The Client That Led Me To Start Goodera: Donald Trump

In many ways, January 2026 feels incredibly similar to July 2020, which is when I started Goodera. While there were many reasons for why I created an LLC, the moment that sparked action came when my cushy, six-figure job took on a Donald Trump reelection campaign, and assigned me—a very vocal anti-Trumper who was actively fighting his environmental and immigration policies through volunteer work—to work on it.

I've sat on this story for years, mostly because the details feel insignificant compared to what happens almost daily: chaos, violence, lies, hatred, divisiveness, and blatant disregard for science and fact. But just like in 2020, I've found myself absorbing the news while wondering "what can I do to help?"

I still don't have an answer that feels like enough, but unlike six years ago, at least my work is no longer part of a system that enables those who value dollars over morals.

When I started Goodera, I made a decision to work only with brands and people who are making things better for people and/or the planet—not contributing to destroying them. In the years since, that choice has led to dozens of values-aligned clients who prioritize human rights and the environment, and tens of thousands of dollars flowing right back into nonprofits and local communities.

Anyway, back to the moment that started it all. If you're curious about the interaction I had with Trump's marketing team that pushed me to rage-start Goodera, keep reading.

JULY 2020: THE CONDITIONS SURROUNDING THE START OF GOODERA

Trump was in his first term, "fake news" was everywhere, and the country was deeply divided on things like lockdown, George Floyd's murder, and climate change (to name a few). On a more personal front, my dad had just been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, and within days of hearing his diagnosis, I'd packed up my life in Southern California to move back to Ohio. As someone who'd spent the previous two decades traveling through nearly 40 countries and living in cities like New York, London, and Los Angeles, the transition back to Ohio was... tough. I definitely struggled to accept my new reality.

This was when a new project came my way: Trump's reelection campaign.

My initial response was to decline this project, which is exactly what I should have done and would do if it happened again. But as a more senior-level leader, I knew that passing meant someone else on my team, likely more junior, would have to take it on. My optimistic, problem-solving self foolishly thought maybe if I took it on and let my morals guide the work, perhaps I could drive change.

<Insert pause for wildly naive laughter here>

I started by establishing my boundaries around what I was comfortable providing. We were basically a glorified media placement company offering interactive banner ads, so I agreed I would present our suite of placement options and answer any questions about our capabilities.

But I drew the line when it came to providing any original creative thinking. I refused to use my creative problem solving skills to convince a single voter to vote for him.

My boss agreed, and we decided that if at any point I wanted to tap out, or if the Trump team pushed for original creative ideas, we would pivot the project to my mentor, who’d agreed to step in if necessary.

During our kickoff call, the very first unit I presented was a turnkey poll that displayed real-time data based on user selection. The first question from the client was if we could run "made up numbers" to ensure the results were always favorable. They didn't want to risk the American public seeing anything unfavorable towards Trump, even if that's the reality of how users voted in the poll.

I froze, slack-jawed and unable to hide my disbelief.

Of course no brand wants to come off negatively when they're spending money for an ad. But most would just choose a different unit, not immediately suggest turning to lies and deceit to manipulate viewers. Fake news, misinformation, and rigged election stories were everywhere, and I suddenly felt like I was in the middle of a news story. Luckily a colleague was quick-thinking enough to step in and pivot the conversation, shutting the client down while offering a more generic solution that would avoid data all together. Ironically, this colleague was an open Trump supporter, so I was relieved to see him handle it responsibly.

But this is when things started to turn for me.

After that call I started to think: we still had four months until the election, which meant four months of political clients on both sides running ads. No one on our team was comfortable taking them on, and our company had no guardrails in place on how to handle political clients. To me it seemed like there was too much opportunity for things to go awry. What if someone had been on that call who had brushed this aside, or said yes? What were the real-life consequences of pushing a false message to hundreds of millions of voters? Maybe I was catastrophizing a bit, but I wasn't willing to risk my name, or anyone on my team's name and career.

