LDC Top 50 2024
Jo Tutchener Sharp
Founder
Scamp & Dude
Having suffered a brain haemorrhage, Jo Tutchener Sharp was about to undergo surgery when she vowed that if she made it out of hospital, she would build a business that helps others.
She set up Scamp & Dude in 2016 and has since donated 8,000 superhero sleep buddy toys to children who have lost a parent or are seriously ill, and 52,750 super scarves to women with cancer. Her Buckinghamshire-based B-Corp also includes a fashion range, which is stocked in Liberty and stores across the UK. “I don’t see boundaries anymore,” she says. “I’ve been given a second chance at life, and I’ve got a fire in my belly.”
I don’t see boundaries anymore. I’ve been given a second chance at life, and I’ve got a fire in my belly.”
Q&A
How have you built your brand?
Up until two years ago, I ran all of Scamp & Dude’s social media myself. I was at the end of all the DMs! I used to run my own PR agency, so I love chatting to people. We now have more than 360,000 followers on Instagram and around 13,000 people in the Scamp & Duders Facebook group. They are an amazing community of super-fans helping to spread kindness and brand love. If I can’t decide on a particular print for a new dress, I’ll let them decide.
What’s your expansion plan?
We opened our first proper store in Marlow two years ago and we’ve opened four more since then. They’re a great way for people to discover our brand, returns and exchanges are close to zero, and we run fun in-store events. When we recruit staff for the stores, my first question is always, “Do they have a good heart?” My ambition is to have a Scamp & Dude store within 1.5 hours of our customers around the UK.
What gets you out of bed in the morning?
I’ve received thousands of unbelievable letters from women who received a Super Scarf during chemo and kids who were given a Sleep Buddy to comfort them during a tough time. Running a business is absolutely exhausting but those messages remind me why I’m doing this. I’m obsessed with helping more people.
