Dan Kirk, Senior Marketing Manager at 1% for the Planet, is a Hula staple.
Any conversation with Dan is bound to circle back to the realities of being human; observations about behavior, little truths about how we move through the world. It’s the lens that makes him great at marketing, but it’s also what makes him an even better person.
At first glance, Dan might look like your average Vermont Phish fan, but there’s much more beneath the surface. He’s been a radio DJ on WRUV (7–9 AM on 90.1FM, if you’re curious) for over a decade. He grows dahlias. He bikes just about everywhere. He's got that brown dog with the beard. And he’s the founder of his own web design company, 44° North.
What doesn’t this guy do? We’re still trying to figure that out. Dan’s answers are short, sweet, and rooted in radical honesty. You won’t regret reading.
Q: What do you do?
A: Marketing 1% for the Planet
Q: What’s a piece of advice you give to other people?
A: Everything is made up!
Q: What’s something a mentor or important person has shared that made an impact on your business or career?
A: Networking is gross; meeting people is excellent.
Q: What role does community play in your career or business?
A: 1% for the Planet is just that: a community of businesses who commit to giving 1% of revenue back to the planet, no matter what. Our members are our best assets, our amplifiers, our referrers, and truly they're a great group of people to work with. The relationships that we get to build with our members are the icing on top of the relationships we witness them building and keeping with their environmental partners.
Q: What was a pivotal moment while you were building your business or during your career that made you realize you were on the right track? Are there signs people should look out for?
A: When I got my job at 1% for the Planet, I realized all the effort I had put in on my side hustle building websites during my time in academia was for a bigger reason. Not only did I have a pretty cool client list of recognizable Vermont organizations, but I had made meaningful connections with the people who ran those organizations, learning more about their business and work making it natural to maintain those connections throughout the years.
Q: How do you handle setbacks or failures without losing motivation?
A: By getting older.
Q: What’s a personal habit or mindset shift that significantly improved your business or work life?
A: Receive feedback as an act of generosity.
Q:Is there a transformative book, speech, or presentation that you’d recommend to other aspiring business professionals?
A: Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely, Ecological Economics by Josh Farley and Herman Daly
We're grateful to have Dan as a part of Hula and the 1% for the Planet communities. Dan is a jokester, but he truly is a natural connector. He’s taking 1% for the Planet to the next level by doing what he does best: building bridges and systems to serve the people on his team and in the 1% network. His talent for seeing the 'human truths' in every interaction is what helps elevate any collective's work to create a whole greater than the sum of its parts.