So I did what I thought leaders should do: I tried to get ahead of what I thought could become some larger, ethically questionable asks. But if you know anything about Corporate America, you know they don't want this type of leader. They want loyal, subservient yes-men who do what they're told without asking questions or stirring the pot, all in the name of profit.

MY SOLUTION: A CODE OF CONDUCT FOR POLITICAL CLIENTS

Our company had coincidentally just sent each of us a Code of Conduct policy days before on how we, as employees of the company, were expected to conduct ourselves on our private social media channels. My first thought was "are you fucking kidding me?" but after I reviewed, I eased up as they included some very basic things like don't resort to hate speech or name calling, don't spread false information, fact check information before you share it, and so on. It felt weird for a company to dictate how they wanted me to show up on my own personal channels, but since it seemed on par with just being a decent human being, I ignored it and carried on. Choose your battles.

Then it occurred to me: if we were expected to adhere to these guidelines on our private channels, our clients should have to adhere to them when advertising on our platform, and our names are attached to the work, right?

I decided the easiest path for implementing change would be to use our own company's words and values to shape our client expectations. I copy and pasted the guidelines, and changed any mention of “I/me” to “clients/they.” Now, political clients on both sides would be expected not to use hate speech or name calling in the messaging we run for them, and to provide factual documentation alongside any claims so that we could fact check before approving and running the ad.

My team applauded my efforts, and told me they felt much more comfortable taking on political clients with these kinds of rules in place. Our platform and work would only be a place for presenting facts and positions, rather than running smear campaigns or spreading lies to further drive hate and division.

In retrospect, I don't know why I thought this would work.

I was trying to fix the entire concept that is U.S. political advertising—starting with arguably the worst, most blatantly vile manipulator our country has ever seen as president. Of course these clients would just go elsewhere. No executive would say yes to turning down millions of dollars "just to make the creative team comfortable." It was absurdly hopeful, but at least I felt good about doing what I could, and hoping maybe it would help.

I presented these guidelines to my boss as a way to get ahead of any questionable asks from political candidates moving forward, regardless of their party affiliation. He thanked me for my thoughtfulness, agreed to share it with leadership, and would follow up once he heard back on how to circulate.

Time passed, I never heard back, and the campaign tasks fell suspiciously quiet. When I followed up with my boss, he very bluntly told me there was a lot of money on the table (he gave me an actual dollar amount, which was unbelievably high), and "we just need somebody who will do the job." It was then that I realized I had already been removed from the project without any communication, no one cared about my guidelines, and there was no mention of political campaigns to me again.

Maybe I shouldn't have been, but I was upset and shocked. Not only because I felt like I failed in my attempt at ethical leadership, but that no one on the project respected me enough to tell me I was dropped from it—especially those that I established a plan with beforehand. I was somewhat frustrated with myself for caring so much—why couldn't I be like everyone else who had no problem dialing it in for an easy job that pays well? Yet again, my passion and commitment to doing the right thing backfired for me in a corporate setting.

That's when I began to realize that maybe operating within a corporation was not for me after all. At least a corporation with misaligned values.

MY REALIZATION Look, I understand business. I understand playing nicely in the sandbox, and working towards a larger vision efficiently and effectively, without rocking the boat or letting personal beliefs get in the way. I understand that, from leadership's perspective, I was creating "unnecessary" friction for a straightforward client who was paying 40x more than our average client—which was especially important during a time when COVID furloughs and layoffs were on the horizon. I understand that leading a team involves finding the right people to move the work along as smoothly as possible—and without bringing unsolicited, disruptive ideas to the table. I understand that for some people, a job is just a job, and it's easy for them to just show up, do what's asked of them, collect a paycheck, and go home without it impacting their conscience.

But I also understand that's just not how I roll.

