Colin Frame didn’t build Stellar by following the traditional path.

After leaving school without going to university or college, Colin used work as his classroom. After two failed attempts at business, personal challenges and moments that tested his resilience, he kept going and built Stellar into a business with just under 200 people.

In this episode of Success or Excuses, James Fleming sits down with Colin Frame to talk about business, resilience, work ethic and making your own luck. Colin shares how an early opportunity at 16 shaped his belief in giving others a chance, why Stellar is built around doing things differently, and how the company’s mission is rooted in helping people build careers in technology.

Colin also speaks openly about the sacrifices behind business ownership, including failed attempts, personal setbacks and learning to ignore criticism from people who don’t know the full story.

James adds his own experience throughout, reflecting on the realities of building a business, delegation, hiring, selling with passion and why values matter when you’re building something meaningful.

Key moments include: ✔️ Colin’s background and early career in banking ✔️ Building Stellar after two failed business attempts ✔️ Creating a niche through opportunity and technology ✔️ The sacrifices behind business ownership ✔️ Resilience, criticism and making your own luck ✔️ Delegation, hiring and building a trusted team ✔️ Selling with passion and telling the business story ✔️ Public sector tenders and pricing challenges ✔️ AI, automation and the future of work ✔️ Colin’s three pieces of advice: listen more than you talk, work hard, and never be scared to fail

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 Colin Frame:

LinkedIn→ https://www.linkedin.com/in/colin-frame-21a94915/

Website → https://stellaruk.co.uk/ Email → colinframe@stellaruk.co.uk

Timestamps [00:00] Introduction to Colin Frame [00:01:00] Hearts, Stellar and the front-of-shirt sponsorship [00:03:30] Colin’s background and early career [00:05:00] Starting the business and finding a niche [00:07:00] Giving people opportunity through technology [00:08:30] Failed attempts and early business lessons [00:10:00] Resilience, sacrifice and personal challenges [00:12:30] Spinning plates as a business owner [00:14:00] Values, culture and doing things differently [00:15:30] Delegation and trusting other people [00:18:30] Growing Stellar to just under 200 people [00:20:30] Sales, passion and telling the business story [00:25:00] B2B, B2C and different customer challenges [00:27:30] Public sector tenders and long timelines [00:31:00] Pricing, tender lessons and commercial decisions [00:35:00] AI, automation and the future of work [00:39:00] Scotland, technology and work ethic [00:41:00] Loving the work and building something meaningful [00:43:30] Colin’s three pieces of advice [00:45:30] How to contact Colin [00:46:20] Closing thoughts

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/ Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/successorexcusespodcast YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@SuccessorExcusesPodcast Website → https://thepowerwithintraining.com/

Follow John Cox

LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-cox-coxandco-scotland/

Company LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/coxandco-scotland

Website → 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

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/ Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/successorexcusespodcast YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@SuccessorExcusesPodcast Website → https://thepowerwithintraining.com/

Follow Racheal Arnold

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

Website → 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