Brian Creegan didn’t plan to start his business during a global pandemic, he just happened to open on 1 March 2020.

An Irishman who grew up in South Africa before moving to Scotland, Brian built his early career in banking before unexpectedly moving into recruitment and working his way up to director level. Wanting to do things differently, he left to create his own business focused on training companies how to manage hiring themselves.

In this episode of Success or Excuses, James Fleming sits down with Brian Creegan to explore what it really takes to launch a business when circumstances are completely outside your control. Brian shares the reality of starting with only months of financial runway, the panic when the world shut down, and how offering free CV support to people helped him stay afloat until work slowly returned.

Brian speaks openly about the rollercoaster of entrepreneurship. From income uncertainty and losing clients, to leading small teams through difficult markets and constant change. He reflects on growing up without a safety net, the fear of failure that drives him, and the resilience required to keep going when things feel out of control. James brings his own experience into the discussion, sharing the emotional impact lockdown had on his business, the uncertainty leaders faced when clients paused work, and the pressure of navigating a crisis without a clear roadmap.

Together, they unpack resilience, leadership, hiring, culture, generational change, and what it means to find a way forward when there isn’t one.

Key moments include: ✔️ Growing up between Ireland, South Africa, and Scotland ✔️ Starting a career in banking before moving into recruitment ✔️ Working up to director level ✔️ Leaving to start his own business ✔️ Launching on 1 March 2020 ✔️ Panic and uncertainty as COVID shut everything down ✔️ Helping people with CVs for free during lockdown ✔️ Gradually rebuilding work as restrictions eased ✔️ Fear of failure and entrepreneurial pressure ✔️ Leadership lessons from mistakes and experience ✔️ Hiring, onboarding, and culture challenges ✔️ Navigating generational differences in the workforce

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 Brian Creegan: LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/briancreegan/

Company LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/creegantalent/

Company Website → https://creegantalent.com/

Timestamps [00:00] James introduces Brian Creegan [00:00:54] Brian’s background and early career [00:02:50] Launching just before the pandemic [00:05:07] Panic and early survival tactics [00:06:19] Work returning as restrictions eased [00:11:00] Fear of failure and mindset [00:18:06] Market uncertainty and business impact [00:24:50] Hiring and onboarding challenges [00:31:55] Leadership lessons and mistakes [00:36:00] Generational change in the workforce [End] James closes the episode