In this Dame and Age | Women Leaders Share Their Stories
For the past few years Setup has highlighted the thoughts and advice of prominent marketing leaders in a variety of companies such as Aflac, Mizuno, Great Clips, Lionsgate, Blackbaud, and Regal Cinemas in our Women in Marketing series. The takeaways from these blogs were not only informative, but incredibly insightful for any marketer on their career path.
As Marketing Matchmakers, we could not resist the urge to connect these contributors who have inspired us and our readers with one another. The women of Setup hosted an event to discuss the questions from the original interviews and give the contributors an opportunity to network with one another.
The questions discussed were:
What inspired you to pursue a career in marketing?
What were pivotal moments in your career that contributed to your success?
Who is someone that helped you on your current path to becoming a marketing leader?
Are there specific challenges you have faced as a woman in marketing, and how did you overcome them?
What advice would you give to the next generation of women marketers?
What emerging marketing trend excites you?
Though women are increasingly holding leadership positions, the steps forward do not come without challenges. According to the Fortune Global List, only 2.6% of Fortune 500 companies have a woman CEO. While there have been improvements like the number of women in senior management roles increasing to 29%, some women representatives find the workplace challenging to have their voices heard in comparison to their male counterparts, among other challenges.
In true Setup fashion, we want to connect women marketing leaders to provide a community where attendees can express their frustrations, but learn from, support, and inspire each other to grow in their industry or role. In our most recent event, attendees like Kelli Liles, Manager of Events and Sports Marketing at Old Dominion Freight Line Inc, emphasized the importance of being a “swiss-army knife,” and how that flexibility can make you more adaptable to any situation. She and Setup COO, Amanda Thompson, also shared how it is important to stick to one’s values, even when things are difficult, and that there are always opportunities to learn from your experiences.
Another attendee, Maureen Kelly, the Head of Brand and Content Marketing at Hiscox USA, shared that it’s important to stay authentic by speaking up. She also mentioned her love for mentoring others and how she encourages her team to find their allies.
We cannot wait to facilitate another women’s leader event! In the meantime, please join us at our next #MarketingMixer on February 10th for some networking and discussion!
The following are 44 tips to becoming a masterful marketer from the pros themselves, who all happen to be women. Key things to keep in mind: be open, be authentic, and be willing to learn.
How you respond to challenges will determine the outcome.
Work for a company that shares your personal values.
It’s never too late to start over. Taking a big risk now could pay off in the long run.
There is always an opportunity to learn.
Focus on people.
Lift others up.
Create community and be open.
Build your own network, skillset, and confidence to reach your full potential.
You are only as good as the people around you.
Don’t be afraid to fail.
Don’t wait for permission.
Welcome perspective.
Become a lifelong learner.
Continue to show your value.
Invest in your team and coworkers.
Seek out opportunities.
Maintain relationships.
Truly understand consumer needs and expectations to excel in your role.
Don’t get too comfortable - take risks to grow!
You are capable of anything.
Take a leap of faith and get out of your comfort zone.
Learn from and be open to others.
Trust your instincts.
Celebrate your wins.
The pandemic has changed consumer expectations, brand involvement with social issues, and mental health awareness.
Show up in the best way you can.
A positive attitude can fuel you when things get hard.
Check yourself to make sure you’re bringing your best self every day.
Support and form groups to lean on one another.
Embrace projects that aren’t under your jurisdiction in order to learn and grow.
Gain a 360 view of your company to understand the ins and outs.
Trust your team in order to let them grow.
Curiosity goes far.
Throw out the old way to innovate for the new.
Challenges often lead to opportunities.
Make your voice heard.
Create the change and space you want to see.
Belief in your team goes a long way.
Don’t let fear drive you.
Taking risks and failing is how you learn.
Believe in yourself.
Become an asset.
Own it.
Learn at every opportunity. When you are willing and able to learn and live the business, colleagues will respect and embrace your approach.
Our latest virtual Women’s event was themed “Marketing for Good - Turning Passions into Action,” where marketing leaders discussed the internal and external benefits of cause-driven marketing. Attendees included Setup Agency partners as well as members from established Brands at Cox, FIS, FedEx, Great Clips, Kimberly-Clark, The Home Depot, and more.
