Giving Back & Helping the Next Generation: Lessons from Ivo Lukas on Marketing / And

Season six of Marketing / And is in full swing, and AMA CEO and host Bennie F. Johnson loves to ask a question that always reveals character:

“What advice would you give to marketers?”

In a recent episode, Bennie sat down with Ivo Lukas, Founder & CEO of 24Notion, an award-winning global integrated marketing agency built on innovation and corporate social responsibility. Her throughline is clear: when you commit to doing good—and doing great work—everyone benefits.

Here are three leadership lessons from Ivo’s journey.

1. Build the Business You Wish Existed

Before launching 24Notion, Ivo led global initiatives spanning Asia-Pacific (APAC), Europe, Middle East, Africa (EMEA), Latin America, and North America. She built digital marketing divisions, bridged creative and performance strategy, and helped brands scale across markets.

But as she rose through larger organizations, she noticed something unsettling: the bigger the company, the less emphasis on giving back.

Then burnout forced a reset.

After working 18- to 20-hour days, she stepped away to prioritize her health. In the quiet, she wrote down 24 attributes she wanted in a business—kindness, purpose, innovation, impact. By morning, the blueprint for 24Notion was born: an integrated marketing agency with an embedded commitment to giving back.

Investors didn’t understand it. “Integrated marketing” plus social impact? They passed. She cried. Then she bet on herself—tapping into her 401(k) and bootstrapping the agency.

Over a decade later, 24Notion is profitable, values-led, and still giving back. Some of those early investors even came back. This time, she declined.

Takeaway:
Don’t wait for permission to build what you believe in. When your values and your business model align, conviction becomes your competitive advantage.

2. Become the Mentor—and Investor—you Needed

“No one financially invested in me,” Ivo shared. “So I became an angel investor.”

Her first investment wasn’t capital, it was time. After speaking at an event, a woman asked her for coffee. Ivo mentored her as she launched her venture. Word spread.

Soon nonprofits asked for marketing help. 24Notion offered pro bono support—especially for girls in STEM and technology-focused organizations. Sometimes they gave money. Other times, they gave strategy. That generosity created ripple effects: board invitations, judging panels, partnerships.

What began as service became community. And community became opportunity.

Many of those relationships eventually turned into client work—not because she pitched, but because she performed. As Ivo emphasizes, impact never replaces KPIs. “If our clients aren’t hitting their ROI, we’re failing.” Performance comes first. Purpose is embedded alongside it.

Takeaway:
Show up fully even when there’s no immediate return. Trust equity compounds. The mentor you become today may shape the opportunities you receive tomorrow.

3. Marry Timing with Vision

Ivo’s career began in the dot-com era, where she saw firsthand how timing shapes success. She recalls Webvan, an early online grocery delivery service that collapsed because the market wasn’t ready. The model was sound; the ecosystem wasn’t.

Contrast that with Amazon, which scaled at the right time, with the right infrastructure—and later accelerated during COVID.

For brands, the lesson is clear: innovation alone isn’t enough. Market readiness matters.

At 24Notion, integrated marketing starts with diagnosing the real problem—lead generation, demand generation, brand gaps—and building bridges across channels. At the same time, clients are educated on the value of CSR, not through theory, but through action.

Gratitude fuels the work. “When you have that mindset of being thankful and a blessing,” Ivo says, “it creates a roadmap to go above and beyond.”

Closing Takeaway:
Great marketing lives at the intersection of performance, purpose, and timing. Align all three, and growth becomes sustainable. Listen to the full conversation with Ivo Lukas on Marketing / And.

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Marketing / And explores life through a marketing lens, diving into the moments where creativity, purpose, and culture intersect. Each episode introduces you to visionaries whose stories you might not know yet—but absolutely should. Because at its best, marketing isn’t just about selling something. It’s about shaping stories, shifting perspectives, and inspiring what comes next.