James Rutter is the Chief Strategy Officer at COOK, home of award-winning frozen meals and puddings. Founded in 1997, and a BCorp since 2013! COOK now sell via their bespoke website, 111 shops across the UK, and via wholesale. And in the last 15 years they’ve grown from £30million to being on track for £150million in annual sales this year, of which about 1/5 are online.

In this episode, James reveals the three pillars that power COOK’s incredible growth — and how you can apply them to your business.

Hit PLAY to hear:

• 💡 Why culture is the ultimate competitive advantage in eCommerce
• 📝 James’ 7 Laws of Strategy (and why your strategy must fit on ONE page)
• 🛠️ How to make every team member feel like an “insider”
• 👥 Cook’s bold hiring program that brings in talent others overlook — and why it works
• 📈 The simple rhythm Cook uses to keep strategy, budgeting, and execution aligned
• 🔥 How to turn internal culture into external brand energy that customers love

Key timestamps to dive straight in:

[03:57] "Vertically Integrated Retail Food Chain"

[08:18] "Empowering People in Business"

[12:54] "Balancing Recruitment with Social Impact"

[15:55] Simplifying Strategy for Clarity

[18:57] Painful Choices Ensure Strategic Clarity

[21:21] Annual Strategic Planning Process

[24:14] Cultivating Authentic Brand Connection

[26:50] Confronting Brutal Facts

[29:27] Listen to James’ Top Tips!

Full episode notes here: https://ecmp.info/564