The Setup Marketer Speed Dating #MarketersBreakfast is one of our most popular in-person events because attendees get to meet as many qualified people as possible in short bursts of time. Many attendees recounted that the facilitated structure of the matchmaking event made networking so much easier. Plus, to ensure that everyone’s time is valued, the roster of #MarketersBreakfast attendees is exclusive, only open to our agency partners and Client-side marketing leaders. Some of the brands in attendance included Veritiv, Cartoon Network, Primrose Schools, and more.
At Setup, we work with some of the finest marketing agencies across the nation with an array of capabilities. Our most recent March #MarketingMixer gave our partners a platform to share an exclusive behind-the-scenes look into their process, strategy, and campaign results in under two hours. Ten case studies in 90 minutes, with some fun trivia in between, featuring an array of brands like adidas, ParkMobile, PAMA, Prudential, and more.
To celebrate women in the marketing profession and to continue highlighting them throughout Women’s History Month, we asked women marketing leaders to contribute to our Women in Marketing Series detailing their personal triumphs, tribulations, and advice about working in the marketing industry. Part 13 features leaders from Nationwide, NAPA, Neogen Corporation, and Pratt Industries, Inc.
Our ongoing Women in Marketing series highlights marketing leaders from different backgrounds and industries who continue to innovate and push the boundaries of their role.
This segment features the advice and journeys of leaders from CVS Health, Prudential, and more.
As Setup celebrates our 10th anniversary, we reflect on a decade of pioneering the art of marketing matchmaking. From our early days as AgencySparks to our rebrand in 2019 to become Setup and all the way to today, we've been dedicated to bridging the gap between brands seeking expert marketing support and agencies capable of delivering outstanding results.
At the latest “In This Dame and Age” event, the Setup team pulled out a list of hot trends that marketing leaders were prioritizing over the last year. We tracked the Top 10 Marketing Trends by Marketing Leaders from multiple interviews with marketing professionals, and polled this year’s Women’s Event attendees to expand on the relevance and usefulness of certain topics. Are trends like “metaverse” still hot, or not? What are the latest updates with AI? Our attendees shared some fruitful insights!
The beauty of our #MarketersBreakfast is that we gather a collection of marketing leaders with years of experience who are eager to connect and share their expertise when discussing an array of topics. For example, one of our recent breakfasts dove into “Marketing Therapy,” or marketers’ main challenges. This led to dedicating an entire breakfast to proving ROI and the Value of Marketing to the Executive Suite.
For this Mixer, we decided to cover “How to Attract Top Talent” since employers and interviewees are curious about how to navigate the job market and how to recruit the best talent. Our partners at Hire Profile are recruiting visionaries with the experience and tools to provide marketing and creative staffing and recruiting solutions to companies in the greater Atlanta area.
A lot has happened in the last six or seven years, and what better way to process challenges than through group therapy? Whether in your personal or professional life, it’s important to realize you are never alone, and challenges are just opportunities for growth, innovation, and insights.
For the event, we crowdsourced challenges Marketing leaders face, and then discussed those questions as a group. Talking points ranged from discussing rising AI technology, to acquiring talent, to branding strategies. Below is a brief recap of the conversation. (We kept the identity of contributors anonymous in true Therapy form.)
This Women’s History Month, we want to continue highlighting the stories and voices of powerful female marketing leaders. Read advice and stories from powerful female thought leaders from Hiscox, Georgia Oak Partners, and Northwest Pump in this Women’s Contribution Blog.
The Setup Women in Marketing series highlights the thoughts and advice of prominent marketing brand and agency leaders in companies. Our most recent In This Dame and Age event encouraged women from all backgrounds to #ShareYourStory.
An hour of networking and discussion led to 4 key points women, and all marketing leaders, should keep in mind.
We love a brand that takes a step back to recognize and celebrate their audience. For International Women’s Month, Setup features five brands that shifted their messaging to empower women - young and old - to embrace their strengths and rise above all odds.
Three years after our last Speed-Dating breakfast, we were finally able to return to our favorite and most cherished in-person event!
With glitter hearts decorating the tables, and guiding questions to spark the romance, we kicked off the love-filled event with several agency partners and clients like Papa Johns, Orkin, Jabra, and more.
The New Year is a time to reflect on the past and make movements towards the future. At Setup, we are proud of the past year that led to new services and resources for the Marketing community, and look forward to the next year to continue to empower Marketers to level up.
The Setup #MarketingMixer is a chance for marketing leaders to connect, discuss, and learn. At previous Mixers, we’ve hosted a number of panelists, held a marketing agency showcase, discussed burnout and business matchmaking, and even facilitated Marketer “speed-dating.”
