Kevin Crawford doesn’t shout about success, he builds it slowly, steadily, and with a level of discipline most people never see.

From starting out in his dad’s architecture practice at fourteen to running the company, navigating burnout, rebuilding his health, and eventually shifting the business into employee ownership, Kevin’s story is a lesson in how quiet leadership really works, no shortcuts, no hype. Just years of graft, learning, and figuring things out the hard way.

In this episode of Success or Excuses, James Fleming sits down with Kevin to dig into the long game- the mindset, the habits, the setbacks, and the constant improvements that shaped his career. They talk about what 25 years in a family business actually looks like, the moment a back injury forced him to stop and rethink everything, and why systems, structure, and self-development changed the entire trajectory of his life and business.

Kevin also opens up about the shift from working 24/7 to finally building something sustainable: an architecture practice with strong foundations, a team he genuinely invests in, and an ecosystem of tools designed to help other architects avoid the mistakes he made.

If you’re trying to grow without burning out, lead without shouting, or build something that lasts longer than your energy levels, this conversation will land.

Key Moments:

✔️ Starting in the family business at 14 and learning the ropes ✔️ Why working harder wasn’t the answer (even though he tried) ✔️ The back injury that stopped him in his tracks and changed his mindset ✔️ Rebuilding his health from scratch, one walk, one step, one habit at a time ✔️ How systems, structure, and planning transformed his business ✔️ The power of taking real time out to think, plan, and reset ✔️ Introducing employee ownership and giving the whole team a future ✔️ Why accountability, mentors, and the 1% rule matter more than talent ✔️ The thinking behind his new architecture app and support ecosystem ✔️ Kevin’s three pieces of advice for anyone in business for the long haul

Subscribe to Success or Excuses for more honest conversations with leaders, entrepreneurs, and underdogs who’ve kept going when others gave up.

Follow James Fleming: LinkedIn → James Fleming Instagram → @successorexcusespodcast YouTube → Success or Excuses Website → https://thepowerwithintraining.com/

Follow Kevin Crawford: LinkedIn → Kevin Crawford

Company Website → https://crawfordarchitecture.co.uk/

Email → kevin@crawfordarchitecture.co.uk

Timestamps: [00:00] Welcome and intro, James introduces Kevin Crawford [02:00] Leaving university, joining the industry, and learning by doing [04:30] Taking the leap into business and why timing doesn’t need to be perfect [07:00] Building Crawford Architecture and securing early clients [10:00] Funding developments and the weight of financial pressure [16:00] Gowth, and why you can’t wait for the perfect time [18:00] Partnering with the right people and building trust over transactions [22:00] What legacy means to Kevin and why the work speaks louder than words [25:00] Advice for entrepreneurs who are in it for the long haul [28:00] Final thoughts, values, and keeping perspective at every level

Caz Milligan didn’t wait for permission, he built his own spotlight.

From TikTok virality to launching Scotland’s biggest influencer boxing event, Caz’s journey is nothing short of wild. But behind the flashy content and online persona is a lad who’s been doubted his whole life and used it as fuel to prove every single one of them wrong.

In this episode of Success or Excuses, James Fleming sits down with Caz to unpack the real story behind the headlines. From childhood setbacks and school suspensions to £50k event losses and viral wins, this one’s a masterclass in resilience, self-belief, and making it happen even when the odds are stacked against you.

Caz doesn’t just talk about chasing your dreams, he lives it. Whether it’s creating his own boxing promotion after getting rejected, building a six-figure influencer agency, or turning hate into hype, Caz shows what’s possible when you stop waiting and start creating.

This episode is full of raw truth, proper Scottish humour, and real lessons for anyone tired of making excuses.

