Why We Started a Marketing Agency for Good Causes
A lot of people, myself included, are realizing that the rapidly-growing threats of climate change and mounting social inequities can no longer be ignored. Every one of us has to find a way to use the talents and skills we have to tackle these very real challenges. Someone else won’t fix these huge problems while you go about your daily life, willfully unaware.
I find myself at a crossroads and contemplating what to do next with my career at the same time the world is waking up to the big challenges it must face. Should I continue with business as usual? For me that would mean continuing my career in another marketing role, driving impact for a newly minted startup, a large established corporation, or a bustling marketing agency.
It’s easy to feel powerless when facing the tremendous forces that shape our world. But everyone has certain things under their control. For a fortunate group of us, that includes how we spend our careers. I believe we have the responsibility to use what time we have wisely, morally, and effectively. Our world’s challenges demand it. And it’s crucial for us to meet those challenges.
My Co-Founder Sam and I asked ourselves a simple question: What if we started a business that aligned with our beliefs? Together, we’ve spent over thirty years perfecting our marketing skills while solving a broad spectrum of challenges for all types of businesses. While there is always more to learn, we are both at the height of our abilities in our chosen profession. What should we do with this ability? What if we chose to use it for good?
Today we are going to find out. We are launching Root & Leaf, a marketing agency focused on creating impact for mission-driven organizations and conscientious enterprises. From our experience we know that great marketing has the ability to shape public opinion, build powerful movements, and pull people towards world-changing action. It’s a powerful tool and we don’t plan to waste it. Instead, we’re investing our time working with nonprofits, foundations, and purpose-driven companies that are doing good. In building this agency we are following our intuition and staying true to who we are. We are working with people that share our outlook. Our focus on these types of client partners shapes the people we work with, the projects we make successful, and the talent we attract.
Starting an agency is no easy task. I know from personal experience after founding my first successful agency over twenty years ago. It was incredibly hard work. It was also the most rewarding work I have done in my career. Sam and I are building something different with the power to make a positive impact in some of the most important issues of the day. We’re honored to partner with organizations doing the same.