Craig Alexander Rattery didn’t just learn how to run a business he learned how to run a life.

Raised in a council flat in Newmains, he was the first in his family to attend university. But it wasn’t just about getting a degree it was about escaping limits. Craig’s journey took him from a job in accountancy he never really wanted, into the world of corporate finance, private equity, and finally, to running his own business where he now empowers others.

In this episode of Success or Excuses, James Fleming sits down with Craig to explore how he went from feeling trapped in the rat race to living life on his terms in sunny Crete.

It wasn’t easy. It wasn’t smooth. He’s navigated personal losses, battled burnout, and faced the reality that most business owners don’t have a clue about their numbers and it’s costing them. Now, through his Know Your Numbers programme, Craig’s mission is simple: stop businesses from flying blind and help owners steer with confidence.

This episode is packed with practical advice, honest reflections, and the mindset shifts you need to grow a business without losing your way.

Key moments include:

✔️ Why most business owners don’t really understand profit, cashflow, or KPIs ✔️ The story of a 57-year-old client who learned more in two hours with Craig than in 35 years of business ✔️ The three daily questions every business owner should ask to stay ahead ✔️ Why Craig decided to scale back, pack up, and move to Greece ✔️ His frustration with accountants who don’t give clients the real insights they need ✔️ How to use cashflow forecasts and management accounts to make faster, smarter decisions ✔️ The truth about the long hours, risks, and invisible hard work behind financial success ✔️ Why excuses are the biggest block to growth and how to overcome them ✔️ The power of gross margins, utilisation rates, and proactive financial management ✔️ Craig’s two golden rules for business: focus on cash and don’t forget rule one

Subscribe to Success or Excuses for more honest, straight-talking conversations with people who’ve built, rebuilt, and kept going when others gave up.

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 Craig Alexander Rattary: LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigalexanderrattary/

Website → https://knowyournumbers.biz/

Email → craig@crcorporatesolutions.co.uk

Instagram → @knowyournumbers.biz

He walked away from a global role at Lloyd’s Register. Gave up prestige, a title, and a comfortable salary. Why? Because it no longer aligned with his values.

Today, Steve Harris is the Managing Director of Integrity HSE one of the fastest-growing safety, health, and sustainability consultancies in the UK.

This episode of Success or Excuses isn’t just about business. It’s about values, hard choices, and what it really means to lead with purpose.

James Fleming sits down with Steve for a powerful, straight-talking conversation on walking away from the wrong kind of success, building a business on character, and why leadership isn't about being liked it’s about making the world better.

Steve doesn’t play the corporate game. He hires slowly, fires fast, and only works with clients who share his standards. There’s no fluff here just clarity, conviction, and a relentless commitment to doing what’s right.

This isn’t a story about HSE. It’s a story about integrity, resilience, and the cost and reward of building a business that actually stands for something.

Key moments include:

✔️ Why Steve walked away from private equity and built a purpose-led company ✔️ The real reason Integrity HSE grew fast and what most people misunderstand ✔️ Walking the talk: how values shape every hire, fire, and client relationship ✔️ The brutal story of losing a colleague to suicide and the life-changing lesson it left behind ✔️ How junior sports sponsorship is part of their leadership strategy ✔️ The neurodiversity conference that changed how their clients think ✔️ Steve’s take on fake positivity, leadership BS, and what really builds resilience ✔️ What happens when you prioritise people over profit and still win ✔️ The truth about optimism, pessimism, and the Stockdale Principle ✔️ What Steve learned from a life-or-death cancer scare during COVID

Subscribe to Success or Excuses for real, raw conversations with leaders who built on courage — not comfort.

Follow James Fleming: LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesflemingtpwtd

Success or Excuses Instagram →https://www.instagram.com/successorexcusespodcast

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

Website → https://thepowerwithintraining.com/

Follow Steve Harris: LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/steveharris-integrityhse

Website → https://www.integrityhse.com

Email → steve@integrityhse.co.uk

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