David "Jim" Penman is an Australian businessman and historian in the field of biohistory. He is the owner of Jim's Group. He has been a co-author in a number of peer-reviewed articles on calorie restriction on rats. In addition he, has self-published books using his academic interests on mice to make claims on predicting human culture and history. Penman described his ideas as being classified as Conservative liberalism and Neoliberalism.
Early life
He attended Sydney Church of England Grammar School and Melbourne Grammar because his father Tom Penman worked in different trades including as Chief Engineer at Carlton United Breweries. As a teenager, he was fascinated by the fall of Rome and why this happened. In 1974, at age 22, after completing Honours, Penman started a PhD under June Philipp, part of the ethnographic historians called “the Melbourne Group” at La Trobe University looking at how character was a key to understanding history. It was during this time doing his PhD and mowing lawns, in 1979 when he first met his first wife. In 1981, Penman submitted his PhD that was rejected. In 1983, June Philipp told Penman that he could resubmit his PhD, with changes to the methodology section, and it would, in the words of Penman, "be able to get through." He submitted his PhD with the changes recommended by Philipp in 1984, ten years after starting, his PhD 'Personality and social change' passed. After having his PhD rejected he turned his part-time lawn mowing business into a full-time job in 1983-89.
Jim’s Group
Penman focussed on setting up and selling lawn-mowing rounds rather than simply mowing lawns, taking on sub-contractors and selling around 100 rounds between 1983 and 1989. In 1988 VIP Home Services came into the market in Victoria, which prompted Penman to systemise his own processes and create the Jim's Mowing franchise. Jim's mandate is to be fanatical about service to both Franchisees and customers, working constantly to lower complaints and improve Franchisee satisfaction. After launching the Franchise in 1989, Penman was approached by people who wanted to use the Jim’s banner. The second division was Cleaning and since then the franchise model has been adapted to almost 50 different service industries. Penman is still the CEO of the group and actively involved in day-to-day operations. In 2018 Jim’s Group has a turnover of over $400 million, with more than 3,800 franchisees in four countries, Australia, Great Britain, New Zealand and Canada. Jim's Group is currently preparing a prospectus for a possible float in late 2018.
Biohistory
Penman has been engaged in the study of epigenetics, self-publishing Biohistory and Biohistory The Decline and Fall of the West based on his Phd from 1983. He marketed the book himself by appearing on popular youtube channels to give interviews such as Stefan Molyneux Richard Heathen from Liberty News Machine and That Libertarian Chap. His work has been criticised as drawing "heavily on racial stereotypes" and having a nationalist and eugenicist agenda.
Philanthropy
Penman stated that after his PhD he could not get an academic post so he had to self fund his research interests. Penman gave $500,000 in funding to a team of researchers in the school of psychological science at La Trobe University. He later funded Institute for Social Neuroscience/ISN Psychology a research institute and tertiary education provider where Penamn has a governance role as Director. Tony Paolini, a senior lecturer in behavioural neuroscience who headed Penman's La Trobe research and now CEO and President of ISN Psychology said "I think, basically, Jim has a lot of ideas and I, as a scientist, help to funnel those ideas into testable hypotheses." By Penman's account he spends $1million a year on research and wants to increase that to $2-3 million per year and start using CRISPR to make "to make both genetic and precise epigenetic changes".
Personal Life
Penman has 11 children, has been married four times and described himself as an evangelical Christian. He also has cold showers to promote vigor and advocates discipline and chastity. He attends a creationist church.
Books
Jim's Mowing, franchise development:
J. Penman The Cutting Edge: Jim's Mowing, a Franchise Story
J. Penman Surprised by Success: The Very Australian Story of Jim's Mowing
J. Penman What Will They Franchise Next?: The Story of Jim's Group
J. Penman Selling by Not Selling: From $24 to a Turnover of $400 Million
Epigenetics, culture and society
J. Penman Biohistory: Decline and Fall of the West, Cambridge Scholars
J. Penman Biohistory, Cambridge Scholars
Jim Penman The Hungry Ape: Biology And The Fall Of Civilisations