I've never been the type of person to be complicit in something I don't believe in. I'm not the type to be blindly agreeable, take the path of least resistance, or do something that goes against my beliefs or values simply because "it's what we do," or because there are millions of dollars on the table. I like to think I have more integrity than that.

That was the day I realized: I like what I do, I just don't like who I do it for. I will never be happy operating within a system that expects me to show up in a way that is not true to who I am.

For over 15 years I'd been working up the corporate ladder, only to realize that the way to reach the top went against my personal values (at least in the path I was on). I knew that I could not be the type of leader I wanted to be if I was leading within an organization who controlled what I said, how I managed my team, and the type of work I produced.

I started Goodera that day, initially under the name Be Human Creative LLC.

I decided I would only work with those who are focused on making things better for people and the planet—not those who disregard responsibility beyond profit, or are actively trying to make things worse.

After it became clear no amount of altruistic leadership could change a business model that is built to only prioritize its bottom line, I decided I don't need to waste my energy fighting corporate from within. I knew I could make a much bigger impact by amplifying others who also believe there's a better way to do business.

THE START OF THE END OF AGENCY LIFE

I'd like to say I rage-quit my job that day, but it took me almost a year to finally put in my notice. During that time I used my corporate paychecks to lay the foundation for Goodera and build a financial safety net, while our team went through a reorganization (where I was basically demoted) due to several firings and lawsuits. Then, a recruiter approached me with a role that offered a $20k pay bump, a better-aligned title, and the chance to work with a more values-aligned client. I took it as one last attempt to stay in the ad industry, and kept building Goodera on the side.

I stayed in that new job for about 2.5 years before finally going 100% all in on myself in April 2024. I could write an entire book about why I should've made the leap much sooner, but leaving the stability felt extra hard while I was grieving the loss of my dad and my uncle, both of which happened less than a year apart.

But looking back, even as a side hustle there were always signs that Goodera was the right path forward, since day one:

• In the first year of operating very part-time—with no proactive pitching, just word-of-mouth clients—Goodera earned $40k, which allowed me to give back an additional $4k to nonprofits.
  

• When I did start pitching clients, I landed contracts with the first four I approached.
  

• I won a $10,000 pitch competition from over 500 applicants—and later used $1k of those winnings to establish an annual giveback award for the local community college (now in its fourth year).

Not to mention, I felt SO good about all the work I was doing.

GOODERA TODAY, IN 2026

I guess what this all boils down to is my position has only grown stronger since day one. I believe there's a better way to do business, and one of the most impactful ways I choose to get involved is through my work. I believe in supporting good people who are doing good things, and I now have no problem telling potential clients no if they don't seem like a good fit. I find so much more fulfillment and hope in working with people and brands who are led by a moral compass, not just a bottom line.

Call me a dreamer, but I envision a future where people with good intentions grow more powerful than soulless corporations by coming together to build a collective force that's more resilient, more human, and more sustainable than whatever the hell is happening in Corporate America today.

Those are the types of people I want to work with.

I know how challenging it can be for values-led organizations to compete with corporate scale and budgets. That's why I'm committed to bringing everything I've learned over 15+ years at agencies in New York, London, and Los Angeles—helping to build brands like Netflix, Amazon, BMW, the NFL, and so many more—directly to the businesses, organizations, and ideas dedicated to protecting people and the planet.

I'm endlessly inspired by people who choose integrity and hope over ease and indifference, and by the communities that rally around them. No matter the specifics, it's easy to feel hopeless or admit defeat when it feels like you're just one tiny person in a world of giants who all have much deeper pockets. But when you realize you're not alone, and that there are millions of people who believe in what you stand for, that's when real change can happen. All you have to do is find them and connect.

If you're a values-driven brand, founder, or organization doing meaningful work, I'd genuinely love to connect. And if you're in need of a creative partner who believes in what you're building to help share your story, reach out. Let's see if I, or someone in my network, can help.

Progress doesn't happen all at once, but it does happen when we keep moving forward, together. Change happens one connection, one choice at a time.