James grew up in Switzerland, in a little town on a little lake among the foothills of the Alps. His very English first name is owed to his Australian mother. During university, James worked as a freelance journalist covering local news in the little country's capital. Once he completed his studies in political science and media, James moved to Sydney where he joined a media monitoring company. He remained in the media monitoring industry even after his return to Switzerland. Eventually, love brought James to America, where he joined the Patient Worthy editorial team.