Success doesn’t happen in a straight line. It’s built in the trenches, through hardship, betrayal, health scares, and moments when giving up feels like the only option.

In this powerful episode of the Success or Excuses podcast, James Fleming sits down with Michael Savage, CEO of Channel Group, for a raw, unfiltered conversation about what it really takes to keep rebuilding, again and again.

Michael isn’t here to share a polished comeback story. He’s still in the thick of it. But what makes his journey so compelling is the relentless mindset that keeps him moving forward, even when the odds are stacked against him.

From building a multi-seven-figure finance brokerage from the ground up, to facing a life-threatening brain tumour and dealing with betrayal during recovery, Michael lays it all bare. He opens up about the mental toll of being a leader under pressure, the moments he felt like walking away, and how the right people (and the wrong ones) shaped everything.

This episode is for the ones still in it. The ones navigating doubt, starting over, or rebuilding when everything feels uncertain.

It’s not about polished success, it’s about the grit that makes it possible.

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Key Moments:

✔️Building a finance business without funding and why banks said noBeing diagnosed with a brain tumour in the middle of running a company

✔️Losing trust in key people and the emotional toll of betrayal

✔️Why resilience is non-negotiable if you want to lead

✔️What it really means to start from zero, twice

✔️Loyalty, mindset, and creating a culture where your name means something

✔️The truth about growing a business in Scotland and redefining the game

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Follow James Fleming:

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

Success or Excuses Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/success.or.excuses?igsh=dXdvcHVjNDloM2Zj

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

Website → https://thepowerwithintraining.com/

Follow Michael Savage:

LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/channel-finance-group-uk/

Website → https://www.channelfinance.co.uk

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/channelfinancegroup/

Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/channelfinance

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Success is earned in the arena, through grit, failure, and choosing to show up when everything’s on the line. This episode is proof of that.