Pocket-sized giving: how 1% became part of the bigger picture

When I launched pocket nibbles consulting, I didn’t know exactly what it would become. I knew I didn’t want to build a business with my own name on the door, and I knew I didn’t want to jump 150% into the hustle of another in-house role. What I did want was to create something that reflected who I am: a marketer, a mom, a systems thinker, a snack-giver, and someone who cares deeply about this planet.

That’s how pocket nibbles got its name — from my mom’s jacket pockets filled with carrot sticks and clementines on walks through Chicago. And now, that name is also the inspiration behind the pocket nibbles giving pledge.

Why 1%?

In March 2025, I attended the Climate Reality Project, a conference led by Al Gore and it was like flipping a switch. The urgency. The science. The possibility. I left with the gut feeling that if I was going to build something of my own, it had to contribute to something bigger.

But as a solo business owner, mom of two, and still very much figuring-it-out human, I didn’t want to commit to something unrealistic. I didn’t have time to volunteer, I couldn’t promise massive donations, and I didn’t want this to be a box-checking exercise.

So I chose something small — 1% of my annual revenue — and something meaningful: giving back to environmental causes that restore, protect, and plan for the long term.

It’s small. But it’s intentional. And like the snacks in my mom’s pocket, small things, offered at the right moment, can change everything.

A Forest Starts With One Tree

I haven’t made my first 1% donation yet, that’s the honest truth. My fiscal year is still forming (should it be June to June? January to December?). I have the invoices. I have the intention. I just haven’t carved out the time.

But I know what I want the contribution to look like: trees.

There’s something beautifully aligned between planting trees and the work I do in marketing operations. Both require:

• Structure to thrive
  
• Patience to see results
  
• Careful planning to avoid chaos

I love the idea of building a pocket nibbles forest, one that grows slowly but surely with each client, each project, each collaboration. A visual representation of the small investments that lead to long-term change.

What Does Success Look Like?

It starts with that first donation, a single tree planted, a ton of carbon offset, a receipt saved for my records.

But zoom out, and success looks like:

• Clients choosing me because of this initiative
  
• Mentorship sessions that spark new ideas for sustainable business practices
  
• Conversations with peers about what their 1% could look like
  
• A forest map on my site one day, dotted with every little “nibble” that got us there

The dream? That pocket nibbles giving becomes as much a part of the brand as the audits, the enablement plans, and the carefully crafted campaign workflows.

Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned from both parenting and marketing ops: systems matter. And small things, done consistently, make a big impact.

Final Thought

This isn’t about perfection. It’s about progress. It’s about using what you’ve got — your platform, your revenue, your random train ride to a doctor’s appointment — to make one small choice that contributes to a better world.

Because better marketing should build a better world.

And sometimes, all it takes is a snack-sized step to start.

Photo by Noah Buscher on Unsplash