Key moments include: ✔️ The viral TikTok moment that changed everything (yes, it involved chocolate cream) ✔️ Why he launched his own boxing event and what went wrong (twice) ✔️ Dealing with haters, weight mismatches, and massive event pressure ✔️ How his dad’s boxing career (and trauma) shaped his mindset ✔️ The real reason his relationship ended and why it mattered ✔️ Why giving opportunities to others is what drives him now ✔️ His thoughts on failure, money, and making your childhood dream reality ✔️ The truth about influence, trust, and selling online ✔️ What he learned losing nearly £80k and why he’s still going ✔️ His top 3 tips for anyone trying to build a name for themselves

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 → James Fleming Instagram → @successorexcusespodcast YouTube → Success or Excuses Website → https://thepowerwithintraining.com/

Follow Caz Milligan: Instagram → @cazmilligan TikTok → @cazmilligan YouTube → Caz Milligan

Timestamps: [00:00] Intro, James welcomes Caz and sets the tone [01:00] Who is Caz Milligan? Building a brand from scratch [03:00] Going viral over chocolate cream & riding the TikTok wave [06:00] The boxing dream, organising events, and fighting through setbacks [10:00] Facing haters, trolls, and becoming their “TV show” villain [13:00] The reality of chasing dreams in a school system that shuts them down [14:30] The story of Gigi and how strong partnerships make or break success [18:00] Twitch, momentum, and waiting on the next big move [20:00] Behind the scenes of influencer marketing and why authenticity wins [22:30] Clients, virality, and the mindset that makes it work [24:30] Hard lessons: losing £50k+ on events and still showing up [26:00] The “greed” myth, why wanting more doesn’t make you a bad person [28:00] Caz’s top 3 pieces of advice for anyone with a dream [30:00] Will there be another boxing event? James asks the hard questions

William Curle’s life has been anything but conventional. From growing up in a small Scottish village and working in his family’s engineering business, to inventing patented oil and gas technologies, losing it all, and rebuilding again. His story is a powerful example of what’s possible when you combine grit, faith, and relentless determination.

In this episode of Success or Excuses, James Fleming sits down with William to uncover the moments that defined his journey. From watching his family business collapse under debt, to licensing a multi-million-pound invention to Halliburton just months later, William’s story is packed with the kind of real-world lessons you won’t find in any business book.

But this isn’t just a story about engineering, patents, or profit. It’s about purpose. When life got dark, William found his light, through his Christian faith, his family, and his unwavering belief in doing the right thing. Whether it was building clean energy tech in Scotland or supporting children in Sierra Leone, his journey proves that you don’t need to choose between business success and personal integrity. You can have both.

This episode is an emotional, honest, and deeply human conversation about invention, belief, failure, and starting again. If you’ve ever wondered what keeps someone going when the odds are stacked against them, this is it.

Key moments include: ✔️ Leaving school at 15 to work in his dad’s workshop ✔️ Losing the family business and what that taught him about resilience ✔️ Selling his first invention to Halliburton and the deal that changed everything ✔️ How dyslexia became a superpower, not a setback ✔️ The moment he fully committed to his Christian faith ✔️ Taking clean tech from Scotland to Sierra Leone, Rwanda and Ukraine ✔️ What business and belief have in common and why he refuses to give up Subscribe to Success or Excuses for more unfiltered conversations about what it really takes to keep going, long after others have quit.

Follow James Fleming: LinkedIn → James Fleming Instagram → @successorexcusespodcast YouTube → @SuccessorExcusesPodcast Website → The Power Within Training Follow William Curle:

Email → william.curle@wmcdevelopments.co.uk LinkedIn → William Curle Company → https://wmcdevelopments.co.uk/

Timestamps: [00:00] Welcome and intro, the James Dyson of Harthill? [02:00] Leaving school at 15 and entering the family business [04:00] Dyslexia as a superpower, and how it shaped his career [08:00] Selling the first invention to Halliburton [12:00] Facing the collapse of his family business [15:30] Finding faith and fully committing to it [19:00] Using his faith as an anchor during COVID and crisis [23:00] The oil and gas crash, lost deals, and deep debt [26:00] Designing for clean energy and starting again [30:00] A LinkedIn post that led to a major deal in Oklahoma [35:00] Launching OR Energy and building waste-to-energy units [38:00] Reconnecting with a Scottish-founded church in Sierra Leone [42:00] Helping rebuild a legacy mission with 5,000 schoolchildren [46:00] William’s visits to Africa and the shocking landfill conditions [49:00] Impact investing, plastics pollution, and what’s next for OR Energy [51:00] William’s top 3 pieces of advice, including never giving up