We love the opportunity to bring together the best and brightest minds to share their experiences and, in this case, we heard from three unique brands about their perspective on “The Seasonality of Marketing.”
For the past four years, Setup has conducted a Marketing Relationship Survey to take the pulse on how Companies (Brands/Clients) and Marketing Agencies operate and work together. Because we live in the space between Brands and Agencies, we are in a unique position to bridge any gaps - in communication, work style, work needs, and more. In that vein, we’re excited to share the results of this year’s survey to provide insight and perspective on the current state of Agency-Client relationships.
Check out the results that were recently featured in Ad Age!
The Setup Women in Marketing series highlights the thoughts and advice of prominent marketing brand and agency leaders. The contributors’ powerful stories and advice led to our all-women networking group: In This Dame and Age, where we host virtual discussions and connect women marketing leaders with one another.
The latest event about exploring and leveraging different Leadership Styles was attended by agency leaders and brand representatives from companies such as Invesco, The Honey Baked Ham Company, Great Clips, Slutty Vegan, and more.
At Setup, we love to facilitate environments where people can network and embrace themselves freely, so our #MarketersBreakfast for August 2022 was all about “Getting Back to the Basics to Find Human Connection.”
At this breakfast, no one was a stranger.
With a balance of attendees from both marketing agency and brand leadership teams, the breakfast consisted of open networking and an “improv” activity led by Setup’s Marketing Manager, Madeline Evans, who is actively teaching and performing improv professionally in Atlanta.
Most employers are not (and will not) demand workers to be in-person in the office five days a week. That means that there are many days when employees work from a home office, coffee shop, co-working space, or some other remote location. Connecting with coworkers through video and audio will only continue to grow.
Setup hosted a breakfast for some brand-side marketers to discuss remote work and how to make it better.
The Setup Women in Marketing series highlights the thoughts and advice of prominent marketing brand and agency leaders. The contributors’ powerful stories and advice led to our all-women networking group: In This Dame and Age, where we host discussions and connect women marketing leaders with one another. The latest event we held a discussion about fostering Creativity + Connection in the workplace.
The Setup Women in Marketing series is focused on interviews of over forty women sharing their marketing career path, advice, and observations regarding the industry. Leaders ranging from Great Clips to Hiscox to Blackbaud shared their outlooks on Marketing and the upcoming trends that excite them most.
For our first #MarketersBreakfast event back at the Miami Ad School @ Portfolio Center, we revisited a classic theme: Show and Tell, to share the marketing strategies, thought processes, and success stories of incredible brands like Aaron’s, NCR, The Coca-Cola Company, and ParkMobile.
At Setup, we focus on amplifying the stories and voices of powerful trailblazers and thought leaders in the marketing space. Our Women in Marketing series and virtual women’s community “In this Dame and Age,” provides a space for marketing women to network and share their journeys.
This particular segment features advice and stories from marketing agency leaders at Response Media and Goods & Services.
Setup’s latest Women’s Event “In This Dame and Age” discussed the importance and power of Mentorship. Representatives from a variety of companies such as Truist, IHG, Regal Cinemas, Hiscox USA, and The Home Depot attended to network and share their stories.
At Setup, we love to amplify the stories and voices of those who make up the marketing community. As a part of that, we started a Women in Marketing series and a virtual women’s community “In this Dame and Age,” to provide a space for marketing women to network and share their journeys.
Our ongoing Women in Marketing series highlights marketing leaders from different backgrounds and industries who continue to innovate and push the boundaries of their role.
This particular segment features advice and stories from marketing agency leaders at Fitzco, Morrison, and The Shipyard.
This blog post was written by Setup Founder and CEO, Joe Koufman, highlighting the origin of Setup and the multiple achievements that have followed throughout the years.
In February during pre-pandemic days, we would host “speed-dating” events for marketing agencies and brands to connect with and learn about one another’s needs, business, and personal goals. Since going virtual, we’ve explored themed topic events with 1:1 networking sessions that included panels, case study showcases, and group discussions.
After two long years of no speed-dating, we decided to bring this beloved event back, but with an added twist: Bingo!
Connection in a post-Covid world is different. Most teams are remote and trying to rebuild the remnants of culture’s past. Our August #MarketersBreakfast was aimed to cure this slump by focusing on the tools leaders need to build better and more healthy communication practices to unite their teams and improve their organizations.