Gavin Smith didn’t follow the rules he rewrote them.

No confidence. No funding. No business plan. Just a belief that there had to be a better way to make a living and a difference. From growing up in a small Ayrshire mining village to becoming the founder of the UK’s leading renewable heat consultancy, Gavin’s story is a masterclass in grit, growth, and figuring it out as you go.

In this episode of Success or Excuses, James Fleming sits down with Gavin to unpack the messy, honest reality of starting something from scratch when you're broke, burnt out, and battling self-doubt. From £8K a year to running a business that works while he sleeps, Gavin proves you don’t need to have it all figured out you just need to start.

This conversation is full of mindset shifts, leadership lessons, and the silver shrapnel (you’ll get it when you listen) that comes from years of learning the hard way.

Key moments include:
✔️ The 3-year round-the-world trip that built his confidence without taking a single flight
✔️ Starting a business with no money, no roadmap, and a lot of Excel spreadsheets
✔️ The brutal year he earned £8K and what kept him going anyway
✔️ How purpose became the driving force behind profit
✔️ Letting go of bad hires (and the guilt that comes with it)
✔️ Why your team suffers when you avoid difficult decisions
✔️ Building a business that makes money while you sleep
✔️ The moment he realised he’d outgrown his own knowledge and what he did next
✔️ Neurodivergent-friendly leadership: building systems that work for real humans
✔️ Gavin’s top 3 tips for anyone starting a purpose-led business from the ground up

Subscribe to Success or Excuses for more unfiltered, straight-talking conversations with people who kept going when everyone else would’ve quit.

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 Gavin Smith:

LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/gavin-smith-05423916/

Website→ https://yourenergysource.co.uk

Company LinkedIn (Your Energy Source) → https://www.linkedin.com/company/your-energy-source/

Email → [email protected]