Success or Excuses, James Fleming sits down with Kieran to dig into the real story behind Welsh & Taylor Wealth. From redundancy at 24, to battling age prejudice, to fighting tooth and nail through regulatory hurdles, this one’s a powerful lesson in resilience, self-belief, and refusing to quit when things get uncomfortable. Kieran doesn’t just talk about building a business the right way he lives it. Whether it’s guiding clients through turbulence, rebuilding after setbacks, or clashing with mentors before finding harmony, he’s proof that growth happens when you stay committed, stay patient, and keep pushing even when it hurts. This episode is filled with raw honesty, Scottish humour, and proper real-world lessons for anyone trying to carve out a future on their own terms. Key moments include: ✔️ Getting pushed out of oil and gas during the crash and seeing it as a clean slate ✔️ Why he entered financial advice with zero experience and what instantly hooked him ✔️ The harsh reputation of the industry and how he set out to do things differently ✔️ Being 24, lacking credibility, and learning to overcome limiting beliefs ✔️ The early days of struggle: no clients, no clue, just a laptop and a suit ✔️ How niche expertise in oil and gas became their biggest advantage ✔️ His biggest business battle: fighting to go independent and doing 750+ pieces of client advice ✔️ The clash of personalities that nearly derailed his team early on ✔️ What he learned about ego, hiring, and knowing your weaknesses ✔️ Why resilience matters more than talent (and how football taught him that) ✔️ The Buddhist teaching that reframed how he views hardship ✔️ His long-term vision for the firm and the “Welsh & Taylor way” of financial planning ✔️ Why lifestyle planning beats “off-the-shelf” financial advice every time ✔️ The importance of honest conversations, knowing your numbers, and constant improvement ✔️ Kieran’s top 3 pieces of life and business advice simple, tough, and spot on 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 long after others quit. 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 Kieran Taylor: LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/kieran-taylor-3b672277/ Website → https://www.welshandtaylorwealth.co.uk/ Timestamps: [00:00] James opens the episode and introduces today’s guest [00:48] Kieran introduces himself and the story behind Welsh & Taylor Wealth [02:15] The early advice James gave Kieran before launching the business [02:54] Redundancy in the oil crash the moment everything changed [04:01] Discovering financial advice with zero prior knowledge [05:06] The reality of starting with no clients and no roadmap [07:31] Why the financial advice industry has such a bad reputation [08:39] Overcoming age, credibility, and limiting beliefs [09:45] Niching into oil and gas and why it worked [11:30] The biggest challenge: fighting to go independent [12:34] The Buddhist lesson that reframed how Kieran handles hardship [15:22] Building recurring revenue from scratch [16:22] Learning what a “bad client” looks like [17:44] Becoming a dad and finding a new level of drive [19:07] Why reaching your full potential matters [20:51] Building a team: clashes, lessons, and hiring for strengths [24:04] Bringing in experts and letting go of ego [26:36] “Whether there’s a want to…” finding the how [30:35] The ‘Welsh & Taylor Way’ lifestyle financial planning [33:31] Why advice must be bespoke, not off-the-shelf [35:30] Why retirees often end up returning to work [38:42] What James would actually do in “retirement” [39:33] The two mentors who shaped James’s career [43:22] Owning mistakes, knowing your numbers, and constant improvement [45:17] Moving 750 clients over the scale of going independent [46:47] Keeping speed, service, and the “Amazon culture” [47:40] Adapt or die why evolution matters in business [50:04] Kieran’s top three pieces of advice for life and business [52:55] How to connect with Kieran