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89. James Thornton on Taking on Giants

Glen Carlson

Cofounder, Dent

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James Thornton has been named by The New Statesman as one of 10 people that could change the world and as you'll find out during his chat with Daniel Priestley, James already is changing the world.

On The Dent Podcast, we interview key people of influence in all walks of life. We delve deep to unearth how these successful people got to where they are, their trials and tribulations, as well as their successes, and what their experiences can teach us all.

James Thornton is the founding CEO of ClientEarth, a global environmental law charity that uses the power of the law to bring about end-to-end systemic change. James has many years of experience as an environmental lawyer and has fought some tough fights that have generated real change including bringing 80 federal lawsuits against corporations to enforce the Clean Water Act after the Reagan Administration had stopped enforcing the law.

James has embraced spirituality and meditation throughout his life, eventually becoming a Zen Priest which brings balance and the mental tools to do the work he does so well.

Here's a taste of James Thornton and Daniel's conversation –

  • James discusses some of the big cases from his early career, including his fight against environmental polluters in the 1980's

  • How James and his firm fought for the protection of thousand year old trees being logged and pulped in Alaska

  • Why new laws being passed mean little unless they are being put to the test systematically and enforced

  • Taking the UK government to task over air pollution and winning

  • How return of investment can be measured in the work carried out by James and ClientEarth

  • Taking on the coal fire power industry to protect the earth from climate change

  • How James became an environmental lawyer and the pathways along the way that helped shape his direction

  • James's hope for the future and how to change the way people think about the environment

  • Becoming a zen priest and embracing spirituality and meditation as a daily practice

  • Using getting angry as a strategy instead of acting on impulse

  • How the future of agriculture might look and why it is a key industry to look towards for protecting the environment

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How long does it take to complete KPI?

The programme is built around a 12-month foundation year. This is the time it takes to build your full authority ecosystem. From there, many clients continue to compound their results year on year. Within 24 hours of joining, you'll get full access to the KPI platform. In your first week, you'll attend a group onboarding session where you'll learn how to navigate the platform, access your resources, subscribe to our event calendars, and book into your first Value Canvas Kickoff.

How long has Dent been doing this?

Over 5,500 businesses across 60+ industries in EMEA, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific have gone through our accelerators.

What is your mission?

Our mission is to produce Key People of Influence who stand out, scale up, and make an impact in the world.

What makes this different from programmes?

The biggest difference is that KPI is a production environment, not a course. You don't watch videos and hope something sticks. You build 15-17 real assets of influence — your book, your scorecard, your productised offer, your lead generation system — in structured 10-day sprints with live coaching. Every asset goes to market as you build it. Real feedback, real results, real revenue impact. And you're doing it alongside 5,500+ founders who've been through the same methodology.

Is Daniel Priestley involved in the programme?

Yes! Daniel is our CEO and Cofounder. He is one of the key minds behind every aspect of the KPI Accelerator. He occasionally runs workshops himself.

faq's

Your Questions Answered

You can also find out more detail on our Methodology on our next webinar.

Book A Free Strategy Call*

Book A Free Strategy Call*

Benchmark your influence

Benchmark your influence

How long does it take to complete KPI?

The programme is built around a 12-month foundation year. This is the time it takes to build your full authority ecosystem. From there, many clients continue to compound their results year on year. Within 24 hours of joining, you'll get full access to the KPI platform. In your first week, you'll attend a group onboarding session where you'll learn how to navigate the platform, access your resources, subscribe to our event calendars, and book into your first Value Canvas Kickoff.

How long has Dent been doing this?

Over 5,500 businesses across 60+ industries in EMEA, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific have gone through our accelerators.

What is your mission?

Our mission is to produce Key People of Influence who stand out, scale up, and make an impact in the world.

What makes this different from programmes?

The biggest difference is that KPI is a production environment, not a course. You don't watch videos and hope something sticks. You build 15-17 real assets of influence — your book, your scorecard, your productised offer, your lead generation system — in structured 10-day sprints with live coaching. Every asset goes to market as you build it. Real feedback, real results, real revenue impact. And you're doing it alongside 5,500+ founders who've been through the same methodology.

Is Daniel Priestley involved in the programme?

Yes! Daniel is our CEO and Cofounder. He is one of the key minds behind every aspect of the KPI Accelerator. He occasionally runs workshops himself.

faq's

Your Questions Answered

You can also find out more detail on our Methodology on our next webinar.

Book A Free Strategy Call*

Book A Free Strategy Call*

Benchmark your influence

Benchmark your influence

How long does it take to complete KPI?

The programme is built around a 12-month foundation year. This is the time it takes to build your full authority ecosystem. From there, many clients continue to compound their results year on year. Within 24 hours of joining, you'll get full access to the KPI platform. In your first week, you'll attend a group onboarding session where you'll learn how to navigate the platform, access your resources, subscribe to our event calendars, and book into your first Value Canvas Kickoff.

How long has Dent been doing this?

Over 5,500 businesses across 60+ industries in EMEA, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific have gone through our accelerators.

What is your mission?

Our mission is to produce Key People of Influence who stand out, scale up, and make an impact in the world.

What makes this different from programmes?

The biggest difference is that KPI is a production environment, not a course. You don't watch videos and hope something sticks. You build 15-17 real assets of influence — your book, your scorecard, your productised offer, your lead generation system — in structured 10-day sprints with live coaching. Every asset goes to market as you build it. Real feedback, real results, real revenue impact. And you're doing it alongside 5,500+ founders who've been through the same methodology.

Is Daniel Priestley involved in the programme?

Yes! Daniel is our CEO and Cofounder. He is one of the key minds behind every aspect of the KPI Accelerator. He occasionally runs workshops himself.