James Routledge is the one of the founder of Sanctus, aiming to put the world's first mental health Gym on the high street and make mental fitness as mainstream physical fitness. They aim to be the Nike of mental fitness.
James set up Sanctus to create the brand that he wished had existed for him and for millions of others. A brand that aims to redefine mental health as a whole and help people become the best version of themselves. They do this through coaching, community events and working with businesses where we create the environment for people to openly talk about mental health.
James started his first business with friends at University aged 20. They raised $1m in Angel and Venture Capital investment and grew their team and product to relative scale (never went back to University).
In the process of building the business, raising investment and subsequently dealing with its failure, he describes that he "lost sight of who he was. I burnt out, suffered with anxiety and had regular panic attacks. I'd pushed myself to the limit for 3 years working on something I wasn't truly passionate about and lived my life as someone else in my quest to impress others". With Sanctus, James is trying to change that for himself and others.
