This post was written by Joe Koufman, the Founder & CEO of Setup.

As of January 2, 2014, I was unemployed. 

I had just spent six years leading business development and marketing for Engauge, but in 2013 we were acquired by Publicis Groupe and merged with Moxie, so it was clear that it was time for me to move on. It was a fun ride since the digital marketing shop (Spunlogic) I joined in 2007 at around 65 people, was acquired by Engauge (250+ people), and then the newly merged agency (Engauge and Moxie) employed more than 600. During my six-year tenure there, my team and I were responsible for bringing in key accounts to the agency including: Cisco Systems, Newell Brands, AMC Theatres, Van Gogh Vodka, Beazer Homes, Hanesbrands, Hershey’s, and Chick-fil-A.

Soon after my last day at the agency, I received inquiries from (mostly) agencies that were interested in my efforts to help them grow as I had done for Engauge. While some of the opportunities were quite appealing, it became clear after several conversations with friends and advisors, that it was time for something new. 

My experience showed me that brands had significant gaps in capacity or capability and had a really hard time finding the best-qualified marketing agencies to support them. Marketing agencies did fantastic work for their clients but struggled with building a sustainable new business pipeline.

On February 4, 2014, AgencySparks (now Setup), a company built to connect marketers, was born. I had already gotten my first signed contract and hired my first employee by the time I signed the initial startup papers.

Before I got deep into the grind as a newly minted entrepreneur, I planned an epic trip to Peru with my wife knowing that there might not be another chance to take a break for many years. In the lush courtyard of our hotel in Lima, Peru, I countersigned an agreement with our second agency partner.

After I returned, I leveraged the apartment attached to our home as office space for my newly hired first employee and me, and took time to thank those “sparks” who encouraged, mentored me, and generally supported me as I was launching a new company. It is amazing how contacts from my past carried over to help kickstart and shape our work, proving that relationships are crucial in business.

Now when I look back at all that we have accomplished in the eight years since I first filed those incorporation documents, I could not be any more proud of what we have accomplished:

• Served brands/clients and marketing agencies across the country

• Successfully grown the team to six dynamic, full-time, and two part-time employees

• Moved into a beautiful office in a historic building in the heart of Atlanta

• Launched new services for clients such as Custom Agency Search, In-Network Search, Marketing Ecosystem Planning, and Recruiting

• Added new services for marketing agencies including Agency Assessment, Sustainable Pipeline, Business Development Training, Marketing Diagnostic, Acquisition Services, and Team Building

• Formed partnerships with fantastic companies like Clutch and Winmo

• Published content such as the CMO Spotlight (35+) series and the third annual Marketing Relationship Survey (published in AdAge)

• Designed new ways for marketers to connect through our Marketer Matchups and Marketing Mixer programs 

• Rebranded (in 2019) from AgencySparks to Setup (now trademarked)

• Supported and continue to support many nonprofits

• Reworked our PVTV (purpose, vision, tenants, and values) and implemented the Great Game of Setup (shoutout to Jeff Hilimire’s book - The Great Team Turnaround)

I am proud of what we have accomplished in the last eight years and I am delighted where we landed with our PVTV:

• Our Purpose is to unlock the power of human connections.

• Our Vision is to help marketers thrive by bringing them together with the best people and resources.

• We will do this by (Tenets):

  • Making meaningful connections

  • Staying top of mind with marketers

  • Maintaining operational excellence

• At Setup, we are (Values):

  • Honorable

  • Approachable

  • Insightful

  • Tenacious

  • Innovative

I hope you will continue on this journey with us as we move into the next phase of growth for Setup. Cheers to eight years, and thanks for staying connected with us!