Attitude Matters

For the past year, Setup CEO and Founder, Joe Koufman, has highlighted some of the lessons he has learned from people in his network. 

Read Related - Form Your Tribe of Supporters

One of the recurring themes/lessons we have taken away from his admirable network is: Attitude Matters. The following people positively impacted everyone around them, leading to successful and meaningful careers.

5 Mentalities that will lead to success in work + life 

Don't wait to make an impact | Kate Atwood

Kate Atwood! Kate is one of the most extraordinary people I know.

After losing her mother to cancer as a teenager, Kate moved to Atlanta after college to start a nonprofit (Kate's Club) dedicated to helping children deal with the grief of losing a parent.

From there, Kate went on to become the Executive Director of the Arby's Foundation and then Executive Director of ChooseATL (which is now part of the Metro Atlanta Chamber). She now is the CEO of LoCo Plus. 

My biggest lesson from Kate is "Don't wait to make an impact on the world. Do it now!"

Here is her #ThankfulThursday post.

Fight for your beliefs with kindness | John Lewis

I want to honor the recently late Congressman John Lewis because of his deep commitment to fighting for what is right, but doing so with kindness. From every account of Congressman Lewis, he was a gentle soul who leveraged kindness to fight. What a concept!

I got the opportunity to meet Congressman Lewis on the escalator to the "plane train" at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and thank him for his service to my district and our nation. During our brief encounter, Congressman Lewis was personable and engaged. We said our goodbyes, and I felt so honored to meet such a powerful yet profoundly humble man.

We can all learn from Congressman Lewis to fight for what we believe but to do so with kindness.

Here is his #ThankfulThursday post.

Enthusiasm + positivity | Alexa Quaritius

Alexa Quaritius is a rising star in the Jacksonville, FL marketing community. Her day job is with The Home Depot Pro division, but she also serves on the board of directors of the American Marketing Association - Jacksonville, FL Chapter as their VP of Membership.

Alexa asked me to speak at her chapter where I presented to a VERY engaged group of marketers about Business Matchmaking. It was so much fun!

Alexa is one of those shining lights of positivity whose enthusiasm is contagious! We should all be that positive and enthusiastic!

Here is her #ThankfulThursday post.

Exude joy! | Jo Ann Herold

Jo Ann Herold and I have run in similar marketing circles for many years and so I have been so pleased to get to know her better as a friend and colleague. Today she serves as the Chief Marketing Officer for The Honey Baked Ham Company, LLC.

The thing that impresses me most about Jo Ann is that she exudes joy! She loves shining a light on others who are doing great things in our community. I have never heard Jo Ann say a negative word, and being around her is inspiring. We should all aspire to bring positivity to the world like Jo Ann!

Below is a photo of several members of the 2010 board of directors for the AMA Atlanta (American Marketing Association, Atlanta Chapter) (Jo Ann was the president). Jo Ann is in the front right and I am in the back middle wearing a blue shirt.

Here is her #ThankfulThursday post.

Blaze your own trail with grace + drive | Moira Vetter 

Moira Vetter is a business owner, writer, mother, community supporter, thoughtful skeptic, and a generally excellent human being.

I got to know Moira the first time I served on the AMA Atlanta board of directors where she was serving as President while running Modo Modo Agency, and carrying her twins. I was in awe that one person could successfully balance these three massive responsibilities with grace, kindness, drive, and thoughtfulness. I always admired Moira - but especially during that time of her life.

When I had the chance for Setup to work with Modo Modo in 2016, I jumped at the opportunity. It has been an incredibly successful partnership for both companies. Then in 2019, when I made the decision to rebrand AgencySparks, I was fortunate to become Modo Modo's client as they guided us through our (very successful) rebrand to become Setup.

I want to honor Moira, who has fearlessly blazed her own trail with grace and drive. I wish we could all be as comfortable in our own skin as Moira.

Here is her #ThankfulThursday post.

We hope this series continues to inspire those who are navigating their career path. Wherever your life takes you, your attitude towards challenges and the people around you will inform your success. What you do and how you treat others matters, and it could be the very thing that people carry with them moving forward.