Articles

  • Mission Stoke

    by James Routledge
    I have a mission in Stoke to complete, it’s why I felt drawn back to the area.  
I feel drawn to the blank canvas, the history of creativity and th...

  • "Stoke is on the up" and...

    by James Routledge
    “Stoke is on the up”I feel very positive about Stoke-on-Trent and it’s trajectory. I’m privileged to find myself in rooms listening to presentation...
    Posted in stoke

  • I choose hope

    by James Routledge
    I’ve written twice now on my observations and experiences since beginning to work in Stoke with Staffordshire University and live in Staffordshire....
    Posted in stoke

  • Hanley & blame culture

    by James Routledge
    I took a walk through Hanley the other day, a place that since I’ve come back to Stoke I’ve avoided. “Hanley?” *sharp intake of breath* “I wouldn’t...
    Posted in stoke

  • Stoke

    by James Routledge
    I’ve spent the best part of this year back in Stoke and I’m starting to see the place with a fresh perspective. I’ve not lived here permanently for...
    Posted in stoke

  • Personally Speaking - Anyone can be an entrepreneur in Staffordshire

    by James Routledge
    First published in The Sentinel on 16/07/22 Personally Speaking – Anyone can be an entrepreneur in Staffordshire James Routledge: Founder of Sanctu...
    Posted in startups, stoke

  • Moving to a Sanctus Board Role

    by James Routledge
    In 2019, I began talking to my Coach about my role within Sanctus.

    3 years later, after a £4.25m investment round I've moved to a part-time Board & Brand role and it feels great.
    Posted in sanctus, startups

  • Sanctus raises £4.25m

    by James Routledge
    I’m delighted to announce that we’ve raised £4.25m in investment led by ScaleUp Capital. (See the Sanctus announcement post here) It’s been a while...
    Posted in sanctus

  • Published Writing

    by James Routledge

    Here's an up to date list of all my published writing. 

  • What it's like to write a book.

    by James Routledge
    Last week I got my hands on the first copies of my book and it felt amazing. Writing a book for me was always a dream, although not a goal, it wasn...

  • Founder, not CEO

    by James Routledge
    In November I decided to step aside as CEO of Sanctus and we hired an exceptional new CEO (Chris Slater). It’s 7 months on and I’ve had more reflec...

  • Conscious vs Unconscious Motivations

    by James Routledge
    ^ This is me at 23/24 founder of my first business, matchchat. It was all about the logo on the office wall. We all have conscious and unconscio...