I vividly remember my first big brand campaign. I’ve always been enamored by powerful global brands and Porsche’s launch of their first ever SUV was groundbreaking. A traditionally shrewd German company synonymous with performance sports car was now interested in the upscale soccer mom? I was in heaven.

As years went by I worked for other big brands that I admired and appreciated, but I never again felt that excitement and exhilaration that comes part and parcel with your first time.

That feeling recently returned when I began taking on some consulting projects with fledgling startups and small business owners that needed advertising help. Every single one of them were incredibly smart, talented and driven, but none had the extensive expertise that I had with regards to audiences, media and content production.

After working for large brands for so long, I was amazed at the amount of positive change I could effect  alongside these smaller clients by simply pulling a couple of levers. It was invigorating and completely satisfying, very similar to that first time with Porsche. Right then and there I realized that I had to go out on my own to replicate that process for other clients.

Although my first love will always be big brands, my new approach utilizes the knowledge and expertise gained by working with these big brands and using it to help organizations that may never have been able to gain access.

Along the way on this journey I had another epiphany that comes with major life changes: the birth of my son Jack. I had always been dismissive when friends told me how much a child changes your perspective on life, but the morning he was born I immediately understood what they meant.

My son is the inspiration and namesake behind what I’ve call Jack’s 10%. Every year I dedicate 10% of my time, free of charge, to help organizations improve their marketing efforts and create some content that gets them noticed. The only prerequisite is that they are created to do good.

There isn’t a criteria on size, maturity or even the existence of a 501(c)(3). If you’re doing something that is bettering our world, please drop me a line. In return I’ll provide all of my expertise, tools and processes that I give my paying clients. And if I’m booked, I’ll be more than happy to make introductions to any of my contacts that would be willing to help.

I’m sure that’s the way Jack would want it, and I’ll be sure to ask him, once he learns how to talk.