Calum Stevens didn’t set out to build a career in pharmaceuticals; he fell into it.

After studying marine biology, Calum began working in a clinical environment before joining BDD, a Glasgow-based pharmaceutical company that started as a small university spin-out. Today, the business employs around 35 people and works with both innovative biotech’s and some of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies.

In this episode of Success or Excuses, James Fleming sits down with Calum Stevens, Commercial Director at BDD, to explore growth, culture and taking action. Calum shares how he stepped away to launch a boat repair and servicing business on Loch Lomond, why he returned under the leadership of CEO Carol, and how he moved from clinical trial assistant into sales, marketing and commercial leadership.

Calum speaks openly about scaling a niche pharmaceutical company in Scotland, recruiting highly specialised scientists who can also sell, navigating long decision-making processes with global pharma, and the challenge of maintaining culture as a business grows. He also reflects on networking, fatherhood and why overplanning can stop great ideas from ever getting off the ground.

James brings his own experience into the discussion, sharing lessons on leadership, accountability, buy-in and building belief before driving change.

Key moments include: ✔️ Starting in a small university spin-out ✔️ Launching and exiting a boat repair business ✔️ Growing into Commercial Director at BDD ✔️ Recruiting niche scientific and business development talent ✔️ Managing culture as a company scales ✔️ Working with biotechs and global pharma ✔️ The danger of overplanning ✔️ The power of networking and meeting people in person ✔️ Leadership lessons from fatherhood ✔️ Calum’s three pieces of advice: leap, build your network, don’t take life too seriously

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 Calum Stevens: LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/calumstevens/

Company LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/drug-delivery-international-ltd/

Company Website → https://www.bddpharma.com/

Timestamps [00:00] Introduction to Calum Stevens [00:00:52] Calum’s role and BDD’s origins as a university spin-out [00:02:00] Launching a boat repair business on Loch Lomond [00:03:00] Recruiting niche scientific and sales talent [00:04:30] The challenge of scaling culture [00:07:00] Biotech’s vs global pharma and long decision cycles [00:22:10] Returning to BDD under new leadership [00:25:00] Moving into sales, marketing and commercial leadership [00:37:10] Leadership lessons from parenting [00:45:10] Three pieces of advice for business and life [00:54:00] LinkedIn, networking and closing remarks

Val Duguid didn’t plan to start a care company… she was trying to care for her mum.

An exercise physiologist and chronic illness specialist for over 20 years, Val built her career in complex rehabilitation. But when her mum suffered a near-fatal accident, breaking her pelvis, hip and arm, Val stepped away from her previous business and became a full-time carer.

In this episode of Success or Excuses, James Fleming sits down with Val Duguid, founder of Bentley’s Home Care, to explore how a personal crisis became a business. Val shares the six weeks spent in hospital, the breakdown of relationships, the struggle to find appropriate care, and the moment she broke down trying to manage a wheelchair and four bags of shopping. That was the turning point. If the service she needed didn’t exist, she would build it

Val explains how Bentley’s began with a befriending service while waiting for a Care Inspectorate licence, how trust and local reputation helped it grow, and why she leads without rigid hierarchies, focusing instead on accountability, ownership and empowering experienced carers.

James brings his own experience of business ownership into the conversation, unpacking the loneliness of leadership, responsibility for staff, and the mindset required to lead without excuses

Key moments include: ✔️ Val’s 20+ years in complex rehabilitation ✔️ Her mum’s near-fatal accident and six weeks in hospital ✔️ Leaving her previous business to become a full-time carer ✔️ The struggle to find regulated, suitable care support ✔️ Interviewing individual carers and discovering gaps in regulation ✔️ The emotional breaking point with the shopping incident ✔️ Starting Bentley’s with a befriending service ✔️ Building through trust, referrals and reputation ✔️ Empowering carers to phone doctors and take ownership ✔️ Leadership as integrity, accountability and no excuses ✔️ A five- and ten-year vision to expand across Scotland and beyond

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 Val Duguid: Website → https://www.bentleyshomecare.com/ Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/valerie.duguid.1 LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/valerie-duguid-69426838/

Timestamps [00:00] James introduces Val Duguid [00:01:00] Val’s background in rehabilitation [00:01:18] Her mum’s accident and life changing overnight [00:03:45] Starting Bentley’s and the befriending model [00:13:15] Hospital experience and personal impact [00:18:00] The wheelchair and shopping breaking point [00:22:15] Interviewing carers and regulatory challenges [00:29:15] Empowering staff and building culture [00:38:30] Vision for expansion across Scotland [00:42:30] Leadership, integrity and no excuses [00:45:45] Val’s top three pieces of advice [End] James closes the episode

Mark Glasgow didn’t grow up with much, but he always knew he was going to be a business owner.

A gas engineer by trade, Mark founded Edinburgh Boiler Company in 2015 with a simple objective: make boilers easy and deliver outstanding customer service. He spotted early opportunity in digital, hiring a web designer as his first employee and investing heavily in SEO, radio, TV and marketing to grow fast in a traditional trade sector.

In this episode of Success or Excuses, James Fleming sits down with Mark Glasgow, founder and managing director of Edinburgh Boiler Company and director of The Energy Training Academy, to explore ambition, resilience and innovation. Mark shares how growing up with very little fuelled his drive to create a better life for his family, how his company has grown to around 60 staff with a managing director in place, and why renewables now make up the majority of the business.

Mark speaks openly about launching The Energy Training Academy as a community interest company to help address the skills gap in gas and renewables, alongside Scotland’s 2045 net zero target. He also explains how AI, automation and CRM systems are transforming his operations, from voice bots booking services to route optimisation and lead handling.

Together, they discuss family, vision, resilience, uncertainty in UK business, skills shortages and the importance of attaching strong emotion and strategy to long-term goals.

Key moments include:

✔️ Growing up with very little and developing ambition early ✔️ Starting as a gas engineer before launching EBC in 2015 ✔️ Hiring a web designer as the first employee ✔️ Investing every penny back into marketing ✔️ Growing to around 60 staff and appointing an MD ✔️ Moving from boilers into renewables ✔️ Cashflow challenges around heat pump funding ✔️ Launching a community interest training academy ✔️ Addressing the skills gap and net zero targets ✔️ Implementing AI, voice bots and CRM automation ✔️ Leadership, resilience and mindset ✔️ Vision, strategy and building a legacy

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 Mark Glasgow: LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-glasgow-89942047/

Website → https://theenergytrainingacademy.com/

Company Website → https://www.instagram.com/theenergytrainingacademy

Timestamps

[00:00] James introduces Mark Glasgow [00:00:59] Mark’s background and early ambition [00:02:23] Launching Edinburgh Boiler Company in 2015 [00:03:15] Digital marketing and early growth [00:04:29] Leadership and appointing an MD [00:05:54] Structure, meetings and growth plans [00:06:24] AI, automation and CRM systems [00:06:57] Moving into renewables and funding challenges [00:07:56] Launching the training academy [00:11:14] Leadership and caring for your people [00:16:06] Uncertainty in UK business [00:18:24] Mindset and personal development [00:29:44] Skills shortages and AI disruption [00:37:03] Future plans and acquisitions [00:38:36] Mark’s top three pieces of advice [End] James closes the episode