Jim's Book

Meet the man and uncover the story behind one of Australia’s most recognised brands

We all know Jim’s. Maybe you just passed a Jim’s Mowing trailer on the road; or maybe there’s a Jim’s Cleaning van parked across the street each Tuesday morning; or maybe your best mate is laughing all the way to the bank after quitting the city and starting his new Jim’s Fencing franchise, but do you know the real story behind the Jim’s Group and its founder, Jim Penman?

Brutally efficient, socially awkward, and a tireless perfectionist, Jim is as complex and fascinating as the Jim’s Group. This book is a warts-and-all look at his colourful life that delves deep into how he ignored conventional thinking to turn a few mowing rounds into a corporate juggernaut built on always putting the customer first. Jim’s unique approach revolutionised Australia’s business landscape, providing thousands of people the opportunity to create and grow their own businesses.

Most Australians know very little about the man who created one of the nation’s most famous companies. For all of his success, Jim is remarkably unassuming and approachable. In this authorised biography, author Catherine Moolenschot sat down with Jim and over one hundred people who know him — from franchisees and franchisors, to family, friends, and adversaries — to get up close and personal with the surprising story of one of Australia’s biggest brands and the man who made it all happen.

Jim’s Book tells the fascinating story of the man and the business that bears his name. Equal parts biography, history and philosophy, this book takes readers on a journey through one man’s remarkable life.

About the Author

Catherine Moolenschot is a speaker, author, ghostwriter, and book writing mentor. She wrote her first book, A Rough Road, at 13 and her second, Failure Is Underrated, at 17. Since delivering her first TEDx talk 'Living Your Funnel of Greatness' in 2012 Catherine has presented at events all over Australia and internationally, speaking on the nature of success at schools, universities, corporate organisations, and at startup events. She has mentored prominent executives through the process of writing their own nonfiction books and memoirs. Her latest novel, I Am Megan, is being released on June 30th 2018.

Catherine is now an expert in Jim’s life now, thanks to all the interviews she has done! Her objectives for writing this book are to share the very interesting story of Jim’s life; the good, the bad, and the ‘did he really do/say that?’ It includes his personal life in great detail, including his four marriages and three divorces, his parenting style, his life-long obsession with what makes a civilisation rise or fall, and his faith.