Donna McAteer didn’t wait for opportunity she created it.
Two babies under two. No job to go back to. A partner offshore. And absolutely no time to sit and panic. When her role in Dubai disappeared overnight after maternity leave, Donna didn’t spiral she stepped up.
In this episode of Success or Excuses, James Fleming sits down with Donna to unpack what it really takes to build a business from your kitchen table, with a newborn on one arm and a laptop on the other. From banking to branding, late nights to local marketing, Donna turned fear into fuel and built Global Buzz into one of Scotland’s most passionate hospitality-focused marketing agencies.
This conversation is packed with energy, honesty, and real-life lessons for anyone trying to juggle parenthood, pressure, and a plan to do things differently.
Key moments include: ✔️ The moment she lost her job post-maternity leave and decided to start her own business ✔️ Building a business around two small children and zero childcare ✔️ Why being scared of failure was never an option ✔️ How routine, structure and mindset gave her freedom ✔️ Growing up working class and the entrepreneurial dad who shaped her drive ✔️ Her love of food, hospitality and why your marketing should always feel personal ✔️ Hiring mistakes, staff challenges and learning how to let go of control ✔️ The reality of being “the face” of your business and the pressure that comes with it ✔️ How she turned fear into belief, and built her business from grit, not glamour ✔️ Her top three tips for anyone starting out in marketing (or any business)
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 Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/successorexcusespodcast YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@SuccessorExcusesPodcast Website → https://thepowerwithintraining.com/
Follow Donna McAteer: LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/donna-mcateer-b437b0212/ Website → https://www.globalbuzzmarketing.co.uk/ Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/globalbuzzmarketing
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