How to scale your business without selling your soul with James Rutter

🔎 Episode Summary

In this episode, Jamie and David sit down with James Rutter — the creative and strategic mind who helped scale COOK from a £30m family-run food brand to a £130m certified B Corp, all while deepening culture, protecting quality, and refusing to “sell the soul” of the business.
James shares how his early career in journalism shaped his obsession with stories, why people-first companies win in the long run, and how the “Big Relationships” model (unity, clarity, appreciation) has become the backbone of COOK’s culture. He also breaks down strategy in a way that feels human and energising — not corporate, confusing, or abstract.
If you care about culture, purpose, or growing a company without losing the magic, this one is packed with insights.
Hosts: Jamie Dundas & David Brown
Guest: James Rutter – Strategist, writer, longtime culture-builder at COOK, and founder of JamesRutter.com

🧠 Key Takeaways
1. From Journalism to COOK - Following Curiosity, Not a Masterplan
James never intended to work in food. But his journalistic instinct eventually led him to COOK, where he discovered that culture is one giant “story of us.”
2. Big Relationships → Big Results
At the heart of COOK’s growth is a simple model:
• Unity – we’re in this together
• Clarity – know what you’re doing and why
• Appreciation – acknowledge people sincerely and often
This framework acts as a diagnostic tool for almost every challenge a team faces.
3. Scaling With Soul
COOK grew from 400 to 2,000 people without venture capital - on purpose. Slow, steady, values-aligned growth protected product quality and culture. Strategy wasn’t about domination, it was about staying true, staying consistent, and staying human.
4. Storytelling as a Cultural Engine
Small, everyday stories build belonging far more than grand narratives. James helps teams notice meaningful moments and use them to reinforce culture.
5. Strategy Isn’t Complicated — It’s Choice
Good strategy is simply deciding where to play and how to win, and sticking to it.
James breaks strategy down into:
• Clarity — what creates value
• Persistence — staying committed
• Courage — choosing one path and closing off others
It’s not about predicting the future; it’s about increasing the odds you’ll succeed.

🛠️ Tools, Models & Ideas James Uses
• Big Relationships Model: Unity, clarity, appreciation
• Storyworthy’s Homework for Life: A daily practice for noticing meaningful story moments
• Playing to Win (Laffley & Martin): A strategy framework built on choice
• Seven Powers (Helmer): Understanding where true advantage comes from

💡 Best Quote
“Big results come from big relationships. A business is just people coming together to do something they couldn’t do alone.”

🔗 Connect With James Rutter
🌐 Website: https://www.james-rutter.com/
💬 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/james-rutter-8972079

💬 Connect With Ideas Club
📨 Newsletter: https://good.space/ideas-club
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