🔎 Episode Summary

In this episode, Jamie and David sit down with Thomas Keown, founder of Many Hopes, a survivor-led nonprofit working across Africa and Latin America to rescue children from abuse and exploitation. The organisation supports them into adulthood as leaders and change-makers.

Thomas shares an extraordinary personal journey. He discusses how he grew up during the Troubles in Northern Ireland, worked on delivering the Good Friday Agreement and shares how those early experiences with conflict, injustice and reconciliation shaped his view of leadership, patience and long-term change.

From a chance encounter with a Kenyan journalist in Mombasa to an accidental meeting that sparked the creation of Many Hopes, this conversation traces how purpose often emerges without a master plan.

In this episode, we explore what it really takes to build an organisation slowly, ethically and sustainably, resisting pressure to scale fast, learning from painful mistakes and keeping identity separate from mission to avoid burnout. This episode is a powerful reflection on leadership, trust, and why investing deeply in a few can eventually transform the many.

Hosts: Jamie Dundas and David Brown - Good Space

Guest: Thomas Keown - Founder of Many Hopes

🧠 Key Takeaways

From Northern Ireland to Global Justice:

Thomas’ upbringing during the Troubles taught him that pain can either perpetuate conflict or inspire a different way forward, a lesson that now underpins Many Hopes’ survivor-led model.

Accidental Beginnings, Enduring Purpose:

Many Hopes didn’t start with a grand vision or strategy deck. It began with people asking a simple question: “Is there something I can do?” Purpose emerged through action, not planning.

Rescue Is Only the Beginning:

Many Hopes doesn’t just remove children from harm, it commits to walking with them for years, equipping survivors with education, stability and character so they can one day help others.

Scaling Slowly to Scale Well:

The organisation spent its first decade working in one country, refining its model before expanding. Trust in local, survivor-led partners is both its greatest strength and greatest risk.

Leadership, Identity & Burnout:

Thomas reflects candidly on mistakes: hiring missteps, moving too fast, and tying his personal identity too closely to the organisation.

🛠️ Tools, Models & Ideas Explored

Survivor-led change as a long-term development model

Slow growth as a strategy for excellence and trust

Deep investment in people over rapid expansion

Monthly giving as a foundation for sustainable impact

💡 Best Quote “History takes a long time to happen overnight.”

🔗 Connect With Many Hopes

🌐 Website: https://manyhopes.org

🎥 Watch The Rising film: https://youtu.be/-g-mrZsrga4

💬 Connect With Ideas Club

📨 Newsletter: https://good.space/ideas-club

🌟 Join the community for founders, freelancers and creators who believe — ideas will save you.

🔎 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 fro

💡 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

🌟 Join the community for founders, freelancers and creators who believe — ideas will save you.

In this episode, David and Jamie sit down with Alistair Hargreaves, former Saracens rugby player and co-founder of Wolfpack, to explore his unlikely leap from professional sport into building one of London’s most beloved independent pub brands. Hargreaves reflects on the “cliff edge” faced by every athlete, the pressure of figuring out life after sport, and how desperation, resilience and camaraderie paved the way for a completely new chapter.

The conversation unpacks the mindset behind reinvention, the realities of starting a business with zero industry experience, and the culture-first approach that has helped Wolfpack grow from a double-decker bus pouring pints to a thriving network of pubs with a devoted community. Hargreaves shares candid, thoughtful perspectives on leadership, brand building and the joy of creating spaces where people genuinely feel at home.

• Alistair speaks openly about the moment every athlete faces — the unavoidable “cliff edge” where your sporting career ends and real-life decisions begin.
• His shift into business wasn’t driven by a polished plan but by urgency, curiosity and a desire to put his sporting values to use beyond the pitch.
• Resilience, discipline and teamwork became the transferable skills that shaped his next chapter.

• Wolfpack began as a simple idea: serve beer to a captive audience of rugby fans from a converted double-decker bus.
• Early feedback taught Alistair and co-founder Chris that skills from rugby had value — but only if tested outside the sport. That became the catalyst for action.
• What started as post-training pub chats evolved into supplying local venues and eventually opening their own spaces across London.

• Rather than relying on their reputations as rugby players, Alistair and Chris intentionally built Wolfpack as a brand with its own identity, rooted in community
• Wolfpack’s culture — not fame — became its engine.

• Alistair discusses why Wolfpack pubs feel like neighbourhood anchors: places where people of all ages gather, connect and feel part of something local.
• From pouring pints on doorsteps during lockdown to nurturing spaces where everyone feels welcome, community is not a buzzword — it’s lived practice.

• Alistair describes entrepreneurship as equal parts courage and naivety — the willingness to jump in before you feel ready.
• He reflects on weathering tough seasons, taking hits, and staying resilient long enough to find a way through.
• His advice: avoid the “grey zone” of hesitation. Commit fully, embrace discomfort, and surround yourself with good people.

Lean in, take the leap, and trust that the skills you’ve built, whatever world they came from, can shape something meaningful in the next chapter.

“The strength of the wolf is in the pack — it’s all about togetherness.” — Alistair Hargreaves

Explore Wolfpack and their venues: https://wolfpacklager.com/

Follow Wolfpack on Instagram: @wolfpacklager