Hi I'm Kim, the Founder of Goodera.
This post is just the starting point for what I plan to build here on this blog—an ongoing collection of ideas, features, and conversations that will serve as a source of education and inspiration for anyone interested in doing more good. But for this first post, I'd like to introduce you to the what and the why behind Goodera.
I started Goodera (pronounced good•era) in 2020 basically because it’s hard to work in advertising when the entire world is falling apart.
Regardless of what industry you work in, a lot of us can agree that it's hard to spend your time filling out spreadsheets or obsessing over Instagram likes while innocent people are being attacked and killed because of their race, children are being gunned down in schools, and climate change is rapidly destroying our planet past the point of no return.
I also find it hard to maintain any sort of consistent optimism or focus when seemingly every day there's a new emergency to tend to. Like so many others, I regularly feel the effects of empathy overload: "Sorry, I can't help Cause F because Causes A, B, C, D, and E already have me teetering on the edge of compassion fatigue this week."
After a workplace disagreement in July 2020 (that's a story for another post) I quickly realized that while I can’t fix all of the things, what I can do—rather than abandon a decades-long career in advertising to start over for a specific cause—is use my skills to raise awareness of those who are trying to fix all of the things, one problem at a time.
I decided to put my skills to use for those who actually need it—small businesses, brands, entrepreneurs, and solopreneurs who are working to make a positive impact through their business.
And with that I started Goodera with two goals:
1. Help as many people as possible do as much good as possible
My ultimate goal is to help more people succeed in doing more good.
By providing creative services exclusively for purpose-driven brands, Goodera helps businesses amplify their missions and further their reach and positive impact. So whether we’re creating a social media strategy for an outdoors retailer fighting climate change, or developing an awareness campaign for a social change initiative, if someone is on a mission to make a meaningful impact we want to help them achieve success.
To further ensure that simply working together will leave an immediate positive impact, we also give back 10% of each invoice to a community or organization of each client’s choosing.
2. Help reshape the advertising industry
I know this problem exists outside of advertising, but I can only speak to what I've experienced during my career.
The ad industry is full of burnt out creatives drowning in work they’re rarely proud of. I’d like to help change that by giving people, particularly creatives, the opportunity to choose how and where they spend their time and energy.
Our creative team is fully freelance, fully remote, and fully in charge of their own time. That means working from wherever, whenever, saying yes or no to projects as they come through, and getting paid based on skill sets, not zip codes. As we scale it will be my ongoing mission to make sure that our people are taken care of, and that we help alleviate any of the uncertainties that come with being a freelancer—like paying for healthcare, saving for retirement, and securing steady work.
All of this allows us to provide better opportunities for freelancers to create work they can feel good about. When creative thinkers are inspired and empowered, there's no telling how much of a positive impact we can make. But I'm willing to bet on it, because I've seen firsthand how when we collaborate towards a greater cause, we all rise up together.
This is just the beginning of Goodera. So however you're looking to do more good in the world, say hello! I welcome any and all voices who are ready to do something that matters with their businesses and careers.
Until next time!
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